rod123 Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Hi again always had lots of help in this section in the past, and here goes again, the last couple of weeks Merrill has had blood pressure problems, and has been receiving medication for it which is'nt working this morning the medication has been changed for something stronger and hopefully that will start to pull her bp back into line, we've both had a pretty rough couple of weeks with a death in the family and another family member seriously ill in hospital, however i read in Merrills book which she fills in that the problems she's having with her ears (no background sounds and muffled is how she puts it) really frightens her, on talking to the doctor this morning the doctor say's that the hearing test shows problems with both ears the left being the worst, when i asked can she be refered to a specialist, the doctor said this is too early to make a referal as the brain still has a lot of natural healing to do and if once we reach a year the problem is still there then she will make a referal, the problem i find is that Merrill seems to have taken a real knock to her confidence and said to me this morning i feel as though i'm going backwards the doc gave her 20mg of citalopram to take each day which she said would lift her moods and hopefully in a month or so she would start to move forward again Has anyone else had this drug or similar experiences with their ears and anxiety we would both be interested to hear thanks for taking the time to read this ,Rod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Hi Rod sorry to hear about your family loss, never a good thing but can be more upsetting when you have Merrill to worry about too..... since the SAH have to say my ears are pretty bad especially when I have the cold seems to just go to the ears, I know that I have more wax build up now especially in my right ear, the same side the tube is at......this started week after I got out of hospital...... I have high BP too....the GP here took me off one of them last year and when I got the new one the depression was terrible. I know its horrible when the confidence takes a knock - believe me I know. tell Merrill it gets better and she's done brilliantly well so far, sending her lots of hugs...xxxx take care Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michelle C Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Hi Rod I too had lots of problems with my hearing everything was really loud and so uncomfortable all noises where very loud and i had to be moved to the far end of a ward in a room on my own i also have high b/p. They did an hearing test during the first year of my SAH/stroke and didnt say alot about until last year when i went back in for re-coiling and they did another hearing test...probably like you said giving the brain time to heal. Anyway they found i have high pitched hearing loss due to the "massive" (their words) bleed i had which means i have the same hearing as a lot older person;-). I have trouble in large places because of the sound, anyway i now have bilateral hearing aids my left is slightly worse than my right ear. I used to miss conversations and watching tv was terrrible because i missed more.....sorry for going on...what i miss are consonants in words/conversations the digital hearing aids are marvellous i did think the doc had the wrong patient notes when he said i need them but hey what a difference and no-one can see them they are so small...they automatically turn the volume down in a crowded room/noisey place. I know this not what you want to hear and hopefully Merrill's may calm down and prove to be ok due to healing, Does she have tinnitus...i didnt realise i had it cos i just got used to it. Hope this helps in some way. Love Michelle c xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz D Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Hi Rod I have problems with my BP too. I was starting to feel almost like my normal self in June. Then my BP started to rise. It has taken 4 months for it to get under control. I found it took aobut 3 weeks for my body to adjust to each dosage/medication change. One of the tablets I take is a beta blocker and this has slowed me down quite a bit. I was getting very low during the period of medication adjustment. Before the meds I was at the stage of going out everyday, coping with housework and generally feeling that "normality" was just around the corner. On these meds I was back to having very little energy, needing to have a sleep during the day, getting more forgetfull and more confused at times. My GP explained it was the meds. They were slowing everything down but the alternative of raised BP was too dangerous. Finally we have found a combination of medication that works for my BP and that my body has now adjusted to and it has been stable for the last 5 weeks. I'm now no longer sleeping everyday (only on days when I have been particularly active the previous day), I can potter around the house (I still can't do as much around the house as I could in June) and I don't get as confused. I was (and still am) a fairly confident person. However, I now suffer from some anxiety. I can get a mild panic attick (my heart starts to race and I perspire, particularly my hands and face) when I have to go somehwere/do something that I haven't done for a while. It's the worry that I'm not sure that I have the mental/physical energy to cope. I have to take my time to do things. Plenty of deep breaths and mental coaching that all will be well. If I am running out of time and am going to late/miss the bus or whatever, then so be it. At least I get there. I also have problems sometimes understanding what is being said. My consultant thinks that maybe it's my comprehension/concentration ability that's the problem. I still have times when I cannot make out what is being said and have to have it repeated 2 or 3 times or have it said very slowly. It could be I have some hearing loss but I also have been told that they will wait until a year has passed, then assess it and maybe give me a hearing test. I fully understand how Merrill feels that she is going backwards. That's how I felt. Now 5 months on from my BP first starting to cause problems I'm back on track. This is such an up and down thing to recover from. That was what my GP kept reminding me of. He said not to think of itas going forwards and backwards but to think of it as up and down. I was to think of my down days as rest days. It's a form of positive thinking, rest days are healing days, healing days are getting better days. This helped me and maybe it will help you and Merrill. Take care Liz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne Fleming Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Hi Rod I lost quite a lot of hearing in my right ear after my SAH. I don't think it was due to the SAH itself but due to a very bad vasospasm I had following the operation which caused a kind of stroke in my right ear. I also have constant tinnitus in my right ear though now 2 years down the line, I don't notice the tinnitus so much. I think the tinnitus occurs as a result of hearing loss - I don't have it when it's quiet but I do have it when it's noisy so it's an odd kind of tinnitus - almost as if my right ear is still putting up a fight to try to hear. I found out much later that if someone has sudden hearing loss caused by nerve damage, if they are treated with steroids soon after the event, it can help to improve the hearing loss but ideally this has to happen in the first couple of weeks. In my case it took quite a few months for me to get my hearing tested and I have been told, due to the unusual nature of the hearing loss, that a hearing aid won't help me though I think I will keep trying to find one which might help. I am sorry to hear of the family bereavement and illness. It's all a lot to cope with. With best wishes Anne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Hi Rod, I've never had a problem with my BP ... But, have suffered from tinnitus (sometimes pulsatile) and also anxiety .... which is well documented on these forums and I think made a lot worse after having seizures and the side effects from the meds to control them. However, both you and Merrill are going through a hugely emotional time at the minute and the stress/emotional situation for Merrill is probably magnified.... My Mother ended up in hospital just after my SAH with heart probs (I believe that my situation, probably put her in there) and then we also lost a friend/work colleague ... I didn't deal with either situation very well... I don't think that I knew how to ... and everything, including my own health seemed to be, just be too much to handle. Rod, it really can seem to be one step forward and then two or three backwards ... The only advice that I can give to Merrill, is to take each day at a time and deal with what that brings .... Hugs to you both xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Hi Rod So sorry for your loss xx I have low blood pressure, but also had problems with my hearing. I was very noise sensitive and also felt just like Merrill. Mine was mainly due to my surgery....my ear was blocked with blood and anesthetic etc.... could not have mine syringed because of the pressure but they sucked it out...YUK!! But it was such a relief...i could hear again and it did not hurt anymore. It did take some time for my hearing to adjust back to normal....and i am still a bit deaf in my right ear. I think how Liz's GP explained it is perfect.....you have good days and bad days......ups and downs.....and just when you think you are doing great something else may happen...like the panic attacks. They came from nowhere, and scared me, as i am a very together get on and do it person.....but i did get through it, with the support of all the lovely friends here. Wise words from Karen....you really do have to take each day as it comes...and not be too hard on yourself. Take care Merrill and Rod Love Tina xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myratas Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Hi Rod Sorry about your loss. I too suffer from high BP and on 5 different medications for that and I also have problems with my ears since the SAH, I have had 2 ear infections already and problems with sound, I was tested and there is definately some loss of hearing in my left ear since the SAH. I also find that my ears are more sensitive in the cold, before I never had to wear a hat but now I do and sometimes even indoors. Take care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jess Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 Sorry to hear of your loss. About the ears I still get it now sometimes as if I'm under water but I just don't let it bother me anymore dr's say there is no infections so I just ignore it as best as I can hope it gets better soon. Jess.xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 Gosh Liz I could have written your post you ticked all the boxes that I deal with.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rod123 Posted November 24, 2009 Author Share Posted November 24, 2009 Hi all, thanks for your comments, Merrill sat and read them all last night and it did make her realise she's not the only one,she keeps trying to sit down and write something herself, but she find it a major task but she is looking forward to meeting some of you next week as we both are ,Thanks again Rod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 Just knowing that your not alone helps, helped me a huge amount. wished I could meet you next week Rod, have a great time, tell Merrill to enjoy herself. hugs.xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rod123 Posted November 24, 2009 Author Share Posted November 24, 2009 Thanks Louise, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michelle C Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 Hi Rod and Merrill Like Louise says it makes a huge difference knowing that you are not on your own with these symptoms. I wish we could make it next week maybe next year lets make a pact and both go next year...if Merrill wants to talk anytime about anything i could pm you my number, we are all here for you both, take care. Love Michelle c Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 Michelle its just too far away and too near to Xmas too..... Yes if Merrill needs to chat could PM you, although have to say Im not that good on the phone now...but if it were to help..... take care Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michelle C Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 Hi Louise Yes its just a bit far for us too, as for the phone i think it takes a lot of concentration and does sometimes tire me but if talking helps its so worth on both sides....Hey you as well Louise i am like you in all week and its nice to chat to someone who is going through what we are:-D:-D:-D, take care. Love and hugs Michelle c Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rod123 Posted November 24, 2009 Author Share Posted November 24, 2009 Hi Michelle and Louise, thanks for your kind offers,might take you up on them when Merrill moves on a bit Thanks Rod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 Hey Michelle You'd never believe it when I had the SAH, I was a telephonist/recptionist for a shipping company but your right I loose concentration very easy which is the problem..... take care Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.