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  1. PaulBe

    I Found My ENT Very Ignorant

    When I first saw an ENT, I was left with the feeling that I'd paid him to interview me to see if he could make money off me. TBF I think this was specific to his own ethical standards. I could swear I felt the door hit me on the way out of his rooms.
  2. PaulBe

    If You Have Benzo Induced Tinnitus (Klonopin, Xanax, Valium, Ativan, etc.), What Does It Sound Like?

    That is the best descriptor I've ever seen for tinnitus.
  3. PaulBe

    Ways to Combat Tinnitus Side Effects from COVID-19 Vaccine?

    That appears to be correct. The repetition of the word "rare" relates to actual death, which, yes is still pretty rare, but the injury to the still living is not at all "rare". I have seen zero mention of anything neurological other than Bell's Palsy in the Mainstream press, but there are...
  4. PaulBe

    Erythromycin & Tinnitus

    Oral low-ish dosing with Erythromycin is far less likely to do any harm. Higher doses given IV are a different story. That said if there is an alternative, you'd be well advised to take it.
  5. PaulBe

    Poll: Recovery Time from Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccine Induced Tinnitus Spike

    The spike protein, which is a component of the virus, and is the basis of nearly all the vaccines, can cross the blood-brain barrier, it would seem. As the prevailing thinking is that tinnitus perception is a central NS problem it would follow that any Central toxic effect from the protein could...
  6. PaulBe

    Habituation May Not Be What You Think It Is...

    Yeah, that's basically it Matt. I'll add one more: You've worked through the grief of losing what you once had and have begun to move on again. "Surrender" is a bit loaded. It could also be seen as reaching an uneasy accommodation that allows life to resume with some normalcy.
  7. PaulBe

    I Now Have Tinnitus After Receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine

    So Leila, if I'm reading you correctly, does that imply that the assumptions that underlie the mRNA vaccine model have already been shown to possibly not be valid? If so, that would beg an awful lot of uncomfortable questions.
  8. PaulBe

    I Now Have Tinnitus After Receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine

    Instructing your own body to manufacture a "foreign" protein, which it then attacks. What could possibly go wrong?
  9. PaulBe

    Looking for Tips for Getting Over the Habituation Hump

    This is pretty much where I'm at nowadays. This IS habituation. Its not a cure, its an accommodation that allows life to go on. You are on the path.
  10. PaulBe

    Social Gatherings and Fear of Sudden Loud Noises

    Funny now isn't it (or not). We were social distancing long before it was fashionable.
  11. PaulBe

    Will You Get Vaccinated for Coronavirus (COVID-19)? Can It Make Tinnitus or Hyperacusis Worse?

    So far that's what I'm hearing. If we were to see real issues five to thirty years hence (auto-immune consequences, cancers etc) it would be extremely hard to pin it on the vaccine. We do have examples of things that have arisen over time that could well coincide with vaccination programs...
  12. PaulBe

    Can Tinnitus Affect My Brain, Cognition, Concentration and My Ability to Do Mathematics?

    Probably more the psyche then the brain itself.
  13. PaulBe

    Strange Hearing Distortion/Dysacusis?

    I did. ototoxic chemotherapy improved my sound tolerance while making my tinnitus louder.
  14. PaulBe

    I Have 12 Months to Recover from Tinnitus: What Treatments Can I Try? Budget $450,000.

    Your story sounds very similar to what many of us have described here. Mine was very like what you describe when it started out. Try everything by all means, but You will still need plan B, which means learning to live with the reality of it. Keep your sh*t together now, because the job you...
  15. PaulBe

    Have to Take Antibiotics for an Infection: Which Is the Least Ototoxic One?

    If its any help, much of the ototoxicity issues associated with these drugs usually relates to IV administration, and with that, rate of administration. Obviously there are no guarantees in life but if you are talking about oral dosing over a single course then ototoxicty may not be an issue...
  16. PaulBe

    Painkillers and Tinnitus — What Is the Risk Profile for Tinnitus/Hyperacusis/Hearing?

    They all have statistical risks associated with them, but NSAIDS carry an added risk of acute renal failure with heavy use in some circumstances.
  17. PaulBe

    Why CBT Hurts Our Cause

    That sounds a bit like suggesting mutual suffering as a minimum requirement for a therapeutic relationship. I wasn't meaning to advocate for CBT anyway, I just meant to point out why I think it appears to be there in the (pathetically small) list of therapies on offer to us. FWIW I think its...
  18. PaulBe

    Why CBT Hurts Our Cause

    But that's what I said Greg. I stressed that the physiological (innate) reaction was what had to be targeted. That's why I bolded physiological. Treatment should start with recognising and removing the sense of physical threat that the autonomic nervous system has determined is there. That...
  19. PaulBe

    Why CBT Hurts Our Cause

    I saw Miriam Westcott in 2014 and one of my first questions to her (between breakdown moments) was "why am I so distressed?" While she couldn't answer with any certainty she did say it was a common question that patients asked her, so it would seem that this distress is part of the complex that...
  20. PaulBe

    Why CBT Hurts Our Cause

    ...when tinnitus-related distress and anxiety is minimised... same old....
  21. PaulBe

    Does Life with Tinnitus Actually Become Better?

    My story is nearly word for word identical to Kathi. I too don't post much, largely because despite it all life went on and there isn't any value in raking it over forever. Where I seemed to luck out was that the severely ototoxic chemo (my only choice) actually had the effect of shifting the...
  22. PaulBe

    Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19) and Tinnitus

    That's frighteningly hilarious.
  23. PaulBe

    During a Hike Strong Chest Pain Followed by Major Increase in Tinnitus

    I suppose that once you've shot the lawyers you could then buy a drink.
  24. PaulBe

    Can Foam Earplugs for Sleep Cause Ear Damage/Worsen Tinnitus?

    Your non-tinnitus reason for wearing them is a better case in their favour than tinnitus. If you've been wearing them this long then it probably isn't worth worrying about, and its probably habit as much as anything. Do what keeps you comfortable and lets you sleep best.
  25. PaulBe

    Dental Implant Safe for Tinnitus?

    I had two done but under anaesthetic. I regret them not because of tinnitus. I believe they can create a low-grade chronic, systemic immune activation problem in some people. I would approach them with caution.
  26. PaulBe

    Can Tinnitus Affect Audiogram / Hearing Test Results?

    I would have thought that if your tinnitus was too loud for you to hear the test sounds, then that is a reasonably objective measure of the state of your hearing, regardless of whether its lost neural function or loud tinnitus masking. That is the snapshot of your hearing at that time. You'd...
  27. PaulBe

    It was most probably noise trauma over a period of years, which just hit a tipping point one...

    It was most probably noise trauma over a period of years, which just hit a tipping point one day. It has been six years.
  28. PaulBe

    It is still there. Its very loud if I focus on it, but it all largely doesn't worry me much...

    It is still there. Its very loud if I focus on it, but it all largely doesn't worry me much anymore.
  29. PaulBe

    Maskers, Hearing Aids, and Dual Purpose Digital Hearing Aids

    Rereading this 4 years on, I'd probably be less dogmatic about it now than I clearly was then. It's good advice from Glynis, but my only caveat would taking great care with the nature of the sound you select. You could call this brain retraining, but really it's whole-of-nervous system...
  30. PaulBe

    Suicidal

    Often people say they want to die, when really they mean they want to escape. Sometimes death seems the only way to do so.
  31. PaulBe

    Mild Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Have Become Much Worse — Making Life Unbearable

    I was an active musician, and looking back now it probably all began with a show where the PA was recklessly placed. When it began my first thought was that their was something wrong with the sound system in the car, then a day or so later I recognised the tinnitus.
  32. PaulBe

    Mild Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Have Become Much Worse — Making Life Unbearable

    No. Nothing else helped it. Crazy huh?
  33. PaulBe

    Mild Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Have Become Much Worse — Making Life Unbearable

    You are absolutely right here. If you have noise sensitivity as well as tinnitus sound, the two blend in a way that is impossible to describe to anyone else, and it just makes it that much worse. Even worse when it taunts you by shifting frequencies every other day, sometimes leading you to...
  34. PaulBe

    Regular Pattern in Tinnitus Symptoms — 2 Days Silence, 2 Days Noise, and the Cycle Repeats

    I have a similar pattern relating to intensity and sound tolerance. It seems to have always been that way. even after six years.
  35. PaulBe

    How Did People Cope with Tinnitus in the Olden Days?

    Most modern health care is about "managing" ill health, not about curing. Curing is a dream, but management and control is the reality.
  36. PaulBe

    Painkillers and Tinnitus — What Is the Risk Profile for Tinnitus/Hyperacusis/Hearing?

    My dentist told me he developed a pulsatile tinnitus from heavy use of Brufen (ibuprofen). Aspirin is also known to have an association with tinnitus onset, but I think that's related to long-term, regular use. Acetaminophen/paracetamol isn't associated generally with any kind of ototoxicity...
  37. PaulBe

    Dealing with Unmaskable Tinnitus?

    Time. It also helps to stop wanting to be dead.
  38. PaulBe

    I Was Around a Crying Baby for a Few Seconds. My Tinnitus Is Twice as Loud Now!

    Yep. Try tantruming toddlers, particularly girls who scream.
  39. PaulBe

    Are These Sounds Considered High-, Mid-, or Low-Range Frequencies?

    High. Very high. Most acute hearing loss starts in the high frequencies.
  40. PaulBe

    Nearly 5 Months In. Should I Give Up Hope of My Tinnitus Going Away?

    You shouldn't give up all hope, but you should also plan for the reality that it most likely won't go away.
  41. PaulBe

    Just Developed Tinnitus 5 Days Ago and I'm Unbelievably Scared

    If it helps you make a very difficult call, bear in mind that a lot of us were working musicians who have had to walk away from successful careers. Its a nightmare decision to have to make, and you may not make it for a while while you try and test the boundaries, but you will have to confront...
  42. PaulBe

    Whatever You Do, Don't Scream

    Would the mouse be the one screaming?
  43. PaulBe

    Whatever You Do, Don't Scream

    Bill, Bill. You're lucky it was just ear fullness and not pants fullness. Mouses....sheesh... Now had it been a spider...............
  44. PaulBe

    Can X-Ray Aggravate Tinnitus?

    I have had many Xrays the past year, and contrast CT scans as well. Zero effect.
  45. PaulBe

    An ENT Doctor with Tinnitus

    https://www.piac.asn.au/legal-help/public-interest-cases/deep-sleep-tragedy/ There are issues.....
  46. PaulBe

    Ear Protection During Surgery

    I was under for nine hours. No problems.
  47. PaulBe

    I Still Don't Understand How Loud Noise Can Cause Tinnitus, Yet Not Necessarily Hearing Loss?

    I can be that the tissue damage is there but at the sub-clinical level, as in you don't perceive it because enough reconstruction has occurred that renders the left over damage irrelevant in practical terms. That, or you could become aware of a perceptible change in the right conditions, but at...
  48. PaulBe

    Has Anybody’s Hyperacusis Disappeared 100%?

    I never really understood fully what hyperacusis was doing to me until it (mostly) stopped doing it.
  49. PaulBe

    There Is Much You Can Do for Your Tinnitus and Hyperacusis

    He's right there. Resource allocation is the biggie in Healthcare. In financial and risk-benefit terms they prefer to keep tinnitus treatment minimalist, non-invasive and managed at GP/community level (if at all). Finding a treatment would be one thing, but making that treatment available, at...
  50. PaulBe

    Tinnitus Spike After an Increase in the Consumption of Eggs?

    Don't know about eggs, but our rooster could set anyone up with a spike. Evil bird, but did his job well.
  51. PaulBe

    Do You Wear Hearing Protection When Cutting Your Nails?

    The better type of bag comes with a venting system. There is no escape.
  52. PaulBe

    Emotional Support by Prince Harry

    It is impossible to separate the physiology and the psychology when it comes to tinnitus, in fact I'd say the psychology is almost entirely driven by the physiology. Tinnitus directly attack the wiring of the sympathetic nervous system. It creates a perfect storm of blended physiology and...
  53. PaulBe

    Noise Levels in Restaurants

    I was performing in one once and the owner spent the whole time running around anxiously with a sound meter. His biggest problem was that his venue, when full, breached Queensland's admittedly pathetic sound mitigation laws even when the band wasn't playing, simply by virtue of the noise...
  54. PaulBe

    My Girlfriend Kissed on Ear — Little Spike Next Day

    It happens, its real, but its so obscure and rare as causes of tinnitus/hyperacusis go that I doubt that anyone would knowingly set out to do harm this way. They just wouldn't know.
  55. PaulBe

    My Girlfriend Kissed on Ear — Little Spike Next Day

    It has happened to someone in my family. It is nasty and can definitely be long-lasting.
  56. PaulBe

    Dry Fasting

    Hi @Telis I'm just glad to see you're still around.
  57. PaulBe

    Distorted Sound While Playing Piano

    I have this at very distinct points along the upper octaves. It a good indicator of where the damage lies across your sound spectrum. It isn't new damage being done, its a reminder of old damage already done. Just live with it and don't escalate over it. There's no point.