Massive Tinnitus Increase from Medrol Dosepak (Methylprednisolone)

THIS IS DAY 3 AFTER TAKING METHYLPRESNISOLONE - 12/6/2021

Hello,

My name is Ryan the Sad and this is my story...

Back in October of 2017 I had a really bad ear infection. After the infection had cleared I was left with minor to mild tinnitus. Like a 4 out of 10. I was quite depressed for some time, but it eventually started to die down to a manageable level (2 out of 10). About every year around flu season I tend to get another ear infection in the same ear and have taken Augmentin and Prednisone, and it clears it up and doesn't cause the tinnitus to become any better or any worse.

Well just 2 days ago I woke up with my classic annual ear infection. I got a script for Augmentin and this time instead of Prednisone, the K Health doctor recommended methylprednisolone because it was "better".

After taking the first doses that day I was fine, until I woke up that night having a nightmare that my tinnitus had become much much much worse. Turns out the nightmare was induced by the real world increase in my tinnitus.

I was at a manageable 2/10 for years and now I am at an 8 or 9. I cannot enjoy anything and nothing drowns it out enough to take away the fear and anxiety.

I just came across this forum and read about how methylprednisolone had increased some people's tinnitus, so I immediately stopped taking it.

I have always dealt with depression and now I am once again in a full blown depressive state, and for the first time in my life, considering taking my life. I cannot foresee any reasonable quality of life with this not getting better. All I can do is hope my tinnitus goes back down to its previous level(can't believe I would ever think that) because at this moment I genuinely hope I die soon.

I will continue to update this thread over the next weeks and hopefully this will help someone in the future.

Main lesson learned: Don't take any prescription drugs unless absolutely necessary. And take what has worked in the past, not what a fucking dipshit asshole doctor thinks may be better.

 

Ryan, I am sorry you are going through this.

Ending life is never an option. Imagine there is a cure or you kill yourself just before your tinnitus was supposed to go down?

I had freaking crazy spike which slightly subsided yesterday after years of quiet tinnitus. It’s been tough and I had crazy panic attacks at night for the first time.

I doubt Medrol would cause permanent damage. If I recall correctly, this is more or less same exact as Prednisone once Prednisone is broken down (I could be wrong).

Just hang tight. I know it’s tough but you are not alone. I was in your shoes just two days ago and who knows if this shit would come back tonight.

 

Thanks Sean. Your reply means a lot.

Finding this forum today has helped a lot... and sorry to read you had a spike recently too. It's so harsh on the mentality like nothing I've ever seen or experienced. Fuck tinnitus lol.

Medrol is a different formulation and about 25% stronger than Prednisone, from what I've read and been told at least. And that's also why it's so infuriating, because I've taken pred before multiple times and had no problems!

I just went to the dispensary and got some edibles to calm me down some. Trying to stay positive!

EDIT: Fuck that, I AM STAYING POSITIVE.

 

I spike every time I take Prednisone. A week max and I’m fine. The spikes were scary.

 

@Ryan The Sad, I’m sorry you’ve had this recent spike. The good news is that you are very early into this and it is likely to subside. Do what you need to do in order to get through day to day.

I know that things are difficult now, but suicide is not the answer. Many people only make their situation much worse with botched suicide attempts - it’s not a road you want to go down. In any case, I’d say the outlook for you is good. You just need to give it time.

 

Doesn’t marijuana make tinnitus louder?

I wonder if glass of wine would help to calm down anxiety? Alcohol disrupts my sleep, otherwise I would have a glass of wine.

 

@Brian P, Prednisone has never caused a problem for me before, but this Medrol dosepak fucked me good lol. Thanks for letting me know.

@Simon85, good points, I appreciate it. I get so caught up in the fear and anxiety... It's so overwhelming.

@Sean, marijuana does not negatively affect my tinnitus. It makes it a lot more bearable and relaxes my anxiety. I usually smoke most nights without any change in tinnitus levels. Dosage is everyting though. Too much sometimes (especially edibles) and I go into an anxious state for like 30 minutes to an hour.

As for alcohol, everyone's body reacts differently. Some people have their sinus kind of swell up a bit, so I could imagine it might aggravate tinnitus for some. Alcohol does soothe the nervous system though, so maybe a half glass of wine would help your anxiety. Once again dosage is everything. Start small and drink lots of water after. Shouldn't bother your sleep too much as long as it's a few hours before bed.

 

Hey, Ryan.

Sorry you are experiencing a nasty spike. We have to be so careful with what medications we take.

I really hope you feel better soon and that the spike settles back to your normal base.

That's the attitude!