Feeling Suicidal After Acoustic Reflex Test at the ENT

[The Jordan]

Please, I need your help. I can't live with my current tinnitus, hyperacusis and pain sensations. I used to have mild tinnitus and hyperacusis a month ago, I was getting better and I knew I was going to fully recover. But after going to the ENT and doing the acoustic reflex test, the progress is all gone.

A day after it, I started to have electric pain around my whole head, a horrible and painful sensation that I didn't have before, and noted that my tinnitus moved to the head. Since that day, I started to have a lot of trouble sleeping, because of the electrical feeling moving and vibrating inside my head.

This sensations started to improve the next 2 weeks, with the electrical feeling now only like a buzzing in my temple/jaw. But then a new tone appears.

Despite this, I was feeling better, but last week, after being exposed to a ambulance siren near my street inside my room while sleeping for about 2 minutes, I started to feel worse.

Now my new tinnitus tone started to spike and my buzzing vibration as well, and yesterday it moved to inside my ears, while I was not only hearing it but also feeling it like hitting my inner ear. (And causing ear pain and fullness, and like a metallic sound at times.) Plus I have been feeling pressure nerve pain in my temples, jaw, check, head, teeth or ear, alongside this annoying buzzing.

Also, my hyperacusis is way worse now. Can't tolerate even water at shower.

I don't know if any of you have been experience any of those painful feelings, or if they are normal, my tinnitus before was only a minor sound. Now is a buzzing that apart of hearing it, you can also physically feel its annoying vibration.

I can't stand this. I don't sure if this is a regular tinnitus spike, because my tinnitus didn't just increase, it seems to have transformed into a way worse type with new painful sensations and also a new tone. I think is maybe a second acoustic trauma...

Seriously, I don't know if at this point I will get better. I don't want to kill myself, I'm only 23. Yesterday it was so invasive and annoying that I couldn't even sit and watch tv without sound like I have been doing fine this whole month. Now I can only cry all day and I can't take more benzos because I fear addiction.

Please, tell me that if, objectively, you think I will get better at this point seeing of how serious my current situation seems. I'm so mad that maybe this damn test have been killed my chances of full recovery. I want to think this is all temporary, like a huge spike and that this only has delayed my recovery a lot but not killed it, but I sadly doubt that since a month has passed and despite little improvement in 2 weeks, since last week I'm worse than ever. I want to, at least, return to my previous baseline before the test where it was just a very minor annoyance and I could live well...

What do you think? I still have chances of full recovery at this point?

 

[GregCA]

What do you think? I still have chances of full recovery at this point?

Everyone has chances at a full recovery of course, by definition, but some chances are pretty slim depending on what's damaged in your auditory system.

The good news is that your trending seems to be going in the right direction: you get better, then an incident goes and throws a wrench into your progress, then you get better again, etc... In many cases, the hyperacusis part at least gets better, often on its own. That does require patience unfortunately as it's a fairly slow process.

I have no idea if you will fully recover, but the odds are in your favor for a betterment.

Good luck!

 

[CamilleCR]

I have other problems with my tinnitus, but mine, too, got worse after tests with an ENT. Hang in there, and know we've all been there at some point. It will get better, but it'll probably go up and down as it is getting better, so try not to let a setback depress you. I know that's easy to write, but hard to put into practice. I'm experiencing a bad setback myself now, and I have no idea why. We're here with you. You aren't alone. Like the previous poster above me, Valium sometimes helped me a lot.

I don't know if you have a chance at full recovery, but I do know you have a great chance at making your symptoms bearable and barely bothersome because I was at that point at one time in my life, for years. I think we all have gone up and down. Right now, I'm in a severe stage myself and have no idea why. The ENT I saw as no help. We are all here for one another, know that.

 

[TBH]

These tests should come with a warning, Nobody can believe me when I tell them what this is doing to me. It is the biggest mistake of my life having these tests. I never knew tinnitus could be this debilitating as it is, until after they perform these tests.

It's 1.56am here and yet again....... for 6 weeks I can't sleep.

Am I the only one who tries to smack themselves in the head or shake their head for relief? And needless to say it makes no difference whatsoever. Or makes it worse.