I’m Back Unfortunately After a Christmas Party with a DJ

[Bertman]

Hey Telis,
I know this isn't much consolation, but just wanted to share that you are not alone in this situation. After reading your post, I felt much of it could've said my name as the author (save for the hearing loss part). I too have stopped posting on Tinnitus Talk for the most part, just visit every once in awhile to read some research news, but your post made me want to reach out as I know how lonely it can feel during difficult times like these.

I attended a work xmas party just this past friday where there was a dj playing music, and now my ears are screaming as well (also wore earplugs, but was too close to the speakers for dinner etc). I know each time I get a spike I'm worried it will finally be the one that makes life impossible and dwell on how I could've avoided the outcome, but each time there is a combination of it fading and me getting used to it over the course of a few weeks. This one feels like a new beast that I haven't experienced before though, so who knows.

With regard to your other ear sensations, I'm not sure if it is the same as you, but I get headaches after a noise induced spike and my ears seem to crackle more/louder as well as feel a bit "full" following trauma. Maybe it's a combination of stress and paying more attention to our ears, maybe it's a physical reaction to the noise/earplugs, I'm not sure, but for me it usually seems to fade over time along with the spikes (at least my perception of it does).

Anyways, here's to hoping that it settles down for us. We've had tinnitus for years now and there are tons of ups and downs, which are tough because the ups just feel like we are living normal lives while the downs feel like we are trapped in hell with no end in sight. But we've made it this far and I'm sure we will have more ups again in the future.

I wish you the absolute best.

 

[Sean]

I don't know, like 4 hours or so. I don't really know how loud it was to be honest, as I said it was a guess. My wife is telling me it was not even close to club levels, I haven't been to a club in years. I normally check dB levels but didn't bother that night.

As I mentioned I had a very loud spike after a concert and it did subside after 3-4 months. I have read other messages where their spike subsided after concert (just takes time).
I think it will subside for you.

 

[Telis]

Hey, thanks so much. Yeah I guess it's about riding out the bad times. I haven't had many good days with tinnitus, I push through the best that I can. For me it's one of the worst things, I've had other health issues that I believe to be closely related to tinnitus that flair up as well, basically my entire nervous system seems to be damaged somehow. I just had a minor surgery (won't go into it) but now walk with a extreme limp and have lost a lot of sensation and motor function in one of my legs and deal with excruciating burning pain daily. I'm 45 and feel as though I should be using a cane. My nerves seem quick to go haywire, maybe this is due to the state that I've been living in for years now with tinnitus, maybe I'm just unlucky. Also had shingles which is still lingering for a couple of years now, something really messed with my nervous system. But, I'm trying to be more positive lately, I have a amazing wife that sticks though all of this with me, I have a healthy almost 12 year old Boston terrier that I absolutely love. Maybe one day all this stuff calms down, until then I'm kinda just trying to soldier through and remind myself of what I have, things can always get worse.

i had the MRI with crap ear protection summer 2018, took over a year to see improvements. In fact I just started improving as of late, let my guard down, jumped into the Christmas party, really tough not to have set backs when there are so many nice things in life to go and do.

Anyway, let's see how we are next year at this time, and let's be careful in the meantime.

Take care
Telis

 

[Telis]

So I've gone almost completely deaf in right ear, I guess I'll see what the clinic says in the morning.

 

[fishbone]

You and I are very similar in our sufferings and our attitudes. I respect the grit you got and the heart to succeed. Affliction is no match for you, keep pushing forward bro

I am also dealing with a new baseline and it's hell, it's a day by day ordeal for me as well....

 

[linearb]

@Telis I'm so sorry to hear this, just wanna point out the obvious.10 days isn't very long and stress and alcohol massively mess with GABA and sensory input, so maybe try to give your system more time to get dry and homeostatic. I'd expect any alcohol to prolong all this for a number of reasons (experiential as well as theories).

You are obviously as self aware as the best of us, you said

These worsening episodes take me straight back to the first time I got tinnitus but a lot worse because its now getting really f""Kin bad. The first time I had tinnitus it was a pretty livable but I was more just in panic mode because it was something I didn't understand

Without at all disputing that your tinnitus is a different animal now (I have no way of knowing and it's immaterial to this comment) you are clearly in distress again, if not panic, and I think it's real reasonable to assume that you will again turn some kind of corner eventuality.... Go read your own early posts here

Also don't beat yourself up, nothing you did sounds unreasonable to me, some of us are cursed with worse sensitivity than others.

Best wishes for a speedy return to some kind of happy. <3

 

[ajc]

So I've gone almost completely deaf in right ear, I guess I'll see what the clinic says in the morning.

What happened at the clinic?

 

[Telis]

Thanks for the messages. Sat in emergency for 7 hours, got into with the girl at the front counter, she's saying there are real emergency's and mine would take last place on the list. I look around and there are a bunch of drunks and junkies being admitted before me, that's our great socialist country living in Canada. You walk the hallways it's like you're in a third world country, more security staff than doctors. You wait 12 hours plus to see anyone so I left, went to a clinic.

He's got me on antibiotics and Advil big surprise, asked him about steroids, he said it seems like I'm not totally deaf in the ear, protocol is total deafness. I'd say I have about 5 percent left. I put headphones on with volume up and nothing in the right ear, it's like I have the headphones on one ear only.

I'm devastated beyond words, I know this is from the vasectomy, I have about 10 pounds of swelling on my right side all the way down my leg, and up my back, I'm having a autoimmune response to the sperm in my system confirmed by my doctor, he just doesn't know what to do, so passed me off to see a urologist which in Canada takes months, so, I lay in bed 24 7 sick, weak, testosterone crashed to almost nothing, prostate is in danger territory, can't sit down, can barely walk, my body seems to be dying a pretty quick death.

I'm 6 months in and now same side as all the swelling I've gone deaf, I'm sure this will happen to the other side, I can already feel it in that ear. My eye sight has deteriorated so badly that I can barely see anymore.

This is all too much, I'm trying to be positive but this is no life. Never in my wildest dreams could I imagine going deaf with the tinnitus I have. Always wanting to go back to how things were. I give up.

 

[jeas]

Hi @Telis, I am not sure what all takes place with a vasectomy... but wanted to reach out because I had an autoimmune response to a surgery, as well.

The body reeks havoc in a way I can't even describe. But the same thing happened to me, inflammation, tinnitus, vision issues, brain fog, joint pain... the list goes on. It gets to the point I start getting fevers a few nights a week, on and off.

In my case, my body was fighting off a foreign object. I had a mastectomy and as soon as my expanders were placed my entire body went haywire. As soon as I removed them, a lot is the symptoms subsided, but unfortunately not all.

Is there any clips. etc placed during a vasectomy? Can it be reversed? I've read detoxes help, too, but not usually until the problem is solved.

I knew we are talking about two completely different things, just wanted to reach out, even if there is the slightest chance I could help.

 

[BobDigi]

Well I'm not going to say you've been silly because I know how easy it is to get complacent and take a risk.

I did it in July on a holiday beach buggy tour. It was really loud, I never had my earplugs and I continued to stay on the tour rather than get out and protect my ears. The result was a huge spike that lasted over a month I think.

Protect your ears more than ever for the next month or so and hopefully it will improve.

 

[vermillion]

Hi all, I never thought I would be back here, ever. I just told a friend yesterday that I would never post here again. I guess I shouldn't say never.

I've had some other major health issues of late and have been all consumed, but was kind of doing okay with my tinnitus for a while. I found it to be livable after a major increase summer 2018, I was finally to a point where I could deal with it okay, I also felt that the volume and tone had softened enough to where I could function half way normal and sleep. Still incredibly loud but reasonable compared to what it was.

Last week attended a Christmas party with a DJ, I know very stupid. I actually didn't know there was going to be a DJ until I got there. Before dinner music was playing in the background and was pretty loud, I was walking around talking to people with no ear plugs, seemed okay. After dinner the music started, I was caught with no protection for about 10 min as my wife had my plugs in her purse and I could not find her. The smart thing would have been to step out and text her, but nope I went looking, walked by the speakers a few times, was stopped by people to talk/yell etc, I have to admit it was a good rush for some reason. I finally found her, thought I was okay, put the plugs in. The rest of the night went okay, although I was yelling to be heard, I guess a lot of voice occlusion behind the plugs had occurred. Other people were leaning in yelling at me, especially since I had plugs on, surprisingly I could hear them okay, the voices didn't seem that loud.

At the end of the night the DJ shut things down, had the background music back on, I took my plugs out, deciding it was once again a acceptable level. Went on drinking and socializing, things seemed louder after having the plugs in for a few hours, this may have been a bit of a shock to my ears.

My wife and I left, went home, had a fight about god knows what, we almost never fight, but it was fight night. There was some yelling, but it wasn't overly long, maybe 10 min. I went to bed (passed out) and woke with a new level of tinnitus. I thought this could be temporary but I wasn't convinced, I've never experienced a spike before, in my experience if things get worse, they're worse. Went back to sleep and woke with the same new level, I knew I was screwed.

This was about 10 days ago, I am back to not sleeping without meds, wake up with severe panic attacks multiple times throughout the night, my tinnitus was already bad but was just finally learning to cope when this happened, was sleeping okay etc. Same thing as last year summer, finally getting by with when I stepped into a MRI machine with poor ear protection. This is my second MAJOR worsening in 6 years now, how I wish so badly to go back to my old tinnitus.

These worsening episodes take me straight back to the first time I got tinnitus but a lot worse because its now getting really f""Kin bad. The first time I had tinnitus it was a pretty livable but I was more just in panic mode because it was something I didn't understand, things did get worse from the beginning gradually but not like this and the MRI situation where I'm at least doubling, maybe more, the change is so drastic that you are almost impressed that tinnitus can get to these levels and realize that the sky's the limit.

I'm pretty good at sleeping with blazing tinnitus, but I don't know, this is not going to work for me. I tried last night, no masking, part of the issue is that My hearing has become pretty bad, I wake up feeling trapped in, feels almost like I have noise isolating headphones on blasting some kind of horrific screeching at volumes so loud that my head is in some serious pain, have to keep moving from side to side as the sound cuts into my brain. I reach over turn some rain forest noise on, I can't hear it unless it's cranked, and even then I can barely hear it and does next to nothing, my wife says it's so loud it's hurting her ears, might have to sleep in a different room.

I think the lesson here is that tinnitus ears are like glass, they are ready to break. I keep learning this the hard way. I mean the MRI was 110-120 dB banging for 30 minute in a tube, that I could understand. But this, 10 minute walking around, music maybe 105-110 dB, then plugs all night, hard to believe. No one else was wearing ear protection, no incident, in fact most went out to continue the party at a club, everyone is just fine. Then there is me, I lost hearing, severe pain in the ears, muffled, louder tinnitus, major insomnia again etc etc.

That is the last time I go out into the noise. I get this stupid sense of I deserve this, I've had this shit for 6 years and it's ruined my life, this year I'm getting dressed up and going out like normal folk, tinnitus won't stop me. Not the right way to think, I always thought that there were a lot of crazies here worrying about things like cars honking, or breaking a glass, but these people have a rational fear, and are overly cautious for all the right reasons. This is just another huge regret I have, I always wish I was more fearful at the time, I'm constantly thinking screw it I have tinnitus as bad as it can get now, it's done, I can move on, I know how to deal with it. All not true.

I'm hoping to have my tinnitus come down in pitch and volume, I know this doesn't seem to be the consensus here at Tinnitus Talk, I'm one of the few that actually thinks tinnitus fades, and a lot of folks just mistake it for habituation, this is the way it works for me. The rate at which it fades is at a snails pace, has to me measured over multiple months or years, not days or weeks. And on top of that, no set backs with meds or noise.

Anyway, anyone out there considering a holiday party? Maybe skip it for a quiet night in?

Also, wouldn't mind hearing from others with hearing loss tinnitus where things gradually improve with time. Feeling kind of lonely, I guess that's why I come back, I don't really speak of it in the real world.

If anyone wants to comment I'd like to keep it positive please if you can, I'm kind of in a bit of a state at the moment, if you can't, well, I'll have to deal with it as it is a public forum.

Stories of habituation are no good for me, I'm past that, I've had this for a long time, when it gets bad enough it's not an annoyance, it's severe head pain. If there is anyone out there like me (with hearing loss) that actually gets better over time, yeah would love to hear from you.

Thanks.

I guess since it got better in the past, it will get better again. It just surprises me, because I thought that your tinnitus was super reactive. How did you manage to go again to parties? It is impressive.

 

[Shaz1]

I can relate here. Got tinnitus from medication I took for a few month (which sucks), though had noise exposure in my younger life (medication probably set off underlying low level tinnitus).
I was worried at first and then got overly complacent. Made a mistake, had a spike, but then after that I was dumb and likely exacerbated it through protected noise exposure. I wasn't reading TT regularly at the time so I didn't fully realize what I was doing wrt my tinnitus and now I regret it deeply. It's so easy to slip up!

It really sucks how fragile we are, that even with protection in places where most people are fine (or where we used to be fine), we can make things worse.

Try to forgive yourself though because that's the only way forward.

 

[David S]

@Telis, missed you around. Like you I messed up multiple times. But I also had periods where tinnitus wasn't too much of a problem. I am also on a sloping plane. In my early days my tinnitus could easily be masked with half a bottle of wine. I am not that lucky anymore. Not even a bottle of whisky would do the tick anymore.

We just have to give it time... we can turn this around again!

 

[Ed209]

Thanks for the messages. Sat in emergency for 7 hours, got into with the girl at the front counter, she's saying there are real emergency's and mine would take last place on the list. I look around and there are a bunch of drunks and junkies being admitted before me, that's our great socialist country living in Canada. You walk the hallways it's like you're in a third world country, more security staff than doctors. You wait 12 hours plus to see anyone so I left, went to a clinic.

He's got me on antibiotics and Advil big surprise, asked him about steroids, he said it seems like I'm not totally deaf in the ear, protocol is total deafness. I'd say I have about 5 percent left. I put headphones on with volume up and nothing in the right ear, it's like I have the headphones on one ear only.

I'm devastated beyond words, I know this is from the vasectomy, I have about 10 pounds of swelling on my right side all the way down my leg, and up my back, I'm having a autoimmune response to the sperm in my system confirmed by my doctor, he just doesn't know what to do, so passed me off to see a urologist which in Canada takes months, so, I lay in bed 24 7 sick, weak, testosterone crashed to almost nothing, prostate is in danger territory, can't sit down, can barely walk, my body seems to be dying a pretty quick death.

I'm 6 months in and now same side as all the swelling I've gone deaf, I'm sure this will happen to the other side, I can already feel it in that ear. My eye sight has deteriorated so badly that I can barely see anymore.

This is all too much, I'm trying to be positive but this is no life. Never in my wildest dreams could I imagine going deaf with the tinnitus I have. Always wanting to go back to how things were. I give up.

I feel for you so badly. Nobody deserves what you're going through right now as you're being hit from all angles. Have they given you an audiogram yet or looked to see if there's any fluid behind your eardrum?

Ride the storm, Telis. You're probably at the lowest you're ever going to feel and you just never know how things will turn out in the long run. There's not much else I can say other than I wish you all the luck in the world.

 

[fishbone]

Thanks for the messages. Sat in emergency for 7 hours, got into with the girl at the front counter, she's saying there are real emergency's and mine would take last place on the list. I look around and there are a bunch of drunks and junkies being admitted before me, that's our great socialist country living in Canada. You walk the hallways it's like you're in a third world country, more security staff than doctors. You wait 12 hours plus to see anyone so I left, went to a clinic.

He's got me on antibiotics and Advil big surprise, asked him about steroids, he said it seems like I'm not totally deaf in the ear, protocol is total deafness. I'd say I have about 5 percent left. I put headphones on with volume up and nothing in the right ear, it's like I have the headphones on one ear only.

I'm devastated beyond words, I know this is from the vasectomy, I have about 10 pounds of swelling on my right side all the way down my leg, and up my back, I'm having a autoimmune response to the sperm in my system confirmed by my doctor, he just doesn't know what to do, so passed me off to see a urologist which in Canada takes months, so, I lay in bed 24 7 sick, weak, testosterone crashed to almost nothing, prostate is in danger territory, can't sit down, can barely walk, my body seems to be dying a pretty quick death.

I'm 6 months in and now same side as all the swelling I've gone deaf, I'm sure this will happen to the other side, I can already feel it in that ear. My eye sight has deteriorated so badly that I can barely see anymore.

This is all too much, I'm trying to be positive but this is no life. Never in my wildest dreams could I imagine going deaf with the tinnitus I have. Always wanting to go back to how things were. I give up.

As I read your words @Telis , it makes me very sad. It really does. I don't know, how it all spiraled out like this, but no one deserves to go through so much. It's just not fair at all. I am glad, that you at least have a wife that loves you and she will take care of you. I wish I could say more to help, just hang in there.

You will be in my prayers buddy, don't ever give up!

 

[Badger19]

It's really frustrating that one slip up screws us over for life. Good luck.

 

[David S]

It's really frustrating that one slip up screws us over for life. Good luck.

Yes but that is life in a nutshell. Nothing is for granted. To accept things as they are takes a moment to understand the benefits of but a lifetime to master.

 

[David S]

I too messed up my ears with bad tinnitus as a consequence. I do not blame myself anymore for that.

 

[Tom Cnyc]

@Telis I feel for you man. I've lived with complications of a sports hernia for the better part of 10 years. The first 4 I had debilitating testicular pain (common with the injury, but not really common knowledge at the time). I've taken more levaquin than you'd imagine due to the docs thinking it was bad epididymitis. I'm sure that's half of why I hvae tinnitus, TBH.

It's brutal to live with your most sensitive stuff in pain. I wish you the best.

 

[PugDog1]

How are you @Telis ?

 

[Racehorse]

How's your hearing been lately? I hope some kind of recovery. And believe me, I know what it is like dealing with inexperienced doctors in hospitals. It's the same here in NYC - everyone you see is a BS intern who knows less than your average nurse. Very frustrating!!

 

[akirakurosawa]

Hey Telis,

I attended a work xmas party just this past friday where there was a dj playing music, and now my ears are screaming as well (also wore earplugs, but was too close to the speakers for dinner etc). I know each time I get a spike I'm worried it will finally be the one that makes life impossible and dwell on how I could've avoided the outcome, but each time there is a combination of it fading and me getting used to it over the course of a few weeks. This one feels like a new beast that I haven't experienced before though, so who knows.

@Bertman Hello! Did your Christmas party spike ever subside?