MemberShort story: Tinnutis went away after 6 months.
Long story:
[I am in no way whatsoever connecting Tinnitus reaction to my medication changes below or recommending my medication routine to anyone. I think there are coincidences. I do not think medication had anything to do with changes in Tinnitus. Follow up with your own doctors for any medication recommendations. With so few validated success stories I want to submit documentation of my story.]
Lifetime of low Tinnitus as a professional musician in a range of 1-2 daily, 3-8 after loud events which always settled back down to 1-2. I usually put in musician style earplugs when encountering loud events. I was not dilligent enough to use a better protective system. Sometimes, would perform and after realizing music was too loud put in earplugs (bad idea I have since learned).
Acquired Intrusive Tinnitus on Oct. 10 2014 after exceptionally loud music event. Tinnitus in the range of 8 daily, 5-6 on exceptionally good days which occurred once in a while. Sleep, work and social life were significanlty disrupted. Work experience was loss of focus, hard to hear on conference calls, anxiety over quiet situations. Tremedous general anxiety. ENT specializing in audiology indicates that left ear sufferred 5 decible hearing loss in the high range (not significant) and right ear no hearing loss. Still, raging and angry Tinnitus persisted. Left ear solid 8, head 1-8, right ear 4-7.
After 2 months, right ear got quieter 0-5. Head 2-5, left ear continues to rage at 7-8.
Along the way, managed Tinnitus with sleep meds and masking (Trazodone & Lunesta). Initially tried Xanax. Cut Tinnitus in half but the wearoff was awful and Tinnitus raged. Made work very difficult. Masking was an around the clock exercise using a combination of non-sound cancellation ear buds and open air stereo setups.
For music performances used an elaborate in ear setup to protect ears from further damage.
For 5 months, little Tinnitus improvement, ability to cope and habituate became a bit better and I began to funtion after 4-5 months.
Minor to very little if any improvements of actual Tinnitus after the initual 2 month mark improvement thru month 6. Basically, beginning to sucome to the prospect of a liftime of Tinnitus (left ear 7, head 2, right ear 2).
Approaching 6 month mark, begin having (what I believe but yet to be verified by doctor) side effects of sleeping medication. Weakness and shakiness throughout the day. Have scheduled approintment with primary care doctor to have examined.
Stopped meds on Thursay 4/9 (didn't take that night). Experience very high anxiety and continued weakness. No improvement through Saturday morning 4/11.
Saturday, afternoon go for a long walk. Energy begins to return 75%, shakiness subsides some - still have it. During walk Tinnitus in left ear drops to a 0 (first ever significant drop). Head stays at 3, right ear at 1.5.
48 house have past since left ear (bad ear) drops to 0. Left ear still at 0-2 (similar to pre Intrusive Tinnitus), head 2-4, right ear 2-3. I attribute the head and right ear to little sleep because of unrelated events as well as pre Intrusive Tinnitus conditions.
Bottom line: left ear drops from from 8 to 0-1 after 6 months of angry, persistent, non-relenting Tinnitus at 8 sometimes 6 range (never a meaningful drop before this - not even for a moment). Keeping my fingers crossed that somehow my nervous system has adjusted to any hearing loss. Will continue my diligent protection routine and am following up with doctor(s) on potential drug side effects I have been experiencing.
Long story:
[I am in no way whatsoever connecting Tinnitus reaction to my medication changes below or recommending my medication routine to anyone. I think there are coincidences. I do not think medication had anything to do with changes in Tinnitus. Follow up with your own doctors for any medication recommendations. With so few validated success stories I want to submit documentation of my story.]
Lifetime of low Tinnitus as a professional musician in a range of 1-2 daily, 3-8 after loud events which always settled back down to 1-2. I usually put in musician style earplugs when encountering loud events. I was not dilligent enough to use a better protective system. Sometimes, would perform and after realizing music was too loud put in earplugs (bad idea I have since learned).
Acquired Intrusive Tinnitus on Oct. 10 2014 after exceptionally loud music event. Tinnitus in the range of 8 daily, 5-6 on exceptionally good days which occurred once in a while. Sleep, work and social life were significanlty disrupted. Work experience was loss of focus, hard to hear on conference calls, anxiety over quiet situations. Tremedous general anxiety. ENT specializing in audiology indicates that left ear sufferred 5 decible hearing loss in the high range (not significant) and right ear no hearing loss. Still, raging and angry Tinnitus persisted. Left ear solid 8, head 1-8, right ear 4-7.
After 2 months, right ear got quieter 0-5. Head 2-5, left ear continues to rage at 7-8.
Along the way, managed Tinnitus with sleep meds and masking (Trazodone & Lunesta). Initially tried Xanax. Cut Tinnitus in half but the wearoff was awful and Tinnitus raged. Made work very difficult. Masking was an around the clock exercise using a combination of non-sound cancellation ear buds and open air stereo setups.
For music performances used an elaborate in ear setup to protect ears from further damage.
For 5 months, little Tinnitus improvement, ability to cope and habituate became a bit better and I began to funtion after 4-5 months.
Minor to very little if any improvements of actual Tinnitus after the initual 2 month mark improvement thru month 6. Basically, beginning to sucome to the prospect of a liftime of Tinnitus (left ear 7, head 2, right ear 2).
Approaching 6 month mark, begin having (what I believe but yet to be verified by doctor) side effects of sleeping medication. Weakness and shakiness throughout the day. Have scheduled approintment with primary care doctor to have examined.
Stopped meds on Thursay 4/9 (didn't take that night). Experience very high anxiety and continued weakness. No improvement through Saturday morning 4/11.
Saturday, afternoon go for a long walk. Energy begins to return 75%, shakiness subsides some - still have it. During walk Tinnitus in left ear drops to a 0 (first ever significant drop). Head stays at 3, right ear at 1.5.
48 house have past since left ear (bad ear) drops to 0. Left ear still at 0-2 (similar to pre Intrusive Tinnitus), head 2-4, right ear 2-3. I attribute the head and right ear to little sleep because of unrelated events as well as pre Intrusive Tinnitus conditions.
Bottom line: left ear drops from from 8 to 0-1 after 6 months of angry, persistent, non-relenting Tinnitus at 8 sometimes 6 range (never a meaningful drop before this - not even for a moment). Keeping my fingers crossed that somehow my nervous system has adjusted to any hearing loss. Will continue my diligent protection routine and am following up with doctor(s) on potential drug side effects I have been experiencing.
