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Posted by fatigued15 (Member # 6437) on :
 
Has anyone had sudden deafness in one ear?
 
Posted by Life+Lyme (Member # 33568) on :
 
I have. We are still investigating it, but we found out my ear was completely packed, and for some reason, fluids aren't draining on one side of my face. So, one side of my face is really swollen.

Any ringing in the ear?
 
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
 
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Before I go into overdrive, has this just happened for you? (Or maybe you just read it could happen, or a friend . . . ?)

Still, proceeding lower key as if you report this right now for yourself.

Sorry to read of this.

Are you taking Zithromax? That has been linked to sudden deafness.

Other meds can do this, too but so can certain infections. Lyme can cause deafness.

First of all, have you been able to call your doctor?

A E.R. visit might be in order.

If you have a ear specialist, see if they take after hour calls.

If you are taking any ototoxic drug, I would be inclined to not take another dose.

But that full list is only in a book. A shorter list is here:

link to come.


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If you have ARNICA homeopathic, put a few pellets under your tongue now and frequently throughout the night.

If you have some good B-vitamins, take some with food.

Avoid aspirin, that can be ototoxic.
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Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
 
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There can be many reasons (including noise damage from the past finally sneaking up on you) but you need to seek medical care ASAP.

Best if your LLMD can FIRST advise you.

I'm just too tired to sort through this but many good links here that relate to Ototoxic drugs:

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http://flash.lymenet.org/scripts/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=065801

Topic: TINNITUS: Ringing Between The Ears; Vestibular, Balance, Hearing with compiled links - including HYPERACUSIS & SCD - Superior canal dehiscence
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Posted by momlyme (Member # 27775) on :
 
I have a friend who went deaf in both ears due to toxic mold. I am going to ask him if he knows why it happened. Not sure if his was sudden either.

Have you completely lost your hearing?
 
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
 
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fatigued15,

Hope both ears are back on track. Please keep us posted.
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Posted by dbpei (Member # 33574) on :
 
Sudden deafness in one ear was one of my first symptoms before discovering that I had Lyme Disease. Did you recently lose your hearing after being treated for Lyme?
 
Posted by fatigued15 (Member # 6437) on :
 
This is a relative that is not diagnosed with Lyme. He lost hearing in one ear and the ENT said it most likely won't come back. Very dizzy but that has improves. History of torn rotater cuff without injury, sore soles of feet, some arthritis. He is only in his 30's. He has deer in his yard all the time. I am going to approach him about Lyme.
 
Posted by In19944 (Member # 34272) on :
 
i had this and it was partially helped by pulling a back impacted infected tooth. left ear would go completely deaf for hours and then come back.
 
Posted by dbpei (Member # 33574) on :
 
My ENT also told me my hearing would likely not come back. I became dizzy too and lost half of my vestibular functioning on the same side as my hearing loss.

My tinnitus was ROARING following the hearing loss. Then I became fatigued and started feeling strange buzzing or vibrating sensations.

My LLMD thinks I had Lyme for 5 years. I had a good immune system and managed to function well despite spirochetes living in my body all those years. I had migrating joint and bone pain for years following a summer flu in 2007. (deer in my yard and a few untreated tick bites also)

I hardly ever got sick, but I had a cold in December 2011 and 3 weeks later, I lost my hearing and all hell broke loose after that. I went from one doctor to another looking for answers. My LLMD was the only one who had any.

My hearing is getting better but I don't know if it will ever get back to what it was before all of this happened...
 
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
 
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Deafness as a result of lyme is documented in medical literature. You could do a search for your cousin but I hope he'll take your word for it that he needs to be assessed for lyme and other TBD.

If this is a stealth infection, he could loss more hearing but also be dizzy forever. The ears do so much more than just hear. The inner ear system affects walking, talking, thinking, reading, writing . . .balance, etc.

http://flash.lymenet.org/scripts/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=015508;p=0

Diagnosing Lyme Disease (and/or whatever else it might be)

===========================

http://flash.lymenet.org/scripts/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=013239;p=0

(What ILADS is) . . . WHY you need an ILADS-educated, Lyme Literate Doctor

============================

Certain drugs, even OTC products (such as those with acetaminophen) can cause deafness, too, so be sure to guide him back to the OTOTOXIC links in the Tinnitus thread.

If he can find a LLMD and calls, he should be sure to tell them about this as they may be able to get him in sooner or refer him to a

LL neurotologist.

He should be aware, though, they may suggest steroids. And, in this case steroids MAY be an option but ONLY if a LLMD is guiding assessment &/or treatment FIRST and for some time following.

As you probably know, steroids can make lyme much worse but, in emergencies, there are ways to safely employ them if you have LL doctors on deck.
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Posted by fatigued15 (Member # 6437) on :
 
Thanks for your help. I am going to talk to him about this. Three o us myself, daughter and son have Lyme so I hope he listens to get this ruled in or out.
 
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
 
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Wonder if he could get a few glutathione IVs, and MAGNESIUM, too, while he waits for a LLMD.

A LL ND (naturopathic doctor) may be the ticket if there is a wait.

By the sounds of it, bartonella may (also?) be involved.

Still . . . the health of the liver is tied to the ears. Acetaminophen blocks the liver's ability to produce glutathione. That can lead to so many other problems, especially with the ears.

Just one of dozens of articles on this topic.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2010/03/analgesics-contribute-to-hearing-loss-study-finds.html

Analgesics contribute to hearing loss, study finds

Los Angeles Times - March 2, 2010

Excerpt:

. . . New research suggests that regular use of aspirin, acetaminophen and other analgesics can substantially increase the risk of hearing loss, especially in men younger than 50.

Researchers report in the American Journal of Medicine that

use of acetaminophen more than twice a week by such men doubles the risk of hearing loss,

use of ibuprofen and related non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) increases the risk by nearly two-thirds,

and regular use of aspirin increases it by about a third. . . .
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Posted by lymeboy (Member # 24769) on :
 
I lost my hearing completely in one ear while riding across the country on my Motorcycle. Later that night, I started hallucinating on the road and I still wonder how I did not crash and die.

My ears were my first symptom, and have been the most persistent. I did not know what was wrong for years.

After losing my hearing and then gaining it back gradually over the course of a week, I got constant dizzy spells. I walked around like a drunkard for almost a year before getting a Lyme diagnosis.

I sometimes feel like if my ear symptoms went away, I would be just about well again.

Most docs, even ENT docs have no idea what to do with collapsed ear canals / full ears
 
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
 
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I mentioned the possible use of steroids to try to regain hearing, and with the caution of ONLY with a LLMD's guidance.

Here's why steroids should be avoided UNLESS in extreme emergency (and hearing loss is an emergency) . . . and how with a LLMD's guidance they might be used along with antibiotics:

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http://flash.lymenet.org/scripts/ultimatebb.cgi/topic/1/100984?#000000

Topic: what do STEROIDS actually do to us?

And SAFETY notes in case they are ever needed.
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Posted by dbpei (Member # 33574) on :
 
lymeboy, did your hearing return to normal?? Or are you still living with hearing loss?

I have never heard of collapsed ear canals. Is that what you have been diagnosed with?

Keebler, unfortunately, when I lost my hearing, the neurotologist prescribed a taper of prednisone. It was after that that my head vibrations and buzzing began. My hearing did not get any better with the pred.
 
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
 
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dbpei,

was your LLMD also treating with antibiotics before & at the time of the prednisone?

It's that use of antibiotics BEFORE, during and after the steroids that is the best chance for steroids not doing damage -- AND the advice of an expert LLMD at every step.

There are other good anti-inflamatories but most regular MDs are not aware of them; NDs (naturopathic doctors) would have that detail.

In an emergency, trying to save one's hearing, the alternatives often get overlooked or the patient does not have time to search on their own (if the doctor is stuck in "steroid" mode).
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Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
 
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COLLAPSED EAR CANAL

lymeboy may have been referring to how it feels or the effects of collapsed hearing or tolerance to sound - regarding SOFT TISSUE.

However, if about inner ear BONE, see:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6vAkdGw8T4

"The Musician Who Heard Too Much" at YouTube

10 minute video segment from ABC News

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Superior Canal Dehiscence Syndrome (SCDS)

support and discussion group - see "Links" at left

-----------------

A few more links about SCD here, one's I used for my "probable" diagnosis (the machine could have been better but it was the best in my city at that time).

Had I not seen the ABC news segment, I never would have known. Most doctors have never heard of it and most tests don't see it. The CT scans are VERY specific, and not even all CT machines can do the test:

http://flash.lymenet.org/scripts/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=065801

Topic: TINNITUS: Ringing Between The Ears; Vestibular, Balance, Hearing with compiled links - including HYPERACUSIS & SCD - Superior canal dehiscence
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Posted by lymeboy (Member # 24769) on :
 
I think what it actually is is inflamed eustachian tubes. I have been to ear docs, regular docs, neurologists, and none of them have given me any kind of answer. SO Maybe "collapsed" is the wrong term. But that is how it feels.

Yes my hearing came back over the course of a week. At first any noise sounded like a blown speaker in that ear, fuzzy and scratchy and intermittent. Then low hearing, and a return to normal hearing. However, my hearing quality does fluctuate. I sometimes get hyperacusis, and other times my hearing is not great, others my balance is off. All of the time, my ears are completely clogged, yawning does not help. Holding my nose and blowing out works, but they clog back up in minutes.
 
Posted by dbpei (Member # 33574) on :
 
Keebler, I saw the neurotologist before I had any clue that it was Lyme Disease. So I was not on ABX before, during or after the prednisone. I pray there is no permanent nerve damage.

I have often thought I had SCDS also. I have suggested this to my ENT's and they all deny.

Every so often, I get the sensation that my voice is super amplified and I can hear all kinds of noises internally - along with hyperacusis. But then it goes away. Maybe it is the Lyme bacteria relocating...

I know someone from my vestibular disorder support group with SCDS. He is struggling with the decision to have the surgery.

Thank you for all of your good information.
 
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
 
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dbpei,

Very few ENT, even very few neurotologists are familiar with SCD. It's a fairly recent discovery.

SCD always involves severe hyperacusis; yet, not every case of severe hyperacusis is a result of SCD.

And SCD can be caused by lyme (among other things).

While Johns Hopkins is excellent - perhaps the best in the world regarding SCD diagnosis and repair -

-- they are among the worst in the world to understand lyme (and especially chronic borreliosis) and that is a huge concern for any lyme patient who may seek surgery there -- unless they have their own LLMD who could guide as surgery involves steroids, etc.

Both steroids and the sheer trauma of surgery can make lyme worse if not attended by a proper LLMD (and Johns Hopkins has none).

It also may be that, for someone with SCD who also has lyme, the degree of SCD may not require surgery were the lyme (and whatever else all goes with it) to be adequately treated.
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Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
 
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lymeboy,

I'm sorry to hear of your symptoms. I had all those, too (and some still) but I've never had a proper lyme treatment protocol for very long (most just don't have access and do the best they can with what they have).

Many things that helped me are in that Tinnitus Thread.

Most importantly, being free of: gluten; dairy; corn; soy; all additives & and all synthetic scents at home and in laundry & cleaning items.

Certain supplements that help the most: ALLICIN; Ginger; Olive Leaf Extract; Magnesium; . . .

Unless lyme (or whatever else is going on) is adequately addressed, though, all bets are off as for recovery. Heavy Metals, Molds, Chemicals, so much to consider but just keep chipping away at it.

And - about "Holding my nose and blowing out"

I was sharply corrected by a ENT when I did this in their office. It's very harsh on the tender tissue and never a good idea UNLESS just VERY GENTLY. VERY, with nearly no pressure at all.

Same with trying to subdue a sneeze by holding the nose. I did that in a different ear specialist's office and he hit the roof.

He explained (in very graphic terms) why that should never be done. All the gunk goes further up into the ears - and lots of tender tissue is literally broken, to bleed and is traumatized.
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Posted by dbpei (Member # 33574) on :
 
Keebler and Lymeboy, sorry you have to suffer these awful symptoms. I have had them all at one time or another and they occasionally come back to haunt me.

Fortunately, I think that my auditory symptoms are improving with ABX (rifampin and doxy), Valtrex and lysine. Even my tinnitus is getting less noticeable. I pray this will continue.

I have read that hyperbaric oxygen treatment can help with tinnitus. I know some people have had success with it for Lyme as well. I am not sure if it helps with other auditory or vestibular symptoms.
 
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
 
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HBOT (hyperbaric oxygen treatment) can be a mixed bag for the ears (and the eyes).

Much depends upon if a person's ears can handle the pressure of the "dive" - even with the "MILD HBOT" that benefit many with lyme.

Some ears just can't do it. Of course, it's best in an individual tank if possible so that the pressure can be personalized.

When I checked into this years ago, two sets of 40 "dives" were recommended. That's a huge chunk of change. Was disappointed to know that we do, indeed, have HBO units in my city but they are not covered by insurance for anything but certain emergencies.

I think they are overlooked and their use could reap wonderful results for a wide range of conditions. Insurance companies just won't agree.
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Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
 
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fatigued15,

Is your relative's hearing any better?
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Posted by seibertneurolyme (Member # 6416) on :
 
Lyme is not the only tickborne disease which can cause sudden hearing loss. Here is a link to a recent journal article discussing this issue caused by anaplasma which is related to ehrlichia.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22324206

Bea Seibert
 
Posted by Lauralyme (Member # 15021) on :
 
[QUOTE]Originally posted by fatigued15:
History of torn rotator cuff without injury

Is this a lyme symptom?

I apolgise for getting off topic
 
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
 
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Lauralyme:

You ask if "History of torn rotator cuff without injury . . is a lyme symptom?"

Yes, it sure can be as lyme can cause tendon, soft tissue, cartilage and muscle damage - even without an obvious "injury" to the injured site.

Sometimes, even just a cough, sneeze or sleeping "wrong" can start trouble.

Part of this can be from magnesium deficiency, common with lyme. Magnesium supplementation can help avoid some troubles but attention to infection is vital.
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Posted by Lauralyme (Member # 15021) on :
 
Thanks Keeb [Smile]
 
Posted by fatigued15 (Member # 6437) on :
 
Thank you for all the info. Yes, he is still deaf in the one ear. The ENT said it will not get better and is caused by a virus.

Thanks Bea for the link. I am getting some info together for him.

Thanks Keeb for the info.

He has had odd symptoms for a few years. They don't want to hear Lyme. I just want him to get it ruled out. They live with the deer constantly in their yard.

They were going to inject steroids in his ear and the specialist said he did not think it would help. Thankfully he ended up not having the steroid injections.
 
Posted by dbpei (Member # 33574) on :
 
My ENT and the neurotologist told me that my hearing would likely never get better and it did with treatment for Lyme. I still have a way to go, but I am hopeful. Please tell your nephew that.
 
Posted by gmb (Member # 23562) on :
 
I went totally deaf in one ear while on vaca at Cape Cod in summer of 1992.

Symptoms started with ringing in the ear, then got dizzy and nauseous, then noticed hearing loss over a 6 hour period. My PCP saw me next day and reffered me to a top local ENT specialist.

I ended up being diagnosted with a dead cochlea probable caused by an unknown virus. I got a second opinion from the Mass Eye and Ear Infermory in Boston... same Dx.

My deaf ear is still ringing like crazy and I still have slight virtigo and fear of heights.

I now wonder if that could have been my first exposure to Lyme and co's. I was bit in June 2005 with my current Lyme, Babs and Bart Dx.

sh*t happens... some Dr's told me I was lucky the virus hadn't found my heart.

gmb
 


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