Tinnitus: Anti-NMDA Receptor AutoImmune Encephalitis

I just read an outstanding book titled Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan, a New York Post reporter.

The medical condition that she describes occurs when lymphocyte cells start attacking blood vessels in the brain and also brain NMDA receptors. While reading the book it occurred to me that the condition may also cause tinnitus. Cochlear cells have NMDA receptors which the National Institute for Health has determined that ototoxins, like aspirin and acid reflux medications, attack. Therefore it makes sense that Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis would also cause tinnitus in some patients (just like an ototoxin would).

In reading Susannah's book I noticed that she was prescribed acid reflux medication for her GERD side effect from treatment. Acid reflux medications can lower magnesium in some people and also can cause tinnitus in some people by attacking the NMDA receptors inside the cochlea (just like Susannah's lymphocyte cells did).

Upon reading the section of the book where she mentions that acid reflux medication was prescribed to her during her treatment I cringed a bit. I thought to myself that this talented New York Post reporter is getting bombarded with an ototoxic drug while her brain killing condition is worsening. This shows that more doctors need to be aware of the long-term effects of ototoxins. Otherwise her doctor did an awesome job of saving her life (that is the most important thing). She was also given a CT scan which can destroy DNA. The CT scan does not reveal lymphocyte cells, only a brain biopsy shows that so the CT scan was not necessary.

In my opinion, she should have been given the absolute mildest form of acid reflux control which would have been Gaviscon. The ototoxin that she was administered could have made her ears ring, hiss, crackle, or pop for the rest of her life. The CT scan could have exacerbated the condition. I'm glad that she survived the ordeal and was able to write a book about her experience. The book will, no doubt, help many people to understand this perplexing medical condition.

Susanah, if you are reading this I wish you all of the best apples that life has to offer.

More information:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3158385/figure/F5/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18225604

How to purchase Brain on Fire: http://www.amazon.com/Brain-Fire-My-Month-Madness/dp/1451621388/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383710861&sr=8-1&keywords=brain+on+fire