Day/night, weather shifts (wind,rain,+elevator,car), my
head fills w/ massive filling head pressure. Feels like
Edema in head yet no pain unless it doesn't pop-loose.
I wake ea. night 2 x w/ Hd-P & wet ear spasms. Some
nights are so bad, crisis prssr hits & I have to walk
to drain. Eyes burn, upper nose pops like it's choking
for air, then things pop & drain `only after a Xanax'
to relax spasm. Many ENT's. Ears don't work that way!
No vestibular tests = pos. EEG is Norm. MRI's ok. Trial
of Clonazepam helps slight body tremors I acquired &
also my head. This leads me to think I have vessel-
tremors. Rx wears off quik but effective. Oddly, math
skills block till meds kick in again & head deflates!
Is this inflammation, edema, vessel-seizure. I have no
allergies & MRI says nothing on fluid. Anyone have this or any idea of tests? Vent tubes sealed up. No
infections. Just feels like head sweats inside then bursts. Rx is for tremors & seizures yet that dosn't
help get a Dx. Is there anyone out there like me that
also has the wet-ear pops? Maybe we can compare notes?

Guess I really am alone in the world w/ this! I keep
posting & no response. Now this is sad.

Murphy

...."I really am alone in the world w/ this!"....


Well maybe not---this is either you posting on this other board----or a person with a extremely similar problem--do not think I can put up the link--but below is his/her symptons---sounds alot like yours:


..."Pressure in Head"


So glad your question got in. After yrs. of suffering w/ varied
degrees of `pressure in head'& no answers, you have revived this
problem. Old posts I've searched has even referred this to a
mental-health professional! I'm still not Dx. Had several types
of MRI-hd/nck/brain. N/A on MRA, EEG, NCV, EMG, Ultrasound, CT's,
Chest, ENG, ABR, +. I tell Dr's it feels like `Helium Head' that
may explode unless I lay dwn. They laugh & give me sedatives. I
also say it feels like I'm standing on my head too long w/ no
relief. I got BP meds for 120/80! This attack hits laying dwn or
sitting up but mostly w/ weather changes. I tried to convince a
sleep-neuro to hook me up to record me for postural-change. No
one gets it. The long term stress of this problem has triggered
noticeable Essential Tremors. Neuro confirmed. I've mentioned
inflammation, vascular edema, skull can't accomadate insides. I
think I explain it. My theory, is it's partly orthostatic & due
to inflammation of vascular pressure. Lo dose Xanax helps. It
sedates vascular system. A vessel `tremors' if flow is altered.
Inflammation can happen from a pinched nerve or body shift. I
tried Neurontin (don't get me started)! I jump up to get pressure
out or I feel a crisis-mode coming on. I'm home, can't work. It
feels like brain-fog till it subsides. It's always gone by the
time we get to the hospital. Now what helps me is being cut off for fear that 5 .5 xanax a mo. might addict me. Guess they want me to suffer. Please let us know if you find a magic answer. We
could have different things but maybe your Dr. will try some of
my tests. A tilt-table test may help. Hypertension is thrown out
alot. Don't mention puffy-red face. You'll get a battery of PMS
& Hormone stuff mentioned. This is awful to live with. Stay in
touch & let's hope for alittle magic."........



Think one of the problems you maybe having---here---is just about all the posters have Vestibular Problems---which according to your post---may not be your case.


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[This message has been edited by Subs30 (edited 10-05-2003).]

[This message has been edited by Subs30 (edited 10-05-2003).]

Thank you Subs for writing. Atleast you took the time
to try & connect me. Unfortunately, that's my post
also. Your right abt. no help since it's not `dizzy'
that is happening. ENT's can't relate nor want to, if it isn't straight-forward. I just hoped someone had
what I had & we could work together. I once posted,
`why no med students?' Thought it would kick off a trend to help mankind. If it's not easy, docs are lazy.
Thanks again. I'll remember you.

Murphy

...."that's my post also."...


Thought that might be the case

----that----notwithstanding-----picked this up on PubMed web site:


...." Eustachian tube function in older children and------- ADULTS---- with persistent otitis media.

Swarts JD, Bluestone CD.

Department of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, 3705 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. dswarts@pitt.edu

OBJECTIVE: Otitis media (OM) is most common in infants and young children. Despite a dramatic reduction in its incidence after the age of six, the disease still occurs in older children, adolescents, and may even persist into adulthood. The goal of this study was to identify characteristics of eustachian tube (ET) function in an older population which may underlie their persistent OM. METHODS: Following a medical history and a head and neck examination, 38 subjects over 6 years of age (64 ears) had their ET function assessed with the forced-response test (FRT). Parameters derived from this test included opening and closing pressures as well as steady-state and active resistances. RESULTS: Adenoidectomy had previously been performed in 71% of the sample. Clinically, 5% of these subjects had evidence of nasopharyngeal inflammation. The distributions of closing pressure and steady-state resistance were very similar to the distributions of the historic normal controls. The distributions of opening pressure and active resistance were highly skewed relative to the control sample. All study subjects had either abnormal opening pressures or high active resistance, with 79% having both abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS: If nasopharyngeal inflammation and hypertrophied adenoids are significantly correlated to ET dysfunction and persistent OM, this sample should be free of middle-ear (ME) disease. However, these individuals suffer persistent OM due to ET dysfunction characterized by high opening pressures and high active resistances. The abnormalities underlying these skewed forced-response parameters must be identified and corrected if we are going to alleviate the ME disease in these and similar patients.".......


From the description(in your post(s)):


head pressure


Hd-P & wet ear spasms


no pain(unless no pop)


walk to drain


Eyes burn


upper nose pops like it's choking for air, then things pop & drain `only after a Xanax' to relax spasm.


....."Many ENT's. Ears don't work that way!".....

But then from the study---you get this----


"ET dysfunction characterized by high opening pressures and high active resistances."


Which would lead one to think---there could be a dysfunction where pressure/fluid could build up---and that may not---necessarily be(only) associated with "OM" infection----think "infection" is the key word!!


Strange----that a fluid that builds up to the extent that it physically drains---so that you actually see it---and that---does it repetitively---over time---would not provide---strong indicators/clues as to what is wrong.

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[This message has been edited by Subs30 (edited 10-05-2003).]

Subs, Sometimes just knowing `I care' helps alot. I
have had many tests but think you're on to something w/
FRTest. Not heard of it. Had prssr-tests but read they
give false-pos. alot till you're much worse. Past posts
explain `the worst'. 4 major surgeries & a rare tumor.
Infection may be there but no doc will open ear to do
needle aspirate ck. This is all over 10 yrs. & I believe it's a colleague thing. No one wants to fess-
up the others goofed. Who cares! I move forward. Lost
my lic. & bs. & stopped driving to spare others. It
still feels like a tremor in my Head that swells tissue
& perhaps it's edema. Maybe it's sweating ear canals
from tremors that makes ears pop spasms? I see a Neuro.
today for another opinion. Hopes are up & I will ask
about FR. Thank you sooo much for your research. I'll
get back.