Sudden Hearing Loss and Prednisone

[paul99]

After recently joining this forum, and reading through many of the messages that have been posted, I am inclined to believe that there may be something not well known that may help some people.  This is why I am posting this message, in hopes of possibly helping someone that may have recently experienced sudden hearing loss in one of their ears (due to pressure exerted by an AN).  I have had two cases in about a 1.5 year period where I suddenly loss my hearing in my left ear. In both cases, my hearing was perfectly fine and quickly degraded over about a 3 day period to the point where I could no longer hear on the left side.

Fortunately, the first time this happened, my ENT had a suspicion about the hearing loss and quickly put me on a steroid called Prednisone.  After about 4 days of taking the steroid, my hearing graduallly began to come back, and eventually it was back to 100%.  In the second case, however, although I my experience was very similar to the first case a year and a half earlier, my hearing came back to about 90-95%.  It seems that the second time, I lost some of my high frequencies.  However, I still have most of my hearing and I can hear most things just fine.

Apparently, the AN that I have was getting inflamed just enough to cut some of the blood supply to my inner ear structures, which was resulting in the hearing loss. Since Prednisone is commonly used as an anti-inflammatory remedy, it alleviated the pressure and allowed my hearing to be restored.

I cannot really explain the 1.5 year absence of the hearing loss between my two incidents of hearing loss, but I do know that in both cases of nearly total hearing loss, Prednisone did help me restore my hearing.  My understanding is that if I had not treated the condition in a timely manner (with the Prednisone), extended blood supply problems to the inner ear structures may have resulted in permanent total hearing loss.  Unfortunately, from reading many of the posts in this forum, I am not sure if many know of Prednisone as a possible treatment for sudden hearing loss, if you catch it early enough to try to preserve some amount of hearing.  Of course, there are some side effects, and that should be weighed against the loss of hearing before use.

I hope this information possibly helps some who still may have a chance of restoring a recent hearing loss that they may have experienced.

Thanks,
Paul

[tony]

Thank you for a full and informative account
there is certinally some truth in the steriod influence
- often, these days steriods are given before the commencement
of radiotherapy treatment (which is known may cause small inflammation)
Your are very fortunate - a doc on the ball
and 95% hearing returned as a consequence
(Our sheffiel Gamma knife centre reports only one NF2 with improved
hearing in a ten year study - just 1%)
Stay Lucky
Tony

[Battyp]

Hi Paul,  Prednisone is a standard treatment for sudden onset hearing loss and tinnitus.  I had it when my tinnitus started but due to the delay in my diagnosis lost my hearing anyway 

[jtd71465]

Your story sounds very similar to mine.  I awoke one Sunday morning with sudden hearing loss in my right ear, my ENT prescribed Prednisone and my hearing came back.  The MRI still showed I had an AN so I opted for surgery....I'm 14 days post-op....I have ringing with little to no hearing in my right ear....I hope it gets better but I knew the odds going into surgery (basically a coin flip) on saving my hearing.  No facial paralysis, and the best part it was benign (but we knew that going in).

[Battyp]

Hi Jt welcome to the world of posties.  how are you doing besides the hearing issues?  No facial paralysis is great!  I keep saying if my face wasn't numb I think I'd feel pretty normal...ok well normal for me anyway 

[jtd71465]

At 15 days post-op does the ringing get better?  Otherwise I'm fine, thanks for asking.

[okiesandy]

After losing my hearing over a 3 day period I was given prednisone. Hearing did not come back. In the meantime I had a MRI and they found the tumor. As luck would have it I lost hearing in my non-AN ear two months later. Again prednisone was given and hearing came back. Again I lost hearing in non-AN ear and again steroids. Then tests for Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease. Positive diagnosis. I have been on steroids for a month at a time 6 times in 2 years. Hearing comes back although not to orig. level. Still in normal range except for high and low pitches. I would advise anyone with a sudden hearing loss to not delay starting the prednisone treatment if hearing is important to them. Yes, high dose steroids could take a toll on your body. Hearing loss in both ears is not a fun experience.

Sandy

[Musicman]

I had complete hearing loss in my left ear more than 10 years ago, along with loss of balance.  I could not even stand to get out of bed.  At that time, the doctor diagnosed prednisone to treat Sudden Hearing Loss Syndrome, which, by his own admission, meant they had no idea what had happened.  I wish someone treating knew about AN back then.  I probably would not have the incessant ear ringing I have every day, and could have zapped this AN when it was MUCH smaller.  (Granted, I'm fortunate that it is still only 17 mm !)

[SorchaC]

It's great when you can get access to these things...
I lost my hearing (RHS) suddenly and didn't go to the doctor for 6 months... had hearing problems on and off since I was a child so didn't think much of it... but it wouldn't have made any difference... because when I did eventually go to the doctor she told me I had a cold and after alot of arguing I convinced her I didn't... and then I had to wait 5 months for a hearing test to confirm the hearing loss... doctors here aren't in any rush.....

[design17]

Because of this Forum, I went to the Emergency room to check my hearing.  I completely lost my hearing out of the right-side of my ear.  The Doctor prescribed 20mg Predisone to me.  In 2 days, my hearing starting returning.  Now, it's like it never happened.  And you right, once it happens...you need to RUN to the Doctor.  If you prolong it, it will get worst.  And cause permanent damage.

[PaulW]

It's actually debateable whether steroids help with Acoustic Neuromas.
While the debate rages on, standard practice is to race into emergency and start steroids within 24 hours. My Neurosurgeon told me to NOT do steroids as there is no proof that they work for AN's and was quite opposed to it
He has treated over 1000 AN's
I have lost my hearing 6 times. 3 times I went against my doctors advice and took steroids. 3 times I didn't take them.. the result was the same, after 48 hours my hearing started to return.
I know my neurosurgeon was trying to do a study on this.
His unpublished results were that it made no difference to the long term outcome of your hearing.
I guess in the mean time, standard practice is to begin steroid treatment within 24 hours of hearing loss.

[ANSydney]

I look forward to your surgeons paper's peer review and subsequent publication. Feedback from the medical community would be interesting. As you said, the current conventional wisdom is that if you have sudden hearing loss, steroids are the standard course.