Hearing clicking in head after craniotomy & clipping

Hello! It’s been a few months - just a recap, on 5/17/2022, I had surgery to clip a 4mm pericallosal aneurysm, full craniotomy. Recovery was so much easier than expected. I’m 4 months out and feeling pretty much back to normal, except with a few extra lumps and divots in my head :slight_smile: But something new I’ve been noticing is an occasional clicking in my head with my heartbeat - it’s like a symphony with the pulsatile tinnitus :smiley: . If I could place the clicking sound, it sounds like it’s more on the right side towards the front. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this? I have another appointment with my neurosurgeon, so will definitely mention it then. Thanks!

I’m going to have to pass and wait for someone who’s had a craniotomy to learn the answer with you! If you’re appointment is not soon, you may want to ask the neurosurgeon through your patient portal. I’ve found sending a list of questions prior to my appointment helps speed things along.

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I can honestly say I get popping or clicking noises from time to time. I’ve had an embolisation for an arteriovenous malformation rather than a craniotomy for an aneurysm but then I’ve got a bit of tinnitus that I’ve had for a long time. I’d say I only noticed these noises post op (5+ years ago now) and until I came to write this, I’d have said it was all in the past but in replying, I can hear it now!

For what I can hear, I can’t say I’ve ever worried about it (don’t know why). I can also see on our sister site www.avmsurvivors.org some reference to popping and clicking, so you’re not alone.

Definitely worth mentioning to the neuro when you see them.

The other thing I’d say is that we tend to listen a lot more to internal noises when we have a diagnosis like this, so I sometimes wonder if we hear stuff mostly because we’ve started listening.

Definitely ask.

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Hello!
I had 2 craniotomies/aneurysms this year. 1st was 2/4/22 a 7MM located behind right eye.
My 2nd was also a Pericallosal artery clipped 6/1/22. I am almost feeling back to normal 3months out.

As far as that clicking noise; I had the same-I did call my neurosurgeon 2 weeks out from the last clipping as the clicking noise was a little unnerving.
One of the doctors assistant told me to try drinking “no sugar added Pineapple juice” as it contains the enzyme bromelain. Bromelain is often used to reduce swelling and inflammation in the body. At the time I still had some swelling when I woke each morning. After the 3rd week the clicking noise was gone- May be coincidental?

We have a very strong familial history My oldest sister had a left temporal rupture at age 25, in 1985. & her 2nd rupture at age 54 in 2014.
My father had 2 aneurysms ruptures: 1st at age 49, in 1987- his 2nd rupture was in 2020 at age 82 and he did not survive.
And recently another sister found out she also has 2 brain aneurysms as well. So I am very happy mm aneurysms were found before they ruptured & later in time as Pericallosal aneurysm locations can be tricky even today!

Best of luck Erinds1222- hoping your clicking does go away as I know that causes concern!

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Wow what at history! It doesn’t seem to run in the family, but I do worry about my kids. My mother and sister both went for MRAs and are all clear. No real explanation for mine. I have a second one at the ICA, left side that’s much smaller, but the longer I have it the more I just want to get it taken care of.

After surgery I definitely had loud, random clicking and popping sounds, which I think was just the bone flap and all the hardware settling into place. It was so loud sometimes, it would wake me up at night. But it was sporadic. This is definitely in time with my pulse, but it’s not constant (like the tinnitus). Like it’s not happening right now :woman_shrugging: We shall see!

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I had forgotten about pineapple being able to reduce swelling, thanks for the reminder! We used to beg my Mom for the core to chew on growing up. Good thing she’d cut up several pineapples😂

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Yes, I agree!
I bet natural pineapple would be better!
I wish I had known about Pineapple reducing swelling properties prior to my 1st Aneurysm clipping- Best Pro- Tip yet!
Drinking pineapple after my second clipping proved to be very helpful!

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Here in NC, fresh pineapple is about $3 USD! When my family lived on Oahu, Mom was pregnant with me. I recall Mom saying that any pregnant female could help themselves in the fields with no legal repercussions. She said they often saw pregnant women getting out of the vehicle, into the fields and helping themselves. When I was 13 months I had a pretty serious head injury and stayed in Tripler Army Hospital for a week or so. My parents told me that a Hawaiian was the only one I’d go to and the Doctors would have to see me at night as this was when he cleaned the floors. They said that he’d carry me in one arm and control the buffer with only one hand, every night he brought me the core of pineapple that I would enjoy whilst being carried by him. My parents told me the doctors were debating upon putting in a shunt to stop the swelling but the swelling started residing on it’s on. I wonder now if it was because of that kind man and his pineapple…