Hi there... Getting louder...

[Lucy]

I have had tinnitus for about 14 years now and like everyone experiences it is very stressful to say the least. For many years I had a hissing sound in my right ear and eventually came to terms with that as it was reasonably quiet but of late other noises have been added to the mix and they are extremely loud.

A roaring noise which sounds just like our oil furnace when it switches on and this roaring is sometimes on the left side of my head and then will switch to the right side. For awhile now I have experienced pulsatile tinnitus which comes and goes and that too is loud. I have worn hearing aids for 8 years now and they do not mask the tinnitus at all. My hearing over time has got worse I am in fact severely deaf.

Over the years, even though tinnitus has brought on depression at times and a lot of sleepless nights, I have been comforted with the fact that it is a common thing to have and not life threatening. I have been on the other side of the coin with having been diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, so this for me was doable. But now this PT has arrived on the scene I am getting quite anxious as to where this may lead. I am on medication for high blood pressure and I am waiting to have an MRI. My specialist seemed to be asking me a lot of questions about PT and how often I had it so bells are now ringing (not tinnitus ones!!) and I am now quite anxious about this.

I`m very pleased to have found this website.

Lucy

 

[calin]

Welcome Lucy,

There are many here that will jump in to give you some guidance and support.

What BP med are you on? I stopped mine and am doing fine some time ago cause I think I got PT from Metaprolol or one of the others that we tried.

 

[Emma]

Hello Lucy. I too am wondering wthat bp medicine you are taking? I am sorry to hear that your T has gotten louder. Have you ever considered tinnitus retraining therapy?

 

[Karen]

Same here, Lucy. My roaring tinnitus and pulsatile tinnitus started after taking a blood pressure drug. I truly think there is a connection, after hearing this from other people. Is the drug you are taking a beta blocker?

I tried hearing aids, too (I have some hearing loss), but they didn't help the tinnitus, and in fact seemed to make the pulsating even worse when I removed them at night.

We welcome you to Tinnitus Talk!

 

[Lucy]

Same here, Lucy. My roaring tinnitus and pulsatile tinnitus started after taking a blood pressure drug. I truly think there is a connection, after hearing this from other people. Is the drug you are taking a beta blocker?

I tried hearing aids, too (I have some hearing loss), but they didn't help the tinnitus, and in fact seemed to make the pulsating even worse when I removed them at night.

We welcome you to Tinnitus Talk!

Welcome Lucy,

There are many here that will jump in to give you some guidance and support.

What BP med are you on? I stopped mine and am doing fine some time ago cause I think I got PT from Metaprolol or one of the others that we tried.

 

[Lucy]

Thank you all so much for your replies.

I have been on BP meds for 30 years I also have atrial fibrillation (A-fib) so my meds are a combination for treating BP and the A-Fib. I need a lot of space here to list them all!! They are: Sotalol - Adalat - Zestoretic - Lisinipril - Lipitor - Warfarin.

I have never had any therapy treatment for tinnitus - would it help? Also what if anything can be done re pulsatile tinnitus. Do you have PT continuously or is it periodic? Apologies for all the questions and thanks again for responding to me it is so much appreciated.

Lucy

 

[Karen]

Hi, Lucy,

Thanks for sending us a list of your BP meds. It's possible that any one of those drugs, or several in combination, could have caused or exacerbated your tinnitus.

There is a type of therapy that may be effective for tinnitus; it is called TRT (tinnitus retraining therapy). It is a way of training your brain not to notice the tinnitus. An ENT or audiologist in your area may be able to assist you with this training.

My pulsatile tinnitus is continuous; it never waivers. It always sounds like my heartbeat, and is in sync with it. Other people's PT may be periodic; or at least, they can only hear it at certain times. What is yours like?

PT can be treatable, if a specific cause for it is found. I've been tested myself, however, and doctors are unable to find a cause. Tests for PT include MRI/MRA or CT scans. Hope this information is helpful to you!

 

[calin]

Hi, Lucy,

Thanks for sending us a list of your BP meds. It's possible that any one of those drugs, or several in combination, could have caused or exacerbated your tinnitus.

There is a type of therapy that may be effective for tinnitus; it is called TRT (tinnitus retraining therapy). It is a way of training your brain not to notice the tinnitus. An ENT or audiologist in your area may be able to assist you with this training.

My pulsatile tinnitus is continuous; it never waivers. It always sounds like my heartbeat, and is in sync with it. Other people's PT may be periodic; or at least, they can only hear it at certain times. What is yours like?

PT can be treatable, if a specific cause for it is found. I've been tested myself, however, and doctors are unable to find a cause. Tests for PT include MRI/MRA or CT scans. Hope this information is helpful to you!

Same here!

 

[Lucy]

Hi Karen,

Thanks for the information on the TRT something to look into. My PT is periodic - yesterday I had 4 noises - my usual hissing sound in my right ear which I have had from the start of all this, then the PT started up in the same ear and to balance things up a noise started in my left ear (never had that before) and on the left side of my head the roaring sound. Today is totally different and easier to bear - just the hissing sound a 'quiet' roaring sound.

I am making a note on how often the PT comes in as the specialist I am seeing was wanting some answers on that and I was somewhat vague. As mentioned I am waiting to get an appointment for an MRI.

Sorry that your PT is constant that must be quite stressful.

 

[Karen]

Lucy,
I'm sorry to hear you've got sounds in both ears now. That must be difficult to take. Please feel free to vent here at any time; and I would like to hear what your doctor has to say about the PT. Also, would you please report back after you get the results from your MRI?

I certainly know what that hissing sound is like; I'm hearing it right now myself! What is worse to me is the loud roaring. Haven't had that in a while, thank goodness! Yes, constant PT noise is very stressful, and I'm trying very hard to live with it. I haven't totally given up on doctors, but I'm taking a break from them right now. Instead, I've been going to a chiropractic neurologist, who is working with me to improve brain function. It seems to have helped me a little bit so far, but we'll see...

Take care, and keep in touch!

 

[Lucy]

Had tinnitus for 15 years and for many years it was a hissing in my right ear. After coming to terms with the fact that it was not going away I was able to keep it in the background. For 12 years I have worn hearing aids and they aided my hearing loss really well until about 18 months ago when my hearing worsened and so did the tinnitus. The hissing of course is there but also other noises are coming in and they are extremely loud. Also in the back of my head there is a roaring sound like the noise of furnace sometimes it is on the left and then switches to the right. At the same time as the roaring and the hissing a noise that can be only described as a car horn is so very loud unbelievably so. So when all three noises are going it is so hard to concentrate and as we all know worse at night.
Hopefully there is a light at the end of the tunnel I have qualified for a cochlear implant, I am on a long waiting list but I have heard that in some cases after the implant the tinnitus disappears or is not as prevalent. So if all goes well the stress of trying to hear what is being said to me will be eliminated and as mentioned maybe the tinnitus.
My hearing was due to noise induced.

 

[Valentin]

I hope it'll improve your situation, please let us know when your implant is activated