Joining the Tinnitus Club After a Loud Concert

[Jeebs]

Hello there,

Three months ago I was attending a concert which I did not think was that loud while I was there. After that, my hearing was "wonky" for a couple of days but reverted back to normal. I also had quite a bit of hyperacusis, however this has improved massively. However, now I have tinnitus. It was absolutely hellish for the first two or three weeks and then started to subside to a point where I started to find it manageable. Since Shristmas however, it has started to spike up again paired with a new, extremely high pitched screech and massive ear pain.

During October and November, I've been to several ENTs as well as my GP and twice to A&E when the physical and emotional pain was too much for me to bear for the night. As far as my hearing tests went, there is no visible damage. One ENT also administered something they called an "auditory nerve test" which should determine if I had any hair cell loss and the results were also fine.

I've become really depressed and axious and have panic attacks every now and then. Fortunately, my lovely flatmate is very supportive. Going to work and concentrate is really hard for me and I am rather worried, that I will not be able to keep my job in the long run. Also I started staying at home a lot which is not doing me well (I'm working proactively on that now).

My next plan is seeing my GP again because of the pain asking if I could see someone specialised in tinnitus (maybe a neurologist or a counselor?) and I am attending a local self-help group meeting next week. If you have any advice remedy-wise or to help with mental wellbeing, I would be thrilled.

All the best wishes to all of you!

 

[LukeYoung]

Sounds a bit like my story.
Mine was a little worse by the sounds though.

Was at a concert, too close to the speaker, my hearing was muffled all night, slept on it, woke up with ringing, that never went away. Was very hard for the first few weeks. Was masking the sound a lot. Isolating myself.
But it did eventually come down to a better level.

I hope your support group goes well, I don't think there is one near me.. which sucks.

I don't really have much advice for you as you seem to be doing good things right now. But just wanted to let you know I can relate. There is a chance it could go away in the early period. Or likely it will fade down a little to a level where your Brain will filter it out.

All the best, hope your support group goes well

 

[Lane]

"auditory nerve test"

@Jeebs -- Did this test involve loud noises? Did it spike your tinnitus? Before doing any more tests, I would strongly suggest you do a search on that test on this forum, and find out if anybody has had any bad experiences with it. Many of these tests have turned out to be quite harmful. ENTs generally know very little about tinnitus, and how it can be badly exacerbated in the early stages after tinnitus onset.

 

[Pawel1]

Hello. Please do not take my post wrong, I am trying to give some ideas for you

For now, my advice to you is to stay busy and maybe try some relaxing techniques to get some sleep at night or during the day. Just go to sleep when you can't stay awake any longer, and maybe you will sleep for some quite time.
How to stay busy? I don't know, maybe do your hobbies, maybe play computer games or do things like PlayStation+Virtual Reality glasses.

Please don't worry about your job, maybe you could cut your working hours down, or change position, or take holiday or time off from work for a longer time, maybe there are some adjustments that could be made for you to make your job easier.

I will write some more information about supplements, foods and different stuff, tomorrow morning.

 

[Cbg327]

I'm new to this. How loud would you rate your tinnitus at its worse and at its best in recent time (1-10, 10 being bad)? Also how long during your day do you hear yours (mine is new but nearly constant). I know that I found what frequency mine is at (8hertz is the sound), when I listen to it then stop the sound for a very short time. But I can repeat it as needed to keep it away. Mine was possibly the result of gun shots, it might be sinus related, and I'm told it could be earwax.

 

[Cbg327]

I just figured something out that helped. I listened to my frequency (8hertz) and then put my finger over my ear hold (not in) and it seemed to last longer (I heard odd clicking in my ear) unplugging my ear did not revert it immediately. It seems to come back less intensely and it is lasting longer than usual. Maybe mine has something to do with pressure and since mine could have been a loud noise it might help you too. I'm going to try it with earplugs now

 

[Jeebs]

First of all, thank you all very much for your replies and wishes. I have the feeling that this forum can indeed be very helpful and from what I am reading, you guys seem very supportive. I hope, I in turn can give you some support as well. If anyone needs to talk, please write me a message (for some reason I haven't figured out how the PM system works).

@LukeYoung - Just hang in there as well. I am starting not to feel so lonely anymore now, reading from people who can relate.

Did this test involve loud noises? Did it spike your tinnitus? Before doing any more tests, I would strongly suggest you do a search on that test on this forum, and find out if anybody has had any bad experiences with it. Many of these tests have turned out to be quite harmful. ENTs generally know very little about tinnitus, and how it can be badly exacerbated in the early stages after tinnitus onset.

Not loud as such. They gave me some sort of earbud that emitted scrambled sound for about 2-3 seconds, but it wasn't loud at all and I neither had any discomfort nor a spike afterwards. I have read several threads here about tests that indeed sound horrible and will take care in the future.

@Pawel1 - I try to stay busy and play loads of video games (actually, I have quite the collection) and also try to be "out and about" as I used to, even going to bars and to clubs - of course with plugs as necessary, however I haven't figured out how to balance exposure to moderate sound compared to the necessary resting of my ears. Perhaps I will write a seperate thread for this. Moderate noise exposure seems to actually alleviate my tinnitus and especially my ear pain but I am indeed a bit concerned this may be a false sign.
My work environment is very supportive and I can adjust my hours to my current capabilities. However, I work at the university and my work requires quite a lot of concentration that I currently just can't bring. Holding lectures does sort of work for me but research is basically impossible. This frightens me a lot.

@Cbg327 - Stay tight, according to your profile, your exposure is quite recent and there is a very reasonable chance that it subsides just by itself. Mine has been constant and rather loud at the beginning and then started to shift. I have four different tones now where only two are constant. Mine fluctuates now from 2 (annoying when I am in a quiet environment) to full-on 10 (horrible sharp pain in both ears and a very high-pitched hiss that I can easily hear over every other sound, even when I'm in a store or riding the bus, that makes me kinda panicky and even suicidal if it stays for more than a short while ).

All the best!

 

[LukeYoung]

We will all stick together

 

[Pawel1]

You probably have already made yourself familiar with this forum's topics on 'Treatments' and 'Alternative treatments and research'.

Please don't feel offended by my post, I'm just describing my coping methods with life.

Maybe I will say about what helps me in stopping being suicidal (I've got moderate mental health problems.)
The most effective thing for me is caffeine. I probably take at least 200 milligrams of caffeine a day. It doesn't seem to spike my tinnitus, but it helps in having energy to fight with anxiety caused by tinnitus.

I like to eat something sweet or eat some carbohydrates, about an hour after drinking caffeinated beverage. I don't mix caffeine with food, because the caffeine seems to not work at all, or just be less effective.

Other things that are helping, is eating healthy foods, taking natural sleep aids, taking anti-anxiety supplements like L-Theanine. On my horrible days, I eat kebab and maybe have a beer or wine. But, I don't get drunk, because it makes me tinnitus go really loud. Nicotine helps a lot, but it clogs up your blood arteries, and you might end up with louder tinnitus, after weeks or months of using nicotine. Tinnitus usually spikes up when there are fluctuations of blood flow in the ears.

These are the ingredients in my sleep aid pills, which I bought on Amazon, and they make me feel really sleepy:
Vitamin B6 - 10.5 mg
Calcium - 49 mg
Magnesium - 90mg
Zinc - 30 mg
GABA - 1000 mg
Valerian Powder - 600 mg
Chamomile Flower Extract - 500 mg
Passion Flower Extract - 500 mg
Lemon Balm Leaf and Stem Extract - 400 mg
5-HTP - 30 mg
Melatonin - 5 mg


I think that Zinc, and Magnesium might be important for tinnitus sufferers. There are studies which show that lack of Magnesium in the human body system, can worsen someone's tinnitus.

I've never tried Marijuana, so I'm not sure if it would help me with tinnitus or not. I once was in a trance from anesthetic gas, and it was a really good time (Despite the fact, that the doctors were giving me some nasty treatment, lol.) It's kind of a risky area, but there are people on this forum who use different variations of weed and it helps them, especially when it's combined with things like mindfulness, meditation, counselling, etc. If you are interested, I will give you nicknames of some users, who would tell you more about this stuff.

I hope that your spiking tinnitus from moderate-level sounds is just a temporary thing. I use earplugs a lot, and apparently it's not good for ears, but I haven't felt any side effects after half a year. If moderate level sounds like loud conversations or city life causes your tinnitus to spike or cause your ear pain, then I can't see any reasons why you wouldn't want to use any kind of hearing protection, like noise cancelling headphones, or different kinds of ear plugs/ earphones. The fact that your problems have gotten worse after he festive period of Christmas says a lot about your sensitive ears.

Maybe you could take some nootropics or calming foods/natural stuff to help you with your research for work? Tinnitus aggravates anxiety, insomnia, etc. It's a vicious cycle, but I'm sure you'll be alright. Tinnitus cure is coming, I am 100% sure. There is a lot of evidence for this. By the way, maybe Lenire device might help your tinnitus, too. Some people have tried it, and it can decrease tinnitus.

I think too much and this post is probably too long, though. Good night.

 

[Tweedleman]

I'm in the same boat. I went to an absurdly loud metal show in a small venue a month and half ago and it royally screwed my ears up. Tinnitus went from being a manageable 1/10 to a 4 or 5. Also experiencing hyperacusis symptoms. I'm taking valerian root and melatonin for anxiety and sleep. The combo has been surprisingly effective for what it is. Every day is still an emotional uphill battle but the supplements make unwinding for bed easier. I'm also taking magnesium and B12, haven't noticed much from them yet but figure it's worth a shot. Not sure what to reccomend for the pain that isn't ototoxic etc. Weed used to be my fix for everything but now it amps up my Tinnitus and causes me to hyperanalyze my hearing even more.

Good luck and keep us posted, we're all in this together!

 

[Jeebs]

@Pawel1 - Thank you very much for your elaborate post and advice on nutrition, I will definetly look into it. And I don't feel offended at all, I'm happy about every bit of advice people here are willing to give!

@Tweedleman - Also, thank you very much for the kind words and welcome to TinnitusTalk.

Stupidly enough, I went to a university party on thursday. There was played music but not even remotely close to nightclub levels and I stayed far away from the speakers (actually, they were even facing away from me). Since then, I am experiencing a bit of dysacusis (weird "beeps" in my right ear i hear over certain frequencies). I also get a new hiss that flows with the general loudness of my surroundings which some describe as "reactive tinnitus", however, I know from reading his posts, @Michael Leigh sees this as a general hyperacusis syndrome instead. I hope it will subside soon...

Nights are a full-on nightmare right now. I haven't properly eaten in days, every time I try, I have to throw up. My anxiety level is at 11. Tonight, I had three panic attacks in a row close to a complete mental breakdown. Was finally able to calm down and fall asleep just to be woken up by my screetching T and massive ear pain an hour later. I tried mindfulness exercises that at least once in the last days have helped and I could even tone done the tinnitus for quite a bit. Now I shall try to go to sleep again hoping to at least get a few hours before work.

I'm really hoping the support group on Tuesday will be of help. Concerning my GP Appointment on Wednesday I'm not so optimistic. I really want to go to the open hours of the ENT but considering they have been sending me home in horrible pain before I don't really see the point. Sorry for the rant.

All the best to you!

 

[Tweedleman]

I can relate, I've had nightmares and strange, vivid dreams every single night since my trauma. Self guilt has utterly consumed me and grinded my life to a halt. People keep telling me hindsight is 20/20 but it doesn't make it any easier.

 

[Michael Leigh]

Stupidly enough, I went to a university party on thursday. There was played music but not even remotely close to nightclub levels and I stayed far away from the speakers (actually, they were even facing away from me). Since then, I am experiencing a bit of dysacusis (weird "beeps" in my right ear i hear over certain frequencies). I also get a new hiss that flows with the general loudness of my surroundings which some describe as "reactive tinnitus", however, I know from reading his posts, @Michael Leigh sees this as a general hyperacusis syndrome instead. I hope it will subside soon...

@Jeebs

On your Avatar is reads tinnitus since 10/2019 and it was noise induced? If this is correct then I advise you to read my posts in the links below. It takes time to recover from noise trauma: 12 to 18 months and beyond depending on how a person is affected. Because your tinnitus may have reduced and you are not acutely sensitive to sounds as in experiencing hyperacusis - one can easily be lead to believe they are in recovery mode and they can ride-off into the sunset and forget about tinnitus and do as they please regarding being around loud sounds. Nothing more could be further from the truth.

You need to be careful when around loud sounds particularly at nightclubs even when wearing earplugs. What a lot of people do not realize is that sound is bouncing and being reflected off walls, ceiling and floor this is being picked up by your ears and passed through to your inner ear. Even when wearing earplugs the sound, if loud enough will pass through your head and be transferred to your inner ear by Bone conduction. This can spike the tinnitus.

It is good that your tinnitus is improving but if you are not careful, it can increase to a level you wouldn't believe is possible. Noise induced tinnitus can be ruthless and very unforgiving so my advice, is to take things slowly and be patient and above all do not use headphones even at low volume.

All the best
Michael

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/new-to-tinnitus-what-to-do.12558/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/the-habituation-process.20767/

 

[Jeebs]

@Michael Leigh - Thank you so much for your advice. Also thank you very much for your general advice posts. I have already read most of them and I am sure you have helped loads of people finding them through google even though they never end up signing up to this forum. They are very helpful for everyone new in this world of unpredictably wonky ears. You have some interesting and - apparently - sometimes controversial opinions which I respect. I share some of them, others I see with a bit of doubtfulness, but I have learned in my career, that one has to take every statement not based on hard scientific evidence with a grain of salt. This ist just how I have been educated and I am sure you understand.

May I ask you a personal question about your past experience with hyperacusis? If so: Have you experienced what people around here call "reactive tinnitus"? I know you disagree with the term but I mean the sensation of your tinnitus reacting to moderate sound levels by either increasing in volume for a short period (a few seconds to several hours) or by reacting by a phantom sound overlaying certain frequencies? This is what I am experiencing as of now and it is very scary. I try to avoid any loud noises and it has been diminishing a little bit over the last days. Also, sound enrichment, especially watching series and listening to music at very moderate levels over quality speakers with tuned down highs seems to help a little bit.

On another topic, my support group meeting tonight was not very helpful. It was mostly elderly people and none of them had noise induced tinnitus (actually, I was greeted by "oh dear, so young...", which I found depressing). They were caring and respectful though. I don't think this will be something for me in the long run.

All the best out to you all!