Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

[Zinnia]

I'm scheduled to start HBOT on wednesday 6/14 ..... I figure it's worth it, I think. If I change my mind I will cancel.
Guess I'm a little scared to try it...scared the pressure will further screw my ear or hurt the good one.

I'm 2 months in w/ noise damage and have had several exposures in past 2 weeks w/ an increase in volume and change in tone.

Anyway, anyone have any last advice for doing it/not doing it, precautions, tips, etc..... just any thoughts?

(it's an individual chamber and the techs assured me it was quiet in there.)

 

[Eric N]

I'm scheduled to start HBOT on wednesday 6/14 ..... I figure it's worth it, I think. If I change my mind I will cancel.
Guess I'm a little scared to try it...scared the pressure will further screw my ear or hurt the good one.

I'm 2 months in w/ noise damage and have had several exposures in past 2 weeks w/ an increase in volume and change in tone.

Anyway, anyone have any last advice for doing it/not doing it, precautions, tips, etc..... just any thoughts?

(it's an individual chamber and the techs assured me it was quiet in there.)

When I tried it it was in individual chamber it was not really noisy for me 60-65 db maybe?,if you can take a water bottle and keep sipping it during the drive to clear your ears every 5 seconds as swallowing clears ear pressure .

 

[Zinnia]

When I tried it it was in individual chamber it was not really noisy for me 60-65 db maybe?,if you can take a water bottle and keep sipping it during the drive to clear your ears every 5 seconds as swallowing clears ear pressure .

Thanks. I'll see if the let me take water in.
Did it help you? How many sessions did you do?

 

[Eric N]

Thanks. I'll see if the let me take water in.
Did it help you? How many sessions did you do?

Just 2 in a row on different occasions so 4 total and no it did not help

 

[Mark G]

Hi @Zinnia yes i know what you mean i have booked but still not 100percent commited, i have a session with audiologist on Monday so will discuss it with them and get back to you if you like...i think i know what there response will be.

@Eric N ..thanks for the input, was actually in Montreal just a few months ago. Any reason you stopped at 4 ? The one here in UK is for multiple people, non profit organisation so relatively cheap for the sessions.

@Bill Bauer showers are where i get my most relief.... im gonna love it

 

[Frédéric]

When I got my appointment with my local ENT (3 days after my acoustic trauma), he did not talk me about HBO and only gave me cortisone + vasodilatator.
When I scheduled my appointment with the tinnitus center (6 days after my acoustic trauma), they did not ask me to come for emergency HBO sessions, however they had hyperbaric chambers.
At this moment, I did not know the existence of HBO.

 

[Eric N]

When I got my appointment with my local ENT (3 days after my acoustic trauma), he did not talk me about HBO and only gave me cortisone + vasodilatator.
When I scheduled my appointment with the tinnitus center (6 days after my acoustic trauma), they did not ask me to come for emergency HBO sessions, however they had hyperbaric chambers.
At this moment, I did not know the existence of HBO.

did the cortisone help?

 

[Frédéric]

The cortisone did not help at all. I just wanted to add that the tinnitus clinic gave me clonazepam (Rivotril) and advised me to follow sessions of sophrology. They just told me "it must go away by itself" to condition me (brainwashing). Unfortunately the tinnitus remained.

 

[Reno]

The one here in UK is for multiple people, non profit organisation so relatively cheap for the sessions.

Hi Mark,
I don't know if one can send private messages on this forum, but I'm in London and I'd be very interested to know which HBOT you've picked that's relatively cheap. The ones I've contacted are £160-200 a session. Thanks !

 

[Mark G]

Hi @Reno they are all over the place https://www.hyperbaricoxygentherapy.org.uk/find-chamber just find one closest and give them a call. Mines 30pound per session. Still not sure about all of it, but wish you the best

 

[Eric N]

@Mark G ..thanks for the input, was actually in Montreal just a few months ago. Any reason you stopped at 4 ? The one here in UK is for multiple people, non profit organisation so relatively cheap for the sessions.

I started getting a new sound so I stopped, not sure if it was related to HBOT

 

[Mark G]

Ah I see. Just got out of audiologist no sign of hearing damage , the lady said it was better than hers. And she tested my inner ear for damage and reported there was none, so the little hair cells seem to be holding up. Apparently the issue could be chemical imbalance to the brain , is that caused by acoustic trauma ? I don't feel HBOT will be any use now. Perhaps some positive test results a copy of living with tinnitus and the desire that everything will be ok is the best way forward from here.

 

[Reno]

Hi,

So, another guy here who's decided to try HBOT, and I have a few questions.
My story : concert-induced T, no apparent hearing loss (well not below 8khz), very high pitched T (almost 14khz, responds well to ACRN even though I can only hear the lower half of the 4 frequencies)
Had 7 days of prednisolone right after onset, didn't help.

At day 14 I felt the time was ticking, so I had one first session of HBOT : 1.5 ATA for 45 mins. No difference really. Single person chamber, nice facility but expensive, plus I didn't like the way they claim HBOT solves everything under the sun, so I didn't want to go further with them.

I then contacted another place that at least has an actual doctor working for them, their protocol was very different : 2.4 ATA for 1h30 ! Even more expensive than the first though. Put them on hold because ...

I finally found an MS treatment centre here in the UK, nice people and literally 4-5 times cheaper than the other guys, 5-6 people in each chamber, 1h sessions, and between 1.5 and 2 ATA.
I just had my first session with them, was very nervous and claustrophobic in the first 15 minutes (had trouble breathing naturally through the mask), but I made it.
I can't really say it helped so far : I'm pretty sure I couldn't hear my T during the session, which is great, but it came back in full swing for the rest of the day.
Will probably do 10-20 more sessions there.

My main question is : What does the scientific literature say about the optimal ATA + duration for T ? It seems to be all over the place.

Other question : I'm taking gingko biloba, and also a bit of xanax before the sessions to help with claustrophobia.
I've also read about NAC. Would it help ? What's its relationship with HBOT / T ?

 

[Mark G]

Hi @Reno

Glad you have found a cheaper place. I too went for a trial five yesterday 30mins for 1.25m. I decided today to not continue for the following reasons;
-Could result in further damage because of pressure. It's a small percentage but it's there.
-All reports written are 10-20 years old , I even called 'Cochrane' who really couldn't clarify/confirm anything.
- No one has any positive input on any of the forums about this and if they do it's usually hearsay 'I heard someone's tinnitus reduced.....' even the guy who started the thread reported back years later to say it didn't make a difference he just got used to it and was doing fine.
-All professionals disregard this treatment
-Non profit centres do champion the effects of this treatment but it's usually a secondary thing a patient may notice when taking treatment for something else. This implies that tinnitus is not such of an issue for them and they generally don't think about it as much.
- The only positive info I can find apart from one or two forum quotes and 20 year old reports is 2 patients at a centre in reading benefitted from the experience but it didn't make it go away.

I hope that was of some use , it was also helpful to me to list my concerns in making my own decision. Said that I'm still of the opinion of 'what if ' so any comments thoughts welcome.

Best advice is CBT mindfulness and just get on with things .....easier said than done

Best

Mark

 

[tjb0666]

I started hyperbaric last week for my tinnitus and some other medical issues. The bonehead who runs the place cranked me up to fast on the first and third day of treatment. My right ear has been muffled and a little painful and he kept saying don't worry about it its probably just inflammation. So me being skeptical, I went to the doctor this past Sunday and he says he sees a scratch on my right eardrum. Its probably more than a scratch considering when I'm in the chamber and swallow, I can hear air pass in my right ear. I think its perforated but not bad. The sound seems slightly muffled and it makes little noises as if it got some water in it from swimming.

Should I discontinue treatments? Hes telling me its ok to keep going, so I did some looking around and they say to avoid water in the ear and any type of pressurized environments. I did 5 days in a row and I'm supposed to go back in 3 hours. Your help would be greatly appreciated. I don't want to wreck my ears. My tinnitus is bad but not absolutely horrible either.

Thanks in advance.

I should mention as well that I have gone for sessions that are 2 hours long. And it takes me a whole hour to get up to 1.5 pressure. I was told this is uncommon as it usually only takes 10 to 15 minutes

 

[Mark G]

Hello @tjb0666 not sure about your other issue but in regards to tinnitus i dont think the treatment is worth it and am happy i have made the decision to discontinue, too many variables in something thats got enough by its self, not good if your a worrier like me. In regards to burst ear drum...sounds risky (see attachment) i guess same logic applies but minus the water.
I do actually have a mate who's a commercial diver , hes got tinnitus from sleeping next to a motor on his boat. He still dives all the time and doesn't have an issue with it or the fact hes got tinnitus in general. The more i ask the more i realise how common this is, this forum is great but a bit of a feeding ground for us worriers.

 

[Frédéric]

Sorry I forgot to give this link I found some months ago :
http://www.hsj.gr/medicine/the-clin...n-sensorineural-hearing-loss-and-tinnitus.pdf

Please note : it is for idiopathic and acute tinnitus.

 

[Mark G]

oh dam im just back and forward on this. the chamber is there and ready for me if i need it 17 days in now. Toughest decision

 

[tjb0666]

I decided to stop. I don't think I had a choice in the matter. After some very careful examination and research I do believe the chamber has affected my eustachian tubes. The left ear is mildly plugged although with no pain. The right ear is still plugged feeling. It also has pain inside the ear and below the ear in my neck. One of the things we were treating was a possible sinus issue. So somehow and someway this has all snowballed into one big issue. Maybe the chamber opened the sinuses can causes some major back flow into the tubes I don't know all I know is my sinuses have been off and on better after the five treatments and it doesn't matter how hard I yawn or chew gum or try breathing exercises I can't get this damn right ear to pop.

Was going to try neti pot but I read some stuff in here that says it could make matters worse. I'm starting to think that even the tinnitus could have been cause my the sinuses and the tubes. I have no idea what to do now. I have discontinued hyperbaric at this time until we can resolve this. Going to try hot compresses and try to unclog this thing

 

[tjb0666]

I didn't have this before the guy pressured me up to fast. Any tricks to get the ears to pop and get this stuff moving ?

 

[Mark G]

@tjb0666 i think it's just the amount of attention you are giving your ears. I feel similar and that things have got worst a few days after my HBO trial but im not sure wether that's just anxiety itself playing a trick. Think you just have to ride this part out and accept it's what everyone experiences at the start. Can't escape the feeling that I should have just left the whole HBO alone even the very shallow trial

 

[Mark G]

Try this the random pattern really takes the attention away from ears and onto tones
My emergency relief. Also get someone to give you a head massage also takes great attention away.

 

[Mark G]

How are the sessions going @Zinnia @Reno ?

 

[Reno]

How are the sessions going @Zinnia @Reno ?

Hey Mark,

It's going all right. To recap, I have done:
- One 45 min session @ 1.5ATA, day 14 after T. That was in that London "clinic" with an individual chamber. It's pretty comfortable, but expensive (£160) and they don't have good availability (certainly not daily). Plus I don't like how they tout HBOT as a miracle cure for everything. That's a bit OTT and puts me off.
- Last week (day 24 after T), 4 days in a row : 2 days @ 1.5ATA then 2 days @ 1.75, now at the MS charity.
- Then a 3 days week-end break.
- 4 sessions scheduled this week as well (I've done 2 so far), 3 @ 1.75 and my first one at 2 ATA on Friday.

The MS charity has a 6 people chamber. Lovely and friendly people, and much more affordable (they ask for £25-£40). It's a bit far from home for me, and it's not a hospital (no direct medical supervision). I'm also not sure that they should allow electronics (including laptop computers !) inside the chamber as they do. We use oxygen masks, so it's just regular air inside the room, electric sparks are not my concern : rather, I'm worried about batteries inside phones/tablets/laptops that could catch fire under pressure : they're surely not designed to operate under these conditions.

So, is HBOT doing anything for my T ?

I have no idea, to be honest. But I don't think it does any harm, and it does feel like I'm taking care of myself and doing something about it, which is good.
I was worried about ear pain/trauma, but so far I've been able to cope just fine up to 1.75, doing the Vasalva and Toynbee manoeuvers, or just moving my jaw sideways. It doesn't feel like a high-risk activity to me now that I've got used to it (I was scared during the first sessions). Most likely, the worst you have to lose is time + money.

In the past 2 weeks my T has become slightly more bearable, more purely one-sided (in the first weeks it was definitely coming from the left ear, but in the evenings it would also feel like it was resonating in my whole head. Not anymore). There are also now more times during the day when I don't notice it. It takes longer in the morning for it to start.

I can't scientifically attribute that to HBOT alone though : I'm also doing DIY ACRN, taking NAC, a bit of Ginkgo, vitamins and started mirtazapine for sleep. So, who knows... it could also just be habituation.

Funnily, one of the longest times without noticing my T happened yesterday, when I shared my struggle of the past month with my Facebook friends for the first time. Many people came out to tell me their own experience of T, and it helped A LOT more than I thought.

 

[Zinnia]

How are the sessions going @Zinnia @Reno ?

I wish I could report something positive but these days it's one bad thing after another.... so I got up the nerve to do HBOT this past monday and long story short ended up getting a mild barotrauma in my good ear. The ear stopped equalizing before reaching 2 atmospheres and we paused again and again... it finally equalized and went the rest of the way "down." (I've never had issues equalizing my ears before either w flying & swimming) After the treatment was over my ear was stuffed up. The Dr looked in and said my eardrum was red, bulging with fluid but not ruptured. It started feeling back to normal yesterday.

So, I'm not doing it again... don't want tubes put in. Things just keep getting crappier though because 2 days ago I took aleve and it's made my T louder. I feel like I can't win...

Have you continued after your trial session?

 

[Mark G]

Hi @Zinnia im sorry to hear that , but hang on in there, everything will be OK. No i am not doing HBO for the reasons i mentioned above, mine has been up and down regardless of HBO and seems to have changed to a hiss as of recent and im slowly starting to act more like myself.

• Ive got a pair of custom earplugs now (https://www.bootshearingcareshop.com/PRODUCT/ACS_PRO27_HEARING_PROTECTOR_PAIR) which i always carry round, just knowing i have them when needed feels great

• I have a daily checklist which i aim to achieve each day in a attempt to stop me googling/thinking about Tinnitus (trust me i need this as im self employed so can easily give into to tinnitus research

• I've also got a weekly and year plan

• I also try and write positive things i have achieved in the week to remind myself things arent so bad

• Never listen out for tinnitus, always have something on in background to distract brain at early stages.

Dont forget studies have indicated that over time the noises disappear completely or at least reduce to a tolerable level in most cases. Be positive and trust that the brain will stop monitoring the signal. WE CAN DO THIS the vast majority of cases get better!!!!

Best

Mark

 

[Jinxy]

Did you have only 5 sessions? If that's the case, why didn't you have more?

I know this is a very late answer, but I only had 5 because of how expensive it was (900€ for my 5 sessions), and also because I didn't really have more than 1 week to spend on it. In addition, I think I recall the HBOT audiologist telling me that even 5 sessions can be effective, so I decided to give it a go. I can say it helped mentally more than physically.

 

[tinnitube]

Hi all, I'm doing a postgraduate course of HBOT, I've been working now on HBOT, I will be honored to answer questions about the therapy, let me know anything. I will be glad if I can help Best regards from Chile!

 

[Zinnia]

Hi @Zinnia im sorry to hear that , but hang on in there, everything will be OK. No i am not doing HBO for the reasons i mentioned above, mine has been up and down regardless of HBO and seems to have changed to a hiss as of recent and im slowly starting to act more like myself.

• Ive got a pair of custom earplugs now (https://www.bootshearingcareshop.com/PRODUCT/ACS_PRO27_HEARING_PROTECTOR_PAIR) which i always carry round, just knowing i have them when needed feels great

• I have a daily checklist which i aim to achieve each day in a attempt to stop me googling/thinking about Tinnitus (trust me i need this as im self employed so can easily give into to tinnitus research

• I've also got a weekly and year plan

• I also try and write positive things i have achieved in the week to remind myself things arent so bad

• Never listen out for tinnitus, always have something on in background to distract brain at early stages.

Dont forget studies have indicated that over time the noises disappear completely or at least reduce to a tolerable level in most cases. Be positive and trust that the brain will stop monitoring the signal. WE CAN DO THIS the vast majority of cases get better!!!!

Best

Mark

Mark, I wanted to thank you for your positive response. I need to keep in mind a lot of the things you mentioned too because I'm home mostly for the summer before going back to school (work.) Hope you're still doing better with your T.

 

[Bill Bauer]

Hi all, I'm doing a postgraduate course of HBOT, I've been working now on HBOT, I will be honored to answer questions about the therapy, let me know anything. I will be glad if I can help Best regards from Chile!

I just saw your post. The most important question is how soon after the injury does HBOT stop being effective? Are individual tanks better than group tanks? Is it important to do HBOT treatments every day, or is it ok to pause for the weekend? Thank you!