Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Thanks. I haven't seen much evidence of adverse affects though I take your point tinnitus sufferers are a specific population who may be at an increased risk of complications that wouldn't show up in studies. I'd certainly take any evidence about the risks on board.

I admit the evidence of it working is weak at best though but right now nobody seems to be offering anything and here at least it is relatively cheap and at 33' is only twice atmospheric pressure at sea level.
 
Yeah I agree. Unless you are a diabetic with your foot falling off or a diver suffering from the bends, do as Dr. Ancill says and stay away.
Sorry but I do not agree with you at all.
one of the causes for Tinnitus for example is sudden hearing loss and HBOT is an option for treating sudden hearing loss that is stated in the guidelines. (Statement 9) it may be beneficial if done in the first 3 months from onset.
if you treat the hearing loss that causes tinnitus you are also most likely to get rid of both. (this is exactly what happened to me)
if there was a possibility for doing harm to your ears, would you think HBOT would've been recommended as an option in the guidelines for treating sudden hearing loss?
there are some risks in HBOT but they are very rare and the only harm you can do which could be related to your ears is barotrauma and that could happen only if you don't equalize the pressure in your ears during the "dive" while you descend. if you clear your ears every few seconds in those first 7 minutes of the "diving" you are fine.
I can also tell you about myself that I had sudden hearing loss and Tinnitus for more than 2 months now and my ear was and is unstable and "sick" and the professor I've been to which is a senior ENT specialist and surgeon and a senior dive medicine specialist and was the chief of the institution for maritime medicine of our country's marine division in the army for many years (you can be sure he knows all about hyperbaric medicine)
he told me that for T alone (not sudden hearing loss) it is not proven to help but it can't do any harm.

here you can also mention that even if it could help 25% of the old sufferers from T it will not be significantly enough to make it a guideline for treating T by its own. and still I think 1 out of 4 is a very good chance.
my personal recommendation for treating T is based on the fact that most new T comes with new hearing loss:
if T is less for 3 months (I would do it up to a year just for the chance it would help)- go do HBOT.
if T is an old thing for you- I would check out neuromodulation as it seems to me it's the most possible solution right now.

and if I please may add..
I'm after my 15 session, T is very low. sometimes it's a little louder but in general it's very low.
I am very happy for that. I've asked the professor that is treating me how many sessions I should do and he said that around the world the common amount is 10 to 20. I'll do 5 more to round it to 20 and hopefully I will have more improvement.
It could be spontaneous healing but I feel that the HBOT has helped a lot.
with or without the HBOT's help, I am already feeling as if I was cured.
 
Hi Everybody, i'm new here, sorry if I misspell some words. My problem started 05. of March, i had a nap and when i woke up i had a buzzing sound and it was like my right ear was deafend, few friends that study medicine sad that it was probably from cerumen and that i need to go to get my ear cleaned, but when i went to doctors they said that i need to test my hearing, audiogram showed that i have expirienced hearing lose and it was pretty bad at some frequencies, they rushed my to a specialist who subscribed me a 10 day therapy of some steroid trough injections, they said that the problem is with my inner ear, afther that i have checked my hearing again, and it was better but not like on the left ear, after that they sent me to get a Hyperbaric chamber treatmans, i started it last Wednesday, today is my 7th session, it seems that my T is little lower than usual, im mentaly coping better with it sow i think it's having some effects. They said i need to go to atleast 20 sessions, maybe even more. As of my hearing i have trouble when im outside and if someone talks to me from mi right side i can't hear them every time of the surounding noise, in closed space it's much easier and i hear perfect on my left ear so i don't even notice it that much but in open spaces there are problems. Also it seems that no sound can mask my T it's always there and it seems to me that it changes intensity and volume at some times,it's something betwen buzzing and hissing sound, for example it's always louder afther i take the shower or after i come home from outside.
@RoyZ how did your SHL happened? Was it on all frequencies or just some? Did you check your hearing now, got better or? Any advice is helpful...
 
@Mitbaster, my SHL was of no known cause and only in the left ear.
I took 2 courses of steroids which before each one I had some hearing loss and after each one my hearing was almost normal. the worst I had was 50db loss in one frequency. and about 30-50db loss in 3 consecutive frequencies (somewhere in the range of 4KHz-8KHz) some days after the first round of steroids my hearing deteriorated so I got another round.
now my hearing is almost normal at the ranges of up to 8KHz, but my left ear was 40db worst than my right ear in ALL frequencies above 8KHz (9-20) no one needs to hear in these ranges as they are ultra high and you loose them anyway as you grow older but the ear was/is sick and it causes T. all of that was before HBOT, I imagine its condition has improved greatly since T has dropped greatly.

Today was my 19th session, now I am having a little louder days,
I thought I was over with it as it was so quite for 4-5 days! I thought I was finally cured! :(
but I guess I'll need more sessions to really nail that bastard. it's not as loud as before the HBOT as the sounds changed. I used to have "High current power lines electricity sounds" which were very loud but they were gone with the improvement after the 10th HBOT session. I now have just ultra high sounds like zapping every half a second which I had before. very very annoying but not loud. I hope I'll get rid of it. I believe I will. I am probably going for 30 or 40 sessions.

I have a lady with me in the chamber that has a crazy and loud T for almost a year. she is probably at her 25th session or so,
I was sorry for her that she didn't have any improvements since the beginning but today she told me that she has a relief. that it's less loud for 2 days and she is happy. I wish it would stay for her and get only better.
 
@Mitbaster, my SHL was of no known cause and only in the left ear.
I took 2 courses of steroids which before each one I had some hearing loss and after each one my hearing was almost normal. the worst I had was 50db loss in one frequency. and about 30-50db loss in 3 consecutive frequencies (somewhere in the range of 4KHz-8KHz) some days after the first round of steroids my hearing deteriorated so I got another round.
now my hearing is almost normal at the ranges of up to 8KHz, but my left ear was 40db worst than my right ear in ALL frequencies above 8KHz (9-20) no one needs to hear in these ranges as they are ultra high and you loose them anyway as you grow older but the ear was/is sick and it causes T. all of that was before HBOT, I imagine its condition has improved greatly since T has dropped greatly.

Today was my 19th session, now I am having a little louder days,
I thought I was over with it as it was so quite for 4-5 days! I thought I was finally cured! :(
but I guess I'll need more sessions to really nail that bastard. it's not as loud as before the HBOT as the sounds changed. I used to have "High current power lines electricity sounds" which were very loud but they were gone with the improvement after the 10th HBOT session. I now have just ultra high sounds like zapping every half a second which I had before. very very annoying but not loud. I hope I'll get rid of it. I believe I will. I am probably going for 30 or 40 sessions.

I have a lady with me in the chamber that has a crazy and loud T for almost a year. she is probably at her 25th session or so,
I was sorry for her that she didn't have any improvements since the beginning but today she told me that she has a relief. that it's less loud for 2 days and she is happy. I wish it would stay for her and get only better.

Were these steroids prescribed by a doctor? and how long was it after the hearing loss that they gave them to you?
 
Hi Kimbo Slice, this topic is about HBOT so I always try to make sure anything I write is somehow related. now we deviate to the SHL Topic which might need a topic of it's own.. but I'll answer your question.. Yes, the steroids were prescribed to my by a doctor. about 9 days after onset for the first round and about 21 days for the second, both rounds gave improvement. steroids are the first line of defense for SHL. read the guidlines (link in one of my previous posts above) if you have any doubt about your condition, go see a doctor.
 
@RoyZ Did you have any hearing loss under the 4Khz frequencies? My SHL was also of no known cause and only in the right ear. The problem is i had dips in every frequencie up to 60Db at some, 5 days after onset got 10 days of steroids trough injections, after that hearing was better the biggest dip was up to 35Db, i hope HBOT will help some more, sometimes my T is loud and anoying, and sometimes it's some mild hissing sound that i need to close my ear to hear if it buzzes, and the buzz is very low at those moments, today going for my 8th session, after 11 i have scheduled with the doctor to test the hearing again, as they said to me i'm going to have at least 20 sessions so going strong and possitive, i'm young 24 years only so hoping the cells can heal little
 
Were these steroids prescribed by a doctor? and how long was it after the hearing loss that they gave them to you?
I you are like me, you missed the opportunity. The system here in BC was completely ignorant of the use of steroids for SSNHL. I even went to the emerg and they just poo pooed it as stress related. By the time I got to a real doctor in the US, it was too late. Only up to 7 days after onset is allowed ...max. That's because the hair cells in the cochlea die after 10 days. So it is game over for both of us. Just hope that the body can heal on its own.....But the next time, I have SSNHL, I'll be on a trip to Seattle so I can get real help and not the crap I got in BC. Cheers.
 
Today I finished my 20th session. I had an improvement after the 10th and nothing more since.
I went to see a doctor which I made an appointment to right after onset (2 months ago), he is the most known doctor for treating T in my country and maybe even the best.
he told me that even thoughI had improvement by the HBOT, it is still not enough and I should go on for 40 sessions.
no less and no more. less wont be enough and more wont do any better if 40 wouldn't do. so I am going for 40 sessions.
he also said that because I personally had deterioration after each course of steroids it might be an autoimmune ear disease and for that people take steroids by perfusion all their life and they get by. but it's too soon to tell since there are not enough evidence and I should finish the HBOT and we'll go from there. hopefully it will be fixed.
He said now is the time to "heal" the SHL by the HBOT which is very different (much better) than "treating" it after it settled (6 months to a year).

as for your discussion guys.. I am not sure SHL discussion is for here (HBOT), I'll try to ask the administrators to create a topic for ISSNHL.

@Mitbaster, keep doing the HBOT, from what I understand the most common amount of sessions is 20.
if you'll have any improvement consider going for more like me.

@JohnG, it's definitely important to get steroids as soon as you can but I don't agree that after 7 days they won't help.
not sure where you got the fact that cells die after 7 days, I'll be honestly glad to see some research that shows that.
I know that some of them are dying, not sure how many die with onset. for the dying ones you get steroids. to give them a punch and wake them up.
I took 2 courses (9 days after and 21 days after) and it improved my hearing greatly (tests showed), but not T. I don't think it would've changed my T if I got it a few days earlier. maybe yes maybe not. I think that not.

@Kimbo Slice, There is still a lot to do.. if you are not a month away you can probably get steroids and you can do HBOT which is probably your last chance to heal it, like mine.

and for everyone who had SHL.. the doctor just told me, your body could heal itself up to 6 months spontaneously. even if you are going out of your minds right now.
 
Today I finished my 20th session. I had an improvement after the 10th and nothing more since.
I went to see a doctor which I made an appointment to right after onset (2 months ago), he is the most known doctor for treating T in my country and maybe even the best.
he told me that even thoughI had improvement by the HBOT, it is still not enough and I should go on for 40 sessions.
no less and no more. less wont be enough and more wont do any better if 40 wouldn't do. so I am going for 40 sessions.
he also said that because I personally had deterioration after each course of steroids it might be an autoimmune ear disease and for that people take steroids by perfusion all their life and they get by. but it's too soon to tell since there are not enough evidence and I should finish the HBOT and we'll go from there. hopefully it will be fixed.
He said now is the time to "heal" the SHL by the HBOT which is very different (much better) than "treating" it after it settled (6 months to a year).

as for your discussion guys.. I am not sure SHL discussion is for here (HBOT), I'll try to ask the administrators to create a topic for ISSNHL.

@Mitbaster, keep doing the HBOT, from what I understand the most common amount of sessions is 20.
if you'll have any improvement consider going for more like me.

@JohnG, it's definitely important to get steroids as soon as you can but I don't agree that after 7 days they won't help.
not sure where you got the fact that cells die after 7 days, I'll be honestly glad to see some research that shows that.
I know that some of them are dying, not sure how many die with onset. for the dying ones you get steroids. to give them a punch and wake them up.
I took 2 courses (9 days after and 21 days after) and it improved my hearing greatly (tests showed), but not T. I don't think it would've changed my T if I got it a few days earlier. maybe yes maybe not. I think that not.

@Kimbo Slice, There is still a lot to do.. if you are not a month away you can probably get steroids and you can do HBOT which is probably your last chance to heal it, like mine.

and for everyone who had SHL.. the doctor just told me, your body could heal itself up to 6 months spontaneously. even if you are going out of your minds right now.

Ask eny ENT in N. America and they don't recommend steroids after 7 days. Yes, cells die after 10 days from trauma on average. You can see that in research papers. That is why steroids have to be given as early as possible. You may have gotten better without any steroids at day 21. No ENT I've read or contacted, including the one I saw, would give me steroids outside of 7 days. But every country has their own laws...maybe yours is different. But I don't think steroids work after about the 1st weak post trauma.

And be careful with HBOT. Free radicals from 100% oxygen is dangerous to the body. It can cause other harm.
 
I did not take any steroids or HBOT and my hearing improved dynamically on the second month. I did start high doses of NAC but that is it. No more treatment and I got better. I had a 60db loss that went up 40db and no steroids. It is very, very possible that you would have gotten better anyway.
 
I did not take any steroids or HBOT and my hearing improved dynamically on the second month. I did start high doses of NAC but that is it. No more treatment and I got better. I had a 60db loss that went up 40db and no steroids. It is very, very possible that you would have gotten better anyway.


How long was it after exposure that you started taking the NAC? I was going to do this, but my parents said it would be a pointless "miracle" product.
 
How long was it after exposure that you started taking the NAC? I was going to do this, but my parents said it would be a pointless "miracle" product.
I started after one month maybe about 6 weeks.

Before I started NAC, I had severe H and sound just hurt like hell. My hearing was all muddled. I started taking 1.5 g of NAC a day. After a week, The H almost went away. My T also went down. Now, this could be coincidence but it seems too much of a turn to be chance. I can say for sure that after I take NAC, my T goes down a notch or two. Also, if I take NAC, I can listen to sounds that normally bother me. Also, there seems to be convening research done by the US Navy using a cohort of Marines before and after firing weapons that there is oto protection from taking it. Here is one article I have on hand but there are more:
http://otologicpharmaceutics.com/the-science/
 
@JohnG, I know what you mean but I know there is a benefit of taking steroids in the entire first month from my personal experience and from the doctors who treated me and from what I know they are following the American guidelines.
I think that not giving steroids after the first 7 days is a crime. it's proven to work I got major improvements in both rounds and it was expected by the doctors who gave me the steroids.

as for the free radicals, you are right. NAC is suppose to help to eliminate the excessive ones.
one of the instructions I got from the HBOT doctor is to take 600mg of NAC 3 times a day for the time of the treatment and not after. I was told that NAC makes sure the veins will stay open and will not shrink under the oxygen.
they also recommended to take Omega 3, olive oil and some nuts, all that could help to make the oxygen absorb better in the body.

I did not take any steroids or HBOT and my hearing improved dynamically on the second month. I did start high doses of NAC but that is it. No more treatment and I got better. I had a 60db loss that went up 40db and no steroids. It is very, very possible that you would have gotten better anyway.

spontaneous healing is possible, chances are not high. one better get all the treatments that he/she can ASAP.
you can wait and see if you got T for life or you could do everything in your power to minimize that chances for that.
evidence based medicine produced guidelines for treating ISSNHL, one should know them well and get the treatments from a good doctor.
 
@JohnG, I know what you mean but I know there is a benefit of taking steroids in the entire first month from my personal experience and from the doctors who treated me and from what I know they are following the American guidelines.
I think that not giving steroids after the first 7 days is a crime. it's proven to work I got major improvements in both rounds and it was expected by the doctors who gave me the steroids.

as for the free radicals, you are right. NAC is suppose to help to eliminate the excessive ones.
one of the instructions I got from the HBOT doctor is to take 600mg of NAC 3 times a day for the time of the treatment and not after. I was told that NAC makes sure the veins will stay open and will not shrink under the oxygen.
they also recommended to take Omega 3, olive oil and some nuts, all that could help to make the oxygen absorb better in the body.



spontaneous healing is possible, chances are not high. one better get all the treatments that he/she can ASAP.
you can wait and see if you got T for life or you could do everything in your power to minimize that chances for that.
evidence based medicine produced guidelines for treating ISSNHL, one should know them well and get the treatments from a good doctor.


We're both at 3 months now. Would you say it is a long shot now that our useless doctors decided not to help us, or do you think we might be able to benefit from steroids still? I'm pretty desperate right now and my Tinnitus got worst today above 10000 Khz. I'll do anything to get rid of this I'm even considering HBOT.
 
I dont think steroids will help in this point in time and they sure aren't giving them in that point. (only up to a month or maybe a little more) if what you have is ISSNHL. start HBOT immediately as it's your only shot. do 20 sessions and if you have any improvment go for 40. this is by the latest advice I got from the HBOT and another outside specialist doctor. for me it cost 100USD a session- 40 sessions- 4000$ but I'm doing it. it's my last chance for treating it. they say you should start in the first 3 months (read the guidelines). stop considering and start treating!
the sooner the (much much) better even though I understand one could have improvement even he passed that time.
 
I am still continuing, I've experienced a reduction in my T, it may or may not be due to HBOT and it isn't a linear improvement but it's real so far and I'm going to keep on doing what I've been doing in the hope it continues. Weighing up the evidence, anecdote and peronal experience that seems like the rational thing to do.
 
I finished my 9th session today, pause until Monday now, they said that i am going to have min 20 sessions, i guess if i get some imrpovement on my hear testing they will continue with the teraphy up to 30-40 sessions, i noticed that my T gets worse outside, don't know is it due to loud noises or because i'm in movement, also noticed that my T goes down when i am sitting down and studying for few hours, sometimes i even need to close my ear to hear the buzzing but the hissing sound is there constanly, also when i close my left healthy ear and all sounds are proccesed by my right damaged ear i am much less aware of the T, anyone having same sympthoms?
 
jchinnis said:
Isn't this topic on HBO therapy? Where are the Phase III randomized trials on that for tinnitus? Looks like it would be really simple to do.
Markku, can you remove the above, non relevant posts? So sorry from my end for getting side tracked on a pretty dumb argument.


True, we need to focus that back onto HBOT. I didn't see any research articles on this by more than one independent non profit group. Have you? It seems HBOT can produce toxic effects...that has been demonstrated. For example, cataracts. It may be good to pull from data from divers. Divers have to use N2 mixed with O2 because of the toxicity to the brain,, retina, etc. But can 100% O2 be beneficial at 2 Atms? Can someone point me to two independent trials done by a non profit?
 
And it hadn't been two weeks since T onset, how do you do it? Do you just show up and pay? That's a rhetorical question of course, and imagine there's at least a few hoops to jump through, and areas of injury/rehab that certain centers would be willing to treat. But is it mainly that you get inside, they turn it on, and then in an hour your done? And in that sense it's really not that sophisticated?

There's one here where I live, and several others nearby. What's stopping someone from getting it?

I'm sorry to sound like a moron, I'm going to make some phone calls tomorrow. I'm just curious if it's really that simple, sort of, to get HBOT. Just, you know, a doctor's note. Although in America it appears you have to pay for it yourself.
 
And it hadn't been two weeks since T onset, how do you do it? Do you just show up and pay? That's a rhetorical question of course, and imagine there's at least a few hoops to jump through, and areas of injury/rehab that certain centers would be willing to treat. But is it mainly that you get inside, they turn it on, and then in an hour your done? And in that sense it's really not that sophisticated?

There's one here where I live, and several others nearby. What's stopping someone from getting it?

I'm sorry to sound like a moron, I'm going to make some phone calls tomorrow. I'm just curious if it's really that simple, sort of, to get HBOT. Just, you know, a doctor's note. Although in America it appears you have to pay for it yourself.

I think you should see an ENT doctor and find out if you have ISSNHL first and ASAP.. if you do, you'll need steroids first. and they are better for treating the problem in the first place. then HBOT if you still not cured.. in my country you need some doctor to direct you then a chest x-ray to show that you don't have any issues..
 
I am after the 24th session.
T is a little louder now than the most quite few days I had but I still hope that HBOT will do the job, 16 sessions to go so it's not a few..
 
I did 39 sessions, I had some very quite days and now it is a little louder.
I've noticed that many times after a session, the T changes and not always to the better.
and the change stays.
I am sure about this since every time I got to a new state after the last session of the week,
this state would last during the whole weekend just until the next session.
that goes for the better and for the worst.

I am suppose to have one more session and in this weekend T was louder than the most quite days.
now I am thinking I should`ve left while I was better a few days ago but who knew..
I hope the last session will change the state. to me it is very common that it changes like that. it's a little funny but this is how it is. I've asked the chief doctor for the HBOT department and he said it's because the oxygen put the "deltas" in the ear in an unstable state and that is why it happens and should be balanced somehow, either by more sessions or just time.. I am not sure.
if the last session wont change it I'll take another one and another one until I'll leave the chamber with almost silence in my head, like a few days ago.
 
Hi,

I read most of this thread, and it seems like there are mixed results mostly related to how close to onset one seeks treatment. My short story is that i've experienced some acoustic damage from a night out and from what i can tell little to no hearing loss, i've seen an ENT who said "it may take time to go away, or not go away" and i'm going to see an audiologist next week.

My T is low, but i'm an audio engineer by trade so its super discouraging to me and scary for my career. I'm 6 weeks from onset and read about HBOT on this forum last night. I got really excited that i'm within the time frame of 3 months and it seems like a good idea but i'm in NYC and not sure if there is a low-cost opportunity near by, anybody know of one?

I would greatly appreciate any advise, i am 29.

Thank you.
 
It looks like i found a place in NYC that goes up to 1.5ATA... is that enough to really pump the oxygen into my blood?

here's their description:

"The Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Chamber at DowntownPMR has the ability to go to 1.5ATA or the equivalent of 7.35 Pounds per square inch of pressure. Each session lasts for approx 1 hour and 20 minutes which includes 60 minutes under full pressure."

They have a package deal for 20 sessions at 1750 which is the lowest price id imagine you'd find in the city...
 
@Salt
...it seems like the whole HBOT thing is a temporary fix at best that may mess with you perception and frustrate you more then help you. But best of luck and let me know if it helps. P.S. I'm in the NYC area and in your field...so I think we have some common ground, (probably know a bunch of the same people too).
 
I looked up that 1.5 ATA is about 15ft depth. From what I read here on the thread most people do HBOT btw 33-40+ ft. Since this isn't a normal treatment for T I haven't found much medical advise out there on this.

So far my experience on this forum has been super useful and I greatly appreciate everyone writing about their experiences. As I mentioned my T is mild, but it is annoying and it's presence requires me to do my work at higher volumes and inevitably causing more damage. I'm fairly young and my livelihood depends on my ears.

What I hear now is white noise from like an old CRT TV/ distant crickets (changes back and forth), a digital chirping sound that is slightly more left ear and a ringing that is more present in the right ear (a sign of acoustical trauma from what I've read here). Sometimes the chirping sound with combine with sounds that I'm hearing to bring out a buzz or hum that I'm unsure is there at all, or with the SSSS (in "sibilance")... Which I will sometimes make a buzz that I hear in my voice or others.

Of course the main lesson here is protect my ears, I carry ear peace earplugs with me all the time now. But with these symptoms would anyone here seek HBOT in my position?

Take care
 
I would if your T is truly less then 3 months old. But I thought I read that you've suffered from VERY mild t for a while (i.e. guessing more the 3 months) ...In reading which I'm sure you've seen the 3 month mark is the kind of the border on which it will be effective. I hope you do great and hit me back on the message thread if you get the chance. I'd love to chat some time.
 
Soulstation,

Thanks for replying.

@Salt
...it seems like the whole HBOT thing is a temporary fix at best that may mess with you perception and frustrate you more then help you.

Is it only temporary, from what i understand most people have experienced permanent improvements?

Yes i'm at about half way to the 3 month period, which means i should act now if i'm going to. I found a place called Chiropractic in Manhattan that does HBOT at 1.5ATA... which i'm a little skeptical about, its right on the boarder of where it becomes effective statistically - 1.5 is where it becomes a "true hyperbaric" and the oxygen becomes "bacteriostatic"... it is in a Soft chamber though rather than a hard chamber.

The doctor i spoke to at the facility said they have been getting good results with tinnitus patients. One of the other facilities i spoke to said they max out at 2.0ATA for tinnitus, and 2.4 for bone healing and crazy wounds.

They are the least expensive therapy in the tri-state area also..running 20 sessions at $1750, which is barely affordable to me... the true HBOT clinics i've called up run around $5k USD for 20 sessions.

I'm thinking that a mild treatment for mild T (within the 3mo timeframe) might be effective...? if you had to chose to have less sessions at higher pressure or more sessions at lower pressure which would you?

I'd love to hear what someone with experience with HBOT, or who's heard a lot about the specifics of the treatment says.

PS: we probably know some of the same people if we haven't met ourselves, lets connect once i've sorted some of this stuff out
 

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