Tinnitus from Otex Ear Drops

Hi all,

I had a build up of ear wax in June so I used Otex ear drops. They blocked my ear on the 2nd dosage and caused my tinnitus. I went to the doctor, they told me to use olive oil drops to get the wax out which I did and the wax eventually came out (I got it out myself) but the tinnitus has continued. I got an ear infection after this in my right ear and took antibiotics to clear it up.

My tinnitus started out very loud with one sound in my right ear (the ear I put the Otex ear drops in) but now I have tinnitus in both ears. It has got quieter but now I have 4 sounds, not 1. A mix of bass static, high pitched static, electrical static and a high pitched whine. I have seen 6 doctors to date, all told me I did have an ear infection, but one ENT told me I didn't and said my tinnitus is continuing due to stress (basically told me I was holding on to the sound, and if I let it go, the tinnitus would disappear). I call BS on that.

I now have clicking, popping and pain in my jaw which I have just started investigating with a dentist in case it's TMJ.

I apparently don't have any hearing loss, and I have been told my ears look normal and healthy now. I'm a part time musician (I don't perform - so no damage). I also have Misophonia (hatred of sound = brilliant, right) and do have mental health issues, but this wasn't caused by stress, this was was caused by putting Otex ear drops in my ears due to build up of ear wax.

I'm just at a loss what to do. My tinnitus is reactive to most things. I can hear it 24/7. It fluctuates. Doctors don't seem to give a xxxx. I'm emotional about it as I didn't do anything wrong. I'm angry.

Just wondering if anyone can relate, has advice or any experience of this type of tinnitus going away?

Thank you very much for reading my story.

 

Welcome to the forum @Rockchickie. I have empathy of your suffering. Although we may have different causes of tinnitus, many members here share the same mental sufferings at the initial stage.

At this early stage of tinnitus a new sufferer will usually be very scared and anxious about the future. Tinnitus is undesirable but livable after the initial struggle. But at the new stage, a sufferer usually falls trap into thinking life with tinnitus is not acceptable nor livable, therefore giving rise to so much anxiety and stress. That will change gradually over time.

New sufferers tend to be under the limbic nervous system which functions in fight or flight mode, and everything about tinnitus feels so much worse than it is. Over time you normal parasympathetic nervous system will take over and things will be easier to handle. If you read the success stories, you will find most people take some time to get better. If they have a good positive attitude as well as some effective strategies or treatments, they will recover even faster.

So don't panic. Give it time. Learn from others what work for them and apply what you learn. Things will definitely get better. Yes, definitely we can have a peaceful life even after tinnitus. It may not be reversible but it is definitely livable. Your perception about tinnitus will likely change over time like most of the recovered member do. I suffered and feared my ultra high pitch tinnitus (and hyperacusis too) a few years back and I was in a mess. But now I don't give a dime about tinnitus, high or low. My body is hardened to this ringing and its tyranny is over. I wrote my first success story "From Darkness to Light..." and share some helpful strategies. You can check it out for more details of the strategies. Take good care & God bless.

 

Hello Rockchickie,

I developed tinnitus in my left ear and subsequently went to a doctor who found both ears full of wax. I have probably used more ear drops than anyone on this board. I did use Otex drops as the olive oil was not working fast enough - I went 3 weeks with olive oil 3 times a day and it may have softened it but it never came out. I switched to Otex - used that 3 times a day in both ears for 2 weeks. Still no luck, though the Hydrogen Peroxide was certainly doing something. I got all the wax out in the end with my oral irrigator - which cut the tinnitus level by 50%.

I really doubt whether your tinnitus problems are caused by the Otex drops. I have a friend who used a high concentration of Hydrogen Peroxide and got his wax out and he does not have tinnitus. If you ear drum is plugged by wax - the drops will probably not be getting to your ear drum and even if they did - the lowish concentration of Hydrogen Peroxide is probably not severe enough to impact on your ear drum.

There may be another cause and the Otex was just co-incidental. Particularly as you have multiple sounds and both ears. Mine is similar to your - a high pitched whine on top of a hissy sound.

But supposing Otex is to blame, that would mean nerve damage on your eardrums - it may be the same with me - perhaps the hardened ear wax caused my issues. That was 7 months ago and I still have it.

I can only suggest you read through the forum and try different things - dietary - maybe supplements - neuromodulation sound therapy. But also - like with me - after I realised I was stuck with this condition - don't depend on it clearing - mine annoys me sometimes, mainly when I wake up - but otherwise it is not significantly impacting my life. I got used to it - as many of us do. Survival instinct.

 

Hi, Billie.

Great advice. This forum needs more posts like yours.

I'm coping with tinnitus since June. So, my tinnitus is very recent. But I have several friends and colleagues with this condition and all of them are living a good life in spite of their tinnitus.

Best wishes.

 

Thanks @Javimaltes. Just trying to help where I can from my own experience.

Yes I now also know many folks in my social circle and members of my extended family that have tinnitus too. Two lady friends actually said their tinnitus is so loud that they sometimes can't hear what people are saying to them. One actually joked that she once couldn't hear even the siren of a fire truck coming to her apartment block due to a fire alarm. Lol. Yet these folks seem to accept their reality of living with loud tinnitus without much emotional sufferings. They must be having a strong or different DNA. Lol. But honestly I feel if they had resisted tinnitus with fear and anxiety, they would have suffered like many do. I can witness in many success stories about how people suffered mightily initially and then they slowly become much better when their attitude changes for the better.

Here is a success story about how a lady, mining truck driver, turned around her suffering after realizing a high % of her colleagues also had tinnitus but did not suffer like her. Sometimes we just need someone else to show us it is still possible to live a good life with varying degree of success after having tinnitus.

6 Months & Tinnitus Still Going Strong But So Am I