Can Tinnitus Go Away?

[Eren101]

Hi guys,

I have experienced tinnitus and have it for 3,5 weeks now. My tinnitus just was there on a Saturday evening 27th January. Then, Sunday 28th January, it was gone completely. It was back on Monday 29th January. Since then, it was there most of the time. It started in my left ear. Various pitches, sometimes a beep, sometimes a tinkle, sometimes noise (like those old televisions when you pulled out a cable). Now it's more of a vibrating sound and the intensity changes.

It started in my left ear, though now it seems central in the head. In the first week it went away for a short period of time (15 minutes max) and then it comes back. Now, it seems like it's always there though intensity changes.

I have never, not even once, been to a concert/club in my life (never liked those scenes). Barely listen to MP3 player (ALWAYS stay at or below 60 decibel if I listen to it).

My tinnitus started out of the blue to be honest. I have been depressed and stressed for 6 years but never experienced tinnitus. Actually, I felt less depressed lately (though my state of mind is volatile). I have never taken anti-depressants.

Anyway, my T isn't noise-induced en no medication that I take can cause Tinnitus.

My question is: for how long can you hope? What is the red line? Is it 1 month, 3 months, 6 months? When can you say: "okay now it'll be permanent unless a miracle happens?"

I do want to add though that I also have pulsatile tinnitus since 2014 (which can only be heard when I have my ears on the pillow). I don't care about the pulsatile tinnitus because it never bothered me as I was still able to hear and experience silence.

Thanks for any input.

 

[john paul]

Sounds odd, stress can cause it but maybe there is more to it in your case and it might be wise to get checked out. Dont let them do anything loud to you though they can make it worse. MRI is pretty much un avoidable just make sure you wear ear plugs and muffs. It might even just be something simple like ear wax. In your case id defo relax about it for now it should clear up once you find the cause.

 

[GregCA]

My question is: for how long can you hope?

For ever.

When can you say: "okay now it'll be permanent unless a miracle happens?"

It doesn't really matter really since there is no particular rule, and thinking in those terms is only going to provide grounds for anxiety.

What I'd suggest you do is start going down the diagnosis path with your doctors. Some root causes are fixable, but don't wait too long as some of them have a window of opportunity that closes fast.

Good luck!

 

[Eren101]

Sounds odd, stress can cause it but maybe there is more to it in your case and it might be wise to get checked out. Dont let them do anything loud to you though they can make it worse. MRI is pretty much un avoidable just make sure you wear ear plugs and muffs. It might even just be something simple like ear wax. In your case id defo relax about it for now it should clear up once you find the cause.

It does sound odd indeed and I have been completely in awe due to the fact that I have this.

I do want to add though that I did take 7 pills of oxazepam distributed over 3 months. I never had T due to this. T started after 1 month that I took my last pill. Sounds a longshot to link it to Oxazepam imo.

I don't want to obsessively link it with anything.

I am already going to an ENT (somewhere in March is my second appointment... those waiting times). I don't have earwax, they already checked it. My GP is saying "stress."

Thanks for your input.

For ever.
It doesn't really matter really since there is no particular rule, and thinking in those terms is only going to provide grounds for anxiety.

What I'd suggest you do is start going down the diagnosis path with your doctors. Some root causes are fixable, but don't wait too long as some of them have a window of opportunity that closes fast.

Good luck!

Thanks, never thought of it like that.

 

[Imshael]

After reading a lot here, I've come to the understanding that there might be a lot of different reasons for tinnitus. Stress or earwax might cause it, as @john paul said. There are also such things as, for example, TMJ or ear infections. Best way to find out is to go and see a doctor.

 

[Eren101]

After reading a lot here, I've come to the understanding that there might be a lot of different reasons for tinnitus. Stress or earwax might cause it, as @john paul said. There are also such things as, for example, TMJ or ear infections. Best way to find out is to go and see a doctor.

I will, but I am wondering what caused your T? In the "Cause of Tinnitus", it says "Unknown." Was it also out of the blue like mine?

 

[Bill Bauer]

My tinnitus started out of the blue to be honest.

You may want to eliminate Sudden Hearing Loss as a possible cause of your T. You need to see an ENT as soon as you can. Sudden Hearing Loss can be treated with prednisone, and the sooner one starts a course of this medication, the better the outcome.
http://www.masseyeandear.org/for-pa...ation/diseases-and-conditions/sudden-deafness

My question is: for how long can you hope? What is the red line? Is it 1 month, 3 months, 6 months? When can you say: "okay now it'll be permanent unless a miracle happens?"

You can find the answer to many of your questions at the post below that summarizes what I learned after having read this forum for a year.
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...eone-else-who-has-tinnitus.26850/#post-307822
A quick answer to your question is - for the first two years there is still a reason to hope that it will go away. People have recovered after having T for more than 2 years, but this is rare.
You might also find the thread below to be useful
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...u-give-to-someone-else-who-has-tinnitus.26850

 

[Eren101]

You may want to eliminate Sudden Hearing Loss as a possible cause of your T. You need to see an ENT as soon as you can. Sudden Hearing Loss can be treated with prednisone, and the sooner one starts a course of this medication, the better the outcome.
http://www.masseyeandear.org/for-pa...ation/diseases-and-conditions/sudden-deafness

You can find the answer to many of your questions at the post below that summarizes what I learned after having read this forum for a year.
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...eone-else-who-has-tinnitus.26850/#post-307822
A quick answer to your question is - for the first two years there is still a reason to hope that it will go away. People have recovered after having T for more than 2 years, but this is rare.
You might also find the thread below to be useful
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...u-give-to-someone-else-who-has-tinnitus.26850

In March, I have my second appointment with an ENT and we'll do a high-frequency audiogram up to 20,000 Herz. I also did hearing tests that can locate 'hidden hearing loss' and everything is perfect. In the first appointment, the ENT already excluded any visible cause in the ear, nose and throat.

SHL is excluded I guess, I already had an audiogram from 250 to 8000 Herz and it was above average. I think a standard audiogram like that should be able to indicate SHL. My Pure Tone Average for my right ear is -5 decibel (negative number) and for the left ear it was +2 decibel. According to the guy I went to, those are perfectly fine numbers for a 26 year old. The whole audiogram was very good as well.

Perhaps I should have added in my OP that I hear absolutely perfect. Even more so, I have never experienced the "beep" sound some people have when they listen to too loud noises and that "beep" goes away after a few seconds. I never even had temporary T despite depression, stress etc. Strange that it just started out of nowhere.

I even tested 16,000 Herz myself and I could hear it easily with both ears at 20 decibels (I did use earphones and most tests in hospitals use headphones which are less close to the ear, so in their test it may be at a higher threshold).

Thanks for the information and the links, especially about the "first two years there is hope" part. In your link, you even provided evidence by citing scientific articles. I appreciate it.

EDIT:
The only thing that I notice that my ears feel warmer and sometimes it feels like "warm air" is leaving my ear(s) lol. My GPs and the ENT did check my ears and they could not find anything but thought I'd just mention it.

 

[Bill Bauer]

SHL is excluded I guess

That's great.

I even tested 16,000 Herz myself and I could hear it easily with both ears at 20 decibels

Please be careful with those tests. I am glad that you didn't end up regretting doing that online test. That hasn't been my experience.

It is a good sign that your T sound keeps changing. It is scarier when it is relentlessly at the same level and pitch. If your T changes from a high pitch tone to a hiss, then that is a good sign too, as this is definitely a sign of improvement (quieter high pitch tone is often perceived as a hiss; when one has a hiss and puts on earmuffs, one often hears a high pitch tone).

 

[Eren101]

That's great.

Please be careful with those tests. I am glad that you didn't end up regretting doing that online test. That hasn't been my experience.

It is a good sign that your T sound keeps changing. It is scarier when it is relentlessly at the same level and pitch. If your T changes from a high pitch tone to a hiss, then that is a good sign too, as this is definitely a sign of improvement (quieter high pitch tone is often perceived as a hiss; when one has a hiss and puts on earmuffs, one often hears a high pitch tone).

Yeah I got paranoid and was trying to link my T in a very obsessive way with noise induction. I panicked because hearing damage was the first thing I could think of. I did stop doing those tests (it could lead to damage I read). I won't do it again. It did give me a peace of mind though . At least, I can fall asleep now and not have heart palpitations due to adrenaline spikes that I got due to the onset of my T (very afraid for hearing damage). When I learnt that T can be caused by lots of things, I quit panicking.

The sounds changed in the beginning and weren't even monotone, to begin with. Since a week it is more like a vibrating sound or indeed a (very high) hiss and it is one sound now instead of multiple sounds at once.

I do think that the average intensity is lower than when it started three weeks ago. I guess T is simply the risk of being alive. If depression or stress-induced my T, then that's life. I'll stop worrying as I have hope now
Writing on this forum also helps to relieve some stress.

After visiting my ENT, I'll give an update.

 

[Bill Bauer]

I do think that the average intensity is lower than when it started three weeks ago.

The most important thing is the long term (monthly/"in your case - weekly) trend.

Writing on this forum also helps to relieve some stress.

I agree.

 

[Imshael]

I will, but I am wondering what caused your T? In the "Cause of Tinnitus", it says "Unknown." Was it also out of the blue like mine?

I've had tinnitus for a couple of years (not really sure how many) but it has been the lowest kind. I've only heard it right after listening on music with headphones or while using earplugs when going to bed, so it hasen't really been an issue. This might have (probably have been) caused by loud noise.

For about five weeks ago, however, it became worse. I thought that I was about to get a cold, but instead I was left with a noticable tinnitus. This might have been it, but I've been under a lot of stress for about two years as well. I also have some trouble with my jaw and pain in my neck. To top that off, I don't know how long it might be between a loud event and an increase in tinnitus, but I went to a concert between christmas and new years that I found to be a bit painful (I've always, always protected my ears when going to concerts, but this time I forgot for some stupid reason). My "reason unkown" is because I honestly can't tell if it was one of the things or if it's a combination, or if it's something else.

But yes, when this increase (or temporary spike?) happened, it did feel like it came out of nowhere. One day I was doing just fine, and then the next one I wasn't.

 

[Eren101]

How many of you have actually tried medication?

It seems that Alprazolam and Clonazepam may work to get T less loud (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaotolaryngology/article-abstract/621766 and http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/83/8/821.short).

Did any of you try Taurine? (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378595510003862)

I am not going to take anything for the time being and ride it out for at least 3 months but it would be interesting to hear about anyone's experience.

 

[Contrast]

Stay away from loud noise, relax and take anti anxiety meds, that's helping reduce the volume for me.

 

[dpdx]

no

 

[Eren101]

Stay away from loud noise, relax and take anti anxiety meds, that's helping reduce the volume for me.

Which ones did you try and worked best for you?

 

[Jason37]

Yes there are countless stories of it vanishing....40 million americans with it and about less than 1 percent on the internet. A lot of old military guys that say they had it and it went over time. Nothing is impossible.

 

[Jason37]

Spontaneous remission happens all the time with multiple conditions out there.

 

[Eren101]

Stress does not cause tinnitus.

The tinnitus can also be implanted by that thing is unknown to us, and that implants death on the day it touches us, for the simple reason that what can do the most, can do the less, by example, it if can cause our death, can cause something minor, a disease as tinnitus.

Yeah, I guess that's right. In the end, my brain is producing sounds that it wasn't doing at first. So something has changed. We simply don't know enough about T to know what all the possible causes are. Something has changed in my brain, but it's impossible to know what. There is always a cause for T, but some of them aren't known to us.

Stress and depression cannot be the cause. Otherwise, I would have acquired it a long time ago.

 

[GregCA]

We simply don't know enough about T to know what all the possible causes are.

We don't, but you can use this flowchart to help you narrow it down.

 

[Eren101]

We don't, but you can use this flowchart to help you narrow it down.

Cool flowchart plus great info.

For the pulsatile T (also acquired out of the blue), I could blame a high blood pressure. Already had millions of tests to find a cause for the high blood pressure but no physical cause was found. Huge stress and depression itself can cause a high blood pressure. Therefore, taking BP lowering drugs are not in the best of my interest (really don't care about the pulsatile T lol).

For the non-pulsatile T, only depression can be a cause though it seems unlikely as mentioned in the OP. I could take anti-depressants but those can also cause T. I prefer not to unless my psychologist tells me that it's the only solution to solve my depression. That would suck.

I'll try Alprazolam or Clonazepam after a few months though (also mentioned in your flowchart pdf).

 

[Eren101]

The ENT confirmed that my hearing was excellent after a high-frequency audiogram which is consistent with the fact that I never had much exposure to noise in my life. In fact, I had a lot of 0 dB HL and negative dB HL values. Pretty cool, though useless when you have T.

The only thing that was off was my vitamin D level. It's supposed to be between 50 and 150 and mine was 18.

I don't know if a vitamin D deficiency can cause T, I guess not. Treating it, however, wouldn't do much harm either.