Hello from the Deep South

[CountryMile]

Hi all. I've been on the outside looking in for a few weeks now and I decided to change that.

I have been informed and soothed by what I have found here. I have had what I now know is low level tinnitus most of my life. Had ear infections as a child with 2 procedures where tubes were placed resulting in the low level tinnitus. I say that I now know it was low level because recently a series of events occurred that resulted in more severe tinnitus that has rocked my world.

I have read enough here to know that there are people here who understand this completely. So here I am in all my disarray to say hello and HELP.

 

[glynis]

@CountryMile,
A warm welcome to Tinnitus Talk.

love glynis

 

[CountryMile]

Thank you for the warm welcome glynis. I look forward to the peace I believe I will find here talking with nice folks like you.

 

[Digital Doc]

@CountryMile

So what happened more recently that sent things out of control?

 

[CountryMile]

@CountryMile

So what happened more recently that sent things out of control?

I was going through a week long treatment of Cipro for a UTI which made me pretty sick (lost some weight and couldn't sleep). At the same time my doctor put me on Celexa for stress associated with a really bad work situation and still trying to decompress from a pulmonary arterial/ venous malformation procedure that was VERY expensive. All while taking metoprolol for high blood pressure. At the end of the week treatment I was pretty down physically when by pure chance I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and received what amounted to an acoustic shock from a very loud co- worker who has a habit of emitting these very loud "hoots" as a form of laughter. It hit my left ear which was only a couple of feet away like a gunshot. It hurt my ear quite a bit and it's been screaming ever since. I didn't realize at the time that I was going to go through this...I thought I would just "walk it off" and go on with my life...but I was WRONG. So one month later here I am praying that it's not permanent.

 

[Digital Doc]

@CountryMile

That is indeed an unfortunate turn of events. With several reasons for your T, from the baseline, to some medications, and then an acoustic trauma, it will be hard to say how this will turn out.

In the meantime, if it is going to heal, it often takes longer than 1 month, like 6 to 24 months, or even longer. Avoid further noise exposure, and avoid ototoxic meds.

http://www.ata.org/sites/default/files/Drugs Associated with Tinnitus 2013_Updated2017.pdf

Both cipro and celexa made the list of ototoxic meds.

 

[Lane]

I was going through a week long treatment of Cipro for a UTI which made me pretty sick (lost some weight and couldn't sleep). At the same time my doctor put me on Celexa

@CountryMile -- I think you should know that Celexa and Cipro are both known to be ototoxic. Taking them could very well have weakned your ears, and possibly allowed the loud "hoot" was able to induce tinnitus. I think there's good chance it might not have if you hadn't been taking those medications. -- Going forward, I would suggest diligently researching any drug that's recommended by your doctor before taking it. Doctors often know very little about the potential side effects of some of these drugs.

Cipro is especially dangerous, as its negative effects are cumulative. You might be able to take one course and be OK, but a second course can literally disable you for the rest of your life. It really should be outlawed, similar to the way other fluoroquinolone antibiotics like Levaquin are being withdrawn from the market. -- Apple cider vinegar can often take care of a UTI, especially when used in conjunction with other natural therapies with proven benefits for treating UTIs. -- In my opinion, potentially dangerous prescription drugs are WAY overprescribed.

 

[CountryMile]

Digital Doc / Lane
Yes, at the time this all started I had no idea what was coming...I ended up stopping the Celexa after 10 days because the side effects created a dangerous situation at work (I work with cutting blades in making signs/banners as a wide fomat tech...it gave me the shakes) but by then the damage was already done to my ear. I'm now only on metoprolol for HBP and dicyclomine for IBS. So now I'm wondering if the metoprolol could be hampering the healing process (I did find the list of ototoxic drugs and dicyclomine is not on it). I am practicing noise avoidance with earplugs (have you had any experience with EarPeace earplugs?). I have been somewhat flustered by what appears to be some "gray" areas regarding the actual effects of the drugs on that list. I found a thread about one of the sources I was looking to (Neil Bauman) that really got me frustrated and confused. I am ignorant about meds as I've only had to interact with doctors for the occasional cold/flu kind of thing until last year when I hit the age of 58 and all hell seemed to break out, so my path going forward looks like a "Country Mile". I'm concerned that I'll make bad moves as a result of misinformation. Thank you for your input on my situation, it is greatly appreciated.

 

[CountryMile]

Taking them could very well have weakned your ears, and possibly allowed the loud "hoot" was able to induce tinnitus. I think there's good chance it might not have if you hadn't been taking those medications

That's what I was thinking...plus I was down from not eating much and sleep deprived. Heh...now I'm REALLY sleep deprived...

 

[CountryMile]

In the meantime, if it is going to heal, it often takes longer than 1 month, like 6 to 24 months, or even longer. Avoid further noise exposure, and avoid ototoxic meds

That's what I'm looking at now concerning the metoprolol...the dicyclomine is not on that list but now I'm not sure I'm getting accurate info.

 

[Digital Doc]

You are focusing on the meds, but the job is even more concerning. What kind of hearing protection do you use at work? Have they done annual audiograms?

 

[CountryMile]

You are focusing on the meds, but the job is even more concerning. What kind of hearing protection do you use at work? Have they done annual audiograms?

Have been using earplugs for swimmers as the foam ones don't work so well. I have ordered a set of Ear Peace plugs with attenuation filters and am hoping they will allow me to talk to people without having to take them out every time (that has been a problem with both the foam ones and the other ones I'm using currently). And no, they don't do audiograms. Hell, we're lucky to get the crappy foam plugs.

 

[Digital Doc]

Have been using earplugs for swimmers as the foam ones don't work so well. I have ordered a set of Ear Peace plugs with attenuation filters and am hoping they will allow me to talk to people without having to take them out every time (that has been a problem with both the foam ones and the other ones I'm using currently). And no, they don't do audiograms. Hell, we're lucky to get the crappy foam plugs.

While the medications may be related, the noise exposure sounds like the major culprit here.

Swimming earplugs are not designed for hearing protection, and most do not even put a NRR on the package for that reason.

Hearing protection needs to remain in to be effective. I pasted the reference below, and even short breaks in a noisy environment can be detrimental.

Also, Ear Peace plugs are for musicians, and not for industrial noise. They were not strong enough protection before you had these issues, and definitely not now.

Foam ear plugs protect the best, and have the highest rating. If you truly can't wear them, than look into a silicone model, or a custom one. Also, as you are having these problems, you need an audiogram, and double protection, with ear muffs over the ear plugs for more effective protection.

I would also recommend that you contact OSHA, or your country's equivalent as this place is totally not protecting their workers from what you describe.

https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/prevention/ppe/ear_prot.html

"What happens to the protection level when hearing protectors are removed for short periods of time?


In order to get full benefit, hearing protectors must be worn all the time during noisy work. If hearing protectors are removed only for a short duration, the protection is substantially reduced. The following table gives a maximum protection provided for non-continuous use of an ideally fitted 100% efficient hearing protector. For example, when hearing protection is rated with an attenuation of 25dB, if one takes off his/her hearing protector for 5 minutes in an hour the maximum protection will be reduced to no more than 11dB.

Impact of removing hearing protection
Time removed
(in 1 hr) Maximum 25 dB Protection is reduced to (dB)
0 min no reduction
1 min 17
5 min 11
10 min 8
30 min 3
60 min 0
Source: Removal of hearing protectors severely reduces protection. Health and Safety Executive, UK (no date)

Ear protectors must be used ALL THE TIME to get full benefit."

 

[Digital Doc]

https://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3074.pdf

This is what your employer needs to do, if you are in the USA.

 

[CountryMile]

@Digital Doc thank you for this information.As I am new to this situation I had no idea of the factors involved. I will heed your advice. Thanks again.