Scared and Depressed

[teabuzz]

Last Saturday, I went to a dance club to celebrate my friend's birthday. The speaker was right next to the dance floor, and it was so loud I had to stuff my ears full of paper towels just to tolerate the 3 hours we were there. When we got out, one of the girls in the said her ears were ringing, but mine seemed ok.

It's been just over a week now, and while the girl's ears have recovered, I have noticed a persistent high-pitched tone when it's quiet. On top of that, my ears seem extra sensitive to noise, and my right ear (which was facing the speaker) has that pressure feeling when you get off of a plane and can't pop your ears. I tried a fan at night, but I woke up in the middle of the night and found that even the sound of the fan was now repeating itself in my right ear.

I've found myself unmotivated and depressed over the last week, as I am very much an introvert and cherish quiet time (I actually hate clubbing and the music that goes with it, and only went to be with my friend). Now my quiet time is a constant reminder that the high pitched noise is there, and I'm scared to go anywhere or even use white noise because even that seems to get stuck in my head now. My doctor said it's possible the T will go away on its own and prescribed some prednisol, but I'm not sure if it's helping or not.

Anyways, just wanted to share my story. Thank you for listening.

 

[DebInAustralia]

get an audiogram

what dose of pred are you taking

 

[Bill Bauer]

There is a good chance that your T will eventually go away. If your friend (whose ringing had stopped) continues visiting those clubs, there is a good chance that eventually her ringing won't be temporary.

Check out the thread below where I summarize everything (26 tips spread over five posts) I learned about managing tinnitus after reading the posts on this forum for the past 11 months
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...itus-recently-this-info-will-be-useful.25741/

 

[teabuzz]

There is a good chance that your T will eventually go away. If your friend (whose ringing had stopped) continues visiting those clubs, there is a good chance that eventually her ringing won't be temporary.

Check out the thread below where I summarize everything (26 tips spread over five posts) I learned about managing tinnitus after reading the posts on this forum for the past 11 months
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...itus-recently-this-info-will-be-useful.25741/

Thank you so much Bill. I do hope it will go away, or at least become easily manageable to the point where I won't feel so constricted in life anymore. I have made it a point to carry earplugs with me now, which do help despite making the pitch that much more noticeable when I'm outdoors.

I appreciate the link with the tips too. I would never wish this upon someone else, but it does provide comfort knowing that I'm not alone and that many others have gone on to stop T from controlling their lives.

 

[Bill Bauer]

The first 4-8 weeks are the worst. Then it ought to begin getting better.

 

[teabuzz]

get an audiogram

what dose of pred are you taking

I made an appointment with my ENT, but they can't see me for a test until next month (gonna see if I can find a different ENT tomorrow, but there aren't many options here).

The pred is 10mg twice a day, although the doc prescribing it did so more for the fluid buildup behind my ears than for treating T

 

[teabuzz]

get an audiogram

what dose of pred are you taking

Btw, I saw that you sent me a message, but I'm not sure how to reply

 

[Dem]

Even if you will get better in following days, i would suggest you to gave up clubbing and concerts for ever, your ears are showing signs that they cannot bear that much volume, nothing is worth getting your ears destroyed.
...And earplugs aren't enough to be protected in clubs.

 

[teabuzz]

Even if you will get better in following days, i would suggest you to gave up clubbing and concerts for ever, your ears are showing signs that they cannot bear that much volume, nothing is worth getting your ears destroyed.
...And earplugs aren't enough to be protected in clubs.

Yeah, that's not difficult for me since I dislike clubbing in the first place. This was the first club I've gone to in over three years I believe, and it was only to hang out with friends =/

 

[teabuzz]

So the good news is, two of my doctors predict that the T will go away in the coming weeks. It helps to hear them say that, but at week 2 I feel like I'm starting to go insane. My heartrate is constantly up, I'm constantly in a state of worry and shock, and it feels like the T is getting worse, not better. I'm waking up 3-4 times a night despite white noise and other distractions, and just feel like I'm losing it...what can I do?

 

[Localboy]

I'm waking up 3-4 times a night despite white noise and other distractions, and just feel like I'm losing it...what can I do?

You could try temporary sleeping pills? Sleep is important...!

 

[teabuzz]

You could try temporary sleeping pills? Sleep is important...!

I think I will ask for anxiety pills if this keeps up. I feel like that's my biggest problem at the moment =/

 

[Dem]

Anxiety, low quality sleep and stress are really exaggerating symptoms, it's normal that you are shocked about your condition. You need to rest as much as you can. Stop caffeine for some time, try sleeping pills, maybe ask your doctor for Xanax or something. Just like Bill said, first two months are worst, all that we can do about it is to accept it, there is no real cure yet .
Reading forum is bad for your anxiety, but i think you should read Bills "manual" for tinnitus to get all needed informations, and then stop reading forum for some time.

 

[teabuzz]

Thanks Dem. I figured I'd post a quick update.

I tried melatonin one night, and it made my T spike up which just drove my anxiety even further. I then managed one decent night's rest, then last night, after a cup of Chamomile tea, it spiked again in my left, and thus far has yet to fully return to 'normal'

There are times when I can't hear it, even by trying, and others when it flares up like crazy or, like now, it changes tone altogether so that I can't ignore it easily. Most of my doctors believe it will eventually go away, but will take weeks at the minimum. I've read similar stories to mine and it seems like they average ~6 months to get better.

For the near term, my problem is my anxiety, which feeds into a lack of sleep and tons of stress. I was already a light sleeper before (needed earplugs) but now that's not an option, and I'm getting -maybe- 4 hours of decent sleep a night. I'm afraid for my job and my sanity at this point.

What's really biting me is the fear of it getting worse. When everything stays the same as when I first got it, I calm down a bit because I can deal with it through white noise - but in times like now, when one ear has a different tone than the other, it's hard to block out AND I worry that I've done something to make it worse for good. I wear earplugs everywhere now just in case, but that also makes the ringing that much more noticeable.

I have some good friends and family to support me right now, which is mostly what's holding me together...but I think I will need to ask for anxiety pills soon because I really can't sleep well and my heart is constantly racing.

 

[Bill Bauer]

I've read similar stories to mine and it seems like they average ~6 months to get better.

You have a positive prognosis, so I am not sure why you are so worried.

 

[teabuzz]

You have a positive prognosis, so I am not sure why you are so worried.

I think it's mostly the anxiety, which is in a cycle with the lack of sleep...I remember the first four days it started, I was able to sleep fairly well and it actually wasn't a huge deal. But then the tones started changing and the ringing would go up in volume at times, and as that happened, my anxiety got worse.

Right now I need to snap out of that cycle, but I am struggling. Even now my heart is racing despite being fatigued and tired, and I would take the melatonin again but after what happened the other night, I'm deathly afraid to.

 

[Bill Bauer]

which is in a cycle with the lack of sleep

I found that amitriptyline had helped me sleep during the initial stages of T. It is non-addictive and it doesn't make one feel drowsy the next day.

I would take the melatonin again but after what happened the other night, I'm deathly afraid to.

I have been taking melatonin for years (started taking it years before the onset of my T). But you need to take a really small amount.

make sure not to take too much of it.
https://vanwinkles.com/the-dark-side-downsides-side-effects-of-melatonin
"In 2001, researchers at MIT concluded that the correct dosage for melatonin falls between .3 and 1 mg."

Make sure you use some sort of sound enrichment. It is very helpful. The idea is not to drown out T, it is to give you something else to listen to, besides your T.
Check out
http://mynoise.net/
Or buy a device like the ones below
https://www.amazon.com/Sound-Oasis-S-5000-Deluxe-Therapy/dp/B018KUVEOM/
https://www.amazon.com/Cherry-Koala-Concentration-Relaxation-Sufferers/dp/B01FRW2WBA/

 

[teabuzz]

I found that amitriptyline had helped me sleep during the initial stages of T. It is non-addictive and it doesn't make one feel drowsy the next day.

I have been taking melatonin for years (started taking it years before the onset of my T). But you need to take a really small amount.

Thanks for the suggestions Bill. In my experience the last few days, both the melatonin and the chamomile tea almost immediately resulted in a spike in my T pitch and volume - the second night of which has still yet to return to normal. This is why I'm afraid of any sleep enhancing substances now, since for some reason they seem to result in amplified T for me even though nobody else (including my doctors) can think of why =/

 

[Bill Bauer]

You are probably right - it makes sense to listen to your body.

 

[john paul]

You sound very much like me when it started. I was very panicked by the spikes at first it was so un predictable and seemed to get worse the first 6 weeks. A trip to the dentist, 2 plane flights and 3 days in Amsterdam probably didnt help matters but i was blissfuly unaware to the seriousness of my problem. Things ramped up a lot when i got back and it made me realise that basically anything is possible and i was terrified by the odd bit of fleeting tinnitus i had. If it flared up I used to mask it with crickets and focus on my breathing if i was having panic attack. A couple of times it was like my head was about to explode. Id go to bed and it would be like someone grinding metal in my head i honestly dont know how i managed to get through it. Its been just over 3 months for me and things have calmed down considerably. I dont wake up to it howling anymore it pretty much flatlines now thank god and seems to be dimming away very very slowly. Im lucky i dont have to leave the house anymore so I'm really looking after my ears, in that way I'm blessed. If i go out in the street I'm wearing ear plugs incase. It will get better as long as you really cut out the noise to your ears. Breath deeply when getting of to sleep and concentrate on the noise of your breathing make it loud through your nose. I have ambience playing all night long to give my brain something to listen too as well. It does get easier i promise.

 

[teabuzz]

You sound very much like me when it started. I was very panicked by the spikes at first it was so un predictable and seemed to get worse the first 6 weeks. A trip to the dentist, 2 plane flights and 3 days in Amsterdam probably didnt help matters but i was blissfuly unaware to the seriousness of my problem. Things ramped up a lot when i got back and it made me realise that basically anything is possible and i was terrified by the odd bit of fleeting tinnitus i had. If it flared up I used to mask it with crickets and focus on my breathing if i was having panic attack. A couple of times it was like my head was about to explode. Id go to bed and it would be like someone grinding metal in my head i honestly dont know how i managed to get through it. Its been just over 3 months for me and things have calmed down considerably. I dont wake up to it howling anymore it pretty much flatlines now thank god and seems to be dimming away very very slowly. Im lucky i dont have to leave the house anymore so I'm really looking after my ears, in that way I'm blessed. If i go out in the street I'm wearing ear plugs incase. It will get better as long as you really cut out the noise to your ears. Breath deeply when getting of to sleep and concentrate on the noise of your breathing make it loud through your nose. I have ambience playing all night long to give my brain something to listen too as well. It does get easier i promise.

Thank you John, that is encouraging to hear. I am glad you are making progress as well. Hopefully soon you will not only be accustomed to the sound, but the volume will also be lower and it will not be a big concern for you.

I am mostly spooked by the spikes right now, but overall it does seem more stable than the first week and a half so I think things are starting to stabilize. I am wearing ear plugs everywhere to encourage hearing and prevent spikes, too. My doctor gave me some xanax so I hope to get some good sleep soon.

 

[Bill Bauer]

I also got better after I began protecting my ears outside of my home.

Check out the thread below where I summarize everything (27 tips) I learned about managing tinnitus after reading the posts on this forum for the past year.
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...eone-else-who-has-tinnitus.26850/#post-307822