I Need People Who Understand to Help Me Through This Journey

[demi]

When I first got T in December of 2012, I didn't know. I didn't think anything of it after the concert I went to - until a week later an old coworker of mine at the time who has T said something about imagine having your ears ringing 24/7 and how stressed he is. Later that night I realized that the ringing I had after attending the concert had never stopped. It wasn't until almost February when I went to the ENT and found out I had T.

Over the next couple months it had really subsided, but in May I made a mistake of going to another concert (earplugs this time) and I had a bad spike. I hadn't used high NRR plugs - I had no idea what NRR even meant. Somehow though, that spike didn't last more than a month, and I carried on again normally.

In August I went to a concert once more, used foam plugs of NRR 33 and I was perfectly fine after! I thought, "wow I guess I can live normally again".

Then at the end of November I decided to go to another concert, at this point my T was undetectable, I would hardly hear while plugging my ears in a quiet room, I needed no masking. I only got some glimpse of it it I had too much caffeine or was in a noisy environment for too long (Like at work, while I was a cashier at a grocery store). Though after that night in November it went all down hill. I must not have had my earplugs in properly or it just wasn't enough. My T has spiked dramatically, and now I have H as well. My ears are always full. I have been an emotional wreck the past 2 months. I thought it was getting better and then had a setback when someone slammed a microwave door next to my ears, and then another yesterday when I was around a loud noise in class.

I'm just hoping that I can get back to that point I was at before that night in November. I hate myself for going. I feel like life is even harder now because I developed H, which I know nothing much about - but have read horror stories about.

I'm in class right now and can't focus - I constantly am checking TT, and just hoping for any good news.

 

[silenceISgolden]

You are not alone. when the sound is right there in your head with you, I'm not sure if that helps at all though

We may not be able to stop the T but we can manage our stress levels in response to it. I know how frustrating it can be when the T is really bad, but please find methods that work for you to reduce your stress. That's vague but different things work for different folks. When mine is really bad I listen to masking sounds and make myself some tea, and attempt to busy myself with chores or hobby work.

I guess what I'm saying is don't be trapped in your head along with the T!

When you're blue about it, remember that before the concert your T was not bothering you. Give it time and protect that hearing and it will go back down.

Depending on how important concerts are to you, you may consider them not to be worth the risk.

Hang in there!

 

[NeoM]

Kind of a mean thing for that guy to say because it's negative counseling. It also sounds like you're in panic mode. I would recommend maybe talking to your doctor about a low dose anti-depressant for anxiety. I would also get a loudness discomfort test, that way if you only have mild hyperacusis it's a relief and puts to rest in your mind that you might think it's severe.

 

[Sameer advani]

I had the same problem I like my clubbing and partying ... Go to a lot of concerts even after I got my t ... I thought wearing ear plugs was just the solution for me , and I can life my life normally ...in the first 23 months of my tinnitus I must have at least 100 exposures to different loud music exposures. .. I used to wear ear plugs the same 33 nrr and I was fine .. But in the last 10 exposures I got my t spiked with every exposure and now I am a total wreck. My t is really loud constant and can not even get masked with difficulty , the last masking happened at 90 db ... It is. Becoming impossible to live and to add to that I am having to reject invitations to rocking parties almost every day ... It like double depression ...each time I attempt to go out my tinnitus sparks up ... I wear ear plugs stay away from the speakers .. Spend most of my time in a different room , yet the t has no mercy on me and the next day all I can do is kick myself for going out the previous night ... But I don't c how one can live like that. ... How much can one run away and protect one self. Do the plan is clear. I will let my t reach it's loudest point and them habituate to that maximum loudness and then may b I will not need to change any thing in my life ... How loud can it get is something I can't determine at the moment ....at the moment I can hear it loud every time coming from both my ears my head all over from the back of my head just every where. ... It is super super loud ...

 

[billie48]

Demi, the best thing you can do is to forget what the guy said. He is just like the bad doc who tell us you will live with it the rest of your life without regards to how stressful you are.

If I were your doctor to counsel you, I would say 'Yes, you have tinnitus and it will get you a little stressful for a while. But the ringing may disappear or fade overtime. Even if it stays, don't worry. You won't always react to it like now when you are new to it. In fact, in most cases, people will get used to the ringing and harden to the sound over time. It is just like how a person can get used to the noisy environment of a city after moving from the quiet country side, or people having to live near to the airport or near a rail track. Sooner of later, if you stop worrying or monitoring the ringing, the brain will stop perceiving the ringing as a threat and will then fade it out of consciousness most of the time during the day. Then you will find you can live with it and will have your confidence to move on with your life. You will then be like the millions who are having T and yet live a normal life. If you like, you can get some masking so you won't panic every time your T spikes. So relax and rest your heart."

Well, will some pills like some Ativan or Xanax, perhaps some anti-depressants, even sleeping pills, a new T sufferer with a good doctor should feel better about themselves.

Demi, your hyperacusis should be the least of your concern. Yes, it was the more difficult one to live with actually when it soon hit me after my T. It was piercingly hurtful and I could not go out anymore and had to wear ear plugs all the time. But most H will fade out with time. Mine did after a few months. My T still rings loud and super high pitch. It used to scare and depress me. No longer. It has lost its tyranny over me. Your brain can learn to cope with it over time and harden to it. I am not alone. Most success story posters can attest to the same thing. So learn the collective wisdom from them and forum members here. Try to follow some positive insights. Go back to live your life abundantly regardless of T. Give it time and T will not be an issue, high or low.

 

[kenji]

hes rite demi , it may be helpful to get a regime of relaxing herb tincures or meds ..

 

[demi]

It's just really hard coping this time because I can't believe my T was silent, and now idk if I'll ever get to that point again.

Also there are times now that I will forget about T for a little bit, and then when I remember I plug my ears and it's not that loud - but like 20 seconds later I hear it full blast. UGH.

 

[Grace]

November is only few months ago.. Theres still a gooood chance that your t will drop back down to the level it was at before... In the meantime try anxiety meds or klnopin works really really good for me... I know people will tell you to not take them cause they can cause T but only if you take ALOT and discontinue quickly.. Ive been on them for 2 years now and use them when needed.. Takin them with the T also helps me adjust to the sound cause they make me feel careless relaxed as if theres no worries..but then again thats just me and what helps.

 

[michela]

demi ,read this first story here about hyperacusis,if THAT person could get rid of it ,you can too: http://www.hyperacusis.net/hyperacusis/success stories/default.asp .

 

[michela]

When I first got T in December of 2012, I didn't know. I didn't think anything of it after the concert I went to - until a week later an old coworker of mine at the time who has T said something about imagine having your ears ringing 24/7 and how stressed he is. Later that night I realized that the ringing I had after attending the concert had never stopped. It wasn't until almost February when I went to the ENT and found out I had T.

Over the next couple months it had really subsided, but in May I made a mistake of going to another concert (earplugs this time) and I had a bad spike. I hadn't used high NRR plugs - I had no idea what NRR even meant. Somehow though, that spike didn't last more than a month, and I carried on again normally.

In August I went to a concert once more, used foam plugs of NRR 33 and I was perfectly fine after! I thought, "wow I guess I can live normally again".

Then at the end of November I decided to go to another concert, at this point my T was undetectable, I would hardly hear while plugging my ears in a quiet room, I needed no masking. I only got some glimpse of it it I had too much caffeine or was in a noisy environment for too long (Like at work, while I was a cashier at a grocery store). Though after that night in November it went all down hill. I must not have had my earplugs in properly or it just wasn't enough. My T has spiked dramatically, and now I have H as well. My ears are always full. I have been an emotional wreck the past 2 months. I thought it was getting better and then had a setback when someone slammed a microwave door next to my ears, and then another yesterday when I was around a loud noise in class.

I'm just hoping that I can get back to that point I was at before that night in November. I hate myself for going. I feel like life is even harder now because I developed H, which I know nothing much about - but have read horror stories about.

I'm in class right now and can't focus - I constantly am checking TT, and just hoping for any good news.

and demi, i have seen a lot of stories online about hyperacusis, and no, they were not horror stories.acually its the other way round: EVERYBODY says that hyperacusis goes away with time! never heard of it as a constant problem,only some months maximum! i dont know which horror stories you mean,but dont believe that. but now you have to be careful what you do: dont avoid every noise, train your brain that everyday noises are normal and your brain will accept these noises again,cause hyperacusis is only in your brain,not in your ear!
believe me, i did the same cause i had it too when tinnitus started, and after some weeks my hyperacusis is almost gone!it was not severe, but i really had problems with the sound of plates and so on,but thats almost history now because i knew that i have to ignore the hyperacusis and it will go-just like i have been reading many times,even from doctors.

 

[demi]

I was doing really well between the week before Christmas until January 6th. My T has settled down, I wasn't monitoring it, and my ear fullness was gone. That day someone slammed a microwave door in my office while I was sitting next to it (inches away) and ever since then H has been a problem, and so has T again.

 

[kenji]

if theres 50 million people in the USA with tinnitus than why the heck aren't there a million people on this forum ...lol ,i think the reason is that most people live with it its normal to an extent ,30 years ago there wasn't internet or much adoo about T ...i really reccomand you see an http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auriculotherapy acupuncturist or get a psychologist for help with it ,it will help you along the way ..its how soon you want your freedom back , work on some meditation or what western med call nueroplascitity