[June 2018] I am 26 years old and a have a job in professional sales & marketing business. Recently I experienced very severe tinnitus & hyperacusis and I promised myself I would detail my experience for others if it was to dramatically improve, so here it is:
I first got tinnitus when I was 15. It started after a night out after a friend had rented a 'club' space for their 16th party. I spent a lot of my childhood with my headphones in my ears (all car journeys etc) and I also remember a fire cracker also going off in a tunnel when I was 14 which left my ears ringing for 48 hours or so. I believe all of the above contributed to the 'weakening' of my ears and therefore I contracted tinnitus (just my right ear) after that one night when I was 15.
Effect on life: In all honestly I don't think it had much of an impact on life, I remember going to see at ENT (lost some hearing to very high frequencies) but nothing really noticeable and I can't remember it every having an effect on my sleep or studying etc. I was obviously very cautious about what I did moving forward (I stopped using earphones etc) and I wore ear plugs (moulded wax ones) as and when was necessary when attending loud places.
Fast forward to the now. On Saturday 28th April 2018, I forgot to bring my earplugs out when I went to 'big venue' club night. As it was bank holiday, the drinks were free following and it became quite a heavy night (I got home at 10am Sunday morning).
Sunday I was hungover but nothing which wasn't expected however on Monday I suddenly awoke with a piercing ringing in my right ear (24 hour delayed onset). It was something I had never heard before, I couldn't get away from it. The pitch would fluctuate and was severally intrusive. I knew exactly what it was, after experiencing it before (I guess very mildly) but also due to the years of online research I had done.
I cannot put into words how bad I was feeling. Like the many (1000's) of posts I have read, tinnitus began to take over my life. I couldn't sleep, go in to work, talk with others, go out and live life, enjoy bars or restaurants, be with a my girlfriend – I couldn't do anything but focus and think about this high pitched piercing noise in my head. In the first week I was taking 6-7 OTC sleeping pills and slept around 2-4 hours per night. I went the doctors straight away, they said because it has been only 3-4 days since the onset they couldn't prescribe anything (I probably should have laid it on thicker). I returned 2 days later, almost demanding prescription sleeping aids, advice and further professional help. I was prescribed Zoplicone and had a MRI booked in. As expected and as what everyone knows, yet doesn't want to believe, there is no cure and nothing could be done to help with excruciating noises.
I was an absolute state, I honestly can't imagine how someone would have coped if they had children to look after as well. I stopped drinking alcohol (usually drank 3-4 days a week), I stopped drinking coffee (usually drank 1-2 every day). I stopped everything social. I stopped going to the gym & exercising. I stopped eating spicy, chewy and/or crunchy food. I basically topped living. I would pray/beg for an alleviation every night. I would go to bed every night at 10:00 and take magnesium, paracetamol, ibuprofen, 1 Zolpicon (7.5) & 1 OTC – either sleepeaze or sominex.
The first 2 weeks were the hardest. 2-4 weeks was hard to judge if it was improving at all or whether I was just slightly habituating. By the 4th week I felt there were some small signs of improvement. E.g. Briefly (2-5 minutes) when waking up but it wouldn't be there however it would then come and fluctuate throughout the day. Everyday noises also had a massive impact on me – being in a car, conversations, rustle of bags, a TV etc would make the noise spike. I struggle to describe the noise like a lot of people do however it was maybe best described as a high base line 'SSSSSSSS' as well as a fluctuating higher metallic pitch.
Like many before this, I read a lot of horror stories and very few relevant success stories so I am hoping this will have the desired effect and bring hopes to those in need. I do feel there are 100 horror stories for every 1 success story and I do would like to believe that is partly because people seek solace in a time of need and after they 'survive' the scare and things get better, their posts finish. I could be wrong.
I thought it was never going to improve, it could be 3 days, months, years or even have it for life. I couldn't understand how people lived with it. I am confident I had what would be classed as severe – it impacted absolutely everything. One of the worst parts about it was that nobody else can see your pain and therefore it is extremely difficult to explain, especially if no one has ever experienced it before.
My work was very accommodating, I took 6 weeks off (work from home) and returned to live my family (I had my own flat in the city centre with a few friends). I wanted to live in silence, hoping it would improve. I wanted to sleep away every day, hoping it would improve. I would go to bed at night, almost nervous/excited at the thought it might potentially be gone when I wake up (this thought process didn't help me sleep). For the 6 - 12 week period I worked alternative days so I could rest and manage my noise exposure better.
You read posts that say just stay positive, I kind of agree, that your mental state can play a part in the severity of it however I needed to see/feel improvements to start the positive mind set. I did not want think this is what it will be like for the rest of my life. Now 3 months later I went from crying my eyes out & being a complete and utter reclusive mess to being back at 80-90% normal again.
However I went out on a night out for the first time (to watch England Semi-final against Croatia – with earplugs of course). A lot was drank and shouted. The next day my tinnitus felt like it had 6 weeks ago and took 6-7 days to subside. As I write this I can still hear the fluctuating tone however it is far more manageable then 12 weeks ago, I can go for hours without thinking about it.
To conclude, it took me at 5-6 weeks to see any improvements. I had plenty of rest and I am not sure if my change in diet had any impact but mentally it felt I was doing all I can. I wear earplugs at work and when I am out and about but I have come to the realisation that drinking and heavy solicising is not something I can do yet or probably will be able to do any time soon. I hate running but I started running 6-7km to ware my body out and sleep easier (I would recommend). It took me at least 2 months before I started to feel genuinely positive about it. I did use some pink/white noise filters at night (I personally just use the sound of rain rather than the notice to help mask it). I went for TRT and the doctor I spoke to said that any muscle/body part typically needs at least 3 months so repair, which is about the time frame it was for me – not sure if coincidence or not. I have definitely come out the other end of this experience as more appreciative of life and the small things. I would highly recommend getting as much rest as possible as well as attempting to tire the body out in the day (long country runs). I know everyone is different but I genuinely have gone from being rock bottom to 90% better in about 3 months. I wish I had documented my time in more detail but I hope there is details will help people.
Summary
April 28th – Went to a club night.
April 30th – onset of high pitched tinnitus & hyperacusis
I stopped alcohol (maybe a glass of red in the evening to help me sleep), coffee, being social, easting certain foods, working, living - everything.
1st / 2nd week – head in hands crying, pulling my hair out, thinking about life & staying in bed.
3rd / 4th week – No improvement (7.5 g Zopiclone + OTC)
5th / 6th week – some small signs of improvements – typically in the morning. (3.75 g Zopiclone + OTC)
7th / 8th week – noticeable improvements (3.75 g Zopiclone + OTC)
9th / 10th week – 70/80% back to normal (1.82 Zopiclone + OTC)
11th / 12th week – 85/90% back to normal (mostly OTC then 3.75 Zopiclone when needed)
13th week (present day) – 90% back to normal (mostly OTC then 1.82 Zopiclone when needed)
I first got tinnitus when I was 15. It started after a night out after a friend had rented a 'club' space for their 16th party. I spent a lot of my childhood with my headphones in my ears (all car journeys etc) and I also remember a fire cracker also going off in a tunnel when I was 14 which left my ears ringing for 48 hours or so. I believe all of the above contributed to the 'weakening' of my ears and therefore I contracted tinnitus (just my right ear) after that one night when I was 15.
Effect on life: In all honestly I don't think it had much of an impact on life, I remember going to see at ENT (lost some hearing to very high frequencies) but nothing really noticeable and I can't remember it every having an effect on my sleep or studying etc. I was obviously very cautious about what I did moving forward (I stopped using earphones etc) and I wore ear plugs (moulded wax ones) as and when was necessary when attending loud places.
Fast forward to the now. On Saturday 28th April 2018, I forgot to bring my earplugs out when I went to 'big venue' club night. As it was bank holiday, the drinks were free following and it became quite a heavy night (I got home at 10am Sunday morning).
Sunday I was hungover but nothing which wasn't expected however on Monday I suddenly awoke with a piercing ringing in my right ear (24 hour delayed onset). It was something I had never heard before, I couldn't get away from it. The pitch would fluctuate and was severally intrusive. I knew exactly what it was, after experiencing it before (I guess very mildly) but also due to the years of online research I had done.
I cannot put into words how bad I was feeling. Like the many (1000's) of posts I have read, tinnitus began to take over my life. I couldn't sleep, go in to work, talk with others, go out and live life, enjoy bars or restaurants, be with a my girlfriend – I couldn't do anything but focus and think about this high pitched piercing noise in my head. In the first week I was taking 6-7 OTC sleeping pills and slept around 2-4 hours per night. I went the doctors straight away, they said because it has been only 3-4 days since the onset they couldn't prescribe anything (I probably should have laid it on thicker). I returned 2 days later, almost demanding prescription sleeping aids, advice and further professional help. I was prescribed Zoplicone and had a MRI booked in. As expected and as what everyone knows, yet doesn't want to believe, there is no cure and nothing could be done to help with excruciating noises.
I was an absolute state, I honestly can't imagine how someone would have coped if they had children to look after as well. I stopped drinking alcohol (usually drank 3-4 days a week), I stopped drinking coffee (usually drank 1-2 every day). I stopped everything social. I stopped going to the gym & exercising. I stopped eating spicy, chewy and/or crunchy food. I basically topped living. I would pray/beg for an alleviation every night. I would go to bed every night at 10:00 and take magnesium, paracetamol, ibuprofen, 1 Zolpicon (7.5) & 1 OTC – either sleepeaze or sominex.
The first 2 weeks were the hardest. 2-4 weeks was hard to judge if it was improving at all or whether I was just slightly habituating. By the 4th week I felt there were some small signs of improvement. E.g. Briefly (2-5 minutes) when waking up but it wouldn't be there however it would then come and fluctuate throughout the day. Everyday noises also had a massive impact on me – being in a car, conversations, rustle of bags, a TV etc would make the noise spike. I struggle to describe the noise like a lot of people do however it was maybe best described as a high base line 'SSSSSSSS' as well as a fluctuating higher metallic pitch.
Like many before this, I read a lot of horror stories and very few relevant success stories so I am hoping this will have the desired effect and bring hopes to those in need. I do feel there are 100 horror stories for every 1 success story and I do would like to believe that is partly because people seek solace in a time of need and after they 'survive' the scare and things get better, their posts finish. I could be wrong.
I thought it was never going to improve, it could be 3 days, months, years or even have it for life. I couldn't understand how people lived with it. I am confident I had what would be classed as severe – it impacted absolutely everything. One of the worst parts about it was that nobody else can see your pain and therefore it is extremely difficult to explain, especially if no one has ever experienced it before.
My work was very accommodating, I took 6 weeks off (work from home) and returned to live my family (I had my own flat in the city centre with a few friends). I wanted to live in silence, hoping it would improve. I wanted to sleep away every day, hoping it would improve. I would go to bed at night, almost nervous/excited at the thought it might potentially be gone when I wake up (this thought process didn't help me sleep). For the 6 - 12 week period I worked alternative days so I could rest and manage my noise exposure better.
You read posts that say just stay positive, I kind of agree, that your mental state can play a part in the severity of it however I needed to see/feel improvements to start the positive mind set. I did not want think this is what it will be like for the rest of my life. Now 3 months later I went from crying my eyes out & being a complete and utter reclusive mess to being back at 80-90% normal again.
However I went out on a night out for the first time (to watch England Semi-final against Croatia – with earplugs of course). A lot was drank and shouted. The next day my tinnitus felt like it had 6 weeks ago and took 6-7 days to subside. As I write this I can still hear the fluctuating tone however it is far more manageable then 12 weeks ago, I can go for hours without thinking about it.
To conclude, it took me at 5-6 weeks to see any improvements. I had plenty of rest and I am not sure if my change in diet had any impact but mentally it felt I was doing all I can. I wear earplugs at work and when I am out and about but I have come to the realisation that drinking and heavy solicising is not something I can do yet or probably will be able to do any time soon. I hate running but I started running 6-7km to ware my body out and sleep easier (I would recommend). It took me at least 2 months before I started to feel genuinely positive about it. I did use some pink/white noise filters at night (I personally just use the sound of rain rather than the notice to help mask it). I went for TRT and the doctor I spoke to said that any muscle/body part typically needs at least 3 months so repair, which is about the time frame it was for me – not sure if coincidence or not. I have definitely come out the other end of this experience as more appreciative of life and the small things. I would highly recommend getting as much rest as possible as well as attempting to tire the body out in the day (long country runs). I know everyone is different but I genuinely have gone from being rock bottom to 90% better in about 3 months. I wish I had documented my time in more detail but I hope there is details will help people.
Summary
April 28th – Went to a club night.
April 30th – onset of high pitched tinnitus & hyperacusis
I stopped alcohol (maybe a glass of red in the evening to help me sleep), coffee, being social, easting certain foods, working, living - everything.
1st / 2nd week – head in hands crying, pulling my hair out, thinking about life & staying in bed.
3rd / 4th week – No improvement (7.5 g Zopiclone + OTC)
5th / 6th week – some small signs of improvements – typically in the morning. (3.75 g Zopiclone + OTC)
7th / 8th week – noticeable improvements (3.75 g Zopiclone + OTC)
9th / 10th week – 70/80% back to normal (1.82 Zopiclone + OTC)
11th / 12th week – 85/90% back to normal (mostly OTC then 3.75 Zopiclone when needed)
13th week (present day) – 90% back to normal (mostly OTC then 1.82 Zopiclone when needed)
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