In Fire Alarm for 4 Hours — Frightened What It Does to My Tinnitus

Hi,

On Sunday the fire alarm went off in my apartment building. The fire brigade were called and apparently given the code over the phone but were unable to switch it off. I phoned the management company and my neighbours did repeatedly and each time we were told someone was on the way. No one turned up and they kept saying someone was coming. The fire alarm company kept telling them they were sending someone.

The fire alarm started at 2:30 and they finally switched it off at 6:30. Under any other circumstances I would have packed up and left but I had surgery on Thursday and can barely walk (my flat is on the top floor, with no lift) and felt unwell. As everyone else stayed in it I thought it was fine to do so. After a while I stopped being able to hear it really.

Since it stopped my ears are ringing to the point it is frightening me. It is so loud I can't watch TV or do anything else. Everything is dominated by this noise. It is SO LOUD. I had tinnitus before but it barely bothered me and was quiet compared to this.

I read on here about magnesium glycinate and NAC and have just ordered both of them from Amazon Prime to arrive tomorrow. I am in the UK so even if I went to A&E and sat for 10 hours or whatever it will be, I don't think they would give out anything.

I don't know what to do and I'm frightened. I phoned my GP and they arranged for me to see an audiologist on Thursday.

This noise was painful - it was the worst thing I've ever heard in my life and I'm really scared it has damaged my ears.

My biggest question is: what can I do to try to make sure the ringing isn't permanent?

Thank you.

 

Yeah go get dexamethasone steroid shots right in your ears from an ENT if you can find one willing to do so ASAP. If not definitely get steroids, and or even go eat a ton of curcumin.

 

What does it sound like? Can you mask it?

 

Prednisone!

If you can't get your hands on this, pick up some NAC and Magnesium from your local drugstore.

 

Also nicotinomide riboside might be helpful right now.

 

This is so unfortunate and I am so sorry this happened. 4 hours is an unforgivable amount of time for the management to allow this to occur!

I myself am in the midst of getting over problems that occurred after a fire alarm exposure just over a month ago, though mine was only for 2-3 minutes. I’d say about 110-120 dB. Do you have any estimate as to how loud it might’ve been? Were you able to cover your ears at all? Do you have sound sensitivity?

For me, I have gotten a good deal better over the course of the month. It took 2 days after for my ringing to increase, I developed new tones, got awful hyperacusis but I am overall doing a lot better, ringing went down, new tones went away mostly. I’m still very sound sensitive but that has improved, overall, too. Give it time, rest your ears as much as you possibly can, I found taking a few weeks off work was quite beneficial. A good diet and supplements that you’ve got should help as well. I hope you are able to get steroids for this, as I’m sure that could help also.
Again so sorry you had to be exposed to this. A lot of fire alarms are way too damagingly loud and really hurt people!!! I hope things ease for you, please let us know how you’re doing later on. xx

 

Thank you for your replies. It sounds like high pitched very loud ringing, and in one ear there are noises that I can only describe as sound like a whip or someone whirling a lasso around. Like wuhh wuhh wuhh wuhh.

Even though my appointment is tomorrow I'm going to turn up at the audiologist today, I'm really concerned.

I don't know how loud it was but it literally hurt, I had never heard anything like it. Maybe it would be helpful to contact the fire alarm company to ask them how loud the alarm is, I don't know.

astaff I'm really glad yours got better over the course of a month, that's encouraging. I put my fingers in my ears for some of it but couldn't for other parts.

 

You'll be lucky in the UK, most doctors here won't prescribe this unfortunately.

 

Very sorry this happened to you. Please keep us posted.

 

Hi,

With these supplements, which protect to stop RINGING and which prevent hearing loss?

Is it that:

- dexamethasone steroid shots and prednisone protect against hearing LOSS
- magnesium and NAC protect against the ringing?

I'm sitting here with the NAC and magnesium and scared to take them and can't tell if I'm being over cautious or whether my concern is justified. I have other health issues and on other medication and not sure if they interact.

 

No.

If you had a recent noise exposure and the little hair cells in your cochlea are on the verge of dying, then oral and injected steroids CAN bring them back from the brink of death. The steroid injections are far more effective than the oral steroids. There is a pretty small window for this to work.

Magnesium and NAC can also help in this respect as well, but not nearly as effectively.

There is a chance that the fire alarm didn't kill your little hair cells but just wore out your nerves, which can also spike your tinnitus, for weeks or more. It is a good idea to take the NAC regardless. Do that without hesitation while also protecting your ears for the next few months. You can take more NAC than the recommended dosage too.

If you were going to take steroids or get them injected your time window is probably gone by now. Those interventions are very contingent on time. Don't let that scare you though. Just go to the supplement store or Amazon (aka Satan) and get some NAC and curcumin and start taking it with meals 3 times a day. If you can get steroids tomorrow, then do it. If you do get the curcumin, take like 12 grams (12,000 mg) per day for a couple of weeks. It is safe. Very anti-oxidant.

That's my best advice. Good luck to you. Time is of the essence.

 

John thank you for your answers. Just to be clear, this:

"No.

If you had a recent noise exposure and the little hair cells in your cochlea are on the verge of dying, then oral and injected steroids CAN bring them back from the brink of death. The steroid injections are far more effective than the oral steroids. There is a pretty small window for this to work."

Does all this relate to ringing or hearing loss? (little hairs dying and steroids reviving them).

Do steroids treat ringing?

Thank you for your help, it is very much appreciated.

 

So basically tomorrow I may be able to get steroids as an ENT is seeing me in his hospital clinic (long story) but I need to make a decision on whether to take them.

Last week I had surgery and as part of the surgery I had a steroid injection which wasn't planned and i made an on the spot decision about it. I went with it as they said it increased the recovery greatly and carried no additional risks. I specifically asked about this. They did not know my health history as it was done privately not NHS. Since the surgery I have felt really unwell, waking up every night soaked (and I mean soaked, wet hair, my pyjamas wet) in sweat and I don't feel well or myself and now I don't know if this is why I am reacting to this ringing in my ears like this.

I found this link https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...tinnitus-spike-should-i-get-prednisone.35458/

and it says that the steroids can be (very strongly from what it looks like) linked with mental health issues.

as much as i hate to say this, my mental health is appalling from years of health problems and I have several diagnoses. i had been well for a while but since the surgery I have been misunderstanding everything everyone says, crying, lashing out - none of it is like me, i am usually gentle and kind (how other ppl have described me). I just feel horrible.

so i am now really scared bc when i go tomorrow if they even offer that i dont know whether to take it.

I don't care about hearing loss because at the moment what i have is ok and i dont think it would bother me. it is this blasted ringing that is driving me beserk.

it turns out the steroid from surgery may have reacted with one of the medications I am on and caused low potassium. so i dont know if that is why i am acting like this but it is all really frightening and i feel like im falling apart trying to deal with it all. I do not feel well at all and Im really sorry for this post. I'm posting because like John very accurately says I'm very very conscious that time is of the essence and I am so scared of how loud the fire alarm was on Sunday that I want to do the very best to protect my ears and try to make sure the ringing doesn't stay. The ringing is the only thing I'm bothered about.

I ordered the curcumin with bioperine this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01AS39QB2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have no concerns about taking that or NAC for that matter.

I do have concerns about mg and steroids. But also concerns about how loud my ear is ringing.

I wish all of this hadnt happened and im really sorry for this post. I just feel so unwell.

 

An update:

To cut a long story short, I am on curcumin with bioperine for absorption and NAC.

ANyone who is reading this in the UK, it is your choice entirely but just know I would not recommend going to any hospital and trying to get prednisone or steroids. You will end up sitting in a hospital for potentially 10 hours, then dismissed and told it isn't used in the UK, and treated like a time waster.

I also paid £250 to see a private specialist to get there and be told "we don't do that".

This was after my surgery when I just wanted to be at home, not spending hours and hours in hospitals on a wild goose chase.

John, thank you for your supplement suggestions as the other route just isn't the same in this country (the UK).

I am very happy you told me about these. I have bought the best quality ones I could find (with the bioperine in it as well).

I will update in a few months maybe.

I am also sorry for the panicked tone of all of this, it is clear I had some kind of reaction to my surgery.

 

Hello, I just wanted to check in and see how you’re doing, I hope you are well.