Please, need some input on Prednisone and hearing loss

[yanksgirl]

I've posted here on Prednisone before. I'm now on my 6th day of a 10 mg. tablets,  dosage of Prednizone , going from 50 mg for 3 days, to 40 for 3 days, and now down to 30 for 3 days, then I'll do 2 and then one until it's gone in about a week. Also taking Valtrex (a viral med) for the treatment of nerve related hearing loss, due to a virus. I had an MRI and all was normal. During the week I've had intermittnent hearing loss in varying degrees. One evening it was pretty bad and the head roaring like a strong wind but it lasted about 4 hours. Today, it's happened again and has lasted all afternoon and evening to the point that I'm 'weary' from it. My eyes even want to open only half way like when you're hearing a loud noise or looking in a bright light. The sound is almost shut off in my left ear. A dial tone on the phone sounds high pitched but normal in the good ear. Watching TV and hearing the dialogue well meant I had to really  turn it up and then listen much more intently. Can this all be medicine related? I see my ENT doctor in a month and of course, it's a weekend. Just wondering if anyone has any idea if this is just part of the medication side effects. I hope it's a'll better in the morning. Thanks

[yanksgirl]

If this keeps up on Monday, I'll call him. I hope I can bear with it until then. Today it's 'so bad'. Yes, he's an ENT doctor and comes highly recommended and I've had an MRI and all that was ok. This full head feeling and 'roaring wind' sensation in the ear though makes you so weary. Thanks for your suggestions. yanksgirl

[Nancy T]

This shouldn't be a SIDE EFFECT of prednisone, as far as I know. Hearing loss (which is almost always accompanied by tinnitus, the roaring noise) is presumably what your prednisone is meant to TREAT, correct?

You should let your ENT know right away (call him/her, weekend or not!) if your hearing is getting worse instead of better.

If your ENT is not an OTOLOGIST or NEURO-OTOLOGIST (specialist in the inner ear), that is the best kind of doctor to be seeing. Although high-dose prednisone and antiviral are, I think, the standard treatments for sudden hearing loss, so it sounds like your doctor is doing the right thing.

However, a MONTH to be seen again seems like a very long time. Mine had me come back in two weeks, as soon as I'd finished the prednisone.

Best of luck,
Nancy T.