I have had ongoing ear pain and feeling of pressure and pain in the back of my head which makes it too sore to lie back on a pillow or lean again a high backed chair. I have had the problem since the start of november and was initially treated for a middle ear infection which I was given 3 courses of antibiotics for and have been referred to ent for my ear. However the head pain and feeling of pressure is getting increasingly worse to an extent I am really struggling to sleep as unable to lie down and have lots of other symptoms such as constant headaches, severe pains throughout my head, dizzy spells and lots of other things. I have told my gp this on a few occassions and they seem to take no notice and I really don't know what else to do. Any advice would be appreciated.
Go back to your GP until you get an answer to this problem. It is a sad reflection on the NHS that the people who shout the loudest and complain the most get the help they need. I had similar experience for 10 years, constant antibiotics, frequent pain, loss of balance and dizziness. It wasnt until I lost my hearing, and this happened over a 2year period, that I was eventually scanned. If I had been investigated throughly when I started with the problems, My hearing could have been saved. Keep going back. Good luck.
I agree with Alison, put pressure on your doctor to put you on priority list, try to find who you are down to see whenever you get to ent, ask for new appointments on phone- when you have a name, try to get through to his or hers secretary- explain your problem and see if she can help. good luck- it worked for me
Thanks alison, I will phone my GP tomorrow and see if I can either get seen or get a phone consulation. I just feel as though I'm wasting my time when I go as they don't seem to take a blind bit of notice of what I am telling them but I will try again. That is ridiculous that you had to put up with problems for 10 years and lose your hearing before they done something about it, absolute joke. Sorry to read that you lost your hearing through it, that should never have been allowed to happen. Thanks for you advice.
I will do that thanks, I am going to call my gp tomorrow and insist that something is done because I can't go on like this much longer when I am really struggling to sleep due to it and am in constant pain and discomfort. Just feel as though the GP looks at me as though I'm talking jibberish when trying to explain everything that is going on. Thanks
I do agree with Delphine,Maybe a different GP in the Practice might take a different view of your problem.I believe it is still your right to ask to be referred to a suitable consultant. Good luck
I have seen about 6 or so different gp's (2 locums) since the start of november which is when the ear pain started and most of them have failed to even provide me with a possible explanation and 2 of them have just told me to wait and see ent. If I don't have any luck this week I will need to see what else can be done as can't continue with the way it is for much longer. Thanks folks.
well i went completely deaf in my left ear during a nap, aftera dizzy spell, this ear had limited hearing but could hear with hearing aid. My other ear has also limited hearing and i had no aid for that, so on nov 6th last i virtually went to profoundly deaf, no tv or conversations -My aid could not pick anything up at all so i had it checked- i could not follow anything- still cant.
my gp said it will come back but it didnt andI have seen at least 4 gps at my surgery, one did prioritize me but the wait was still another 15 weeks, I had waited 10 at this point.so that nearly 6 months.so i made a nuisance of myself on phone, ( have special one that boosts the sound,) only way to have a conversation- and I managed to convince consultant secretary to put a word in for me- she was brilliant , rang me back in afternoon to say they were sending an appt - so its next Friday 
and i feel this is going to decide my hearing for the rest of my life. Because no body can see or feel what you are going through is the worst of it. I have no real communication at the moment with the outside world except on computer- please keep your fingers crossed for me
That is really worrying how that can just happen and nothing was done to prevent it. That is such a shame, must be so hard for you to try and adjust to life without hearing when you have had your hearing before 
. I really don't blame you for keeping on at them as know the feeling of thinking none of the gp's are taking you seriously as that's what is happening with me although this is a relatively new problem in comparison with the length of time you battled with the problem. I will definitely keep my fingers and everything else crossed for you and really hope that you can get your hearing back with the use of aids or other things. Best of luck.
Let us know how you get on on Friday. Stress how deafness can cause a person to feel isolated and depressed and you want to prevent this happening. There are many aids out there that can help. Keep pestering.
Hi Folks, Thanks again for all your advice. I had a really bad night lasy night with the pain from my head, ear and abdomen (been ongoing for the past 5/6 weeks) and decided to call my GP again today but burst into tears while trying to explain that I couldn't put up with it any longer and that I felt that I wasn't getting the help I needed so the GP I spoke to gave me an appointment for a couple of hours later. I went prepared this time and had taken a list with me of everything that's been happening as had started taking notes of it all and I'm glad to say the GP I seen couldn't have been any nicer and has provided me with the help I've been needing. She has decided that I require to see neurology and have a CT scan so is arranging that to take place as soon as possible. She is also refferring me for an MRI scan to see what is going on with the pain in my abdomen but she thinks it could be due to gallstones. I have to return to the practice tomorrow to have blood taken so things are moving in the right dirction and she also prescribed diazepam to see if it will relax the muscles in my neck as getting constant spasms when moving my neck. Thanks for all the advice and good luck to delphine.
I am really pleased that, at last, you are making some progress. Just knowing things are moving, will help too. The frustration and isolation of trying to get this far, will have taken its toll, but soon you will know what is the best course of action for you to take.
good luck and remember, you are not alone. X
I am really pleased to hear that you are beginning to make progress regarding your problems.Fingers crossed you will have some iumprovement soon.
Oh so glad to hear that someone is doing something for you at last- at least you wont feel as though no one cares, It sounds like your doctor is pulling out all the stops, so something must be found and sorted.
Thank you all for your best wishes for me for Friday-
it might sound mad but i intend to go dressed to the nines and the like,, as I dont want anyone to think that at 73 I am too old for costly treatment-I am a young 73 anyway but hope they wont look at my DOB.
Will post as soon as i know something.Thank you all , good luck Donna
Thanks alison, yes its a big weight off my shoulders just knowing that something is getting done to find out what is going on. Thank you very much appreicate it xx
Thanks audrey, hoping to get to the bottom of it soon x
Yeah the doctor I seen yesterday couldn't have been more helpful but think she realised I couldn't cope with it any longer and was running out of hope and patience. Regardless of your age they should be doing what they can to ensure you get some sort of hearing back so hopefully that's the way they think of it. Good luck and thanks x
Hi , well I've been to clinic and saw registrar- its not good news- he thinks I had a viral infection in my ear and the chances of my hearing returning are 60/40 over the next 2 years. If it hasnt returned by then, its not going to. I had blood tests and he is arranging a scan to confirm what he thinks. Nothing can be done surgically.
I don't have to go back to clinic, he will write to me with the results- He said "look after your right ear" if I get infection in that go straight to doctor- good advice as this is only 50 percent functional. he describes me now as being between severe and profoundly deaf in left ear. They have supplied me with hearing aids for both ears , i seem to be able to follow one to one conversations ok, but where there is backround noise as well, its awful.
So with all this going on can anyone tell me if they or someone they know managed to get DLA or attendance allowance for being deaf
Hi. Hsad a similar situation and had to get rid of it by using natural probiotics for a while.
Hi delphine, just remembered to check back on this discussion and am really sorry to hear that things aren't sounding good for you. I know you have been given odds of your hearing returning so really hope it does and you are able to get back to normal, shocking that it has been allowed to get to this stage.
I eventually got the results of my CT scan back a while ago and although there was no sign of tumours or bleeding, unfortunately it has shown that I have generalised Cerebral Atrophy which is normally seen in elderly people so I have been refereed to a neurologist about it although I am still waiting to see them but it doesn't sound good as have read up on it.
Although not related to this it was also discovered through an ultrasound that I have gallstones so may need surgery for that although am being seen by a surgeon in a few weeks. Unfortunately as a result of both things I have been told I need to take a year out of university as my memory and concentration are practically non-existent and for health and safety reasons I would not be allowed to go out on practical placement in the hospitals which is a big part of my course. Just hope I am in a position to return to it next year.