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Waiting for MRI ... Does this sound like an AN?

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rhodywarrior:
Hi all! First time poster here, and nervous. I am sure you get this all the time, but I appreciate you all listening!

I am in the limbo zone between audiogram and ENT appointments and an MRI and I am just a little nervous waiting for it—my doctor says with my symptoms they will presume it's an AN until proven otherwise. Trying to read patient stories to see how my symptoms coincide with others. I am in no way expecting you all to diagnose me, but I'm curious as to whether or not any of you had symptoms like this?

- I'm a 39 y/o female. Gradual hearing loss noticed in right ear over a period of about a year—if I lay on my left side, I couldn't hear the TV and would sleep through my alarm in the morning!
- Audiogram showed unilateral hearing loss (right ear only). Left ear is totally fine. Right ear shows moderate hearing loss across the board, and severe loss in high frequencies (above 3000 HRZ)
- I've had tinnitus for months, mostly in right ear but sometimes in both. It's a constant high-frequency noise
- I wouldn't say I've had many balance problems, but I do find myself knocking into door frames and walls more that I used to
- A few days ago I started getting pins and needles/numbness in my right cheek, and under my right eyelid. Sometimes it also feels like spots on my tongue are numb or have been burned.
- For the past year, my right eye has been droopier than my left, but I just chalked it up to an asymmetrical face and getting older.

Did anybody else have these? Does it sound like an AN?

Thank you all for chiming in—this seems like a wonderful forum, and I am so happy to have found it! Appreciate all the information and support.

chrisabbott:
Hello,

I had many similar symptoms to you - I'm sure there are other causes, but that MRI will tell you if its an AN (I can never see a fracture on an X-ray, but an AN is very easy to spot on an MRI!)

I also thought I didn't have balance issues, but recalled bumping into a few doorways, and feeling less confident crossing my bedroom in the dark.  I was told that any sports, yoga, etc (including int he past) could make it easier for a person to adjust and therefore not realize that balance is an issue.  I started out with a strange taste in my mouth, and the tingly-numbness followed.  My AN side eye looked more open than the other, and actually looked a bit younger! 

I don't think having an AN is necessarily a walk in the park, but there's worse things to have.  When you get your MRI, I would ask for a copy of it - I didn't think about that until I left, and had to drive back another day to get it.  Good luck!

rhodywarrior:
Thank you so much for the reply, Chris! I really appreciate it. It's comforting to know there are others out there who have felt the same!

Great call on requesting the MRI images. At this point I'm still waiting for my insurance to approve the procedure, so progress seems stalled, which drives me batty. You're totally right, though—there are worse things to have—and I am doing my best not to stress during the interminable wait.

Question: what was the strange taste in your mouth like? Was that and your tingly-numbness constant or intermittent?

Appreciate you!

rhodywarrior:
Just a quick update—MRI with contrast scheduled for Wednesday the 15th. Will make sure to update.

Thanks again!

chrisabbott:
Hi - good to hear you have your MRI scheduled.

Initially, I kept getting a very sweet taste in my mouth - like when you've been eating too much candy on a long road trip and wish you could brush your teeth.  It didn't start out constant, but it got that way.  Later, I would just have nasty tasting mouth - it could've been due to the tumor messing with the nerve that makes saliva and tears since my eye on that side doesn't cry (my party trick - make me laugh big time and I'll cry on one side only!)

The numbness is surprisingly difficult to know when it really started - on my jaw and forehead, it just felt weird if something touched them, whereas side of tongue and lips felt tingly and I assumed this is either because there's more sensitivity there to begin with, or because they're more involved in facial expression and eating so you notice more. 

Have you had an MRI before?  I didn't mention that its best to really dress down for it - I don't even wear a bra, just jogging pants and a warm top with loose sleeves/no zip or anything metal in it.  It's difficult for me to lay perfectly still for 5 minutes never mind 45 so I want to be comfortable - those MRI rooms tend to be cold, and if you're having contrast, they need access to your arm (teensy prick).  Then I lay back, close my eyes and plan a menu or something that I can think about endlessly.

Good luck!

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