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  1. NimQ

    GE Silent Scan MRI

    UPDATE: There was a cancellation so a free time slot appeared and I had my MRI done today with Siemens Magnetom Aera 1.5T. I had 35 dB foam plugs and then the headset which the staff gave me (which also enabled me to get "hold your breath" type of instructions from them). Anyway, it went so much...
  2. NimQ

    GE Silent Scan MRI

    Oh, okay, good to know - I didn't know you had worn them yourself. Won't be able to use them, though. Going for the "Siemens Magnetom Aera 1.5T". Called the place today and was told only a head muffs given by them is allowed. No idea why and makes me even more nervous. Will be bringing my own...
  3. NimQ

    GE Silent Scan MRI

    Thank you @Greg Sacramento for the information. I haven't found Pianissimo in my area, but will keep looking. Apparently the noise level depends on which scan is made and I've been told this extensive abdominal scan is 'one of the loudest'. Furthermore, does anyone have experience with Siemens...
  4. NimQ

    GE Silent Scan MRI

    Yes, that is why I am referred for MRI as there were tumors in my abdominal ultrasound and they need to be examined further. Really scary for many reasons, so I really don't want to add worrying about T on top of it. Hopefully I'll find MRI that will be safe to use, counting on people here maybe...
  5. NimQ

    GE Silent Scan MRI

    Hello everyone, I could really use some advice. So I need to get an extensive upper abdominal MRI done, no way around it. Now I am totally lost in researching different devices endlessly... with absolutely no idea which one would be the quietest, yet provide high quality images. The options...
  6. NimQ

    Listen or Not to Listen to Tinnitus?

    Personally, I consider the main priority controlling anxiety and stress. I was going nowhere after my acoustic trauma, as I kept checking my T constantly. It was torturing, hostile and alien mix of screaming sounds, so just hearing it made my stress levels unbearable. I associated the sound as...
  7. NimQ

    Dog Barks

    I actually had a very similar scare last weekend. I was taking care of this dog for a couple of days and it got these crazy barking fits, out of nowhere. It's ridiculously loud, as you measured. Same thing happened to me with the dog barking directly to my ear, it literally hurt. Next day I had...
  8. NimQ

    Did Something Stupid: New Sound, Beyond Upset

    Sorry, I forgot to push the "Watch thread" button and thought I'd get alerts for messages. My bad! And the news are good. For some days straight I kept masking 24/7 and then gradually started to lower the volume. It seems that either stress levels going down or simply not fixating on the new...
  9. NimQ

    Did Something Stupid: New Sound, Beyond Upset

    I hope being able to move onward from masking is a sign of things slowly getting better for you. At least mentally and that is, in my opinion, the most important part of managing tinnitus. I will use 24/7 masking for now, so I can give my brain chance to move on and also just to be able to relax...
  10. NimQ

    Did Something Stupid: New Sound, Beyond Upset

    True and wise words, @Ed209. It's indeed easy to get carried away with the panic, so I'm doing all I can now to allow myself any distraction that works. Sometimes I even theorize that the fight or flight reaction basically tells our brain to keep the new sound, as it becomes meaningful and...
  11. NimQ

    Did Something Stupid: New Sound, Beyond Upset

    Thank you @Daniel95 for the friendly comment of yours. This was incredibly helpful and made me feel so much better. Perhaps quite accidentally you gave me an idea what might have happened; almost the same thing as to you actually! The thing is, since the dog kept reacting to outside sounds, I...
  12. NimQ

    Did Something Stupid: New Sound, Beyond Upset

    Thank you everyone for your comments, I really appreciate it and it calmed my mind yesterday coming here to read them. I found a sound mix that masks well enough and spent the day mostly sleeping. I'm basically now carrying my mobile phone playing masking sounds everywhere (so I am not able to...
  13. NimQ

    Did Something Stupid: New Sound, Beyond Upset

    Thanks for the reply Bill... I am very tempted to just try anything to get rid of this. But I'm not sure what to do, it's horrible. I think there is a serious health risk, since the doctor did diagnose me with bleeding ulcer, based on symptoms. I am already on medication and as queue for...
  14. NimQ

    Did Something Stupid: New Sound, Beyond Upset

    Just woke up today to a new loud morse code. I made the mistake to take a dog over for the weekend. It was supposed to be fun, as I love dogs, but turned into a noise nightmare. The dog unexpectedly reacted to every sound coming from neighbours/outside and would get these barking fits out of...
  15. NimQ

    Rough Estimates of the Loudness (in dB) in the Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber?

    I took five sessions of HBOT ~2 weeks after my acoustic trauma. The tank/machine seemed quite old, yours look more modern and high-tech. I reckon there is quite a difference between models. Anyway, as it was quite early after the trauma, I had hyperacusis and some parts of it seemed loud. The...
  16. NimQ

    Finding Courage to Travel: Plane Noise (Boeing 737-700?)

    My current plan would be to use Peltor during take-off and landing, with or without earplanes. Then during cruising could switch to foam plugs and Bose QC35. It makes all the sense in the world this should be enough... ...but in my mind I am stuck thinking if this particular plane is somehow...
  17. NimQ

    Finding Courage to Travel: Plane Noise (Boeing 737-700?)

    Thank you for the link @billie48, reading the travelling stories really encouraged me. Also happy to hear you are able to fly without any trouble. We gotta keep on living! I have considered earplanes, I'll get some and try them on, but they alone don't offer much protection. My situation is...
  18. NimQ

    Finding Courage to Travel: Plane Noise (Boeing 737-700?)

    Hello, I've been doing better, just really finding ways to be patient with tinnitus and put my efforts & time into feeling good, in general. I have gotten encouraged by the habituation and finally want to pursue my dream of starting to travel again. There's one doubt in my mind though... Are...
  19. NimQ

    Headphones Accident! What to Do?

    In my experience a serious T spike will be hard to miss. What I mean is that if your T feels just a bit different and even that can be because of anxiety & clenching, then that is prolly the case. It is also a good sign you did not get muffled hearing. All in all it does sound very likely that...
  20. NimQ

    Headphones Accident! What to Do?

    I'm so sorry that you had a similar accident. It's ridiculous how dangerous headphones can be, even if handled carefully.:/ I remember how scared I was after the blast: it was SO loud and my hearing got muffled for a moment. Good news is that my spike went away and I am quite hopeful you will be...
  21. NimQ

    Dental Work Coming Up... (Last Time Was Disastrous!)

    I also believe having an understanding dentist will make a big difference. I guess there is limited amount of things that are in our power and then just have to try and let go of those things we cannot control. It's really hard, especially when panic kicks in. I've actually been thinking about...
  22. NimQ

    Dental Work Coming Up... (Last Time Was Disastrous!)

    @Tinker Bell - indeed. Good to hear your experience about 2nd opinion saving a lot of trouble. I'm sure you are really happy you went and got it! I really hope that is the case here as well... It's sometimes hard to "stand one's ground", since there is this immense pressure about trusting a...
  23. NimQ

    Dental Work Coming Up... (Last Time Was Disastrous!)

    This message really cheered up my spirits today, as I was preparing to get another doomsday at hand with the 2nd opinion.♥ Really put things in perspective. This might be something I'd be facing in the (hopefully distant) future, as I'm basically destroying my teeth no matter how much I clean...
  24. NimQ

    Dental Work Coming Up... (Last Time Was Disastrous!)

    Hey everyone. Thank you @Greg Sacramento, @Tweaker and @Leah for your messages. I've been feeling very depressed since "the verdict", but it has helped to receive kind words. Just a moment ago things took an unexpected turn, once more.:eek: Since those six procedures could have serious...
  25. NimQ

    Dental Work Coming Up... (Last Time Was Disastrous!)

    Soooo... sure seems like the support was/is needed. I'm kind of in shock, since I expected the absolutely worst case scenario would be replacement of that one tricky filling. That was like the ultimate nightmare. But I guess I didn't imagine big enough. Turns out there are FOUR new places that...
  26. NimQ

    Dental Work Coming Up... (Last Time Was Disastrous!)

    Thank you guys for the support, made me feel much better. Really appreciate it! :love: Will keep you posted.
  27. NimQ

    Dental Work Coming Up... (Last Time Was Disastrous!)

    @jimH - thank you for your compassionate message. I guess one of the worst things in this situation is that I - alone - need to make the final decisions and strategies to prevent dire consequences. So it's like preparing for a battle, or feels like it. But you are right, assuming the worst will...
  28. NimQ

    Running on Empty

    All right, so I have no idea how it is like to be in that exact situation and I am sorry these bad things happened to you. It must be a real burden... I have been to the bottom - pretty much to the point where I didn't find any reason to be alive. So that perspective made me write a reply, as I...
  29. NimQ

    Dental Work Coming Up... (Last Time Was Disastrous!)

    I wish they could help here. Unfortunately dental work is one of the only occasions where ear protection does nothing. Since they are operating inside of the mouth and drilling teeth (=closely connected to ears), the vibrations and sounds will travel directly via bone conduction. In fact, I...
  30. NimQ

    Dental Work Coming Up... (Last Time Was Disastrous!)

    Indeed, my appointment started at 3 PM and they were ready at 4.15 PM or a bit later... Also, what! Only that little of drill usage and even that in portions? I had drilling done for many minutes at a time, I really thought it wouldn't become ready at all. It felt insulting after telling about...
  31. NimQ

    Dental Work Coming Up... (Last Time Was Disastrous!)

    Thank you for such a kind reply @Samantha R. When they used laser, did you perceive it as a safe/quiet sound? And if you compare it to normal drill (usually vs. lowest setting), how much quieter? And one more question: the big filling you had re-done, how long did it take? I still feel like my...
  32. NimQ

    Dental Work Coming Up... (Last Time Was Disastrous!)

    I wish my last experience was just that, since if it was, I wouldn't have to be afraid of this situation. How long did they work on your filling, approximately? When I went for the filling in April I thought it would not change my T, since that seems usual. I think the extent of the work was the...
  33. NimQ

    Dental Work Coming Up... (Last Time Was Disastrous!)

    I wish I actually had gotten the idea of looking for a suitable, accustoming dentist when there was no problem. Now there's no time for asking around, since dentists are all booked and just need to take an appointment for someone, who is available soon. Oh well, just have to wish this one's more...
  34. NimQ

    Dental Work Coming Up... (Last Time Was Disastrous!)

    What happened before (thread) So, I've been hoping it would be a long time before I'd need any dental work. This is because last time (6-7 months ago) it was devastating. They needed to remove this big faulty filling between my upper teeth and replace it. It took over an hour and there was tons...
  35. NimQ

    I Feel So Worthless

    So everything's burning and you are just there watching terrified and waiting for the fire to consume you. Been there... And still visit that place sometimes. You are telling that you've always been negative, but now this burden doesn't allow you to see anything else. I can totally relate, even...
  36. NimQ

    5 Helicopters Passed Over

    Oh dear. Doesn't it sometimes feel like the world is attacking us? Like... five helicopters passing while windows are opened and you are distracted. Sounds about something that could happen to me as well, there has been some incredibly unlucky setbacks. I think it's just because the world is so...
  37. NimQ

    H2 Antihistamines (Famotidine/Ranitidine) — Safe?

    I decided to go back to use PPI for a couple of days, to see if my brain T goes away. Hopefully it does... And then I'll try ranitidine.
  38. NimQ

    Remeron (Mirtazapine) — Does Anyone Have Problems with It?

    I think mine got aggravated from mirtazapine. I've been taking it to be able to sleep for a long time now, but only in very small doses - like a crumble out of one pill (so like 2,5-5 mg). Not long ago I tried upping the dose, in order to try whether it would help my anxiety. So I slowly took my...
  39. NimQ

    H2 Antihistamines (Famotidine/Ranitidine) — Safe?

    The thing is that it seems to be somewhat tricky to tell whether a certain medicine will affect already existing tinnitus. I think there is mostly information from tinnitus induced by medication, but not much collected data from T sufferers. Medications that should not be ototoxic have caused...
  40. NimQ

    H2 Antihistamines (Famotidine/Ranitidine) — Safe?

    Hey, About 4 days ago I got a new sound: a brain tinnitus with echoing metallic sound all over my head. I made a thread about it, but only now realized that 10 days ago I switched my PPI med to famotidine (Pepcid). I also increased the dose (10 -> 20 mg) at about same time than my brain...
  41. NimQ

    Was Doing Fine... Now Brain Tinnitus?! I'm Scared.

    Yeah, I'm not a fan of taking any extra meds... And indeed, it's like the effect on T is just a wild card. That is why I did change from PPIs to H2 antagonist, as the former has some very serious side effects when taking long-term. Yet I do have to treat my acid reflux, as this summer I got my...
  42. NimQ

    Was Doing Fine... Now Brain Tinnitus?! I'm Scared.

    Not any better, I'm afraid. Thank you for asking. It's day 4 now with this booming T in my brain... It might have started a day or two earlier, though - I first kept thinking that there is this weird noise coming from AC or radiators, before I realized it was in my head. I'm trying my best to...
  43. NimQ

    Was Doing Fine... Now Brain Tinnitus?! I'm Scared.

    Actually only now I'm thinking about medications. I have acid reflux and 10 days ago I switched from PPI med to Pepcid (famotidin). Now I've been taking Pepcid every evening before going to bed and increased the dose 3-4 days ago. Anyone know if Pepcid/Famotidin is safe for T? I keep reading...
  44. NimQ

    Am I Taking Too Many Supplements?

    I'm no expert, so this is how I see it. I think your NAC dosage is too high, I personally would keep it at 1200 mg. This is partly because it is a stomach irritant, but also as I don't know the long-term effects of a super dose. Another thing that catches my eye is the high dose of niacin. Here...
  45. NimQ

    Was Doing Fine... Now Brain Tinnitus?! I'm Scared.

    Thank you @Zinnia for the encouraging words, I will try to think it this way. Mine never went to brain like this. Did heavy stress play a part in your changes or was it random? I will see my therapist tomorrow and will hopefully get some help from that. Also have prescription of Valium/Diazepam...
  46. NimQ

    Was Doing Fine... Now Brain Tinnitus?! I'm Scared.

    Had to take a sedative as I was going in panic just writing this thread... Thank you for the reply. Your answer would make sense and I really hope this would be the case. Haven't really heard a lot experiences about something like this, though. So was yours centralized as well? How long did it...
  47. NimQ

    Was Doing Fine... Now Brain Tinnitus?! I'm Scared.

    Hi So... I've been on the path of habituation for a while. And it's been going to the right direction, overall. After a year from my trigger, acoustic trauma, I was finally starting to dream that I'd be able to travel and live relatively normal life. I'd still have ringing in my both ears, but...
  48. NimQ

    Poll: Has Your Tinnitus Worsened Over Time? (Tinnitus for 3 Years or More / Cause Acoustic Trauma)

    I hesitated in answering, because I don't want anyone to get scared and have this feeling of inevitable doom ("it has gotten worse for so many, it will get worse for me"). Therefore I think it would be important for people to tell how and/or why their tinnitus got worse. And might be useful for...
  49. NimQ

    Exposure to Burglar Alarm — Advice Please

    I definitely recommend you to use masking sounds (i.e. ambient noises). The more you listen to your T, the more fixated your brain gets. I believe that by listening and strongly reacting to T sound, we are telling to our brain "this is important" and therefore those neural pathways become...
  50. NimQ

    Tired of Suffering

    It's not time for you to go. You still have fight in you. How do I know? You are still writing to us, you are reaching out. Therefore, you need help and support. What you are saying is that this current situation is unbearable and you can't take it. I believe it does indeed look hopeless and...
  51. NimQ

    Tired of Suffering

    Hey @Elfin - sorry it took some time to answer. I'm very sorry you're having such hard time. Are you feeling any better now? If I am calm, I basically have two main tones - one in each ear. The other tones mostly fade away into the background nowadays. However, when I am stressed and anxious...
  52. NimQ

    Do You Still Go to Movies?

    I don't go anymore. And it is one of those things that still get me, since I used to enjoy it so much. Anyway, why avoid them? I continued going to the movies even with worse T. I used 30 dB earplugs and thought I'd be fine. It seemed okay, for the first three movies: Doctor Strange, A Monster...
  53. NimQ

    Tired of Suffering

    @bob bauer - I am so, so very sorry to hear this. You are right now in the deep end. And when one is at the deep end, there really is no other reality. I've been there too. You can and will be able to overcome this, even if it seems absolutely impossible right now. If you have any suicidal...
  54. NimQ

    Monitoring Tinnitus and Anxiety

    As long as one just actively tries not to think about it, the brain will be focused on the thing it's supposed to avoid. This is because there is an active thought fixated on T (=trying not to notice it). So at least for me, it really doesn't work. So tell your brain what to do instead: distract...
  55. NimQ

    Think I'm Turning the Corner

    Wonderful attitude @Tinizzy - this, I think, is the root of all habituation and dealing with all those scary feelings that come with T. You will indeed be alright and it is okay still to be a little fragile, we are just humans after all. Being conscious about it all is what matters. This can be...
  56. NimQ

    Headphones Accident! What to Do?

    Update: I feel like there is need for closure, since I don't want this to be a scaremongering story for someone with similar accident. So as I decided not to take Prednisone, I also decided these accidents will happen now & then. Can't help it. The world is loud, although now the worst thing was...
  57. NimQ

    Headphones Accident! What to Do?

    Left ear's T is still being loud, thank you for asking... And still wondering whether 2-5 secs of loud burst would be enough to damage. The decibel meter I bought today said 97 dB, which is very loud, but it's no gunshot, right? Like, an ambulance might pass with sirens blaring or one of those...
  58. NimQ

    Headphones Accident! What to Do?

    Bad news, I think. Seems like mobile app decibel meters aren't accurate at all and I tried multiple! I bought a proper decibel meter now and it shows that the noise coming from headphones was nearly 100 dB (or more with proper seal?), when the app said 80. My left ear has been loud all day...
  59. NimQ

    Headphones Accident! What to Do?

    Update - today: So my left ear's T is still doing the odd wave thing (as if it's trying to find its volume, going up and down), but is somewhat calmer than yesterday. It's still maybe like... 30-40 % louder than usual. My left ear is very reactive; it never really has an exact stable sound, so...
  60. NimQ

    Headphones Accident! What to Do?

    Meh, can't sleep pondering about this. Any other experiences/opinions? All input very much appreciated.