Intratympanic Chemical Labyrinthectomy for Treating Tinnitus

[Racy]

I have had ringing in my ears since February 2018, after a sinus infection & bronchitis. I was sent to ENT & sinus specialist. He put me on Acyclovir 500 mg 3x day. It made me very sick.

Now he wants to do this procedure called intratympanic chemical labyrinthectomy. He says it's only got a 50% chance to help. I don't have vertigo, just the tinnitus.

I'm thinking of backing out due to the low odds of it helping. Has anyone here had it? Did it help? Any thoughts are much appreciated.

I take Singulair for allergies. After about an hour, the tinnitus seems to lower a bit at times. Is this a coincidence? He "thinks" I have a viral infection in inner ear somewhere.

 

[GregCA]

Proceed with a lot of CAUTION!

If I were in your shoes, I would ask for at least 3 to 5 different opinions about this procedure, especially since you haven't been diagnosed with Meniere's, and you say you don't have any vestibular symptoms. A labyrinthectomy is destructive and irreversible:

https://vestibular.org/understanding-vestibular-disorders/treatment/vestibular-surgery

I am extremely surprised that a doctor would suggest this to you given the information you provided and how recent your onset is. I am not a doctor, but I urge you to go consult a few different ones, as this procedure is not trivial.

Good luck!

 

[Racy]

That is my thoughts exactly! Thank you so much! He's not cutting anything out, he's injecting Gentamycin if I recall right. Does that make a difference?

 

[GregCA]

He's not cutting anything out, he's injecting Gentamycin if I recall right. Does that make a difference?

It's a difference in the procedure type, but it doesn't make it any less dangerous. It is very destructive and irreversible: be well informed before proceeding. Something doesn't sound right in your original post, which is why I urge you to seek many more opinions.

 

[nrep]

@Racy, did you ever end up going through with this procedure?