Saw New ENT Today, and Am Kicking Myself for Not Going Sooner

So, I had sudden onset T and mild hearing loss in my left ear beginning in April 2016. I went to the Cleveland Clinic and saw an ENT there, and he put me on a course of steroids. Didn't really help, and I've been living with T since then.

I had what felt like a little congestion in my ear, so I saw an ENT that was a bit closer to home.

My ears look fine, but they said that what they usually do for sudden onset is give the steroid injections. I'm kicking myself that I didn't see them sooner.

How on earth could the Cleveland Clinic not know this??

This is the worst I've felt in months.

 

Hi Scarlet,

I'm a new T sufferer. It started 4 weeks ago and I have to admit had been really rough. I'm sorry for what you are going thru.

I have yet to see an ENT. But I'm interested in your post. Have u started the steroid injections? Have they helped? I'd appreciate any thoughts you have.

MM

 

Hi. No, it's too late (I'm almost a year in). If you're only 4 weeks in, please see an ENT as soon as you can. Not sure what the cause of your T is, but since you are in early days of this, the shots may be an option for you!

 

@Scarlet did you have SSNHL?

 

Don't kick yourself too hard, when I first developed T I went to the ENT almost immediately and steroids were never offered once! They gave hearing tests which were perfect and just scratched their head even though I told them it was most likely noise induced.

Pissed off I went to another ENT and it was the same story there, no steroids or injections were offered only MRI scans and the usual malarkey everyone here goes through, I didn't even know steroids were an option then.

When I developed an increase and H three years later I rushed to my doctor asking for steroids and was refused again, I then went to my ENT who tried to suction my ears and I refused to let him anywhere near me with that thing. He then said he couldn't really do anymore as he couldn't do a thorough examination and that my hearing tests were all normal.

Then again a year later I suffered an acoustic shock to my left ear and so began the whole run around for steroids, I went to my GP, a night doc and my ENT and again I was refused steroids over and over. They said it was a muscle spasm in my ear and that it would settle, well it didn't and it got much much worse and when I returned AGAIN looking for steroids they said it wasn't warranted and refused me the prescription and now I'm a complete mess. Could steroids have helped? I don't know but I do believe they would have at onset as my T was accompanied by heavy aural fullness which is an indicator for inflammation.

 

HI, Samantha. Yes, I did. The hearing loss isn't really perceptible in day to day life, but it does show up on my hearing test.

 

Thanks for your thoughts. I did finally see an ENT. He told me in 90% of cases it's a virus that causes it, unless there's been a direct injury. He prescribed me prednisone but after 3 days there's been no change and in fact has been a little worse. But it may be the normal fluctuations. It's just frustrating as I remember the audiologist who I saw 2 days later and just wrote it off as me being older. But I was feeling sick and felt something was wrong. My gp sent me for an MRI but would not consider prednisone. It wasn't till I saw the ENT 5 weeks later that I got a shot at prednisone.

I don't know if early treatments may have stopped it. Now I'll never know. Has anyone else heard of people getting early treatments that helped?

Thanks and keep the faith

MM

 

I saw a bunch of ENTS early on and never was offered steroids.

I got laughed at by a Harvard educated dr at the ear house clinic in LA though. I was so upset and I asked about hearing aids and she laughed at me and told me to get used to the ringing.

 

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for your responses and I hope you are all doing okay.

Bill 112, just curious about your post. When you say you experienced "aural fullness" what do you mean? I have noticed that I get a mild pain in my ears along with the constant tinnitus. And then on occasion I get other ring tones besides the constant hiss. Not sure if this is like yours?

I am now 3 days post prednisone treatment. There's maybe been a bit of a drop in the intensity, but not much. It seems that starting prednisone 5 weeks post is too late. Maybe that will come in time, but after reading many posts, it doesn't appear that this will be the case. But there's always hoping as I'm not sure how long it takes for the prednisone to take full effect. It's my understanding that results should be fairly quick if it's going to be efficacious.

I'm also curious about getting hearing aids. Some posts suggest it's helpful to reduce the intensity. Not sure if any of you have gone that route. I'll try anything that might help, just curious as to what others find.

Keep the faith.

MM

 

Don't kick yourself too hard because a lot of ENTs won't give you steroids unless you bring it up. And even then, they sometimes will tell you it won't do anything.

 

This comes up a lot with many of us. To me its painless, but just brings a sensation of something sitting inside there occupying space it shouldn't be occupying. I think some associate it with the tensor tympani muscle, and the sensation is what you'd expect from tissue being swollen or engorged, though not its tender or painful. Our condition is a sort of between-specialties condition. Its not really ENT because they have as a rule a very poor understanding of this, and its not Neurology because they want to leave it with the ENTs who really don't want to know.

 

According to at least one study, oral steroid treatment and the steroid injection are equally effective.

 

Hi there,

When you say steroids for Tinnitus, what exactly do you mean? Injections tablets? please tell lol.

Peace & Love

 

I've been on steroids for a little over two weeks and I think it only helped with the pain I was having in my ears. Tomorrow I take half a pill, and then the next day half a pill and I'll be done. I can't tell that the Prednisone did anything to reduce my tinnitus. Gave me a little hope, I guess, while I was taking it. Not sure it actually touched the tinnitus.