3 Months Into Tinnitus — Unknown Cause

Hi all,

I'm new here and currently 3 months in, I'm trying to cope and prepare myself for the possibility of having this for the rest of my life. Though I'm still optimistic I'll make a recovery.

A little backstory - in the beginning of May I developed some a toothache/ear pain, I consulted a doctor through the phone (afraid to visit a doctor during the pandemic) who said it sounded like an ear infection and prescribed me antibiotics.

I took that for 2-3 days but I felt extremely nauseous and dizzy and just horrible on it so I was prescribed a different antibiotic. I took that for 5/10 days prescribed (I know I should've finished them but I felt okay so I stopped).

A couple days after that I woke up because I heard ringing in my ears and immediately panicked. I rushed to the ER and waited hours to see a doctor who looked into my ears, said I had some fluid in my left ear, that I didn't require antibiotics and that I have sinusitis. She prescribed me with a medication called mometasone furoate nasal spray to take for 2 weeks. Within those 2 weeks the ringing was on and off, some days yes some days no- but sure enough the ringing returned for good.

I was getting a little more scared at this point, the ringing became unbearable to a point where it kept me up some nights till 6AM.

I called my GP who at that point was only taking phone calls and not in-person visits. Suggested I get tested for COVID-19 (I did and it came back negative) or to seek out another doctor in the ER to check if the fluid in my ear remains.

I did just that, another doctor looked into my ears, said there was indeed fluid in my right ear and it looked infected so she then prescribed me with another antibiotic called clindamycin, I took this 4 times a day for 10 days as per instructions... but the ringing still was there.

I was beginning to panic and had lots of anxiety everyday which didn't help the ringing. It was at this point I also noticed popping/clicking in my ears when I swallow and pressure in my ears.

I finally got an ENT to see me, feeling a little more hopeful. I did a hearing test and an ear pressure test I think is what she called it, which apparently came back normal.

When I finally saw the doctor he was entirely dismissive and cut me off when asking a question about the tinnitus "-the ringing is entirely stress related, everyone is stressed out with everything happening with COVID-19", he said. He told me to do relaxing things and destress. Didn't even seem concerned about not being able to relieve the pressure in my ears. Then sent me on my way.

Here I am now, 2 weeks later still all of the same symptoms, but now my jaw pops and clicks when I open it too wide. The ringing has lowered since it started and I can actually sleep now, so I'm trying to take advantage of this.

But the possibility of this staying forever and the unpredictability of the volume of the ringing really gives me a lot of anxiety. I'm thinking it could either be TMJ or ETD but of course I'm waiting to see another ENT to fully confirm this, but I don't feel optimistic about seeing another one given how rude and dismissive the first one was.

I'm hoping this isn't forever, I know ears take time to heal so I'm trying to stay positive.

For those who've been suffering longer than I have, I fully sympathize with you, tinnitus has really turned my world upside down.

 

Hi @Ella114 -- Sorry to hear about your ordeal. -- Just want to mention; one should be very cautious about taking any medication ending with mycin. These medications have a track record for being ototoxic and can cause or exacerbate tinnitus. I'd recommend looking online for some natural remedies than can counter any kind of infection(s) going on in your ears or sinuses. -- Welcome to the forum--sorry circumstances however that have brought you here.

 

Hi Ella. My story is very similar to yours, it’s been two and half months. I suspect my problems are connected to blocked sinuses. I am hoping for a full recovery at some point and I wish you the same. It’s very slow process, but we will get there.

 

The other day I was sitting down watching tv and it's like my ears gave out for a second, the ringing didn't get any louder but it was an odd feeling that sort of scared me, It's as if someone put their palm over my right ear.

Last doctor I saw 2 weeks ago confirmed I have a lot more fluid in my right ear (which is the ear that gave out) than I do in my left ear.

I'm assuming that my tinnitus has to do with the fluid in my ears not draining from a previous cold that I had. Which is scary to think because that was months ago, fluid in my ears for that long can't be good can it?

Does anyone else experience the same thing?

 

Maybe you have blocked eustachian tubes? In this case ears cannot drain fluid properly.

 

Yeah I don’t think it has cleared up yet... getting worried and annoyed but at least the volume of the ringing is not loud enough to disrupt my sleep.

 

I'm sorry to hear I'm 6 weeks in and my symptoms are very similar to yours. Though, I only have tinnitus in my right ear and the doc says there's no fluid. It's most likely ETD. Also, I hate it when doctor's just pass things off as stress. I had a GI doctor tell me one time it was purely stress when I was puking anytime I ate. I demanded they shove a camera down my throat and who woulda known they found gastritis!! So, keep pushing them and don't just listen to them when they overlook your symptoms. It's your health and your body so you know when something is wrong with it. Best of luck with your tinnitus and your ears, I'm sure everything will end up okay <3

 

Thanks, I’m definitely grateful that my tinnitus volume isn’t as loud as some describe... this itself is stressful at times and I can’t even imagine it being louder.

Though I’ve been told to leave well enough alone and just count myself lucky and to just basically stop search for the cause of my tinnitus, but why? lol why when there’s a slight chance that if I find out what’s caused it, I can possibly treat it and get rid of the tinnitus?

Thanks for you kind words, I hope it works out for you as well.

 

Good for you Mine in the beginning was terrible, I don’t even want to remember about that time in my life. Now it is gradually fading, but still can affect me a lot when my sinuses are blocked quite badly.

 

Exactly. If you can get rid of it, why not put in the time and effort to find the source and get it to stop completely? I would say keep going with seeing doctors and trying to find the cause. Tinnitus can be really really distressing, so it's best to just get rid of it entirely if you can.

 

Hi, Ella. My symptoms are the same as yours, particularly the popping and clicking while swallowing. My doctor was also dismissive of my tinnitus and denied that my T had anything to do with the medication that I was taking at the time. Know that you're not alone.

A lot of doctors don't like to take accountability when it comes to prescribing ototoxic medication. Many doctors have big egos.

 

Yeah some of them definitely have huge egos, I agree.

The popping and clicking is still on going... but I when I got checked last I was told there’s fluid in my ears so hopefully after that clears the tinnitus will disappear with it.

 

I hope that the tinnitus, popping, and clicking all go away. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

 

Thank you!