Terrible Tinnitus Out of the Blue... I Suspect Inflammation

[Terry Bartlett]

Tinnitus for me was the cherry on top of the nasty sundae life served up in the fall of 2018. I had noticed a very minimal tinnitus presence for a long time. I had been hammered with profound tailbone pain radiating out through the pelvic area and down the left leg as sciatica. The speed and severity of the onset of pain caught me off guard and scared. Imagine how much worse things became when two weeks later my tinnitus exploded. I just knew the two things had to be connected only to have all doctors tell me it was coincidence.

Because I had suffered at the hands of inept or uncaring physicians before I took control and made appointments to see specialists. It was the pain that introduced me to corticosteroids. It took me about four months to get to the pain management stage and schedule an epidural injection.

Meanwhile the dosepack of Medrol the back doctor had given which had provided some relief was wearing off. I ended up at the hospital one night with ten days to go before the injection. The doctor gave me a shot of Dexamethasone which just made the pain disappear for a few days. I knew that I was feeling much better with these shots and also with oral steroid therapy but it was hard to be objective with so much happening in such a short time.

I finally realized one primary reason I was so happy was that the steroids also affected the tinnitus. While the pain was quick to get under control the tinnitus took longer which is why I think that it took me such a long time to make the connection. Oddly enough when the steroids start to wear off the pain comes back slowly while the tinnitus bounces back like a trainwreck.

I assumed this meant that the pain and tinnitus had to be connected but reading that many people got relief like I did sunk the hope I had for some kind of answer. I just had my on year check up with the ENT doctor telling me (surprise) that I was screwed and the tinnitus was a permanent part of my life. No surprise at this diagnosis but shock that something that affects so many people receives very little funding. I always suspected when I got older I would have problems with my tinnitus I just assumed it wouldn't be for a couple more decades.

 

[LilSass]

@Terry Bartlett
Have you had any further relief with the steroids? I'm thinking of asking my dr for something as i have very tense neck/shoulder/back muscles. Hope your well!

 

[DebInAustralia]

Tinnitus for me was the cherry on top of the nasty sundae life served up in the fall of 2018. I had noticed a very minimal tinnitus presence for a long time. I had been hammered with profound tailbone pain radiating out through the pelvic area and down the left leg as sciatica. The speed and severity of the onset of pain caught me off guard and scared. Imagine how much worse things became when two weeks later my tinnitus exploded. I just knew the two things had to be connected only to have all doctors tell me it was coincidence.

Because I had suffered at the hands of inept or uncaring physicians before I took control and made appointments to see specialists. It was the pain that introduced me to corticosteroids. It took me about four months to get to the pain management stage and schedule an epidural injection.

Meanwhile the dosepack of Medrol the back doctor had given which had provided some relief was wearing off. I ended up at the hospital one night with ten days to go before the injection. The doctor gave me a shot of Dexamethasone which just made the pain disappear for a few days. I knew that I was feeling much better with these shots and also with oral steroid therapy but it was hard to be objective with so much happening in such a short time.

I finally realized one primary reason I was so happy was that the steroids also affected the tinnitus. While the pain was quick to get under control the tinnitus took longer which is why I think that it took me such a long time to make the connection. Oddly enough when the steroids start to wear off the pain comes back slowly while the tinnitus bounces back like a trainwreck.

I assumed this meant that the pain and tinnitus had to be connected but reading that many people got relief like I did sunk the hope I had for some kind of answer. I just had my on year check up with the ENT doctor telling me (surprise) that I was screwed and the tinnitus was a permanent part of my life. No surprise at this diagnosis but shock that something that affects so many people receives very little funding. I always suspected when I got older I would have problems with my tinnitus I just assumed it wouldn't be for a couple more decades.

If steroids help diminish your t, consider the role of TNF and inflammation. A few here, who respond to steroids also are helped by curcumin.