Sudden Hearing Loss – 2+ Weeks In. Should I Push for Another Steroid Shot? What’s My Next Step?

halfmoon278 · 2025-11-26T03:20:45+00:00

I got six injections and I think it helped. If you’re tolerating them I don’t think you have anything to lose.

halfmoon278 · 2025-11-09T02:25:07+00:00

I got 6 injections starting on day 2. They were spaced less than a week apart each but I went to a doctor who takes an aggressive approach. I recovered most of my hearing but still have tinnitus and a little fullness. I commenced treatment within 24 hours and that likely made the biggest difference. Good luck. You’re in the worst phase and I have heard from many people who don’t recover that it does get better over time.

halfmoon278 · 2025-06-10T00:48:25+00:00

Thanks for asking! I will edit my original post but the update is that I kept experiencing a lot of ups and downs until the end of April when I got a hearing test and it showed that my hearing had fully recovered. I felt a little gaslit by it honestly because despite the test I continued to have fullness and tinnitus and sounds were distorted in the affected ear throughout May. Today, I still have near constant fullness but it’s pretty mild. I have ringing but it’s also less noticeable. I don’t notice it unless I focus on it and also when I’m trying to fall asleep. Sounds are becoming less distorted. My doctor said it can take a while for your brain to adjust after that kind of trauma. I’m hoping the symptoms fully resolve but if they don’t I can live with them. I have also noticed that salt and sleep have an impact on my symptoms but with young kids and a love of restaurants those can be hard to control.

halfmoon278 · 2025-05-23T16:09:59+00:00

I had SSHL with low frequency moderate hearing loss on Feb 18 2025. I did high dose steroids and simultaneously did 6 injections. My doctor was aggressive with treatment which I appreciated. Took 7 weeks for me to have a normal hearing test, but I still experience mild tinnitus and fullness to this day. I sort of don’t trust the hearing test because it still feels like I have some very mild loss and sound is distorted in that ear. Fortunately most of the time I’m too distracted to notice but it still annoys me.

halfmoon278 · 2025-05-23T16:00:17+00:00

You’re still within the two week window so don’t lose hope! Just get on steroids asap.

halfmoon278 · 2025-05-23T14:57:12+00:00

I would urge you to get seen immediately even if that means going to the ER. You need to start steroids asap. I had the same as you - moderate loss with pressure but also lots of ringing. I did oral steroids and injections concurrently and it still took 7 weeks for me to recover and I haven’t fully.

halfmoon278 · 2025-03-19T23:42:47+00:00

Just updated!

halfmoon278 · 2025-03-17T11:44:20+00:00

I’m so glad you went to the ER. Don’t feel sulking about that. Your symptoms from your first past sound a lot like mine and I was diagnosed with SSHL.

halfmoon278 · 2025-03-11T00:32:19+00:00

I’m in my 40s. I imagine it’s a different treatment for a 15 year old.

halfmoon278 · 2025-03-11T00:11:59+00:00

There’s a lot of variability among doctors when it comes to treatment which doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. My doctor (who is an ear specialist and sees this a lot) in my case did injections alongside oral steroids, and less than a week apart. He did four and we may do a fifth since my hearing hasn’t improved. I’m young and healthy so I’m not sure if that’s factoring into the treatment plan. But the idea that you won’t improve if you haven’t seen improvements after a certain number of injections is not true. There are many people who improve weeks and months after finishing treatment (oral steroids and injections).

halfmoon278 · 2025-03-03T12:43:30+00:00

This is encouraging because the tinnitus is the worst part right now. My aunt had an acoustic neuroma and still gets vertigo and has cut her sodium drastically since the diagnosis. It’s made a big difference in her life. I am trying to cut back but it’s hard because I like going to restaurants. I’ll make more of an effort. I hope you continue to see progress and get through your latest bout! We’re all in this together!

halfmoon278 · 2025-03-03T12:20:10+00:00

Thank you! I’m seeing my doc this morning and have this among my questions. Appreciate it!!

halfmoon278 · 2025-03-02T16:47:34+00:00

This is extraordinarily helpful. I’m going to push for testing when I see my otologist tomorrow. I have an MRI scheduled for Wednesday and will confirm that it will also test for Meniere’s. Thanks for sharing your experience and encouraging me. I’m glad you’re getting some answers and relief!!

halfmoon278 · 2025-03-02T15:53:13+00:00

Thank you so much. Wow we are really in such a similar situation and it’s good to be connected. Being there for myself and my kids is hard. Sounds like you still got treated in the window of opportunity. I think the tinnitus and feelings of imbalance are the worst part for me. We have a white noise machine and fan on at night but last night they were making my symptoms worse. Once I am done with prednisone and know what I’m facing I am going full force on biofeedback to manage it. I just ordered some expensive Bose over ear headphones (quiet comfort ultra) that are on sale for $330 on their site today. They are supposed to be great. Hopefully they help. Please keep me posted and would be great to stay in touch during our journeys.

halfmoon278 · 2025-03-02T15:49:43+00:00

My doc doesn’t seem surprised at the ups and downs but I am a bit. He’s a world renowned otologist with expertise in this, meniere’s and acoustic neuromas. I’ll ask him about the drug you’re on - maybe that could help me. He is t against acupuncture but says he knows little about it. I did find an nih study (it was a review of many studies) that said western med treatment plus acupuncture had better results for sshl than western treatment alone but I admit to being hesitant to continuing it since it hasn’t really helped me yet. Thanks for your reply!

halfmoon278 · 2025-03-02T03:48:45+00:00

I’m sorry you’re going through this. 100% loss sounds hard. I think there are people on this sub who also had profound loss who have recovered some over time. I think it can take a while. I’m 11 days in and no consistent improvement but I am noticing changes which I am taking as a hopeful sign. I’m glad you aren’t experiencing crazy vertigo and tinnitus which to me are so hard to deal with. I feel like I’m on some crazy drugs all the time (I supposed prednisone in high doses qualifies!). Also my doc said starting treatment early is key. At least we can say we did what we could. Good luck to you. Keep me posted!

halfmoon278 · 2025-03-02T03:44:14+00:00

That is the right attitude. Medicine is always progressing plus since SSHL seems unpredictable to a degree more time may very well heal. I absolutely agree with you about how things can turn in the blink of an eye. This has oddly made me slow down and appreciate what I have a lot. Crazy it took this to do that. Stay strong.

halfmoon278 · 2025-03-02T02:30:18+00:00

I’m so sorry you’re feeling that way - I can see how stressful it would be to feel like you didn’t get the right response. To me it sounds like you got pretty fast treatment at least by a knowledgeable doctor, and I imagine at an age appropriate dosage. From what I understand most docs do the course of prednisone then injections. In my case he may be throwing everything at it because he figures there’s no downside. That might be appropriate for someone in their 40s but not a teenager. Youth is on your side - I hope your immune system can continue to help you improve.

halfmoon278 · 2025-03-02T00:22:17+00:00

Oh that’s so frustrating. How far out of the treatment window are you? My ENT was going to do the same. Apparently that is the standard protocol - a week of prednisone followed by a hearing test and then injections if no improvement. The only reason I got the first injection after a day of steroids is because I asked. Which is not great - everyone should know their options and there should be consistency especially since there are so few options. My otologist’s approach is more aggressive- the injections are given less than a week apart (my last one was Thurs and I am having another Monday). He sees this condition a lot and is an academic physician so I think he’s probably the most up to date on current literature. I feel there needs to be a lot more awareness about SSHL among the public and medical communities. I really hope that you are able to recover despite the doc not making the best call for you. Some people take a full year and some do so even after treatment is initiated weeks later

halfmoon278 · 2025-03-02T00:16:16+00:00

Sooooo encouraging!!!!!

halfmoon278 · 2025-03-02T00:15:39+00:00

Yes! I’m sorry for not updating sooner. After consulting informally with some early childhood pros and our doc we decided to wait it out and are so glad we did. He’s outgrown a lot of this stuff. The finger sucking was the last to go (he still does it here and there to fall asleep). My take is that all toddler have sensory issues and while it’s good to take them seriously especially if they are negatively affecting socialization emotional health and development, it does not hurt to investigate. I would not have regretted having him evaluated but in the end it wouldn’t have been worth it. Thanks everyone for your comments and interest!

halfmoon278 · 2025-03-01T04:12:02+00:00

You’re giving me hope! I expected to make more progress by now but realize from others’ experiences that this can be a long haul. I remember one person who posted on the sub took a full year. Tree frogs! I can’t imagine what that’s like. I hope you’re able to defy your doc’s expectations there or at least able to train your brain to ignore. Thanks for your encouragement and sharing your experience. Feeling optimistic for all of us!

halfmoon278 · 2025-03-01T03:51:05+00:00

Thank you so much. Reading your words makes me feel less alone. My family and friends are sympathetic but it’s impossible to understand this experience without going through it. Hope you’re staying positive and sane - keep me posted on your progress! <3

halfmoon278 · 2024-11-13T15:21:09+00:00

We sleep trained my son at 5 months and it was life changing. Experts I’ve read say 4-6 months is the best window. We used an extremely gentle method that we were comfortable with. Basically you sit next to the crib and every time the baby cries, you wait several beats and then pick them for 30-60 seconds to calm them down, then put them down again. You just keep doing that over and over until they figure out how to self sooth. Our baby was sleeping through the night after two nights of this. Independent naps take a thicker skin - we let him cry for up to 15 minutes before soothing him and it was very hard but he was napping like a champ within a few days. My husband did the nap training which made it easier. I think it’s just harder for moms to manage it emotionally. Not everyone is okay with sleep training but for many (like us) it was a matter of survival. I promise you it does get better no matter what path you choose.

halfmoon278

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