Tinnitus Spike After Two Weeks of Drinking Alcohol

[kingsfan]

So I already posted about this on my profile a few days ago, but I'm trying to get this more visible. I'll also try my best to make sense as I have been having trouble stringing two thoughts together lately, which is what may have led to this whole mess.

I've been struggling mentally for many years now and it's only been getting worse. I can't keep track of things... I feel like I have no executive functions. Every little thing causes me extreme anxiety. So what started as one glass of bourbon one night to relax turned into 2 weeks of drinking every night, 1-3, maybe 4 drinks a night. Two weeks isn't a super long time on any scale, so I didn't think I was causing any harm.

Well one evening my tinnitus just ramped up in volume and it's continued for over a week now. I haven't drank anything in that time but it has persisted. Wondering if anyone has had any similar experience or any advice.

Thanks y'all.

 

[Johan001]

Champagne spiked mine once, so I gave up all alcohol for 3 months. I had a glass of red yesterday and it was ok.

Bourbon is hard stuff, 4 of them a night is really too much. I think it's a really bad habit, so I hardly drink. Everything in moderation. With tinnitus, not even in moderation but at minimum.

 

[kingsfan]

@Johan001, it's definitely a bad habit. I was having 1 drink a night, but some nights I'd just say fuck it and would pour a couple extra. Really calmed down my anxiety for a while, until it didn't. Then my tinnitus ramped up.

I'm just wondering if my brain will level out. I know alcohol depletes GABA and some other neurotransmitters that could affect tinnitus. Wondering how long I need to wait this out or if it's just going to be permanently increased now.

 

[Clerkp]

@Johan001, it's definitely a bad habit. I was having 1 drink a night, but some nights I'd just say fuck it and would pour a couple extra. Really calmed down my anxiety for a while, until it didn't. Then my tinnitus ramped up.

I'm just wondering if my brain will level out. I know alcohol depletes GABA and some other neurotransmitters that could affect tinnitus. Wondering how long I need to wait this out or if it's just going to be permanently increased now.

I suspect it's temporary. But definitely ease off for a myriad of health reasons. Not just the tinnitus. 1 a night sounds reasonable. I know it's hard not to go for more. Believe me.

 

[kingsfan]

I suspect it's temporary. But definitely ease off for a myriad of health reasons. Not just the tinnitus. 1 a night sounds reasonable. I know it's hard not to go for more. Believe me.

I haven't had anything to drink in about 1.5 weeks now, in hope it would get things back to level they were previously. I had one day, a couple days ago, where I felt a little bit of improvement but it shot right back up the next day and has been unchanged since. So I'm not sure what to make of it.

 

[GoatSheep]

I haven't had anything to drink in about 1.5 weeks now, in hope it would get things back to level they were previously. I had one day, a couple days ago, where I felt a little bit of improvement but it shot right back up the next day and has been unchanged since. So I'm not sure what to make of it.

It's always been my experience that improvements with tinnitus aren't linear. Hopefully it's a good sign that you had an improved day and there are more soon to come.

 

[Mnq16]

Agree with this completely, I had a massive spike around 5 weeks ago also from drinking (one big night rather than multiple small ones like yours though) and I've had times where I'd feel like the spike was gone then I'd wake up and it would be back worse than before.

Only this week have I had some consistent recovery (4 or so days where I've been ok).

Just stick with it and I'm sure it will fade eventually.

 

[kingsfan]

The past couple days have been a little bit better. Still not back to normal though, but it's not as debilitating... still bothersome during activities where it wasn't before.

 

[kingsfan]

Back to shitty again today. I spoke too soon. Not sure if it was because I was exposed to loud noise with double protection yesterday.

 

[Mnq16]

Back to shitty again today. I spoke too soon. Not sure if it was because I was exposed to loud noise with double protection yesterday.

As I said bro, recovering from a severe spike is never linear, there will be ups and downs.

 

[makeyourownluck]

Back to shitty again today. I spoke too soon. Not sure if it was because I was exposed to loud noise with double protection yesterday.

I'm kinda new to this game (coming on 5 months) so can't really comment. Especially since I've not drank since onset. However, from all the posts I have read, a spike caused by alcohol is almost always temporary.

Hang in there and try get a good nights sleep. I hope things start to improve for you soon.

 

[GoatSheep]

Back to shitty again today. I spoke too soon. Not sure if it was because I was exposed to loud noise with double protection yesterday.

This is how my current hyperacusis setback is going. It's like a roller coaster.

 

[kingsfan]

This spike has just unlocked a whole new level of fear in me. If it does manage to settle back down, I cannot let it ever get to this level permanently. It's completely debilitating, and I already deal with some seriously intense ringing. I'm noticing that I'm afraid to do things that I didn't worry about before, like grinding coffee beans for my morning coffee, vacuuming, putting air in my tires, playing guitar, etc.

 

[Quantum]

Alcohol is very bad for my tinnitus. I rarely drink anymore, maybe half a glass from time to time. More than that and I will regret it for many days I am 56 now, recovering is slower still. If I had taken a drink a day for two weeks, I guess that, in my case, it would have taken 6 months to come back to baseline. Anyway, I would have stop after 2 to 3 days, my tinnitus would have become way too loud.

If it took 2 weeks before you had a tinnitus spike, it looks to me that your tinnitus is not that sensitive to alcohol. You should recover within a few weeks.

But with time, as with any of my triggers now, it may appear sooner, and stay longer. For example, last time I stayed for an hour (with earplugs) at a loud music party, it took me 4 months to recover... never again

 

[Robster]

I quit drinking a few weeks after I got tinnitus as I noticed even a couple of drinks would spike my tinnitus horribly and the spike would last a few days.

 

[kingsfan]

Drinking didn't really affect my tinnitus. Maybe sometimes it would feel a little elevated the next day, but nothing that caused me any worry. So I was surprised when it just increased all of a sudden. Maybe it was something else I did, but this is the same elevated sound I got when I tried gabapentin, nortriptyline, and after the covid vaccine. So it seems like substances affect it rather than anything noise-induced. Now I do have about 3 tones in my left ear that came about after an acoustic reflex test, so I know for sure those are from noise trauma.

 

[Juan]

I seldom drink any alcohol, but I would say that alcohol tends to spike tinnitus. However, alcohol sometimes damped my hyperacusis, made it less noticeable. So it is a bit random really...

 

[aura]

This spike has just unlocked a whole new level of fear in me. If it does manage to settle back down, I cannot let it ever get to this level permanently. It's completely debilitating, and I already deal with some seriously intense ringing.

I am in the same place now. It just keeps getting worse.

 

[Sean]

Drinking didn't really affect my tinnitus. Maybe sometimes it would feel a little elevated the next day, but nothing that caused me any worry. So I was surprised when it just increased all of a sudden. Maybe it was something else I did, but this is the same elevated sound I got when I tried gabapentin, nortriptyline, and after the covid vaccine. So it seems like substances affect it rather than anything noise-induced. Now I do have about 3 tones in my left ear that came about after an acoustic reflex test, so I know for sure those are from noise trauma.

How is your tinnitus now? I feel your pain. I am in the same shoes. Even though I have had tinnitus for the last 10 years and I had had the occasional spike, I had Mother of All Spikes last week. I had panic attacks and crazy fear for the future.

 

[kingsfan]

I am in the same place now. It just keeps getting worse.

Your spike hasn't subsided at all? I know you mentioned a couple good days. I was hoping you were ever so slowly improving =(

 

[kingsfan]

How is your tinnitus now? I feel your pain. I am in the same shoes. Even though I have had tinnitus for the last 10 years and I had had the occasional spike, I had Mother of All Spikes last week. I had panic attacks and crazy fear for the future.

I'm always nervous to report on it when it's feeling better, but has been decently okay the past couple of days. I haven't drank in 3 weeks now, I think. I also started taking a really low dose of Zoloft because I was on the brink of suicide. However, that made the tinnitus even worse. About 2-3 days after discontinuing the Zoloft everything just seemed to improve. I'm just waiting for it to all go south again though.

 

[CC_16]

Back to shitty again today. I spoke too soon. Not sure if it was because I was exposed to loud noise with double protection yesterday.

Is your tinnitus caused by loud noise or ETD?