Im new to severe hearing loss created by Menieres. My doctor said injections into the ear drum with steroids would provide "temporary relief". Needless to say, assuming a shot via the ear drum will be no Swiss picnic I asked if I would be put under. He said "Oh will will only hurt for a while". I have since seen videos on YouTube where patients are getting the shot and the area is fully numbed. She lies the quietly whilst the injection is done. My doctor will not even consider numbing the area. Has anyone had these shots and have you had the area numbed and if not is it as hideous as I think it would be? I want to take every possible option available to avoid the implant and if this restores my hearing with follow up shots that is the route I want to take.
Hi, I had a series of steroid injections last year. i believe I had 7 total. They did stem the severe vertigo. I was terrified the first time. My ENT numbed the ear drum with an injection and created a two small holes. Then a minute later injected the steroid through the tiny hole. It was painless. The worst was a few seconds of dizziness as the liquid warmed up. I sat in the chair with my head tilted. I had to stay that way not talking or swallowing for an additional 20 minutes. You want it to stay in the area vs swallowing it. Afterwards there were sensations of sloshing and weird little noises. And you need to keep it dry until the little opening created by the needle closes. No swimming. It truly was in my case painless. Not my favorite thing but easy.
I would be in favor of the injections if the area was numbed like you- your doctor has compassion. Do you have severe hearing loss? If so, did the injections help?
I know each person is different and it varies as a result. How long was "temporary" A week a month? Did it restore his hearing 100% or 50%?
Hi, I have severe hearing loss and the injections had no impact on that. But also we weren't looking for improvement . I needed control of the vertigo which did seem to work. Maybe you need to get some clarification from your ENT on the numbing. My ear/face was not numbed. Only the ear drum and any pain at all was that tiny nick from the needle. Not really pain. Ask if they would explain the entire procedure to you. Get a second opinion if your questions aren't answered. But my experience was no major numbing required and no need to be put to sleep.
I also have very severe vertigo. So much so that I had black outs for several seconds. Would get on the freeway and feel it coming on. It became so intense I was forced to pull over- or used every fiber of my being to control it to my destination. When I did pull over or get to where i was going had the brief black out. My doctor put me on Alprazolam five years ago. It stopped all Vertigo that moment. It worked for me and it may work for you but it sounds like you have yours under control? That doctor has retired and I have a new one- very clinical and with little to no compassion. He uses cookie cutter treatment with everyone- cant think outside the box.If I have learned anything its no two people are exactly the same with this hideous disorder.
I have a prescription for Ativan and one for Meclazine which I take on an as needed basis. I've used Alprazolam (xanax) in the past for what I thought were panic attacks but what really may have been Menieres (they feel eerily the same to me). But in that case the xanax was also on a PRN basis. Are you saying that you use it daily? I have taken the Ativan when I started to feel off and it helped but I've been careful about not using them daily since I don't want to run out. We never discussed using Ativan or Xanax daily. I will bring that up. At the very least it could help with the anticipatory anxiety. I no longer drive and even avoid walking alone or swimming alone. When the vertigo hits I go down within seconds with no warning. There would be no time to pull the car over. I am so sorry to read your doctor has no compassion. Is it possible to switch? You are correct in that it impacts everyone differently. For me, right now, the worst is the distorted hearing and sensitivity. I am profoundly deaf in the left ear but what lingers is truly annoying. Tomorrow it could be the pressure. The next day the tinnitus might change to a more annoying pitch. I never know. At any rate, thanks for the suggestion on meds. I will discuss it with my ENT.
I got your response via email but it is not appearing on here now... I have a prescription for Ativan and one for Meclazine which I take on an as needed basis. I've used Alprazolam (xanax) in the past for what I thought were panic attacks but what really may have been Menieres (they feel eerily the same to me). But in that case the xanax was also on a PRN basis. Are you saying that you use it daily? I have taken the Ativan when I started to feel off and it helped but I've been careful about not using them daily since I don't want to run out. We never discussed using Ativan or Xanax daily. I will bring that up. At the very least it could help with the anticipatory anxiety. I no longer drive and even avoid walking alone or swimming alone. When the vertigo hits I go down within seconds with no warning. There would be no time to pull the car over. I am so sorry to read your doctor has no compassion. Is it possible to switch? You are correct in that it impacts everyone differently. For me, right now, the worst is the distorted hearing and sensitivity. I am profoundly deaf in the left ear but what lingers is truly annoying. Tomorrow it could be the pressure. The next day the tinnitus might change to a more annoying pitch. I never know. ### Yes I take .o5 mg a day 12 noon, 4p 8p and one before bed. I have anxiery and stress which is a major factor with Vertigo inducement. Alprazolam not only elimiated stress but stopped vertigo in its tracks , I if I attempt to drive on the freeway today without taking this med- I will experience the exact issue. Switching drs wont help as the new dr WILL refill the Aplprazolam where other doctors wont as they claim it is addicting but so is the Presnisone that I am taking now which has restored my hearing only for it to fail again after 11 days because i was taken off of it and there are easy ways to get off the that drug with a five day reduction in meds. At any rate, thanks for the suggestion on meds. I will discuss it with my ENT.
I got your email reply just now but it is not appearing on here. Yes I take Alprazolan 4x a day 0.5 mg. 12n. 4p 8p and before bed. If I stop taking it all Verigo will reurn immediately- mainly inabilty to drive. Prednisone restored my deaf left ear 11 years ago. Deafness returned. Afterafter 2 weeks on Prednisone it was retored again- but failed after 11 day and am back to deafness in both ears. You and I sound much alike on our 'Ailments'
I have had 7 shots in my ear without numbing my eardrum. My ENT only wants one hole in my eardrum. It is not painful to me. It’s the cold liquid going in my ear and the vertigo feeling afterwards I don’t like. Good thing that only last for a minute or two. It seems to help my hearing and my dizziness gets better.
Gregg, if that is occurring, with all due respect, you should not be driving at all. Not only are you risking your life, but the lives of others as well. Not to mention the liability. If you are driving, and know that you are severely impaired by the vertigo, then your insurance company may not cover you at all in the event of a wreck. ALL the liability will be on you. It's just not worth it.
I've had the steroid injections with and without numbing. It's better to be numbed, but doable either way. The hard part for me is needing to sit quietly for 20 minutes. It only hurts when the injection happens. I've had mixed results with injections but like with all this stuff, your mileage may vary.
My ENT numbed the area and put in a tube. Then did the shot. Followed by two others a week apart. The tube made it easy to do the shots going forward. But they did nothing for me. Unfortunately.
I had three shots and they numbed the area with some cotton sticks that were drenched before in an anesthetic solution. They left the sticks in my ear for 15 minutes. During that time I kept the steroid in my hand to make it warm. This way you won’t feel dizzy when it enters your ear. Unfortunately the effect lasted only 2 weeks…
I had a series of three shots recently. The consultant put some anaesthetic cream on my eardrum 15 minutes before each shot. Then he made 2 holes with the needle and filled the eardrum with the steroid solution from the bottom hole, so air would get expelled from the top hole. It wasn't comfortable, but it didn't hurt much at all. The worst bit was sitting still without swallowing for 20 minutes after the shot. As others have said, a little bit of dizziness as the temperature of the steroid equalised with body temperature, but that only lasted a few minutes.
Why do doctors keep doing these ?? everything I have read on here and experienced myself they only last for a couple of days if they work at all ? My first one lasted one day (relieved tinnitus) the second and third did nothing.