Tinnitus Suddenly Much Worse

So a few of you might remember my story from a few weeks ago... SSHL, distorted hearing and bad tinnitus.

Well yesterday (about 3 weeks after the T started and I'd say about 6 weeks after the initial hearing loss) my T suddenly got about 10 times louder.

It's like a hairdryer on full power all the time, it's unbearable! I'm desperately upset because I was just starting to adjust to my situation and now it's suddenly so much worse. And for all I know it might just keep getting even worse!

Is it normal with sudden sensorineural hearing loss for the T to keep getting worse? Or is this a sign of a progressive degenerative condition?

Is there anything I should be getting the ENT to try? I've already had some steroid tablets, which I stopped a few days ago. Intratimpanic steroids perhaps? Cinnarizine?

 

yes , worsening of tinnitus is common. but u can live with it?
for all we know, any meds might make it better or worse.

 

It's probably a spike, just stay calm. Anxiety and worrying will make it worse: unfortusbtetly it's a vicious circle.

 

Hi Alpha,

I wonder if this worsening is because the effect of the steroids has worn off?

Having had a nearly totally blocked ear through infection before I can testify that it takes a good deal of time to heal. Have you tested your hearing recently, do you still have quite a large hearing loss?

The condition should mean that it gradually gets better, which will generally happen in tandem with your hearing improving. You need to focus on that rather than thinking that it can get worse, statistically you are going to improve.

 

Hi Steve,

I was wondering this myself but as far as I can tell the steroids haven't done much. I was on them for 6 days initially and on the 5th day the T started. Then after another 6 day course I tapered off them, finished a couple of days ago, and boom it suddenly gets loud. So it's gotten worse while I've been on them and when I've been off them.
Am going to get another audiogram today or on Monday but the ones I've had so far have shown no improvement. Didn't get treatment quickly enough unfortunately... GP didn't send me to the ENT when he should have.

 

That's pretty annoying. Did they pinpoint the cause for your SSHL?

What is your hearing like at the moment in the affected ear, how is the frequency range and how is it compared to the first few days?

 

I'd skip out on medications to be honest. If you suspect that there's anything destroying nervecells within your ears, eat antioxidants. Lots of them. You can buy supplements containing n-acetylcysteine and nicotinamide riboside, but also stuff yourself with berries, vegtables and fruit.

Don't hold back.

 

No, they have no way of knowing what caused it. MRI was clear and bloods looked normal. They can only speculate that it was either a virus or autoimmune dysfunction.

I had another audiogram done yesterday and the hearing looks more or less the same since the initial damage, loss of most low frequency hearing in the right ear, and a moderate loss of mid frequencies.

 

The T is getting worse every day now. It's getting louder and louder and where it once used to be only a low pitched noise it now seems to be at low mid and high frequencies.
Why on earth is this getting worse? I can't take this! I don't know what to do, I'm so scared, it's unbearable.

I don't know if it's significant but my ears have had a feeling of 'fullness' since this all started, they feel difficult to pop and click a lot.

 

Have you gone to the ent lately? I would, perhaps there is something he can prescribe to help you feel better... Or cope better.... I will say a prayer for you right now... Hang in there ... It will come down.. It will get better... Believe it and you will see it.... May God's grace be upon you in these moments of dispair... May He touch your ears with his Mercy and give you rest and peace... Amen! I will send you a message tomorrow to see how you are doing... And I know you will be better...

 

Thanks Rina, that's very kind. I went to the ENT on Monday and they didn't know what to do, I then saw an audiovestibular physician the next day very briefly and she prescribed me betahistine, so we will see if that helps at all.
I'm praying for God's forgiveness and mercy, I feel like I'm being punished.

 

Brother, I know this isn't much of an advice, but either your T gets worse because something going on in your ears or because T settles in your brain. If I were in your shoes I'd be every bit as scared as you are, and probably even more. What I'd start with is to make sure no further damage is done to the ears. That's why I'd start eating this:

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/n-acetylcysteine-nac.395/

Read through the whole thread, so you get an idea about dosages and so on. It helps the body to manufacture a superstrong antioxidant that may counteract any degnerative, ongoing process.

I don't know about meds because I'm no doctor. But chances are meds only makes things a bit easier, without restoring or preserving your baseline health. If I were to become gradually worse I'd go straight for options that do the latter. I advice you to do the same, because it's the only thing I can think off.

 

Thanks Vincent, I'd not heard of NAC before, it sounds like good stuff. I'm not sure if it would help with my hearing damage as it's not noise-induced, but it's still with a shot I guess.

 

It will give your body a strong boost when it comes to repairing itself. It may prove to make no difference in your case, but I understand you're in severe agony and it's the only thing I can come up with.

I'll pray for you.

 

Start corticosteroids immediately do not wait for audiogram.
T worsening is more damage to hearing.

 

@Alphasignal5 good morning.... How are you feeling?

 

Is that an SSHL-specific comment? Because, outside of SSHL, T worsening is just a normal thing (which in my experience generally reverses over time...)

Given the recent SSHL event, I'd definitely get another audiogram to rule out further deterioration in hearing thresholds, but if there's no hearing change then I'd just assume it's run-of-the-mill spiking.

 

Much more T is 100% more hearing damage.
Audiogram does not detect all types of damage it takes very few samples at specific frequencies.
If the auditory nerve cut 50% there are no changes in simple tonal audiogram.
The clinic situation(tinnitus) is far superior to audiogram for decision if something goes wrong.

 

And again I'm asking if you are saying this specific to SSHL... I've had several periods of "much more T" since onset, it always quiets back down again at some point, and my hearing hasn't changed in 5 years.

 

If have passed ssnhl and more T is more damage to hearing proven by DPOAEs
and HF audiogram with much more samples not only the typical.
Hearing thresholds can change in all people there are 2 types of thresholds temporary and permanent.
For example someone with normal hearing if you expose himself to loud noise his thresholds can temporary go
down up to 20dB and recover 100% after a good sleep. T is dependent to temporary thresholds that change every time.
temporary thresholds is always lower or equal to permanent thresholds.

My opinion is if someone have passed ssnhl and have dramatic T worsening for more than 12 hours pulse steroids must started immediately to prevent more damage.T is the clinical symptom of damage and is far more specific than audiograms more T=more problem .

 

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense to me, and it's too bad that so far we don't have much variation in treatment for tinnitus from one cause versus another. SSHL appears to be a pretty distinct animal from noise trauma, stress or drug induced T -- and it might be the case that typical palliative care for T, applied to SSHL patients, is harmful...

 

i had ssnhl 60db loss and terrific T with 10 days pulse corticosteroids i regained all my hearing (100%) and T stopped completely.Every db i regained in hearing T was 1db less loud.
When i had 60db loss my T was 60db when i had 0db loss my T was 0db.
When i tapered corticosteroids T started again.
It was my wrong that tapered corticosteroids after 10 days because i responded to treatment and i must
taken this treatment for months non stop.
I started corticosteroids 12 hours after T started and this was the reason for perfect responce.
time from event to start corticosteroids is very critical.