My Experiences and Attempts with Mr. Tinnitus

[Garye]

Greetings fellow T sufferers

It started early October...2015 woke up one morning and there was that high pitched noise....but only on right side ear.

Next day it was gone! I was so thankful. ...however the next morning it was back again.

After a few days of torment,frustration,and bewilderment I saw my GP.

He was very sympathetic but of course could not offer a definitive answer...just Ribo flavanoids!

My Tinnitus when loud is very loud...nothing masks it.....and then it will subside or even virtually go away for a day....only to come back again...often waking me up from sleep.

I went to see my GP again...he knows me over 10 years and could tell how terribly distressed I had become. For the first time in my 59 years I was prescribed anti anxiety med. OXAZAPAM.

It was not not making much difference...my Tinnitus kept on cycling...2 or 3 or more days of anguish...and suddenly something switches off and I hear silence...sometimes with a faint electrical sparkly sound.

The first 2 months I tried the usual route. ..change in diet...no sugars..caffeine, booze.
Expensive raw juices like blueberry....zinc,magnesium,B12 ginko melatonin etc etc.

But Mr.T does its own thing regardless .

Another Dr.visit and we changed from Oxazapam to Xanax....plus something called Quetiapine Fumarate to help put me to sleep.

Prior to this I never took these types of meds in my life!

I went for a hearing test...Normal hearing loss for a 59 year old...but right ear slightly worse.

Stress has been an issue with me in the past...but not to the point of medication...a joint or two would be enough!

Because I drove a taxi for a living I felt it unsafe to drive with meds....so I am not working since beginning October.

But I had also booked a ticket back to Chiang Mai thailand,where my wife originally comes from..and where we have a small house outside the city.

I thought seriously about cancelling...but my Dr.
encouraged me to go and try alternative therapies. ..and to just try and relax.

I have been here since Jan 1 and will stay until Feb 22

During my time here I have been experiencing more good days.

Is it due to being in a different environment? The acupuncture I am doing here? Or this weird tea that was prescribed for me by a tradional Chinese doctor ?

 

[Garye]

I am also not doing the supposedly right things sometimes....drinking some whiskey. ..smoking some cigarettes ... For example...on Sunday my rt. Ear was damn noisy again...it goes right into my nervous system and affects my state of mind. However,I had planned to visit a couple of friends...so I pushed myself to try and socialize. We drank lots of whiskey,smoked...all the wrong things haha

And on Monday when I woke up it was gone. And yesterday too! Deliciously silent...just the normal sounds of life!
And I, as always,thought okay...that's it ......your healing

But this morning it's back again...but I am trying to stay hopeful that the trend is towards better days.

Since being here only 6 and a half bad days....the rest have been better...or really good.

At home in Canada the opposite..more bad than good day.

 

[Garye]

I am very grateful for the days of quiet...and continue to try and stay positive and hopeful that this weird short circuit between my ear and brain will resolve itself.

So my anecdotal advice is........ don't stress too much about what you eat,drink,etc.
Let your hair down occasionally ......

And as for the herb tea I am drinking.....the Chinese doctor asked me some questions,measured my pulse...looked at my tongue...and had this made up,specifically for me.

 

[Garye]

Who knows? But I figure it is worth a try. Since starting 6 days ago I have had 4 good days now. Again..this is anecdotal and I am not suggesting this is miracle cure....I don't even know what is in it. Haha....

 

[billie48]

Welcome Garye. That Chinese potion plus the holiday mood may work wonder to calm the nerve and ease the stress. That may be the reason for your getting better days. I live in Canada too. When I went to Hawaii for vacation after I had T, I felt the calming effect of the vacation mood. Also there were lots of distractions to focus the mind on something else besides T. So it is hard to say what works the magic. Perhaps you should get the recipe of that Chinese tea from your herbal doctor so you can get it from the nearest China towns when you get home. Then you will know if the tea was the reason your T is less severe or it was the vacation in a warmer place. Yes, Canada is tooooo cooooollllldddd right now for the muscle to relax when we try to go outdoor. I would love to get to a tropical paradise any minute, lol.

 

[Garye]

I'm on southern Vancouver island...not as terribly cold as the rest of Canada can be. But sunny warm days here in chiang mai do help. Wish I had a transporter...I would beam you over here !

 

[Garye]

And not sure if all those ingredients are available back home....I will continue to consume the tea here.....and probably have a bunch made here and bring back home.

 

[Garye]

BTW anyone with T who is in Thailand at the moment..feel free to call me and say hi...if your in Chiang Mai area your welcome to visit me...I'm here till 22 Feb cheers.

The last 2 days were so nice...today not so good....probably why I am back here on tinnitustalk. lol

It is my impression that many of us who get this are prone to anxiety before onset..and now more so......not because we are bad...but because we feel things deeply...and are deeply caring and compassionate people

 

[Garye]

Which somehow makes us more vulnerable to this rotten T.!
I consider myself as a secular humanist.
My motivation to be good has never been motivated by an external diety ...it just feels right to be kind.

 

[Garye]

Now my new friends are sleeping. ..lol its peaceful here...I am relaxing...my good hopes continue...yet my ear continues to rage tonight.....and ,as usual, I hope for a new and better tomorrow. ...

 

[Garye]

 

[Garye]

 

[Garye]

My friends lol

 

[billie48]

Ah, so relaxing, even your friends are enjoying it...
Mr. T is unpredictable at best. So it can come and go anytime. But if we can keep the stress level down, we can try to take away the fuel from it at least to make it not as bad.