15 Months with Tinnitus — Are These Signs of Healing?

I've had tinnitus for almost 15 months.

The first few months were hell, of course. For the first 8 months or so it was unrelenting. My tinnitus was only maskable by the shower.

At about the 8 month mark I started to have a random day of near silence out of the blue.

Eventually, several months ago, I began to have one day a week.

Strangely, at Christmas time, I had 3 days in a row.

My tinnitus now has established a pattern of sorts. I have one loud day, followed by a moderate day, then 1 to 2 mild days. The loud days are still pretty loud, but I've began to notice in the last couple weeks that the moderate day is getting quieter. Also, my tinnitus quiets down faster as the day progresses. Last week I had 3 mild days in a row again. Naps used to spike my tinnitus, but now if I nap it returns to whatever volume it was in an hour or so. Before a nap would ruin my whole day.

I still have slight hyperacusis, but it only seems to be when my tinnitus is at its loudest.

My ear fullness went away about 4 months ago.

I'm just wondering if anyone who has had their tinnitus go from loud to mild has gone through these stages?

I appear to be moving in a positive direction, but I also wonder if this is the type of tinnitus I will be stuck with.

With these wild fluctuations it is rather difficult to habituate. I could live with moderate to mild tinnitus, but the loud tinnitus is a whole different animal. Nothing seems to spike it, it's just a pattern that has been established.

I wear ear protection, and avoid noise exposure. Also diet does not seem to play a role. My tinnitus is somatic in that I can modulate the volume by stretching or pressing on my jaw.

 

@KMc24 You have an interesting pattern. I hope this is a sign of good things for you!

 

I haven't had any kind of overall patterns emerge like yours, but did have similar problems with naps for about my first years. I just noticed recently (at about the 15-month point) that I can recover from naps much quicker than I used to, which I took that as a sign of improvement. -- Congratulations on your improvements--they definitely strike me as being extraordinarily encouraging!

 

It started for me March 2018 too. Same overall pattern with no quiet days, high pitched eee a little louder than an air conditioner. Softer in the morning getting harsher through the day.

Initial fullness is gone but sometimes my ears feel 'tight' when around loud noise. H has gone down significantly but flares up if I overdo it. Ears are definitely less sensitive than they were a year ago but still sensitive.

Never had an issue with naps.

I think you're moving in the right direction and I hope you continue to go that way.

 

Yeah that sounds exactly like how mine started the same month too. The pitch and tone has changed now. It's kind of thinner and higher frequency. Yesterday, a moderate day, it sounded like soda bubbles fizzing. My ears do feel a bit more sensitive now. Initially I didn't have sensitivity, then I got the ear fullness around loud sounds. Now my ears are just sensitive especially when I'm having a loud day. It's like my hearing is turned up. It's probably like they say my brain is trying to compensate for my hearing loss. I hope this is all a step in the right direction. My ENT says it's a sign of healing. Thanks for the encouragement.

 

You and I have similar patterns in our tinnitus. My moderate days are also getting milder but the loud days are still devastating...

I never tried to nap to test out if the T is able to recover. May be I should one day....

 

Yes that is it you are getting better.