- Apr 14, 2021
- 39
- Tinnitus Since
- 04/2021
- Cause of Tinnitus
- C1,C2 Misalignment/TMD
Hey Folks!
34-year-old musician here. I'll start with that. But I will also start with the fact that my ENT says my hearing is perfect and believes that my tinnitus is NOT hearing related. She has said this several times. I know that among these groups, often, we can have the tendency not to trust doctors (and I totally understand and relate to this), but I tend to trust her. She is a well-known specialist on the issue. Let me start with my symptoms, and what's been happening.
When did my symptoms start?
1. About 2 weeks since it started more or less overnight.
What are my symptoms?
1. High pitch hiss, that can change from left ear, to right ear, to center. Sometimes the hiss is a flickering, sometimes its constant.
2. Sometimes all of the symptoms are COMPLETELY gone. Even when I look hard for them.
3. Symptoms seem to get worse at night.
4. Some nights I can sleep. Some nights I can't and I seem to only focus on the sound.
What have I tried?
1. I am seeing a CBT therapist with a history of tinnitus (just so happened), but so far I have not felt that he is helpful.
2. Melatonin for sleep. ReSound masking app. Binaural beats (I get really sleepy, but the warning bells for the tinnitus often keep me asleep, or in light sleep. Sleep is currently my biggest issue.
What did my doctor/ENT say?
1. My tinnitus is not hearing loss related (don't get me wrong, I was skeptical about this, being a music producer and wearing lots of headphones in the past).
2. She believes that my tinnitus is caused by neck issues/TMJ and has referred me to a physical therapist that works mainly with musicians (including a local conductor of the symphony).
3. She also believes it's stress/OCD related. I have a past of palpitations, BFS (benign fasciculation syndrome), panic disorder and more.
What the physical therapist said on the phone before the first treatment session (and naturally of course I am skeptical)?
1. He believes that he can help me. He believes that this is an issue that will flare up, then get better from physical therapy, then flare up again, then get better.
Where am I at?
1. I go from one day thinking it's totally gone to the next day thinking my life is over. I had two recent golf outings where I LITERALLY didn't hear it even when I tried, and that night slept like a baby tinnitus free. But the next day I awoke to the sound again.
2. I am struggling mentally with a future looking like that. But I have overcome medication-induced issues before and habituated to other things that have driven people nuts.
What am I looking for support wise?
1. (Realistic) hope. Can I learn to sleep? Have any of you gotten better?
What am I not looking for?
1. I was hesitant to post this to begin with, as I know forums, where people are suffering, can be bastions of negativity and often people that get better leave, don't come back and don't post, because they simply want to forget it ever happened understandably.
34-year-old musician here. I'll start with that. But I will also start with the fact that my ENT says my hearing is perfect and believes that my tinnitus is NOT hearing related. She has said this several times. I know that among these groups, often, we can have the tendency not to trust doctors (and I totally understand and relate to this), but I tend to trust her. She is a well-known specialist on the issue. Let me start with my symptoms, and what's been happening.
When did my symptoms start?
1. About 2 weeks since it started more or less overnight.
What are my symptoms?
1. High pitch hiss, that can change from left ear, to right ear, to center. Sometimes the hiss is a flickering, sometimes its constant.
2. Sometimes all of the symptoms are COMPLETELY gone. Even when I look hard for them.
3. Symptoms seem to get worse at night.
4. Some nights I can sleep. Some nights I can't and I seem to only focus on the sound.
What have I tried?
1. I am seeing a CBT therapist with a history of tinnitus (just so happened), but so far I have not felt that he is helpful.
2. Melatonin for sleep. ReSound masking app. Binaural beats (I get really sleepy, but the warning bells for the tinnitus often keep me asleep, or in light sleep. Sleep is currently my biggest issue.
What did my doctor/ENT say?
1. My tinnitus is not hearing loss related (don't get me wrong, I was skeptical about this, being a music producer and wearing lots of headphones in the past).
2. She believes that my tinnitus is caused by neck issues/TMJ and has referred me to a physical therapist that works mainly with musicians (including a local conductor of the symphony).
3. She also believes it's stress/OCD related. I have a past of palpitations, BFS (benign fasciculation syndrome), panic disorder and more.
What the physical therapist said on the phone before the first treatment session (and naturally of course I am skeptical)?
1. He believes that he can help me. He believes that this is an issue that will flare up, then get better from physical therapy, then flare up again, then get better.
Where am I at?
1. I go from one day thinking it's totally gone to the next day thinking my life is over. I had two recent golf outings where I LITERALLY didn't hear it even when I tried, and that night slept like a baby tinnitus free. But the next day I awoke to the sound again.
2. I am struggling mentally with a future looking like that. But I have overcome medication-induced issues before and habituated to other things that have driven people nuts.
What am I looking for support wise?
1. (Realistic) hope. Can I learn to sleep? Have any of you gotten better?
What am I not looking for?
1. I was hesitant to post this to begin with, as I know forums, where people are suffering, can be bastions of negativity and often people that get better leave, don't come back and don't post, because they simply want to forget it ever happened understandably.