MMS1

I've had a "sudden hearing loss" last Feb. which although after a ten day course of "Prednisone" (steroid) a small amount of hearing came back, I've been left with a low muffled, muted hearing in my right ear, accompanied with constant ringing, screeching and hissing noises (tinnitis) as well as distortion in my own and others voices!! It's been four months and I've fallen into a DEEP, DEEP state of Depression along with General Anxiety Disorder which has all encompassed my life and caused me to lose a good majority of what I have left in my life (which is'nt much) and has me stuck at home day and night unable to function!! My wife has put up with my constant rantings for the past four months but now is at wits end with me!! My two wonderful sons who live on their own, now don't call or come by like before, due to being sick of hearing me go on about how miserable I am,, I fear I'll lose my family before this is all over!!
My ENT had told me he "THINKS" it was a viral infection on the auditory nerve. I had a hearing test at the beginning of it all which showed the majority of my hearing gone. A couple months later a second test showed improvement since the beginning. HOwever, any hearing that returned was within the first few weeks or so and nothing more had come back (except worsened distortion and ringing noises)!! The ENT said I have to learn to live with it and understand that "ALL THAT CAN BE DONE, HAS BEEN DONE" to cure it!!
All that can be done?????? So, he gives me a prescription of "Prednisone" and that's ALL THAT CAN BE DONE??? This is the twenty first century and all that can be done is offer an antibiotic or "steroid"!!! I finally saw a specialist (Otorologist) who I had to wait six weeks for an appt. I showed him my MRI results as well as the two hearing tests. He hemmed and hawed and finally said he did'nt think it was a viral infection as much as a possible broken blood vessel or membrane. He came to that conclusion just from what I described as a sudden "instantious" loss of hearing. He looked and looked at all the test results and any questions I had were answered by a vague or "inconclusive" answere on his part!!
I left there even MORE depressed!!! For that visit (20 minutes of NOTHING),,, I was billed $300.00!!!!!!! While this hearing thing was going on over the first month, I started noticing clicking in both my ears when swallowing which I've NEVER HAD before all this!! When I saw my ENT at the last hearing test, I mentioned it to him and he did'nt even reply!! Just looked at me with a BLANK STARE!! When I saw this specialist I also mentioned the clicking and he too did'nt have an answer!! Well, in the past week, my bad ear is feeling Very full and my voice sounds like it's inside my head, the distortion is worse then ever and even certain noises (like sharp sounds) make me jump or cringe, my ears are so sensitive now!
I did some research on these boards and the web and it seems to have the symptoms of Patulous Eustacian tubes. It put me into a frenzy since I have'nt been able to deal with the ear for Four months and now I get something new to add to the aggrevation!! I called my ENT and he said he did'nt think that was it because it's a rare condition (and "sudden hearing loss" is'nt???)! Even though I have ALL THE SYMPTOMS he said it's probably allergies causing eustachian tube dysfunction and wanted me to start on "Flonaise" (nasal decongestant)! Well, I've seen repeatedly that if you have Patulous Eustachian tube, the last thing you're supposed to take is a "DECONGESTANT" since the tube flap needs to be CONGESTED to close.
One predeterming cause of PTD is a significant weight loss which can cause the fatty tissue which keeps the eustachian tube closed not to close. I've lost at least 40 pounds due to all the stress, anxiety and depression this has all caused me. Yet the doctor could'nt put 2 and 2 together!!!
For a second opinion I called the "specialist" and left a message with his receptionist. That was three days ago and he has'nt called me yet!!!!! Guess he got his $300.00 from the Insurance Co. and could care less about any phone questions!! The current state is that now my left ear (the good ear) has become very sensitive to noises also and seems that both ears are now suffering from the same condition which is driving me insane!!!!!
Sorry for such a long and dreary post, but the whole point is, I've searched for answers on these boards for four months and have only made myself more nuts and worsened my mental condition due to the fact that hundreds of people on these boards have gone through the same FRUSTRATION with multiple doctors and years of searching for answers and suffering with their conditions and have gotten NOWHERE!!! Seems these doctors have NO KNOWLEDGE of what they're supposed to be trained in! Seems the medical profession has NO CONCERN ABOUT US and how much WE'RE SUFFERING!!! The drug companies and researchers constantly come up with new drugs which only serve as temporary "bandaides"!
I have been on Xanax which I'm now addicted to since I've tried getting off it but then I feel worse! The Xanax gives virtually NO STRESS RELIEF!! Now I've started an anti-depressant (lexapro) which I'm weaning on very, very slowly since these "WONDERFUL" drugs make you feel MUCH WORSE while you're TRYING to get on them,, and then they don't always work causing you to become a guinea pig with trial and error while you're suffering the HORRIBLE side effect of getting on them and then the same while getting off!!! Usually in the case where you have a physical ailment such as ear problems,, these drugs can't stop the physcological stress which is ALWAYS THERE as long as the problem can't be fixed!!
I'M SO FED UP WITH THE MEDICAL PROFESSION with their "you just have to learn to live with it" attitude and these drugs which either turn you into an "ADDICT" or in the case of anti-depressants,,, a "lithargic ZOMBIE",, (and that's if it even works for you)!!!!
Totaly FED UP!!!!!

If you made it this far,, I wish you ALL the best of luck in finding answers!!!

MMS1