9 Days After Acoustic Trauma Caused by Three M80s Fireworks: Could Not Tolerate Prednisone

[ASilverLight]

@just1morething Hi there. I don't think I have TTTS and no noticeable hearing loss on a standard hearing test. I would suspect the damage was done at higher frequencies. I'm really trying to stay positive but it's tough as there haven't been any improvements. I don't know what the definition of severe tinnitus is but I do know I can hear it over pretty much everything but the shower. Not that it's super loud, more that no external noises mask it's frequency. It also competes with external sounds so gets louder along with the sounds around me. It's been a nightmare and very difficult to accept.

I have a similar type tinnitus.

Mine doesn't react or get louder from every noise, but there are things that very temporarily spike it - but cannot figure it out what.

However, despite not being that loud, it's impossible to mask most of the time.

Mine hasn't improved much at all and I'm almost 7 months in. Guess this is my life now.

 

[just1morething]

@just1morething Hi there. I don't think I have TTTS and no noticeable hearing loss on a standard hearing test. I would suspect the damage was done at higher frequencies. I'm really trying to stay positive but it's tough as there haven't been any improvements. I don't know what the definition of severe tinnitus is but I do know I can hear it over pretty much everything but the shower. Not that it's super loud, more that no external noises mask it's frequency. It also competes with external sounds so gets louder along with the sounds around me. It's been a nightmare and very difficult to accept.

It is definitely a nightmare for me also. I have very bad static noise atm. I'm trying to calm it down so I can think straight. Trying Lyrica plus GABA Calm right now. I hope you can find some relief. Once a month mine seems to go away for some reason but resets upon awakening from a nap or overnight sleep.

I want to try another steroid injection to my left jaw. Last time it really opened up my Eustachian tubes. I thought I was cured but it didn't last.

 

[MidnightOilAudio]

Hey, I'm in So Cal, too! Tinnitus sufferers unite...

I'm much better 5 years in, though the Tinnitus hasn't changed it's character at all. I remember my initial onset was about a week and a half before my baby girl's 3rd birthday, and I cried on the couch while laying on my wife's lap because I couldn't imagine a life like this.

Now 5 years later, she's 8 (obviously) and we have another little boy who just turned 1. I can't tell you one specific thing that will improve your situation, for me it was just the passage of time and learning what I could and could not tolerate as far as sounds.

 

[Ken219]

I am hoping my coping mechanisms will improve.

From experience having many spikes in 30 years, you will cope again. It takes time and a good support team (family,etc) It is okay to cry. I still cry, pray, hope for a better treatment or cure. I have family in the Ventura area. Always sunny. G-d bless and hang in there.

 

[CAgirl]

@MidnightOilAudio Thank you so much for the encouragement!! I really need it right now. Do you hear your tinnitus over most sounds (intrusive)? I can hear the hiss over pretty much everything except the shower. I can hear it while driving on the freeway/at restaurants/outside, etc. There is also a pretty loud ring along with the hiss, but that is more maskable.

Yes, I've had lots of tears over this (my poor husband gets the brunt of it) and can't imagine actually feeling true joy while listening to this monster in my ear. Do you feel true joy again? Can you enjoy music again? How long did it take to adapt? I know everyone's journey is so different but it helps to hear personal stories of those who are living with intrusive tinnitus.

I'm a mom of three myself. They are ages 12 and under. All I want is to be fully there for them and to enjoy my life again!!

 

[CAgirl]

Thanks @Ken219. I appreciate the support. It does sound like I have to go by that old saying "time heals all wounds."

Question for you since it sounds like you're a veteran of this. Can you hear your tinnitus over almost everything? And have you just gotten used to it over the years and been able to enjoy your life?! 30 years is a long time with tinnitus. I've had it 15 years in my other ear but since it's so mild has barely affected me. I only hear it in quiet rooms. This is so different because I hear it everywhere. :/

 

[CAgirl]

So I just opened a popsicle for my little one and I kind of just squeezed the bag and it made a loud "pop" sound. My tinnitus had been kind of quieter this morning and then immediately it started hissing away like crazy. Of course I panicked thinking that this I may have caused more damage. I truly hate how this plays with your mind. A month ago I wouldn't have thought twice if this had happened!

A similar scenario happened a week ago when my son slammed the car door too hard. A few days prior to that a super loud motorcycle drove up the street next to us when we were at dinner.

I wonder if I should put a half-earplug in my left ear for the next few weeks and leave it in there for the day?? I want to avoid any more loud noises getting in there and promote healing. But I have also heard not to over-protect.

 

[Ken219]

Can you hear your tinnitus over almost everything?

@CAgirl I hear my tinnitus over everything. After many years I realized it is part of me. At times I curse at it and other times I go one with my life. I have managed to work the last 30 years as a Computer System's Engineer. When my tinnitus spikes I struggle and push one. I know it isn't easy but I do have many normal days. At the time of my onset my children were 13 and 11 it was tough for them and my wife. But I'm still here. As for outside and noise If I know I will be exposed to loud noises (city...) I wear earplugs If it is a sudden noise I have quick draw index fingers into the ears. I do not go to events that I know will be noisy, concerts, weddings, movies... It is not worth the exposure. The answer is life can and will be normal. With advancement in research I believe there will be a treatment or cure in your lifetime.

Wishing you the best. Ken

 

[CAgirl]

It's 5 am and quiet in my room. I hear a very mild hiss and some electrical spark sounds. The moderate ringing tone is there too. But as soon as the AC turns on, the hissing and electrical sparks increase in volume. If I have a fan/white noise, sound machine or TV on, also increases in volume.

I don't know if my baseline is decreasing or not, but the bottom line is that noises actually increase the hissing tinnitus, which is why it's not maskable during the day. The ringing tone is opposite. It's more "classic" tinnitus that is easily masked. If only the hiss stopped reacting and responding to sounds I would be so much better off.

 

[Denny]

@Thuan

Thanks Thuan. I hope your new frequency settles down. Mine is also at a frequency that is unmaskable. I could even hear it at the beach yesterday with the waves crashing. Pink and white noise make it spike even more. It has a baseline plus gets reactive to some sounds, which spike it even louder. I am so discouraged right now. It's been 19 days since onset with zero improvement.

It is still very early . Why don't you try violet noise??

 

[MidnightOilAudio]

@MidnightOilAudio Thank you so much for the encouragement!! I really need it right now. Do you hear your tinnitus over most sounds (intrusive)? I can hear the hiss over pretty much everything except the shower. I can hear it while driving on the freeway/at restaurants/outside, etc. There is also a pretty loud ring along with the hiss, but that is more maskable.

Yes, I've had lots of tears over this (my poor husband gets the brunt of it) and can't imagine actually feeling true joy while listening to this monster in my ear. Do you feel true joy again? Can you enjoy music again? How long did it take to adapt? I know everyone's journey is so different but it helps to hear personal stories of those who are living with intrusive tinnitus.

I'm a mom of three myself. They are ages 12 and under. All I want is to be fully there for them and to enjoy my life again!!

Yes, I hear my tinnitus everywhere except the shower. I've also had a ton of "scares" like you mention about the popsicle bag exploding and whatnot. I've had weird episodes where my tinnitus will go "reactive" for a few hours at a time. While the tinnitus has not changed in the last 5 years, my ability to ride through the emotional rollercoaster that it presents has.

You won't ever get back to a life without tinnitus, you probably have to accept that at this point. But can adjust to this "new normal" and have a happy and fulfilling life. It's just way more difficult, unfortunately.

 

[CAgirl]

Thanks @MidnightOilAudio. I'm still hanging on to hope that it calms down a bit, especially the reactivity portion of it. Lately it seems relatively quiet in the morning, then when I begin my day and am exposed to ambient sounds, it begins to react to and compete with the sounds-it sounds like electrical wires get turned on on top of the normal hissing.

If this "reactivity" would settle down, it wouldn't be as intrusive. I don't know if yours is reactive or not as I'm describing. But even if it doesn't diminish at all, it's good to know you have moved past it at this point and are living a pretty normal life again. That's a huge accomplishment!

@MidnightOilAudio just re-read your post and it looks like yours does get reactive, but only for a few hours here and there. Mine does that daily right now. If a book drops on a table, it hisses louder. If music is playing, it hisses louder, etc.

 

[Juan]

Hi everyone. I'm 9 days out after an acoustic trauma that left me with an intrusive hissing and ringing in my left ear that I can hear over most sounds, including conversations, the freeway outside my bedroom window, even a bedroom fan.

It started on the 4th of July, when I was briefly in my backyard before sunset. A neighbor set off 3 M80s that were so loud that birds flew out of trees, car alarms went off, and I saw the smoke. I don't even know which neighbor it was, but it was close. Either directly behind us or one street over. It was LOUD where I was standing. My next door neighbor said he thought he was back in Vietnam!

I should've left my yard after the first one, but I was in shock and assumed that would be it. After the second one, I told my husband I'm going to the car (we were only there briefly as we were packing up some boxes for our upcoming move). On my way to the car there was a third. My left ear happened to be facing the blast all three times.

I have a history of tinnitus in my opposite ear I've had for 15 years after an ototoxic medication. Luckily that one is a ringing that is completely maskable but still took me 6 months to get used to it.

The ear that is now hissing/ringing loudly has had some trauma as well. A balloon once popped directly next to it and I had some brief hissing/hearing loss for a couple days. Also had an ear infection a few years ago in that ear where i briefly lost some hearing after my eardrum ruptured. I once forgot plugs to a concert (I thought it would be soft music, but I was wrong!) and had a slight hissing in that ear for a week but it cleared up.

For the past 15 years, ever since my "maskable" tinnitus began in my other ear due to an ototoxic med, I've been sooo careful with my hearing. I've made sure to wear plugs to all concerts and loud events and avoided meds at all costs for fear they'd be ototoxic and make my tinnitus worse. I've worn plugs to every Vegas show and fireworks event I've attended. I know I'm prone to tinnitus. It's been my biggest fear to have loud tinnitus and have gone out of my way to prevent that from happening. Despite all this, here I am now with loud, intrusive tinnitus!!!

I went to two ENTs this past week and had an audiogram. One ENT said it showed minimal hearing loss in the high frequencies indicative of hearing loss and prescribed Prednisone pills. The other doctor said no hearing loss but also prescribed prednisone.

(By the way, one of the tests the audiologist did was the Otoacoustic Emissions test and it ended up being louder than I cared for, especially since so close to acoustic incident. Could this test have done further damage? It showed hearing loss in the affected eat between 600-800 Hz. One of the Doctors didn't even acknowledge this test so wish I hadn't done it.)

I tried only 10 mg of Prednisone and could not tolerate it at all!!! I've been struggling with other health issues the last 5 months that have really worn down my body/CNS and that med was just too much for me to handle. I was literally wanting to climb the walls, nauseated, jittery and couldn't sleep after one 10 mg. pill and the therapeutic dose is 60 mg./day. So I know I missed a window of opportunity that might have cured me which is devastating.

I am trying a small amount of NAC, Vitamin C and Magnesium. However the ringing and hissing are still there. And they are loud. I asked my doctors about the shot directly into my ear but they both pushed the oral steroids instead. I left a message with one that seemed more open to the injectable last Friday, telling him I can't tolerate the oral, and haven't heard back. I think it's too late now anyway as I'm 9 days in?!?

I'm only sleeping 2-3 hours a night and my limbic system has gone into full panic mode/flight or flight 24-7. Like I said I've been struggling with other health issues that have stressed my body the last few months. However I was just starting to turn the corner in that regard when this happened. I have nothing left and am feeling really anxious and depressed.

Is there still a chance this loud hissing/ringing can subside or did that idiot neighbor cause lasting damage that I'm gonna have to live with??

I have seen your post really late... another option as corticosteroids go, could be Deflazacort 30 mg, 1 pill per day. An ENT with hearing issues recommended this to me, and for me it works better than prednisone.

 

[CAgirl]

I am 4 weeks in to an acoustic trauma. I woke up at 3 am to my hissing and buzzing blaring louder than it ever has. This is a new level of hell.

Haven't had any other acoustic traumas as far as I can tell. I mean yesterday my daughters friend screamed a high pitch scream from across the pool and my ear was facing her. But that has happened to me hundreds of times before and I've been fine. I haven't been wearing ear plugs and been in my car, etc. But haven't been anywhere or taken any medication that should cause this.

I am shaking and pacing in circles. Why would it spike so loud?!?

 

[lightning]

I am 4 weeks in to an acoustic trauma. I woke up at 3 am to my hissing and buzzing blaring louder than it ever has. This is a new level of hell.

Haven't had any other acoustic traumas as far as I can tell. I mean yesterday my daughters friend screamed a high pitch scream from across the pool and my ear was facing her. But that has happened to me hundreds of times before and I've been fine. I haven't been wearing ear plugs and been in my car, etc. But haven't been anywhere or taken any medication that should cause this.

I am shaking and pacing in circles. Why would it spike so loud?!?

It probably won't stay that way. Once you have a good night's sleep it should be back down to baseline.

 

[CAgirl]

I am experiencing a spike right now that woke me up from a dead sleep at 3 am. It is sooo loud. I'm trying to figure out how loud it is compared to everyone else's. I want perspective on what I'm dealing with.

I went onto our balcony where there is the distant noise of the busy freeway, birds chirping, people in the pool, and the wind blowing. My dB meter measured it at 55 dB. I can hear my tinnitus over all this!!! It's not MUCH louder but just as loud for sure. And also a much higher frequency which may be part of the reason I hear it.

When I walk back indoors it's blaring. Just yesterday it wasn't this loud (I can almost always hear it but not to this level!!) I'm really hoping it calms back down to baseline.

How loud is yours too?

 

[CAgirl]

I sure hope so. This is too much. It is at least 55 dB because I can hear the hissing easily right now outside and my dB meter says 55 dB.

 

[Robin Wilson]

I tried the violet noise, it's hard to listen to, it's kind of annoying.

 

[MidnightOilAudio]

You have to be careful with those SPL meters. 55dB is really quiet. Remember, the apparent volume of a sound doubles every 3 dB. So from 55 to 65 is a huge jump in terms of perceived volume.

If you have reactive T daily, I would highly recommend overprotecting your ears for a short amount of time as well as cutting out all junk food from your diet. Get plenty of sunlight and try your best to get as much sleep as you can.

 

[MidnightOilAudio]

Above post should read every 6dB is a doubling of apparent volume, not 3.

 

[MidnightOilAudio]

How are you holding up, @CAgirl?

 

[CAgirl]

@MidnightOilAudio
No change since the spike Saturday morning. Hissing louder than ever. It didn't really interfere with my sleep before because it was quieter in quiet rooms and ramped up with noise. Now the baseline has increased and it's loud no matter what. It's still reactive to noise. I am really thinking that the girl screaming across the pool must have somehow been another acoustic trauma. But it makes no sense. I am now wearing plugs whenever I leave the house. I am just surviving at this point, not living. Thank you for checking in with me.

 

[CAgirl]

Really struggling today. Hissing has gotten so much louder since the spike 5 days ago. I was barely coping as it was. Why did it have to get louder? I see everyone living their normal lives and talking about the upcoming school year, kids, etc. These mundane, wonderful things I have always enjoyed so much. Now when I try to do anything I get so distracted from this hissing and just crumpled up inside and out. All I can hear is the hissing over everything. It is very loud. I must be a severe case. I don't know how I'm going to cope with this day after day.

How does everyone with severe tinnitus do this? I'm trying so hard but it is so difficult.

Still can't believe this is my life right now. Just want to be a normal wife and mom again.

 

[ASilverLight]

Really struggling today. Hissing has gotten so much louder since the spike 5 days ago. I was barely coping as it was. Why did it have to get louder? I see everyone living their normal lives and talking about the upcoming school year, kids, etc. These mundane, wonderful things I have always enjoyed so much. Now when I try to do anything I get so distracted from this hissing and just crumpled up inside and out. All I can hear is the hissing over everything. It is very loud. I must be a severe case. I don't know how I'm going to cope with this day after day.

How does everyone with severe tinnitus do this? I'm trying so hard but it is so difficult.

Still can't believe this is my life right now. Just want to be a normal wife and mom again.

You just get through a day, and another, and another. I agree it's not life, but find happiness and strength in the little moments. That's how I do it. Wish I could offer more.

 

[CAgirl]

You just get through a day, and another, and another. I agree it's not life, but find happiness and strength in the little moments. That's how I do it. Wish I could offer more.

@ASilverLight Noooo! I have the best life. How is it all of a sudden just all over just like that for no fault of my own. I mean, I can always find little and big blessings throughout my day, but I want my life back. I just can't accept this. I can't. It is sooo sooo loud. I am sitting here inside and hear it hissing-like a high-pitched electrical hiss and it's louder than everything around me-dryer going and hear highway in distance and cars out the window. My kids talking down the hall. It is so loud I feel like going to the ER but what can they do? Nothing! This can't be a thing. It just can't.

@ASilverLight Has there been any improvements for you?? At all??

 

[ASilverLight]

@CAgirl not really unfortunately. I was finally getting my life on track after a rough childhood and now this. I just try to make the best of it through little things. Had to give up music for the most part, which got me through everything. Tinnitus really shouldn't be a thing. Human bodies are very flawed.

 

[CAgirl]

@ASilverLight I have spoken with so many people who have reached a point where it is just background noise. It takes a loooong time though. Are you at least past the panic stage? At some point my body and brain have to calm down over these unrelentless noises. And I would think our brains would get sick of paying attention to them after awhile too. I'm only 1 month into this though. So what do I know? However, I have read a lot about neuroplasticity and 100 percent believe it's a real thing. I don't believe our brains are flawed. Just routed incorrectly?? I'm going to try to stay optimistic as much as humanly possible.

 

[ShaunR]

@CAgirl Hi been following your story for a few days.

I've had tinnitus since I was 19 after one loud concert. That's 16 years. Don't get me wrong, I don't have severe tinnitus, just moderate tinnitus that if I choose to I can hear over everything.

The first 6 months I was a mess.... However gradually my brain (the most anxious, depressive, disasterising of all brains) started to tune it out. Slowly I stopped noticing the ringing. Before I knew it I was back to my old self. The noise was still there but I only noticed it when I tuned into it.

To this day I still have the tinnitus however it is no long a tone but a hiss that I hear over everything if I tune into it. It is no longer an issue to me.

I promise you will get to this point. It won't be tomorrow or next week or even next month. But mark my words this time in 6 months, maybe a year, you will look back and wonder why you were so upset by the tinnitus.

Hyperacusis is my problem now but I have faith that even this current problem will improve over time.

Shaun.

 

[ASilverLight]

@ASilverLight I have spoken with so many people who have reached a point where it is just background noise. It takes a loooong time though. Are you at least past the panic stage? At some point my body and brain have to calm down over these unrelentless noises. And I would think our brains would get sick of paying attention to them after awhile too. I'm only 1 month into this though. So what do I know? However, I have read a lot about neuroplasticity and 100 percent believe it's a real thing. I don't believe our brains are flawed. Just routed incorrectly?? I'm going to try to stay optimistic as much as humanly possible.

I was never panicking necessarily, just very upset. Right now I'm just sad about the little enjoyments I've lost because of the intrusive tones I have, but I am better at dealing with it most days.

Some days it feels like it's better but then it's a step back again, and with fluctuations throughout the day, it's just hard to tell if there's real improvement.

 

[CAgirl]

I have seen your post really late... another option as corticosteroids go, could be Deflazacort 30 mg, 1 pill per day. An ENT with hearing issues recommended this to me, and for me it works better than prednisone.

@Juan. I just saw this. I have both Prednisone and a Medrol Dose Pack on hand. Can it still help 5 weeks out?