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.

 

[knk89]

Update:

The vast, unbearable, persistent shrill and screaming tinnitus I had initially has faded, but what has replaced it feels even more dispiriting. I seem to have a severe case of reactive tinnitus. Almost all sounds, especially fans, air conditioners, refrigerators, dryers, running water, and more, trigger a multitude of whining and beeping in my head and ears.

Each night, I wake up to both ears screaming in Morse code, even if I manage to find a relaxing enough masking sound to fall asleep to. Now, I am forced to lie here in silence, listening to the war inside my head. I use cotton balls in my ears to try to block out any sound waves that might worsen my tinnitus, protect myself, or maybe even bring the sounds closer in an attempt to habituate. But once I remove the cotton, the Morse code-like beeping transforms into prolonged ringing, like a whistle.

To make matters worse, I keep collecting new sounds out of nowhere. A buzzing lightsaber sound now follows me everywhere. I hear it when I move or when there is any sound present. In addition, I have developed an electrical chirping in my right ear that sounds like a combination of a train toot-toot and an accordion. It is strange and either chirps violently or intermittently.

I am at a complete loss for words. It has been four months since this all started, and it feels like I am only getting worse. I have no life. I cannot sleep or eat. I am afraid to take the medications I desperately need. My anxiety, grief, and the constant barrage of sounds are consuming me. Even something as simple as a car ride is no longer possible because it just triggers additional ringing in my right ear. How is that even possible? How do I keep developing new sounds?

I am desperate for any positive advice, encouragement, or even friendship. I feel like my life is over, and I am ready to leave this place.

Over the past three or four months, I have tried everything I could think of. I have taken every recommended vitamin and attended weekly massages, but nothing has helped. All I can do now is sleep as much as I can and take multiple baths to pass the time. But even that has become unbearable. The days are long, and my condition keeps worsening. The baths, which once gave me some sense of grounding, now only amplify the sounds. They are too loud, too intrusive. And with that, the deep sadness and despair overwhelm me again.

How am I going to make it?

 

[Jupiterman]

This certainly sounds like a case of going from moderate (and habituated) to severe tinnitus as a consequence of loud noise exposure (at a concert).

Reactivity is a bad sign. It means two things: that you can't mask and that you'll be dealing with variable tinnitus.

It's a whole new world of suffering.

Taking medication is a risk as your tinnitus is more sensitive now and may react to the slightest thing, including what you ingest.

The only advice I can give is the same as everyone would give:

Protect your ears.

I hope that, in time, you will get some measure of recovery to reduce the sensitivity.

To the mild-to-moderate tinnitus sufferers reading this, heed the lessons:

1. Earplugs may not be enough to protect and prevent tinnitus from worsening at concerts.
2. You can become a severe case if you are not cautious.

 

[johnjacobjingle]

You've got this! Take it one day at a time—everyone here is rooting for you. Many people have been where you are now and have made improvements. Be gentle with yourself and take good care of your ears. Take it slow.

 

[morgank89]

Hello. We seem to have the exact same type of reactive tinnitus. You aren't alone. I believe mine is also from a concert. Crazy reactive morse code sounds. Can't eat. My whole life has changed.