Can I Get Some Advice About a Spike Please?

[Newbie]

Hi, I have mild tinnitus 15 months now and last month it spiked. Prior to this I was obsessing over going deaf and was very stressed. Is it possible I only think it's spiked cause I'm under severe anxiety over this spike, I feel panicked all the time. I'm starting to become very low I just want my quality of life back. I m only 20 so I just want to know has a spike ever gone down for anyone? It's a loud hissing that comes and goes

 

[Jomo]

Im going through one right now man...last nite was tough to sleep..it freakin broke through every masking sound i had but it was most likely caused by me trying to swat a mosquito...i am dealing with it rit now..i have read mixed reviews...most of the time it usually goes back to the norm...just ride it out..u arent alone

 

[Michael Leigh]

@Newbie Have you been listening to music through headphones or going to clubs where loud music has been played?

 

[Newbie]

@Michael Leigh no I haven't, I haven't listened to music through headphones since I first got tinnitus and as for clubs, I always protected my ears since too? Would I benefit from an anti depressant for awhile as I'm so down about this!

 

[Michael Leigh]

@Newbie Yes an antidepressant can certainly help so have a word with your Doctor. It is not unusual for people new to tinnitus to be affected by low moods, so don't be too hard on yourself. Try not to sleep in a quiet room as this will make you focus on the tinnitus more. Buy a sound machine or download nature sounds to your cell phone. Set the volume slightly below your tinnitus and have it playing throughout the night until morning. Buy a sound machine when you can. I wrote a post for newbies to tinnitus that you can read by clicking on the link below.
Best of luck
Michael
Any more questions just ask
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/an-introduction-to-tinnitus.12100/

 

[Jomo]

Download the app white noise...you can make your own masking noises..try making one of your sink...its honestly the best white noise you will find...i have a light sound and a heavy sound...i alternate between them depending on how the tinnitus is...i know many here talk about placing the volume below the T but after hearing it for a good part of the day i usually just mask it at nite for now...sometimes i can hear it seeping through but i never put the volume loud so i jus deal with it unless its gets like it did last nite...also if you check youtube they have some therapy clips you can listen to that may ease your tinnitus...hope this helps..i know you want the anti depressant but honestly stay away from the drugs if u can...in my opinion thats a pandoras box that can have consequences down the road

 

[Newbie]

@Michael Leigh thank you so much, this has helped me a lot! Are you completely habituated to your tinnitus? Should I try ginkgo biloba? Is there a possibility I can go back to my old tinnitus that I didn't hear and I didn't give a crap about! Also this 'new' tinnitus comes and goes. Could this be a sign it's not here to stay? I'm a very anxious person by the way and I've had to take Xanax the last month everytime I heard the t, even listening to my old tinnitus would set me off whereas before I could sit in my bedroom and listen to it not a bother ! Does most people's tinnitus get better over ? I recently emailed Dr Roland schaette who is a researcher in tinnitus in Belgium and he sent me back a lovely email saying that tinnitus doesn't necessarily get worse over time and he himself had tinnitus that got heaps better over time. He also said they're testing a new drug but only in animals at the moment and they hope to test it in humans in 2018! I feel as if I'm doomed though as I had mild tinnitus for 14 months and now louder tinnitus. It would be different if it was just starting as most people have bad tinnitus at the very start that got better over time! Did you ever have spikes that went away again Michael? I'm sorry my post is so long I'm just so desperate for someone to tell me I'll be ok

 

[Newbie]

@Jomo thank you for taking time out to help me, I really appreciate it! What kind of tinnitus do you have and what was it caused by? How long do you have it also?

 

[Michael Leigh]

@Newbie
You need to try and calm yourself down. Do you know what caused your tinnitus? If it was exposure to loud noise then it shouldn't get any worse, providing you keep a way from loud noise and my advise is not to listen to music through headphones even at low volume.
I have variable tinnitus that ranges from Silent, mild, moderate, severe and extremely severe. I have quite severe tinnitus when it want to be but I have habituated. People habituate at different levels. I'm pretty sure you will improve and if you haven't read my newbie post then I advise you to. If you have a printer, I advise you Print the: Positivity and Tinnitus page and keep it close to hand and read it as it will help keep you focused on the positive things in your life. Use it as a guide until you don't need it anymore.
Michael
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/an-introduction-to-tinnitus.12100/