6 Weeks In — Not Sure What’s the Best Course of Action

[Cyndy]

Hi all, I started getting tinnitus since 6 weeks ago. It came with the feeling of fullness in my right ear. Being a healthy young woman I was of course stressed out by this. Visited 6 ENT specialists who said different things from Ménière's to viral attack to just having to live with T for the rest of my life. This wasn't what I wanted to hear. Hearing tests done and they were fine. One of the doctors prescribed prednisolone which I took for 5 days (60mg per day) - this was 10 days after it started. After the first day on prednisolone, my T actually stopped for about 6 hours but then came back. Since then It goes up and down and at one point it became very soft that I was hopefully of my situation. I started acupuncture as well, it remains to be seen if this will help.

I recently flew in an airplane and had headphones through out the 6 hour flight (two ways). After the flight, It got louder and my ear started feeling full again. Do you think it was caused by the flight / pressure? I have read that we should protect our ears and the plane was loud but seems that headphones had the reverse effect on my tinnitus. I'm due to fly again next month and am worried about what I should be doing - headphones or not?

Also I still have a stash of prednisolone which I'm contemplating taking. I have also read that it could improve but would make tinnitus sound worse. It's very confusing. I'm 6 weeks in.

I think it got this from a viral attack as my work mates were all down with some nasty bug and I caught it in the worse possible way even though I didn't have a fever or a cough etc. I did have a very sore throat though. I don't buy that I have Ménière's (which was what the first ENT specialist said, hence delayed any treatment I should have had).

Please let me know your thoughts on what I should do - should I take the prednisolone? It was a second prescription which I never took as I was afraid of it worsening the noise level. I was prescribed 20mg per day for 2 days and 10mg per day for 2 days. Wondering if it will help at all! Or just leave it.

 

[GregCA]

I recently flew in an airplane and had headphones through out the 6 hour flight (two ways). After the flight, It got louder and my ear started feeling full again. Do you think it was caused by the flight / pressure? I have read that we should protect our ears and the plane was loud but seems that headphones had the reverse effect on my tinnitus. I'm due to fly again next month and am worried about what I should be doing - headphones or not?

Were they noise cancelling headphones?
Did you use them as ear muffs or were you listening to content through them?

 

[GregCA]

I don't buy that I have Ménière's (which was what the first ENT specialist said, hence delayed any treatment I should have had).

Do you have any balance/vertigo issues at all?

 

[Cyndy]

Yes they were noise cancelling earphones. I didn't and still do not have vertigo or balance issues.

 

[Cyndy]

I have also had brain MRI done and the earphones they gave me with music on was super loud so I'm not sure if that worsen anything or delayed the healing process.

 

[Bill Bauer]

Since then It goes up and down and at one point it became very soft

This is a very encouraging sign. Provided you don't hurt your ears too much, there is a high chance that your tinnitus will continue to fade and become less shrill. It is a gradual process, though. It can take a year or two. That's the good news. The bad news is that it is now easier to harm your ears (enough to get tinnitus spikes/interfere with healing) compared to back when you were healthy.

I recently flew in an airplane and had headphones through out the 6 hour flight (two ways). After the flight, It got louder and my ear started feeling full again. Do you think it was caused by the flight / pressure?

Some people believe that noise cancelling headphones cause their T to get louder. This is the reason why I have always worn earplugs underneath my noise cancelling headphones.

I was prescribed 20mg per day for 2 days and 10mg per day for 2 days. Wondering if it will help at all! Or just leave it.

It is a very small dose. Normally the dose is 60 mg per day for 10-14 days + tapering.

For some advice about what to do in the long run, check out
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...eone-else-who-has-tinnitus.26850/#post-307822

 

[GregCA]

Yes they were noise cancelling earphones.

Were you listening to any content during the flight? (music, movies, etc)

 

[Cyndy]

Thank you Bill. I am quite positive it will fade. But as you said, i need to protect my ears more as I feel I'm more sensitive towards noise now.
Do you think it's a good idea to start on prednisolone again? I'm going to see my ENT specialist and see what he thinks. Very tempted to get another prescription of prednisolone but to be honest, after seeing 6 specialists I am over doctors and medication. Maybe some TLC, rest, relax and yoga might help me more?

@GregCA, the outward flight I wasn't listening to anything (just had those headphones on) and on the return flight I was watching programmes / listening to music on a low volume. Not sure if that has affected anything? Any idea?

 

[GregCA]

@GregCA, the outward flight I wasn't listening to anything (just had those headphones on) and on the return flight I was watching programmes / listening to music on a low volume. Not sure if that has affected anything? Any idea?

From what you are describing, I'm not sure headphones had anything to do with it.

But you say you've been diagnosed with Meniere's by a doctor. Can you explain how he got to that conclusion?

Do you have an audiogram that you'd be comfortable sharing? (you can blank out any personal info)

Also, the "cause of Tinnitus" in your profile is what you think is your cause right? It's not the result of a medical diagnosis, correct?

 

[Bill Bauer]

Do you think it's a good idea to start on prednisolone again?

If you take it, it should be a normal (60 mg per day, less if you weigh less than 60 kg) dose.

As for Prednisone, your guess is as good as our guess. There is a chance that it will help, and there is a chance that you will experience one of its side effects (e.g., bone loss leading to dental problems). Nobody really knows the probabilities (of it helping and of it causing problems) involved. You have to choose one of those options (basically at random) and then try to not second guess your decision.

 

[Cyndy]

@GregCA problem is, he didn't really diagnosed it as meniere's... he said it might be. I questioned him about the fact that I don't suffer from vertigo but it got brushed off and he said it isn't necessary for a Ménière's patient to suffer from bad vertigo. It seems as thought it was the easiest conclusion for him to come to. No tests done to properly diagnose it. However 2 other ENT specialists I saw dismissed Ménière's. Completely. And another 2 said it is most probably a viral inflammation of my inner ear (why else would prednisolone work the first time round?). I'm not an expert of course but the past 6 weeks I have probably learnt a thing of two about my condition.
As for the flight and the ear phones - I am quite positive the ear phones caused some symptoms to reappear (ear fullness, louder ringing). My ears were pretty much back to normal (except the tinnitus) but the flights made it worse.

I will post a file of my audiogram.

@Bill Bauer thanks I will ask the doctor about prescribing it. However I'm worried it's tenporary and once I get off it it will come back. That's why I hesitate to take further medication, unless I know it will help with recovery in the long run.

On another note, has anyone tried acupuncture?

 

[Cyndy]