- Oct 21, 2019
- 12
- Tinnitus Since
- Aug 24 2019
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Ear Infection
Hi all,
My story is similar to many I have read here.
Mine started 12 weeks ago due to a serious ear infection.
I was bed ridden for 2 days due to the ear pain. It was some of the worst pain I have ever experienced. Having limited knowledge of tinnitus I requested a very mild antibiotic because I hate to take drugs in general. I was prescribed 5 days of amoxicillin and went on my merry way from my GP.
A few days after the ear infection started I developed a very serious ringing/buzzing in my left ear. According to my browser history, 2 days later was my first google search for "tinnitus due to ear infection".
My tinnitus has been brutal.
Utterly brutal, brain buzzing that has been impossible to mask. I could hear this demon even driving at highway speeds, windows down and radio blaring. Within 4 weeks I went from 1) This is an ear infection, once it passes the ringing will stop to 2) oh my god this infernal ringing will never end, I wonder what the best way to end my life is.
It has been utterly brutal. So loud that I remember lying in bed, in utter disbelief that such a loud sound could be coming from somewhere inside me. Complete mental devastation ensued.
The good news is that things are improving significantly.
The past 2 weeks have been very good in comparison to the previous 10 weeks. About 2 weeks ago I had my first experience of total silence after waking. 20 minutes of complete silence. I didn't move a muscle. After 10 weeks of soul destroying noise I was lying in bed in complete silence. It was total bliss and my first indication that whatever damage had been done by the virus/bacteria might just be possible to heal from.
Of course the silence was once again disturbed by this incessant buzzing and ringing. The kind that will make you question your belief in god/zeus/fsm or whatever your deity of choice. The murderous blaring returned and I was once again plunged into the depths of hell.
I would describe my tinnitus as the ringing of Christmas bells if they were rung by a satanic Santa on meth. It was like this noise had me by the throat and was wringing every last bit of life out of me. I was psychologically spent.
The worst period was weeks 5-9. I went off the deep end. Complete destruction of the self. Suicidal. Complete disbelief that such a thing can even be.
My doctor put me on Valium which saved my bacon. During the very worst periods I would sleep 1-2 hours per night and drench the sheets in sweat the rest of the time. Valium gave me 3-5 hours of relief at a time and although it did nothing to reduce the tinnitus, within 30 mins I was once again able face the world without rivulets of sweat running down my face. I used Valium for approx 10 days and it was a life saver.
Melatonin saved my life. After sleeping for 1-2 hours per night for approx 10 days, according to my wife, I looked like a crack addict. I would sweat profusely, pupils contracted, very close to a manic state. Once I regained my sleep, I felt that I started to regain some control of my life.
The good news.
My tinnitus seems to be burning itself out over the past 2 weeks. Each silent period is longer than the last and within the last 2 weeks the intensity of the tinnitus has reduced dramatically. The longest period of silence has now been over 10 hours.
My favourite activity is now to go into a quiet room, plug my ears and listen to silence. I just stand there in a quiet, dark room and just bask in it.
Not out of the woods yet.
I'm certainly not there yet and I realise that the tinnitus could return at any time to destroy my mind once again, but for now I am cherishing each silent minute and I am no longer deathly afraid each time the tinnitus demon returns.
Things are moving in the right direction. I really hope that in a month or two I will be able to post a tinnitus success story. A story of how my own body overcame the damage caused by a virus/bacteria.
last night I had my first natural sleep. No melatonin, and slept 8 hours without a hitch. What success!!
For now, the tinnitus is sitting at a comfortable 2/10. If it continues this way then I can happily live with it. I've, somehow lived through weeks of 10/10, and if things stay at a 2 then life is peachy again.
I don't want to preempt things too much though. 5 nights ago I woke to the worst tinnitus yet, a piercing thing that was more felt than heard. It was so bad that I had to pop 2 Valium to go to sleep again. Thankfully when I woke the tinnitus had once again subsided to a reasonable level.
Such a funny old thing this tinnitus. I hope it F*cks off for good soon, it's worn it's welcome out.
Hello, and thank you for reading,
Unlucky Eli
My story is similar to many I have read here.
Mine started 12 weeks ago due to a serious ear infection.
I was bed ridden for 2 days due to the ear pain. It was some of the worst pain I have ever experienced. Having limited knowledge of tinnitus I requested a very mild antibiotic because I hate to take drugs in general. I was prescribed 5 days of amoxicillin and went on my merry way from my GP.
A few days after the ear infection started I developed a very serious ringing/buzzing in my left ear. According to my browser history, 2 days later was my first google search for "tinnitus due to ear infection".
My tinnitus has been brutal.
Utterly brutal, brain buzzing that has been impossible to mask. I could hear this demon even driving at highway speeds, windows down and radio blaring. Within 4 weeks I went from 1) This is an ear infection, once it passes the ringing will stop to 2) oh my god this infernal ringing will never end, I wonder what the best way to end my life is.
It has been utterly brutal. So loud that I remember lying in bed, in utter disbelief that such a loud sound could be coming from somewhere inside me. Complete mental devastation ensued.
The good news is that things are improving significantly.
The past 2 weeks have been very good in comparison to the previous 10 weeks. About 2 weeks ago I had my first experience of total silence after waking. 20 minutes of complete silence. I didn't move a muscle. After 10 weeks of soul destroying noise I was lying in bed in complete silence. It was total bliss and my first indication that whatever damage had been done by the virus/bacteria might just be possible to heal from.
Of course the silence was once again disturbed by this incessant buzzing and ringing. The kind that will make you question your belief in god/zeus/fsm or whatever your deity of choice. The murderous blaring returned and I was once again plunged into the depths of hell.
I would describe my tinnitus as the ringing of Christmas bells if they were rung by a satanic Santa on meth. It was like this noise had me by the throat and was wringing every last bit of life out of me. I was psychologically spent.
The worst period was weeks 5-9. I went off the deep end. Complete destruction of the self. Suicidal. Complete disbelief that such a thing can even be.
My doctor put me on Valium which saved my bacon. During the very worst periods I would sleep 1-2 hours per night and drench the sheets in sweat the rest of the time. Valium gave me 3-5 hours of relief at a time and although it did nothing to reduce the tinnitus, within 30 mins I was once again able face the world without rivulets of sweat running down my face. I used Valium for approx 10 days and it was a life saver.
Melatonin saved my life. After sleeping for 1-2 hours per night for approx 10 days, according to my wife, I looked like a crack addict. I would sweat profusely, pupils contracted, very close to a manic state. Once I regained my sleep, I felt that I started to regain some control of my life.
The good news.
My tinnitus seems to be burning itself out over the past 2 weeks. Each silent period is longer than the last and within the last 2 weeks the intensity of the tinnitus has reduced dramatically. The longest period of silence has now been over 10 hours.
My favourite activity is now to go into a quiet room, plug my ears and listen to silence. I just stand there in a quiet, dark room and just bask in it.
Not out of the woods yet.
I'm certainly not there yet and I realise that the tinnitus could return at any time to destroy my mind once again, but for now I am cherishing each silent minute and I am no longer deathly afraid each time the tinnitus demon returns.
Things are moving in the right direction. I really hope that in a month or two I will be able to post a tinnitus success story. A story of how my own body overcame the damage caused by a virus/bacteria.
last night I had my first natural sleep. No melatonin, and slept 8 hours without a hitch. What success!!
For now, the tinnitus is sitting at a comfortable 2/10. If it continues this way then I can happily live with it. I've, somehow lived through weeks of 10/10, and if things stay at a 2 then life is peachy again.
I don't want to preempt things too much though. 5 nights ago I woke to the worst tinnitus yet, a piercing thing that was more felt than heard. It was so bad that I had to pop 2 Valium to go to sleep again. Thankfully when I woke the tinnitus had once again subsided to a reasonable level.
Such a funny old thing this tinnitus. I hope it F*cks off for good soon, it's worn it's welcome out.
Hello, and thank you for reading,
Unlucky Eli
Member
