Sudden Hearing loss _{Page 63 of 105}

I thought I posted my good news yesterday but it doesn't look like it stuck when I threw it up against the wall. Went to acupuncture in the morning of 9/24 and could hear a sound like those 'rain sticks' in my bad ear when I crinkled my ear against the butcher paper stuff they put on the exam table. Not a big thing, but the 1st cause & effect hearing I have had since 9/4. Then, when I got to work, I happened to jingle my keys near my ear and heard a the 'rain stick' sound + faint jingling! My first recognizable sound sound since 9/4! Now I am walking around jingling my keys next to my head just out of the shear relief of it. (Down side = a judge asked me to quit doing it in court as he said I may barely hear the jingling, but everyone else was growing weary of my newly-discovered joy of partial hearing.) I can hardly wait until my next date with the audiologist 5 wks from today! Can't say if the Japanese-style acupuncture is helping, but I'm not jumping off that horse in mid-stream is case it is. I know it may not be much, but I'm beginning to feel a lot more optimistic. Hopefully everyone else in this forum has little enlightening moments like these to look forward to!

Great news sandmanranch.

I didn't do the key thing. I stuck with obnoxious whistling which I can slightly hear and turning the car on and off so I could faintly listen to the car beeping when iginition turns on. Ahh, the little pleasures in post SHL.

And tell the judge to mind his own business. Jingle away

*lol* for the first 3 weeks or so, I held the phone up to my ear each morning, trying to hear the signal / beep...

I think that I will stick to my jangling of car keys. I just tried sahmof3babies' trick with phone and didn't hear a thing. I thought I was improving a little more than that, but apparently not. I can still hear crinkling of paper on the examination table and the keys, so I'll stick to them. Fortunately, they let me wear my ear plugs in the MRI machine today. If they hadn't, I would have been bouncing off the walls like a ping pong ball. I wonder if the MRI machine needs to make all of that noise to function, or if they had the Disney engineers add some buzzers and whistles to make it sound like it is making such an effort to scan your head to justify the co-pay I know is coming down the line?

Well, I'm 5 weeks into this mess as of today. Finished all of the med's. MRI came back clear of the really bad things that might cause SSHL, so I guess I'm simply idiopathic. I had 5% hearing back after 2 weeks, and I occasionally hear new sounds once in a while that shock me. The acupuncture, or just time and realizing I can't live life running away from all sound, has lessened the hyper-accusive hearing to an extent. People still keep sneaking up on me on my right side, but I haven't punched any of them yet. My dog now licks my face to wake me up if I fall asleep on my good ear and I can't hear the alarm. Go back in for hearing test & ENT app't. on 10/30 to see where we go from here. Found some cool earplugs made of wax at the drug store that protect the damaged ear and lessen the hypre-accusiveness in the good ear while hunting, and they also serve to dampen the irritation with the mindless banter of your hunting partners. I'm just sitting here waiting for 10/30 and hoping I wake up like Dorothy and I am back in Kansas again with all of the farmhands leaning in the window and I can hear them with both ears.

Sandmanranch,

I'm a few weeks your senior. I'll be 7 weeks into this mess tomorrow. Overall, I'm doing a bit better than you with about 25% speech discrimination.

I just received my homeopathic meds from India yesterday and will call the doc tonight to go over this treatment. He saying 3 - 6 months before I see improvement, and 75% chance that I will see improvement. It certainly can't hurt to try.

Hunting - that hurts the ears and brains just thinking about it. I still haven't got the nerve up yet to go to a movie. The loud noises are still tough, though its getting better - or I'm adapting.

I see an audiologist on Monday and will try out hearing aids and a Baha. I am sure I won't make any decisions yet, though it will be an interesting next step in the SHL learning curve. I will let you all know what I think when they strap on the Baha.

Hope all is well reasonably with everyone else. Keep positive !

Mark

For MarkLM - Did the homeopathic MD prescribe you single remedies or combination ones? I gave my husband a homeopathic single remedy as suggested by either my sister or Materia Medica in between visits to ENT for shots and his hearing improved markedly the next day. So, did he have a positive response to homeopathy, or did the shots in ear start kicking in? Who knows? At any rate, now I don't remember what it was I gave him!

rjmnatural,

I was given two daily pills and one weekly. I'm not sure what they are and they are not labeled. Hopefully I'll know more tomorrow.

The owners of my company are from India, and have worked with the doctor before. A relative of theirs from India just arrived here for a visit and hand delivered the first round of meds. Hopefully I'll find out more information tonight.

Mark

Hey Mark and Sandman,
I feel like I don't have the right to jump in after all of this time. It seems like since my SSHL July 17 life has
become really challenging. Things having nothing to do with my SSHL that under the best of conditions would be hard, never mind now that I'm mostly deaf in one ear, have come up again and again.

I will give an example. I live in an apartment with my kids. Well, even though this complex is completely 'non-smoking' and we all have to sign leases agreeing to that, my new downstairs neighbors smoke one Switzer Sweet after another. This has really impacted my tinnitis and last night I experienced something that I think is what is called 'nystagmus.' It was late, really smoky and I was trying to write when my eyes did this uncontrollable side to side thing. From what I've read this is a vestibular symptom. I know it has to do with the smoking fumes, instinctively. But, according to the managment of the complex I have to prove that the people downstairs are smoking somehow! I invited the manager to visit us one night but I guess that isn't protocol. Then I suggested I would be contacting a lawyer if the mngmt. didn't honor the terms of my lease.


I'm very glad to hear that you are trying a Baja Monday, Mark. Even when I don't write I value whatever you write on this forum because it's so relevant to me and others too. There are probably some people who read this forum but don't participate, like me at first. Now I'm struggling in quicksand with so much in life and don't participate as I want to.

I like reading about what is going on with Sandmanranch too. Again, any amount of hearing you can reclaim is huge to your functioning and balance. I should try acupuncture but I can't even get traditional treatment. I went to my general practitioner (over a wk. ago) who said she would refer me to an neuro otologist (sp?)but she forgot about me until I had to call to remind her today. At least she gave me some standby prednisone in case I should have another attack. Well, I will end here. I'm going to TRY and find time to write LESS MORE OFTEN.

Excited to hear what you discover from getting hearing aided and trying a Baja Monday, Mark! I will let you know how my 2nd audiogram goes Oct. 30.

Oh Sandmanranch,

that is so nice that your dog licks your face to tell you that your alarm is going off! My big black cat, Coal, seems to know something is different about me and announces his presence by rubbing against my leg more often than he did before. I can hear him purr with my bad ear if I put my head right on him.

I have the same alarm problem. I set my alarm and put it by where my sons will be and they get me if I'm sleeping on my good ear. Thanks, both Mark and Sandman, for sharing your good and bad experiences for me to read! They make me feel better and a lot less alone.

Take good care, Frogs.

Well, let's see what massive doses of IV anti-biotics do to SSHL. Got hospitalized for anti-biotics resistant arm infection. Let' see if this clears out the ol' inner ear.

Hello All,

Just got back from the audiologist and tried out a hearing aide and the Baha. Unfortunately, I gave a 'thumbs down' to both. Part of the reason I wasn't too happy is that I still have some hearing. In my bad ear, I still have pretty good hearing in the low frequency which then drops off sharply. I have a little mid frequency and almost no high frequency hearing. The hearing aide helped the hearing a little, though was also a bit irritating and gave me an annoying vibrating sound in the ear. The Baha was more interesting - and helped - but again not that much. There wasn't, however, any irritating downsides. It's a strange sensation that you know someone is talking on one side, but you actually hear them on your other side. I think the fact that I have some hearing made the benefits not too great - certainly not enough for me to want to go through putting a hole in my head. However, for those with more severe hearing loss, I really think it might be worthwhile. And, insurance pays for it - even though they don't pay for hearing aids.

So, it looks like I'll just continue plodding on as I am. For me, the worst part isn't the poor hearing, but the ringing and sensitivity to sound. And neither the hearing aide or Baha would help those issues.

So Frogs, I think you definitely need to shut down those guys smoking the Switzer Sweets. Go downstairs and tell them to stop or else. Let them know you have a medical problem and smoking exasperates the problem - which is why you live in a no smoking complex. And if they don't stop, you'll do what you can to get them evicted. Be nice, but firm.

And sandmanranch - good luck with you latest battle. I'm sure that you can't believe you're going through another bizarre episode. Ugh....

Mark

Hi Mark,

It's good that you know what you want. I understand how a hearing aid might just confuse the situation when you have partial hearing. When I finally get to the point of trying both the BAJA? and a hearing aid I won't be so disappointed after knowing what your experience has been. I think we have very similar hearing recovery, Mark. We both (thank you dear God!) have one good ear and fair low sounds in the affected ear. It is so hard! I think one of the reasons that I'm not on the computer much (one of many, including depressed and too busy) is that the stupid downstairs neighbors bathroom fan squeaks like mad and hurts my good ear. Good luck getting the management here at this complex to pay attn. to anything. They will hardly answer the phone and seem to think I need to prove the neighbors below are smoking somehow. I think maybe I need to get a lawyer because my lease is very clear about no-smoking. Pursuing a legal case is a tiring prospect so I'm going to try to get through to the management first.

Sandman, I'm really sorry to hear about your being sick on top of being sick. God bless us all. We certainly need it. I have to get off of the computer now as my son wants his room back. I will finish this later. Be positive!

Sincerely, Frogs.

when it rains, it pours...
Just when I adjust to SSHL, now I have to worry about keeping my IV lines clear...
At least hospitalization has the doctors all realizing that the specialists have accomplished nothing with the ear and are throwing neurologists into the mix and offering whatever referrals I want. At this point, I just want my arm working w/0 IV's. Looks like my sacred 2 weeks Of deer hunting will me spent looking for bucks in old magazines in Dr's offices as they poke and prod me...and then just shake their heads.

Hi, this sudden hearing loss happened to my pregnant wife a few days ago. I just wanted to ask mhoyuk, who was the accupuncturist that you hired? did the treatment work? and is it safe to do accupuncture to a pregnant person?

Hi comproducer,

I am seeing Dr. Myung Chung in Mount Laurel, NJ, who practises acupuncture and also Neural therapy. In my opinion acupuncture is very safe. Your wife needs to see either an ENT doctor who is willing to give shot of cortisone in the inner ear or a good acupuncture doctor who also practises Neural Therapy. But you need to act very fast or else she may not get the hearing back. Where do you live?

I went to see my acupuncture only recently because i got Bell';s palsy about 9 months after I had SHL. With his tecnique called ART he detected mercury in my brain caused by decay of my silver fillings. I just got all my mercury out of my mouth by a biodentist last week. Now my acupuncture doctor is going to chelate mercury out of my body with DMPS thru' IV. Let us see what happens? I will keep all of you informed

All the best to your wife!

ALC123

I don't have sudden hearing loss but am wondering if anyone shares this symptom with me or can possibly diagnose this as an early symptom of hearing loss.
At night while I am about to fall asleep a terribly loud rushing noise occurs. It is as if I am standing on a runway and a plane that is landing nearly misses my head. Indeed the first time it happened I thought a plane was coming down near my house. It has happened a few times since then but only about 3 or 4 times a year.

I am able to hear myself breathing, sometimes can hear joints creaking, pretty much daily can hear my pulse.. can hear my pulse in my ear, neck, head when trying to fall asleep. I’m overly sensitive to loud noises, unless it’s music that I have turned on because I’m aware that it is about to play. Periodically feel like I am falling or sinking, reach for something to brace myself with, occurs often when I’m driving and almost always is accompanied by dizziness, never nauseous from it.

I have:
Mitral Valve Prolapse - controlled with propanolol twice a day
Migraine - Aural migraines since adulthood
Severe head trauma - severe concussion from falling, 7 years old
Tinnitus - since late teen, frequency depends on how often I’m subjected to loud noise
TMJ - Worsening with age since teen years

Hi All, I woke up with shl on 9-14-08.Very stressful day at work went home and heard windchimes in my left ear.Woke the next day deaf in my left ear. Went to ent the next day and started pred.60mg.Finished the 18 day dosage and regained a bout 20% hearing. still hsve the simmering sound. IT started like an air conditioner sound in my ear with fullness.then went to a hair dryer sound now a simmering sound. I an out on disability as I work a customer service counter at a food store and can not function. {tried it for 2 days} the people were mumbeling lottery numbers to me, not making eye contact and were just mean to me.i go back to the ent tomorow for an audio test to see how things are. I went a christening today.At the resturant lots of backround noise.I thought I was getting better but my ear is heavy again and the space alien sounds are louder. Just wanted to share my story.Glad that I fund this forum. I feel so un-alone!!
Trish

-also had an MRI the first week. No problems. i think it was stress related.

Trish - welcome ! You are definitely not alone.

Hopefully you'll keep making improvements in your hearing and you can get off of disability. The first few months seem to be really important. I lost my hearing almost exactly one month before you. I'm adjusting, though loud situations - like the one you describe - are still tough. After being in loud situations, a few hours of quiet usuallly returns things to 'normal'

Good luck and I hope you get some upbeat news from the audio test tomorrow.

Mark

Trish,
SSHL IS stress related ! The thing now for you is to improve your condition with every tool. I recommand you to try HBO therapy if possible for you. Don't try anything else you will loose time and money. Rest for your ears in next months (no loud sound) and for your mind (relaxation and learning to cope better with stress) are the only way not to worsen... Time will do its work and another advice would be to try to NOT CARE about the tinnitus for helping your limbic system not to 'record' it in your mind... This is very important try to always have a background pleasant sound to mask it and use pills to sleep in the beginning if necessary... All this have worked for me but it depends also of your degree of hearing loss and tinnitus. Can you give some details ? Your age ?

help me... i had right ear sudden hearing loss 7 days ago i have no hearing in the right ear. the doc put me on steroids and gave me mri. mri was good.
he tells me viral ???
i still have no hearing. can anyone help me?

Hello randylan,
Can you give more details on how it happened ? Did you have any sign of viral infection ? What is your age and do you have any cardiovascular issue ? Stress ?
I recommand you to be patient and go through the steroids treatment with calm... Once done if no improvement you can try the HBO therapy but don't wait too long...

Randylan,

Try to take it easy for the next few weeks. I also had 100% loss at first, though some of it has now come back. I got my very first bit of hearing recovery after 5 days - hopefully you'll get some kicking in very soon. Once a liitle came back it kept slowly improving for the next few weeks. My hearing is certainly still lousy in my bad ear, but getting 25% back has helped a ton. The prednisone made me feel lousy and tense after about day 10 - so be ready. It wasn't pleasant, but the side affects disappeared as soon as I stopped taking the pills. I also had the steroid shots to the ear after two weeks. They did not help me, though they do help many many other people. DEFINITELY get the shots if things don't get better.

Good Luck,

Mark

Hello,

My name is Christopher. I'm 34 years old and reside in Sacramento California. I lost hearing in my left ear suddenly on Sept 12th 2008. I saw an ENT doctor approx 4 days after lossing my hearing. I was given the same treatment as most of you. Steroids taken oraly. Not much improvement after seeing the ENT for the second time. He said there was nothing further that he can do or prescribe to fix the problem. I decided to do some research and i found this forum. It really helps me knowing that im not alone. Thanks everyone for posting your stories... I have one question. Is there anyone here who has had a full recovery? If so, Can you elaborate on what steps you took for this to happen.
Sincerely,
Christopher

Christopher, in answer to your request to hear from anyone who has had full recovery----I have been on this forum for a couple years. I experienced SSHNL twice (Aug '05 and Oct '06)both in my left ear. 60 mg of Prednisone daily for 2 weeks both times. 1st time, I did not see the ENT for 10 days, hearing started returning 2 days after taking Prednisone following the visit to the ENT. I regained my hearing to normal levels for my age (60 at that time) but was left with tinnitus.

The second time I immediately started taking Prednisone that I had left over from '05 and it started returning 5-6 days later. It returned 80% with an annoying echo with high pitched voices. One shot of Decadron brought it back all the way and eliminated the echo.

Still have the tinnitus. Have added a number of autoimmune and vascular related OTC supplements to my supplemental regimen, as proactivity since no one can tell me whether it was vascular, viral or autoimmune.

I am suspecting vascular due to some other events that have occurred on the left side of my head.