Hello everyone! I've been lurking on here for a little while. Reading everyone's stories has been helpful and informative. I've decided to share my journey with Tinnitus so far.
Prior to October, I was very healthy. My only issue was fertility. My husband and I started treatments in August. Then in October I developed a slight ringing in my right ear. It wasn't loud or constant. I was dealing with some other health issues. At one point my doctor thought I might have Lyme disease. 2 negative tests later, that doesn't seem to be the case. They did treat me with 6 weeks of antibiotics just in case.
Over the next couple of months, the ringing increased in volume and became constant. I woke up one Saturnday in December and it seemed someone had turned the volume up on my ears overnight. It was jarring and terrifying. This seemed to fade a bit after a week or two, however, certain sounds, like dishes clanking in the sink, are still painful at times. The volume on the TV and radio are still set at a lower volume than before, but I seemed to be making some improvement.
The Saturday before Christmas I woke up and while the tinnitus wasn't gone it was at a more manageable level. I began to sleep better and feel better in general. This lasted about a week and a half. I went to bed on New Years Eve with a headache, and woke up New Years Day to find that all of my previous symptoms (plus some) had returned.
Due to other health issues (parasthesia, numbness and widespread pain and weakness) I have already had a CT, an MRI, an EKG along with 24 hours of monitoring with a Holter monitor and a few pints of blood work. All tests have been normal so far. I am still waiting for the results to the panel they ran to check for immune disorders.
I've seen a neurologist, 2 ENTs and 2 Audiologists. Neither ENT saw anything that would be the cause of my problems. One suggested all I needed to do was pray. Not opposed to that option, but was slightly surprised to hear that suggestion come from a doctor. It was the reason I sought a second opinion. Both Audiologists noted slight lower register hearing loss. Everyone has said I'll just have to live with it. Based on that I started researching and reading everything I could to educate myself.
I found an audiologist from Dr. Jastreboff's page. She isn't cheap, but I'm cautiously optimistic that she will have some ideas. I see her Tuesday, which feels like it can't come fast enough. I am concerned about the cost and if I will be able to afford it. I don't think I've had Tinniutus long enough for her to suggest TRT or similar treatment, but I would like to be evaluated by someone who is familiar with this problem.
Besides the constant ringing, the insomnia and sleep problems I've developed are my biggest complaint. My Primary Doctor has prescribed Ambien CR and it gives me about 5 hours of sleep a night. I'm thankful for that, but I do miss the days of waking up feeling fully rested. I would like to stop taking it, but so far it is the only thing that has worked.
I also noticed that based on how I turn my head, my tinnitus becomes louder. I sought help from my chiropractor for this, but so far I've no received no relief from his treatments. I almost wonder if it is worse because of them. Based on his X-rays he says I have a reverse curvature of my neck. Could be from an old whiplash injury.
I'd love to hear from other people whose tinnitus came on with other underlying symptoms. Even if you haven't been diagnosed, it would be nice to compare symptoms. My main presenting symptoms are tingling hands, feet and tongue. Cold spot/feeling on the brain. Muscle twitching and muscles weakness. Occasional painful joints and muscles. I also have a feeling of fullness in my head and ears. Occassioanl ear pain with constant popping. I generally have a headache in the evening which sometimes is a severe migraine. I've also felt like I've been coming done with the flu on and off for a few months now.
Can anyone else relate to this? Is there anything else I should try? At this point I am working on staying positive and focusing on taking care of myself but it would be great to talk to other people who are experiencing the same things as me.
Prior to October, I was very healthy. My only issue was fertility. My husband and I started treatments in August. Then in October I developed a slight ringing in my right ear. It wasn't loud or constant. I was dealing with some other health issues. At one point my doctor thought I might have Lyme disease. 2 negative tests later, that doesn't seem to be the case. They did treat me with 6 weeks of antibiotics just in case.
Over the next couple of months, the ringing increased in volume and became constant. I woke up one Saturnday in December and it seemed someone had turned the volume up on my ears overnight. It was jarring and terrifying. This seemed to fade a bit after a week or two, however, certain sounds, like dishes clanking in the sink, are still painful at times. The volume on the TV and radio are still set at a lower volume than before, but I seemed to be making some improvement.
The Saturday before Christmas I woke up and while the tinnitus wasn't gone it was at a more manageable level. I began to sleep better and feel better in general. This lasted about a week and a half. I went to bed on New Years Eve with a headache, and woke up New Years Day to find that all of my previous symptoms (plus some) had returned.
Due to other health issues (parasthesia, numbness and widespread pain and weakness) I have already had a CT, an MRI, an EKG along with 24 hours of monitoring with a Holter monitor and a few pints of blood work. All tests have been normal so far. I am still waiting for the results to the panel they ran to check for immune disorders.
I've seen a neurologist, 2 ENTs and 2 Audiologists. Neither ENT saw anything that would be the cause of my problems. One suggested all I needed to do was pray. Not opposed to that option, but was slightly surprised to hear that suggestion come from a doctor. It was the reason I sought a second opinion. Both Audiologists noted slight lower register hearing loss. Everyone has said I'll just have to live with it. Based on that I started researching and reading everything I could to educate myself.
I found an audiologist from Dr. Jastreboff's page. She isn't cheap, but I'm cautiously optimistic that she will have some ideas. I see her Tuesday, which feels like it can't come fast enough. I am concerned about the cost and if I will be able to afford it. I don't think I've had Tinniutus long enough for her to suggest TRT or similar treatment, but I would like to be evaluated by someone who is familiar with this problem.
Besides the constant ringing, the insomnia and sleep problems I've developed are my biggest complaint. My Primary Doctor has prescribed Ambien CR and it gives me about 5 hours of sleep a night. I'm thankful for that, but I do miss the days of waking up feeling fully rested. I would like to stop taking it, but so far it is the only thing that has worked.
I also noticed that based on how I turn my head, my tinnitus becomes louder. I sought help from my chiropractor for this, but so far I've no received no relief from his treatments. I almost wonder if it is worse because of them. Based on his X-rays he says I have a reverse curvature of my neck. Could be from an old whiplash injury.
I'd love to hear from other people whose tinnitus came on with other underlying symptoms. Even if you haven't been diagnosed, it would be nice to compare symptoms. My main presenting symptoms are tingling hands, feet and tongue. Cold spot/feeling on the brain. Muscle twitching and muscles weakness. Occasional painful joints and muscles. I also have a feeling of fullness in my head and ears. Occassioanl ear pain with constant popping. I generally have a headache in the evening which sometimes is a severe migraine. I've also felt like I've been coming done with the flu on and off for a few months now.
Can anyone else relate to this? Is there anything else I should try? At this point I am working on staying positive and focusing on taking care of myself but it would be great to talk to other people who are experiencing the same things as me.