Steroids: Prednisone / Dexamethasone / Others (Oral and Intratympanic Injections)

[lena_]

just waned to share my experiance with steroids- maybe it can help someone

i got prednisolon 100mg for 5 days, no tappering of, just plain 100 100 100 100 100 full stop.

i got it in my 4th week

it helped me a lot, like on tje 2nd day after my last dose my ti nits was much much less

i would give it a try, it was very unpleasant (side effects or better to say..i did not feel good while on it generally), but it helped me

the causeof my tinnitus was most probably a virus infection

 

[1MW]

Today I wake up with terrible tonal tinnitus about 3kHz & 5kHz & 8kHz.

I measured my hearing and found it reduced about 5dB in those frequencies.

So I got 32mg methylprednisolone immediately. About 2.5 hours later the tinnitus is gone 95% (I can only hear it only with earmuffs and if I concentrate to it) and the hearing is improved.

Also somatic tinnitus (opening the jaws) was resolved with corticosteroids.

I don't know why this happens but to me the tinnitus is associated with hearing loss that is very light, 2-5dB hearing loss can aggravate my tinnitus.

I have 2 ways to die:
1) from side effects of corticosteroids without tinnitus
2) from suicide, tinnitus remains when I don't take corticosteroids


What can I do? I'm desperate.

 

[GregCA]

I measured my hearing and found it reduced about 5dB in those frequencies.

Keep in mind that 5 dB is considered "margin of error" when your hearing is tested with calibrated equipment at a professional audiologist.

I would not take a 5 dB variation with a self-administered test as an indication of objective change in your hearing.

 

[1MW]

Corticosteroids work temporarily but what is the underlying mechanism that they work on?
Anti-Inflammatory?
Changes in electrolytes?
What?

I found this https://www.parsemus.org/projects/aldosterone-hearing/

Aldosterone improves hearing temporarily.

 

[reggie green]

@Noise_sucks who is your ENT that's great? He/she least gives you something for your tinnitus, my ENT gave NO advice and no med. Why most ENTs don't give anything for tinnitus?

 

[Michael Leigh]

Why most ENTs don't give anything for tinnitus?

The best treatment for tinnitus in the early stages is no treatment at all. Apart from medication such as antidepressants or clonazepam to help with one's moods and be able to cope with the situation. The ear is a very delicate organ. Too early an intervention can make tinnitus worse. Similarly, if someone has a sudden resurgence of tinnitus it's best to leave things alone. ENT doctor's may not know a lot about tinnitus but they are skilled health professionals and know about the anatomy of the ear. Many things can cause tinnitus and if there is an underlying problem that is causing the tinnitus, that's associated with the ear, ENT doctors will be able to treat it in most cases.

Do not underestimate these highly skilled professionals. When tinnitus is caused by a noise trauma, it is best that a person be seen by a Hearing Therapist or Audiologist who's trained in the treatment and management of tinnitus and hyperacusis. Many of these health professionals also have tinnitus. They were either born with tinnitus or acquired it at some time in their life.

Therefore, it is not unusual to find, Hearing Therapists and Audiologists that treat tinnitus patients, have a level of understanding about the condition, that a lot of ENT doctors do not have, as this isn't their area of expertise.

Michael

 

[1MW]

For sudden hearing loss & tinnitus there is a proven therapy.
That is high doses, low duration corticosteroids.

 

[1MW]

Keep in mind that 5 dB is considered "margin of error" when your hearing is tested with calibrated equipment at a professional audiologist.

I would not take a 5 dB variation with a self-administered test as an indication of objective change in your hearing.

In 2001 my hearing test was almost 0dB to 5dB loss in all frequencies, no tinnitus.

In 2018 my hearing test with the same audiogram machine, in same chamber is 5 dB to 15 dB loss with tinnitus.

So tinnitus has to do with hearing loss.

Also when I had sudden hearing loss of 55 dB the tinnitus was terrible as my hearing improved with corticosteroids.

The tinnitus was better with every dB I gained in audiogram the tinnitus was less loud.

And when my audiogram went to 0 dB - 5 dB loss, the tinnitus stopped completely.

 

[GregCA]

In 2001 my hearing test was almost 0dB to 5dB loss in all frequencies, no tinnitus.

In 2018 my hearing test with the same audiogram machine, in same chamber is 5 dB to 15 dB loss with tinnitus.

So tinnitus has to do with hearing loss.

Also when I had sudden hearing loss of 55 dB the tinnitus was terrible as my hearing improved with corticosteroids.

The tinnitus was better with every dB I gained in audiogram the tinnitus was less loud.

And when my audiogram went to 0 dB - 5 dB loss, the tinnitus stopped completely.

I don't understand your point: I'm not arguing about any of the stuff you are expressing in this quote.
I was just observing that 5 dB is within the margin or error or measurements, so I exhort caution when deriving conclusions (and potentially dangerous treatments) from this data.

I'm fairly well aware that T and HL are very correlated. I don't need convincing.

 

[1MW]

2 hours after I took 32mg methylprednisolone tinnitus stopped for some hours.
But came back some hours later and had a very bad psychological situation (side effects from corticosteroids) not only tinnitus.

So I ate 5 oranges & 1 banana because these fruits have potassium and corticosteroids to turn down levels of potassium.

& 1 multivitamin & 1 vitamin E.

Soon after I ate them the bad psychologic situation resolved and tinnitus resolved.

I think tinnitus also has to do with electrolytes balance.

 

[RallySportRyan]

I had an acoustic trauma back in February from visiting a gun range. I did have ear protection in both ears in the form of foam plugs that expand. The tinnitus didn't develop right away but about 2 days later it was in full force.

I had never experienced tinnitus this loud before in my life (age 39) so I was very concerned. I decide to visit immediate care after 5 days of onset. I was placed a on tape regimen of prednisone for 12 days. About 3 days into treatment my tinnitus was gone and all was silent.

I made the mistake of going into a loud bar/restaurant (voices reverberating, no music) that brought back my tinnitus to loud levels again the next morning. I again went to an ENT this time who also placed me on prednisone for 14 days with taper regimen.

That second course did not help as much and I still had tinnitus during the course of treatment. About a week after finishing this treatment my tinnitus has been fluctuating from being very low to being moderate.

I had a follow up with my ENT last week and told him that my tinnitus had improved but was still there. My audiogram also showed some improvement in my 4 to 6khz range and not much at the 8 to 9 kHz range. He seemed to think nothing of it and decided that I didn't need to do an intratympanic injection. Is it too late to follow through with this procedure and should I call him back and ask him to go ahead with it?

The window is closing soon as it has been 2 months since my acoustic trauma began and I don't want to close that door if it will help with my situation.

 

[annV]

Is it too late to follow through with this procedure and should I call him back and ask him to go ahead with it?

Intratympanic steroid injection won't do anything for you this long after your onset. Sorry. So you can skip it.

 

[1MW]

2 days ago I took 32mg methylprednisolone and I had massive improvement: sometimes tinnitus was 0 checked with earmuffs in a totally silent room.

Now 53 hours later tinnitus returning very bad... it's a storm, all frequencies > 5kHz are excited.

What to do? Wait for improvement on its own or take again corticosteroids or take some benzo?

Corticosteroids have very bad side effects, it's not a joke...

 

[John_415]

I want to post an update on my prednison usage, this because it has been almost 2 months since my last post.

The added noises (10.000hz sound on previously good ear) from my two courses of prednison have all but vanished. I think at this point I only have the improved T after my first session of prednison. (im so gratefull that its just a single tone now and not the odd irregular morse code it was before). So the increase was temporary, the improvement seems to last.

 

[John_415]

Hello everyone!

I've had an unfortunate incident a month ago where I went to new indoor shooting range. I always wear ear protection in the form of foam ear plugs that have a 32db nrr. This particular range allows patrons with rifles. About midway into my 1 hr shooting session I think one or two people showed up with a shotgun and high powered .308 rifle. Once they began firing I should have just got out of there or at least been told by a range officer to double up with ear muffs because it literally felt like it shook the whole range every shot. I finished the entire 1 hr session and I fired 100 rds of 9mm and 100 rds of 40 cal ammo.

I never did notice any ringing or cotton ball effect on my hearing after leaving the range that night and went to sleep. The next day I decided to mow and weed eat the yard which took about 2 hrs to do with foam ear plugs but no muffs. That day I didnt notice anything different with my hearing either. Then by Friday morning and definitely by Friday night the ringing in my ears was unbearable and I only got 4 hrs of sleep for the next 2 or 3 days.

On the 5th day I finally went to immediate care about my problem and told them about taking prednisone for my acoustic trama. He agreed to start me on a 12 day regimen of 10 mg pills 4 times a day and then taper off. He also gave me a steroid shot that night in the thigh to get it going. I noticed on the 3rd or 4th day my tinnitus went silent but I was having some hypercusis.

Well after tapering off by the 12th day my tinnitus came back about the same as before. So I scheduled an appt with an ent since my T spiked back up. It turns out my left ear is fine and robust at all frequencies. My right ear is reduced at 6 to 9db around 5 to 6 kHz and 19-20db around 8-9 kHz :-(. Thats the right side the rifle/shotgun people were on but several stalls down from me. I am hearing ringing in both ears though.

The ENT talked about the intratympanic injection in my ear but he wanted to put me back on prednisone first for 14 days and to take all 4 10mg pills each day for a week and then taper off. This time around though the prednisone is not working as well as the first course I took 3 weeks ago. What are my other options left to get this tinnitus under control? I've been taking NAC this whole time since the first round of prednisone and I am now taking Inner ear health pills (aka lipo-flavonoid). So far my T is slightly reduced but I can still hear it above certain sounds like for example air rushing out of the floor vents at night doesn't mask it :-( What should be my next course of action? This is depressing and maddening knowing what I had before all this occurred.

Thank you all!

I did 2 sessions of prednison, the second one was 60mg per day which was very very strong.
You could try hyperbaric oxigen therapy. This sometimes works within 3 months after onset.
Magnesium seems to also be a very popular suppliment against tinnitus. The one that is most absorbable is Magnesium citrate. I tried a lowly absorbable one but this one seems to really melow me out and increases my amount of sleep, so I would recommend this one.

 

[Proteo]

Prednisone didn't help at all in my case for the pulsatile tinnitus, but has been fairly effective for the hissing.

 

[IvanRus]

I'm interested in how often forum participants take prednisolone during spikes.

What is the criterion?

How many times have you used prednisone in the last year?

Short duration in medium doses does not give you tangible side effects in the form of exacerbation of chronic inflammatory diseases?

 

[IvanRus]

I have 2 ways to die:
1) from side effects of corticosteroids without tinnitus
2) from suicide, tinnitus remains when I don't take corticosteroids

Do you also have frequent spikes accompanied by minor changes in hearing?

You in such cases helps only prednisone?
Do you take it every time in such situations, in what doses?
Does he really help you every time, even if you do not take it in the first three days?

What are the side effects of prednisone?

At me aggravations are inflamed, strangely enough. But what to do.

 

[IvanRus]

@Markku, @Aaron123, @Bill Bauer,
Guys, more recently I came across a very shocking and requiring further explanation of the information.

In some cases, the drug prednisolone is indicated as ototoxic.
Information is small, it is simply listed there. One article says - yes, it's a paradox, but it's true.

What the hell?!

Explain to me how this can happen! After all, this is the most recognized drug for the treatment of hearing loss.

In addition, in the official instructions to the drug there is not a word about ototoxicity. And it is indicated precisely prednisolone, and not some other corticosteroid. Dexamethasone is in the form of tablets?

Do you have any detailed information about this?

 

[Pleasure_Paulie]

In some cases, the drug prednisolone is indicated as ototoxic.
Information is small, it is simply listed there. One article says - yes, it's a paradox, but it's true.

It's not ototoxic. Check your source for validity. Many drugs can irritate your tinnitus, but very few are ototoxic - that is, they cause physical damage to your ears resulting in hearing loss.

 

[1MW]

corticosteroids are ototoxic after chronic use because they do metabolic syndrome increased glucose/fat.
But for short term use are life savers in sudden hearing loss/sudden tinnitus/spikes etc.
Can save you from a permanent T or a permanent increase or a permanent hearing loss.
Every time i have a serious spike i get in first 24 hours and the spike killed.
I regained my hearing 2 times with corticosteroids.
In fresh T/H/hearing loss is the only drug that exists that has proven results

 

[IvanRus]

corticosteroids

Do you take prednisolone immediately, in the first 24 hours of spike, or sometimes later?
Do you do this every time?
What is your course, and what about the side effects?

 

[IvanRus]

Dosage of prednisolone 15 mg per day - sufficient dosage? What do you think?

 

[1MW]

It's ok if you have response, increase it.
It's only for short term treatment, not for long term, in long term it has severe side effects.
For short term it has no permanent side effects but for long term the side effects are severe and maybe permanent.

 

[IvanRus]

Good day, @1MW

So, having studied a lot of literature on the topic of corticosteroids, I still do not fully understand their pathogenetic validity for problems with the inner ear / spike of tinnitus.

Due to what they can favorably affect the course of tinnitus and damage to the inner ear ?! Only due to its anti-inflammatory properties, decongestants?

Although, if you think about it, corticosteroids increase the level of cortisol - a stress hormone, a destructive hormone.

Can you explain, can it affect MDMA, or genes?

You also mentioned that he is removing potassium, and NAC is removing zinc and magnesium.
What products should I use to replenish stocks?

Thank you

 

[IvanRus]

I take prednisolone at a dose of 25 mg the third day in the mornings from a spike a week long.

While I do not feel any effect, should I continue?

 

[David077]

I take prednisolone at a dose of 25 mg the third day in the mornings from a spike a week long.

While I do not feel any effect, should I continue?

Maybe you T does not comes from inner ear problem. What caused your spike? Which type of noises you have in your ears or head?

 

[IvanRus]

@1MW

Tell me, enlightened people!

Can the use of corticosteroids (prednisolone) itself be harmful in tinnitus?

After all, it excessively increases blood circulation in the cochlear zone, removes potassium from the body. Is it harmful to the hair cells?!

 

[IvanRus]

How do you take prednisolone?
Strictly in the morning hours from 6 to 8 o'clock in the morning?
Is it possible to take it a little later, say, at 12 o'clock?
Or divide the dose throughout the day?
Did you have a similar experience?

 

[1MW]

Taking prednisone 8 o'clock in the morning has the least side effects.