I Can't Even Sleep Anymore

[waldensghost]

Hey guys. I'm new to the forum, but I've been dealing with tinnitus since I was a teenager. I made the mistake of playing drums in many bands without earplugs until I learned my lessons, but by then it was too late. I've taken care of my hearing the past several years, but the residual damage was too much to live normally. At any given time, I have a ringing in my ears around 18,000hz that never goes away. I don't notice it if I listen to music or soft sounds, but when I'm ready to go to sleep, it's always there. It's like coming home and waiting for the abuse to start.

A few months back, the neighbors upstairs were being super loud and I couldn't sleep. I stuck my earbuds in and put on the same white noise track that I had always listened to via speakers. I didn't mean to fall asleep, but I did. I woke up hours later with the earbuds still in, and I freaked out. There was a new rushing, whirring sound in my left ear that was never there before. I couldn't go back to sleep, so I tried to watch TV until I could calm down enough to sleep. These days, I can only hear that whirring noise if I plug my ears and concentrate, but it's always there. It never stops, and I never have relief from this. It's 24/7. Unlike other posts I see that are temporary, mine is permanent.

Sometimes I can try the "fingers on the back of the head thump" trick to get a few seconds of relief, but it never lasts. I know there is no cure, so I know I'll probably have to live with this for the rest of my life. Sometimes I'll wake up in the morning or the middle of the night with a strangely loud ringing in one ear, and I'll have a panic attack. I'll pace around the bathroom until I can calm down enough to try and sleep again.

My biggest regret is not taking better care of my hearing. I just wanted to vent. I'd love to hear from anyone in similar situations and those who want to share their stories.

Thanks, and take care.

 

[glynis]

A warm welcome to the forum.
Tinnitus comes with lots of unwanted emotions and the feeling of guilt too so try not to dwell on the reason why you got tinnitus as their are lots of reasons for getting tinnitus and could have easily been one of them also.

Finding the best support for you with sound therapy and talking therapy can help you cope better .

Sound therapy at night will help you sleep .
Set your natural sound below your tinnitus (a free standing unit with pillow speakers works best )and keep it going all night.
Your brain will work hard to listen to your natural sounds you have chosen set below your tinnitus and your brain will push your tinnitus sound to the background and enable you cope better in the day over time..
My tinnitus is sever in both ears 24/7 and now wear duel purpose hearing aids.
Have you been seen by ENT and Audiology and had a hearing test ?

...lots of love glynis

 

[MichaelO]

I understand the regrets. My tinnitus was caused by a medical procedure that a doctor convinced me I needed. It turns out that I did not. I have no recourse and have lived with constant and severe tinnitus for over three years now. It makes it difficult to get to and stay asleep. It helps if I listen to certain tones/sounds to mask it and help me get to sleep. Getting back to sleep after waking up can be difficult, though. My body isn't as tired at that point. I often get very frustrated and find myself noticing and thinking about the tinnitus very frequently throughout the day. I use dialectical behavioral therapy techniques, including mindful meditation to help with the negative thoughts. Hope this helps.

 

[Dr. Ancill]

You should discuss this with your family physician. Not sleeping will lead to a worsening of how you manage the tinnitus and establishing a decent amount of sleep is vital to managing tinnitus. I would suggest 5-10mg of melatonin + 25-50mg of diphenhydramine (Benadryl). If you are very anxious when you go to bed, then your doctor could add in some Ativan, say at 0.5mg. This is what I advise my own patients to do. If you know you will get to sleep, then overall coping with the tinnitus becomes easier and more likely. But again, please talk to your doctor first.