Lightsaber Fight in My Ear — Eustachian Tube Dysfunction

Well, here it goes. In December 2021, I went to sleep and woke up with significant Eustachian tube dysfunction. It felt like I was on a plane; my voice was too loud in my ears, and sounds from any generator sounded like a helicopter in my ear. That feeling would last for a few hours after waking. Once that feeling eased up, the sound of a purring cat would take over for hours. I had to take Dramamine daily due to vertigo.

The first ENT I saw prescribed Prednisone, which worked immediately. It turned me into a crazy person, but it worked. Within a few days of finishing the Prednisone, the cat sound came back. He performed a myringotomy, followed by more Prednisone. It always went away, and it always came back.

About six weeks later, I took a three-hour flight to Austin. That night, the sound was like a lightsaber fight in my ear. It was loud and sporadic. This lasted for about six weeks. Every day, I would wake up fine, and by mid-morning, the sound would come back. More Prednisone.

Fast forward—I have now seen four ENTs, two neurologists, and two TMJ specialists; I had multiple MRIs, CT scans, and a carotid artery ultrasound, and nobody knows what’s causing this. I had been in remission, more or less, for over a year, until a few weeks ago. I started noticing sounds that I hadn’t heard in a while, then the pressure came back, then the sound. I’ve been on Methylprednisolone for five days, and the sounds remain. There is less pressure in my ear when I wake up, but the sound keeps coming back. It can last 12-18 hours. It started as the cat sound, then became the lightsaber fight, and last night, when my five-year-old woke me at 12:30, it was a loud rhythmic pulsing. It was like I was hearing my heart pump in my ear, loudly. It’s never been rhythmic like that before.

Nobody knows what’s wrong with me. I feel hopeless and desperate.

 

The world of tinnitus is unpredictable, with many ups and downs and false hopes. Don't be too hard on yourself trying to understand it. Stay positive and healthy, maintain a low salt intake, spend time outdoors, and cherish life during good and bad days. Remember, spikes in tinnitus will almost always decrease. Don't panic. Remind yourself that it will improve. Don't hesitate to try medication to help cope with any spike, as the effects of medication will always diminish.

Do you have a hissing sound?

 

Welcome to Tinnitus Talk. I'm sorry that you are struggling and feeling hopeless. You did have a good sign of making improvements before for over a year. Living with tinnitus, it is important to focus on the good signs. The ears can be unstable now. It may not be easy to know the exact causes. But be hopeful that the body can heal itself in the given time. Try to remain calm and positive so that your brain doesn't fall into fight or flight mode of the limbic nerve system. I learned the importance of keeping positive to help the body heal as I have suffered two separate episodes of tinnitus and hyperacusis, and now my left ear has become deaf from SSHL.

I suffered nightmares in the first episode but much less in the 2nd episode because I applied some helpful strategies I learned from the suffering in the first episode. You can check out the following to see if these strategies can help you cope. Take good care. God bless.

→ From Darkness to Light, How I Recovered from Tinnitus & Hyperacusis

→ How to Habituate to SSHL and New Loud Tinnitus