New Tinnitus (Is There Anything Urgent I Should Do Right Now?)

[Lupo]

Hi all --

Noticed T beginning on Feb 14 during a quiet hike. Had recovered from a nasty cold that lasted from the beginning to the middle of January, with bronchitis afterwards. T went away, came back a few days later, has been constant since then. Went to my naturopath, he suggested nutritional support and said that I should see an ENT if it didn't stop in a week or two. Saw my regular GP, gave me Flonase and said the same thing. Made an appointment for the ENT for next week. Am also taking 480 mg a day of gingko.

T is not extremely loud, but annoying and freaks me out. Like a very high-pitched synthesizer playing a single note in my head. I love silence and miss it and am freaked out by the thought that I will never experience it again. I am convinced the T is ultimately rooted in stress; have been under severe stress from various life situations for several years. I am willing to do what I need to do to shift that and change my life and my attitude to reduce stress.

My main question is, is there anything urgent I should do right now early on in this process?

Best,

Lupo

 

[billie48]

Welcome Lupo. For T as new as yours, some members recommend getting steroid treatment asap. I never had the chance. If you are nervous with the ringing, try masking it with sounds that match your T. I have ultra high pitch T. So I used nature sounds which help to mask high frequency T, like heavy rain, waterfall, waves, even shower or faucet sounds. For free you can download 'aire freshener' to your PC and start masking. If you have smart phone, there should be APPs for sound generation. For mobile masking I used an ipod nano download with nature sounds from itune. At bed time you can try a sound machine like those from Sharper Image or Homedics. Some even get a sound pillow for this. If all these can't help you cope and your anxiety is acute, then perhaps as a last resort ask the doctor for some benzos or ADs. Remember to phase them out slowly after you feel better.

 

[Ricky81]

Steroids only work within first 3 days I think. That's if they even work.
If your T is from cold it might go away on its own.. who knows. Protect your ears. I take NAC and magnesium pills every night.
See ent,audiologist.

 

[Kathi]

@Lupo, you need to realize that tinnitus is just a sound and will not harm you--I know it's easier said than done but try not to focus on the sound. Involve yourself in things you like to do and try to think of the noise as a nuisance rather than anything more dire. If it is unilateral (in one ear only)--you may need some tests. The ENT, if he/she is knowledgeable will recommend these tests. Take Billie's advice about masking...it will give you relief. The less you focus on the sound, the better off you will be.

If your tinnitus is not loud it will be best to just try to get on with things....

 

[Stink]

try hyberparic oxygen therapy treatment and maybe NAC & melatonin & b-vitamins and this
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...lly-prevents-noise-induced-hearing-loss.7101/

GPs are useless. ENTs often too. consider yourself lucky (your tinnitus is mild).

what supplements have you tried so far?

 

[Sailboardman]

My acupuncturist said, if I had prednisone doses, starting a few days after T, it might have resolved itself?

Mine came on after a bout of Gastritis, which was viral in nature. Unfortunately, I waited several weeks before seeing an ENT, who gave me a prednisone shot and prednisone pills which were tapered off after a week. It helped initially, but I was to late in receiving treatment. He had also suggested a predinsone drip immediatly, but I chickened out and waited. After Waiting 50 days, I had an intratymponic injection done with cortiosteroids, but again, I waited to long, so there was only a slight improvement.

You have to do these things within 14-21 days after initially getting T.

Point being, the first week or so is critical it seems for cortiosteroid treatments to be effective. Discuss the possibilities with a good ENT Doc. (If you can find one?)

God Bless,

Sailboardman

 

[Lupo]

Thanks all, Lupo here, sorry to use a new account but I actually couldn't access the email I used when I signed up originally.

I looked up steroids and this page suggests that steroids can be used within 30 days of onset... I will ask about that ASAP. Also I know a hyperbaric oxygen place I can go to (benefits of living in the People's Republic of California) and will try that.

@Stink -- I do consider myself lucky but I wonder what the future holds :-(. Determined to stay positive though. My ND has me on calcium, magnesium, a general mineral supplement, a B complex, and bioflavonoids. I added 480 mg daily of gingko (24/6) after my own research.

Watched a bunch of Julian Cowan Hill's videos and I know there's a lot of snake oil salesmen out there but he makes a lot of sense to me. I know in my bones that stress was the basic factor underlying the emergence of T.

 

[Lupo]

@Sailboardman -- I wish that it was common knowledge for steroids to be administered quickly; I am right at the edge of the timeframe now :-(. Is there any literature on the effectiveness of steroids if administered early?

 

[Lupo]

@Stink -- thanks for that tip on hyperbaric oxygran treatment -- found this with data suggesting good results possible early on. I will get some sessions ASAP but do you know how many/how frequent/how long they should be?

 

[Sailboardman]

Lupo,

Google intratympanic injection and cortiosteroid treatment for tinnitus.

Good luck and God bless!

Sailbdman

 

[Kathi]

This makes me so angry! I saw an ENT within 4 days of onset--would've gone sooner but they couldn't fit me in. My ENT never even suggested prednisone--he just said, 'There there--as he patted my hand in a very patronizing way-- most times tinnitus goes away on its own or you just learn to live with it." He told me to give up salt, alcohol, msg and caffeine. So far, none of those things effect my tinnitus. My tinnitus cycles no matter what I eat or do--there is no predicting it. I'm just thankful that I am habituating and don't have a reaction to it anymore. I'm in month 17 and doing okay but it just yanks my chain that I could've had a steroid that stopped it.

My acupuncturist said, if I had prednisone doses, starting a few days after T, it might have resolved itself?

Mine came on after a bout of Gastritis, which was viral in nature. Unfortunately, I waited several weeks before seeing an ENT, who gave me a prednisone shot and prednisone pills which were tapered off after a week. It helped initially, but I was to late in receiving treatment. He had also suggested a predinsone drip immediatly, but I chickened out and waited. After Waiting 50 days, I had an intratymponic injection done with cortiosteroids, but again, I waited to long, so there was only a slight improvement.

You have to do these things within 14-21 days after initially getting T.

Point being, the first week or so is critical it seems for cortiosteroid treatments to be effective. Discuss the possibilities with a good ENT Doc. (If you can find one?)

God Bless,

Sailboardman

 

[Sailboardman]

Kathi,

When I was given the prednisone shot by my ENT, even though it was 4 weeks after getting T. My T was completely gone for close to 48 hours! GONE! After taking the 8 day, tapered course of prednisone pills, I had hours at some points, where it was totally GONE! Not a trace. I thought I was going to be cured. He said, I probably might have been, if I'd seen him a few days after the T onset. I'm still beating myself up about it!

I'm still struggling after 11 months and still can't habituate? When did you get to that point? My entire family has T and all have habituated, but over many years. I'm tired and frustrated, that I can't seem to get to that place fast enough!

Although, I have some down days right after acupuncture, but it varies week to week. I even had an hour and half last week where it was totally gone! I believe God intervened at that point.

However, It's worse when it comes back, because you think it Finally dissapeared! You're immediately yourself again, then boom! It's back!

Very strange and willful thing, this Tinnitus demon!

God bless,

Sailboardman

 

[Kaelon]

I have strong personal experience with prednisone (which also nearly entirely cured me of my tinnitus), but before I dive into that, we should dispel a notion right away by making it clear that there is no time-sensitive "cure" to Tinnitus. This is generally misinformation, or really, a misunderstanding of a groundbreaking study that had been conducted in the past that talked about a time-sensitive cure to hearing loss in very specific/rare circumstances.

In 1980, the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary conducted a comprehensive study and found that sudden deafness could be dramatically reversed if within the first 72 hours of its onset patients were administered a 14-day regimen of prednisone (starting at 60 mg/day). This treatment was less effective after the 72 hour window had passed and whatever spontaneous process to damage the hearing organs had unfolded would become permanent. This study, and its conclusions, were limited to sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) The sudden onset of Tinnitus - - without coinciding sudden deafness - - cannot be cured by this treatment, and this treatment can, in fact, do more harm than good.

A few notes about my personal experience with prednisone:

1. Like other steroids, prednisone is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent. It works on Tinnitus where a neuromuscular conflict is principally to blame (such as TMJ, neck/head/back pain, or misalignment). Prednisone can provide short-term relief, but once the treatment of prednisone has completed, Tinnitus will inevitably return. This was my case, when I was administered prednisone about 2 months after the onset of my tinnitus -- I was almost entirely cured for a few days, but this was short-lived.
   
   
2. Prednisone cannot be taken over lengthy periods of time because it causes adrenal failure in animals, and even when taken appropriately, if it's not tapered towards the end of treatment, can precipitate an Addisonian crisis. Therefore, prednisone - while incredibly powerful and can provide considerable relief to the small subset of people whose tinnitus, like mine, is being caused by some neuromuscular problem - is not really an appropriate treatment for us.
   
   
3. The recommended treatment for people who are dealing with neuromuscular problems as the cause of their Tinnitus is physical therapy that targets the principal dysfunction. In my case, my clenching of my teeth has caused muscular tension and spasming up my neck, back, and head, and this is forcing my eardrums out of alignment. This has been confirmed through numerous tests, and it's why prednisone helps me (because it calms the spasming). Physical therapy in my case is realignment treatment and wearing a orthotic device to prevent my teeth from clenching. Every person suffering from neuromuscular inflammation-induced tinnitus has a different etiology and the pathology of their Tinnitus, because it is primarily physiological (and not exclusively neurological, as is the case of those who suffer from damage to their auditory system), requires a customized treatment plan to address.
   
   
4. Prednisone, and other anti-inflammatories, do nothing to help people who suffer from Tinnitus due to neurological damage to the auditory centers because the damage here usually does not have an inflammatory aggravating condition.

So, as a general rule, we really need to get into the habit of telling people (one another, and new members) that there is nothing time-sensitive you can really be doing unless if you have experienced hearing loss. Most ENTs will prescribe prednisone out of an abundance of caution, and in truth, you can't really hurt yourself if you take a 14-day course of prednisone and taper it carefully. However, it's not going to cure you of Tinnitus; it might cure you of sudden deafness if taken within the 72 hour window, because this anti-inflammatory measure is preventing permanent damage to the auditory organs and nerves. Tinnitus, as a neurological artifact, exists in people who are suffering deafness as well as people who can hear totally fine. The best course of action people can take is to relax, see a couple of doctors for a thorough evaluation, and protect their hearing, as most Tinnitus resolves on its own within 180 days.

 

[Lupo]

Thanks, @Kaelon. You say most tinnitus resolves itself within 180 days. Where does that piece of data come from?

 

[Kaelon]

Thanks, @Kaelon. You say most tinnitus resolves itself within 180 days. Where does that piece of data come from?

Hi @Lupo. The American Tinnitus Association generally classifies Tinnitus into one of two periods: "acute" Tinnitus, lasting anywhere between 3-6 months; and "chronic" Tinnitus, exceeding 6 months. The measure is largely arbitrary -- they could have chosen 90 days, or they could have chosen 365 days as the acute/chronic cross-over marker. (Indeed, some other institutions, like the American Academy of Otolaryngology, use a 90-day marker for "sub-acute", 180 day marker for "acute," and then >180 days as "chronic". It's all guesswork.) However, what's important here is that the ATA has done most of its research to find that the majority of Tinnitus cases resolve in under 6 months without any active intervention by the person suffering from these cases. This is largely just a statistic.

 

[Lupo]

This is largely just a statistic.

It's a hopeful statistic for me, though.

 

[Kaelon]

It's a hopeful statistic for me, though.

Absolutely. However, I wouldn't lose too much hope if you cross the 6-month threshold and still have tinnitus. While it's true that the longer one has tinnitus, the more likely they will continue to have tinnitus unless if the underlying cause can ever be diagnosed and treated, it's always possible to have tinnitus resolved. My wife's uncle has suffered from tinnitus since the Vietnam war (caused, obviously, by damaged hearing), and it just resolved this past month when he had new hearing aids installed. He's so disturbed by being tinnitus free for the first time in 40+ years, that he's saying that he "misses" it and the silence is unnerving.

 

[Gosia]

Hello Kaelon,
I've had T for 4 weeks now..I cannot really track down the trigger, but the huge suspension lies on the fact that I used wax earplugs for afew nights . After the fourt night I woke up with a ringing ear . Since then the ringing has beeen jumping a bit all over my head so it's really hard to state where I have it now..I also have some heraing loss which was diagnosed far before T. My brain was doingvery well with it. I'm desperately looking for confirmation that it can go away even if there's a hearing loss. Doctor Nagler says it does resolve in 4/5 cases given a bit more time. You gave the statistics above. If it's true that most T has to do with the hearing loss and if it's true that most T resolve by itself within 180 days that means that it can resolve despite the hearing loss as well, is that right ? I really need to know it's right caus T is ruining my life and myself, I cannot cope with it mentally more than physically . There's nothing I want more now than see it go away , which I imagine is the case for all of you. I keep reading, but please , if you can answer my question..

 

[Chelles]

@Kaelon based on what you wrote would you say prednisone would work on someone with middle ear myoclonus?

 

[Kaelon]

@Kaelon based on what you wrote would you say prednisone would work on someone with middle ear myoclonus?

That all depends, @Chelles. If the severity and frequency is high, prednisone might provide short-term relief (but note, that prednisone's effects tend to always be temporary, because as soon as the treatment wears off - and most treatment is usually under 30-days - the underlying condition will be re-emphasized). I would see about an anti-spasmodic (like baclofen) in the effect that prednisone doesn't help, but you may want to try with prednisone first (a 10-day regimen-- by day 3 or 4, you should notice tremendous relief if it's working).

 

[Chelles]

@Kaelon thank you for your response. My middle ear spasms aren't 24/7 so I was thinking maybe the prednisone would help the days that my ear is twitching, however if you need to take it constant for 30 days or so I don't know how that would help. So far I've tried flexeril (muscle relaxant) and it didn't help at all. I've never heard of baclofen but I will do research about it thanks!.

 

[Kaelon]

Hello Kaelon,
I've had T for 4 weeks now..I cannot really track down the trigger, but the huge suspension lies on the fact that I used wax earplugs for afew nights . After the fourt night I woke up with a ringing ear . Since then the ringing has beeen jumping a bit all over my head so it's really hard to state where I have it now..I also have some heraing loss which was diagnosed far before T. My brain was doingvery well with it. I'm desperately looking for confirmation that it can go away even if there's a hearing loss. Doctor Nagler says it does resolve in 4/5 cases given a bit more time. You gave the statistics above. If it's true that most T has to do with the hearing loss and if it's true that most T resolve by itself within 180 days that means that it can resolve despite the hearing loss as well, is that right ? I really need to know it's right caus T is ruining my life and myself, I cannot cope with it mentally more than physically . There's nothing I want more now than see it go away , which I imagine is the case for all of you. I keep reading, but please , if you can answer my question..

Hi @Gosia,

Firstly, I'm so sorry that you've been dealing with this sudden onset of tinnitus. Dr. Nagler is right that very frequently tinnitus resolves within the first 90-180 days. However, there's no hard or fast timeline about this as it's unclear what neurological mechanism causes Tinnitus to "resolve." Whatever underlying condition caused your Tinnitus to kick in -- whether it's hearing loss or some other mechanism -- Tinnitus can resolve regardless the underlying cause. It doesn't seem to matter what that cause is: for example, I've read that some people with hearing loss from acoustic trauma have Tinnitus for 4-6 weeks, and then it just starts fading away as the mind adjusts. For other people who suffer from neuromuscular inflammation, it's a constant waxing and waning that gets better or worse with time depending upon the etiological origin. I don't think you should lose hope if your Tinnitus doesn't seem to resolve right away. In most cases, it will take some time.

Do you know what was the cause of your Tinnitus? Have you had thorough exams? There's nothing time-sensitive for you to do here, it's more about educating yourself what might be happening here. The vast majority of Tinnitus cases are never really diagnosed, so it could be a bit of a wild goose chase, but once you find a mechanism of action, just knowing that there's a cause provides people with a lot of peace.

 

[Kaelon]

@Kaelon thank you for your response. My middle ear spasms aren't 24/7 so I was thinking maybe the prednisone would help the days that my ear is twitching, however if you need to take it constant for 30 days or so I don't know how that would help. So far I've tried flexeril (muscle relaxant) and it didn't help at all. I've never heard of baclofen but I will do research about it thanks!.

I would meet with a real doctor, rather than an internet researcher like me. Baclofen is one of the anti-spasmodics used to treat TMJ dysfunction, and its effectiveness varies from people to people.

Myocloni are usually triggered by an underlying neuro-circulatory disturbance, so anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodics might be more like a shot in the dark. Generally speaking, a myoclonus will require mutivariate therapeutic treatments and this will typically include combination drugs, rather than any single drug. They do vary considerably, both in their frequency and level of debilitation, as well as whether they last acutely, chronically, or life-long.

 

[Chelles]

@Kaelon I did meet with a doctor he recommended magnesium and I've been taking it for months with no major relief and sometimes we learn more here than with our own doctors who are most of the time clueless when it comes to things like this.

 

[Kaelon]

@Kaelon I did meet with a doctor he recommended magnesium and I've been taking it for months with no major relief and sometimes we learn more here than with our own doctors who are most of the time clueless when it comes to things like this.

I recommend you try magnesium with Cat's Claw. Cat's Claw is an anti-inflammatory herb, much weaker than prednisone, but known for enhancing magnesium's effect. It's generally harmless, and if it works in your case, you'll know in under 2 weeks. There's a separate thread on the Alternative Treatments forum discussing Cat's Claw, but the dosage I found that works for my case -- which is spasming TMJ-related neck and head muscles - is 1000mg Cat's Claw taken in the evenings with dinner and magnesium twice a day.

 

[Chelles]

@Kaelon I keep reading good things about cats claws I will give it a try thanks.

 

[Beessie]

I recommend you try magnesium with Cat's Claw. Cat's Claw is an anti-inflammatory herb, much weaker than prednisone, but known for enhancing magnesium's effect. It's generally harmless, and if it works in your case, you'll know in under 2 weeks. There's a separate thread on the Alternative Treatments forum discussing Cat's Claw, but the dosage I found that works for my case -- which is spasming TMJ-related neck and head muscles - is 1000mg Cat's Claw taken in the evenings with dinner and magnesium twice a day.

Is it safe to take or should I consult my GP first?

 

[geg1992]

prednisone was amazing for me.

I had T that was 10/10, within a few days of taking it my T was down to a 2-3/10, I quickly habituated. 4 weeks later it got worse again though.

 

[Beessie]

I had T that was 10/10, within a few days of taking it my T was down to a 2-3/10, I quickly habituated. 4 weeks later it got worse again though.

Based on Kealon's story this could be because of TMJ?

 

[geg1992]

Based on Kealon's story this could be because of TMJ?

I got mine from an extremely loud concert, my hearing was pretty much gone for a few hours in my left ear. I blame antibiotics too.