Hey everyone,
I'm looking for some help and direction from those with broad knowledge of tinnitus, hoping someone can help me figure out the cause of my new or shifted tinnitus.
I've had tinnitus since 2017. At first, it was terrifying, but over time, like many others, I adjusted, got used to it, and even found it comforting. The first two years were painful, and I felt hopeless, but eventually, the tinnitus and all its reactivity lessened until it was barely noticeable. I was left with a steady "eeee" sound in my right ear and a softer variation of that in my left.
Fast forward to now—about five months ago (two months postpartum), my tinnitus went nuclear and has remained more or less the same since. It's only in my right ear, extremely high-pitched, and by most criteria, considered severe. However, my mental state is not severe—I feel disappointed, saddened, and bothered, but I'm not suicidal.
The unusual thing is that my right ear noise sounds like a very high-pitched Morse code, chirping, squeaking, squealing, and beeping all at once. It constantly changes, shifting between these patterns by the hour, often unpredictably. I have no idea what triggered this severe tinnitus.
Some observations:
So far, I've tried:
I should also mention that I was taking Klonopin and went through withdrawal. I'm now 15 months off but wondering if that played a role in this change.
Any insight or advice would be greatly appreciated.
God bless.
I'm looking for some help and direction from those with broad knowledge of tinnitus, hoping someone can help me figure out the cause of my new or shifted tinnitus.
I've had tinnitus since 2017. At first, it was terrifying, but over time, like many others, I adjusted, got used to it, and even found it comforting. The first two years were painful, and I felt hopeless, but eventually, the tinnitus and all its reactivity lessened until it was barely noticeable. I was left with a steady "eeee" sound in my right ear and a softer variation of that in my left.
Fast forward to now—about five months ago (two months postpartum), my tinnitus went nuclear and has remained more or less the same since. It's only in my right ear, extremely high-pitched, and by most criteria, considered severe. However, my mental state is not severe—I feel disappointed, saddened, and bothered, but I'm not suicidal.
The unusual thing is that my right ear noise sounds like a very high-pitched Morse code, chirping, squeaking, squealing, and beeping all at once. It constantly changes, shifting between these patterns by the hour, often unpredictably. I have no idea what triggered this severe tinnitus.
Some observations:
- If I sit still, it sometimes quiets down completely.
- Movement makes it louder.
- Running water and driving both make it worse.
- Pressing on the area above my mastoid bone (whether it's muscle or just my skull) immediately reduces the volume from an 8 to a 1, regardless of the pattern.
- When I had a fever for three days, the tinnitus disappeared completely, but it returned as soon as the fever subsided.
So far, I've tried:
- Ginkgo – No improvement, possibly made it worse.
- ALA – No noticeable effect.
- Chiropractic adjustments – Helped with my underlying "eeee" sound but did nothing for the high-pitched tinnitus.
- Diet changes – I've tried gluten-free, dairy-free, and keto with no success.
- Coffee – No difference.
I should also mention that I was taking Klonopin and went through withdrawal. I'm now 15 months off but wondering if that played a role in this change.
Any insight or advice would be greatly appreciated.
God bless.
