Newbie. Can't Sleep Worth a Damn.

[CantSleep]

Hey Folks.

I have had what I would deem mild Tinnitus since 2009. Unknown reason...I went to a lot of concerts, and was on opiates for a while due to a bad hip (I understand that opiates can harm the delicate inner ear).

BUT since Mid January, when I slipped on the ice and struck my head profoundly enough to see stars, it has gotten progressively worse to the point where it is loud enough ..as loud as a mosquito but with a pitch that is slightly lower and never waivers. It is constant. In my right ear it is not quite as loud and wavers in pulsating waves; sometimes it will shriek more loudly than the left.

I have an appointment with an ENT on March 16, one of the best I am told, but frankly I don't know if I can take this until then. I'm going out of my fool mind...can't sleep until sheer exhaustion takes over. I have tried tea, warm milk and honey, melatonin, various proscribed pills (amytryptlyline, and some other -ine), whiskey, meditation, reading boring crap, and finally praying & bargaining with God/universe... nothin'.

I will be looking at the articles contained here for help, but feel free to offer up your concoctions and advice.

Rob

 

[JFB]

I'm also new to this site and like you have had T for many years (2004).

My ringing gets louder every now and then and on those nights I play relaxation music softly in the background next to my bed.
Unlike reading and meditation there is a noise to take your mind of your T.
If you watch TV and your ringing is not so bothering, then try the music.
Hopefully this will get you through to your ENT date.
Something to consider to ask them is if your neck or spine has been put out of alignment from your fall and whether you need a chiropractor appointment. I understand this can affect T.
All the best.

 

[CantSleep]

Thanks JFB.

I should also mention... the T has entered and is influencing my dream architecture. I have dreams where warning clarions sound like my T, babies crying that sound like my T, dogs barking that sound like my T., etc. this bit of fun usually wakes me up...then I am up for the duration.

 

[Bill Bauer]

Have you tried "sound enrichment"?

The sounds of crickets should work well with a high pitch tone T. The goal is not to drown out your T, the goal is to give yourself something else to listen to, besides T. During the first 5-15 minutes after you turn on your sound enrichment, you will still be focusing on your T. But eventually your mind will focus on the sound enrichment too.

 

[John_415]

Hey there,
You had whisky for sleep haha. I did red wine to get to sleep since 1 glass of red wine increases melatonin production and is known to help sleep. About melatonin, its also found in a suppliment, you could try that.
On a more serious note, I had a lot of sleep issues as well at onset. You could:
- Make an appointment with a doctor asap (if you call really early at day, at least over where I live an appointment could be made within 1 or 2 days). You could ask for a sleeping pil. I tryed this at onset myself because of lack of sleep.
- You could find a different ENT with shorter waiting times like at a clinic. I tryed this as well at onset, just over the border here in Germany I could get an ENT appointment within 1 week and I found a clinic nearby where I could also make an appointment in less then a week. I went to the latter since I had to wait about 3 weeks for my current ENT appointment. Ironically I had an ENT appointment 3 weeks ago at a clinic because I had to wait 3 weeks for my follow up on my first ENT. The follow up is today, but I found this took to long so now I have 2 ENT's. Hope my story makes sense.
- You could try valerian root, this one works fairly well for me.
- You could try chamomile tea, which worked a little for me.
- You could eat mainly protein nearing bed time, I know that if I eat loads of white pasta, I sleep way worse. If I eat a big steak like 2 hours before bed I sleep lots better. Lower carbs at bed time always works.
- At the moment, I have some sleep issues myself (and I distract myself by writhing this text now). If I get sleepy enough, I jump into bed instantly with no delay.
- As said before, sound enrichment, that really does it for me as well! I found the perfect 'white noise' masking sound on youtube, downloaded it and put that on loop on my computer. For me its a waterfall noise.

Anyway thats what I can come up with on the fly. Hope something I said works for you, and im gonna study if wisky might work for me, perhaps that needs.. testing. Best of luck getting to sleep.

 

[CantSleep]

Thanks, Bill. I will try that next somehow. I've 11 days til my ENT visit. Cant wait.

 

[CantSleep]

Thanks John.

I have tried most of that stuff. I will keep at it tho. What choice do I have, right??

 

[Bill Bauer]

For sound enrichment, you can use a machine like
https://www.amazon.com/Cherry-Koala-Concentration-Relaxation-Sufferers/dp/B01FRW2WBA/
or
https://www.amazon.com/Sound-Oasis-S-5000-Deluxe-Therapy/dp/B018KUVEOM

or
http://mynoise.net/ + a cell phone...

 

[Sven]

There are plenty of youtube-clips offering different kinds of masking noise. I usually use the sound of heavy rain to mask mine.

Yesterday I downloaded the app "Neuromonics Alleviator". It's expensive, but free to try for 14 days. I found the audio tracks relaxing and dozed off. You do a hearing test first and they claim to adapt the background sound in the audio files to match your hearing.

 

[glynis]

Amitryptaline or Nortriptyline can help sleep when increased to the right dose for you.
50mg is what I take.
Love glynis x

 

[TheDanishGirl]

One word: Mirtazapin

It works wonders for sleeping, and is regarded as one of the safest AD's to take when you have T.