My Tinnitus Disappeared Again

[Fish]

After a horrible week that got me really anxious and depressed, my tinnitus completely disappeared just an hour ago. I double-checked this in a silent room and it really is gone. I didn't do anything special, took my meds as usual, I have no idea what to think about this, there must be something that triggers it and makes it go away. I know it will be back eventually. What to do, I'm completely confused.

 

[Markku]

I would be quite - quite is an understatement - happy to be in your shoes.

Most chronic tinnitus sufferers would give a lot to have longer durations of silence.

But, I guess it can drive you nuts when it randomly goes on and off.

Don't take this in the wrong way, but I think stress has a lot to do with your tinnitus.

From your posts I've gathered you get extremely anxious very easily, or have been anxious and stressed lately after you noticed the tinnitus. Of course, many people are when first struck with tinnitus, but for some reason (maybe my senses are totally wrong here!) I think you are even more than usual. Just a gut feeling.

I'm not saying the whole thing in your case is stress related, who knows, but since you do experience these remissions, you might have a very tinnitus-free future ahead of you.

You shouldn't overthink why the tinnitus goes and comes - if that is doable, I don't know. It's possible you'll never know the mechanisms behind this experience.


Maybe this time the tinnitus won't return, we'll see.

 

[Fish]

You are right Markku. I guess I am a bit neurotic and easily distressed, especially with this new situation. Though my T started in probably the most calm time since many years - finished the university and summer holiday started.

The silence lasted for one hour, the whistle is back now but is tolerable. It's very stressful when it comes back though. Great disappointment How to habituate when it's changing so much...

 

[Markku]

You are right Markku. I guess I am a bit neurotic and easily distressed, especially with this new situation. Though my T started in probably the most calm time since many years - finished the university and summer holiday started.

The silence lasted for one hour, the whistle is back now but is tolerable. It's very stressful when it comes back though. Great disappointment How to habituate when it's changing so much...

Yep, that is a concrete problem.

I need to be realist here and say that TO ME it seems like if the tinnitus varies a lot, or even goes away every now and then, then habituation is at least a bit more difficult to achieve.

But it isn't impossible. I've been on different tinnitus forums since '10, and I know people who have fluctuating tinnitus. And all I know have been able to habituate quite successfully.

It probably takes a little more time compared to those with constant tonal tinnitus.

Think about a freezer: it can be quite silent at times, and then once in a while (e.g. when you put new items in it) makes more of a noise. Most people don't pay attention to that changing noise, at least I don't.


I'm just so interested what causes your tinnitus to go completely away at times, and not for few seconds but for a considerable while. It's mind-boggling.

Just need to hope that sooner or later it stays off. I wish there was some magic I knew how to make that happen

 

[Karl]

I agree with Markku, that for tinnitus to come and go seems to be very unusual. Reminds me of another recent post by "mike", where he said that his went away for a short time. Seems very similar to Fish's experience. Perhaps Fish's medicine is working for him.

I have read about some people with neurological damage, who took gabapentin and their tinnitus went away. That medicine appears to work for people with certain conditions.

 

[erik]

Karl what type of neurological damage?

 

[Karl]

Karl what type of neurological damage?

erik -
In the Winter 2011 issue of "Tinnitus Today", there is a letter, "My Tinnitus Cure" describing how gabapentin helped one person's tinnitus:

"For many years, I had serious tinnitus...I visited an academic neurologist specializing in epilepsy and electricity in the brain. His diagnosis was a lesion on my brainstem that caused a rare form of reflex epilepsy...He prescribed gabapentin....As I left his office that day, he also made the comment that the gabapentin would likely also cure my tinnitus. Within a day, my tinnitus had decreased in severity and frequency by 90%. I have taken 1,500 mg gabapentin daily these last few years and my tinnitus remains abated."

So, this person had a lesion on his brainstem. Otherwise, gabapentin has no benefit.

 

[Fish]

Hi guys,

According to this gabapentin study gabapentin is not any better than placebo in treating tinnitus...

Yesterday it was bad. Today T is not completely gone, but I see an improvement again. I'm starting to see a pattern here and have an another idea what might trigger it, but I will not jump into conclusions.

By the way, ENT doctors really do hate tinnitus patients don't they? ENT doctor I visited today seemingly tried to break a speed record, I left his office after like 3 minutes. He just looked at my test results, told me everything is fine and asked what do I expect from him. Lastly he prescribed me more betaserc and piracetam. Quoting him, "there are no better drugs to treat tinnitus as of today, they need to be taken at least 2 months for full effect." Hope he knows what he is doing

 

[gary]

I,ve had T 4 weeks now. At first it would come and go every few days, some days a 10+ some days 2-4 on a 1-10 scale. My ENT put me on steroids last week, the kind that you take for six days then five, four etc. Well the first day I started taking them after breakfast, the day before that and even that morning it was only a 2-3

I took the steroids, and since then it has been a 10+ everyday. Finished them up yesterday, still at a 10+ I see my ENT next week. For me steroids did not help, unless there is some sort of time delay.

 

[Karen]

Gary, My neurotologist did the same with me (steroids) two years ago, when my severe tinnitus started. The doctors like to rule out any possible inflammation or infection that might be causing the tinnitus. It didn't work for me; I am sorry it hasn't worked for you, so far, either.

It could be that the steroid has stirred up your tinnitus, and that it will settle back down after you complete the course of the medicine. I've learned that there are a lot of things that rev up my tinnitus. Mine got worse two days ago, when I went to the dentist for cleaning/checking my teeth. It has calmed back down again today, and seems softer this evening. Hope the same happens for you!

 

[gary]

Hi Karen, thank you for sharing your steroids experience. I finished them yesterday. hope I can get back to at least where I was, a few good days then a few bad days, at least I get a little relief. If not then it is what it is, I will look into counseling for dealing with it.

The "Michigan Ear Institute" is about 45 minutes away, his (ent) nurse told me sometimes he sends his patients there.

So it seems that I do have a few options.

Don't know what the ENT wants to try next when I see him next week.

Today is the best day I have had, as far as ignoring the noise, I hope this is the beginning of me getting used to it, like others here have.

I have been taking pain killers I had left over from my open heart surgery in May. I take them to get me somewhat numb, they do not effect the noise in any way, other than getting me high and chilling me out.

I know narcotics is not the answer, but like I told the ENT, for now I will do what I have to do to get a grip..

Glad the T has calmed down for you.....

 

[click]

Hi all - betaserc is just betahistine which my GP gave me when this T started in April. She said that it can't cure anything but that it can help with middle ear vertigo - dilates the blood vessels.. increases blood flow - that it was normally prescribed for vertigo/dizziness and that some people with these symptoms also said that their tinnitus volume went down a little when taking it.
It made me shake. Stopped taking it and found out later that it also can cause insomnia - at that point the T was stopping me sleeping & I was taking something that could have made that worse! I think piracetam is another anti vertigo drug.