It all began for me 3 months ago. I woke up from a terrible nightmare; panicked and sweating. Once I gathered my wits (and also accidentally waking my wife), I asked "do you hear that high pitched ringing?" Nope, she said and drifted back to sleep. At the time I shrugged it off and went back to sleep as well. However, from that point forward, the noise has not left me.
I describe it like the high pitch whistle of teapot down the hall or around the far corner of some imaginary kitchen. Going off on the stove without anyone to pick it up. It has been continual, unrelenting and without hesitation since the beginning.
I've done the standard routine trying to uncover the cause. I went and saw a PA, which sent me to have blood work done (was normal), and a CT scan (normal). I went to an audiologist for a hearing test. I came back with very slight hearing lost in the left ear, but other than that, normal as well for someone in their late thirties. Tomorrow we have a lovely MRI with and without contrast to check for acoustic neuroma. I do believe the noise is in both ears, but honestly, it is a little difficult for me to judge. May be slightly louder in the left. We went over a history of anxiety (I've had panic attacks in the past) and was prescribed .25mg Xanax (alprazolam) once a day as needed (this was roughly 4 months ago). However, I only take half a pill when I feel out of sorts (1-4 times a week) and that usually does the trick. We went over my history of using headphones at night. My wife watches TV; I hook into my laptop and watch my own shows with a set of headphones, somewhere between 1-4 hours a night. That has been my routine for some 6-8 years now. I never considered the volume settings to be loud, but it is chronic exposure to noise. Since the tinnitus I've almost completely stopped using headphones at night. I've tried to think of anything else that may have led to my tinnitus. I'm still clueless to what is exactly causing it. I've tried to think of anything and everything - anything from the Xanax (I did notice it seemed to increase the 1/2 to 1 day after taking it), to the change in shampoo I was using (nope, that wasn't it, but who really knows until you experiment?).
So the search continues. While locating the exact cause may not solve the tinnitus, I would feel I have a better understanding of what is happening to me.
Am I doing okay? Some days/weeks are better than others. I'm still struggling to adapt to this unwanted change in my life. I have a set of pillow speakers to try and mask in the evening. I have a new docking station in my office for my iphone to try and mask it while I work. Even under these conditions, I can still easily hear it if I try. The best relief has been running water. Taking a shower almost completely masks the noise, which is great. I worry that it won't go away- or that it may get worse. I'm told to try and not think about it as that makes it worse. I try distractions. However, knowing its there makes it hard not to think about it or notice it. I haven't mastered this zen quite yet.
I guess I'll know more soon. The results should be back by the end of the week. After that , I'll need to consider my next move. In the meantime I thought I'd take a moment here to introduce myself into a community of people who are or have been through the similar experience. Some of you for most of your life. I find the best support comes from others who truly know what you're going through and can honestly relate. Many of you have been through various trial and error techniques to figure out what works best for you. I'm only starting. However, I'm still hopeful that one day I'll find a way to pick up that imaginary tea kettle.
I describe it like the high pitch whistle of teapot down the hall or around the far corner of some imaginary kitchen. Going off on the stove without anyone to pick it up. It has been continual, unrelenting and without hesitation since the beginning.
I've done the standard routine trying to uncover the cause. I went and saw a PA, which sent me to have blood work done (was normal), and a CT scan (normal). I went to an audiologist for a hearing test. I came back with very slight hearing lost in the left ear, but other than that, normal as well for someone in their late thirties. Tomorrow we have a lovely MRI with and without contrast to check for acoustic neuroma. I do believe the noise is in both ears, but honestly, it is a little difficult for me to judge. May be slightly louder in the left. We went over a history of anxiety (I've had panic attacks in the past) and was prescribed .25mg Xanax (alprazolam) once a day as needed (this was roughly 4 months ago). However, I only take half a pill when I feel out of sorts (1-4 times a week) and that usually does the trick. We went over my history of using headphones at night. My wife watches TV; I hook into my laptop and watch my own shows with a set of headphones, somewhere between 1-4 hours a night. That has been my routine for some 6-8 years now. I never considered the volume settings to be loud, but it is chronic exposure to noise. Since the tinnitus I've almost completely stopped using headphones at night. I've tried to think of anything else that may have led to my tinnitus. I'm still clueless to what is exactly causing it. I've tried to think of anything and everything - anything from the Xanax (I did notice it seemed to increase the 1/2 to 1 day after taking it), to the change in shampoo I was using (nope, that wasn't it, but who really knows until you experiment?).
So the search continues. While locating the exact cause may not solve the tinnitus, I would feel I have a better understanding of what is happening to me.
Am I doing okay? Some days/weeks are better than others. I'm still struggling to adapt to this unwanted change in my life. I have a set of pillow speakers to try and mask in the evening. I have a new docking station in my office for my iphone to try and mask it while I work. Even under these conditions, I can still easily hear it if I try. The best relief has been running water. Taking a shower almost completely masks the noise, which is great. I worry that it won't go away- or that it may get worse. I'm told to try and not think about it as that makes it worse. I try distractions. However, knowing its there makes it hard not to think about it or notice it. I haven't mastered this zen quite yet.
I guess I'll know more soon. The results should be back by the end of the week. After that , I'll need to consider my next move. In the meantime I thought I'd take a moment here to introduce myself into a community of people who are or have been through the similar experience. Some of you for most of your life. I find the best support comes from others who truly know what you're going through and can honestly relate. Many of you have been through various trial and error techniques to figure out what works best for you. I'm only starting. However, I'm still hopeful that one day I'll find a way to pick up that imaginary tea kettle.
They also provided me with a CD of the scans to review on my own. I should know the results in the next couple days.
Manager
I exercise regularly - running or lifting weights (depending on the day) too. It hasn't seemed to have an impact on T, but I feel better.
