Hi, Well This Is Me...

[Blue28]

Hi to all fellow sufferers.

Here's my story. It all started 10 months ago after a very noisy microsuction procedure by an ENT. In the days following the wax removal I got loud tinnitus, extreme pressure in my ears, ear pain/burning sensations with hyperacusis, and my hearing seemed a little quieter/distant. For instance I could no longer hear birds chirping outside my bedroom window and the traffic noise I would usually hear from inside my house sounded very faint/quiet and muffled.

Then all high pitched sounds were unbearable and even normal conversation hurt my ears. I also got a strange thumping/fluttering sensation (mainly in my right ear), which I believe may be tonic tensor tympani syndrome. I have to say prior to the microsuction I had good hearing, NO tinnitus or ear problems whatsoever.

I took a 9 day course of steroids a week after the microsuction but nothing much changed.

I had my first hearing test a few weeks after the noise trauma (up to 8khz) which was within normal range with some small dips but nothing huge.

Went to another audiologist and did another test up to 16khz, which showed a very steep dip (55db) in both ears at 12khz!!! My tinnitus frequency was measured at 12khz. It's very loud too, no masking covers it, I even tried white noise generators. I have a noise discomfort level of around 35db. I feel like my life is over, I'm just existing. I struggle to sleep, can't stand everyday noises, can't go anywhere like shopping centres, restaurants etc, the fullness is present almost all the time and the tinnitus is crazy loud. I feel like no one around me gets it.

I feel I'm losing my friends because they don't understand my unhappiness, I think they just think I'm a moaner so I don't mention it anymore. Even some of my close family really don't get it, it's like they don't care. It hurts. I have a toddler too so it make it all so much harder to deal with. I just want to be the happy mummy I was before the microsuction procedure.

The ENTs I have seen have been no help. I take all sorts of vitamins, ginkgo biloba, antioxidants etc... Nothing helps! 10 months on and I am really struggling and feel I have no one to talk to. Most people don't think about their ears...I can't think about anything else :-(

Do I hope for any improvement? I'm at my wits end. Thanks for listening.

 

[SilverSpiral]

I'm 11 months in, and I share a lot of the same symptoms as you, tried all kinds of vitamins and supplements as well. Don't have much advice to offer other than that I know how you feel. I really have been holding onto hope of recovery...as it hits a year I dunno what I'm gonna do. No idea what to do. Has your improved at all? Mines as bad as ever aside from the first couple days of onset.

Mine wasn't from microsuction though, i hope yours can still get better. Is it mainly the noise from the microsuction, or did it damage in other ways than sound trauma? What do the ENTs say?

 

[Doug Lee]

Hi Blue 28...When I can't sleep due to my condition, I use this time for prayer. I'll be praying for you. There's times it seems like it's all that's left to do.

 

[Blue28]

Hi guys, thanks for replying.

@SilverSpiral you asked if mine has improved, well the truth is not really. The first 2-4 weeks was truly hell on earth, the tinnitus was so loud if I managed to sleep I was woken up by the noise of what I thought was police sirens every night...of course it was my tinnitus. The noise is maybe slightly less now but still very loud. I hear it above almost everything, watching tv is a nightmare now. I hear a constant high pitched whistle with a few other sounds thrown in. The microsuction was so loud and squealy it destroyed most of my hearing about 12khz. I even felt disorientated for a while, couldn't place where sound was coming from, dizzy spells etc. the dizziness seems to have subsided. The ENTs have not helped much, one caused the problems in the first place, one said to pop my ears twice a day and take homeopathy, one said just live with it and the latest who is a specialist in tinnitus/hyperacusis advised wearable white noise generators and see a therapist. To be honest I really think they just don't have a clue how to treat this. I am desperate to feel myself again but feel I never will. I take NAC, B12, vit c, zinc, ginkgo, magnesium, spiruline, curcumin but nothing seems to help. Have you tried notched sound therapy? I saw you tried LLLT, any luck?

@Doug Lee thank you.

 

[Bobby B]

@Blue28

this story is incredible, getting permanent hearing loss and loud T at an ENT ! you walked in with perfect ears and now you are fucked !!

Why on earth is this happening.

you should sue this bastard at the very least.

 

[Blue28]

@Bobby B yes sadly that is what happened. I will regret going for that procedure until the day I die! I'm so angry about this and of course ENT is denying everything. All I had was wax move after a session in the swimming pool, it wouldn't shift with drops so I thought the safest thing was to see an ENT, how wrong I was! It's ruined my life! I've never been exposed to loud noises until that day, so all it takes is once with a sufficiently loud noise (procedure was extremely loud) to damage hearing. There's a report I've since found on the net stating that during suction it can reach almost 150db!!! I wish I'd known this before :-(

 

[volsung37]

Microsuction by an ENT brought on my thumping and popping. Thankfully it diminishes over time. ENTs are worse than useless when it comes to tinnitus. Alcohol helps with sleep but don't overdo it. I have wine a couple of times a week and always have a good sleep despite loud T in various forms.

 

[Blue28]

Hi @volsung37
Thanks for the input. Yes I know the thumping you mean, I think it's TTTS, in my case at least.

I am horrified that microsuction can still be carried out when it can have such catastrophic side effects. These were not mentioned to me at all before the procedure and I was not aware it could cause such damage. I've found some data on the peak noise levels during microsuction... https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/22218937/
I feel really strongly that this kind of info should be brought to the attention of all patients so that they can make an informed decision. I was not aware and trusted the doctor, with life changing catastrophic consequences.

 

[Blue28]

Just wanted to ask you a question @SilverSpiral, do you have pain at all in and around your ear/ears? My damage is purely due to the noise of the suction, and since then I have terrible pain in my right ear (the one with the worst hyperacusis/TTTS). This pain seems deep in my ear and also in my jaw/neck. Have you tried any treatment the helps? I've recently started NAC but not sure it's doing any good. Thanks for your input. Hope you're feeling ok today

 

[JurgenG]

How loud would you say that it was and how was it? Could you compare with anything? Did you try to pull out?

 

[MikeL1972]

Hi Blue28,

Welcome to the site!

I read your post and all the responses and it is very upsetting that a trip to the ENT caused this terrible circumstance for you. Before you had the procedure done, you likely signed a "hold harmless" document, thus indemnifying the doctor from any possible recourse.

Please research this site thoroughly as many fellow sufferers have used a variety of tactics to help abate their tinnitus! Best of luck.

 

[SilverSpiral]

Just wanted to ask you a question @SilverSpiral, do you have pain at all in and around your ear/ears? My damage is purely due to the noise of the suction, and since then I have terrible pain in my right ear (the one with the worst hyperacusis/TTTS). This pain seems deep in my ear and also in my jaw/neck. Have you tried any treatment the helps? I've recently started NAC but not sure it's doing any good. Thanks for your input. Hope you're feeling ok today

I've not found anything that works. I recently got NAC too, how much are you taking and when do you take it? I've read it's best to take it on an empty stomach?

 

[Blue28]

I've not found anything that works. I recently got NAC too, how much are you taking and when do you take it? I've read it's best to take it on an empty stomach?

Hi, I take 3 x 200mg a day, been taking it about 2 weeks but not seen any improvement. I read only yesterday that it should be taken on an empty stomach, I didn't know that so will start to try this. Have you tried LLLT? I want to believe something will help, but I'm skeptical. My tinnitus is a really high pitched electronic hiss/ring. My hearing has a huge drop at 12khz (also pitch of my tinnitus) and it's noticeable as it happened within days of the microsuction. I also have hyperacusis which is awful. I'm desperate to find something that may help (tinnitus and hearing loss) If the hair cells are bent I don't know if they can recover at all over time. Do you have hearing loss?

 

[Blue28]

Hi Blue28,

Welcome to the site!

I read your post and all the responses and it is very upsetting that a trip to the ENT caused this terrible circumstance for you. Before you had the procedure done, you likely signed a "hold harmless" document, thus indemnifying the doctor from any possible recourse.

Please research this site thoroughly as many fellow sufferers have used a variety of tactics to help abate their tinnitus! Best of luck.

Hi @MikeL1972 Thanks for your comment. I didnt sign anything at all before the procedure, it wasn't even explained. ENT just looked in my ears and said there was wax then started the suctioning...it was VERY loud. I had never been to an ENT before so didn't know any different. I trusted him :-(

 

[MikeL1972]

Hi @MikeL1972 Thanks for your comment. I didnt sign anything at all before the procedure, it wasn't even explained. ENT just looked in my ears and said there was wax then started the suctioning...it was VERY loud. I had never been to an ENT before so didn't know any different. I trusted him :-(

In that case, I would advise you to consult a lawyer and see what he or she has to say.