Tinnitus Is Fluctuating Wildly and Is Very High Pitched. Struggling.

Hey everyone. I hope everything is well with you.

I could be better. My tinnitus is acting crazy lately, and I don't know how to deal with it. It sucks because I was making such great progress, both in terms of habituation and volume reduction. At least twice in the past two months, my tinnitus was reduced to a faint hiss in my right ear for about an hour or so.

But now my tinnitus is in my head and in one or both ears, is fluctuating from moderate to higher, and is high pitched to the point of near pain.

I'm not sure what exactly is causing it: It might be the stress from my mom being sick, the split second of fire alarm exposure two days ago, although it was fluctuating before that, just not like this. The fire truck and ambulance, sirens blaring, that drove by the bus stop yesterday. I had 20 dB earplugs in and I covered my ears. I just don't know.

I've taken just about every reasonable precaution I can, and I take both NAC and Magnesium everyday.

I need some words of support, please. FX-322 can't come soon enough.

 

I bet it's all of the above spiking it.

Have you considered trying Theracurmin or Nicotinamide Riboside? Kind of pricey. Maybe a short course would help though. Maybe try a low salt diet or sleep aids if sleep is an issue.

 

I've been struggling too lately. Try to hang in there. I know it's hard. Praying that FX-322 comes out sooner than later.

 

Hey there. Don't lose hope. The fact that you were improving means you can improve again.

Stress does a number on not just your neurotransmitter profile but I was reading today that it can also sensitize your NMDA receptors to noise (i.e. noise that would otherwise not cause excess Glutamate release, can under stressful conditions):

A biochemical model of peripheral tinnitus

You are still acute from a spike. You can get better again but try as hard as you can not to stress so you can lower your Glutamate and recover. Any pets you can hug? Friends who help relax you? Try to stay busy (hell, if you have any free time try playing Civilization 6, it will kill all of it).

Definitely avoid any additional noise right now. Hang in there.

 

I'll look into it, but I don't want to change my routine all that much. I'm going to try and wait it out, hope that it works itself out, and maybe try these if nothing changes.

Thanks, though.

 

Thanks for the advice, FGG. I'm trying to hang in there. And thanks for the game recommendation.

 

I'm so sorry you are going through this. I am doing an anti-inflammatory diet, it's called AIP. It has helped with the inflammation and ear pain. Increase your fruits and vegetables to at least 9 a day. Cut out gluten and dairy. It's tough but it does help. Walking daily can increase activity and blood flow, as well as, release endorphins to help depression and anxiety. It's going to be ok.

twa

 

Have you improved since then @aot?

 

Yes. Very much so.

I still have problems, of course. But this particular issue is done with.

 

That’s awesome. May I ask what did it? Just time?

 

Time, yeah.

 

It is in your brain, not your ears. Your ears hear the noise the brain produces.

 

Yeah, I know that.

 

How are you doing?

I have fluctuating tinnitus that the doctor thinks is related to allergies, Eustachian Tube Dysfunction, jaw issues/everything. It started in 2020. Fluctuated for months and then went away for months and then came back again in March. Again fluctuates constantly. It can fluctuate wildly in the span of a half an hour. I’ve been in a 6 day spike and it has been awful. I can’t sleep. I wake up and my ears are ringing away. It’s sort of that high pitched hiss/whine. Hear it over everything. The last time I had a spike like this it was the end of July, early August. Then it died down and went away for part of the time and had been bad at all and when it was there hardly noticeable for almost 2 months. Now back with a vengeance.

I don’t know how people are ever supposed to get used to this. Seems to be so much worse as the day goes on. I keep trying to figure out why. What did I do? What has changed? It just sucks.

Anyway, hope you’re doing better.