My 3 Month Introduction to Hell

[punkaddict]

It depends on the db level honestly. If your ears feel weird or uncomfortable then you know the plugs aren't cutting it and you should slip the muffs on. If you have to absolutely go, then maybe test out a little drumming by yourself at first, with muffs and ear plugs on to see if it the change is drastic. Chelated magnesium is the best for ear health I believe - aka magnesium glycinate. I think? Maybe ask others here, or check out the magnesium thread in the search bar.

I ordered magnesium citrate from Amazon since reading about it today, but not coming till Monday so too late for gig. Usually when I practice with the band with amps and everything, I stick an ear plug in my right ear where I believe my hearing loss and T is, afterwards my left ear feels a bit funny and the right ear generally feels fine. I don't think I get any increase. I'll bring 2 for both ears just in case, do you think that's enough to go on? The gig will probably be the same volume

 

[Ken219]

I'm playing my first punk gig tomorrow since tinnitus onset

I implore you not to play. I do not see an upside to you playing loud music. G-D bless.

 

[punkaddict]

They're pretty good ear plugs, ones that mould into your ear rather than plain yellow cylinder ones. I'll probably invest in high-grade ones when I get the chance

 

[punkaddict]

I implore you not to play. I do not see an upside to you playing loud music. G-D bless.

Thanks for the advice, but drumming in a band is my dream, for better or worse. The upside is living a life I want to live apart from sitting at home, listening to T feeling near suicidal. I understand the downside of being unfortunate and making it worse, but screw it, I'm gonna try my best to prevent it. If it doesn't work and it gets louder, that's just what I'll have to deal with, I'm not giving up my dreams because of some ringing. The level I have it already makes me depressed and no improvement or cure will lead me to suicide anyway, I'd rather live how I want to live before dying than living a boring life for the same outcome

 

[acute]

headphone cessation and T reduction

I recommend you to avoid the use of headphones in the first months of T.

I know your case it's different, because as you say, you are a drummer and you don't want to let the T ruin your drumming career. But maybe just for information purposes, I tell you that at least in my case, when I used headphones they made my T worse for sure... I have not used headphones again and I am better, maybe it's just something natural as time passes.

 

[punkaddict]

I tell you that at least in my case, when I used headphones they made my T worse for sure... I have not used headphones again and I am better, maybe it's just something natural as time passes.

Would you say your reduction was very significant or just minor, and it's still fairly annoying?

If stopping headphones means a minor reduction, it isn't really worth it in my case. I can still sleep, it's just hearing it quiet or loud makes me depressed. I can't slow my career for a minor reduction that will continue to depress me.

Plus playing drums with headphones playing or not, is still the equivalent of quiet headphone use, so cutting out all moderate noise would mean stopping my practice, which I refuse to do

 

[punkaddict]

If continuing drumming and headphones makes the T stay, which it would likely do anyways, so be it. "Live Fast, Die Young" - Circle Jerks

 

[punkaddict]

Back from a night of drinking and punk rocking, wore Ear peace ear plugs and I think I'm fine, maybe a tiny bit louder but that's probably from drinking, hopefully it goes down to baseline soon enough

 

[Vicki14]

Hey,
So sorry to hear of your bad experience and I truly hope that your ringing calms somewhat... if not, hopefully your brain will adjust a bit better. I can relate somewhat to your post... I had a micro suction procedure carried out by a reckless audiologist who absolutely assured me that it couldn't worsen my very mild t. Guess what... it did and some... hypercausis thrown in too and not a day goes by that I'm not infuriated by his lies and deception. We're cash cows when it comes to the likes of this.

Hope things work out ok for you x

 

[Mathieulh]

Always have ear wax removed by a professional (usually a GP or an ENT)! Don't try to save a few bucks or some time by doing it yourself, too much can go wrong, this amounts to what would essentially be a self induced surgical procedure, the pressure exerted by the syringe can damage the eardrum or the vibrations upon removal, damage the cochlear's cilia. I wish more people knew about this and awareness was raised.

Ear wax removal syringe should be made illegal, despite the possible long term side effects being low, they exist for something that could be safely performed by most GPs.

I wish you do get better and I feel sad for what's happened to you. Hearing loss and tinnitus are overlooked despite the fact that more and more people get afflicted from these conditions :/

 

[Mister Muso]

Hi

First let me say I'm sorry for your trauma, but also what a well written post that was. You had me hooked on every word!. Do you do writing professionally or for fun?

As others have said it sounds like your tinnitus is fairly mild. That's not to say it isn't a problem, especially as you are young and wondering what's ahead.

I had mild tinnitus for 12 years, which was only a little upsetting and was well habituated to it. Until I got careless six weeks ago and didn't protect my ears at a concert. Been going through increasing levels of hell since then.

Don't let things get worse. Learn all you can here, get stocked up with ear plugs and whatever else you need to stay safe. Do something that makes you happy each day.

Graham

 

[bellecooper77]

hello, fellow 18 year old here! I used earbuds every day throughout high school, for the most part it was too loud. I haven't listened to music through earbuds since I got tinnitus, which was 3 months ago.
Since we are both young and our tinnitus is fairly mild, im sure we will continue to heal and get better.
Are you planning on going to college/university in the fall? If you are, pile up on the earplugs. We are going to be going through a time in our lives where we are exposed to more noise than ever, and we dont want to get worse.
Wishing you all the best!
- Belle

 

[Mathieulh]

If continuing drumming and headphones makes the T stay, which it would likely do anyways, so be it. "Live Fast, Die Young" - Circle Jerks

While

If continuing drumming and headphones makes the T stay, which it would likely do anyways, so be it. "Live Fast, Die Young" - Circle Jerks

Unfortunately, your ears become more fragile after a noise trauma, even if they do recover they will be at increased risk of a relapse in tinnitus or hearingloss, or if they don't, an increase of it.

The truth to the matter is that human ears have not adapted to cope with a sound source that's too close to them, low volume will only decrease the risk, but it won't stop damaging your ears, the proximity plays a role, so the longer you listen to headphone. Even at low volume prolongued chronic exposure to headphones will damage your ears.

If you occasionaly use headphones at low volume for short periods of time, the risk for permanent hearingloss will likely be low, albeit still exist in some fashion, it is still reasonable if one is reasonable with their use.

That said, using headphones of any kind, and in any duration (other than very short, very low volume exposure, such as during an audiogram), early after the onset of a noise trauma, is playing with fire.

You need to give the time for your ears to recover whatever damage is not yet irreversible, this can (and will likely) take months, (perhaps even up to a year in certain cases), and will definitely not happen overnight, by using headphones or exposing yourself to a very close source of noise, or loud noises, within the months of your trauma, you risk permanantly damaging/killing weakened earcells that could have had recovered, given time, and thus cause futher irreversible damage to your ears, something that, trust me on this, you don't want happening to you, the more damaged your ear becomes, the louder goes the tinnitus, the more frequencies it gets and the more hearingloss you get, this is how one can easily go from a mild case of tinnitus to a severe one.

Don't play with fire, keep your ears safe even if that means not using headphones for a few months, that's much better than the alternative. Headphones used to be a huge part of my life, and I am all willing to give it up for the rest of my life, if that means not increasing my tinnitus or not suffering a relapse (if it ever fully goes away).

Even more so as I have experienced what a severe debilitating tinnitus sounds and feels like, even if that was for a few days (I still have tinnitus, it's just not as severe as it was, no earlier than 5 days ago). This is not something I am willing to go through again, I still experience the occasional loud tinnitus flare, I had a reoccurence of my loud, high pitched tinnitus earlier tonight at around 5am which woke me up and lasted for hours.

I am fairly certain that had I used headphones after I noticed my tinnitus, it would still be severe and extremely loud and would not have subsided to the level it is now.

Take care of your ears and don't play with fire.

 

[punkaddict]

Always have ear wax removed by a professional (usually a GP or an ENT)! Don't try to save a few bucks or some time by doing it yourself, too much can go wrong, this amounts to what would essentially be a self induced surgical procedure, the pressure exerted by the syringe can damage the eardrum or the vibrations upon removal, damage the cochlear's cilia. I wish more people knew about this and awareness was raised.

I wish someone had told me this beforehand, it was all just so stupidly manipulative. As I said, I was very wary at first. If it had just been bought from a chemist with no recognition online, I wouldn't have trusted it for a second.
But no, the amazon page was all professional looking, many mentions of it being safe and easy and how I'm in "safe hands" whilst using it, practically no risk mentioned at all and thousands upon thousands of top reviews commending it's safety, some even saying it's safer than GP's.

I can't blame myself really, if I had this alien humming in my head and this highly recommended object said it could safely help my situation without needing to wait, why wouldn't I at least try? It's so so so utter bullshit. I did see beforehand websites mentioning not to put things in your ears (cotton buds, paperclips) and the few reviews mentioning potential danger, but there was no official warning, no precautions to take, no mention of how this could potentially ruin my ears, just a few warnings in a sea of cruel positivity. Even if I stopped myself at first, I know I would have gone to bed, have the noise blaring, go over the reviews again and again and be convinced to use it

Ear wax removal syringe should be made illegal, despite the possible long term side effects being low, they exist for something that could be safely performed by most GPs.

Very much agree, the fact that amazon approves and highlights dangerous shit like that is disgusting. I wish my mum could have just left me be but no she was tricked, I was tricked and if this means no silence ever again, I just want to put a bullet through my brain. My mum essentially assisted my eventual suicide and it's fucked

 

[punkaddict]

Don't play with fire, keep your ears safe even if that means not using headphones for a few months, that's much better than the alternative. Headphones used to be a huge part of my life, and I am all willing to give it up for the rest of my life, if that means not increasing my tinnitus or not suffering a relapse (if it ever fully goes away).

If I'm honest, I've given up hope of this going naturally. I'll do things to make sure it doesn't get louder like wear earplugs and listen to low volumes, but I'm not letting it destroy my only joy in life which is music. I shouldn't even have it, what I used should have been safe as it said, if it permanently fucks up my life, that's the fault of all the scum approving it. I'm giving the world a chance to fix and cure this mess it's made of my life in the next decade. If not, I'll happily end my life. I'm not putting up with this manipulated bullshit my entire shitty life