Updates Slow; Middle Ear Myoclonus
July 6th, 2008Two days ago, I came down with what I’m practically sure is middle ear myoclonus (in my right ear). It’s a muscle spasm that causes me to hear an almost constant, dull lud-lud-lud type sound. It sounds like a boat engine idling in the distance.
Here’s how a doctor describes it:
If you have ever had a muscle twitch in your leg, then you have experienced myoclonus, which is simply a repetitive contraction/relaxation of a particular muscle. There are two tiny muscles in the middle ear space which attach to the ossicles (little bones) that conduct sound. If either muscle develops such a twitch, it makes the ossicles vibrate, much as sound makes the ossicles vibrate. You hear, rather than feel, the twitch. The result is a very regular, rapid, repetitive “click click click click click…..” You get the idea.
In short, this sucks. It’s difficult to concentrate and it’s even more difficult to fall asleep.
I’m going to try to see a chiropractor because my back and neck are in bad shape anyway. From the reading I’ve been doing online, it’s possible that this myoclonus thing could be related to my “structural” issues. Hopefully, the chrio will help. If not, I’d be willing to try the medical treatment, which calls for low doses of muscle relaxants.
UPDATE: August 7, 2008
I finally decided to get my back and neck issues sorted out and started going to a chiropractor. I’ve been six times over the last few weeks and the difference is remarkable. My back and neck pain are gone. I feel incredibly lucky to have found such a talented chiropractor way out here where we are.
This might be an “Only in New Zealand” kind of story, but I’ll tell it anyway. He wrote me out a prescription for soup made from the water left behind after preparing corned beef.
“People have been eating meat cured in brine for thousands of years. You’re not, I can tell, and you need to.”
I chuckled, thinking that he was joking.
Nope. He was serious. Apparently, the brine treatment of the meat makes minerals available to the body, but especially the brain. The trick is to find corned beef that has been done in the traditional way, without chemical preservatives. There’s a traditional butcher south of here (in Kerikeri) who does it properly, and Becky’s mom has been kind enough to pick some up for us on her way through.
Look, I don’t know if there’s anything to it, but since I’ve been eating this meat and the soup made from the water, my maniacal salt cravings have gone away.
Did it sort out the myoclonus that I was suffering from?
The good news is that the myoclonus is gone (I hope for good). Unfortunately, I don’t know what exactly got rid of it. I started doing a lot of things, so I don’t know if it was a combination, or one, or none of the things I’ve done. Middle ear myoclonus may clear up on its own, after a short time, or it can persist for years. Mine was showing no sign of stopping.
I can say that the chiropractic adjustments, on their own, didn’t seem to help. My Atlas (C1) was out, and, luckily, my chiropractor specializes in that very critical adjustment. Still the myoclonus persisted.
Chamomile and “sleepy time” (Valerian) tea helped, but the effects were temporary.
Incredibly, the myoclonus seemed to improve after eating the soup made from the corned beef water, but the problem was definitely persisting. It returned to full intensity after a few days. I started taking dolomite (calcium and magnesium) powder. I noticed no improvement at all after several days. I was taking double the recommended dose. I started taking a vitamin B complex supplament. That seemed to help reduce the frequency and intensity, but it was still there.
After about a week of taking the vitamin B, I started taking Floradix magnesium liquid at double the recommended dose. After just one day, I woke up with long clear periods. The spasm would return and then stop for a while. I went through that bottle of liquid magnesium pretty fast. After a few days, the myoclonus was gone.
So what was it? All, some, none?
The magnesium seemed to have the most immediate and noticeable affect.
NOTE: Magnesium supplementation was recommended in the comments below.
If you can wait a week for delivery, you might want to look into this:
http://www.alldaychemist.com/common_generic/Clonidine.html
Did you try osteopathy?
It did wonders for me and our baby.
Sorry to hear you’re having to endure this. I’ve also had more than my share of physical trouble, including back and neck problems, and bouts of myoclonus. I’ve become completely convinced of the effectiveness of TCM over the past couple of years. I’m talking a systemic reversal of not only those problems, but others to which I never even gave much thought.
The most amazing part is that my TCM doctor isn’t treating these problems individually. I’m being treated for a single (and apparently common) disease which has no parallel in western medicine canon.
If you can, look for a TCM person who’s certified for both acupuncture and herbs, and who’s engaged in long-term learning beyond their initial schooling and certification. If you’re interested and have trouble locating someone in your part of the world, please let me know, and I’ll ask around. Take care.
I’m a “high twitch factor” kind of gal, and get muscle spasms frequently. Have you tried chamomile and valerian root — the most commonly used herbal remedies for muscle spasms and cramps? Great to take at bedtime. Also, for stress reduction, I take niacin (Vitamin B-3), L-tryptophan, and L-lysine. Of course, my fav drug is red wine, but hoooooeey, those butt-kicking Kiwi savvies are making a white wine convert outta me.
@ travis
I looked at that stuff and I don’t really understand how that should help. Did it help you out with a similar condition?
@ es
I went to an osteopath several months ago. It definitely helped! But only for about three days.
My back and neck issues go way back… So I know it’s not fair to expect much right away.
I’ve gotten by for a lot of years with visits to my chiropractor. While he doesn’t permanently eliminate the issues, he was able to get me into a state where I’d only have to see him once or twice per year.
Well, within days of arriving in New Zealand, I blew out my back lifting. (What I did was so stupid.) It’s more than two years later without really dealing with it and now I hear this crap in my right ear 24/7. HAHAHA. * sigh *
My only criticism of the osteopath was that is was VERY… gentle. I’m sure most people would think that’s a great thing, and it probably is. I just got so used to fairly aggressive chiropractic adjustments—which yielded very substantial positive results. It seemed like I would have to see the osteopath twice a week for months before things would start to “Stick.” oh yeah, at $50 per visit.
@ OUTSLAW
I have known several people, women especially for some reason, who swear by Chinese medicine. My chiro in the U.S. wasn’t just a chiro… He routinely used his knowledge of the acupuncture meridians to fathom out issues. This is why I have been reluctant to try to find another chiro. The chiro I was seeing in the U.S. was not your average backcracker.
TCM doctor in the Far North of NZ??? Hmm. I doubt it, but you never know. Maybe I’ll have a look.
@ pookie
Believe it or not, Becky made me a pot of chamomile tea last night and it helped. The frequency of my boat motor noise didn’t change, but the amplitude was reduced by about 2/3. This was Becky’s home grown, strong chamomile. I might have made a face, but she said to drink it and I did. And it helped. I will get some valerian root tea in town today. I actually have a Vit B complex supplement here, but I haven’t been taking it. I’ll try it.
Red wine: Check. It’s probably sacrilege, but I fill my Pak N Sav basket with whatever Aussie stuff goes on special. Usually Lindemans Cawarra shiraz cab. NZ$5.38 on special. 10 something normally. You see other Pak N Savrs clinking and clanking around when it’s on special. hehe
Thanks to all of you for the suggestions.
I’m booked into the chiro for tomorrow afternoon.
Since many years now, whenever one of my family flies in an airplane (myself included) we put 5 drops of peroxide in each each and try to hold it for fifteen minutes. Each side.
If you have goop growing in your inner ear, the peroxide will bubble profusely. Rinse it out with a bulb syringe. Keeping the ear you are rinsing down so that fluid will flow out.
I read many years ago and now believe that the ear is the most hospitable place in the human body for germs to live and grow. Unlike the eyes, nose, and throat that have tears, nose blowing and coughing mechanisms to clear germs, the ears are like rich garden soil for germs. This is a problem in the elderly, who are not provided showers often enough to rinse the ears, even if on a superfulous level.
An ear problem can throw your whole body out of Whack. The ear bone’s connected to eustachian bone, and that bone’s connected to the neck bone, and the neck bone is connected to the spine bone.
Whoa, didn’t it rain.
My chiro said to take at the minimum 2K of vitamin C for healing. Ask whether cold or hot compresses are better for your problem. It can make a real difference what you use.
And well yes, I myself am also into the red wine thingo fur sure. Found a wine made from organic grapes, True Earth. About $13 bucks a bottle (pricey for me) but praise the good, true earth, this red wine rocks. Too bad it is so smooth and goes down like water.
I’m also a twitcher and a cramper. An Oxford microbiologist told me my trouble was magnesium deficiency.
Might be worthwhile to do a search of magnesium deficiency symptoms. I learned from researching the symptoms that magnesium deficiency has been a lifelong problem. Nervousness, tension, anxiety, eye tics (I’ve always blinked a lot), asthma, muscle cramps in feet and legs, back trouble, bruxism–I had it all. (The childhood asthma was bronchial muscle spasms.)
If you decide that magnesium deficiency is your trouble, the best treatment is high-magnesium foods. The easiest of these for me to consume regularly is blackstrap molasses. You can simply use it to sweeten coffee or tea or whatever. Making it a point to eat other high-magnesium foods couldn’t hurt either.
As an emergency measure, you could take magnesium supplements–but over the long term, dietary souces are best.
Worked for me.
Hi Kevin
Outslaw is dead right – TCM is superb. As ypu say, you’d be lucky to find a good one in the far north. While I would alway say to get a Chinese trained doc there is a particularly good fellow in Whangarei, but I guess that really isn’t much use to you. His name is Bob Sturge. You’d be welcome to stay at my place (I’m away in Ak for work) in W/rei if you did decide to come down.
It’s worth reading about TCM & learning what its philosophy is about. I had a Chinese partner who was a doctor of TCM & I really appreciate the wisdom contained within the dicipline. It’s all about balance and when things are out of balance you end up with disease & even myoclonus ! The same does for you back & neck problems. Please see someone involved with TCM if you can.
Good Luck
David
@ Eileen
I take 1g of Vitamin C per day already. I’ve taken up to 10g per day without hitting “saturation” so maybe I could use more than 1g.
@ sharon
Yeah, I’m familiar with magnesium and muscle cramps. My dad had a really bad problem with that. I got him on a cal/mag supplement and his muscle cramps never returned.
As for me, as soon as this started, I started taking some of Becky’s dolomite. She takes it regularly. I probably should have been too. In fact, I’m going to go take some more right now. It’s not helping yet.
@ djc
Thanks for the offer of a place to stay in Whangerei. It can be a bit maddening at times, living out on the edge of the place.
I tried finding a chiro with the same training as the one I had back in the U.S. They’re in NZ, but the closest one is in Whangaparaoa! So W/rei is much closer.
Kevin, I was taking a Calcium/Magnesium supplement, mainly for problems with my back “going out,” and was finding it wasn’t helping much. My back problems and other muscle cramping problems got resolved only after I increased magnesium specifically.
When I saw that I had every symptom on the list for magnesium deficiency, I realized that it had been a life-long deficiency. I was an asthmatic, nail-biting, over-anxious kind of a kid, and grew into an adult with borderline panic/anxiety disorder (undiagnosed, fortunately) and a tendency to worry and stress about everything. Eventually the foot and leg cramps and back trouble set in.
The way I understand it is, calcium allows the muscles to tense, and magnesium allows them to relax. More magnesium means more relaxation.
The Dolomite may not be the balance you need, but instead of hitting magnesium tablets that contain no calcium, it’s probably best to take a few tablespoons of molasses every day, and eat pumpkin seeds and other magnesium-rich foods.
Coincidence: today while I was at the stockfeed place getting some sulphur powder to add to our dog’s food, I also made an impulse purchase – a 25kg bag of dolomite!
Truth is, I did intend to buy dolomite from the start, but only a few hundred grams of the stuff, for the dog. With this much, I’ll be mixing it with my chow too.
Here’s hoping it helps to rid my nervousness, tension & anxiety – something has to work, eventually!
After experimenting on remedies for a feeling of slow digestion after a big meal or constipation, I settled on a combination of magnesium (relaxes intestinal muscles) and Betaine (enzyme from beets, high acidity).
Other people have written that magnesium (in the more expensive bioavailable forms rather than magnesium oxide) has the greatest chance of miraculous success for treating migraine headaches. So I sent about 9 tablets to a friend suffering headaches. The post office didn’t like the bumpy envelope, and it arrived having been cut open, with one or two pills left and one pill cut in half. A note said that the letter had inadequate postage. So we laughed and wondered if the special postal police division had thought they could do a drug interdiction there: http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/08/06/18523411.php