Tinnitus Worse After Intratympanic Steroid Injection

[Jambo]

Hi all,

I recently had an intratympanic steroid injection after experiencing a reduction in my initial tinnitus while taking oral Prednisone—though only while I was on it. Two days after the injection, a new sound emerged.

This new sound resembles an old kettle whistling, but I do not hear it in complete silence. Instead, it starts whenever there is external sound and increases in volume as the ambient noise rises, essentially competing with it.

Once external sound stops, the kettle sound ceases immediately. I have no history of acoustic trauma and have had relatively stable tinnitus for 2–3 years, though I had been struggling to cope with it. This new tone is much worse, as it has no apparent limit in loudness.

My ENT insists that these injections do not cause tinnitus, but I don't know what else could have triggered this. It has been a week since the injection, and I am extremely distressed and depressed.

Thank you for your support.

 

[withintention]

@Jambo, may I ask why you decided to take oral steroids and get a steroid injection if you had no acoustic trauma and relatively stable tinnitus? What led you to seek those treatments?

 

[Jambo]

@Jambo, may I ask why you decided to take oral steroids and get a steroid injection if you had no acoustic trauma and relatively stable tinnitus? What led you to seek those treatments?

I had a noise trauma in my other ear about four months earlier and had some leftover Prednisone. I developed a new tone in my left ear, a deep subwoofer-like noise, which we had no explanation for, and it was unbearable. I still have it now, but it is probably the second worst compared to the new kettle-like noise.

Considering I had been struggling with suicidal thoughts for years, I decided to try a short three-day course of oral Prednisone. That short course completely resolved the bass drone.

Under the guidance of my ENT, he was confident that an intratympanic injection would help and assured me there was no chance it would make things worse. I have a strong biomedical background, working in medical and oral health, and did extensive research. Admittedly, the risks seemed minor, even to someone as cautious as I was about causing further harm. But this was a major mistake.

Sadly, he was wrong. I am now left with three unmaskable tones at the raw age of my late 20s, while being engaged.

There is no hope for me anymore. It is just a matter of time until I can find the courage.

Some may think it was a foolish decision, maybe it was, but I was desperate. I wish I could turn back time. Please do not make the same mistake.

 

[withintention]

Oh man, I'm so sorry to hear that.

For what it's worth, everything I've read and heard from ENTs suggests that these steroid injections are very safe. There's no way you could have known in advance that there was any chance they might make things worse.

 

[ChrisZ]

@Jambo, any updates? How did this play out? I'm considering intratympanic steroid injections for my tinnitus.