Tinnitus from Pantoprazole or Reflux Getting into My Sinuses / Eustachian Tubes?

Hi all,

I'm new here. I've had tinnitus for a little over 2 weeks. Trying to stay positive, but it's hard.

About a month and a half ago I developed severe reflux. It felt like every time I ate the food would come right back up! Tons of mucus as well in my throat and sinus headaches. About a week or so later, I started to notice my ears would have trouble equalizing in the elevator at work... it progressed to the point I couldn't even drive up a hill without issues... then came the tinnitus. At the same time all this was happening, I was taking Pantoprazole for my reflux. When I noticed the tinnitus, I stopped taking it as I read it was ototoxic... it also wasn't helping very much either.

Since all the started I have been to the ER for breathing issues, a GP and finally an ENT who advised that he thought the reflux was getting into my sinuses and also my eustachian tubes which was causing the dysfunction.

I was prescribed the nasal spray Nasonex a couple of weeks ago which seems to be helping. Since I started it my ears are getting slightly better and my baseline tinnitus has dropped from a ringing to hissing. Sometimes I don't even notice its there. I am just having a hard time coping. This could not have come at a worse time for me as I am getting married Friday in Mexico and leaving on Tuesday.

I'm trying not to let the tinnitus rain on my parade but I'd be lying if I said it hadn't put a dent in what is supposed to be a very exciting time for me. I'm also worried about flying with the ETD. I guess I am just looking for some support and I guess some tips on flying with ETD. I've got some nasal decongestant spray, and I also ordered EarPlanes. Any other tips from people who have to deal with ETD?

 

Hi @Liza1989

Just read your post and wanted to say congratulations

Hope your wedding went well

How did you cope with the flight and your ETD?
How is your tinnitus now?

I wish you well for the future and in your marriage.

Denise x

 

@Deniseh
Oh my wedding was good and the flight was OK. The steroid spray really helped and I used a decongestant and some earplanes ETD seemed to have been improving but it's getting worse again - I am getting more and more congested since I ran out of nasal spray.

I have good and bad days with the T - today being a bad one. I am hoping to get some more nasal spray because without it my sinuses get so inflammed, and I am not even sure if my tinnitus gets louder when I get more congested but I am certainly more aware of it. I've been dealing with the congestion for 3 months and no amount of spray, steaming, saline wash or anything seems to make it go away completely. I figure it must be my diet. My doc suspects celiac so just am waiting on a positive diagnosis but its takes months to get a biopsy. In the meantime, I have to stay on gluten.

I am praaaayying that once I go GF things will change for me. I can get through most of my day without the T bothering me too much but trying to go to bed at night is hell, even with background music. Before T I was the type that needed complete silence to go to bed, so you can imagine how I difficult it is to get to sleep now!

How is your T doing?

 

Hi @Liza1989

I'm glad everything went well for your big day

Everything you’ve said is like a clone of myself, the reflux, congestion etc.
I was also tested for celiac but was negative.

I tend to get congested on my left side which coincidentally is the side I have tinnitus as well , have been doing quite well, I seem to follow a pattern of doing ok for a week or so then I have a set back for a couple of days, the thing that keeps me going is knowing it goes back down. Had a rubbish night last night with it constantly droning all might hopefully better tonight.

Let me know how you get on with GF because anything’s worth a try at this stage.

I’m going on holiday on Sunday with the hubby to Gran Canaria and am thinking of trying the nasal spray/antihistamine.

Which ones did you use and did they work?

How did you fair with the airplanes as well, are they worth trying?

Meant to ask as well is your tinnitus, the high pitched or the low drone??

Denise xx

 

@Deniseh,

Mine sounds kind of like a high pitched hissing... when it gets loud it turns in to a ring. I can also "feel" it in my ears a bit..that's often how I rate how loud it is...when I can't feel it, it's really quiet. Honestly I can tolerate it pretty well when my sinuses are clearish - but when they are plugged, like today, it sucks. It probably doesn't help that I have the worst headache right now as well.

The spray I use is nasonex ... I started using it twice a day, 2 sprays each nostril each time... but towards the end I was just using it once a day. I haven't used it for about 3 days and I can feel my congestion coming back.

The earplanes seemed to help. I honestly didn't have too much trouble on take off or landing. On advice of my ENT, I took a nasal decongestant (Otrivin is the brand I used), and sprayed it in each nostril 2 times about 30-45 minutes before take off... it was a 5 hour flight to Mexico so I was fine all the way through. I sipped water on take off and landing as well.

I will say while I was away the Tinnitus barely bothered me...only a bit at night and the AC was quite loud so it covered it up good. Hopefully you will get some relief from yours when you are away on vacation!

 

Are you still dealing with these issues?

 

I am dealing with almost the identical issues