Ear Tube Fell Out After Only Four Weeks (Much More)

[II Packy II]

Well, to put this as succinctly as possible, I have Tinnitus. I have had it for close to two years now. I've been to several different doctors, all of which say my hearing is normal and they have no real reason for why my ears would ring. Recently, I went to an ENT who offered tubes for my ears after I told him I had what felt like a permanent fullness in my right ear. It has been four weeks since I had the tubes in, and my right tube fell out (they should NOT fall out at four weeks). So i'm writing this why? Well, I've had a consistent stream of yellow discharge that is sticky, but has more of a water-like consistency. I went to sleep with equilibrium, aka what was normal hearing for me post tubes, woke up with fluid running out of my ear and now I have not only diminished hearing in my right ear, but also the ringing is very intense. I went to the ENT with the concern, and he did not seem worried at all and wanted to wait two weeks to verify that the Ofloxacin is not the fluid coming from my ear. So being the anxiety case I am post tinnitus beginning,

Note: I am also experiencing what sounds like interrupted breaths in my right ear. Almost like air pockets that are trying to build then abruptly become me. This is something I just noticed tonight.

I immediately assumed the worst. I assumed that maybe through blowing my ear with the tubes in, or sneezing too hard, may have somehow ruptured my cochlea, or have caused something severely wrong (and things are different, so I am stuck feeling the worst). My family surely thinks I am crazy and I'm sure most doctors do as well. I can tell an extremely profound difference in the ringing and capability of my right ear to perceive sound and I am very fearful that it is going to stay as such. My mom, a nurse, keeps telling me how can I hear less if my hearing is normal, but from my understanding the standard audiological exams done at an ENT are not as immersive as ones done at actual audiology offices. I just called at 3am my time an audiology office requesting them to test me for everything. I am tired of having to suffer because people won't do a thorough job or every single time I try something to help myself, it just makes my ringing and ear related issues worse.

Has anyone here ever had these issues (especially related to tubes and/or a yellow discharge that is water like that has given them diminished hearing temporarily with an increase in ringing?) because I am fighting a battle that I feel like I am surely losing every single day. I don't understand what I have done to deserve this kind of punishment. I'm sick of crying, sick of being told that everything is 'normal,' and that I just have to keep trying. I don't know why things keep getting worse the more I try to make them better and everyone just tries to placate the situation. I have lost, and I feel like the world is only going to take more from me until I have nothing left to give.

PS: The doctor has no intention of putting the tube back in my right ear which I do not understand in the slightest.

 

[II Packy II]

bump

 

[seal]

It's natural that your hearing is different now and that your tinnitus is louder at the moment because you now have an open hole in your eardrum. It will take some time to heal, fluid comes from the injury too I would guess. I mean your eardrum is ruptured now! Have you been careful with the tubes? Because your ear is opened with them infections are easily caused. Why did you get those tubes anyways, if you have the feeling of fullness( I'm having it for 6 months now ) you should start with nasonex cortisone spray. If that doesn't help you need surgery ( which I probably need now) where they blow a balloon inside your middle ear - takes 15 minutes. Tubes are only for people who have bad results in their hearing tests because there is fluid in the middle ear - but your hearing tests went just fine and the doctor didn't see fluid behind your ear drums right? To be honest I wouldn't put those tubes back in because I don't see the indication in your case - I would go with cortisone nasal spray and if that doesn't help operate the tube dysfunction.

 

[II Packy II]

He originally put the tubes in to help with Eustachian Tube Dysfunction. Put me on Nasonex, Patanase. At first, I blew my ears with the tubes in like an idiot. I woke up with blood in the opposite ear (which turned out to be a scratch) so I abruptly stopped that idiotic act. I was drinking a bit and playing some games, and I blew my nose because I had congestion. I woke up the next day after putting drops in with yellow discharge all over the tissue that I had put in the ear. I then went to the general physician in order to have her check my blood pressure and also subsequently had her check my ear. She then informs me there is no tube in the ear. And I explained to her my ear felt soppy, wet, and was ringing really loudly. Now I am having trouble hearing out of that ear; so naturally i'm losing my shit. I can't keep going on through life like this. Nothing I do for my ears make them better, so I only naturally assume the worst case scenario. He suctioned out the tube and the fluid that was in my ear and told me he wants to give it two weeks to determine whether or not there is an infection or the fluid coming from my ear was just the drops he gave me. I had no issues with this ear before the tube popped out. In fact, the left ear was the one that seemed to stay infected. I'm seriously losing my sanity...

 

[seal]

I'm sorry packy your feeling down still the tubes are just not indicated for you! If you didn't have fluid behind your eardrums you don't need those damn tubes because they are meant to release fluid from the middle ear . If there is no fluid they are not good for anything just more likely that you are getting infections because of them leaving your middle ear wide open for all kind of bacteria.Just wait for now until the eardrum heals and if there really is an infection your ringing will get better after that's treated too. Just make sure to have it regularly checked by the ent who wants you to come back in 2 weeks.

 

[II Packy II]

I've felt down since I've first got this torturous disease. I don't care how they define it. To me, it is more debilitating than most diseases. I don't want to wake up most days. And now, it's the absolute worst it's ever been.

 

[II Packy II]

I'm experiencing this odd sensation as if my hearing Is abruptly stopping in and out like if someone hit pause for just a second on a CD player. Right ear of course

 

[Amelia]

I don't have any personal experience with ear tubes but my daughter does and now unfortunately her grommets are out but she still has perforations.

But I digress ... When she has an ear infection/cold or flu, she gets yellow discharge exactly as your describe from the effected ear. I'd say in your case it's more likely quite normal and is just your ear draining out the gunk.

And - don't trust a GP to check your tube - our GP could never see my daughters - ENT's have much better equipment to check.

How you doing today?

 

[Neenie]

I feel the same. And I think everyone on this forum feels the way you do also. I most definitely go to bed each night and hope that I miraculously die throughout the night, but I always wake up. The ringing is deafening. I think about it all day. I've been told and read that if you do think about it all the time you will never get used to it. It sounds like reasonable advice except how can you possibly get "used" to the ringing when its right there all day, alarmingly loud? I do not know the answers to this. Neither do the doctors. Nor the ENT's. Nor the internet. So do not waste your time looking for a miracle cure (I should take my own advice) because it does not exist. The only thing we can do is get on with life. How? I do not know. Stay hopeful because you have no other choice. Hugs

 

[yonkapin]

The whole thing sounds pretty messy buddy, sorry to hear about it. I would probably get a second opinion from another ENT asap, just for piece of mind - yellow discharge sounds nasty and 2 weeks is a pretty long time to wait out. Hopefully the increase in tinnitus and other symptoms will subside once it begins to heal, but yeah go get a second opinion while you wait just in case, if it is infected I'd want to get on antibiotics/steroids pretty soon!

 

[Markku]

The beginning can be difficult, but I can say with good conscience that most people here don't want to die.

For some tinnitus is more of a battle than for others, but even people who describe their tinnitus as being as loud as a jet engine have been able to lead happy and fulfilling lives.

Do you see improvements in a few months? Not always. It's been said that habituation can take up to 2 years if I recall correctly.

And yes, there is the 1% or so who find tinnitus extremely debilitating, and who will have severe trouble adjusting, but it's the (unfortunate) minority.

If you look at this forum, most people come, spend some time to adjust to their new condition, and then leave. It's most of the time because they get better and no longer feel the need to visit a support community.

There are also the veterans here who have come to grips with the condition but still want to hang around, but tinnitus itself is not that much of a problem to them as it might have been before.

The brain adjusts. You don't want to believe it yet Neenie, but I'll be damned surprised if 2 years from now you don't look back at your current situation and think how glad you are that you decided to stick around and see what life brings you.

I think about it all day. I've been told and read that if you do think about it all the time you will never get used to it.

That's normal. I have faith you don't think about it all day a year from now. You will get tired of giving your every thought to it. You'll stop to see it as a threat.

(For what it's worth, I remember reading somewhere that you currently take a lot of meds that affect the central nervous system. I was a bit worried by the amount of them, and I'd really suggest you get a second opinion from another doctor. What if the several meds you take are exacerbating the tinnitus?)

All the best to you Neenie.

Markku

 

[II Packy II]

Woke up crying. Ringing is just as bad as ever. Less drainage if any. Fought with my family because I told them I was fearful of SSHL (sudden sensorineural hearing loss). I know that it is likely just temporary conductive hearing loss due to the hole, but I'm anxiety stricken at all times now. I am coming up on two years of tinnitus and its only gotten harder. My mom thinks I'm making up the lack of volume because the hearing test is normal. She even threatened to have me institutionalized if I didn't get a grip. She said its probably never going to get better which just made me fall further into tears. I feel like dying. This is the absolute worst I've ever felt.

I cannot get past this idea that doctors complain that we didn't address our concerns fast enough but when we do come in or ask to be seen proactively they never have the time of day. How can I get better if things don't have a chance to become better. I am honestly so far gone in my own mind that I am ready to fade away. For every chance or day I have to feel better, something happens that makes it worse than when it all began.

Since the tube has come out, the Ringing is unbearable. I have no hearing hardly on my right ear (hearing better out of the left tubed ear than the right ear that had the tube come out) and I hear my own blood flow now in my right ear.

My support is crumbling along with my mind and I'm so fearful that I'm going to kill myself. I have no strength left and the people I rely on for strength are more or less sick of my overly dramatic responses to ear related issues. They tell me that I'm not going it alone but I am. I am alone. Science has not helped at fucking all. My family wants me on drugs to help, but I don't want to be gorked and want to find a real solution. I'm beginning to fear that it is truly just over for me.

 

[II Packy II]

I

I feel the same. And I think everyone on this forum feels the way you do also. I most definitely go to bed each night and hope that I miraculously die throughout the night, but I always wake up. The ringing is deafening. I think about it all day. I've been told and read that if you do think about it all the time you will never get used to it. It sounds like reasonable advice except how can you possibly get "used" to the ringing when its right there all day, alarmingly loud? I do not know the answers to this. Neither do the doctors. Nor the ENT's. Nor the internet. So do not waste your time looking for a miracle cure (I should take my own advice) because it does not exist. The only thing we can do is get on with life. How? I do not know. Stay hopeful because you have no other choice. Hugs

I know exactly how you feel. How in the fuck can you possibly learn to ignore something that is so volatile and aggressive? My hope is that microtransponder has the solution or that rtms can be looped by anode within the ear or behind the ear by implant and suppress the noise. I could care less about long term effect because I'm not alive as it is. I hate knowing that many of you all here on this site are more knowledgeable than the doctors I am supposed to rely on.

 

[II Packy II]

I had something new to add that is completely bizarre to me. I just took a drink of a fountain drink and on my right side, I could actually feel the cold in my ear. Anyone have any idea what the hell that means?

 

[II Packy II]

Anyone here ever had a perforated ear drum and experience louder ringing and lowered hearing until the hole healed? Stressing really hard.

 

[Liesel]

I've had that cold feeling happen before. It's always in the same ear that "pops" loudly when I swallow. I believe the cold sensation is being carried up my eustacian tube into my ear. Eustacian tube disorder is one of the things that came along with my T.

 

[II Packy II]

i'm more concerned with the ringing. it has gotten very loud

 

[II Packy II]

Had a panic attack today. Lost complete control. Decided to get help. Family has wanted this and I finally need it.

Ringing intense and hearing what sounds like musical tone but is a constant, so I'm thinking its just pressure and anxiety related.

 

[II Packy II]

I've had that cold feeling happen before. It's always in the same ear that "pops" loudly when I swallow. I believe the cold sensation is being carried up my eustacian tube into my ear. Eustacian tube disorder is one of the things that came along with my T.

It's an odd feeling. Not terrible, but it is unusual

 

[II Packy II]

hoping this will subside soon

 

[II Packy II]

bump

 

[Marie Blalock]

Packy,
Did you have tinnitus before you got the tubes or after? Is it both ears or one?

 

[II Packy II]

So I'm experiencing very high pitched ringing and pulsatile tinnitus as well in the affected ear. The open hole in my ear drum has almost closed completely, but I'm still having a sensation of intense pressure in my ear alongside symptoms. Anyone ever experienced this and if so, what was your timeline? I had two separate hearing tests yesterday and both tests showed functional normal hearing and the results pre and post tube are identical

 

[II Packy II]

Packy,
Did you have tinnitus before you got the tubes or after? Is it both ears or one?

I had tinnitus in both ears but the right ear has worsened since the tube came out and in hearing my own blood flow in that ear now

 

[awbw8]

Hey Packy,

How did you get your tinnitus originally? Loud noise, or did it just appear one day?

I have to disagree with @Neenie just a bit and say that I'm pretty sure most people here do not want to die. I'll admit I did in the beginning months, but I definitely do not want to now at all. In fact, I'm maybe a little more happy and well-adjusted to life than I was before. Learning to live with tinnitus actually gave me a little (big?) life lesson in managing my stress, schedule, anxiety etc. and finding inner peace. My tinnitus is constant, but I believe it has calmed down somewhat since the beginning. I'm not sure if it's from habituation, healing or my managing my anxiety (or all three), but it is manageable now. Often I do not think of it at all, when I hear it when I lay my head down at night, it doesn't cause panic or agony, it's just there. If you let it, it just becomes another little non-threatening part of life.

It is my very humble opinion that anyone can get to this point (or a better one) with work and time. I'm glad you said you went and got help after you panic attack. I had those too and they definitely made my tinnitus worse when they were happening.

It sounds like you've undergone a lot of heavy medical procedures trying to find a cure. I am not a doctor or medical professional of any kind, but I might humbly suggest that since there seems to be no actual need for the tubes etc. that you stop and just let your ears heal. While they're healing, try not to panic. Tinnitus can be in the brain, the ear or both - so it's important to take care of all the pieces that can contribute to making you feel better or worse. Be kind to your ears and be kind to yourself - maintain your physical and emotional heath. This is essential. You should be so happy that your hearing tests as normal - this is fantastic news! Hearing loss is something you cannot regain, so at least that is undamaged, how wonderful!

As for the tinnitus, you can't go to bed each night hoping it will be gone in the morning, you will drive yourself insane - I know, I did it for months. It's a near guarantee to wake up to painful disappointment every day. It will take time and work, but you can train your brain to habituate. This doesn't mean you wont hear the sound, it just means your brain will not deem it as something it needs to listen for. Right now, with the panic attacks etc. you are literally training your brain to listen for the tinnitus - you are making it impossible for your brain to ignore the sound. Your brain is thinking, "oh no, this sound is a predator - i have to run or fight!" Now, we all know you can't run from tinnitus, and there's no point in fighting it - it's a part of you for now. If you're having angry, hateful thoughts about it, you're sending all that bad energy back to your own body and self and that's no good for healing.

Even though tinnitus can make us feel like death is the only way out, that's NOT the case. It can go away, or you can learn to ignore it. At the end of the day, it is just a sound. It will not actively reach out and kill you. Once your brain figures that out with your help, things will get easier.

Of course I can't know what will end up working for you - but I was just about as bad off as it gets in the beginning, insomnia, suicidal, panic attacks, I lost almost 15 pounds in a couple of weeks - it was really bad. You can get there, too - but it does take effort. Try meditation or yoga or even video games (ones you don't have memorized) - something that takes enough of your brain's focus that you can't both do the activity and listen to the tinnitus - forgetting the noise for even a moment often gives people hope for being able to do that more frequently.

If you need meds of some kind to manage the anxiety or sleeplessness - there is no shame in that. Just get a good psychiatrist who cares. That helped me a lot in the beginning.

Other than that - let your ears heal. It sounds like you've given them a bit of a beating physically. I think if your hearing is still fine, they'll probably heal up, but it will take TIME. They're delicate little pieces of machinery and those kinds of things take time and a loving environment to get better.

Try not to stress, you can definitely be okay whether the ringing goes or not - be kind to yourself, we're here for you!

 

[Sherri786]

Hi Packy so sorry to read what you're going through. If it's infection please try drinking a cup of warm milk with half a teaspoon of organic turmeric powder everyday and eat one clove of organic garlic ,finely chopped or sliced. ( Ayurvedic treatment )

 

[II Packy II]

Hey Packy,

How did you get your tinnitus originally? Loud noise, or did it just appear one day?

I have to disagree with @Neenie just a bit and say that I'm pretty sure most people here do not want to die. I'll admit I did in the beginning months, but I definitely do not want to now at all. In fact, I'm maybe a little more happy and well-adjusted to life than I was before. Learning to live with tinnitus actually gave me a little (big?) life lesson in managing my stress, schedule, anxiety etc. and finding inner peace. My tinnitus is constant, but I believe it has calmed down somewhat since the beginning. I'm not sure if it's from habituation, healing or my managing my anxiety (or all three), but it is manageable now. Often I do not think of it at all, when I hear it when I lay my head down at night, it doesn't cause panic or agony, it's just there. If you let it, it just becomes another little non-threatening part of life.

It is my very humble opinion that anyone can get to this point (or a better one) with work and time. I'm glad you said you went and got help after you panic attack. I had those too and they definitely made my tinnitus worse when they were happening.

It sounds like you've undergone a lot of heavy medical procedures trying to find a cure. I am not a doctor or medical professional of any kind, but I might humbly suggest that since there seems to be no actual need for the tubes etc. that you stop and just let your ears heal. While they're healing, try not to panic. Tinnitus can be in the brain, the ear or both - so it's important to take care of all the pieces that can contribute to making you feel better or worse. Be kind to your ears and be kind to yourself - maintain your physical and emotional heath. This is essential. You should be so happy that your hearing tests as normal - this is fantastic news! Hearing loss is something you cannot regain, so at least that is undamaged, how wonderful!

As for the tinnitus, you can't go to bed each night hoping it will be gone in the morning, you will drive yourself insane - I know, I did it for months. It's a near guarantee to wake up to painful disappointment every day. It will take time and work, but you can train your brain to habituate. This doesn't mean you wont hear the sound, it just means your brain will not deem it as something it needs to listen for. Right now, with the panic attacks etc. you are literally training your brain to listen for the tinnitus - you are making it impossible for your brain to ignore the sound. Your brain is thinking, "oh no, this sound is a predator - i have to run or fight!" Now, we all know you can't run from tinnitus, and there's no point in fighting it - it's a part of you for now. If you're having angry, hateful thoughts about it, you're sending all that bad energy back to your own body and self and that's no good for healing.

Even though tinnitus can make us feel like death is the only way out, that's NOT the case. It can go away, or you can learn to ignore it. At the end of the day, it is just a sound. It will not actively reach out and kill you. Once your brain figures that out with your help, things will get easier.

Of course I can't know what will end up working for you - but I was just about as bad off as it gets in the beginning, insomnia, suicidal, panic attacks, I lost almost 15 pounds in a couple of weeks - it was really bad. You can get there, too - but it does take effort. Try meditation or yoga or even video games (ones you don't have memorized) - something that takes enough of your brain's focus that you can't both do the activity and listen to the tinnitus - forgetting the noise for even a moment often gives people hope for being able to do that more frequently.

If you need meds of some kind to manage the anxiety or sleeplessness - there is no shame in that. Just get a good psychiatrist who cares. That helped me a lot in the beginning.

Other than that - let your ears heal. It sounds like you've given them a bit of a beating physically. I think if your hearing is still fine, they'll probably heal up, but it will take TIME. They're delicate little pieces of machinery and those kinds of things take time and a loving environment to get better.

Try not to stress, you can definitely be okay whether the ringing goes or not - be kind to yourself, we're here for you!

Thanks for the kind words. My tinnitus was noise induced. I had tube put in for steroidal injection to see if it would improve my tinnitus. Nothing became a problem until the tube came out of the right ear. That's when the really loud ringing began. And now I'm experiencing pulsatile tinnitus which I've never experienced. At least I think it's pulsatile because it coincides with my blood flow. The ear has closed except for a pinhole but the ringing etc has not returned to its normal level. I'm getting very fearful that it won't quiet down. I'm about to try masking it to maybe break the cycle.

 

[II Packy II]

Hi Packy so sorry to read what you're going through. If it's infection please try drinking a cup of warm milk with half a teaspoon of organic turmeric powder everyday and eat one clove of organic garlic ,finely chopped or sliced. ( Ayurvedic treatment )

Thank you for this. Just out of curiosity: how does this benefit me or the ringing? I'm not discrediting by any means and am more than open to suggestion, but am interested in the scientific efficacy of garlic or turmeric powder

 

[II Packy II]

Dr. Voth, my ENT believes I have a mild conductive hearing loss that will return to normal. He says that it is actually fairly common when your experiencing a temporary loss you will often experiencing pulsatile ringing and an increase in tinnitus. He reassured me that the odds of any permanence is very minimal. However, I have limited faith in what doctors say anymore. I can also seem to hear bass internally. As if the noises I'm hearing are hollow and internal, rather than external. It sounds as if noise from the environment is coming from within my ear not outside if it

 

[awbw8]

Thanks for the kind words. My tinnitus was noise induced. I had tube put in for steroidal injection to see if it would improve my tinnitus. Nothing became a problem until the tube came out of the right ear. That's when the really loud ringing began. And now I'm experiencing pulsatile tinnitus which I've never experienced. At least I think it's pulsatile because it coincides with my blood flow. The ear has closed except for a pinhole but the ringing etc has not returned to its normal level. I'm getting very fearful that it won't quiet down. I'm about to try masking it to maybe break the cycle.

Hey Packy,

You're welcome and I know how you feel. The key to all of this is time. If your ear isn't even healed yet (and possibly infected- go get a second opinion from a doc on that!) you can't really expect the ringing to go down yet. Just breathe, mask it, take some (prescribed) anxiety medication if you have it and accept that it is where it is now. Nothing you do will change that right now except being good to your body and mind and not stressing about it. It's hard to let go of that kind of control (or it was for me), but it's really a bit of a relief when you known you've done/are doing all you can. Stop focusing on the sound and the volume and focus on doing something peaceful (long hot shower, video games, yoga etc. - I swear by the yoga - works for me every time - try Kate potters Ayurvedic yoga - there's a 15 min nervous system calming sequence that just rocks - that's how I got myself off sleeping pills)

Also realize you need to give your body time. There is literally a hole in your ear. That's a big trauma for a delicate thing like the ear and an war infection or a ruptured ear drum can cause tinnitus all by itself (usually temporary in those cases so don't fret). It may take months for it to go back down to its old level, but I really think it will. Just stop waiting for it to change. It's like watching grass grow or water come to a boil. It'll happen, but certainly not any faster because you're watching. You may as well be off living and healing your soul

Try the yoga, or chi Kung or take a jog - whatever floats your boat. Even if it's not fun the first time and you're thinking about the ringing, just keep at it. Things will start to change in your mind if not in your tinnitus itself. You will be amazed

Also, mine was noise induced too, and I still think it can heal, even after all this time, but if it doesnt, then you know, I just think to myself, "today I am okay." I'll worry about tomorrow, tomorrow, you DO NOT KNOW what it may bring