Electrical Head Buzzing Tinnitus — What Has Helped YOU?

[Suzerman]

I have a static electrical TV sound in my head, and for me relaxing my jaw makes it go away by at least 70% the remaining bit I'm convinced is related to my neck and shoulders somehow

 

[Craig W]

@Suzerman kinda the opposite for me. If I clench or grind my teeth which tenses my jaw it keeps it away.....I have to stop myself from doing that though as it just creates tension which results in headaches/migraine

 

[Cal18]

@Craig W sorry to hear you've been suffering with this.

My guess is that you have some form of hyperacusis if certain sounds that aren't very loud are causing you to have spikes. My "electrical" sound goes hand in hand with hyperacusis. On the days where I don't have that particular sound/sensation, I can tolerate running water, fans, etc. - at least to a certain extent without feeling like someone has set off a live electrical wire in my brain. If I do listen to a fan on my lower day for too long, my "white noise" tinnitus will increase but then it goes down shortly after.

I'm uncomfortable about trying TMS for the same reasons as you. Perhaps once they get better at it and it becomes more targeted I'll consider it.

I have some questions for you if that's okay...

1. Can you tell me more about your head injury?

2. I have seen some members here say that Mirtazapine has caused their tinnitus to become more reactive and I have also read it can cause hyperacusis (however, I don't have any solid info to back up that statement). Aside from Mirtazapine, have you tried anything else? Anticonvulsants? Nortriptyline?

3. Is there anywhere you can get a qEEG? It can show the area of hyperactivity. I've considered having one done - perhaps this type of tinnitus has a distinctive area of hyperactivity. I wish there was more research for targeted groups as everyone does not fit in the same category of tinnitus. This is why I'm trying to gather as much info as possible on this thread.

 

[Contrast]

 

[Craig W]

@Cal18 sorry for the late reply, I didn't receive any notification that you had responded for some reason. I refer to my cause as 'head injury' or 'trauma' as that is what I've been told to do by the professionals over the years. My T was caused by pushing a foam ear plug too far into my left ear. I was having trouble sleeping thanks to disrespectful neighbours and when I was woken, in a rage and half asleep I tried to push a plug really far into my head to block out the noise. It failed, and here I am. I really can't say I've noticed any increase from Mirtazapine, but my T is so changeable that I often wonder why the change or worsening without finding out the cause. I'm back on the Mirtazapine now, 15mg since a week ago, been off them since 2014. Already helping with regards to sleep which helps me combat a little more during the days. I'm going to see my Audiologist in a week or so, not sure if they will suggest something like Nortryptyline as an alternative but I will be asking. I'd never heard of qEEG before but I will look into this and again, bring this up at my next appointment. With regards to Hyperacusis, the jury is still out as to whether this is what I have, a lot of the electrical activity that affects my T is not the noise, it's the frequency. Sometimes I cannot hear whatever the item may be, but know it's having an effect, and can switch it off and see the benefit. Obviously the problem here is that I work in an office so I can't go around switching everything off! I'd be very interested to know if you go for the qEEG, please let me know.

 

[Cal18]

@Craig W You might have some mild hyperacusis but I'm certainly not diagnosing you as I obviously don't have the qualifications to do so. If noises like vents, fans, running water, crinkling of plastic bags, etc. bother you, then you might have H. Not to be confused with "Noise Induced Pain" type H.

Was your tinnitus instantaneous upon the ear plug incident or did it happen the next day or several days later? This is really interesting because if your cause was truly from the ear plug, it's certainly can not be hair cell damage and would instead point to ossicle damage or perhaps some kind of damage from the stretching of the stabilizing ligaments.

 

[Craig W]

@Cal18 I wish someone really would diagnose me! I don't know if I have Hyperacusis or not, all I know is what causes my T to get louder, and at the moment, in one of the days, that includes when I eat and when I speak. Certainly seems to be worsening at the moment or more sensitive. Interesting what you have posted, nothing of this sort has ever been mentioned or pointed out to me before. My T wasn't instant, I think it was the day or two days later. It first was noticeable watching TV at home, I remember thinking the sound actually came from the TV itself. Then, each day, it became more prevalent and had gradually worsened over time. I have seen many specialists who have looked inside my ear canal and advised it's T and that's it. I know 100% that this is how mine started, there was a kind of 'squeal' when I pushed and then nothing. It's the biggest regret of my life, and avoidable too but that is in the past now. I'm intrigued as to what you have suggested and whether it may be something that the experts can look into, - do you have any further information or advice? Really appreciate your replies so far.

 

[Cal18]

@Craig W - perhaps I am more qualified to provide a diagnosis than most ENTs or least I'm willing to try (which many of them are not)... The problem sounds very mechanical to me especially because it increases with chewing. Do you know if have TTTS - do you have ear spasms or a fluttering sensation? I do. In terms of speaking, do you feel that your voice is setting it off or the action of moving your mouth/jaw? If that is the case, this also leads us to a possible reason as to why it got worse (just a guess). If the ear plug incident started all this and you have not jammed anything else into your ear since then, why has it gotten worse? A possible explanation would be that the things that are noticeably aggravating to it (chewing, talking) were also aggravating it over time but the aggravation was not as apparent back then. As you know, when something is aggravated over and over again, it is not given sufficient time to heal and the injury is reinforced causing it to become worse with time. Now what? You obviously have to eat and talk but have you tried eating softer foods? My best guess still points to the stabilizing ligaments in your middle ear or the tensor tympani muscle - read this. I believe this also might be part of my issue as well. I'm still trying to make the connection as to how this can cause tinnitus as TTTS is usually secondary to it, however T can result from it in some cases as shown in this older paper.

I notice my tinnitus is slightly lower when I take Tylenol even on my very loud days. Certainly not a solution for me but this can be a clue that inflammation might be a factor. Have you noticed anything that makes even slight difference for the better?

 

[T. Maxson]

I also have an intermittent, electrical surge/hum-type tinnitus. This started somewhere in Fall of 2016, and I now know that it is episodic, as it comes and goes and can be totally gone for months before returning in spells. Right now I am in the third day of a recurrence. It is extremely noticeable at night when I settle down, but is virtually unnoticeable outside or with ambient sounds around me. It often seems to pulse, though I have had instances of a constant, deep, low-frequency tone as well. It seems like certain vibrations, like being in a car or hearing cars pass by resonate it and elevate it. It try not to overprotect my ears, but I am very careful about wearing earplugs when mowing or if I'm at a show.

I'm curious: anyone who experiences this have high blood pressure? I get high readings sometimes, though not consistently so. Stress definitely seems to exacerbate the tinnitus.

Another link for me: I was diagnosed with sleep apnea just over two years ago though there may be no causal connection, the electrical charge sounds started within a few months of using a CPAP at night to keep my away open. I suspect a link, but who knows?

I also had lots of ear infections as a child, tubes for drainage, and scarring of my ear drums. I suppose it could be these factors too.

Note: I experience the joys or high-pitched tinnitus too, though it has never bothered me as much.

The most effective tool for me in all of this has been a mindfulness, acceptance, and commitment approach. When I am living my life well, tinnitus becomes a really small feature of my overall reality. It just works better for me to acknowledge and accept its presence. Avoidance makes pretty much everything worse.

 

[Deamon22]

Sry to bring up this old thread, but is there anything i could do specifically for this kind of head noise? It's like i have a small electrical wire trough my head. Sometimes it's there, sometimes it's not.
I had this sometimes over the past couple months but never really noticed it for more then maybe 1-2 days.

Since yesterday i notice it more. It sucks, otherwise my tinnitus is 99% gone, why do i have to have this shit now?

Anyone an idea?

 

[Smartone202]

This is the sound I have developed the night after a 6 hour flight although it also coincidentally began on what was one of the most stressful days of my life (including being stressed about my T in general). I'm almost at 2 weeks now with this buzzing and it's really starting to get to me.

There is good news however in the sense that in the last 2-3 days I've experience bouts of it being completely gone for hours at a time (and me being back to listening to my regular T).

Tonight i'm sitting on my couch and its hitting me full force though. Feels like a mix of an electrical buzz and a television being on. Still hoping its just a weird temporary spike caused by something related to the flight or anxiety/stress, but who knows.

 

[Deamon22]

I also think it's just temporary, since i had that intermittently since the beginning, but only sometimes. I don't know what it is tough, because when i plug my ears in silence i dont't really hear it. So no idea if it's just there with outside noise or not. And it doesn't really feel like a sound.

I'm just happy that i sleep like a baby and don't hear it at night or when waking up. Damn, otherwise i would be nearly tinnitus free. But noooooo

 

[Greg Sacramento]

@Deamon22 I thought your T was well under control. This makes me think that your trapezius muscles may be stressed causing occipital input. Occipital input is most always present with headache and head buzzing. Deep fibers nerves in the neck are often started by trapezius muscle spasms along with occipital nerves. This can set anything off including the SCM muscles and the jaw. The SCMs can then cause all sorts of facial problems. If you are getting massage on your neck, back or face - make sure that it's being done right. I would do neck stretching and posture treatment. Go to sites such as 'Back in the Game Chiropractic and Wellness'.

 

[Deamon22]

@Greg Sacramento Yes, my normal tinnitus in the right ear, that i had until now, has reduced to near zero. Can hear it just in the morning now while plugging my ears. Rest of the day nearly silent. This is now a bit different because it´s not really a tone but more of a head buzzing.

However, what you wrote seems familiar. I did 2 really exhausting mountain hikes this weekend, after which i always got a bit of a headache on my way back. And around that time also this buzzing started. So maybe the hiking stressed some muscles and set of the buzzing?

My last osteopathic treatment was one month ago, so maybe it´s time for another one.

 

[Greg Sacramento]

I did 2 really exhausting mountain hikes this weekend, after which i always got a bit of a headache on my way back. And around that time also this buzzing started. So maybe this stresses some muscles and sets of the buzzing?

Yes, that will do it. It's starts with the back and the trapezius muscles that extend from the upper back into the shoulders and the neck. Deep fibers are placed on alarm all the way up to the occipital nerves. Bending forward with back ached and arms not by your side can cause the trapezius to spasm.

 

[Deamon22]

@Greg Sacramento During hikes i do a lot of head bending. So i should do: Neck stretching, SCM stretching and good posture in the office, and then another osteopathic treatment? Sounds good?

Thanks for your help again

 

[Greg Sacramento]

@Deamon22 Take a warm shower before hiking or physical activity. Then later a neural shower or cool yourself off with a cold moist towel.

 

[Deamon22]

@Deamon22 Take a warm shower before hiking or physical activity. Then later a neural shower or cool yourself off with a cold moist towel.

Alright, thanks Greg, will do so

 

[Smartone202]

I have electrical head buzzing (brain T) for a year now. These weren't options in the vote so I'll put them here. I think the cause of mine was stress. The things that make it worse are movement (not head movements, but movement in the sense of driving/traveling) and stress. Sleep is the on/off switch. The first couple months was a 9/10. Then it lowered to a 7/8 and has stayed there. I get one good day a week when it stops.

Old post, I know, but something caught my eye that you and a few others mentioned with regards to this electrical "Brain T" (which I currently have on top of my Ear T). There have been MANY points over this last month of hell where I have woken up with the Brain T simply not there. Gone. Then it will kick in after a little while. Sometimes a half hour, sometimes an hour. You wrote here that sleep is the "on/off switch". Do you have any other insight on what this is about all these years later? Also, how's your Brain T in general? Thank you.

 

[BLane]

Old post, I know, but something caught my eye that you and a few others mentioned with regards to this electrical "Brain T" (which I currently have on top of my Ear T). There have been MANY points over this last month of hell where I have woken up with the Brain T simply not there. Gone. Then it will kick in after a little while. Sometimes a half hour, sometimes an hour. You wrote here that sleep is the "on/off switch". Do you have any other insight on what this is about all these years later? Also, how's your Brain T in general? Thank you.

My Brain T almost nothing compared to what it used to be. I typically get it once a week for a day or two most, but I'd rate it at 4 at it's worst now. It can still be annoying, but not unbearable like before. I believe it has to do with Circadian rhythms, because it's cyclical. Here is what has helped me in order of importance:
#1 Create a habit of accepting it so it isn't distressing. i.e. stop fighting against it.
#2 Don't let people or circumstances cause stress, i.e. eliminate reactive behavior.
#3 Don't stop doing the things you used to do, live/work/play. Don't let T become a prison. i.e. Retrain abilities and concentration
#4 Establish regular sleep/wake cycles. active/inactive, light/no or dim light (including electronics). i.e. Retrain circadian rhythm.
#5 Give it time.

 

[MuffinMan]

I have this brain T sometimes, but only in the right side of my head - I have T in the right ear.

I have 3 types of T that alternate from day to day:
- A high pitched kettle whistle, this is the most annoying sound, it's the sound when I consider it a bad T day

- A right-side brain T (more accurately it feels it comes from behind my T on the head) which makes a buzz-like sound, like an electromagnetic 'buzzing sound., it sounds somehow like this one:


- At times, and this often happens in the morning, I hear the sound of the 'ear' , it's the same sound you hear anytime if you close your ear tightly but I hear it without closing my ear.

 

[Striveon]

@Cal18 thank you, I have been taking Xanax here and there (my mom gave me a few I break them in half) when I need it most (when I start panicking about what happening) it's the only thing that's makes me feel like I can live at the moment. My Anxiety is VERY bad right now I have never taken meds for it until now

I was also thinking of taking Xanax 0.5 to 1 mg only when I really need it, but would one intake of Xanax cause an increase on tinnitus?

 

[Dginobile]

I was also thinking of taking Xanax 0.5 to 1 mg only when I really need it, but would one intake of Xanax cause an increase on tinnitus?

It suppresses mine, I've been on it for almost a year, .25mg three times a day. I have not experienced any negative side effects. I went two days without taking it once and I was fine. I have not felt a need to increase but everybody's different with medicine.

 

[Striveon]

It suppresses mine, I've been on it for almost a year, .25mg three times a day. I have not experienced any negative side effects. I went two days without taking it once and I was fine. I have not felt a need to increase but everybody's different with medicine.

Thank you so much! I might give Xanax a try when needed hopefully I also don't get negative results.

 

[Emma Davies]

I've seen many posts on this and I wanted to start a thread so we can research this topic together. Also want to hear from anyone if anything has helped lessen this particular type of T or made it worse.

In my case, it follows a 3-day pattern - 1 day loud head buzzing, 1 day medium head buzzing, then 1 day with "ear only" T which is just a lighter white noise static sound.

For me, it's worse when I lay down however I must sleep to reset the pattern. For example, I can have a low or medium day, lay down for 15 minutes and the rest of the day will turn into a loud buzzing day. The fact that it alternates days tells me there is also a brain chemical turnover involved.

Q: Has anyone done anything or taken anything that reduces this specific electrical buzzing sensation? Benzos, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, dopamine promoters, etc. Please share anything that has worked for you or your ideas and theories on the topic.

 

[Emma Davies]

Having some time away from noise and stress this summer my T pratically went. But the minute the temperature drops and I've got wind in my ears it has started up again. The hot dry weather works wonders for mine x

 

[Smartone202]

My Brain T almost nothing compared to what it used to be. I typically get it once a week for a day or two most, but I'd rate it at 4 at it's worst now. It can still be annoying, but not unbearable like before. I believe it has to do with Circadian rhythms, because it's cyclical. Here is what has helped me in order of importance:
#1 Create a habit of accepting it so it isn't distressing. i.e. stop fighting against it.
#2 Don't let people or circumstances cause stress, i.e. eliminate reactive behavior.
#3 Don't stop doing the things you used to do, live/work/play. Don't let T become a prison. i.e. Retrain abilities and concentration
#4 Establish regular sleep/wake cycles. active/inactive, light/no or dim light (including electronics). i.e. Retrain circadian rhythm.
#5 Give it time.

Hey man, how's the static head buzz going for you these days? Never thanked you for this post months ago, so, thank you. My head buzz actually went away in late October only to return in mid to late December. Now some 2 months later, it's really starting to affect me deeply again. I can tell you one thing for certain that helps it though and that is a good circadian rhythm as you stated. The few days in the last month where I've gotten a great night of sleep, I'm head buzz free that day and only deal with my regular tinnitus.

 

[Greg Sacramento]

Kind of weird poll results because studies have concluded that neck problems are way far the number one reason.

 

[BLane]

Hey man, how's the static head buzz going for you these days? Never thanked you for this post months ago, so, thank you. My head buzz actually went away in late October only to return in mid to late December. Now some 2 months later, it's really starting to affect me deeply again. I can tell you one thing for certain that helps it though and that is a good circadian rhythm as you stated. The few days in the last month where I've gotten a great night of sleep, I'm head buzz free that day and only deal with my regular tinnitus.

Glad I could help somewhat. My head buzz is going strong at the moment. The good thing about it being cyclical is that I know it'll tone down. The transitions are usually signaled by either momentary ear pressure or an abrupt change in tone/pitch or some weird switches in my head that feel like false starts which are only noticeable when waking from sleep. I used to think sleeping affected it, but it doesn't. It's a rhythm, so I don't worry about naps messing up a good day anymore. =)
Daily: Mornings and early afternoon it's toned down. At 3:00pm it amps up a notch.
Weekly: 1 to 2 bad days grouped together, 1 or 2 great days also grouped together and 3 or 4 mediocre days grouped together.
Monthly: 1 great week, 2 mediocre weeks and 1 hell week.
Seasonally: Mild in winter, stronger in summer.
These all add together, so in the winter I get nearly a full T free week.
Hang in there man, I'm wishing you a lot of Octobers!!

 

[Vicky.m]

Hi all,

I'm relatively new to tinnitus and I am very glad that this forum exists as it seems that doctors are completely oblivious to the types of tinnitus that are out there and their causes which is really frustrating.

I started hearing a whooshing sound around three months ago. At the time I was taking benzodiazepines but I didn't think it was related because I was already taking them for 2 weeks and this sound in my ear started suddenly. I suspected that it might have been caused by a b-12 injection that I got or a high dose of D3 supplements.

A few days later a high frequency was added on top of the whooshing sound which I could hear in my right ear as if I could hear the blood flowing in one of the vessels.

The worst part was when I started to actually feel this high frequency sound like an electrical current traveling from one ear through my brain reaching my other ear.

I figured it might be caused by the benzos so I stopped them cold turkey.

The feeling of electricity comes and goes, some days I have it and other days I don't but I still hear the tinnitus in my brain or deep in the ear.

When I explained the electric feeling to my ENT he didn't seem to have heard of it before.By the way my hearing is in the normal range.

I asked him if there is a possibility of nerve damage because of the benzos and he said it's highly unlikely.

I have gone to one more ENT doctor, a neurologist and two GP's no one has been able to explain my tinnitus or any suggestions on what to try to get rid of it.

Do you guys know if brain tinnitus is most probably caused by nerve damage and can benzos do that to you?