Tinnitus Spike, Distortions, Hyperacusis, Ear Fullness: Should I Take Prednisone?

[zld123]

I've had tinnitus for about ten years now. I usually get a spike every now and then, but it returns to baseline pretty quickly within a few days or, at most, a week or two. I haven't had a spike in over a year.

The other day, I was on the phone using the loudspeaker and talking quite loudly. I felt my right ear go through that fleeting tinnitus sensation, where the tinnitus suddenly spikes extremely loud, the ear becomes muffled or blocked, and then slowly returns to normal. However, this time it seems to have stuck around to some degree. It is now accompanied by distortion, treble sensitivity, and a buzzing sensation. I can almost feel something buzz in my ear whenever I speak, or when someone else speaks, or when a loud sound crosses a certain threshold.

It is making it very difficult to leave the house or socialize, since it is triggered by my own voice and comes with hyperacusis. I am almost certain I've experienced something like this in the past, but today is day five and it still hasn't gone away.

I went to the doctor (GP), who said nothing appears to be structurally wrong with my ears and suggested trying five days of Prednisone at 20 mg per day.

I'm a bit hesitant to take it, since this has resolved on its own in the past. But it has never lasted more than a few days before.

Some posts mention diplacusis or Tensor Tympani Syndrome. Many people say theirs appeared during a stressful period (I'm very stressed at the moment) and went away on its own.

I looked into Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSHL), which often involves a popping sound. I didn't really experience that. What I had felt more like a sudden fleeting tinnitus or SBUTT moment. The initial spike went down, but the distortion, sound sensitivity, and a sense of fullness, which has slightly improved over the last few days, have remained.

I'm really hoping someone out there has experienced something similar and can share some useful input.

Thanks.

 

[MindOverMatter]

I've had tinnitus for about ten years now. I usually get a spike every now and then, but it returns to baseline pretty quickly within a few days or, at most, a week or two. I haven't had a spike in over a year.

The other day, I was on the phone using the loudspeaker and talking quite loudly. I felt my right ear go through that fleeting tinnitus sensation, where the tinnitus suddenly spikes extremely loud, the ear becomes muffled or blocked, and then slowly returns to normal. However, this time it seems to have stuck around to some degree. It is now accompanied by distortion, treble sensitivity, and a buzzing sensation. I can almost feel something buzz in my ear whenever I speak, or when someone else speaks, or when a loud sound crosses a certain threshold.

Your story sounds somewhat familiar to mine in terms of timeline and symptoms. I had it stable for 15 years, and like you, I experienced spikes, but they always returned to baseline.

Even if it remains that way for 10, 15, or even 20 years, there are no guarantees it will stay the same. Once you have tinnitus, your auditory system may be somewhat compromised and therefore more vulnerable to changes that happen later on.

This could include sound exposure accumulated over time, sudden loud incidents, stress and anxiety, medications, and so on.

Your symptoms might be a combination of several factors, such as TTTS and hyperacusis without the physical pain component.

Unless you have recently been exposed to sudden loud noise, acoustic trauma, or something similar, I see no reason to take Prednisone. Some people have even worsened after a course of Prednisone.

You need to give it time. Rest your ears, but do not avoid sound completely. Try to shift your focus in order to reduce worry.

There is a good chance it will improve within weeks or months, but you should still take this as a warning. Once this happens, it can happen again—and it might come back stronger or worse.

Speaking from experience.