Question to general practitioner Maarten: Tinnitus and neck pain
Maarten Vasbinder lives in Isaan. His profession is general practitioner, a profession that he mainly practiced in Spain. On Thailandblog he answers questions from readers who live in Thailand.
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Dear Martin,
Thank you for your advice and addition. A fan or waterfall (preferably real) seems like a good idea. I'm going to look at it.
Yes, that neck. I didn't want to bother you with it. I've been going to doctors, specialists and physiotherapists for 10 years without much result, I've also been trying in vain for years to find a balance between fitness, sleep, "neck management" and medication.
I understand that both the neck problem itself and the medication may be contributing to the tinnitus. There is a chronic neck hernia (discopathy C5C6C7, narrowed foramen in MRI). Consequence: cramped muscles and severe headache, especially when lying down. Used Diazepam successfully in the past but had to stop when the problem became chronic.
I do indeed use too much ibuprofen and paracetamol now. I'll throw out the ibuprofen.
In Thailand there is an OTC medication under different names that consists of 500mg Paracetamol and 35mg Orphenadrine citrate. This seems to help quite well. I can't find much about orphenadrine, but I don't see anywhere that it can possibly contribute to tinnitis.
Thanks again.
Regards,
M.
*****
Dear M,
Orphnadrine (an anticholinergic with antihistanmine effect) has been mentioned as a possible treatment for tinnitus.
Has there ever been talk of surgical intervention in your neck? Titanium cages can then be placed after opening the spinal canal. That can reduce the complaints. I myself also underwent such an operation on C45 and C67. C56 is only open and without a cage, so as not to hinder movement too much. Nowadays there are also movable cages.
That is now 18 years ago and still a great success, even if I sometimes have some neck pain. I couldn't lift my right arm before that. Cause: micro fractures from parachuting and other wild activities. Three days after surgery, I was back to work with collar. These types of operations are generally performed by a neurosurgeon. They work with a microscope. Orthopedics with hammer and chisel.
https://www.nvvn.org/patienteninfo/wervelkolom-en-ruggenmerg/cervicale-stenose-vernauwing-in-nek/
Yours faithfully,
Dr. Maarten
I underwent such an operation 30 years ago and what a relief, after always pain now and then with too much effort or wrong movement is pain and also very important no more medication at all.
It takes a bit of biting because you walk in a collar for a while but then no pain. I had it done by an orthopedist.
I would like to respond to the letter to the doctor regarding tinnitus / sleeping tablets.
For more than 20 years I have suffered from tinnitus, one time stronger than the other.
I have already been to many countries to see if there is a cure, but unfortunately. It is the brain that produces this sound and not the ears. A medicine is not for it.
What DOES help are the special sounds that can be listened to on Youtube. I bought a special headphone that is placed behind the ear and thus allows all other sounds to enter, they call this a bone earphone.
https://www.lazada.co.th/products/-i1592940881-s4330180795.html?spm=a2o4m.10453683.0.0.291c61605iXBpZ&search=store&mp=3
Well, the sounds that consist of very high tones that are very annoying but bring back the sound of the brain. It's like my head has been “washed” on the inside when I stop after half an hour.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym4PMzvPPJA&t=18959s
Good luck.
Fred
I very much appreciate Dr Maarten's objective account of his neck pain and its cause!
Vigorous sports or parachuting and then muscle pain or possibly cracked cervical vertebrae ... For less, for example falling down the stairs, there can also be very nasty consequences.
So they are satisfied that remedies do exist.
and preferably an operation, but without a hammer and chisel to avoid shards.
I underwent such an operation in 2004 at the Bumrungrad hospital in Bangkok.
I even remember the surgeon's name, Chookiet Chalermpanpipat. It felt like a liberation, can do everything again. Before, I couldn't lift my left arm.
Also had neck problems, tried everything, benefited from dry needling, which is done in the Netherlands by a physiotherapist who is trained for this, you get a needle in your neck at the pressure points, just bite the bullet.
Hope this is of some use, do some googling.