Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Here in NYC there is a private HBOT company which just requires a chest x-ray as clearance. Different countries have very different availability and pricing of HBOT services.

 

4 days after my acoustic trauma I had 10 sessions of HBOT at 1.5ATM pressure (15m dive). There were 2 sessions a day with a duration of 2 hours per session. Each session consisted of four 20 minute intervals where I would breathe 100% Oxygen through a mask. In between the intervals we had to take off the mask so we would breathe oxygen mixture at outside levels. Add the time to pressurize and depressurize and that made it 2 hours. Didn't work for me unfortunately, but it gave me some peace of mind to have tried. Some people with sudden single sided hearing loss had some recovery. It's hard to say if it was down to the sessions or spontaneous recovery.

The therapy was combined with oral steroids (short course at 64 mg for 3 days, then 32 mg for 3 days and eventually 16 mg for 3 days).

I could tell methylprednisolone is a potent drug because of the side effects. I'm an avid runner and during the course my muscles would get incredibly sore even before a workout. Harder workouts were nearly impossible. I just couldn't get the intensity in. It also seems to raise your transpiration level and makes you dehydrated a lot faster.

It seems the evidence for steroids and HBOT is rather weak.

 

Evidence for HBOT doing something beneficial seems quite strong, however the evidence suggests it doesn't work for everyone, and is best in the first few days.

 

I have now finished 8 90 minute HBOT treatments, and I am going to stop at this number. I am stopping because I feel based on the data I have probably gleaned most of the possible benefit from the treatment, and I have also experienced a minor side effect of having my left ear difficult to clear. Because of this, I would like to rest it and let it not be stressed by the pressurization/depressurization cycles.

All in all, my tinnitus has improved over the last 11 days since I started treatment. It is difficult to say whether this improvement is due to the HBOT, augmented by the HBOT, or simply normal recovery from a recent (3 weeks as of today) acoustic trauma.

My own reading of the empirical data available on HBOT leads to me conclude that it works (as in has some positive effect) for the majority of patients within a week or so of trauma, and a significant minority thereafter, up until and perhaps beyond a couple months.

I would recommend anyone who has experienced an acoustic trauma attempt to get HBOT any time after the first 6 hours, up until a couple weeks or so. Thereafter, the cost/benefit ratio really depends on individuals' financial situations. I highly recommend using NAC and other antioxidant supplements adjunct to the HBOT. HBOT increases free radicals.

I will end up paying something like $3,000 for 8 sessions, which most likely will provide only a modest benefit. However, I do feel it was worth it. My ENT believes my tinnitus is likely to go away after a few months, regardless of HBOT - but we all know how ENTs tend to speak in optimistic generalities about tinnitus. It has improved, become more consistent, less reactive, and less annoying/severe, over the past couple weeks. I will likely post once more on this thread if and when the tinnitus goes away or reaches some kind of plateau.

 

There really are two different tinnitus. I have a mild tinnitus that would come and go maximum one hour and was high frequency. I call that regular tinnitus.

This constant tinnitus came after my Toxic Mold Exposure where I also got Neuropathy. This is not fun stuff. One thing that I had along with this was fullness of the ears. It wasn't until I saw the ENT that he recommended PatulEND nose drops to flush out the ear tubes. I puked out some nasty black, brown, grey and other stuff after that. The fullness ended at least.

I also had vertigo and dizziness caused by crap in my ears during the peak mold exposures. I was really getting worse every day there for a while. After leaving that environment (the back bedroom where I had an office and it was next to a bathroom that in the walls had tons of mold). I've been getting better every day. At one point, the crap in my ears touched nerve cells directly and I had an electrical sensation for 20-30 seconds followed by my right eye moving on its own downward causing double vision. The Neurologist and ENT both said that it was crystals in the ear touching the nerves.

So there was definitely some mold crap in that area of my ears that caused the tinnitus. I still have the low frequency constant (24x7) tinnitus. It seems that there are three frequencies but right around 320 hertz.

I am now going to get (next month) some HBOT treatments for the mold. I guess I'll let you guys know if it does anything for mold related tinnitus.

So far... I don't see anything that can really help for this

I'll keep you guys posted.

J

 

Jesus Christ I'm sorry to hear that happened, but at least they have been able to help! Let us know how HBOT goes. Personally it doesn't seem to be very effective compared to placebo / natural healing but if one has the money and can weight the risks, it might be worth a try. If anything you can check out the Neuromod Lenire threads, that seems much more promising and we have a two hour interview with the CEO to be posted this month.

 

I don't know in regards to ototoxic medication but it is supposed to work independently of steroids if you do it soon after the trauma.

I did want to ask you what MRI did you use that cause you the acoustic trauma. I'm going to have to get an MRI and I'm in the same boat / age you are after a concert. I just don't want to suffer acoustic shock again.

 

Ok so I’m in the middle of reading about HBO and have some facilities nearby.

I was going to call them and see the expense of the HBO. I’ve called about TRT at some places but they talk about their download and website, etc... no real therapy places. And of course, I’ve tried 5 ENTs but no one has “urgent” appointment times... they all seem like car salesmen... no offense.

I am also reading the Lenire study thread and it is hopeful. But I’m afraid the ending won’t be that good since I see some prevalent posters still posting.

By the way, I apologize I’ve posted so much... this is mental therapy for me.

In general with the supplements (I’ve started 6 bottles now) versus HBO.

I’m in the USA so to do Lenire it is possible eventually someday, but would the HBO be worth a try?

A fool and their money... and so forth... I’m the fool.

Thanks.

 

It's worth a try if you have the money for it.

Usually it only works if you start it within 24 hours of acoustic shock but sometimes it works later too. TRY IT!

 

According to research I read, it is of course best to start as soon as possible...
But also within the first 14 days, first 6 weeks, and within the first 3 month (partially) recovery is possible... I uploaded a review study.

 

I am concerned a bit about the dangers of a crackling noise as a side effect.

Exploding lungs and clicking in the ear... scary side effects... I didn’t have any luck with a everyday MRI, so I don’t know if I should press my luck.

Thank you again for the replies... the success rates seem a little sketchy.. .but not sure what I’ll do.

 

I have decided not to do HBOT... solely because of the side effects. I went in for a routine MRI procedure and it was messed up... I’d hate to come out of a HBOT with a burst ear, lung, or blurry vision.

I better not press my luck.

Bummer.

 

Relating to mold, I had to do HBOT. About two weeks ago, I measured it. It was at 320 Hz. I've done 4 hours of HBOT. It's down to 280 Hz today. Not sure if it is related or whatever. The frequency is lower. The intensity is the same.

 

According to several papers side effects of HBOT are relatively / very small.

When you can clear your ears (and most of the people can) and the procedure is carefully done, actually no problem can occur. The problem with blurry sight is only when you do al lot (40-80) of HBOT treatments according to my hyperbaric doctor.

In my past I have done 3 treatment series (10 (in 1999), 10 (in 2000), 20 (in 2017) and am now in the middle of the fourth. I go in and out relaxed and energised... During those sessions actually never happened something with my co-patients or with myself.

 

All true. But not a risk I personally was willing to take. I got a routine MRI that messed my ears up... I’m looking at “low risk” procedures with a whole new frame of reference.

It depends on the person. My employment requires having a vision test every 6 months, so if your occupation is not reliant on a medical standard, by all means go, for it.

 

Okay, because a lot of people who read this thread: I 've asked the hyperbaric doctor: the problem with the eyes is only temporary; after the serie of treatments the excess of oxygen in the lens of the eye disappears again...

 

I just completed 10 sessions of HBOT at 1.75 atmospheres over the time period of about 18 days. I couldn't do 10 consecutive days due to weather (lightning) and other factors. Here is what I have noticed:

1. The frequency of the tinnitus has decreased quite dramatically. Now, at night it is much fainter and lower frequency.

2. The blurry eyes is there. It has been 5 days since my last HBOT but this is decreasing now.

3. The mold symptoms (pain) are dramatically less as well. Perhaps 50% less severe than it used to be.

4. I really wish that I could get better TV or something inside that chamber. It is a really boring hour.

 

What was your noise trauma like? Did you get hearing loss despite the HBOT and the steroids?

 

It was because of a firecracker explosion. I hadn't done an audiogram in 8 years so there wasn't anything to compare to. 4 days after the incident I started HBOT. Right before that, I got the hearing tests and saw an ENT. No measurable loss and normal speech in noise. But we all know audiograms don't tell the whole story...

I think ENTs start to realise that too since they let me start HBOT anyway.

 

I essentially did the same course this past August. 20 sessions, spread out as 5 sessions per week for 4 weeks.
My hearing loss was not from acoustic trauma, but rather from something (likely a virus) that damaged my inner ear/cochlea.
I was the patient with "sudden single sided hearing loss".

I'm happy that I had the opportunity to do it, but I'm not sure that it really made any difference.

There were what appeared to be slight improvements in my audiogram right at the frequency where the hearing loss begins, but no discernible changes anywhere else. This could have been from spontaneous recovery or the HBOT, but as stated before the improvements were slight.

I didn't notice any change to the tinnitus.

The descent and ascent weren't a problem, the only people who seemed to have problems were those who didn't seem to understand how to equalize their ears. I actually had a small hole in my eardrum at the time (from a intratympanic injection of prednisone) and it didn't cause any difficulty.

I didn't experience any vision changes or blurry eyes either.
To be honest, didn't notice many effects, either positive or negative.

One thing to be aware of - my treatments were in a group chamber (6 people at a time) and it was LOUD inside the chamber. Lots of oxygen and other gasses at high pressure meant that there was often alot of high frequency hissing sounds throughout a session. I had earmuffs that I wore, but I would have been very sad if I had not had hearing protection.

 

I was also in a multiple person tank. A couple of them noise induced, others from infection or just sudden single sided deafness or hearing loss. Because it's so vital to act quickly in these cases it would be unethical to not give people access to the treatment. That's why I think effectiveness is very hard to prove because of the chance of spontaneous recovery. You would have to have a big control group not undergoing treatment and still being monitored for recovery. Essentially you're taking away their chances of max recovery if one were to keep them from having the treatment and the treatment turns out to be proven effective. There is some data it might help but not a lot. My in-tank-mates were very "meh". The hospital says the benefits can take up to 3 months to show which makes it even more vague.

The only people that showed significant recovery from tinnitus are the ones whose hearing came back and improved spectacularly on their audiogram. It gives me some hope of hearing regeneration being able to fix tinnitus in the future.

 

I commented on another post about Aimovig, but I feel it's important to reply to you, too, because I would hate to see someone else waste $700 on Aimovig hoping it would affect their tinnitus.
I just received my first Aimovig shot a week ago. My tinnitus spiked the day I received it and it has not returned to normal. CGRP is a potent vasodilator and there are receptors in the cochlea. Inhibiting CGRP results in vasoconstriction, and I believe this is what caused by tinnitus to spike.

 

Hi all,

Background:
This Friday (15/05) I started HBOT in the hopes of improving my tinnitus which I suffered due to noise exposure (cumulative). My noise tinnitus started on 04/04, which means I am still in the 6 weeks window of possible treatment.

I currently have had 3 sessions of 2 hours. After the 2nd session I noticed an extra sound appearing and this sound increased after the 3rd session (18/05). I skipped today's session because I was too scared to go. The new sound is somewhat better today, but hasn't gone away completely.

Question:
Does anyone have any advice/experience on this? Should I continue the treatment, or cut my losses?
I know research says there is a risk of 1 to 12% to worsen your tinnitus, however I have not read that it is also possible to cause new tinnitus.
The ENT says it is normal that your tinnitus increases, changes... but it's a private HBOT-centre and we all know how much your average ENT really knows about tinnitus.

Remarks:
- I do not have any trouble clearing my ears during the session, nor do I experience any pain. My eardrums are checked before and after every session and they are A-ok.
- The new tone start immediately after they start pressurizing the tank and decreases after we are back on atmospheric level.
- The HBOT is relatively quiet, so together with the point above, I'm pretty sure the extra tone is not noise induced.

Thanks for your feedback,

Kr,
Alex

 

Over three years ago, I have had a similar experience. My tinnitus had increased, and I quit. The spike went away after at most a week, and later I regretted quitting HBOT.

Oh, so it isn't even there when you are not in the chamber? I wouldn't quit over that...

 

Is HBOT loud?

 

If they set airflow to its minimum, it isn't too bad...

 

HBOT seems like Lenire. Works for a few, doesn't work for most from what I've read and has some risks (barotrauma). The studies available aren't overly convincing either because no control groups.

 

The one I went into was for max. 12 people. The more people, the louder it was with all the on-demand oxygen going through the tubes into the masks.

 

Did it help with ringing or hyperacusis?

 

I don't think so. I was going to add: I did not find it annoyingly loud in there. I still had earplugs on me just in case.