My Story with Ototoxicity Drug-Induced Tinnitus That Just Started...

[alicia_tina]

I just want to apologize in advanced for making this super long but thought I would give as much info as possible to get thoughts/help better.....so here it goes....my story that just started August 8, 2016.

I started hearing my tinnitus one day out the blue as I was in my room I though it was something else and while searching for it that's when I realized it was in my ear, I immediately freaked out because my mother also has tinnitus (very severe in both ears) and I know how hard it was and still is to live with it hers is more like a loud buzz/hiss type and mine is a very sharp ringing. I though maybe it will go away when I sleep, woke up still there and loud. It was already brining me down. I believe my tinnitus is from Ototoxicity, I was recently in the hospital with severe migraine and tension, I was told to get a trigger point injection from my pain Doctor (more on that later) that was on a Friday, until my appointment the following Tuesday I just decided to take the meds they gave me which was a muscle relaxer called methocarbamol 500mg tablet along with ibuprofen 600mg, taken morning and night. I also take 30mg oxycontin for breakthrough pain and 40mg oxycontin once in the morning and night for severe back and next pain (for over a year now) from a car accident I was in where a truck hit me while I was at a red light, I've had a rhizotomy done on my neck and 2 on my back (lower left and lower right) I also got a epidural on my lower left back. I've also had trigger injections done before bout a year ago in my upper shoulder neck area for severe tension and muscle spasms. I was assured taken these meds will be fine. I did the muscle relaxer and ibuprofen together, waited an hour or so before taking OxyContin.

So this is why I believe it is Ototoxicity, even though I did those medication for just 4-5 days...... A week before that I had severe menstrual cramps and I remember taking 400mg Motrin which did not work then took my 600mg ibuprofen that was both in the morning and took just the 600mg ibuprofen that night, that was it. After reading around here these past few days like a maniac I read many that say to start taking prednisone as soon as onset starts but not many people here talk about Ototoxicity and if prednisone will work for that, well none that I can find so wasn't sure if this would work in my case but I went to my doctor and got prednisone anyway, this is now at 4 days after onset and started that night taken them 20mg in the morning and at night for 14 days. I see no difference on this now after 3 days on it except that my neck and tension feels a little better. I've also experienced anxiety attack like crazy these last few days which I've never experienced in my life! I was give lorazepam 0.5mg which seems to put me in place.

Since onset, I have not taken any muscle relaxer or ibuprofen and I took out the OxyContin 40mg which I been wanting to do anyway, I figure the less meds right now the better. I'm only taking oxycodone 30 as needed, I've been splitting 3 pills throughout the day not to experience so much withdrawal by cutting off 80mg overnight......

Now I am taking oxycodone, 15-20mg 3-4x a day depending on how I feel....prednisone 20mg morning/night, and lorazepam as need (only twice so far).

Also, since onset I immediately started taking these vitamins I read on here people take as well as my mom is there anything I should add, take out, or get more off?

Vitamin D3 1000IU (taken once a day)

Vitamin E 400IU (taken once a day)

Calcium, Magnesium, Zin (all in one)
Calcium 333mg, Magnesium 133mg, Zinc 5mg (taken 3 times a day)

Super B-Complex
Vitamin C 150mg
Thiamin 100mg
Riboflavin 20mg
Niacin 25mg
Vitamin B6 2mg
Folic Acid 400mcg
Vitamin B12 15mcg
Biotin 30mcg


I tried searching for any info that may help me but find much of nothing on Ototoxicity tinnitus and was wondering if this is definitely something permanent and should just get over it and more on with dealing with this for life or is there a chance I may recover?

I also go see an ENT Tuesday.

I just basically want to know my chances here, I know everyone is different but was wondering if in this case my odds are greater or if I'm shit out of luck. I also am not experience hearing loss or anything. I also notice my ear popping a lot too now since 2 days ago. My doctor checked me out completely, nothing wrong with sinuses, and ears look great to him no water, no redness or anything. I also don't suffer from anything else and have no allergies or anything.

Looking forward to any advice and tips anyone may send my way, I am really hoping for a recovery but I'm not keeping my hopes up much.

I just hope it does not get any louder than what it is, I know I can try and get through it if it stays like this, my fear is that after I get off the prednisone it will spike like I read on many people. I hope it just stays the same way it is which is like a 2-3/10 and I know I can learn to deal with it better. It's been almost a week and I am doing ok so far besides my normal all hell is breaking loose to nope I got this I got this! My 2 babies and hubby need me and I can't break down on them! It's the only thing making go not to insane!

 

[alicia_tina]

Sorry for the double post but I must say after lurking here for the last 5 days I have read and learned so much! Thanks you for that! This is an amazing support forum I am so glad I came across, hopefully a few of you lovely people can help me out here.

Thanks again and sorry again for the ridiculously long start of a post!

 

[DirM]

I'm no doctor, but my understanding for ototoxisity is that it takes heavy doses over long periods of time, not just a few days or weeks. And for most, but not all of these drugs, T stops once the drug is out of your blood stream.

Also, for my T methocarbinol (Robaxin) significantly reduces my T, and I've been on heavy doses for two weeks and my T is trending down, not up. I was also on heavy doses of Advil for two weeks since the theory is that my T caused by inflammation, but I did ramp that down.

Remember that T is a symptom not a disease. It's like "fever" (which can be caused by everything from a cold to Ebola). So there is not a single cause or cure. In my case my T does seem to be based on muscles and inflammation, but others have it based on nerve issues, others ear damage issues, some even acid reflux! So what helps me (muscle relaxers, anti inflamitories and anti anxiety drugs) do the opposite for others. So the big issue is trying to dial in your cause and fire out a course of treatment from there.

 

[alicia_tina]

Thank you so much for your reply, truly appreciate all the input! I went to see an ENT today and did (what I consider a rush job) hearing test and said my hearing was better than good. Said he doesn't believe it was due to that but I know it was the medications, no loud mucus, concerts, stress or anything but medicine it could be.

In going for a second opinion though, didn't like him much.

Hope your T is doing better!

 

[James]

Welcome @alicia_tina
Glad you joined the forum. Yes, what a great forum it is. Thanks for sharing your T story and I hope the forum helps as you said. Lots of information and people are nice too. Having T is what we have in common.

Anyway, great news that your hearing is better than good. Maybe what @DirM mentioned about ototoxic drugs, that Tinnitus will diminish, once the medications are gone. I'd hope so.

 

[alicia_tina]

@James thank you!

I sure hope it will diminish. Only time and faith in God will tell.

I'm also very scared because I'm on prednisone and scared of what will happen when I get off it, if it will increase and spike really high, I already have high pitch ringing if it gets worse that sure will be unbearable to deal with. I pray that doesn't happen. I also think the oxycodone helps as well, noticed it brings it down whenever I take it. I'm already tapering down with that, went from 170mg daily doses to 90mg in just a few days, I think that really got me in a bad state last few days but I am glad to take those 40mg Oxycontin doses out the way!

Also, wondering, if hearing is great and nothing is damaged does that mean the chances are greater for T to go away or get very low?

Hope you are doing well!

 

[billie48]

I just hope it does not get any louder than what it is, I know I can try and get through it if it stays like this, my fear is that after I get off the prednisone it will spike like I read on many people. I hope it just stays the same way it is which is like a 2-3/10 and I know I can learn to deal with it better. It's been almost a week and I am doing ok so far besides my normal all hell is breaking loose to nope I got this I got this! My 2 babies and hubby need me and I can't break down on them! It's the only thing making go not to insane!

There are many causes of tinnitus. Drug reaction is only one of them. Stress and anxiety also rank very high in aggravating or causing it. There isn't much that we can do about drug reaction aside from stopping it, but we can try our best to remain positive and relax the body so there is a better chance to improve on the T condition. It may or may not go away, but with positivity it is more likely that the T loudness and remain the same or less. It is a big load for you with 2 babies and a hubby. But you can use that as a positive. Try to get busy with caring for them and try to accept T (as bad as it seems now) so that you can still be able to care for them. That was one of the main things that have kept me going too. I have ultra high pitch T and severe hyperacusis on top of it. So life was miserable and tough initially. Panic attacks ruled the day and night and I never thought I could be well again. But I have learned the power of positivity from others and after switching to a more positive stance, I have gotten better and now live a normal, productive and absolutely enjoyable life. If you have time, check this out. Take good care. God bless.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/from-darkness-to-light-how-i-recovered-from-tinnitus-hyperacusis.3148/

By the way, masking can really help when T is new. My colleague's wife was in ER a few times when T hit but she has found masking really helpful that she has music all over the house including her bedroom. So if you haven't done vigorous masking to cut down the stress or anxiety, here are some options:

1) Mask at bed time so you can sleep better. Find whatever sounds/music that are soothing to you. You can use a sound machine or sound pillow for this, or a computer with speakers.

2) If you need masking on the go, try load an ipod with nature sounds or music using itune. If you have a smart phone, you can download free APPs for soothing or T-masking sounds.

3) If you have computer and speakers, you can try these excellent masking sounds too:

TT's audio player: https://www.tinnitustalk.com/audioplayer/

or this online sound library, particularly the self-mix nature sounds: http://mynoise.net/

or download free sound generator 'aire freshener': http://www.peterhirschberg.com/mysoftware.html

or search youtube with words like 'tinnitus masking sounds', 'white noise', 'rain sound' etc