Psychiatrist with Tinnitus: My Goal Is to Try TMS or the Susan Shore Device

[virginiadoc]

Hi, I am a psychiatrist with chronic tinnitus for at least seven years, possibly longer. I have no known ear trauma or exposure to ototoxic substances and no hearing loss. I believe the cause may have been either daily aspirin use or sleep deprivation from working very long hours in hospitals.

My tinnitus is constant and never goes away. It's a very high-pitched whine. No medication has reduced it except Xanax, which helps me sleep.

My tinnitus feels like it is part of the physical structure of my head. However, no amount of pressure, massage, or acupuncture affects it. I do experience some overlapping, similar tones when tensing my jaw, so I'm fairly certain it's structural, possibly involving ligaments or tendons.

My goal is to try TMS or the Susan Shore Device. If those don't work, I'm pretty sure nothing will.

 

[Jupiterman]

I doubt sleep deprivation caused your tinnitus.

 

[momus]

Sounds like my tinnitus. I sometimes forget about it, but it's mostly there 24/7. I would suggest moving to a place with weather that allows you to be outside as much as possible, where ambient noise can help drown it out. That might sound extreme, but I would live almost anywhere for a chance to reduce my tinnitus.

When I moved from Arizona to Arkansas, my tinnitus got louder due to the high humidity. My plan was to move to Corpus Christi because it's really warm there, and I love the water and beaches. Unfortunately, a pit bull almost tore my leg off a week ago while I was on my eBike. Today, they told me it will be a 12- to 18-week recovery, so moving will have to wait.

 

[Ozhe]

Hi @virginiadoc,

We have similar cases, but my tinnitus is more recent—just a little over a year. I have also considered magnetic stimulation and hope the protocols will become safer.

The neurophysiologist told me they would apply an inhibitory frequency, but everything is still under investigation and has not been approved by the FDA.