Loud Tinnitus Post Stapedectomy

Hi all! I am a 35-year-old female and just had my second stapedectomy (first time on right ear). Upon waking I was assaulted with tinnitus that was louder than it had ever been before. I am now on day two and it’s still going strong.

Has anyone had any experience with this? I had some pretty strong dizziness that is now (thankfully) gone. The hearing is probably 20% of what it was before the surgery, but the surgery is still pretty fresh and my ear is all packed.

Any info and words of encouragement are appreciated. I’m really trying not to freak out, but I’m having a tough time right now. Thanks in advance!

 

I have not had a stapedectomy, but I have had other ear surgery, and my tinnitus was spiked out of control from the minute I woke up from anesthesia. But it subsided gradually over a few weeks. My ear was packed also and my hearing was down at least 90 percent I would say, until the packing was removed a week later, and my hearing returned then.

My guess is most likely your ear is just very unhappy from being cut open and as it heals the tinnitus will probably return to baseline. I wish you the best for it to do so!

 

Thanks for the reply. Since i don’t know anyone that has had this sort of issue before I’m feeling kind of alone over here. I hope you're right... I'm glad to hear that your operation went well... and that your hearing recovered. I’m not naive enough to think that I won’t have any tinnitus... but the level that it’s at now is tough to get through.

 

It might be worth asking for a script of something like Xanax just to help get through the worst of it.

 

It’s good advice. I’m going to talk to my doctor tomorrow and see what he can do.

 

Your tinnitus seems very loud specifically because your hearing is 20% of what it was before surgery.

Wait until the packing is removed and give your ear some time to heal. Your tinnitus should get better at that point.

Good luck!

 

@Kristina0409 I have no experience with this type of stuff...just hang in there!!! I definitely hope it improves a ton for you.

 

Thank you! Your well wishes mean a lot!

 

Is your tinnitus purely from Otosclerosis and nothing else? Did your other ear have tinnitus as well, and how did it react after surgery?

My boat is a little different, as I have noise induced tinnitus, but for example I had 5 viles of blood drawn and my tinnitus was the highest it's ever been for 3-4 days after until it went back to baseline. So it's not usual for there to be triggers for incredibly large spikes.

And cutting into the ear and that type of trauma would certainly aggravate and excite all the nerves, synapses etc in the ear.

 

@GregCA thank you for your supportive words! Logically, I know you're right... emotionally.... I’m better today than I was last night, I’ve just been all over the place.

@shasta0863 as far as I’m aware, my tinnitus is primarily from otosclerosis. My dad has it and his dad also had it (although for him he also had trauma from WWII). I remember my other ear having tinnitus after the surgery but cannot remember it being so loud. I’m learning now that my experience post op last time was one where I was extremely lucky in how little effects I had.
I wasn’t aware that tinnitus could happen for reasons outside of those related to hearing loss. I hadn’t considered that blood draws could affect tinnitus at all. I hope you are managing well.

 

Things got a bit better for me once they removed the packing. It's also very dependent on your original losses. Are you comfortable sharing your pre-op audiogram? (you can blank out personal info)

 

@GregCA i don’t have a copy of it, otherwise I’d share it. When I see my dr on the 22nd I’ll ask him for a copy of it again and post it. Hopefully this will all be worth it in the end.

 

How is your tinnitus now? Did it improve?

 

@Kristina0409
I had surgery Friday and feel the same way as you described about having 20% hearing and unbearable tinnitus. Please tell me it improved greatly after the ear packing was removed! Terrified and feeling so desperate now...

 

It does improve after the packing is removed: the packing is causing a lot of (conductive) hearing loss, which makes tinnitus stand out.