Introducing Myself

I'm 18 and have been dealing with tinnitus for at least a year now. Ever since I was 13 I've had continuous infections in my tonsils, sinuses and ears, I was seeing one GP for 3 years and he always gave me antibiotics and would refuse to refer me to a specialist, I moved states at age 16 and saw a new GP, she took one look at my tonsils and put me on a waiting list to see a ENT specialist at the hospital, it's been 2 years and I still haven't heard back, yay public health care.

June, 2017 I had a nasty stack on my skateboard and hit my head pretty hard on impact, I didn't lose consciousness but was pretty pained so my friend took me to their place and made sure I was not to fall asleep, the day after I had excruciating pain in my effected ear, I was constantly in tears, my right ear was leaking excessively all the way down my neck, the pain was unbearable. Not being anywhere near home or my local GP, I tried the walk in medical centre.

They could clearly see how much pain I was in but refused to give their service because I didn't have $70 to pull out of my ass, another day went past more pain, more fluid I got a lift to my local GP and he told me I burst a hole in my tympanic membrane gave me antibiotics to repair it and also put me on another waiting list to see an ENT, went to my check up where he told me I have tinnitus and ever since then I've lost 50% hearing in my ear, infections are painful due to scarring, my Eustachian tube is blocked, I have terrible vertigo and can't even enjoy a drink with mates without getting nauseous and vomiting or fainting or a combination of the 3, the constant ringing sends me insane.

Haven't heard back from either specialists, so now it's just an eager wait until public health helps my case or until I can save at least $600 for consultation from one specialist

 

@Danica - what a story.
Where do you live?
Did you do a hearing test? Do you have an audiogram?

 

@Danica I'm so sorry for what you are going thru. You should have some tests performed and I have some thoughts on that. I think that I know what country you live in, but it is in the West or East. Your healthcare system needs to be explored first.

 

Dealing with T is tough enough for an adult, even with easy access to medical help. You are just a kid and have little help! I felt really bad.

 

@GregCA - I live in TAS, Australia. The health industry isn't very developed down here. I haven't had any sort of hearing tests as I haven't seen any specialists. My gp said there's nothing he can do and told me to get a certain nasal spray and take ibuprofen to help clear my Eustachian tubes. It's winter and the pressure in my ear is becoming painful so I'm seeing my gp next week and hopefully something can be done

 

@Greg Sacramento - Thank you, as stated in my other comment I'm from Tasmania, so things are a bit slow down here and I know nothing about my health care system but as soon as I get in to a specialist I can have some further tests done

 

@Danica Try to convince your GP for you to see a specialist. Wishing you well.

https://www.tas.liberal.org.au/sites/default/files/Record Boost to Health in Southern Tasmania.pdf

 

It's been a while so I thought I'd update on here, I still haven't been seen by a specialist. A few months ago I had quite a bad ear infection along with tonsillitis and it took 4 rounds of different antibiotics to rid the infection during that time I had 2 audiology tests (air and bone) done a week apart and my hearing was bad in the first result and had worsened in the second result (cannot hear high frequencies, the ear drum is the problem not the bone) so my gp sent off both results with another urgent referral to an ear specialist, turns out my contact details were not up to date with the hospital but have now been updated, still waiting and my ear and hearing has progressively worsened, almost as if I have a continuous ear infection, antibiotics are not working and still so lost on what more I can do to help myself I guess I just gotta keep waiting for that appointment

 

I am praying for you. Hang in there young one and let us know how you are doing. I care and many others here do as well. You are loved.

 

Sounds very tough Danica. I live in Victoria on the Mornington Peninsula so not far away. Definitely you need to see an ENT specialist but hopefully once you do things will improve for you. I hope so, let us know how things go

 

a specialist can't regenerate cochlear hair cells.Sorry you lost your hearing from all those ototoxic anti biotics and unfortunate head truama.


A specialist will tell you the exact pathology of a problem, but the treatment option is always CBT/pallative bullshit because uh.... curing hearing loss would be a a lot of ENT's and audiologist out of work.

just wait for that clinical trial act Frequency Therapeutics hopefully succeeds and don't take any more anti-bio-tics.
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03616223

 

Thank you all for the kind comments, I really appreciate it I will definitely update here when I get into the ENT

@Contrast is there any other way to get rid of ear infection and tonsillitis without the help of antibiotics? Because I'm in so much pain and cannot handle it anymore. All the doctors at my local clinic just brush it off like its nothing and send me home with a script of antibiotics and the infection just returns as soon as I'm finished the round. I get infections every 1-2 months and it's unbearable, I have a drs appointment tomorrow and I'm scared he is just gonna put me on more antibiotics

 

ask your doctor about otoxoic anti-biotics being harmful when you have an virus that could infect your hearing and see if they have anything else. The reality is medicine in the 21st century is in the stone age compared to everything else in the 21st century, scammers prey on the suffering so please don't fall for the alternative medicine gimmick.

and suffering people can't get disability because 50 years ago a bunch of meatheads that could cope with extensive physical suffering set the standards for pain tolerance that's why young people tend to commit suicide with chronic pain or suffering as opposed to the older generations.

 

I did mention it to my dr today and he said that the antibiotics he has prescribed me in the past are not ototoxic medications, but google says otherwise so I don't even know what to believe, all I know is taking 4 rounds of antibiotics every 2 months is not doing me any good I just keep telling myself that the doctors know what's best and if it is harming me they wouldn't continue to put me on antibiotics. Getting the receptionist to contact the ENT clinic to see how long the wait will be though.

 

If the antibiotics your doctor gave you are on the list below, what you said above is likely not true.
http://hlaa-sbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Ototoxic_Brochure.pdf