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Horrific loss of speech, unable to process, understand, hear speech with hearing loss

physicsstudent13

Senior Member
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611
Location
US
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2125.2011.03991.x/pdf
I have HORRIFIC trouble processing speech, pronouncing words, hearing words. My brain cannot focus or concentrate on speech and I can't say simple words like submitted. I think I may have had global aphasia from antibiotics. There are black holes in my hearing and understanding.
I think it was this toxic gentamicin, ampicillin with tinidazole, doxycyline, roxithromycin. The ENT did some kind of nerve signal probe test in my ears and found problems with the frequencies and hearing loss.

I started taking 80mg/day of prednisone but it seems there's no hope left for my life. I'm looking into aldosterone for the hearing loss.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2125.2011.03991.x/pdf
I wrote to Steven Park ENT at Montefiore and he says that I should see a neuro otologist
Is there anything else that can help?
I'm trying to get my food stamps back, and continue my work in theology.... I was really hoping to someday go to Europe to study mathematics and hear my friends lecture there
 
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WillowJ

คภภเє ɠรค๓թєl
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4,940
Location
WA, USA
I still think you need to see a specialist. See an internal medicine doctor to help you get to the right one.

I know it's been very rough for you. I'm sorry, and I hope things get better.
 

adreno

PR activist
Messages
4,841
Apparently, gentamicin is quite a nasty drug:

What is Gentamicin Toxicity?
Gentamicin is a commonly used antibiotic medication. Gentamicin toxicity is the most common single known cause of bilateral vestibulopathy, accounting for 15 to 50% of all cases. Bilateral vestibulopathy, discussed in more detail here, occurs when the balance portions of both inner ears are damaged. The symptoms typically include imbalance and visual symptoms. The imbalance is worse in the dark, or in situations where footing is uncertain. Spinning vertigo is unusual. The visual symptoms, called oscillopsia, only occur when the head is moving. Quick movements of the head are associated with transient visual blurring. This can cause difficulties with seeing signs while driving, or recognizing faces while walking.
http://american-hearing.org/disorders/gentamicin-toxicity/


Encephalopathy is a term used to describe a malfunction in the brain caused by some other agent, such as a neurotoxin, infection, impaired liver function, or other condition. Several studies have indicated that gentamicin may be involved in its development. Post-mortem findings in a patient who was given intrathecal (through the spinal cord) administration of gentamicin included brain lesions in multiple areas and damage to myelin sheaths. The authors of that study were able to reproduce those findings using rabbits (6). In a more recent report, a woman was given an overdose of gentamicin and developed myoclonus (involuntary muscle jerks or spasms), which abated when the intravenous administration of gentamicin was discontinued (7). Many patients with vestibular disorders from gentamicin report problems with memory and cognitive functions, such as the inability to multi-task and concentrate (8). A case study on a 9 year old boy reported encephalopathy after treatment with gentamicin (9). Aminoglycosides are toxic not only to hair cells in the inner ear, but also to the ganglia around the eighth cranial nerve. This damage is not instantaneous but understood to be an ongoing process of cell damage (10). Medical staff often do not notice the symptoms that develop as a result of gentamicin dosing, especially if the patient is confined to the bed. Because many medical practitioners are unaware of the signs of ototoxic or vestibular damage, checking patients for hearing loss or balance disorders often does not occur. In an Australian retrospective study, 103 patients were interviewed. Of those, twenty-one patients first noted symptoms while still receiving treatment with gentamicin, and only one reported that treatment was halted after their complaints (11).
http://vestibular.org/news/12-30-2014/adverse-effects-gentamicin-and-other-aminoglycosides
 

adreno

PR activist
Messages
4,841
Gentamicin is also suspected of inducing autoimmune disease:

A certain class of antibiotics prompts cells to produce low levels of novel self proteins that could trigger an autoimmune disease, research suggests. The code for every gene includes a message at the end of it that signals the translation machinery to stop. Some diseases can result from mutations that insert this stop signal into the middle of an essential gene, causing the resulting protein to be truncated. Some antibiotics cause the cell's translation machinery to ignore the stop codons and are therefore being explored as a potential therapy for these diseases.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140331153520.htm
 

Charles555nc

Senior Member
Messages
572
I took some antibiotics and now have terrible aphasia, I have problems hearing, processing, pronouncing words. I can't concentrate or focus on speech anymore. I think it was this toxic gentamicin, ampicillin with tinidazole, doxycyline, roxithromycin. The ENT did some kind of nerve signal probe test in my ears and found problems with the frequencies and hearing loss.

I started taking 80mg/day of prednisone but it seems there's no hope. I'm looking into aldosterone for the hearing loss.
Is there anything else that can help?

When you get antibiotics, they are required to come with a list of side effects. No one will just tell you about them because each one has at least 50 side effects. I am not familar with gentamcin or roxithromycin...but the most important thing is stop all meds (why would prednisone help unless it was autoimmune?). I would start taking nerve repair vitamins: zinc, methyl folate, methyl b-12, acetyl l carnitine, pregnenolone, NAC with many grams Vitamin C for detoxing the chemicals, vitamin E for preventing scarring. L-Lysine, L-proline, L-glycine would be good as well for repair.

And get started asap. Exercise if you can tolerate it, because it increases your growth hormone (which is a repair hormone) and increases other repair peptides/hormones as well.
 

Wayne

Senior Member
Messages
4,300
Location
Ashland, Oregon
Is there anything else that can help?

Hi @physicsstudent13

So sorry to hear about this added grief. The first thing that comes to mind is whether some kind of ear drops might help heal some delicate things in your inner ear. Aloe vera was what first came to mind, but I suspect a little googling might come up with some other possibilities.

My wife took some antibiotics over forty years ago and had some hearing things occur right afterwards--I think primarily tinnitus. Even though I have a Lyme diagnosis, I just never felt comfortable taking prescription anti-biotics--just didn't think my system could handle it. Though controversial, I've chosen to do things like MMS, and others.

Wishing you the very best as you try to navigate this incredibly unfortunate new health challenge. As if you didn't have enough already.... :cry:
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
I have HORRIFIC trouble processing speech, pronouncing words, hearing words. My brain cannot focus or concentrate on speech and I can't say simple words like submitted. I think I may have had global aphasia from antibiotics. There are black holes in my hearing and understanding.

@physicsstudent13 I am so sorry and wish I had some suggestions for how to help you. Have you stopped the antibiotics now or still taking them? Do you have ME/CFS and/or Lyme or taking them for something else? Can you see a speech pathologist or audiologist in addition to the ENT? Maybe he can refer you?

I started taking 80mg/day of prednisone but it seems there's no hope left for my life.

You are still here, alive and breathing and posting and reaching out for help so there is still hope. Although I relate to how you feel often (not your symptoms but the overall feeling.)

I wrote to Steven Park ENT at Montefiore and he says that I should see a neuro otologist

That sounds like a good plan as well and keep advocating and researching and you never know what you might find. Best wishes to you.
 

physicsstudent13

Senior Member
Messages
611
Location
US
there is no hope I can't hear math lectures now and can't hear people speak I will just end up homeless and HANDICAPPED now.

I found some articles on this experimental but unknown aldosterone and possibly florinef helping hearing loss and some patients say it has restored 10% of their hearing so here it is. florinef comes in these 0.1mg tablets and I'm not sure what the dose would be for hearing loss
http://www.blueskydrugs.com/ViewshoppingCart.aspx
I think my last hope is prednisone and florinef and prednisone drops into the ear. I wasted an entire day going to Mt. Sinai New York Ear Infirmary and the resident just sent me away without doing anything and told me to come back for a hearing test.
I stopped taking the antibiotics but the damage is done. the ENT told me it's the toxicity of the drugs that causes the hearing cells to die and tinnitus is a sign of hearing cells dying
I think I might just try drinking a lot of water but that doesn't seem ot help.
 
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Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,824
@physicsstudent13

I don't know if this will apply to gentamicin ototoxicity and hearing loss, but an Israeli study found that in the case of idiopathic sudden hearing loss, 80% of patients regained 75% of their hearing after taking 400 mg of vitamin E twice daily.

I think in the study they assumed that the antioxidant effect of vitamin E is involved in reversing the hearing loss.

Since gentamicin / aminoglycoside ototoxicity might be caused by free radical damage (see Wikipedia article quoted below), possibly this vitamin E treatment might be of some help.

Note that for natural alpha-tocopherol, the conversion between IU and mg is: 1 IU = 0.67 mg. Ref: here.



In the Wikipedia article on ototoxicity, it says:
Antibiotics in the aminoglycoside class, such as gentamicin and tobramycin, may produce cochleotoxicity through a poorly understood mechanism. It may result from antibiotic binding to NMDA receptors in the cochlea and damaging neurons through excitotoxicity. Aminoglycoside-induced production of reactive oxygen species may also injure cells of the cochlea. Once-daily dosing and co-administration of N-acetylcysteine may protect against aminoglycoside-induced ototoxicity.

Macrolide antibiotics, including erythromycin [and roxithromycin], are associated with reversible ototoxic effects. The underlying mechanism of ototoxicity may be impairment of ion transport in the stria vascularis. Predisposing factors include renal impairment, hepatic impairment, and recent organ transplantation.[7]
 

barbc56

Senior Member
Messages
3,657
Do you feel your symptoms are severe enough to go to the ER? Unfortunately, ER experiences can vary from ER to ER and even within the same ER. From what I get from some of your other posts you are also experiencing other symptoms.

I do not mean to be offensive here, so please read the following with that in mind.

It sounds like you are ordering meds. from the internet? This can certainly exacerbate symptoms or one med. may be interacting with another whether prescription or bought on the internet. Doctors certainly don't know everything but IMHO, that might be your best option for now.

If you haven't already done these, make sure you list all medications and supplements. They are easy to forget. I know the last time I saw my doctor, I forgot to mention OTC medications I was taking for my stomach and bladder.

I'm having a bit of difficulty processing which doctor you saw when.When was the last time you had a physical where a doctor can get an idea of the whole picture regarding your health and such things as blood pressure, etc. can be checked?

None of us, other than a few exceptions;), are doctors here nor can we diagnose but only describe our own experiences which may or may not be relavant to what others are experiencing.. Even then it's difficult to sort out symptoms.

I have no other ideas but certainly hope you find what's going on. This has to be anxiety provoking as these symptoms sound scary.

Take care.
Barb
 

physicsstudent13

Senior Member
Messages
611
Location
US
MY LIFE IS OVER, I CANNOT UNDERSTAND WORDS AND AM DEAF. I'm going to end up on food stamps and I can't understand lectures anymore
I am desperately taking 4g of vitamin E, 5g of glutathione and NAC and 60mg of prednisone to stop the death of my ear cells. I think this will help clear my body of the ROS reactive oxygen species and free radicals and antibiotic toxins.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10913881

What is a safe dose of NAC and vitamin E that won't thicken my heart walls and lungs?

all the doctors I've seen are jerks and won't give me more prednisone and valcyte and I'm having to move mountains while crippled on oxygen and asv to get these tympanic ear injections which don't work for people either

But it is already TOO LATE, the 20 years and 200,000 I spent on becoming a professor are ALL DESTROYED by this forum and the antibiotics.


@physicsstudent13

I don't know if this will apply to gentamicin ototoxicity and hearing loss, but an Israeli study found that in the case of idiopathic sudden hearing loss, 80% of patients regained 75% of their hearing after taking 400 mg of vitamin E twice daily.

I think in the study they assumed that the antioxidant effect of vitamin E is involved in reversing the hearing loss.

Since gentamicin / aminoglycoside ototoxicity might be caused by free radical damage (see Wikipedia article quoted below), possibly this vitamin E treatment might be of some help.

Note that for natural alpha-tocopherol, the conversion between IU and mg is: 1 IU = 0.67 mg. Ref: here.



In the Wikipedia article on ototoxicity, it says:
 
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adreno

PR activist
Messages
4,841
I am desperately taking 4g of vitamin E, 5g of glutathione and NAC and 60mg of prednisone to stop the death of my ear cells. I think this will help clear my body of the ROS reactive oxygen species and free radicals and antibiotic toxins.
I would reconsider this. Many antioxidants are actually pro oxidant in high dosages. Also glucocorticoids are neurotoxic in high dosages. I would follow your doctors advice on this.

You seem to go to extremes in your self treatment. This is likely not a good idea. You are likely to do more harm than good with this approach.
 

physicsstudent13

Senior Member
Messages
611
Location
US
if you lose your hearing you can't do anything, MY LIFE IS OVER.... I'm not going to be able to work or hold a job or be a professor again. being deaf I won't be able to even do simple business transactions or have normal relationships OR CONVERSATIONS with people

in the last 24 hours I took 3g of NAC and then another 4.2 gram dose so I hope it doesn't damage or thicken my heart/lungs through hypoxic response.


ADRENO stop posting on this thread: there are a lot of pubmed articles on prednisone as a treatment for hearing loss and sensoral neural hearing loss
I'm thinking of adding in florinef based on the new experimental studies to increase aldosterone levels. and also possibly getting more valcyte in case the hearing loss is from a viral infection

I was just taking a lot of NAC and glutathione since the antibiotic toxins might still be in my body damaging my ears and these drugs are used to clear tyenol toxins in liver failure. it seems the Israeli study shows that vitamin E improves hearing loss so why not take more to increase the benefit?

I am getting some 5% improvement on the prednisone and valcyte; there are some experimental pubmed studies showing viral causes of hearing loss from HSV1

I think the B Complex I was injecting gave me horrific hearing loss. Right after the injection I lost my hearing, possibly from b6 toxicity of the nerves? it can't be a good thing to increase your B12 level to 4000, how can that possibly be good?
 
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Messages
15,786
if you lose your hearing you can't do anything, MY LIFE IS OVER.... I'm not going to be able to work or hold a job or be a professor again. being deaf I won't be able to even do simple business transactions or have normal relationships OR CONVERSATIONS with people
If you think you're having all of these catastrophic problems which you've been listing over the past weeks, doctors will be able detect them using standard tests and they will be able to treat them.
ADRENO stop posting on this thread: there are a lot of pubmed articles on prednisone as a treatment for hearing loss and sensoral neural hearing loss
Adreno is giving very sensible advice, and does not deserve to be abused for it.
I'm thinking of adding in florinef based on the new experimental studies to increase aldosterone levels. and also possibly getting more valcyte in case the hearing loss is from a viral infection
You really do need to ask your doctors for their opinions.
 
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