Around 3/1 I noticed a severe decrease in hearing in my right ear, along with ringing and a muffled feeling. Went to the ENT and I'm on 60 mg./day of Prednisone. Returned to the ENT today and my hearing is worse. Word recognition has declined, too. He offered options of steriod injections in the eardrum or continued oral steriods for another two weeks. Everything I read online says to take 60 mg. of pred for 14 days, then taper (I read somewhere five days at 50, 40, 30, 20, 10). I told him I'd take the oral steriods, but now am questioning the benefit of continuing steriods and worried about adverse affects (I have high blood pressure and don't sleep well). The doctor gave me Ambien to take while on Pred. My pharmacist said BP is a concern with steriods. I think I should taper the pred, and maybe go for the steriod injections.
The doctor is scheduling a MRI and I had bloodwork done for a HSP 70 test (to rule out an auto ammune disease). The lab told me it could be up to a month before those bloodwork results are back. From what I've read online, it's hard to diagnose such an auto immune disorder with bloodwork.
Have most of you been on 14 days of pred (60 mg), or a continued course of the steriods? It concerns me that my hearing is continuing to decline. Is this unusual?
Thanks,
Kathleen