Piercing Tinnitus — Getting Worse and Can't Escape It

[Allan1967]

Hello all,

My tinnitus has become so piercing in its pitch it almost hurts. I just don't know what is causing it to be so invasive. I've got no idea what frequency it's at but it's got to be high.

I started Co-Amoxiclav 3 days ago for this chest infection and I quit Venlafaxine 2 weeks ago and switched to Fluoxetine - I don't know if any of these are the culprits but it's just insanely loud and everyday is just a struggle. The Fluoxetine is numbing me up emotionally so I'm not sinking in depression but by God is it troubling me to the point where I'm almost wincing in pain from it.

Anyone any suggestions as to what is going on or anything that will take the edge off it?

 

[GSC]

Can you see if any of those are ototoxic?

 

[Allan1967]

Can you see if any of those are ototoxic?

Only one mention of the Co-Amoxiclav mentioned online - generally seems ok and but also contains Amoxicillin which is ototoxic so I read. I've had to stop it anyway as its giving me the trots.

Fluoxetine - like every other anti-d I suppose.

What gets me is this started after a noise exposure [playing a piano of all things] and it's been such a rollercoaster ride but I don't know if this is normal with noise induced tinnitus and my original tinnitus came from infection/ototoxic ear drops.

 

[dellwas]

Hello all,

My tinnitus has become so piercing in its pitch it almost hurts. I just don't know what is causing it to be so invasive. I've got no idea what frequency it's at but it's got to be high.

I started Co-Amoxiclav 3 days ago for this chest infection and I quit Venlafaxine 2 weeks ago and switched to Fluoxetine - I don't know if any of these are the culprits but it's just insanely loud and everyday is just a struggle. The Fluoxetine is numbing me up emotionally so I'm not sinking in depression but by God is it troubling me to the point where I'm almost wincing in pain from it.

Anyone any suggestions as to what is going on or anything that will take the edge off it?

Have a look here on the ATA list of ototoxic drugs known to affect tinnitus: http://www.ata.org/sites/default/files/Drugs Associated with Tinnitus 2013_Updated2017.pdf

 

[Allan1967]

Have a look here on the ATA list of ototoxic drugs known to affect tinnitus: http://www.ata.org/sites/default/files/Drugs Associated with Tinnitus 2013_Updated2017.pdf

That's pretty much every drug there is.

 

[grate_biff]

Anyone any suggestions as to what is going on or anything that will take the edge off it?

I'm tapering Venlafaxine and my pitch and the piercing feel of it has definitely worsened. Hopefully it will pass after a while.

IMO antidepressants or benzos are not ototoxic by themselves. But when one gets off them it can create a "glutamate storm" in your brain and ears which is potentially neurotoxic/ototoxic.

 

[PeteJ]

Your t 'stopped' or settled down for a day or two recently? Did you change anything since then?

My t is also high pitched and piercing. I think it is a high frequency. I tried to find out and thought it was around 4kHz but it I am just guessing. I might have done the check incorrectly. I don't know.

I am not taking any prescription drugs, though.

I hate this t noise. We are supposed to relax or learn to with this going on?

 

[Allan1967]

I'm tapering Venlafaxine and my pitch and the piercing feel of it has definitely worsened. Hopefully it will pass after a while.

IMO antidepressants or benzos are not ototoxic by themselves. But when one gets off them it can create a "glutamate storm" in your brain and ears which is potentially neurotoxic/ototoxic.

So you're saying coming off venlafaxine has created a spike?

 

[Allan1967]

Your t 'stopped' or settled down for a day or two recently? Did you change anything since then?

My t is also high pitched and piercing. I think it is a high frequency. I tried to find out and thought it was around 4kHz but it I am just guessing. I might have done the check incorrectly. I don't know.

I am not taking any prescription drugs, though.

I hate this t noise. We are supposed to relax or learn to with this going on?

It did...it went down for two days last week.

 

[Lane]

Anyone any suggestions as to what is going on or anything that will take the edge off it?

Sorry to hear about your painful spikes @Allan1967 -- I would definitely be looking at the various medications you've taken and are currently taking. It seems there's a correlation. I've been doing regular mHBOT, cranial sacral, self-acupuncture, etc., and believe the combination of things I'm doing are far safer and more effective for my mental and emtoional health than what any kind of medication could ever do for me. In fact, I feel quite certain just about any of the anti-depressants out there would just about kill me (whether or not it increased my tinnitus). -- Wishing you the very best!

 

[dellwas]

That's pretty much every drug there is.

Yes, it's a large list, and I'm not sure how they determine them, but I won't touch it if it's on the list. PS: You can also search on the FDA site for warnings on a particular drug. I've seen a few on it that list tinnitus as a cause.

 

[grate_biff]

So you're saying coming off venlafaxine has created a spike?

Definitely. Worsened noxacusis as well.

 

[CrystalB]

My tinnitus is also a very high pitch piercing sound, it hurts, it's so high. I think if it was more of a lower pitch I could deal with it a little better.

 

[Allan1967]

Definitely. Worsened noxacusis as well.

Should it settle if that was the case?

 

[grate_biff]

Should it settle if that was the case?

Yes, it should.

 

[PeteJ]

My tinnitus is also a very high pitch piercing sound, it hurts, it's so high. I think if it was more of a lower pitch I could deal with it a little better.

Same. Does it ever settle down? It does for me but only briefly. The longest period seems to start around 11 pm. Maybe it's because it's when my brain 'settles down?' I don't know why but it's the only way I can sleep now. It will spike or become more intense in the morning, anywhere from 7am to 11am.

Also, when I say it 'settles down' - I perceive the sound or t noise decrease in intensity. I don't know if it's decreasing in volume or pitch but it seems like it. Otherwise, it's going "haywire" or spiking throughout the day with the odd 'break's here or there. I don't think I can take this much longer.

How does one habituate to that kind of t?!?

 

[Allan1967]

I'm not looking for sympathy. I'm acknowledging what I am. I'm a loser. I've struggled for 6 months, I'm still struggling and I see no end right now. I just exist with this. This is no life and I'm beginning to hate myself.

 

[annV]

I'm not looking for sympathy. I'm acknowledging what I am. I'm a loser. I've struggled for 6 months, I'm still struggling and I see no end right now. I just exist with this. This is no life and I'm beginning to hate myself.

You are not a loser.

Could you try Clonazepam + Gabapentin combo? @just1morething has recommended it!

 

[Allan1967]

You are not a loser.

Could you try Clonazepam + Gabapentin combo? @just1morething has recommended it!

I'm trying to refrain from adding more chemicals to my system @annV . I've just come off Venlaxafine and I'm now on Fluxetine and I cant work out if its a spike through coming off the V or the F itself or neither.

I'm just not dealing with this; not coping; not remaining positive or optimistic. Everyday I wake up with a sadness in my gut that I cant describe and I wander into my day just getting by, not living, just existing. I've never had this before but I'm beginning to hate myself and that worries me as self hatred can lead to intense feelings of suicide and its the last thing I need right now.

 

[PDodge]

I've got/had what you describe, just so high pitch it hurts. It took me almost 1.5 years for it to chill out and me regain some sanity, I know it's a long time but it has gotten a better for me. It will for you too. My highest pitch ( and the only one that bothers me) has to be upwards of 13Khz.

 

[Allan1967]

I've got/had what you describe, just so high pitch it hurts. It took me almost 1.5 years for it to chill out and me regain some sanity, I know it's a long time but it has gotten a better for me. It will for you too. My highest pitch ( and the only one that bothers me) has to be upwards of 13Khz.

@PDodge

What do you mean 'chill out'? Do you mean settle down and not so high pitched or just your reaction to it?

 

[PDodge]

@PDodge

What do you mean 'chill out'? Do you mean settle down and not so high pitched or just your reaction to it?

It went from train breaks squealing in my head to a more fuzzy sound, the high pitch its still there but less grating if that makes sense.

 

[Margaret21]

I have several piercing high pitch sounds that actually hurt my ears. I can hear it as well as physically sense it, if that makes sense? Along with this I have constant head pressure, neck pain, shoulder pain, headaches, nausea, tmj dysfunction (jaw deviation 6mm to the right, which the deviation is better since getting splint therapy, I still have air bubbles that snap, crackle and pop on their own specially the left side, overbite, jaw condyles crack or snap while biting, right arm falls asleep several times through the night). Developed occipital neuralgia too. I've never in my life had all these symptoms until tinnitus arrived one morning while recovering from ankle surgery from a big fall I had in 2017. The only other symptom that came one month before waking up with tinnitus was floaters in my right eye. All the additional symptoms mentioned developed after the tinnitus arrived and the tinnitus has been the worst system of all because it is 24/7 screeching. Of course I now have depression; anxiety, and on meds which I never had to take. I'm debilitated by this experience and it's ironic I have every possible diagnosis that can cause tinnitus but still I don't know if the tinnitus is related to the fall, surgery, neck, tmj disorder, mild hearing loss in left ear? I never had any of these things before. I was very active my whole life. I hope I learn to live with this some day. We definitely need help from the medical and science industry. A huge virtual hug for all of us!

 

[Margaret21]

I have several piercing high pitch sounds that actually hurt my ears. I can hear it as well as physically sense it, if that makes sense? Along with this I have constant head pressure, neck pain, shoulder pain, headaches, nausea, tmj dysfunction (jaw deviation 6mm to the right, which the deviation is better since getting splint therapy, I still have air bubbles that snap, crackle and pop on their own specially the left side, overbite, jaw condyles crack or snap while biting, right arm falls asleep several times through the night). Light sensitivity, loss of balance sometimes, forgetful. Developed occipital neuralgia too. I've never in my life had all these symptoms until tinnitus arrived one morning while recovering from ankle surgery from a big fall I had in 2017. The only other symptom that came one month before waking up with tinnitus was floaters in my right eye. All the additional symptoms mentioned developed after the tinnitus arrived and the tinnitus has been the worst system of all because it is 24/7 screeching. Of course I now have depression; anxiety, and on meds which I never had to take. I'm debilitated by this experience and it's ironic I have every possible diagnosis that can cause tinnitus but still I don't know if the tinnitus is related to the fall, surgery, neck, tmj disorder, mild hearing loss in left ear? I never had any of these things before. I was very active my whole life. I hope I learn to live with this some day. We definitely need help from the medical and science industry. A huge virtual hug for all of us!

 

[Jazzer]

I have several piercing high pitch sounds that actually hurt my ears. I can hear it as well as physically sense it, if that makes sense? Along with this I have constant head pressure, neck pain, shoulder pain, headaches, nausea, tmj dysfunction (jaw deviation 6mm to the right, which the deviation is better since getting splint therapy, I still have air bubbles that snap, crackle and pop on their own specially the left side, overbite, jaw condyles crack or snap while biting, right arm falls asleep several times through the night). Developed occipital neuralgia too. I've never in my life had all these symptoms until tinnitus arrived one morning while recovering from ankle surgery from a big fall I had in 2017. The only other symptom that came one month before waking up with tinnitus was floaters in my right eye. All the additional symptoms mentioned developed after the tinnitus arrived and the tinnitus has been the worst system of all because it is 24/7 screeching. Of course I now have depression; anxiety, and on meds which I never had to take. I'm debilitated by this experience and it's ironic I have every possible diagnosis that can cause tinnitus but still I don't know if the tinnitus is related to the fall, surgery, neck, tmj disorder, mild hearing loss in left ear? I never had any of these things before. I was very active my whole life. I hope I learn to live with this some day. We definitely need help from the medical and science industry. A huge virtual hug for all of us!

On that morning when we wake up with this truly hateful 'Thing' going on inside our heads, we absolutely know that we cannot possibly settle for it - it is unliveable!!
We cannot - we will not live with it!

Gradually - gradually- very gradually, we find that we can just about live with it.

We get up, we do things, we walk, we work if we still can, and even though it is still there we gradually adapt to it, and very very grudgingly come to accept it, and only because there is literally no other choice.

This has been my experience.

There are a few consolations:
meditation is still possible,
food still tastes nice,
affection is still beautiful,
intimacy still lovely,
a walk is still nice,
children, the light of our lives,
grandchildren adorable,
then of course there's always
pussycats and doggies to love and look after.

Mine is severe, chronic, nasty, horrible,
but after five years - liveable.

Sorry about the rambling,
Take care
love
Dave x
Jazzer

 

[Margaret21]

On that morning when we wake up with this truly hateful 'Thing' going on inside our heads, we absolutely know that we cannot possibly settle for it - it is unliveable!!
We cannot - we will not live with it!

Gradually - gradually- very gradually, we find that we can just about live with it.

We get up, we do things, we walk, we work if we still can, and even though it is still there we gradually adapt to it, and very very grudgingly come to accept it, and only because there is literally no other choice.

This has been my experience.

There are a few consolations:
meditation is still possible,
food still tastes nice,
affection is still beautiful,
intimacy still lovely,
a walk is still nice,
children, the light of our lives,
grandchildren adorable,
then of course there's always
pussycats and doggies to love and look after.

Mine is severe, chronic, nasty, horrible,
but after five years - liveable.

Sorry about the rambling,
Take care
love
Dave x
Jazzer

Hi Dave, I needed to read this. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. A huge hug to you!

 

[PeteJ]

I think I feel like Allan. I think the high pitched, high frequency is the worst.

How many habituate to that? Not many. It's also bad because I used to have some relief periods.