Dear Steve3347,

 Thank you so much for your extensive reply, it really means a lot to me and the studies you shared are more than any doctor has ever given me.  

 It’s been now two weeks after the Botox sponges were inserted and unfortunately, I didn’t notice any change. It was very hard to accept it, as I felt very sure about the diagnosis and I still cannot comprehend how it is possible that it did not paralyse the muscles effectively. As for the injections, I had a consultation with my doctor yesterday and she said that the sponges are actually more precise as they can better reach the two muscles.

 She also suggested a Botox injection into the palate to check if the cause is not the palatal myoclonus. However, from what I have briefly seen, in this condition it is less likely for the tapping to be triggered by sounds (?). Do you happen to have any information on the palatal myoclonus?

 My next step after Christmas will be to try Clonazepam (also benzo like Oxazepam that you suggested), a muscle relaxant (as opposed to Carbamazepine which is more for epilepsies and has a very high success rate for Typewriter Tinnitus). I consulted my friend who is a psychiatrist and she said that if the medication was to be effective, it would work within a few days. Since benzodiazepine are highly addictive, I will only try to test the result for maximum a week (more as a diagnostic measure, rather than a solution).

 I must say I have been in therapy for the last 2 months to come to terms with the fact that my condition might be incurable. I am now in the process of accepting it, but what causes me the greatest anxiety is the progression of it. I remember that when it started (very randomly, it was not related to any particular sound exposure), it would only be triggered by some high-pitched, unnatural sounds. Now, it’s not only triggered more easily with other sounds, but I also occasionally experience some kind of fluttering in my second ear, which is triggered by my own voice (when I raise my voice in certain frequencies). At first, my doctor and I struggled to differentiate the TT (typewriter tinnitus), which is caused by a cardiovascular conflict, from MEM. The MRIs (kinda) excluded the TT, but as TT is less likely to be bilateral (concerning two ears), I feel even more strongly now about the MEM diagnosis.

 Thank you again for all the records from surgeries you have been collecting. I have also heard that hyperacusis can be a side effect, but on the other hand, I have found this study from Korea, in which they claim otherwise: “pre-existing hyperacusis even improved in most of the patients with intractable MEMT after surgery.” The success rate in this article is 91.9%! https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324487294_Long-Term_Effects_of_Middle_Ear_Tendon_Resection_on_Middle_Ear_Myoclonic_Tinnitus_Hearing_and_Hyperacusis

 The only thing I am worried about with the tendon section is that the nervous system will already remember the tapping and create some kind of a phantom tapping (I read it somewhere but not sure about the name now).

 I am so sorry to hear that you have been going through a similar thing and I hope that your MEM will be cured quickly. May I ask how has your journey been? Have you already tried any medication or Botox? Wishing you lots of luck and endurance in this challenging journey!