HighPriestess

Yeah, I just had it once so far for about an hour. I saw my ENT last week, and he was aware of the phenomenon, showed me a pic of the tube and explained how it can happen. He wasn't surprised, since I lost 20 in 10 days post op, but said that as the pace/rate of losing slows down, it should occur less frequently. He said only in very rare cases does it ever become something that you have to address. And to your other point, devint, I remember when my brother had gastric bypass seven years ago that he went through 2 years of all kinds of quirkiness. He didn't remember plugged ears when I asked, but he remembered months of gum/teeth problems as he lost weight in his face. Interesting, huh?

I'm 10 days post-op and just got the plugged ears today. I googled it, and several others talk about it. I found this post by a poster named JayNay on another site: ( http://www.gastricsleevesupport.com/t3341-weird-weight-loss-side-effects) Hi, Went to see the Ear, Nose and Throat Doc today. I have Patulous Eustachian tubes (exactly what my GP said). He says it is from weight loss and I have three options to deal with it. 1. Do nothing and put up with it. 2. Steroid Spray twice Daily. 3. Grommets. I can't do nothing cause it's driving me nuts so I'm going to try the spray for 6 weeks first. If it doesn't work I'll go for the grommets but he can't guarantee them either. When I told him my surgeon laughed at me when I said what my GP had told me he was very surprised. He said while it is rare to occur it's a well know cause. It was first discovered in Cancer patients when they had rapid weight loss. I Googled Patulous Eustachian Tube and one site said this: Patulous Eustachian tube, also known as patent Eustachian tube, is the name of a rare physical disorder where the Eustachian tube, which is normally closed, instead stays intermittently open. When this occurs, the patient experiences autophony, the hearing of self-generated sounds. These sounds, such as one's own breathing, voice, and heartbeat, vibrate directly onto the ear drum and can create a "bucket on the head" effect. (THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I HEAR) Symptoms Patulous Eustachian tube sounds very similar to the standard congestion one gets from a cold or allergies, though there are subtle differences. The effect is often described as "drier"; with normal congestion, breathing and talking echo in the head with a muffled sound. With patulous Eustachian tube, all breaths echo on the eardrum without the muffled effect. Similarly, external noises such as the voices of other people are also not muffled. In addition, patulous Eustachian tube generally feels dry with no clogged feeling or sinus pressure. Some patients with this condition are debilitated by the perceived volume of their voice, causing them to speak very quietly. Their own voice may also sound lower to other people, because with the trachea has more volume when the Eustachian tube is open. The patient may also sound as if they have congestion when speaking. Some sufferers may have difficulty in normal activities. Increased breathing rate, such as that brought on by physical activity, would cause more air to be pushed onto the eardrum more frequently, which can become quite loud and sometimes lead to a period of increased tinnitus after exertion. Causes Patulous Eustachian tube is a physical disorder. The exact causes may vary depending on the person. Weight loss is a commonly cited cause of the disorder due to the nature of the Eustachian tube itself. Fatty tissues hold the tube closed most of the time in healthy individuals. When circumstances cause overall body fat to diminish, the tissue surrounding the Eustachian tube shrinks and this function is disrupted. While this is seen in severe cases of anorexia nervosa, it may also happen with very small amounts of weight loss in individuals with no eating disorder.