Hi Dawn... funny, I just found my own thread via Google.

Currently, things are only getting worse. The tinnitus has spread to my left ear as well as my right, and I'm getting variable hearing loss in both ears. The worst part is the excruciating burning sensation I get in one ear or other. This usually comes on in the evening, lasts into the night and prevents me from sleeping. Or I'll wake up with the pain and tinnitus and hearing loss. I've also had more of the "burning tongue" symptoms.

What is so frustrating is the continuing disinterested attidude of doctors over here (UK). There is no sense of urgency or concern whatsoever. They clearly don't appreciate the agonising pain I'm experiencing... I suppose I look perfectly normal to them.

I've been completely unable to work for seven months now.

The only thing that has helped a little is a tube of "Daktarin" oral gel (suggested by a pharmacist for god's sake), which is for treating fungal infections. It has reduced the incidence of tongue pain, and to a large degree the ear pain too... at least it did to begin with (I even got one great night's sleep on day one of treatment), but I've been on it a week now and it seems to be losing its effectiveness.

My ENT has put me on a small trial of fluconazole in case it's a fungal infection, but it's a low dose over only 5 days. I'm on day one, and not noticing any improvement so far. My ENT is a bit useless really, but I've been to four now, and he's been the best of a pretty appalling bunch.

Don't get ill in the UK. UK specialists are crap at this kind of medicine, seem to have very limited knowledge, and are rude and un-caring towards their patients. They seem to view puzzling cases like mine as an annoyance rather than a challenge.

I found another very experienced mercury-free dentist, and he has removed a piece of amalgam that was trapped under a composite filling in one of my upper left teeth. So I'm now completely amalgam-free. I may start on the DMSA again in a few days. I had tests for mercury in blood and urine done about two days after the removal of the large amalgam, and the results were incredibly low. I know these aren't the best tests for mercury toxicity, but I was surprised they showed almost non-existent mercury levels so shortly after amalgam removal. So maybe it's possible that my problems are nothing to do with mercury? I may get "challenge" type urine tests done when I'm on a round of DMSA and see if that shows anything.

Getting really desperate now. I'm still clinging to hope of some improvement (I get the odd couple of hours when things really aren't that bad, so it is obviously possible to improve, but I can't find out what causes me to get better or worse).

Sorry, it's all a bit of a downer! Any more suggestions or ideas gladly accepted. Thanks.