No Hearing Damage, No Loud Noise Exposure — My Tinnitus Started Out of the Blue

[ChrisPK]

Hey everyone, thanks for taking the time to read this.

My journey with tinnitus has just begun. It started last week out of nowhere.

It's only in my left ear, and there hasn't been any hearing damage or loud noise that could have caused it. The doctor ruled out earwax buildup and infection as well.

I know anxiety makes it worse, and I have an added challenge: I have epilepsy and need to sleep well, as lack of sleep is a trigger for seizures. When I wake up in the middle of the night, I get anxious about not being able to sleep, fearing it might lead to a seizure. This worry then stops me from falling back asleep, creating a cycle.

I have an appointment with an audiologist who specializes in tinnitus in about four weeks, and I hope they can help.

I'm trying to manage my anxiety, but it's difficult.

Any advice on how to handle this and adapt would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

[billie48]

Welcome to the forum. Have you talked to your doctor about using prescription medication to help with anxiety and sleeplessness? If you've tried your best and still can't control your anxiety, short-term medication use may be helpful. You can always work with your doctor to gradually phase out the medications when you're ready.

I know how hard it is to manage anxiety and panic. I suffered from anxiety and panic disorder for decades before developing tinnitus, so when my ultra-high-pitched tinnitus hit me—soon followed by hyperacusis—I was overwhelmed with relentless anxiety and panic attacks. I had no choice but to rely on medication just to get through each day. I took benzodiazepines, antidepressants, and sleeping pills daily. After about a year, once I could manage the tinnitus better, I slowly tapered off the medications.

Medication isn't for everyone, though. If your anxiety is mild, you might consider natural calming supplements like melatonin or chamomile tea. But in my case, with extreme anxiety and panic disorder, I didn't have a choice. Now, I practice complete acceptance of whatever health challenges I face. Recently, I accepted the hearing loss in my left ear and focused on making the most of what I can still enjoy, like gardening, fishing, traveling, dancing with my wife, and walking in nature. I embrace both the good and the bad in life, and with this attitude, I'm finding that I experience fewer anxiety attacks.

I hope your situation improves. Take care, and God bless.

 

[ChrisPK]

Welcome to the forum. Have you talked to your doctor about using prescription medication to help with anxiety and sleeplessness? If you've tried your best and still can't control your anxiety, short-term medication use may be helpful. You can always work with your doctor to gradually phase out the medications when you're ready.

I know how hard it is to manage anxiety and panic. I suffered from anxiety and panic disorder for decades before developing tinnitus, so when my ultra-high-pitched tinnitus hit me—soon followed by hyperacusis—I was overwhelmed with relentless anxiety and panic attacks. I had no choice but to rely on medication just to get through each day. I took benzodiazepines, antidepressants, and sleeping pills daily. After about a year, once I could manage the tinnitus better, I slowly tapered off the medications.

Medication isn't for everyone, though. If your anxiety is mild, you might consider natural calming supplements like melatonin or chamomile tea. But in my case, with extreme anxiety and panic disorder, I didn't have a choice. Now, I practice complete acceptance of whatever health challenges I face. Recently, I accepted the hearing loss in my left ear and focused on making the most of what I can still enjoy, like gardening, fishing, traveling, dancing with my wife, and walking in nature. I embrace both the good and the bad in life, and with this attitude, I'm finding that I experience fewer anxiety attacks.

I hope your situation improves. Take care, and God bless.

Thank you so much for your reply—I really appreciate it! And hello to a fellow Canadian! I'm sorry you've been through so much, but I'm glad to hear you're doing better now.

I recently met with my doctor and received medication for anxiety and sleep. Melatonin has been a big help for my sleep.

My anxiety is generally mild, although it was quite significant when the tinnitus first started. However, I feel like it's been improving as I've begun accepting that I'll need to manage this condition.

I'm now working on habituation and believe I'm making small progress. There are times when I can focus on other things and not notice the ringing. Of course, it returns whenever I think about it, but I'm celebrating each small victory along the way.

I have an appointment with an audiologist in three weeks, and I'm hopeful they can help diagnose the cause. Based on my symptoms, I suspect it may be related to TMJ. I'm starting physiotherapy and acupuncture to address the TMJ, hoping it might reduce the tinnitus symptoms.

Currently, my main concern is finding the right sound for sound therapy. I'm trying to discover my mixing point but am unsure which sounds to use, as I don't want to make things worse. The tinnitus is a moderately high-pitched, slightly modulating sound in my left ear only. So far, I've found that water and cricket sounds seem to work best, but I'm worried that white or pink noise might aggravate it. Do you have any suggestions?

Thank you, Billie!

 

[RocketJSquirrel]

@ChrisPK, are you currently taking any medications that might be ototoxic? That could explain the "out of nowhere" onset. If you're unsure, feel free to list your medications—if that's not too personal—and someone might be able to suggest a possible cause.

 

[sspencermo]

I'm so sorry you're going through this. My tinnitus also started out of nowhere about a year ago. I don't have any obvious hearing loss, although they only tested up to 8000 Hz, and my tinnitus is around 9200 Hz, so I might have some hearing damage in the higher frequencies where they don't typically test.

Did you receive steroids? That's usually the first thing people are given. You can also get intratympanic steroid injections. None of these treatments are guaranteed to eliminate tinnitus, but they're worth trying. Definitely get something to help you sleep; sleeping well helps with everything.

Wishing you all the best—everyone here understands how hard it is, especially if it's new for you.

 

[billie48]

So far, I've found that water and cricket sounds seem to work best, but I'm worried that white or pink noise might aggravate it. Do you have any suggestions?

Generally, natural sounds kept at a reasonable volume shouldn't aggravate tinnitus. I even used water sounds during episodes of hyperacusis, but I kept the volume low. Sound enrichment is often recommended as part of TRT (Tinnitus Retraining Therapy) treatment.

 

[Casper40]

@ChrisPK, are you currently taking any medications that might be ototoxic? That could explain the "out of nowhere" onset. If you're unsure, feel free to list your medications—if that's not too personal—and someone might be able to suggest a possible cause.

 

[Casper40]

I would appreciate some views on this. For years I took one daily dose of 10mg Ramipril and 2.5 Bendroflumethiazide to control high blood pressure, not knowing they were ototoxic, with no seeming problem. Last week I told my doctor I no longer wanted to take them - she has started me off on 1 daily tablet 2mg Doxazosin together with the Bendroflumethiazid. I gather Doxazosin is also regarded as highly ototoxic. I will not take it.

I developed tinnitus in June this year together with unilateral hearing loss in my left ear.

 

[Nick47]

you currently taking any medications that might be ototoxic?

Unless they are on chemotherapy, high-dose NSAIDs, or high-strength antibiotics, they are not on medications that damage the inner ear. Some medications can trigger tinnitus, but that is different from ototoxicity!