Have Had Tinnitus for 1 Year, Now Increased from Accidental Gunshot

[gitupagin]

Hi All,
I haven't been here for quite awhile, that's because I've habituated fairly well over the year.

However, 2 days ago I was present when a rifle was accidentally discharged inside a garage.
The sound was beyond hideous, and my buzzing has increased in tone and intensity.

I don't know if this will settle down again after some time, or am I looking at more problems??

Any advice is always appreciated. Should I see a doctor?

Thanks!!

 

[Bill Bauer]

Go to the emergency as soon as you can and get the doctor to prescribe prednisone for you. Prednisone is supposed to help in cases just like yours. The sooner it is taken, the more effective it is supposed to be.

It is actually very difficult to get a doctor to prescribe prednisone. They will try to give you a dose that is much lower than the recommended dose. It is my understanding that the recommended dose is X mg per day, where X is your weight in kilograms. If you weigh about 60 kg, then you need to be taking 60 mg per day. Ideally, you would take it for 14 days + tapering period.

If you go to the emergency, they will hopefully give you a 5-day supply. You could then go to the emergency at another hospital, or go to a walk-in clinic, etc., and get more prednisone. It is good to have several pills at home, in case you get exposed to noise. With prednisone, the sooner after the noise exposure you take it, the more effective it is.

 

[Bobby B]

Steroid shot into the ear
Much better than oral
Asap

 

[gitupagin]

Thanks for replies, but isn't it better to wait a few days to see if
it goes back to baseline? Are you saying that it will get worse than
it is right now?
Thanks!

 

[Red]

Thanks for replies, but isn't it better to wait a few days to see if
it goes back to baseline?
Thanks!

In this case no. An accidental gunshot will cause tinnitus in healthy individuals. Having unprotected ears in an enclosed space during a gunshot is not comparable to everyday loud noises that will spike us such as an ambulance, motorcycle, or fire alarm.

 

[linearb]

I think this is a medical emergency and this is a rare case where I might personally be tempted to try to get a steroid shot -- but keep in mind the actual evidence that steroids do anything in the case of acoustic trauma is not very good, and the evidence that does exist indicates that the optimal time window is within ~4-6 hours of the event.

For what it's worth, I shot a large rifle (M1) with no hearing protection in ~2006 and didn't have any problems as a result, as far as I know. That said, it was not a bright thing to do, and I was also not standing in an enclosed space...

 

[gitupagin]

I am going to see the primary care doctor, I can't
get a referral without him. I am afraid of the steroid
shot because last time I got oral steroids and wound
up in ER with horrible vertigo.

 

[Red]

I am going to see the primary care doctor, I can't
get a referral without him. I am afraid of the steroid
shot because last time I got oral steroids and wound
up in ER with horrible vertigo.

You do not need a referral for ER. But if you are going to your primary, make sure to tell him or her you want prednisone/steroids as your doctor will not be a mind reader.

If you had a bad reaction maybe doctor can use a different type of steroid.
Alternatively you can go to an urgent care clinic as you do not want to wait more than a day to treat this.