Posted by Cam W. on December 14, 2001, at 14:59:10
In reply to Re: CAM can you help me with this?, posted by Mary-Teresa on December 14, 2001, at 7:28:10
Mary - I've read about these symptoms, but have never experienced the clinically. For the tinnitus, you may try an antihistamine, to see if the cilia (little hairs) in the vestibular apparatus of the middle ear are firing spontaneously (as happens in motion sickness), but in a different synchronicity.
The vestibular apparatus is a series of 3 semi-circular canals, that are half filled with fluid; sort of like, 3 loops of hose standing up (positioned at different angles), with liquid filling only the bottom half of the loops. The inside of the canals (loops) are covered in clilia; which, when touched by the fluid (as when you change your orientation in space - eg. stand up or lie down) tells your body that you are changing position, relative to gravity. When you change your orientation in space, gravity causes the fluid in the vestibular apparatus to flow over the cilia, triggering it, and sending electrical information of the body's orientation in space, to the brain.
Sometimes, in nausea or tinnitus, the little hairs (cilia) fire spontaneously (on their own) sending erratic signals to the brain about your positioning in space, causing nausea. I think that tinnitus is related to this because the vestibular apparatus is located in the inner ear, and the ringing could be a result of spontaneous firing of small structures (eg. cilia) in the hearing apparatus located in the middle ear.
Antihistamines (Gravol™ - dimenhydrinate; Benadryl™ - diphenhydramine; or Bonamine™ - meclizine) are all over-the-counter (OTC) medications that may help with the tinnitus. The deaden, or slow, the spontaneous firing of vestibular apparatus cilia, quelling the nausea, and in many cases, tinnitus. Serc™ (betahistine) and Antivert™ (meclizine/nicotinic acid) are prescription anti-vertigo meds that may also be of use to you.
The symptoms that you decribe, should go away, but I would not be able to guess at a time frame. Have you been check out for a middle ear infection, or some or diagnosis, that could be secondary to the withdrawl symptoms?
I hope that this is of some help. - Cam
poster:Cam W.
thread:86592
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20011213/msgs/86913.html