First Timer Here...

Greetings,

Next month makes 1 year since getting T. It started with an ear infection in my right ear, it got louder and painful each day. Honestly,I didn't know what it was yet. I'm 26, I never had T before nor ear infections, so you can imagine the anxiety I had when going through this. Reading about T for the first time brought tears to my eyes as presently there is no cure, and it can be a lifelong thing.

I was able to cut out much of the infection via ear drops and later on I went to the Dr who said that it was fading away. In the meantime, he prescribed antibiotics for me to take. In this case it was azithromycin. After several days, I started having panic attacks and heart palpitations. The T got worse , including having some in my left ear! Plus I remember one morning, during the week I was taking the antibiotics, I yawn and felt something popped that made my head shake. I realized how the antibiotics made things worse. My regret to this day! As the effects of the antibiotics wore off so did the panic attacks, palpitations and T in my left ear. My right ear however, still had it even though the infection was now gone.

I went to the ENT who cleaned out my ears and conducted a hearing test. My hearing is still 100%. I was recommended the valsalva manuever but I'm scared to try it and when I do nothing seems to work. I'm not sure if I am doing it right. My ENT also pointed out the possibility of allergies but that's hard to believe as I barely get them. Later during the year, I end up with a sinus infection (another first time), here I am worried that it'll affect my ear but it left after a few days.

Today I still have T, and lately, it fluctuates in loud or soft (like sleeping sometimes). Like many, this has been a discouraging experience and my fear is that it'll get worse or it'll never go away. It's hard to bring myself to accept it. Just the fact that I make a year next month isn't something to look forward to

 

Difficult to make a judgement, but usually local antibiotics do just fine in clearing up an infection.

Personally, I would never take an ototoxic medication such as azithromycin - at least not for an ear infection.

 

Yeah. But remember, I was never aware of it.

And when I had those side effects, the Dr denied it was from the antibiotics and also because of its small dosage (250mg)

But I know that denial was wrong because when I was taking it.