For Those with Loud Tinnitus, How Do You Know When to Take Prednisone?

[jdjd09]

So, I am having this dilemma. I never know when to take prednisone or not for noisy situations. Like, what level of noise constitutes me needing to take prednisone.

Mainly because my tinnitus is already so loud that it is hard to really know if it has ever increased yet.

I had a noise incident three days ago that lasted 5 seconds or so. I don't know if i should take prednisone for it because it was insanely loud. Or if I should just give it time.


I feel embarrassed asking for it as well and never know if a doctor will give it. I only asked for it once before though.

I just am at a loss. When should one ask for prednisone if their tinnitus is already very loud and any increase in it would be hard to detect?

Thanks for any input because I'm at a loss of what to do in the future.

 

[jdjd09]

Can someone please let me know, as I don't know what to do and when. I'm so lost with all the different opinions out there on this.

 

[jdjd09]

I also feel my tinnitus got slightly worse because of a loud incident three days ago, so I don't know if I should take prednisone. I never know when it's advisable and when it is not. I have no clue what to do.

 

[Aaron123]

You have already gotten advice in your other thread on this topic that it is not necessary. Not sure what more you want to hear.

 

[glynis]

You don't need it and just a normal spike and maybe anxiety worrying about it.
Prednisalone is a powerful steroid and comes with it's own side effects and not given out for acoustic shock unless its really sever.
Love glynis

 

[Tinker Bell]

Prednisone is recommended for sudden hearing loss. Unless you experienced hearing loss from the noise, I am unsure how it would help. Maybe as a placebo effect?

If anything, look into NAC. Some members claim it helps.

Also, focus on reducing your anxiety. Anxiety will increase your tinnitus.

 

[Alue]

When I developed a new tone after loud noise exposure. Loudness is relative to your sleep, diet, stress levels, etc. New tones are not.

 

[jdjd09]

When I developed a new tone after loud noise exposure. Loudness is relative to your sleep, diet, stress levels, etc. New tones are not.

I had a new tone show up today and then go away after 5 minutes. What would you do in that situation? I guess it's hard for me to tell if a new tone is around because it's all so loud.

 

[jdjd09]

You have already gotten advice in your other thread on this topic that it is not necessary. Not sure what more you want to hear.

I am not sure. I just had some people say do it and others not. Doctors don't know either what to do half the time, so I don't know either sometimes.

I had new tone show up for 5 minutes and then go away in one ear. I don't know if that means anything.

 

[jdjd09]

You don't need it and just a normal spike and maybe anxiety worrying about it.
Prednisalone is a powerful steroid and comes with it's own side effects and not given out for acoustic shock unless its really sever.
Love glynis

I guess I'm confused what constitutes a sever acoustic shock and what doesn't?

 

[jdjd09]

Prednisone is recommended for sudden hearing loss. Unless you experienced hearing loss from the noise, I am unsure how it would help. Maybe as a placebo effect?

If anything, look into NAC. Some members claim it helps.

Also, focus on reducing your anxiety. Anxiety will increase your tinnitus.

I am taking NAC right now and not sure if I am taking right amount or right kind.

 

[Bill Bauer]

I guess I'm confused what constitutes a sever acoustic shock and what doesn't?

As I told you in the other thread, clanking glass plates gave me a possibly permanent new tone (that bothers me immensely). Also, there is no reason to evaluate the volume level, as it can increase days after the acoustic trauma. Prednisone is most effective if taken during the first 48 hours, so I wouldn't take it now.

Many incidents cause ear fullness for the rest of the day. I guess if your ear still doesn't feel right (and possibly has ear fullness) the next morning, you know that it might be a good idea to take prednisone.

Otherwise you would just judge the volume and intensity of the sound, and whether you had pain or tenderness deep inside of your ear afterwards.

 

[orbiter12]

If you haven't taken it already it's probably too late anyway.

I used to run to the doctors for pred every time i was exposed to a loud noise, begging my gp, walk in centers etc when it's totally unnecessary unless it's a severe acoustic shock where you have muffled hearing etc e.g gun shots balloon popping next to ear etc.

Also the side effect of pred make me want to never take it again. I took 5 high strength courses in 6 months and the sides got worse everytime.

Water retention and weight which has given me permanent stretch marks on my glutes, face goes all puffy makes you look fat and lose all facial definition, numbness and tingling in legs, suicidal thoughts, headache, insomnia etc.

I wouldn't touch it again unless it was a severe acoustic shock which gives me new tones or muffled hearing.

 

[Tinker Bell]

Prednisone is most effective if taken during the first 48 hours, so I wouldn't take it now.

This guideline is in cases of sudden hearing loss. I am unsure there are any recommendations for cases of "I think a noise was loud and I am worried my tinnitus will get louder."

Ear fullness and pain often occur with hyperacusis. I do not think individuals with hyperacusis take prednisone every time they experience those feelings.

 

[Bill Bauer]

I wouldn't touch it again unless it was a severe acoustic shock which gives me new tones or muffled hearing.

That was my thinking when I haven't taken prednisone after two glass dishes clanked together (a plate fell 3 inches onto another plate, and it was 10 inches from my ear). I ended up with a new tone that is still torturing me two weeks later. In the past, I got exposed to much louder noises, but I took prednisone, and my T hadn't reacted to those loud noises. So I feel bad about not taking prednisone the last time I had to make a decision about whether to take it.

 

[Alue]

I had a new tone show up today and then go away after 5 minutes. What would you do in that situation? I guess it's hard for me to tell if a new tone is around because it's all so loud.

Sounds like fleeting tinnitus.

 

[jdjd09]

This guideline is in cases of sudden hearing loss. I am unsure there are any recommendations for cases of "I think a noise was loud and I am worried my tinnitus will get louder."

Ear fullness and pain often occur with hyperacusis. I do not think individuals with hyperacusis take prednisone every time they experience those feelings.

@Tinker Bell , my concern is that it was a bit louder, but hard to tell how much louder. It's already so loud that it's hard to really say how much louder.

My main concern though is I don't want to lose more hearing than I already lost (I have hearing loss at higher frequencies that show on a audio gram done by audiologist.

 

[JurgenG]

I have the same problem, and took it every time something loud happened. This was getting out of hand and I always said "one last time" I stopped right on time because side-effects were getting harder and harder.

 

[orbiter12]

That was my thinking when I haven't taken prednisone after two glass dishes clanked together (a plate fell 3 inches onto another plate, and it was 10 inches from my ear). I ended up with a new tone that is still torturing me two weeks later. In the past, I got exposed to much louder noises, but I took prednisone, and my T hadn't reacted to those loud noises. So I feel bad about not taking prednisone the last time I had to make a decision about whether to take it.

did you say it caused tinnitus in your previously good ear? That makes no sense to me how two plates clanking can cause tinnitus... If that was the case everyone would have it. Also it's not like that ear was compromised like your other ear. Maybe it's something else causing your tinnitus and not noise exposure?

 

[jdjd09]

I'm so tired. I can't tell when to take prednisone and when not too. I'm never in a situation like a gun shot or a balloon popping. The speaker was loud as hell. Like a megaphone three feet from my ear. How do I know when something qualifies for prednisone? I just really don't understand.

My hearing feels different today. I'm debating calling a doctor and asking for it. I can't make a decision. I just don't get it. I don't understand what is what anymore.

 

[Bill Bauer]

did you say it caused tinnitus in your previously good ear?

Yes, I began hearing T in the ear that used to be silent.

I guess my bad ear is more vulnerable now. That acoustic trauma (as a result of glass plates) must have had an impact on nerves or brain neurons, and now my brain perceives a sound in my formerly good ear. My case is somewhat unusual - I know for a fact that only one of my ears had acoustic trauma (unlike someone who got a unilateral T as a result of attending a concert - such a person can't be sure whether his or her other ear had been damaged).

I am not the only one who had unilateral T, and got a new sound in a healthy ear after being exposed to noise that would be considered moderate by healthy people. See the responses to the threads where I talked about my latest acoustic trauma.

Another related fact is that one time this summer I drank a little Irish Liqueur, and experienced my T had temporarily Switching Ears. Again, several others on this forum mentioned having a similar experience.

The speaker was loud as hell. Like a megaphone three feet from my ear.
... My hearing feels different today.

All of the above seems to imply that you clearly need prednisone... But it might be too late now...

 

[jdjd09]

Some of you are saying get it and some other f you aren't. I just have zero idea what to do now and I am so frustrated. I can't make a decision on my own because I have no idea what to do. What do I do. I'm literally about to cry because I can't stand that there doesn't seem to be a consistent idea of what I am and am not suppose to do.

 

[Tinker Bell]

I'm so tired. I can't tell when to take prednisone and when not too. I'm never in a situation like a gun shot or a balloon popping. The speaker was loud as hell. Like a megaphone three feet from my ear. How do I know when something qualifies for prednisone? I just really don't understand.

My hearing feels different today. I'm debating calling a doctor and asking for it. I can't make a decision. I just don't get it. I don't understand what is what anymore.

I do not think the recommendations for prednisone are that complicated.

When should you take prednisone? When you have sudden hearing loss. Was your hearing suddenly muffled? Is it still muffled?

I know someone who lost hearing from an acoustic trauma (and by trauma I mean an explosion). It was an immediate loss. It was not several days later and they thought, huh maybe my hearing is worse.

Honestly, if you're worried about your hearing, see an audiologist for a hearing test. When was the last time your hearing was checked?

Within the first two weeks is the window for prednisone from sudden hearing loss.

 

[jdjd09]

I do not think the recommendations for prednisone are that complicated.

When should you take prednisone? When you have sudden hearing loss. Was your hearing suddenly muffled? Is it still muffled?

I know someone who lost hearing from an acoustic trauma (and by trauma I mean an explosion). It was an immediate loss. It was not several days later and they thought, huh maybe my hearing is worse.

Honestly, if you're worried about your hearing, see an audiologist for a hearing test. When was the last time your hearing was checked?

Within the first two weeks is the window for prednisone from sudden hearing loss.

It feels slightly worse, but I mean probably not measurable slightly worse. I mean slightly. I can get an audio gram, but I can't get one for another week or 2 if I wait for that.

How much worse does it have to be? I don't know what muffled sounds like, even though I have hearing loss. I just get ringing louder it seems with hearing loss.

 

[Tinker Bell]

It feels slightly worse, but I mean probably not measurable slightly worse. I mean slightly. I can get an audio gram, but I can't get one for another week or 2 if I wait for that.

How much worse does it have to be? I don't know what muffled sounds like, even though I have hearing loss. I just get ringing louder it seems with hearing loss.

How much hearing loss do you have? I am fairly certain you would know if your hearing was muffled. It's kind of hard to miss.

 

[Tinker Bell]

Keep in mind that your are clearly having a lot of anxiety right now, and that is very likely increasing your tinnitus volume.

 

[jdjd09]

How much hearing loss do you have? I am fairly certain you would know if your hearing was muffled. It's kind of hard to miss.

Slight. Like one ear feels less clear and the other bad ear feels like tinnitus is slightly louder. It's slight. It's not profound to the pin t that I'm running to an ER.

To be clear though, when I first got sudden hearing loss before, I had no idea I had hearing loss. Just thought I had tinnitus. It was in higher frequencies I lost hearing.

 

[Tinker Bell]

Yes, I began hearing T in the ear that used to be silent.

I guess my bad ear is more vulnerable now. That acoustic trauma (as a result of glass plates) must have had an impact on nerves or brain neurons, and now my brain perceives a sound in my formerly good ear. My case is somewhat unusual - I know for a fact that only one of my ears had acoustic trauma (unlike someone who got a unilateral T as a result of attending a concert - such a person can't be sure whether his or her other ear had been damaged).

I am not the only one who had unilateral T, and got a new sound in a healthy ear after being exposed to noise that would be considered moderate by healthy people. See the responses to the threads where I talked about my latest acoustic trauma.

Another related fact is that one time this summer I drank a little Irish Liqueur, and experienced my T had temporarily Switching Ears. Again, several others on this forum mentioned having a similar experience.

All of the above seems to imply that you clearly need prednisone... But it might be too late now...

Bill, you have mentioned that you wear earplugs and earmuffs outside of your home, that you sleep with earplugs, that you do not take showers because of the noise, and that you think through every move putting away dishes. Are your ears ever exposed to sound volumes above a quiet room or the sound of a TV or speaker?

Are you sure you have not made your ears more sensitive? That months of continual protection have caused the sounds of plates clinking together — okay for individuals without hyperacusis — to be more traumatic?

 

[Tinker Bell]

Slight. Like one ear feels less clear and the other bad ear feels like tinnitus is slightly louder. It's slight. It's not profound to the pin t that I'm running to an ER.

To be clear though, when I first got sudden hearing loss before, I had no idea I had hearing loss. Just thought I had tinnitus. It was in higher frequencies I lost hearing.

How much hearing did you initially lose in the higher frequencies? Those frequencies are the first to decline even when we are in our 20s. If they were already slightly decreased, a drop of a few more dB may not have been noticeable.

 

[jdjd09]

How much hearing did you initially lose in the higher frequencies? Those frequencies are the first to decline even when we are in our 20s. If they were already slightly decreased, a drop of a few more dB may not have been noticeable.

It's more than that. It was 40-45db in 8000 range in the bad ear. Then 30-35 in 4000-6000 range in the bad ear. Rest of ranges are above 20db (this is from what I remember). Then other ear is in normal range, so above 20db in all ranges