Looking at this forum has removed all hope from me and left me depressed

Hi luke34832

We note from a recent post which you have made to our forum that you may be experiencing thoughts around self-harm. If we have misinterpreted your comments then we apologies for contacting you directly. But if you are having such thoughts then please note that you are not alone in this, and there are people out there that can help.

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Patient

Hi Luke

ETD does get better. You'll probably grow out of it. So don't worry - its very unlikely that this will be lifelong.

This forum does contain many heart-sinking stories.

Hey Luke,

I too got very seriously depressed as a result of my Eustachian tube dysfunction. I ended up on an antidepressant to get me through the worst of it. I had a read of your post and the twitching you had in your eardrum sounds very like what I experience when my sinuses are very in flammed. The mucus then gets pushed into your Eustachian tube and sits at the back of your ear drum so when you hear noise it flutters and noise can sound very loud. Do you experience that?

Here's some backstory so you can understand how affected I was by the ETD. It started after I had a nasty sinus infection and then went travelling all around Vietnam. So like you, I took a flight when my ear was compromised. I remember having this horrific pain my ear when we were landing. I actually crashed my car from the dizziness. Luckily it was just me and a wall involved. I also underwent a septoplasty back in August to correct a deviated septum and post nasal drip which helped somewhat. So you can see that I have pretty bad ETD

However, I have hope as there a few things I have discovered just recently that have given me some pretty  instantaneous relief  and I have this for about 15 months on and off. I now know what to do when it flairs up so I feel more in control which is what I think leads to that awful depression. The not knowing when or if you will ever feel better.

Firstly, The mucus build up which is causing the ETD is as a result from something, either in your environment (such as mold, dust, pollen) or that your ingesting or perhaps you suffer with sinus issues? Common culprits are dairy, nightshade vegetables (such as potatoes, peppers, uncooked tomatoes), diet drinks which contain aspartame. Have you tried to cut anything out of your diet? Also, did you move to a new location to go to college? If so, there could be mold, dust, pollen that is contributing to the 3 colds you had in quick succession.

Are you using a sinus spray? Or have you tried antihistamines or sudafed/ actifed to take down the inflammation? I bought an ear popper device online which really helped. Also, I perform the valsalva maneuver hourly when I am bad. Two ENT's told me to do this and it does help!

You said that cutting out the cigarettes helped somewhat? So that would suggest you have irritation in your sinuses/ears.

In my case there was mold in my apartment .Which we recently discovered had grown over 1/3rd of the top of our ceiling so we could smell it but couldn't see that much of it so we didn't realize the extent of it. We had it professionally removed and I experienced some relief.

I went on holidays to Portugal for a week and within days the ETD settled and my vertigo vanished for the first time in 4 months! I cried with happiness. So in my case I seem to be highly allergic to mold and something in my diet also as when I returned from holidays and started to have real cows milk instead of the UHT treated stuff they use in Europe, I noticed a return of my symptoms. Not so severe but a return none the less. 

I am going for allergy testing in the coming month where they scratch your arm and test for all sorts of food and environmental allergens (such as cat hair and I love my cat!).

We can and will get better Luke! I am so much better than a few months ago where I was also on the brink. If you would like to have chat further on this let me know. I have been to 3 different ENT's, a rheumatologist and countless doctors about this so I have some understanding of how fed up you are feeling. 

All the best,

Emerald Lupie

Luke

I no longer post or read here because my "ETD" was finally diagnosed correctly and now I manage it where it has little impact on my life. I went to 15 or so doctors before it was diagnosed correctly as muscle spasms in the tensor tympanic muscle that controls the eustachian tube. You are correct there are many long term unsolved cases on here and it gets depressing searching for a solution. Doctors brushed me off saying ETD and did nothing until I considered eustachian tube balloon surgery and contacted acclarent who gave me a doctor into research from Ohio State University and he examined me for 45 minutes and asked what the other 6 ENTS had told me and assured me it was not ETD. Stress is a huge part of my issue and adding stress to trying to resolve it made it worse. I looked back and remembered taking a Xanax once when it got bad and got temporary relief so the doctor's diagnosis of muscle spam made sense. Don't give up hope. Look for ENT with research background. I see most posts on balloon dilation don't work and I am glad I looked into it and found a doctor who did it but said that won't help you and could make it worse because you don't have ETD.

That's my story. Keep positive and you will find a resolution and life will return to normal.

Message me if I can help further...it isn't hopeless luke

Mike

Hello Luke, I do remember your posts. If you have not yet been prescribed PREDNISOLONE STEROID TABLETS, WHY ??

They are the only medication that should help.  They will get rid of all the inflammation that is

causing your ears to remain blocked, because they' re swollen and cannot drain.

I've suffered this condition for more years than I care to remember, but for me when things

get really bad they are the only meds that work.

If your ears have been blocked for longer than a month, you definitely need a course.  Personally,

anything shorter than a 20 day reducing course won't work.

I groan on and on about these tablets as they are the only thing that will work.  Not too sure all the

people I've messaged back about them are actually asking for them, or maybe being refused them.  One

20 day reducing course will sort you out.  You cannot go on and on with blocked ears, particularly while

you're studying, as it's one of the most awful things to have to cope with.

Anne