Juliane

Feel the same way some days.

Same! =|

Me too.

So frustrating to think about what might have caused this hell... when it is too late to change...

Unfortunately there is nothing you can do that will undo any of those things.... You can only move forward in some way.

I know... but what I would give for a time machine right now

@Juliane Yes, you can do this. Although there often isn't any logic of pattern to t/h, there is great chance of you feeling better down the road. Acceptance comes with time when your brain is able to shift focus. When this happens, t will fade more into the background. Little by little. However, it will take time and patience. You are worthy, and there is still hope.

Better days will be ahead.

Because tinnitus is a vile creature that does whatever the hell it wants. Sorry l couldn't be more helpful.

Mine can change location and tune depending on the day. Typically it goes back after a day or 2. I hope yours does.

It does. =(

OMG yes!

@Juliane Enjoy life a little. I'm sure a spike might happen but I don't see anything being permanent.

Thanks guys for all your comments and good advice! I did decide to have some wine with my friend as living too restricted gets you down too!

Hey Juliane, have you been dealing with T/H very long?

@twa Yes for twenty tears! However I now consider my prior tinnitus mild. It worsened in January 2023 and I am really struggling....

@Mo8409 I guess you are right... But to be worth it life also needs to be joyful... would you not say?

;( ugh. We're gonna get through this!

@SarahMLFlemmer I so hope that 6-12 months from now we can both look back at this period of our lives with T as something that is behind us and no longer important....

Green tea might work as well. I love my coffee though. Hope things get better

Love my Coffee too!

@Leila I understand. I also care much less about what people think about me being weird. E.g. when I refuse to enter noisy cafés etc. I don't even want to explain myself. I am the one with a health problem so I call the shots. Is how I see it. :-))

Its all relative I suppose, but things that seemed to matter before seem more trivial now.

Right on.

Working keeps my mind busy, so I tend to think about it less.

That makes sense :-)

Working distracts me

It really doesn't. What has happened has happened. Took me so long to get over my resentment. You'll get there.

Right there with you.

@Joe Cuber Thanks for asking. I am indeed seeing a therapist but she suggests I start taking ADs because I am so depressed and I am not ready to take that risk.... so I feel stuck.

@SarahMLFlemmer Thank you ❤️

Thank you for the welcome. Much appreciated.

I do, have been working remote since my onset. But they want me to go back in the office soon, so I am currently looking for a new job working remote. The long drives to the office and all the unknowns are just too much for me. Will you be in office or remote?

@Ryan Scott I know exactly what you mean. I have been allowed to start the new job working remotely "for now". Like you, I cannot bear going to the office, so I need to find a way to make the remote option permanent. Or find another job that allows it. It just sucks so much having to deal with this on top of everything. I hope you find your remote dream job :-)

@Joe Cuber Spot on.

You have any hiking trails near you?

@kingsfan Not really. But there is a forest nearby I sometimes go to. Might try that again.

I enjoy hiking, especially in the early morning when no other humans are on the trail.. just me and the mountain lions. I get the opportunity to take out my earplugs and enjoy the world as intended.

I understand. Keep holding on. People do get better!

This shit really tests you. Mild tinnitus is a breeze compared! Maybe you'll heal one day again, who knows :)

@Joe Cuber Improve? Here is hoping :-)

I slowly weaned myself off caffeine over 3 months. I was drinking 2 cups a day now I am down to a half cup of tea. (About 1/8 the caffeine)

Decaf usually has about 5 mg of caffeine, whereas Diet Mt Dew has 35-40 mg per can, and brewed coffee has 135-150 mg/cup. I've done extensive studies. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/caffeine/art-20049372

Right, as I said much earlier, the amount of caffeine in decaf is small enough it has not been an issue for me. That's what I drink the vast majority of the time, but I was drinking multiple cups of regular coffee every morning over a year ago, and I noticed no change in T. I can't stand Mt. Dew - won't drink that stuff. lol

Just hope for better days!

Are you new? I'm told the first year is the hardest. I still struggle 3 months in but not as bad as the 1st month. Someone just told me a great quote "don't look for the silence, look for the happiness."

<3

7.5mg mirtazapine here... I wouldn't call it a perfect solution but I'm not sure what is.

Thanks. I do remember at least one post where someone was stating zolpidem increased their tinnitus. Perhaps I would have an issue at a higher dose, like if I took 10 mg regularly, but I'm trying to keep it minimized to reduce tolerance and so my Dr. will keep authorizing refills. It's helping, but I'm still lacking sleep.

A side effect of these kind of sleeping drugs is pretty severe anxiety - it doesn't occur in everyone and it can vary how bad it gets to you but it really got to me. When taking Zopiclone, think very short term windows of time. I use it only in the absolute worst emergencies, like if I went 7 days in a row without sleeping or something like that.

Seek out stories from people who had acoustic trauma and took a few years to recover. Those helped me tremendously. In the worst period I just laid on my side watching videos on mute. I called it "equilibrium" because it was the most bearable time. It was worse than any other health condition I've had because no one understood what I was going through.

@Keith Handy Thanks a lot for the encouragement. That gives me a bit of hope. How long have you struggled and how are you today?

Three years and much better. I'll write an official three year update post in a couple weeks.