Prednisone Infusion... Intratympanic Injection...

I'm in Germany now and got 5 days prednisolon steroid injection. It has no effect at all. The doctor says maybe the steroids will work in the weekend much better and I have to think about my last option: intratympanic injection of steroids with a needle in my eardrums. Because my T is 3,5 months old now there are no guarantees this will give relief but he said there are enough people with totally relief from T after the injections in the eardrum. I am very hard thinking to do it or not and I'm scared of this litle operation and also about the complications and pain and maybe my T gets worser? I have also the option to get again steroids with normal injection but the doctor says it'a my choice and the side effects are much stronger then intratympanic eardrum injection.

What do you think about this. Who tried this or has experiences with it. Please help me to decide!

I can also take another 5 days prednison infusion but I don't know if it will help because the first 5 did nothing. Is it worth trying another 5 days of this infusion? How long stays prednison in your system en when will it give effect after treatment, directly or about couple of weeks?

 

The main question for me now is: should I take the extra 5 infusions of prednisolon? The first 5 infusions past week didn't do anything positive. I don't want to try the other option (intratympanic).

I need your advice please.

 

Yes go for the infusion and if that doesn't help you can still try ear injections at a later date if need too...lots of love glynis

 

Thanks glynis. I am back in Holland since yesterday night. It's 2.5 hours driving to Germany from here. I think I will do it again and go for the second round of the presdnison infusion.

What a hell of illness is this my life is ruined nearly. Nothing helps doctors don't guarantee anything because I'm to late (3.5 months).

I was expecting for more advice and help here on TT but the only reaction is coming from glynis.

 

Probably because not many have done what you are doing and so only a few of us could answer you. That isn't to say it won't help, its just that few of us find Doctors that bother to think outside the square, so we don't see many options being offered. I'd also say do it if its been offered. You have nothing at all to lose, and really, I'd go with the intra-tympanic simply because the topical application it represents will put much more drug directly at the site where its needed.

 

Probably because not many have done what you are doing and so only a few of us could answer you. That isn't to say it won't help, its just that few of us find Doctors that bother to think outside the square, so we don't see many options being offered. I'd also say do it if its been offered. You have nothing at all to lose, and really, I'd go with the intra-tympanic simply because the topical application it represents will put much more drug directly at the site where its needed.

 

Damn double post! Damn having no access to proper broadband!!

 

Thanks for your reaction Paul. It's a very difficult decission that I have to make tonight. This is so stressfull! The intratympanic infusion directly in ears is scary to think about. What if I get deaf or my normal hearing will damage. This will stop my life.

 

You can delete your posts

 

My father has intra-optical injections for macular dystrophy and degeneration. Imagine that coming at you. I guess the question comes down to what the risk vs benefit ratio is for you personally.

 

You can ring ENT up and talk to them about any fear.
I dont think steroid injections cause any permanent problems only the gentermicin injections. ..lots of love glynis

 

@Alper,

I did the intratympanic injection around 50 days after my T arrived and they said 50-70% chance of eliminating my hearing loss and T. After the injection, my T spiked for 3 days and my ear was filled with fluid, so I was deaf in that ear. Very uncomfortable! End result, my hearing loss and T remained the same.

 

@glynis
I hope so!

@Sailboardman

Thanks for sharing your experience!
Very bad that it didn't helped anything. The ENT highly recommends to do the intratypmanic steroid injection (prednison). I asked him about the succes rates and side effects.

Succes: higher chance of getting better with this but the ENT says that I can do normal infusion also if I want. I said today morning to him that I'm not yet ready to have a injection in my eardrums. He said intratympanic inject isn't something to be afraid of and has a higher succesrate because the steroids will effectively go into my cochlea. But again he repeats that he doesn't guarantee for getting better.

Side efects of intratympanic injection:
Very tiny hole in eardrum that don't want to heal quick -> resulting in inflammation (otitis media). When he injects the fluid there is a very high chance to get vertigo symptoms that normally last 10-15 min.

The ENT said he understand my opinion about founding this method scary but he advices again to do it!

I made the choice to get again the normal infusion and he accepted. I'm getting now a second round (week/5 days) prednison 100mg 3x and 50mg 2x. The ENT said also that I can wait and see how it goes and maybe to change the therapy to intratympanic if I think the infusion isn't doing any positive.

Because the ENT said there are many people who he treated succesfully with intratympanic injection I'm consediring this option maybe in the next days (if the infusion doesn't help again!)

 

The injections in your ears wont hurt and any dizzyness soon stops before you go home and done as a outpatient.
The steroid works directly in your ears to reduce inflamation and would work better for you.
The infusion can make you put on weight,sleep problems,emotional problems and not good for your bones.
The ear injections can be given through grommets or direct with needle and start to work straight away . I would go with ear injection if had the choice ...lots of love glynis.

 

@Alper,

Did he also mention, the window of opportunity for the injection is usually optimal, Immediately after having sensorinueral hearing loss? Usually no more than 14 days after trauma. After that, the success rate declines rapidly.

I had a massive injection of Prednisone, soon after my hearing loss and T onset, plus a tapered course of Prednisone and intially it almost stopped my T. Unfortunately, once it wore off, my T and hearing loss came back to stay. Then a few weeks later I had the injection. You should google Intratympanic injection and read all you can about it. Then make an informed opinion. I would also seek out advice from another ENT and compare their strategies.

 

Yes, he said that it's a little bit to late and each other day I lose time and he can't promise me to get full relief. but recommends to go for it as it can do no harm to my ears (normal infusion has more and more side effects and risks said the ENT). I am really thinking it's not gonna help anymore because the normal infusion doesn't even have little postive effect so what will do steroids if it directyl touches the inner ear organs. Since now I'm losing money, time and have to drive 3 hours each day (+ 3 hours back). I think to take a hotel because 6 hours driving each day is very very diffucult and I get really tired.

I have already searched on google for intratympanic but there no such information te create a good opinion about it. By example what is the differency between this two? Aren't steroids entering enough of the inner ear organs with normal infusion?

 

I am only afraid that it wil mess up my hearing permanently, I think the pain is not to much. I have no problems so far with the normal infusions.

 

Don't know the difference between infusion and injection. Sorry.

I was wary of having my hearing damaged by the injection, in fact I had to sign a waiver stating, they were not responsible for further hearing loss. I almost walked out after reading that!

Most doctors genuinely care and want the best for the patient, but they also like to make money and practice their craft. We are at their mercy and either trust them, or not.

 

So i want to update:

After 2 weeks of intravenous prednisolon my T reduced by almost 70-80 %. How is it possible? Does prednison works slowly?

I decided also to go for the intratympanic injections and have 2 sessions done.

Session 1: no change in T, pain from injection and diziness for 3 minutes. Slight hearingloss in right ear.

Session 2: T is much louder now, no pain (ent used more lidocaine) but very very dizzy for about 2 hours. Still hearingloss in right ear.

Please can someone shed light on the hearingloss, is it temporary? I don't think i will go for session 3 because I'm afraid that hearingloss is permanent.

 

I think it should settle over the next week or so .
The steroid injections leave no hearing loss unlike gent injections .......Good luck and keep us posted how you go on....Take care....lots of love glynis

 

Thank you very much glynis!! I hope you are right and trust your reaction. Will keep you updated.

 

I have heard there is a risk of deafness and permanent dizziness with the tympanic injections. I started the steroids too late. I also took ginko and vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin B

 

I am not deaf and also not developed vertigo/diziness. The ENT said it can't harm only very rare chance of gettig light hearingloss. I tried it now and can't say in the future why I haven't do this.

 

@Alper,
How are you getting on with the steroid injections ?
When do you have the last one ?...lots of love glynis

 

Hi glynis thank you very much. See my post above. T is not better after the injections but worser. Hope it will reduce quick to normal. 29 October was my last session. 3 injections left and 2 right ear.

 

@Alper,
Hope your ears settle soon for you.
Are the injections going direct into your ear drum or through grommets ?..lots of love glynis

 

Thanks hope this also! No pressure, hearingloss or weird feelings in the ears aynmore only loud T. I got the injections directly with a needle.

 

The unbelievable part is that after the first injection in right ear has caused loud T in left ear. The ENT said it's very strange and couldn't explain it. Since then my left ear is ringing 24/7 and also reactive to loud sounds.

I'm scared....back of to the start of loud T 5 months ago. Hope it wil settle down again. If I knew this I never decide to do intratympanic dexamethason.

 

Im sure they will settle down again as should not cause long term probs like the gent ones .
what did the consultant say ?...lots of love glynis

 

Hope you're right dear glynis. Today T is bit reduced. Before the injections I had very very silent mornings but now even if I sleep 10 hours T is still the same. Just hoping it will be 0/0 T someday! I experienced almost 3 weeks 0/0 T just before the dex-it. And that is conufusing me.

I asked a ENT about the after effects of IT. He said it is normal to experience temporary a lot more T when this therapy has done. So I really hope he is right and it wil go down again.