BEWARE of the ECoG Test! Made My Tinnitus Much Worse

Just wanted to give heads up to the members hear about the ECOG test for hydrops, where they place electrodes in your ears to test the inner ear pressure.
This test is regarded by many doctors as useless and does not really diagnosis or add value.

In any case, it made my tinnitus much worse from mild 3/10 to 9/10 and got my hyperacusis. HORRIBLE.
Worst thing in my life!
Even though I was not comfortable, I continued with the test assuming that the doctor does it a lot and would have known if it has side effects.

 

They know it has side effects. It is a risk they are willing to take...

Thank you for sharing your experience.

 

@Dizzyhead888 ...Thanks for trying to warn and therefore help other forum members about the possible side-effects of the test. I'm really hoping that the worsening of your T condition is just temporary.

Here's a lady who woke up with loud pulsating T the day after having the test:

https://forums.webmd.com/3/cold-and-flu-exchange/forum/5037

 

I did the Caloric Test and it made me have H on both ears and T on the right ear. I also have ear popping on the right ear. So dangerous!

 

When did you do the test?
Did you have H prior to this test?

 

i did it 2 months ago.
Did not have H, had a 3/10 T before the test, now its 8-9/10 and got H

First night I got it, nothing was effective to make me sleep. Until the morning, took 2 xanax pills and one lexotanil all together at last to sleep.

I feel if I bump into the doctor sometime in my life, I dont think I would be able to control myself.

I saw a renowned neurologist for my dizziness problem after all of this happened to me and mentioned to him that i did an ECOG test. He was like "this test is useless and not used nowadays".

 

I did the caloric test with air rather than water. It didnt have an impact on my tinnitus.
Regardless now, i would never ever repeat it.

 

I did the caloric test with water and it caused me to have H on both ears. Ruined completely.

 

yup, same here. My tinnitus was mild it was a 3/10 and it didnt bother me, i can only hear in quiet places. After the caloric test with cool water i developed H on both ears and a ear popping sound on the R ear.

 

isn't that worse? with air?

 

I got dizzy, which you are supposed to. However, I did not have an adverse reaction. The caloric test in general is very annoying. However, now i will never do any such tests that interfere with my ear.

 

Me neither. I did mine with water and got H on both ears, T in both ears, ear popping in R ear, ear wooshing sound, and this weird feeling with the eardrum.

I didnt honestly think that water could do damage.

 

is ECOG really loud?

 

yes

 

how loud? did it cause you hearing loss?

 

@Dizzyhead888 is the ECOG like VEMP? It has to do with electrodes like VEMP. What is the sound like? Is it a rumbling/clicking sound

 

They put electrodes literally inside your ear to touch the cochlea. then clicking sound is emitted.
It is very lound since its close to the cochlea

 

They do NOT put electrodes in your ear to "touch the cochlea". That would require significant surgery.

 

Of course they're willing to take the risk. It's not their lives they're ruining.

 

Don't they do transtympanic EcohG where a fine needle electrode is pushed through the eardrum to lie near the basal turn of the cochlea?

 

Yes, they can, but it still doesn't enter the inner ear and therefore does not touch the cochlea. According to a site I trust, needle type ECOGs are not commonly used anymore due to the invasiveness and pain (https://www.dizziness-and-balance.com/testing/ecog.html)

 

OH MY GOD!

 

Ummm, read the comment directly above your own. This is not a common procedure. Most ECOGs are not conducted with a needle.

I had intratympanic steroid injections. If anyone had a needle ECOG they would know. A needle through your eardrum is not pleasant. Incidentally a diagram of intratympanic injections probably looks similar. Diagrams of most medical procedures look rather frightening.

 

Are you feeling better? Is it still the same. I also did caloric test/vemp back in January and I didnt see much improvement. My T was mild from Sep-Dec, it is fairly loud now. It is a constant 9 and sometimes it drops to a 8 and 7 minimum (which to me is relief). I also have Severe H where I cant endure me talking or other people talking because it hurts my ears. I didnt get better. When I had mild T I slept like a baby now I barely make it over 4 hours because my T is so loud. I cant hear it over shower or being next to a busy road.

 

So both Ecog and Vemp can cause NIHL

 

@Dizzyhead888 any updates man? how are you feeling now?

 

I am ok. it's permanently higher. I am living with it. inside the house, I try to keep speakers with ACRN on in the background at home.
I took Lexapro for other health problems. The sound level didn't get lower. But outside home, I hear it much less. but in the house i hear it over anything even TV sound at the highest. Its just maybe outside the house, given that I am walking, taking Lexapro and extra nature sound, I hear it much lower.

 

Same VEMP made my permanently worse.