My Tinnitus Has Become Increasingly Shrill, Vile, Angry, and Unbearable After Attending Outdoor Concert

[knk89]

Hello,

I'm here again after nearly 10 years of habituation. For context, I developed tinnitus from gun exposure in 2014. It took time, but eventually, I was able to live a normal life again. Recently, however, I attended an outdoor concert (with earplugs) on September 11th, and since then, I've been in the deepest, darkest place imaginable. My tinnitus has become increasingly shrill, vile, angry, and unbearable. I hear a cacophony of sounds, the primary one being a high-pitched, screaming tone that I can physically feel. It's as if my ears are both screaming and cringing at the same time. My left ear pulsates, while my right ear produces a Morse code-like tinnitus. To make things worse, everyday sounds are distorted, creating a reactionary feedback loop inside my ears.

I've been to several doctors since this started. They found no hearing loss, and my levels are normal. I'm currently wearing tinnitus hearing aids that emit a faint hissing noise, which helps to take the edge off, but not enough. I can only sleep with the help of medication and multiple sound maskers, as my tinnitus is constantly competing and evolving.

Looking back, I remember thinking my tinnitus was unbearable when it first began. How young and naive I was then. Now, it feels utterly overwhelming and unbeatable. I'm struggling with a profound sense of regret, blaming myself for being in this situation. I feel so fragile and deeply distressed by how unbelievably loud it has become.

I'm sending this message out, hoping and praying for anything I can cling to. Much love to you all, and thank you for reading.

 

[Mark F.]

How loud was the concert? Were you close to the stage or speakers? I'm sorry you're going through this. Hang in there! You went through this 10 years ago, so you know that things can calm down.

How bad was your initial tinnitus, ear pain, or hearing loss from the 2014 gun incident?

 

[UKBloke]

My tinnitus has become increasingly shrill, vile, angry, and unbearable. I hear a cacophony of sounds, the primary one being a high-pitched, screaming tone that I can physically feel. It's as if my ears are both screaming and cringing at the same time. My left ear pulsates, while my right ear produces a Morse code-like tinnitus. To make things worse, everyday sounds are distorted, creating a reactionary feedback loop inside my ears.

This describes my own tinnitus perfectly; the reactionary feedback loop being the thing that causes me the most distress. I attribute this to the addition of hyperacusis, and from what you've written, it sounds like hyperacusis has presented itself in your situation, too.

7 years ago my low-level garden variety tinnitus went haywire after 25 years of habituation. These past few years have been torture at times. In terms of dealing with this condition, one of the main problems I've faced, and in a way we all face, is the contradictory information online and everywhere else, frankly. For each person stepping up to promote a certain thing that helped them, another one chimes in with evidence to the contrary. It's difficult to say the least. The thing I think we can all agree on, however, is to try and prevent worsenings. Unfortunately, though, there are also a lot of contradicting points of view about how to do that, too, so essentially, you've just got to experiment and find what works for you.

I think another important thing to do is not put a time limit on when things can stabilise. There are people here who've improved in a matter of weeks but there are also people, myself included, who are a work in progress. Whilst everyone's different, I think the main thing to understand at the moment is that your symptoms, as crazy as they may be, are not unique. You're not going mad!

 

[Megd4483]

I can really relate to your experience—not exactly those events, but the re-triggering of symptoms. It sounds like an acoustic injury, and the first line of treatment is typically steroids. Advocate for yourself and find a doctor who can prescribe a Prednisone pack. This is impacting your quality of life, so be sure to say those words—it usually gets their attention. Doctors can be so dismissive of tinnitus, and I completely understand; it's a very dark place to be.

 

[Stayinghopeful]

I'm sorry to hear this, mate. Mine was like that too (I even had the Morse code sounds), but it did get better over a period of 18 months. I know it's really hard right now, and every day feels like a struggle, but remember that now isn't forever, and there is every possibility of things improving.

If I were in your position and knew what I know now, I'd focus on calming inflammation and soothing irritated nerves. Let your ears rest.

I found that fish oil, Curcumin, Magnesium L-Threonate, and vitamin B2 helped me.

 

[Mark F.]

@knk89, how are you holding up?

 

[LukeYoung]

It's honestly heartbreaking. We think enough time has passed, we've educated ourselves on what not to do, and we've taken precautions, yet we still can't enjoy some of the things we love. It's such a shame.

But you've been here before. All I can say is to rest up, keep doing what you're already doing, and take it easy. Aim to stay at 70 dB or lower.