I Can Hear the Tinnitus in My Head — Feels Like I Can't See or Feel Anything Else!

[sara]

Hello

I have posted on this forum many times.
I have had tinnitus for the past 4 years. Tinnitus is all over the place for me. I have heard so many sounds and tones. But my baseline is buzz and hiss in left ear and a low hiss in right ear.

Recently I have had debilitating head tinnitus which is non-localized. It feels like it comes from the top of my head. Sometimes it changes location to the bottom of my head. It sounds like someone is drilling!!! It's multi toned. It gets REAAAALLLY bad at night and after a good night of rest it goes down to just my ears. I have noticed it has a lot to do with my sleep!

I am so depressed and anxious all the time because of it. I experienced this before but not to this extent.

I feel hopeless! I do clench my teeth at night I have had a mouth guard for years but I am not consistent with it. I have never taken any AD. Never had any sort of therapy for tinnitus. My sleep isn't half bad, I do usually sleep 6-8 hours but wake up a couple of times. I do take a multi vitamin and magnesium.
I have no hearing loss (audiometry test last done 2 years ago).

When the sound is in my head I feel like I can't see anything, and can't feel anything else but that!
It gives me suicidal thoughts but I don't think I am able to actually do it. Or maybe I can... I don't know.

Any help or suggestions? Could this be permanent?

P.S. I will see the ENT but it could take months before I do, but then again I don't know if anyone can help me anyways.

Thank you.

 

[Arseny]

You can try amitriptyline or nortriptyline since there are several reports that it can reduce "head tinnitus".
But be very careful since these antidepressants can cause or worsen tinnitus.

 

[GregCA]

Any help or suggestions?

Have you gone down the medical diagnosis to look for a root cause? If yes, what have you done and what were the results?

 

[Doll94]

I have head tinnitus, mine started off really loud. It has got more quiet than what it was at the start. But it's still very intrusive and the presence is still there. It can be felt as well as heard. IMO an ENT cannot help with this, well, from my experience anyway.

I relate a lot to what you said about being anxious and stressed because of the head noise, but have hope it can go away. That's what I am doing. I have read and spokn to people who've had it go away

 

[sara]

You can try amitriptyline or nortriptyline since there are several reports that it can reduce "head tinnitus".
But be very careful since these antidepressants can cause or worsen tinnitus.

Honestly super scared of that!

 

[sara]

Have you gone down the medical diagnosis to look for a root cause? If yes, what have you done and what were the results?

I have never gotten an actual diagnosis. I am going to see an ENt About the head noise hope I can get some sort of a therapy cuz I need help

 

[GregCA]

I have never gotten an actual diagnosis.

Seems like a reasonable first step. You can use the following to help guide you (and your doctors): https://www.tinnitusresearch.net/index.php/for-clinicians/diagnostic-flowchart

 

[Don Tinny]

Just think about the new developments and treatments that are emerging. We will have some form of relief (probably not a total cure) in the coming years.

 

[Ken219]

Just think about the new developments and treatments that are emerging. We will have some form of relief (probably not a total cure) in the coming years.

Been thinking for 30 years

 

[spedgas]

I have never gotten an actual diagnosis. I am going to see an ENt About the head noise hope I can get some sort of a therapy cuz I need help

I'd be curious about what you find out from the ENT. My tinnitus has been head noise from the very beginning. I don't hear it in my ears. It sounds like it's coming from the exact center of my head. Occasionally it will travel to one ear or the other. This lasts for less than a minute then it goes back to the head. I don't hear it both places at once. The ENT I saw wasn't impressed by this and did nothing with that information. I hope yours is more receptive.

I was on a low dose of nortriptyline for maybe two months. I was taking 10mg a day. I can't really say that low dose really helped me with anything. The anxiety of the meds potentially making it worse made me stop taking it. I might have to give the meds another shot in the future.

 

[Lane]

I might have to give the meds another shot in the future.

@spedgas -- My own philosophy is that most meds rarely work better than any number of natural alternatives, and often are far worse. Natural alternatives usually employ lifestyle changes that are more challenging to implement than just taking a pill, but those lifestyle changes can lead to benefits even beyond tinnitus/hyperacusis. -- Best...

 

[glynis]

@sara,
Misfiring signals in your head can cause head tinnitus and for myself a low antioxidant stopped it but I have it in my ears due to Meniere's.

love glynis

 

[Nick M]

Yup. This sounds oh so familiar. Mine started distinctly in my ear and over the span of two years, morphed into head tinnitus that comes and goes. I had actually habituated to the ear tinnitus to the point where I could function. When it developed into the head tinnitus, I knew there was no way to habituate to it. It's literally impossible. It's no longer a tonal "ringing" but a sort of physical feeling/vibration along with a strange pain/pressure sensation. This I believe is true neural synchrony. Feels like there's a storm in my head. I try to describe it to people who are curious as imagining sticking your head in a large church bell while it rings. Not only do you hear it but you feel it as well.

The medical field is so oblivious to tinnitus as a whole that they don't even try to classify the different types. They just group everything into one and tell you to deal with it. I believe the head tinnitus actually causes brain/mood changes when it's present. I know this because when I have it, I develop depression and this impending doom feeling. After it settles down back to a hiss or buzz, the depression and doom feelings are all gone. This can happen in a matter of 24 hours so this tells me that I don't have clinical depression but the head tinnitus actually messes with brain function and causes temporary psychological issues. I would also be inclined to put this condition closer to a seizure than just head noise. But when all head noise is clumped into "tinnitus", how can the doctors take your specific issues seriously.

I've recently started taking a group of supplements I've made a post for that has greatly helped with the head tinnitus. It's now under control and the only time it sticks it's ugly head up is when I'm really sleep deprived.

 

[spedgas]

Yup. This sounds oh so familiar. Mine started distinctly in my ear and over the span of two years, morphed into head tinnitus that comes and goes. I had actually habituated to the ear tinnitus to the point where I could function. When it developed into the head tinnitus, I knew there was no way to habituate to it. It's literally impossible. It's no longer a tonal "ringing" but a sort of physical feeling/vibration along with a strange pain/pressure sensation. This I believe is true neural synchrony. Feels like there's a storm in my head. I try to describe it to people who are curious as imagining sticking your head in a large church bell while it rings. Not only do you hear it but you feel it as well.

This is spot on. Even when I'm in a setting where external sounds are close to covering the noise I can still feel it and find it. It literally feels like the sound is vibrating in my head. It feels like a noisy fullness encompassing my head. Your whole description is exactly what I experience. It completely fills my head with sound. It hasn't settled down for eight months.

I had one audiologist tell me the sound is definitely coming from my ears and I'm just having a hard time identifying the true location of the sound. My tinnitus will occasionally travel to an ear. It only lasts a minute or two then goes back to my head. I don't hear it both places at once. I know the difference. She refused to believe that.

 

[MBH]

I relate with everything. Mine is also head tinnitus. I worked on sleep with Tylenol pm first. I had to also work on anxiety. Mine moves up and down, all around... I went to several different docs but received no answer.