Hi, Tinnitus Sufferer for 20 Years

[Daniel Z]

Hi there, my name is Daniel Zuccarelli and I live in NJ just outside of Philadelphia. Interesting post for me to write. I've had Tinnitus for about 20 years now. First showed signs at about 18 after a particularly loud concert. At the time I had to jam my fingers in my ears and find a quiet corner and I could "kind of" hear a ringing. After a few more concerts and I felt like it might actually be a bit worse I got myself some molded ear plugs.

As I got a bit older I started avoiding those loud concerts though the tinnitus tended to get a little worse and a little louder here and there. I carried the ear plugs everywhere and popped them in whenever I was in any situation where the noise was loud. Bars, sporting events, etc. Still, the tinnitus would occasionally get worse.

I was able to deal with it for long stretches by using a ceiling fan at night. Then a waterfall machine. Then both. Then a sound machine. Then all 3. Eventually a masker. I went to a few Dr's over the years that told me everything from "don't worry about it it makes it worse" to "That's all in your head." So I stopped trying to get help, yet the sound would get worse.

Eventually I could hear it even when sitting in a room watching TV at a pretty good volume. At that point I had been avoiding loud places whenever I could and wearing my molded earplugs when I couldn't. Researching tinnitus usually left me feeling defeated and thinking about it just seemed to make it louder, so even that I started to avoid.

I'm now 37, and the tinnitus is worse than ever. It invades my day the second I wake up and doesn't cease until I got to bed, which I can't do until I'm absolutely exhausted because of the volume of ringing.

I just had my first child, who's now 6 weeks old. Obviously I havent had much sleep lately but the sound has recently gotten worse again. I've heard horror stories of people having suicidal thoughts and after suffering with this for 20 years and it seemingly getting worse I'm starting to worry if I'll get to that point down the line. I finally know I need to push though the increase in attention my tinnitus gets when I focus on it and get some help.

The downside is I have no idea where to start. I have booklets about Neuromonics and such but those seem like mostly junk science at best. Some people here seem to be able to craft good sounds if I know the frequency of my tinnitus, so that might be a better option. But my past experiences with Dr's in dealing with my tinnitus leaves me not even knowing who I should talk to about it. I feel pretty lost on all of it at the moment.

Thanks for listening.

 

[Mpt]

tinnitus doesn't get worse with time, it only gets better with time.... that's what the tinnitus therapy community claims..

I'm sorry for your worsening, I have tried a medication lately which has helped me, some people get temporary relief through sound therapy, listening to notched music, etc

tinnitus retraining therapy helps some people, but it helps less with worsening or reactive cases than it does with unchanging tinnitus

I hope you find some relief in one form or another

 

[Hengist]

Hello, I have tinnitus for apx 2 weeks and my starting sound and loudness is stronger than unusually loud tv, your story is really sad but maybe this will give you results: http://www.ajol.info/index.php/ajpsy/article/view/91125

 

[Stina]

Hello. Im sorry to hear about your story. I think it is quite rare, but some people do indeed have it go louder for no apparent reason. Tinnitus (commonly defined as a symptom of hearing loss) is not only caused by noise damage, but also a number of other factors: stress, medication. I have no scientific proof to that but I think maybe in some people changes in the brain take place and that is why the tinnitus is louder (kind of like with depression which can hit even without an obvious reason).
That being said, there are people with loud tinnitus who have habituated. it takes time and might need profesional help. Therefore I would advise you to turn to a psychologist, who has experience with patients with tinnitus. There is a special method called TRT, however, in many cases the ordinary CBT is effective as well.
One of our members, @billie48 has very loud tinnitus and copes very well with it. Maybe you will find some support from him.

 

[Kristin VT]

My tinnitus is similar to yours - constant and loud. I always thought mine wasn't so bad because the T didn't disrupt my balance.

It's good to know that I'm not alone, and also that I'm not crazy for thinking this is disrupting my life on a high level. It absolutely is a critical factor.

Can I get a day off?

 

[Cemt]

Hi,
Do you think of any underlying condition for your T.?

 

[Wilson the bear]

Hey Dan.

The tinnitus aint likely to go away (though it does for some lucky folk) but you will get better at managing it. The noise can't hurt you, just keep your chin up and deal with any negative thoughts you get as you would any others.

Congrats on the birth of your first child!