- Nov 11, 2017
- 8
- Tinnitus Since
- 15/10/2017
- Cause of Tinnitus
- compacted ear wax and ear infection
I've had tinnitus for 4 weeks now and it has been constant.
A bit of boring background.
I started this term of university on a drug titration for my epilepsy. Since about the beginning of term I had a sore throat and ear pain, especially in my left ear, like there was something in it.
I put it down to drug side effects, as both drugs could cause ear pain and sore throat and a hoarse voice.
After about a month of this, I was home from uni at my step-sons daughters birthday.
The next day I woke up with this really horrible ringing in my ears.
Went to see the local doctor, she said it was an ear infection and gave me ear drops. They didn't work. I got dizzy. Another doctor gave me antibiotics. No help. Then after 6 days whatever infection - throat or ear started to affect the control of my epilepsy. I was given diazepam by the doctor, she said it would help with the tinnitus. It just knocked me out - but that did help. Was helpful in at last getting some sleep.
The doctor also said it would go in 3 weeks.
Went home after 2 weeks off.
I'm studying Pharmacology. I was either zoned out on diazepam or I couldn't concentrate and my hearing had been affected by the amount of pus, wax and inflammation in my ear the doctor back at my uni said. He gave me more drops and an appointment for syringing. As I put the new drops in things got better.
But by now the university decided I am 'prone to infections' due to the medication I am on for epilepsy - had it since I was 3 - it has been no seceret, I should (read that as 'have to' more and more emails from them with more and more people copied in. Starting 'Hi' and 'Cheers' and moving to 'Dear' and 'regards'.) take a year out - which sounds cuddly until you find it is the same as withdrawing. The university never mentioned this.
Went for the syringing. Thought 'great despite all this other crap the horrible noise is going away'. Now I have one grommet - it is in the problem ear. It is from a treatment for patulous eustachian tube syndrome which didn't work. I used to teach swimming. When I did I got a lot of ear infections with the grommets. Never had tinnitus. My hearing is supposed to be excellent.
Never had a problem since I stopped 2 years ago. Haven't really swum either as I knackered up my shoulders and was in physio for a year.
The syringing didn't go well. I've had something similar done by ENT for a bad infection YEARS ago. but without the water. Small hose thing that sucked out gunk.
I said 'ow' once and the nurse refused to go on. As I said, with the drops, it was bearable. The syringing made it as bad as it was in the beginning.
It has been 24 hrs since the syringing and it is quieter and bearable now. I've only slept because I've been too exhausted not too. I'm terrified it gets bad again or that it gets no better.
The doctor says that there is still wax in my ear but the nurse said she could see a bit of my eardrum. In the notes, she put she refused to go on because I could not tolerate the pain and I was getting dizzy (???) she was also frightened she would damage my eardrum.
So far I've been kicked out of uni because they think I have missed too much time and after 4 weeks of this constantly, although it seems to be back to bearable. I'm sitting here awake because I'm terrified if I go to sleep, I will wake up and it will be worse or it won't be any better.
The diazepam and alcohol seem to be the only things that help. The room at my uni halls is so quiet and I have 3 flatmates. I've hardly been able to sleep in the same bed as my husband because the room is so quiet.
He has 80% hearing loss and gets it occasionally.
I'm sorry to be such a moan. My husband and I sacrificed a lot because so many jobs now ask for a degree and I was so close. Also I'm so scared because it never lets up.
I know there are some epilepsy drugs that are meant to help and at the moment they are looking into/testing safer analogs of retigabine, because at the moment the drug produces metabolites that cause blue pigmentation. I think I'd go for the blue pigmentation just now and hey I have epilepsy anyway.
Sorry for the long post.
A bit of boring background.
I started this term of university on a drug titration for my epilepsy. Since about the beginning of term I had a sore throat and ear pain, especially in my left ear, like there was something in it.
I put it down to drug side effects, as both drugs could cause ear pain and sore throat and a hoarse voice.
After about a month of this, I was home from uni at my step-sons daughters birthday.
The next day I woke up with this really horrible ringing in my ears.
Went to see the local doctor, she said it was an ear infection and gave me ear drops. They didn't work. I got dizzy. Another doctor gave me antibiotics. No help. Then after 6 days whatever infection - throat or ear started to affect the control of my epilepsy. I was given diazepam by the doctor, she said it would help with the tinnitus. It just knocked me out - but that did help. Was helpful in at last getting some sleep.
The doctor also said it would go in 3 weeks.
Went home after 2 weeks off.
I'm studying Pharmacology. I was either zoned out on diazepam or I couldn't concentrate and my hearing had been affected by the amount of pus, wax and inflammation in my ear the doctor back at my uni said. He gave me more drops and an appointment for syringing. As I put the new drops in things got better.
But by now the university decided I am 'prone to infections' due to the medication I am on for epilepsy - had it since I was 3 - it has been no seceret, I should (read that as 'have to' more and more emails from them with more and more people copied in. Starting 'Hi' and 'Cheers' and moving to 'Dear' and 'regards'.) take a year out - which sounds cuddly until you find it is the same as withdrawing. The university never mentioned this.
Went for the syringing. Thought 'great despite all this other crap the horrible noise is going away'. Now I have one grommet - it is in the problem ear. It is from a treatment for patulous eustachian tube syndrome which didn't work. I used to teach swimming. When I did I got a lot of ear infections with the grommets. Never had tinnitus. My hearing is supposed to be excellent.
Never had a problem since I stopped 2 years ago. Haven't really swum either as I knackered up my shoulders and was in physio for a year.
The syringing didn't go well. I've had something similar done by ENT for a bad infection YEARS ago. but without the water. Small hose thing that sucked out gunk.
I said 'ow' once and the nurse refused to go on. As I said, with the drops, it was bearable. The syringing made it as bad as it was in the beginning.
It has been 24 hrs since the syringing and it is quieter and bearable now. I've only slept because I've been too exhausted not too. I'm terrified it gets bad again or that it gets no better.
The doctor says that there is still wax in my ear but the nurse said she could see a bit of my eardrum. In the notes, she put she refused to go on because I could not tolerate the pain and I was getting dizzy (???) she was also frightened she would damage my eardrum.
So far I've been kicked out of uni because they think I have missed too much time and after 4 weeks of this constantly, although it seems to be back to bearable. I'm sitting here awake because I'm terrified if I go to sleep, I will wake up and it will be worse or it won't be any better.
The diazepam and alcohol seem to be the only things that help. The room at my uni halls is so quiet and I have 3 flatmates. I've hardly been able to sleep in the same bed as my husband because the room is so quiet.
He has 80% hearing loss and gets it occasionally.
I'm sorry to be such a moan. My husband and I sacrificed a lot because so many jobs now ask for a degree and I was so close. Also I'm so scared because it never lets up.
I know there are some epilepsy drugs that are meant to help and at the moment they are looking into/testing safer analogs of retigabine, because at the moment the drug produces metabolites that cause blue pigmentation. I think I'd go for the blue pigmentation just now and hey I have epilepsy anyway.
Sorry for the long post.
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