Prednisone Improved My Tinnitus and Hearing 14 Months After Tinnitus Onset

Hello all. I've been suffering from high-pitched ringing in ears for 14 months now. During the first months after the onset, I tried a lot of stuff; Ginkgo biloba, Magnesium, vitamins, NAC, Curcumin, diet, sports, meditation etc. I was always monitoring my hearing loss after each treatment, nothing helped my hearing loss nor reduced the ringing.

Last week I had an acoustic trauma incident so I decided to get on Prednisone. A few hours after my first 40 mg dose the ringing decreased significantly and my hearing seemed to be brighter and sharper. On the second day my tinnitus got so low that I have to focus to hear it in a silent room (before my tinnitus was noticeable even in heavy traffic). I had a new hearing test and it showed a 10 dB improvement in high frequencies. My hearing at 6 kHz is now 20 dB (before it was 30 dB) and 30 dB at 8 kHz (before it was 40 dB).

How can the Prednisone be effective after all this time? Does this mean that there's still an inflammation in my body that is interfering with my hearing?

I really hope this improvement is not just temporary. I already feel like a new person.

Thoughts?

 

I’m glad you are getting relief. I don’t think anyone still fully understands the mechanics behind how Prednisone works beyond reducing inflammation, but I bet there is more to the story than that. From all the accounts I’ve read, it seems like these kinds of improvements are temporary but I wouldn’t rule out some permanent improvements. I posted a little while ago about someone who did a few courses and a longer course of steroids and ultimately cured his tinnitus so who knows what is possible.

The one thing I have seen on a few occasions now is that once people have had success with Prednisone temporarily (for hearing loss and tinnitus), there is a good chance something like LDN will work for them. I would imagine the anti-inflammatory properties of LDN mimic those of Prednisone while allowing you to stay on it indefinitely.

I wish you good luck. Keep us posted.

 

Thank you, can you post link to the post here? I couldn't find it.

 

Update: second day of tapering Prednisone. Tinnitus is now back unfortunately.

 

Sorry to hear this. How long are you on Prednisone for? I have heard for many people once it comes back, it’s much quieter so hopefully this is the case for you. Also, multiple treatments for some people seem to have a cumulative effect. Maybe we are able to heal once the inflammation subsides. I guess the good news could be that somehow reducing inflammation indefinitely could help you.

 

Can someone explain to me what's going on? When I was on Prednisone, the tinnitus almost vanished to 0 and my hearing got much better. Now it is back to what it was before. If Prednisone can restore my hearing for a few days after 14 months on tinnitus onset, I'm sure something else can too!

I have actual measurements of my hearing during Prednisone. The audiologist said that my hearing is good and that my hearing loss is very mild and that it won't get worse after I'm done with the Prednisone, but they were wrong, the improvements went away right after I tapered off!

 

Fasting, LDN and AIP diet are things that can reduce inflammation. Give it a try.

 

Doesn't Prednisone also act on Serotonin, which can also affect tinnitus?

 

Yes, it can. Good call. At that point SSRIs or psychedelics could affect the tinnitus as well.

 

Have many people here tried old tricyclical ADs and anti-seizure drugs? That’s the 2 things I haven’t tried that I might have to.

 

Do you have a source for this? I've never heard of it.

 

Hey @Matchbox, I don’t know if it’s written in stone anywhere but there is research that corticosteroids lower serotonin. Physicians that commonly prescribe steroids are aware of this and are likely to consider interaction with other serotonin altering drugs.

 

So doesn't that imply that something that helps deplete excess serotonin might ACTUALLY help and be what's really happening?

 

It doesn’t imply that because we can’t be sure if it is exclusive. It may be the mechanism but I highly doubt it’s that simple. I think it’s a combination of things and most likely, more than anything, neuro inflammation. These things are all linked and that’s why SSRIs can help as well. It’s not just the action of serotonin but also anti inflammatory action and now, more and more research points to neuro inflammation.

 

I've been taking Prednisone for the past week (I know I have said it has made me worse in the past, but there have always been extra variables so I'm not sure if it really was the Prednisone ).

What is interesting is that my tinnitus is more well-behaved today on 35 mg vs the 50 mg I had been taking all week.

 

That’s strange. Usually it’s the other way around.

 

Hey man, how are you doing? Do you still hear the dental drill?

I have the faint high pitched squeaking/drill that seems to be reacting to noise. I slept last night without masking/no fan, and it was the best sleep I’ve had since the spike from the COVID-19 vaccine. Only had the minor squeak I could barely hear.

 

I've been getting by. I've been on Prednisone since the Venice Beach incidents, so everything hasn't been quite as intrusive. But it will all come back once I'm off of it in a couple of days. The dental drill thing was killing me though. I was doing alright with my tinnitus until that came about. I absolutely cannot sleep without cricket noises. Not with this new sound. Before I could with or without, but usually opted with because it was just more comfortable.

 

That sucks. I hope you find relief. I was getting better, but now worse again. Just trying to ignore it lol.

Going to a water park right now because why not.

 

F it. I'm going to try oral steroids even though I'm so far out from worsening. Got bad tinnitus in January. Worsening was April 26th.

 

I was on Prednisone and my unilateral hearing loss improved and my related tinnitus resolved. It’s been a year now. Knock on wood. I’d had tinnitus and hearing loss in my left ear for about a year before I was on a good course of steroids. I did take a Medrol pack when first diagnosed but I didn’t do anything.

 

How long did you do the Prednisone for and what mg did you do that knocked it out?

I did a Medrol pack and didn't do anything but I know mine is inflammation related for sure.

Thank you!

 

At least 14 days starting at 60 mg. Tapered
to 20 mg.

Medrol packs have never helped me. Those tend to be low dose and short term.

 

Are Prednisone rides tough? Is it worth it 5 days after acoustic trauma?

So, I've been exposed to loud noises (around 110 dB) for like 25 minutes and my pre-existing tinnitus sounds more piercing now.

But I am scared to take Prednisone due to its own horror stories and because I am already polydrugged and dealing with a benzo withdrawal.

Was Prednisone easy for you? Was it worth it for you?

 

Prednisone has never really bothered me. However, I did notice that my last two weeks of high-dose Prednisone really made me very anxious and I think I’m dealing with the spiraling effect of that anxiety right now. Sadly, my tinnitus seems to have worsened since I completed my Prednisone taper. But I cannot get in to get a hearing test which is killing me.

 

It's hard to get hold of Prednisone in the UK. It is never suggested for tinnitus but I would be keen to try it because I have worsened tinnitus and blocked ear due likely to inflammation. Prednisone is only prescribed for sudden hearing loss in the UK, so seems like there is no hope of getting it.

 

The solution to your problem is in your statement.