Regarding the hearing test, I've noticed a BIG TIME loss in hearing in my affected ear since the medication change. The way I noticed is with headphones. Used to be, even with less hearing in the bad ear, music still sounded pretty good through headphones. My brain did a good job at "centering" the channels so things were normalish. Now, everything is biased to my good ear. Listening to the music through the bad ear, its almost unrecognizable. After about 20 minutes of listening my bad ear starts to get very uncomfortable and the dizziness starts. I can still listen through a regular stereo ok, but I certainly have a limited volume tolerance now.
I had the Laby in September of 2014. You will have to adjust to being deaf in one ear. Example is if someone calls my name out I can't tell where the sound is coming from. You still have ringing in the ear and times when its really loud and times when not. I think when your able to normal things like your use to doing you don't notice the ringing as much. My good ear became much more sound sensitive as in if I go to a basketball game or even a movie I use ear plugs. The laby did give me my life back. I ride cutting horses and compete in ranch rodeos.
I have already had to adjust as I'm practically deaf in the bad ear anyway, I don't see that as a hurdle at all. I was hoping for complete removal of the ringing as well, but based on what I'm hearing (no pun) that's probably not going to happen, and/or its on a individual basis. In any case, the primary concern is getting rid of the vertigo, dizziness and fogginess.....if the ringing is removed or even reduced then its a plus. Thanks!
I didn't do the test, but I did test the hearing in my bad ear at some bars. Monday night Irish pub. Didn't wear hearing aid. Sat next to old hippy dude with my bad ear toward him. He had a deeper gravelly voice, and I've lost my low frequencies in that ear. I could barely make out what he was saying. I'd catch little pieces and just nod my head. Then his friend 2 seats away started telling a joke in our direction. He was talking louder so that we could here. I said to myself, "OK, listen closely, if you can follow the joke, your ear is at least useful." I could not follow it. Tuesday night Cajun bar. This time with hearing aid in. Could not follow what the guy on the stool next to me was saying to me. Granted his enunciation was hampered, but still, I could NOT make out the form of his words. Good. Screw it. Just motivated me even more towards a laby. ( side note: As the guy at the Irish bar was paying his check, I said to him, "I don't come here much. What's that buzzing noise?" He said he didn't hear it. I said, "you don't hear a loud whirring?" And he says curtly, "no (pause) NOT AT ALL." Then he left without saying bye. Which if you're familiar with pubs, is pretty rude bar etiquette after you've had a conversation with someone. So later I ask the bartender, "is there are buzzing sound throughout this whole place or what?" She says, "yes, sorry, that's our kitchen fans, we need to have them replaced." Take THAT old dude!!!!!!
Given what you posted re reasons vns fail, would a laby not also be susceptible to the same things? Not pushing antivirals as i know they havent worked for you but the symptoms you describe are very close to what mine were.
Hard to know. Giving av's more time. Much depends on what test results say. I find out on March 27. If tests results say I've gone bilateral then I won't have laby. Scott Tom said that if my Meniere's is viral related, my VNS would not have helped, but a laby would.
The Laby is the gold standard because it works . I wish I had not wasted years chasing 9 gent shots , AV meds , JOH , steroid shots , NUCCA , Auto immune meds ect ect . If i had listened to my first OTO NEURO I would have not suffered for so long because I would have went directly to the Laby . I had the surgery Oct 2011 and today I am 98% normal . I have a low amount of ear noise that I never notice . I tell everyone to stop chasing every thing out there and have the laby , get your life back . I was playing in golf tourneys a few weeks after my surgery and today I do anything from carnival rides to tubing . It is up to you to take your life back . Find a good doctor like Dr Douglas Mattox Emory university or DR Douglas Green Jacksonville Hearing and balance and put an end to the suffering . Another great friend of mine that had the Laby told me before I got the nerve up to fix my life , DON'T LET THIS MONSTER CONTROL YOUR LIFE .
Hurricane, can you give some insight on how it is living with hearing in only one ear? Like, anything that frustrates you about the loss of hearing? Methods you use to deal with it. Such as having your wife sit on your good side at restaurants, type stuff. Also did you have a chem laby or traditional surgical type. Thank you.
He indicated he had 9 gent shot. Gent shots are chemical Laby’s. Personally I wish I never heard the word gentamicin. I had 6 shots of it and 3 shots of streptomycin/stronger than gent. Still felt like shit. I will never forget the first time I went water skiing and snow skiing with my kids after my laby...I thought those days were gone forever before my Laby.
Single sided hearing is something you will adjust to. Sitting in a restaurant with your deaf side towards a wall is easy to do. Walking with friends you ask them to walk on the side of your hearing ear. If I am alone I cant always determine where sounds are coming from so you do have to be aware of your surroundings. I can tell you first hand that it is a much better life living with single sided hearing than with what you are experiencing. I hope you find relief soon.
Well both of these great people are correct with what they are saying . For me , I had the left ear removed so when driving I hear Teresa really well although sometimes I wish it had been the other ear .LOL Just kidding . Actually I hardly ever notice much problem hearing except for directional things . Joe I hope you and redwing are doing good . Pupper the best advice any of us could ever give you would be find a great oto doctor and get the bad ear removed then go play some golf . The reason you don't see many of the laby survivors on here is because we are getting on with our lives . I applaud the ones of us that occasionally come here to share our success . Good Luck my friend .
I had something like 7 gent injections to no effect, so I doubt a chemical laby would help me either. Thanks RedBullHurricane for the insights.
You did have a chemical Laby!!! A gentamicin injection is a chemical laby. Good luck with whatever to decide to do. Got to be at the baseball field at noon to coach sons team. Have a great day.
My OTO a very highly respected physician at Mass Eye and Ear infirmary as well as a professor at Harvard will only do 2 gent shots. He told me if 2 shots don't help then there is no reason to go any further with gent. And as you can see that turned out to be the case for both Bull and Hurricane. I only had one and I was sick for 2 weeks then slowly felt better. It only lasted about 6 months before I started feeling lousy again. I met with Dr. Roach and said I am done I am ready for surgery. I thank both Bull and Hurricane it was following their posts that helped me make my decision. I hope that we can help you get to the right choice for you.
Redwing, the only reason I've been somewhat happy lately is the thought of a laby. I almost feel like I'm entering a cult...what with your last few sentences above...funny. But yes, I want to join!!! I lay down my resistance. Take me!!! It all depends on what my doctor says about my ear/balance test results. I see him in a few days.
I guess you might call it a cult...a group of people who are living their lives vertigo free after following the laby route......not a bad cult to belong to. I will be anxious to hear what your oto has to say. Keep us posted and good luck.