HELP! SOS! 27 with No Hearing Issues — Tinnitus Started Out of Absolutely Nowhere

[krissy_d]

Hi everyone!

I'm 27 with absolutely no history of any hearing issues of any sort (although my father has quite a few) but, it seems to me that I have developed tinnitus out of absolutely nowhere this past month...

At first, I believed it to be anxiety related and now that I've noticed it, I can't get past it. It's happened to me before when I was having a bad anxiety flair up, but it did go away and it was no where near as bad. This time is MUCH different. It doesn't stop. It's all I can think about and it consumes my every thought. Well, every other thanks to anxiety

I also think I'm having a very bad sinus flair up that may or may not be causing this tinnitus? These are dark times, I have been having the worst chest pains ever imaginable on TOP of this insane tinnitus. I was tested for COVID-19 as negative, but now I feel even worse and I am scared I actually ended up catching it and if I don't have that, I fear I have some sort of infection... I started a 5 day Zpak and I just found out it can make tinnitus a lot worse! I'm also going to take 10 mg of Prednisone daily for the next three days.

PLEASE HELP! I can't get to an ENT right now. I feel like I'm going insane. Does it ever stop? Will it ever go away? I'm falling into a terrible depression with bad anxiety again, I don't want to rely on my Xanax again...

 

[DebInAustralia]

Hey Krissy

Tinnitus found me 7 years ago.

Admittedly, a bumpy ride, but right now, I am back to living a near normal existence. Whether your tinnitus disappears, or fades, you will be OK.

A few variables that may have contributed to your tinnitus...

. anxiety
. depression
. sinus infection
. azithromycin
. previous benzo use?

I know how hard it is to turn your focus away from the tinnitus. Like you said 'now that I've noticed it, I can't get past it...' This is a problem many of us have experienced, but some of us have managed to 'get past it...' You can too.

Can you take a look at the Back to Silence thread in the Success Stories category and watch the video in the first post of that thread. Read Silvene's posts in that thread too about neuroplasticity. Really helpful!

You've had tinnitus before? Does that mean you have had an extended audiogram done? if not, maybe try one online just to see if there is an issue there?

I have issues with anxiety and OCD. I totally get how this can compound a preexisting condition like tinnitus.

I have never wanted to resort to benzos for fear of addiction. I use L-Theanine, Magnesium, Passion Flower, and Taurine with some success in treating anxiety. Mindfulness, CBT, hot baths, walks in the sunshine, distraction etc can all help with grounding you during heightened times of anxiety. Talking therapy can help. Are you in therapy at the moment? I presume this is the case if you have benzos?

I'll share something with you. If you ever have the opportunity to do CBT, you will learn to replace negative comments like 'I'm going insane' with 'I can do this...' As someone on here once said to me 'fake it till you make it...' It works!

Please let me know how you are going. I know how awful it is once depression and anxiety get their ugly little claws into you. You are safe, and I am here for you.

 

[Bill Bauer]

I also think I'm having a very bad sinus flair up that may or may not be causing this tinnitus?

It might. You need to see a doctor about your sinus. Keep in mind that even if that's the cause, and it gets treated, you will need to wait several months for tinnitus to stop. Ears take a long time to heal.

Does it ever stop? Will it ever go away?

The first 4-6 months are the worst. Chances are it will get better.

Many people experience it beginning to fade sometime during the first two months. If you notice that your tinnitus is fading (quieter volume or a less disturbing pitch or a switch to a hiss), unless you hurt your ears again, there is no reason for it to not continue to fade. In that case within a year or two you will likely get to the "can hear it only in quiet rooms" stage or even get to hear silence again.

So, don't assume the worst. There is a good chance that you won't be stuck with the sound that you are hearing now.

You will want to make sure that you don't hurt your ears during this period of vulnerability as your body is healing. You will want to avoid taking ototoxic drugs, avoid microsuction (performed when you need to clean wax out of your ears; a manual tool should be used), and not let your dental hygienist use an ultrasonic scaling tool on you (a manual tool should be used). For more details, see

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...eone-else-who-has-tinnitus.26850/#post-307822

In the worst case scenario, if your tinnitus doesn't end up fading, there is still hope as a number of promising treatments are in the pipeline:

Current Promising Treatments:

Regeneration Therapies:

Cochlear degradation has a strong correlation with tinnitus, therefore, regenerating these structures should benefit tinnitus patients.

Frequency Therapeutics - FX-322 (Phase 2a): Uses 2 molecules which, when injected in the ear, partially reprogram support cells into creating hair cells, while not depleting support cells. When created, hair and support cells release NT3/BDNF to attract neurons, which make the synapse components to communicate. They also added a tinnitus experimental arm and are doing a podcast with tinnitus talk.

Audion Therapeutics - LY3056480 (Phase 2): Uses a molecule which, when injected in the ear, causes support cells to trans-differentiate into hair cells. This does deplete support cells, so multiple uses will have diminishing efficiency. Results are said to come out at the end of April.

Hough Ear Institute - siRNA (Preclinical): Uses siRNA (silencing RNA) which, when injected in the ear, causes support cells trans-differentiate into hair cells. This does deplete support cells, so multiple uses will have diminishing efficiency. In animal testing, hair cells regenerated the synapse components to communicate.

Pipeline Therapeutics - PIPE-505 (Going to Phase 1): Uses gamma secretase inhibitor which, when injected in the ear, causes support cells to trans-differentiate in synapses and hair cells. This does deplete support cells, so multiple uses will have diminishing efficiency. Treatment for tinnitus was shown in their patent.

Hough Ear Institute - NHPN-1010 (Going to Phase 2): Uses a antioxidant (HPN-07) and molecule (NAC) which, when swallowed in pill form, regenerates hair cell synapses in chronic hearing loss models. Also has shown efficiency in animal tinnitus models.

Otomony - OTO-413 (Phase 1): Uses a protein (BDNF) which, when injected in the ear, causes regeneration of synapses. Hidden hearing loss is the loss of synapses connected to hair cells, thus, regenerating synapses can treat this, also with possibly helping tinnitus.

Neuromodulation Therapies:

Neuromadulation has shown efficiency in reducing or eliminating tinnitus by reducing hyperactivity in the area of the brain associated with tinnitus.

University of Michigan - Depending on which has the most effect on your tinnitus, they places stimulation around your head, jaw, and neck. This along with sound timing has shown a 12db tinnitus decrease in their testing.

University of Minnesota - Uses targeted timing based on your tinnitus/EEG to stimulate areas of your neck/head/jaw along with customized treatment for sound timing. Would be the most effective and has cured @kelpiemsp of his tinnitus.

Lenire - Stimulate the tongue along with sound timing has had some positive effects on people tinnitus.

Ion Channel Therapies:

Prof. Thanos Tzounopoulos - RL-81 (Preclinical): A drug based off Trobalt (Retigabine), which has shown positive effects on tinnitus, although having severe side effects. RL-81 aims to reduce side effects drastically by being more targeted, while also having a 15x potency in the targeted area, potentially reducing tinnitus.

There are more treatments coming as well but these are the most popular right now, so don't give up hope! All are planned to release within the next 5-10 years or less.

 

[Syd Barrett]

Hi everyone!
PLEASE HELP! I can't get to an ENT right now. I feel like I'm going insane. Does it ever stop? Will it ever go away? I'm falling into a terrible depression with bad anxiety again, I don't want to rely on my Xanax again...

There is a very good chance that your tinnitus will get better, possibly even much better. It's still very early days and this is an unprecedented time in terms of anxiety for many people - and anxiety always makes tinnitus a lot worse.

Obviously, once the lockdown is over you will want to go and get checked out by an ENT doctor.

From what you have said, it sounds like you are in North America. Is there a tinnitus helpline there that you could call? I've actually used the UK tinnitus helpline during the lockdown as the volunteers have been able to work from home. Perhaps that is also the case over there?

 

[krissy_d]

Wow, thank you all for the responses and help! I'm sorry, I'm a bit new to the thread world, I do not fully understand how to reply

I am currently taking a Zpak and 5 mg of Prednisone for what I THINK may be a sinus or possible ear infection? I'm not too sure, it's a bit tough to get to a doctor in these times and I don't even want to expose myself. Just self diagnosing with the help of my parents as well... Apparently these things make tinnitus worse! Praying it doesn't completely make me lose my mind.

This is hard and annoying to deal with, I appreciate the support and kind words!

 

[Bill Bauer]

I do not fully understand how to reply

You can either select the sentence(s) that you would like to reply and click on the "Quote" text link that will appear, or click on "Quote" at the bottom of the message that you would like to reply. If you do that, the person you are replying to will get an alert.

Apparently these things make tinnitus worse!

Prednisone should be safe. You are taking a very low dose. When people get an acoustic trauma, doctors often prescribe Prednisone to limit the damage. You will want to search for the name of the other drug on this forum, as well as on that ototoxic medication link that you will find in the post that I linked to in my original message.

 

[Tara Lyons]

If you want to chat let me know, im 32 going through the same thing and i'm completely LOSING IT. Ive never had tinnitus in my ENTIRE LIFE. My mom is staying with me because I am such a wreck.

 

[Contrast]

Hi everyone!

I'm 27 with absolutely no history of any hearing issues of any sort (although my father has quite a few) but, it seems to me that I have developed tinnitus out of absolutely nowhere this past month...

At first, I believed it to be anxiety related and now that I've noticed it, I can't get past it. It's happened to me before when I was having a bad anxiety flair up, but it did go away and it was no where near as bad. This time is MUCH different. It doesn't stop. It's all I can think about and it consumes my every thought. Well, every other thanks to anxiety

I also think I'm having a very bad sinus flair up that may or may not be causing this tinnitus? These are dark times, I have been having the worst chest pains ever imaginable on TOP of this insane tinnitus. I was tested for COVID-19 as negative, but now I feel even worse and I am scared I actually ended up catching it and if I don't have that, I fear I have some sort of infection... I started a 5 day Zpak and I just found out it can make tinnitus a lot worse! I'm also going to take 10 mg of Prednisone daily for the next three days.

PLEASE HELP! I can't get to an ENT right now. I feel like I'm going insane. Does it ever stop? Will it ever go away? I'm falling into a terrible depression with bad anxiety again, I don't want to rely on my Xanax again...

Do you have a history of exposure to loud noise?

 

[Tara Lyons]

Do you have a history of exposure to loud noise?

Not really but I've used headphones for years at the gym.

 

[Rajin]

Headphones can cause tinnitus at very loud volume . Try to stay away from doing it anymore.

 

[Lane]

Headphones can cause tinnitus at very loud volume

Or medium to soft volume for others, especially if ears are already compromised in some manner.