To be feeling just a little bit scared

[MyOtherCarIsAPorsche]

Just got home from GP appointment. Had sudden hearing loss in one ear about 10 days ago. Now constant tinnitus - no let up.

Thought I'd possibly get antibiotics or maybe told it was a virus.

The GP rang the hospital and told ent sho that I was for 7 day pathway. Consultant told GP that if I don't hear from hospital in next 2 days I have to contact the hospital.

I was sent away with prescription for steroids - 12 a day. I had to make a round trip of 40 miles in rush hour traffic to get them as local pharmacies had closed.

I got home and vomited - I am literally sick with worry.

I haven't had earache, no glands up, no sore throat, no cold/flu. I feel fine apart from constant headache, tinnitus and loss of hearing.

That’s quite normal. My son has had this dosage for a chest infection. I was surprised at the time.

Do you suffer with migraines.

Worrying yourself isn’t going to help right now. You have no idea what it is - it could be serious but it could also be mundane. Try to focus on the next step and not spiralling. A family member had a similar thing and all turned out well.

@Elmspringwater

I do. But since I started HRT I've had very few - less than 5. Had none for two years.

Thought id ask as this is how mine start.

Gently can I ask why your GP didn't tell you what is wrong and why you didn't ask?

I wonder how the 2 day thing is going to work with Christmas and Boxing day?

I assume you wont be able to call until next week? What a worry!!

Hopefully they are just being over cautious and it's nothing serious.

Isn’t it just because there’s only a short window to act with the types of hearing loss that are reversible so they want to find out what type you have? I don’t think it necessarily means they suspect something sinister. (I have been in the same situation as you with the same treatment and didn’t get the feeling that it could be anything scarier than permanent hearing loss at the time — which given the symptoms wouldn’t have been a surprise)

I've had similar and got a diagnosis I'm not.going to share as it would be natural to Google and worry. I can 100% understand your worry it's so unnerving when something is happening in your body you don't understand.

Fingers crossed it's "just" the gp over cautious

@NotAnotherScarf

I don't know why GP didn't tell me.

He said neuro something something - I can't remember the other two words. He said pressure on nerve?

He'd already mentioned 12 steroid tablets by then and my mind went blank but it's a normal dose.

I was in there a while - but as time goes on I'm forgetting what happened. I must've been more than half an hour in GP room because the pharmacies were closed when I came out. He'd said it was important to get the steroids today. I had to ring the surgery back and ask where to get them from.

I'm actually feeling better after being sick.

It does sound like you have an infection and that's pushing on a nerve, hence being sick.

Do your tablets list on the info sheet what they are used to treat, that might jog your memory

@Crunchymum

GP said that the consultant will ring in the next two days and if I don't get a call I have to ring the hospital. It'll be Friday that I'll need to ring. But I'm thinking that if I don't get a phone call I'll ring on Monday - it will still be within the seven day pathway.

@NotAnotherScarf

i don't have infection - he checked my temperature, blood pressure, glands, throat, asked me to frown and raise my eyebrows, checked I had sensation in my face whilst my eyes were closed. Did several tests with tuning fork.

I'm just so shocked at being on a 7 day pathway. I don't feel ill at all - just constant headache (not blinding headache just dull ache) that I can't shift and constant tinnitus. And tiredness - the tinnitus is torture in the silence of night.

@NotAnotherScarf

My tablets are at home - I rushed home from the hospital where I picked them up from, put some melting ice cubes in the freezer that I'd bought before the appointment and then rushed back out because I was late for babysitting. My steroids are at home - it's prednisolone.

Hiya, don’t panic, this is all precautionary in case you have an acoustic neuroma which is a non-cancerous condition. They just need to rule it out

Also- the steroids are because research shows that taking them increases the chance of your hearing recovering. In most cases like yours the cause of your hearing loss won’t be identified

@ChristmaslightsuptilJanuary

Thank you for that.

It's been disorienting with huge hearing loss which came on at the flick of a switch.

I've googled acoustic neuroma - still worried. I don't understand the 7 day pathway in that case.

Try not to worry. It seems pretty standard to go on the ‘pathway’ for a big bunch of symptoms, these days.

I was put on the 2-week pathway last year after reporting some issues with my voice/throat. I had an investigation a couple of weeks later and it was all clear, thankfully.

I was initially very worried (especially when my appointment letter gave me a number to ring if I had any questions and when I called the number to get some information on the procedure I’d be having, it went through to Macmillan Cancer Support 😳). While waiting the two weeks for my appointment, I decided not to worry until I had something to worry about, which helped me get through the wait.

Good luck. Xx

I started with sudden pulsatile tinnitus in one ear during covid. Referred for urgent MRI which found nothing. Was told by NHS ENT mild hearing loss, private ENT said hearing fine. Nothing sinister but nearly four years on, still got it.

Hospital just rang 😳
appointment monday
steroids have knocked me off my feet

can't bear to think of tinnitus for 4 years - this is loud and overwhelming - can't concentrate. @DemonsandMosquitoes

My husband gets steroids for his ears because of inflammation in his tubes caused by sinusitis. Could be nothing. His hearing went dodgy too. 8 weeks on and he’s back to normal.

@ManyPigeons

oh 8 weeks doesn't sound too bad

i have had sinus problems when I was late teens early twenties - nothing at the moment as far as that's concerned.

My family have all had flu this past few weeks - but I swerved it: not a sniffle. Can't remember the last time I even had a slight cold <touching wood>. Even reflux I have every day has all but gone 🤔

Ive been really well just lately, funnily enough.

How are you doing now?

It's possible you have SSHL. It happens suddenly and is often thought to be secondary to a viral infection, but often this is not diagnosed. Sometimes you get the hearing back, but sometimes not. Its usually NOT caused by anything sinister like a tumour, but needs to be ruled out with an MRI.

The hearing loss and tinnitus is an absolute shock. I"ve had it 8 months and it has turned my life upside down. However, you will adjust in time even if it is permanent (so I'm told!)

This happened me OP. I woke up one morning after a very mild cold, blew my nose and my hearing just went in my right ear. Tinnitus started the next day. I had no pain at all. Went to various health professionals (audiologist in Specsavers had a quick look and said it was wax and gave me drops, GP said it was probably congestion and gave me nasal spray). Luckily my husband has private health insurance and I saw an ENT and he said I had profound hearing loss in that ear. It was permanent nerve damage. He said I would probably never know why, possibly a viral or bacterial infection that inflamed the nerve. I did get an MRI to rule out an acoustic nuroma which came back clear. There is a 2 week window where steroids may help to get some or all hearing back so it's really good you are getting those. You can also get steroid injections through the ear drum. It was too late for me. I did try steroids at 3 wks after onset and regained a little hearing but not enough to hear speech with a hearing aid. Get the steroids and go from there. Hopefully you can get a hearing test and you may have enough hearing that a hearing aid will be beneficial. Your hearing may come back completely so don't loose hope. I don't want to scare you, yours could be a different situation and I'm not a medical professional. I had no idea this could happen. I had no issues with my hearing at all until I got SSNHL (Sudden Sensorial Hearing Loss). I was 40 and it's been nearly 5 years. Fingers crossed for you. Tinnitus can be really difficult at times but your brain will habituate it and it becomes more manageable. I joined an amazing group on Reddit. Mono hearing. Brilliant advice and support on there.