4 Years in and Counting...

[Ella Bella Boo]

Hi All,

I've know about this forum for a while but only just decided to join. I guess I need support right now. I've been dealing with debilitating tinnitus since July 2012 when I took ototoxic meds for an operation I had. I have moderate hearing loss in both ear which doesn't help things even though I have aids to help with the loss. Antiibiotics caused the hearing loss back in 2005. I guess I should have know my ears do not like drugs. I was coping not to bad during 2014/15 but since xmas I had a terrible time. I struggle with sleep even though I have sleep meds from my GP. I don't like taking these and have tried various other herbal supplements such as Valerian Root and Melatonin on occasions without much success. At the minute I am trying L-Theanine as I've read good reports on this.

I work part time in a herbal shop so you'd think i'd pretty much have some answers to alternative therapies. Unfortunatly I haven't come across anything that has helped me. Well, that's me introduced. Hopefully, I'll find some good information on here and something that helps.

Namaste

 

[Enzo312]

Hi and Welcome over here,

I am just new as well and I am trying my best to read and come with findings and information that would help,
I know the suffering this causes, but at the bright side it's very good that you know the cause and that's half the way, coping is also hard yes, but I think we can do it and we all need this support!
Best of Luck

Namaste,

 

[linearb]

Hi @Ella Bella Boo,

do you think the nature of your tinnitus has changed recently, or are you just not handling it as well? Has anything else stressful happened in your life?

Not getting enough sleep definitely makes everything worse; I hit a point about four years ago where the drugs and supplements just didn't make that situation any easier, and the thing that got me back on track was regular exercise combined with some specific meditative practices. That's glossing over the misery of it, though: the reality was a period of several months where I barely slept, cried a lot, and kind of came closer than I'd ever been to actually feeling psychotic. It was a tremendous bummer but it didn't hurt me and I learned a lot from it.

I still go through periods of sleep disruption; nothing to do with tinnitus, in fact I've always had these problems on and off. In fact, for the past 2-3 weeks I've been sort of stuck in a loop where it takes me a couple hours to fall asleep at all, and then I wake up at 4am, can't get back to sleep until 6, and wake up at 9 not feeling rested. I'm not crazy about it, but, it's not causing me any real stress besides being a bit run-down; it doesn't worry me anymore, and once I stopped being anxious about not sleeping then it just became a minor inconvenience that I don't think about very much.

If you'd shown me that paragraph when I was really stuck in the maze of the tinnitus/insomnia/panic trifecta, though, I would have told you it was bullshit that I'd never be capable of writing.

 

[Sailboardman]

@Ella Bella Boo

Hi and welcome to a club, we all wish we were not in!

I have debilitating T in my right ear with severe, sensorineural hearing loss. My hearing aid helps a bit and has several masking programs. Unfortunately, my T is more intrusive than the maskers, on most days.

I find that somedays, I have periods where it's lower and more bearable. I take some supplements and one in particular, seems to help. It's called OGF from Robkellermd.com. You can read about it there. (I'm not a salesman for it!) I also take a super B complex, NAC, if I'm going to be in a nosiy situation. Magnesium, zinc, high quality fish oil and Iodine. (I was tested and my Iodine levels were low.)

Does all this stuff work? Not sure? Everyone reacts differently to supplements and drugs. To much and toxification or addiction can set in. Best to have a few blood panels done, to see if you're deficient in any particular area. I stay away from AD's & AA drugs.

My diet is all fresh foods, no fast or processed foods! I cook with fresh garlic, herbs and limit red meat. No/low saturated fats, salt, caffeine and sugar. I do drink some wine though. (It relaxes me.)

Life with this beast, is less than perfect, but it's what I have to manage everyday, like everyone else here. I try my best to keep as busy as possible. Somedays I want to jump off a bridge and others are somewhat bearable. I have met so many people with T now, it seems everyone has it! Young and old.

To sleep, I take a product with valerian root, 5htp and limited melatonin. I use a nature sound machine on my bed, which helps lull me to sleep.

All the best!

Sailboardman

 

[Mike K]

Welcome to the forums! I'm sorry to hear that something that is supposed to help one problem, caused another debilitating one. I hope you achieve peace of mind as soon as possible!

 

[liquefact]

I'm sorry to hear that something that is supposed to help one problem, caused another debilitating one.

Unfortunately enough, isn't this what T is, brain trying to correct a missing/corrupt signal coming from ear and messing things up.

 

[Mike K]

Unfortunately enough, isn't this what T is, brain trying to correct a missing/corrupt signal coming from ear and messing things up.

I was referring to taking the ototoxic medication to help post-surgery, and it caused tinnitus.

 

[liquefact]

I was referring to taking the ototoxic medication to help post-surgery, and it caused tinnitus.

Yes yes, i'm aware of that. What i'm saying is, how T occurs is more or less the same;

You try to fix a condition in your body and mess up your ears unfortunately. Consequently, brain tries to adapt to the problem in your ears but makes the problem worse.

 

[Mike K]

Yes yes, i'm aware of that. What i'm saying is, how T occurs is more or less the same;

You try to fix a condition in your body and mess up your ears unfortunately. Consequently, brain tries to adapt to the problem in your ears but makes the problem worse.

Ahhh I understand now. For me, my T is likely caused by my sinus infection. I pray this is the case, because when I'm healthy it will go away.