Noise Exposure (Loud MRI) — Spike — Help

I had an MRI/MRA last night and used earplugs in addition to the head phones they provide but the MRI machine they used was still ridiculously loud, louder than any other MRI I’ve used in the past and during the exam my tinnitus spiked and it has since gone down but is overall louder than normal.

I had read online that you can take oral steroids for noise exposure within a certain time frame to reduce the risk of permanent damage or worsening tinnitus and wondering if any of you have done this and if so what are the guidelines?

My MRI was at 8pm last night and it is 3:00 pm now. I was able to get an urgent care dr to give me two days worth of prednisone but only 2 days because it’s not their area of expertise. How much is needed and for how many days? Also, what is the time frame to starting after the noise exposure?

Any advise would be appreciated as I don’t want to worsen my tinnitus!

 

Can you update? Did you end up taking prednisone? How much did you take? Did the spike go down?

 

I did get prednisone (60MG for 7 days, no taper) from my ENT, took 1 dose that (within an hour) made my tinnitus worse. My tinnitus was louder after taking the prednisone then after the MRI so I ultimately need decided to stop taking it..noise level has not decreased from that 1 dose and it has been 48 hours.

 

There have been others in the same boat and it seems that perhaps Prednisone is not what it is cracked up to be?

Can you try NAC instead?

It is supposed to be the natural equivalent as far noise exposure is concerned...
I read a while ago that some military units use NAC before being exposed to loud exercises etc..

 

Hey guys... so I had to go to the ER last week and ended up getting an mri/MRA which lasted about 30-45 minutes. The noise level was really loud but I did wear ear plugs as well as ear muffs. After the MRI I noticed a slight spike so I called my ENT, who ordered me a 60MG dose of prednisone for 1 week with no taper for the noise exposure.

I took 1 dose of it and within an hour my tinnitus was louder than after the MRI so I drank a ton of water and ultimately made the decision to not take anymore of the medication.

It’s been 48 hours since I took that 1 dose and my tinnitus volume has not subsided and I’m freaking out. At this point, I don’t think it has anything to do with the MRI, but I think the prednisone is more to blame.

I’m also under a lot of stress and am focusing on my tinnitus more right now but the what if’s are driving me crazy. I debated so much on even taking the prednisone but figured it is routinely used to prevent worsening tinnitus and help further damage after noise exposure so I thought it would be ok so I tried it and look what happened.. I feel like I shouldn’t even even taken it and just dealt with the small spike from the MRI.

Anyway, I could really use some support and reassurance (if possible) that this spike will go down.

I’m having a hard time with this.

 

Hi Natalie,

From what I have read on this forum, it looks like the prednisone induced spikes often subside after several days. I would say it's too early to worry

 

Give it a couple of days and your spike will go down some people take antibiotics and their tinnitus spike so loud and even after the 7 days of antibiotics, they have loud sounds but eventually it dies down after a couple of days. Keep your mind distracted and busy till this settles down, cheers

 

I’ve never used NAC. I can look into it. I don’t know what the deal with the prednisone is but if it is known to cause a spike in Tinnitus I wish it wasn’t prescribed. Maybe I should’ve done more research before taking it.

 

I hope this is the case! I truly do. Thank you for the reassurances!

 

Thank you.. I will give it a few more days before going into full on panic mode lol.. this condition is the absolute worst..

 

@Natalie Roberts ,
Prednisalone at a high dose increases your energy,blood pressure and can put your brain in to a bit of a whizz with over active stimulation.

Also for you that dose could be to high as we are all different.
If your tinnitus is still really loud then try 40mg for 5 days then 20mg for 2 days and 10 for two days ,5mg one day then stop.
love glynis

 

It is only rational to be worry about making our Tinnitus worse. Nevertheless, there is a fine line between protecting our ears from further damage and creating unnecessary anxiety that magnifies the intrusion of the ringing. Technically speaking , a lot of things can make us feel our tinnitus is going louder. However, the good news is that our bodies are good at healing and usually Tinnitus improves over time.
We have to trust this process!

 

I hope you feel better, would taking NAC before an MRI help those with T at all?

 

I took one dose then stopped due to it induced my T spike.
It took me two days to subside.
Please be patient and gives sometime to let the medicine
goes out of your system.

Also, the anxiety/stress/fear is no good to our T.
Remaining calm during and after an accident is very important.

 

Thank you Glynis! I took only 1 dose then stopped all together.. I didn’t take a dose yesterday or today because of the increase and it is still high. I didn’t have any negative reactions to the prednisone besides an increase in my tinnitus.

 

I love your message ! It really hits home for me on a lot of levels. Thank you for taking the time to reply!

 

@Natalie Roberts
You are in our prayers and attentions.
If you feel better, please let us know.
God bless !

 

Thank you. Still no change as of this morning. Still blaring and it’s been 72 hours since the prednisone

 

I recently had an MRI done on my spine, about 40 min. I was given 32db reducing foam plugs, that’s it. I had told them on the phone when booking that I had tinnitus, they told me they would have muffs for me. I assumed this would be okay with plugs under, when I arrived they told me they do not have muffs. Why I went ahead, I don’t know.

The noise was absolutely unbelievable, but for some strange reason I laid there taking it. I’ve had tinnitus for almost 5 years and have been fairly diligent in not exposing myself to extreme noise, I have hyperacusis as well.

I think I have been accused of being anxious so many times in the past regarding noise (which I never have been) that I almost wanted to show myself that I was right and they were wrong.

Everytime Ive gone to a audiologist, or any other tinnitus/hearing expert with my hyperacusis/tinnitus I was told that I was a anxious type personality and had protected my ears too much, even though this wasn’t the case. I could take a sudden painful blast to the ears in the way of my car alarm going in a closed garage, and not think twice about it.

No matter what I did, no matter who I talked to regarding tinnitus and hyperacusis, I was always accused/prejudged of being a nervous person to the point that I developed a serious complex. I had reached the point of rage with these people, everyone treated me like I was some kind of of crazy hypochondriac making hyperacusis up. I had become extremely self conscious and defensive about this topic. I think this is wear I got caught in my own load bull shit baggage, I could have stopped the mri anytime, but this voice in my head was telling me not to be a anxious chicken shit like I’ve been accused of so many times.

Instead of using reason, I started to believe that these people from my past could be right, maybe I was scared of noise, maybe the ear plugs were just fine, and I was just being anxious like everyone had accused me of all these years since my tinnitus onset.

Well, I took it the entire time. I was encouraged by the lady doing the scan, she kept telling me great job, just a few more images. This somehow was feeling good, instead of being accused of being a chicken shit, I was even being told good job, beside the extreme pain in the ears, I somehow had a feeling like I was either proving everyone wrong, or I was somehow conquering my anxious feeling about sound (which I never had). Either way, for some twisted reason, I felt like there was no way I could get out, I had this extreme pressure to stay, almost feeling like I would have all these people laughing at me if I stopped it.

After getting out, I was greeted with with the tech, I could hardly understand her, her voice sounded like beeping and tinnitus. She asked me how I was, I remember still not wanting to show anything due to this stupid complex, I told her yeah, I’m fine, was no big deal.

I actually don’t remember driving home, I was in shock, I still am. My tinnitus is so much worse, I lost A LOT of hearing that day, all due to the fact that I wanted to prove something, maybe I didnt want to be in this group of anxious paranoid people that I was immediately cast into As soon as I mentioned the word hyperacusis.

Looking back, maybe a little paranoia is good thing when you have a health issue. Instead of it being the problem like it had been suggested to me so many times, it would have been the solution here. I wouldn’t be writing this right now, I’ve been off Tinnitus Talk for ages, now I’m back here due to my own stupidity, I actually hate myself at the moment.

I messed up huge, it’s been 5 weeks, I could always sleep with very loud tinnitus, not now. I can sleep for 10 min at a time all night on and off, My tinnitus is at a point which I never thought even existed, I’m NOW a nervous wreck, full of terror, hands shaking, can not function with this extreme blasting tinnitus, sore ears, pressurized head like I’m under water, completely messed up distorted hearing.

Does anyone know what the standard protocol is when doing an MRI? The original poster had double protection on, muffs and plugs, as you just read I was only given ear plugs.

Sorry about the long post, thanks for reading.

 

Did they allow you to "test" out the noise level before you got in?

 

Hi @Telis,
I have just read your story and I would look into if you should have had headphones also especially because you have tinnitus.
You could complain to make sure others don't get the same treatment.

I know you haven't been about for a while and so sad to hear your in a bad way from a MRI and it's so unfair.

We are all here for you and I hope the following few weeks will show improvement for you.

Don't blame yourself as it's not your fault at all ....
love glynis

 

When I went for my MRI, they told me I was not allowed to wear ear protection (not even foam plugs) as it would somehow "affect the results".

Sorry about what happened to you. It's silly, but I think most of us want to "fit in" and not let T/H make us look like weirdos, so we end up making decisions that we regret in hindsight.

I know it's been a few weeks for you, but spikes can take that long (and sometimes much longer) to get back to baseline. Keep hanging in there for another few weeks, and protect your ears when you aren't comfortable.

Good luck!

 

It’s been 5 weeks, but still hoping obviously. Thanks so much Greg, really appreciate the response.

 

Thank you Glynis, yup tough not hating myself and feeling guilty.

 

No, I asked how loud it was and the tech shrugged her shoulders. After looking into it, they can get up to jet engine loud, or standing with your ear to a speaker at a concert loud —105-120db. Plus you are jammed into a small cave where the sound really seems to zap you hard.

 

Has your tinnitus gone back to it's normal level yet? I'm considering taking it myself, but stories like this scare me.

 

@Telis I can completely feel you. I am having a spike too. Has yours gone back to the baseline?