Hearing Loss and Steroids. What Is the Cut Off Time to Get Help?

So, I have hearing loss and tinnitus. It stared a month ago.

I went to a doctor two weeks into tinnitus and asked for help. They told me there was no cure and nothing could be done. Now, I'm reading I should have taken prednisone and it would have helped me hearing loss.

I know I have hearing loss because I took a hearing test with the AM-101 trials. I had hearing loss at 8khz at 40dbs, and 7khz or 6khz at 30dbs, and rest were 20dbs and 10dbs.

What options do I have at this point? Is there any treatment I can push for to get hearing loss fixed?
I'm am seriously angry that my doctor didn't see urgency in my issue and didn't seek out prednisone. What do I do?

I'm seriously frustrated at this time and want to make sure there is isn't something else I'm missing that I can do for hearing loss.

Thanks for any help.

 

Not to be obnoxious, but anyone? Seeing this is a time sensitive matter, I really would love to know if I still can get help from it or not?

 

You _could_ have taken prednisone, and it _might_ have helped... but not likely.

It's one of those things that doctors will try simply because there are no other options. It is something that was never conclusively proven to work, though there is some evidence that it could help if administered wtihin the first 24 hours. Every day after that reduces the likelihood of it having any effect.... if there is any effect at all in the first place.

So if you saw your doctor two weeks after hearing loss, it does not surprise me they did not offer it. I took prednisone during my first week and it had no effect on me. They could also inject it directly into the ear, but that comes with risk to do further damage.

-Mike

 

Steroids are much more likely to be given if there is some belief that the hearing loss was caused by a recent acoustic trauma. If your appointment was just for tinnitus without some trauma, most docs would be unlikely to prescribe steroids. Even with trauma, two weeks is pushing it.

However, as Michael2013 said, the evidence for steroids is not strong even for recent trauma. It seems to be the case that Doctors prescribe steroids because they *shouldn't* hurt and might help.

 

I started oral Prendisone steroids 2.5 weeks after acoustic trauma for 10 days (including tapering down) starting with 45mg a day for 3 days then less and less
I believe they helped make sound quality better - at the end T got more "defined" and a bit more piercing which is common since the brain can differentiate actual sound from T better so T may appear louder but sound more pleasant at the same time - that did not bother me since the "broken speaker" scary effect went away

For sound improvement they can help since they help lessen nerve damage

In fact now at 4 months after trauma I am doing another 8 days course right now, just to give it another try as I liked the way they worked on me and yes sound seemed to have improved yet another small notch again

The only side effect for me is difficulty getting good sleep but feeling more energetic during the day which help compensate the lack of sleep - I am not using sleeping pills beside Melatonin


Maybe a good combo with LLLT too

Small steps but each one count

 

At the moment im on prednisalone and into a second week of a 5 week course with tapering as my lungs gone splat.
My ears are loving the steroids so that is a blessing....
Even though steroids help calm my ears I can only have them when my asthma goes nuts and strugle breath....lots of love glynis