Tinnitus After Sinus Infection and Using Debrox to Remove Earwax / Now Starting Prednisone

I am a 42-year-old female. Here is the history of my tinnitus and where I am. Looking for any feedback/support/advice:

Early March: I had all the signs of a sinus infection (I have had a few in the past). One of the symptoms was a fullness feeling in my ear. I was given Augmentin and felt better except for the ear fullness.

Mid-March: Since I still had ear fullness I tried over the counter ear drop removal (Debrox). After using that for a few days the ringing in my left ear started.

April 2: Went to Urgent Care. Doctor saw fluid in both ears (said I had blocked Eustachian tube) and said my left eardrum was bulging. They prescribed Flonase/Xyzal/Sudafed.

5 days later: No improvement so I asked my doctor to try Prednisone (4 mg) as that had helped to friends with a blocked Eustachian tube. It did not help so I made ENT appointment.

I saw my ENT yesterday. I have mild to moderate hearing loss in left ear. My right ear was fine. I am not sure how they know it is hearing loss when I have all the ringing. He said the Prednisone dose the doctor gave me is not enough. I started today on 6 pills of 10 mg for 10 days (60 mg per day) and then taper off for a total of 3 weeks. I go back to him on May 20th. He said I will likely need an MRI to rule out a mass (I freaked out about that) and potentially steroid injections in my ear.

The ringing in my left ear is pretty constant and is driving me nuts. The sound level varies. It can go from very light to rather loud. I have fullness in both ears from time to time but not constant. The ringing is worst at night when I watch TV in bed.

In the last few days when I move my jaw, I sometimes get Rice Krispies snack/crackle/pop sound on both sides (this never happened before this week). I have been waking up with clenched jaw in the last few weeks too. So I'm considering potential TMJ too?

Anyone with a similar history? Anyone have the Prednisone work for them? I'm desperate.

 

I wanted to reach out to you because I feel like I have walked a slightly similar path. I experienced SSHL and tinnitus in my right ear several years ago after a virus.

My loss was classified as severe. I was prescribed oral steroids and received steroid injections in my ear, too. I had an MRI and an MRA. Due to other past autoimmune issues, I underwent a wide range of tests — blood work, more MRIs, a CT scan, and even a spinal tap.

My hearing did not improve from the steroids, however it did not hurt my hearing and my ENT said it could have potentially stopped further decline. My inner ear specialist said where the loss falls impacts the effectiveness, too. Especially with injections because lower frequencies are located closer to the outside. It’s difficult for the injection to make it deep into the cochlea where the higher frequencies are located. Mild and moderate losses are more likely to improve, too.

Would your loss benefit from a hearing aid? I tried one early on but it was difficult with hyperacusis. Though, really I should probably reconsider now.

With the jaw clenching, you may want to talk with your dentist about a splint/mouth guard. I have had one for many years, even before tinnitus. But since my loss I’ve noticed my ear feels uncomfortable if I forget to wear it at night.

One other thing since you’re in Massachusetts, I have heard very good things about Mass Eye and Ear. You may want to look into them if you’re interested in a second opinion or would like more advice.

Let me know if you have any questions. I know it’s difficult and seems an impossible and overwhelming struggle to live with hearing loss and tinnitus, but it does get better.

EDIT: Oops, I had the ear hair cells mixed! The higher frequencies are near the outside, lower frequencies are located deeper. It’s been so long since I’ve thought about this that I mixed it up. Now I remember my inner ear specialist said it was more of whether the injection would stay near outer hair cells.

 

@JamieMM79, I am in Massachusetts as well. Just outside of Boston. I too have hearing loss in my left ear, although mine is not the result of an infection. It is idiopathic sensory neural hearing loss. It happened about a year ago. It is primarily at one frequency and it is in the mild range but enough that I have tinnitus as a result of the hearing loss. My ENT put me on a very low dose of Prednisone and I need to go to my PCP to get an adequate dose. I experienced another drop in hearing a couple of months ago. Most of it recovered. Only one frequency, which is the one that is considered mild loss remains 5 dB below where it was last year.

Given that it happened twice now, I ended up seeing an otologist at Mass Eye and Ear I have to say he wasn’t particularly helpful... I have to have an MRI and I am nervous as well. I think I’m less concerned about what they might find more concerned about the potential for additional hearing loss. I have had all kinds of tests. Blood tests etc.

I also developed bilateral high-pitched tinnitus that started about a month after my initial hearing loss. I experience it mostly my right ear where my hearing is perfectly normal, and occasionally in my left. It tends to come and go and was gone for most of the fall and winter. It recently came back and I wonder if it’s somewhat seasonal due to allergies.

I would be interested in knowing who you saw for an ENT. I like mine but I do find that he is almost too conservative for my liking. I’m thinking of switching to an ENT at Mass Eye and Ear.

I know this is just awful. I’m so sorry you’re going through this. I do hope that yours settles down for you. I use a lot of sound enrichment to help me cope. It helps me focus on other things like work.

Best,
Danielle

 

Danielle and Tinker Bell, thank you so much for the advice! They both sound similar to my experience. It is comforting to know others have walked this path (though I would not wish it on my worst enemy).

I am praying this Prednisone works or calms things down. I am nervous as heck for the MRI (not the procedure) but the potential of the findings.

Danielle, I went to a Dr. Kass at Southborough Medical (Reliant). If we run all the tests and come up empty, I would definitely consider a second opinion at Mass Eye and Ear.

 

Another thing I would recommend is finding a therapist. Hearing loss, tinnitus, doctor appointments and tests, and all of the unknowns are heavy burdens to carry. Finding a CBT therapist gave me an outlet to vent all my frustrations and fears. I already had my friends and family, but it was wonderful to have another resource who could help me cope with my anxiety. She couldn’t fix my hearing or take away my tinnitus, but she could help me learn to better distinguish between rational thoughts and anxieties. I saw her as part of an overall medical team working to help me slowly move forward.

 

My tinnitus journey started about a month ago and I saw an ENT last week. I was told I have mild-moderate hearing loss in left ear which is where the tinnitus is. My ENT has me on 10 days of 60 mg of Prednisone and then a taper. I am on day 5.

My ears are becoming itchy. And I have a crackling sound in both ears when I move my jaw. The best way I can describe it is it feels like when you crack a glow stick. Please note it is in both ears even the one without tinnitus. What do you think this is?

The actual tinnitus is still in my left ear and varies at different levels throughout the day.

 

Did your tinnitus go away?

 

When they don't come back, they're better.