It Is Teasing Me — Goes Away and Comes Back

[fedup]

Last night I awoke at about 2 AM And my T had GONE ! I was in raptures of delight ! I stayed awake to enjoy the peace and almost wept with joy.However after falling asleep I woke at 8 to find it is back very loud! This is so cruel ! I feel like I am at the start again now.So miserable.I have not done anything different to cause the T to stop.

 

[stophiss]

Mine varies as well. Yesterday was a quiet day. In full flight this morning. A cruel temptress as you say.
Of all the symptoms of tinnitus including variation in different tones and timbers...its range in terms of loudness maybe the most perplexing and quite commonly reported just as you describe. Mine can almost disappear like yours and then come back with vengeance. Literally no correlation to a single metric I can surmise...from diet, to exercise to daily stress level to quality/quantity of sleep...even types of dreams I have. I had a working theory that my T at night correlated to the types of dreams I was having. If having a nightmarish type dream, I figured this type of brain activity would heighten my T...but no. I woke up one night to a rather scary dream which was too bizarre to recount and my T was low.

So variation in volume of T for me seems to have no basis in the environment or how I am feeling I can surmise in the least including stress and btw, I am not stressed about my T and somewhat accept it. I just find it rather unpredictable and rather befuddling in its nature.

 

[fedup]

Hi Stophiss ,yep all agreed . I find this stop start business the most annoying in many ways.Each time it restarts I find it harder to accept. Hang in there friend.

 

[fedup]

So now my right ear feels very full with the odd sharp pains deep inside. The hearing is dulled at times then returns and so on , it feels wrong.
I am awaiting results of a swab but I am almost afraid that I may need to use drops again because I am almost sure that last time the side effects made things worse,
During the last infection my Dr gave me three or four different types of drops to try to clear things up . ( not all at the same time of course)
Some of the drops made my T worse and hurt my ear drum when applied.
Dare I just leave the ear alone to see if nature clears it? I should I use the drops if Dr prescribes them ? I am so FED UP !
My right ear is now humming , itchy and achey .I recover somewhat sometimes then it just happens again and again.
Cheers all

 

[Hariz Nonis]

Is it because of ear wax? I am also applying olive oil to my right ear because of wax filling up. The wax does seem to have been softened, I guess it's a matter of time before it starts to come out. I never knew olive oil could actually make your ears worse. Did you have a ruptured ear drum?

 

[fedup]

Nah Mine is caused by an infection then antibiotics seemed to make it worse . I just do not know if I should put anymore anti biotic drops in the ear . I am at a loss. I want to trust my Dr but he just seems to say one thing then another about the whole affair.Then ENT say different.
The ear is totally blocked at the moment with some aching and dulled hearing but it seems to change all the time.I give in.

 

[Hariz Nonis]

@fedup I am also going thru a blocked ear right now. Mine is caused by wax though. It is so bad that I can almost hear nothing at times. I think you should make your own judgement, whether or not you should continue using the ear drops. Does using the drops make things better, or worse?

 

[fedup]

Varies to be honest .Sometimes it hurts when I put the drops in.My ear swab results STILL are not back at my Drs office .Good ol NHS.
Hang in there friend

 

[fedup]

Recently my T was RAGING to the point of insanity. Loud beyond loud 24/7 ,almost bringing me to my knees. I could not even the tv.
I went to bed two nights ago then woke suddenly to find my T gone!
I could hear silence again ! I wept with joy . This has happened at least once before. The silence lasted for some hours. Then i slept and was woken once again with MASSIVE T ! Horrific. Sharper and louder than ever. Then suddenly as i was sat there miserable it suddenly dropped again to nothing . Yes! Wonderful!
I have had a great day . So sweet.
It seems the bad times are getting worse but the good times getting better. I just hope this is the start of some healing.
I cannot handle the bad times anymore because it is just too loud and horrific.
I just dont know what to think anymore I do feel lucky that the T stops occassionally . Its just that when its bad its super bad.

 

[Michael Leigh]

@fedup
What you are experiencing is a good sign that you could make a very good recovery. If you don't use headphones again even at low volume and use noise reducing earplugs at concerts or gigs; the outcome for the future looks good for you.I advise you to try and avoid being in quiet rooms especially at night. Use a sound machine or download music to your cellphone. It will help your progress.
Good luck
Michael

 

[fedup]

Thanks Michael that has given me hope ! I will never ever use headphones again . I have not touched headphones since April this year when all this began.
Oh , i hope i can recover because i had a real bad breakdown in the early summer due to T .
I have had a good few silences now but the badvtomes scare me as they are getting louder .
I am luckybto have a wonderful wife for support . Sadly she has T too .

 

[Michael Leigh]

@fedup
It is important that you use sound enrichment at night, I cannot express that enough if you want to get better, and I'm sure that you do. If I were in your situation, I'd buy an Oasis sound machine to give myself the best chance possible of recovery. You now know what it's like when tinnitus is loud and intrusive, hopefully this will soon be a distant memory. Please don't ever be tempted to use headphones again.
I wish you well
Michael

 

[Sgguy46]

my tinnitus just went away for two whole days and now it is back again:-(

 

[fedup]

@Sgguy46 let us hope that one day soon our T goes away for good . Best of luck

 

[Tom Cnyc]

@fedup
What you are experiencing is a good sign that you could make a very good recovery.
Good luck
Michael

what are you basing this on?

 

[stophiss]

Recently my T was RAGING to the point of insanity. Loud beyond loud 24/7 ,almost bringing me to my knees. I could not even the tv.
I went to bed two nights ago then woke suddenly to find my T gone!
I could hear silence again ! I wept with joy . This has happened at least once before. The silence lasted for some hours. Then i slept and was woken once again with MASSIVE T ! Horrific. Sharper and louder than ever. Then suddenly as i was sat there miserable it suddenly dropped again to nothing . Yes! Wonderful!
I have had a great day . So sweet.
It seems the bad times are getting worse but the good times getting better. I just hope this is the start of some healing.
I cannot handle the bad times anymore because it is just too loud and horrific.
I just dont know what to think anymore I do feel lucky that the T stops occassionally . Its just that when its bad its super bad.

Agree that variable T is hugely enigmatic. Same with me...mine ranges from mild rage to almost inaudible. Since contracting T this past April and been on the volume rollercoaster ever since, I have only had one stint of almost inaudible....but several times at very low 0.5/10...and more than a few I would not like to recall ~ 4.0/10. What in the world would explain such a diversity? One minute my tinnitus can fade to almost obscurity and the next be almost a 5.0/10? Why the extreme juxtaposition of sound level? I woke up and my T was about a 3.0/10 and is about a 1/10 right now. Like a yo yo.
Would love to hear any prevailing theories.
Best to you all.

 

[Michael Leigh]

@stophiss Count yourself fortunate that your tinnitus maximum is 0.5/10 and goes down to inaudible. Mine ranges from: silent, mild, moderate, severe and very severe. It has been severe all day and if this goes higher I'll need to take my clonazapam.

 

[Michael Leigh]

what are you basing this on?

@fedup

Many people that experience intrusive tinnitus to the point where they have had to seek help at ENT often ask: "will this noise ever go away?"

Tinnitus books and articles advise people that within the first 6 months to one year and sometimes a little longer, there is a good chance that it will go away or a person will habituate to the condition where it no longer interferes too much with their quality of life. Sometimes this is achieved with the help of a Hearing Therapist or Audiologist that specialises in tinnitus treatment and management. This can be: counselling, learning relaxation exercises and therapies such as CBT or TRT to name a few.

The most common cause of tinnitus is exposure to loud noise. Anyone wanting to know if this is true, just ask some of the members at tinnitustalk what caused their tinnitus and the reply will often be: Listening to loud music through headphones or attending clubs and other venues of entertainment where loud music was played. If an underlining medical condition is causing the tinnitus, then I'm not sure whether the six months to a year time frame still applies.

Based on my own personal experience and people that I have counselled whose tinnitus was caused by exposure to loud noise. Within six months to a year sometimes a little longer, they have habituated to the tinnitus and for some it has completely gone away.

Fedup, has had tinnitus since April 2016 and has mentioned there are periods where the tinnitus is no longer heard. Completely silent. I believe this is a good sign due to the fact that he's within the 12 months time frame of habituating to the condition or it completely going away. I chose my words carefully and said he: he stands to make a good recovery; I didn't say the tinnitus would be cured, although it might be only time will tell.

IF fedup listens and follows my suggestions I stand by what I've said:

It is important that you use sound enrichment at night; I cannot express that enough if you want to get better, and I'm sure that you do. If I were in your situation, I'd buy an Oasis sound machine to give myself the best chance possible of recovery. You now know what it's like when tinnitus is loud and intrusive, hopefully this will soon be a distant memory. Please don't ever be tempted to use headphones again.

I hope I have answered this question and would like to put the matter to rest.
Michael

PS: Tinnitus is experienced differently for each person. In 2008 my tinnitus increased to insurmountable levels and I had to return to ENT for help. It took me four years to habituate for the second time.

 

[stophiss]

@stophiss Count yourself fortunate that your tinnitus maximum is 0.5/10 and goes down to inaudible. Mine ranges from: silent, mild, moderate, severe and very severe. It has been severe all day and if this goes higher I'll need to take my clonazapam.

Hi Michael,
I didn't do a good job explaining the variation in my volume level.
My T ranges from very low 0.5/10 to about 5/10. Its generally in the 1.0-3.0/10 range....a quantified guestimate ...an arbitrary number rating of loudness if you will. But yes, fortunate to not have severe tinnitus which I have learned on this forum can be pretty devastating...although some say even severe tinnitus can be habituated to although a much higher mountain to climb.

Question Michael, when your tinnitus spikes, you say you take clonazepam. Does this noticeably lower your tinnitus to a more manageable level and if so, why not go on a daily dosage to knock your tinnitus down in general..which may clip your spikes altogether? Can you explain further?

Best...and will add, I always appreciate your informed comments on this forum.

 

[Michael Leigh]

@stophiss

Question Michael, when your tinnitus spikes, you say you take clonazepam. Does this noticeably lower your tinnitus to a more manageable level and if so, why not go on a daily dosage to knock your tinnitus down in general..which may clip your spikes altogether? Can you explain further?

Thank you for your kind comments and also for giving clarification on the severity of your tinnitus.
As you know tinnitus comes in many forms and intensities and no two people experience it the same. A person's emotional makeup and outlook on life i.e.: whether that is positive or negative is fundamental to how that person is able to cope with this condition long term. Because that's what tinnitus is and most medical conditions that are chronic. It is how one is able to cope and manage it long term. In my case for the past twenty years.

My post earlier to you was written when my tinnitus was at a severe level all day but because of my years of habituation, I am still able to cope to an extent without too much of a problem. Sometimes it will quieten down of it's own accord other times it will increase to very severe levels and I have to reach for my clonazapam. I went to bed.

In the small hours of this morning I woke to my tinnitus reaching almost maximum levels and know from experience clonazapam was needed. I took two 0.5 tablets and have not long been up from a six hour sleep. Thankfully, the tinnitus has reduced to a much calmer and tolerable level or 4. I can easily cope with this and when my tinnitus is : silent, mild, moderate and for some time when it's severe.

My ENT consultant whom I've had for a number of years and have a good rapport with, advised me to only take clonazapam when my tinnitus reaches severe or very severe levels, and then try to come off them completely. If I were to take a maintenance low dosage as you suggest, my body will quickly habituate to it and it will no longer have any effect reducing the tinnitus. When this happens more clonazapam needs to be taken to have an effect and that's when addiction can set in with unpleasant side effects.

Michael

 

[PatrickG]

Dear @Michael Leigh, probably you have answered this several times but what dosage of Clonazapam do you take?

 

[Michael Leigh]

Dear @PatrickG
Thank you for your message.
I take 2x 0.5mg which is 2x 500micrograms of clonazepam when needed which thankfully isn't too often.
They help me a lot but try not to take them regular because of their addictive nature.
Michael

 

[stophiss]

Michael,
Thanks a lot for your well stated explanation. Great to know there is at least 'something' you can go to when your tinnitus reaches an unacceptable level. Your explanation about effectiveness and addiction relative to consistent dosage makes perfect sense.

Be well and thanks again.

 

[Tamalak]

My T kept going away temporarily. After 4 years it finally left for good. OP's temporary relief is a good sign!

 

[stophiss]

My T kept going away temporarily. After 4 years it finally left for good. OP's temporary relief is a good sign!

Would you please start traveling around the country and begin faith healing each of us? We could take up a kitty to cover your travel expenses
Nice to know after that length of time the dragon can actually be vanquished.
Congrats!!!!
PS: during the course of your four year odyssey with tinnitus, can you give us a range of loudness of your T? Did your T always vacillate from mild to almost inaudible...or...did your tinnitus rear up and rage a bit once in a while? Lastly, any idea what precipitated your T? Anxiety, loud noise, infection?

Many thanks

 

[Jomo]

My T kept going away temporarily. After 4 years it finally left for good. OP's temporary relief is a good sign!

Mine comes and goes and has been light this week...almost like i have pure silence sometimes...only a month in...thx for the message of hope

 

[fedup]

I am really getting hopeful now that my ears are healing because here I am awake again at 4AM and my T has gone again ! Ohhh the sweet silence !
It always stops in the early hours . No idea why. I have done nothing I do not normally do .
This very past afternoon my T was raging at a 9/10 .and now this wonderful silence.Weird.
Will keep you informed .This is six months since onset of T after ear infection ,effussion and headphone use