hi my name is jack . I have had tinnitus little over a year . started slowly now is very loud every other day and low to med the other day .diag hearing loss . i have two hearing aids that help . I worked thirty years on trucks and equipment very loud noise . And played drums . when the tin gets loud it effects my nervous system where its very hard to function. it will wake me up from a sleep and will not be able to go back to sleep .when its loud it creates a stress that hard to live with .It seemed to start after nine months of depression and anxiety . very hard to get use to . any suggestions .
Tinnitus
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MemberHi Jack,
The anxiety is definitely making it worse. Separating the cause and effect is not easy (am I anxious because of T, or have T because I'm anxious?). You'll read again and again how this is a vicious cycle that leaves you with the sensation that your T is deafening. The good news is that you can work on this.
From your posting, are you perhaps also feeling like you've damaged yourself from playing drums and working with loud equipment, and that this is the cause of your T? I had a therapist tell me recently that the link between hearing damage and T is in doubt. I'm not sure what to make of this myself, but it does allow for the possibility that your T is more a product of your anxiety than any damage you may have done. The trouble is, once that belief sets in, it's like a little punishment that you can't ignore. With your hearing difficulties you'll be sensitive to any sound you can perceive, I'm sure.
I addressed my depression with anti-depressants; my anxiety seemed to be closely linked. Is your GP helping with that?
You've made a big step in introducing yourself here, that's not easy. I hope things get easier for you from now on, there are some great people here with experience in managing their T.
DD
The anxiety is definitely making it worse. Separating the cause and effect is not easy (am I anxious because of T, or have T because I'm anxious?). You'll read again and again how this is a vicious cycle that leaves you with the sensation that your T is deafening. The good news is that you can work on this.
From your posting, are you perhaps also feeling like you've damaged yourself from playing drums and working with loud equipment, and that this is the cause of your T? I had a therapist tell me recently that the link between hearing damage and T is in doubt. I'm not sure what to make of this myself, but it does allow for the possibility that your T is more a product of your anxiety than any damage you may have done. The trouble is, once that belief sets in, it's like a little punishment that you can't ignore. With your hearing difficulties you'll be sensitive to any sound you can perceive, I'm sure.
I addressed my depression with anti-depressants; my anxiety seemed to be closely linked. Is your GP helping with that?
You've made a big step in introducing yourself here, that's not easy. I hope things get easier for you from now on, there are some great people here with experience in managing their T.
DD
hi dezdog thanks for the info . I defenitly have bad anxiety and working on it by trying to except it . read paul davis book he had bad anxiety for ten years. i am trying to do this without drugs . when this first started i got no sleep for six months than igot four ours sleep every other night than it went to three every night now four somtimes five . but still get panic attacks and up all night once in a while . this is gteat because you cant find any one to talk to . thanks jack
Jack,
if there's one thing we can do here it's talk!
I respect your approach to drugs; I found the anxiety unbearable though, to the point of very bad thoughts, and so was keen to use a crutch. My GP plans to wean me off, which worries me a little (ha!), but I like his approach. He sees them as a tool, not a solution. With my anxiety under control, my T is still there, but I don't *care* about it, to the point that I don't notice it. That's the closest thing to a cure that I expect to see in the short term.
What do you do for distraction? Playing (or learning!) guitar is an excellent one. One mad morning I taught myself the Spanish numbers from 1 to 50 and recited them aloud while driving back from dropping my daughter at school. I sounded like a lunatic, but the concentration worked. And I know my Spanish numbers forwards and backwards now
Anyway, too much crazy for one post
@Fish, I think that's a kind offer
DD
if there's one thing we can do here it's talk!
I respect your approach to drugs; I found the anxiety unbearable though, to the point of very bad thoughts, and so was keen to use a crutch. My GP plans to wean me off, which worries me a little (ha!), but I like his approach. He sees them as a tool, not a solution. With my anxiety under control, my T is still there, but I don't *care* about it, to the point that I don't notice it. That's the closest thing to a cure that I expect to see in the short term.
What do you do for distraction? Playing (or learning!) guitar is an excellent one. One mad morning I taught myself the Spanish numbers from 1 to 50 and recited them aloud while driving back from dropping my daughter at school. I sounded like a lunatic, but the concentration worked. And I know my Spanish numbers forwards and backwards now
Anyway, too much crazy for one post
@Fish, I think that's a kind offer
DD
hi dezdog for distraction i drive senior cit around to stores and drive for a parts store two days a week . walk amile and a half every day light wts vit b c e garlic d3 fishoil zink mag potasium for sleep somtimes melotonin passion flower l theanine lemon balm some time 5htp all suplaments . its when your mind cant except that sound is the worst . but have got a little better last couple mounths . two good books paul davis at last a life andhope and help for your nerves dr claire weeks .
dez dog whats the name of the anti depressant ?Jack,
if there's one thing we can do here it's talk!
I respect your approach to drugs; I found the anxiety unbearable though, to the point of very bad thoughts, and so was keen to use a crutch. My GP plans to wean me off, which worries me a little (ha!), but I like his approach. He sees them as a tool, not a solution. With my anxiety under control, my T is still there, but I don't *care* about it, to the point that I don't notice it. That's the closest thing to a cure that I expect to see in the short term.
What do you do for distraction? Playing (or learning!) guitar is an excellent one. One mad morning I taught myself the Spanish numbers from 1 to 50 and recited them aloud while driving back from dropping my daughter at school. I sounded like a lunatic, but the concentration worked. And I know my Spanish numbers forwards and backwards now
Anyway, too much crazy for one post
@Fish, I think that's a kind offer
DD
> dez dog whats the name of the anti depressant ?
Sorry, I should have said: it's fluoxetine (known more commonly as Prozac). It takes about 6 weeks to become effective. The idea is you use it to get on top of your depression / anxiety, reintroduce yourself to wellness (and show yourself that, yeah, you used to be well and this is what it feels like) and then when appropriate, wean off them again. A good GP will have that as the basic plan (as a tool, with a plan to get off them asap).
I have to admit that I appear to be one of those people who always relapse, though I never relapsed the way I did in April, with anxiety like that and noises like that in my ears. I can't go through that again.
Hang in there mate. Sounds like you have a good routine there.
Sorry, I should have said: it's fluoxetine (known more commonly as Prozac). It takes about 6 weeks to become effective. The idea is you use it to get on top of your depression / anxiety, reintroduce yourself to wellness (and show yourself that, yeah, you used to be well and this is what it feels like) and then when appropriate, wean off them again. A good GP will have that as the basic plan (as a tool, with a plan to get off them asap).
I have to admit that I appear to be one of those people who always relapse, though I never relapsed the way I did in April, with anxiety like that and noises like that in my ears. I can't go through that again.
Hang in there mate. Sounds like you have a good routine there.
dezdog did anyone try xanax or clonopin for tinnitus you know off and how did it work ? jack
I tried taking xanax during the first few days but the only thing it did was made me very drowsy. Then after falling asleep I still woke up after 1 hour with a loud noise in my head and extreme anxiety. Maybe you need to use xanax for longer periods for it to work better.
I am sorry jack but I don't have any good advice regarding anxiety. Xanax didn't really work for me.
I drink a lot of herbal teas, 4-5 cups of melissa a day that make me calm and a bit drowsy in the late hours to sleep better.
I drink a lot of herbal teas, 4-5 cups of melissa a day that make me calm and a bit drowsy in the late hours to sleep better.
thanks for info fish .my anxiety is really bad every other day . had to walk three and ahalf miles .and go all over the place . somehow by six it starts going down . one half melotonin and one l theanine two tylonol pm is good for five and a half ours sleep .natual except for the tylonol . jack
Hello again Jack
Thank you for your concern! It is my third week of tinnitus, I keep taking piracetam and betaserc 2x a day + vitamine supplements. After two weeks my tinnitus started gradually getting better and it even disappeared somewhere around 4-5th of august. It was great and I returned to "normal" life. Loud tinnitus came back 2 days ago and I'm back to square one. Again very difficult to sleep.
What about you? How is your anxiety? Best of luck! Fish
Thank you for your concern! It is my third week of tinnitus, I keep taking piracetam and betaserc 2x a day + vitamine supplements. After two weeks my tinnitus started gradually getting better and it even disappeared somewhere around 4-5th of august. It was great and I returned to "normal" life. Loud tinnitus came back 2 days ago and I'm back to square one. Again very difficult to sleep.
What about you? How is your anxiety? Best of luck! Fish
hi fish fri was a loud day with anxiety sat lower anxiety i think you have to work on anxiety . i read about people with loud tinitus and low anxiety . i tryed a sleep aid just has diphenhydramine in it two twenty five mg tab . seemed to work . hang in there jack
fish how are you doing i tryed to reply to your e mail and it was returned im doing a little better with anxiety one day bad next day it lets up . melotonin worked good for sleep last night 3mg and one l theanine five to six hrs sleep jack
Jack,
I'm sorry, but I don't know. The only other people I know with T are you lot here
Your bad day/good day sounds familiar. I'd have a good day, and then want the next day to be good so badly I was let down each time. I don't really know what broke the cycle, perhaps seeing the specialist and the fluoxetine kicking in.
It sounds like you're doing good work on your anxiety, keep at it.
FounderIt was returned because it was only a notification email of a new private conversation on the Tinnitus Talk website. Fish didn't send you that email, it was an automated process by the forum software to let you know about the new private conversation on the site.
When you get such notifications, don't reply to them, instead go to tinnitustalk.com, log in and check your Inbox on the upper right.
I wish there was something more available to be done than there is today, so I haven't done much more than let it be and let time pass by.
Habituation is key.
Habituation is key.
Thankfully I have reached at least some habituation. Every now and then I do think about the tinnitus, and I'd love to get rid of it more than anything else, but it isn't the master of me anymore. Haven't been for a while. During quiet movie scenes, music, actually anything that is quiet (not to speak about silent environments) it bothers me, it just is something unnatural that shouldn't be there and which somewhat takes away from the quality of life.
I've said elsewhere that I'm almost back to the same level of quality of level than pre-tinnitus, but it depends on the day and situation. Sometimes I'm not bothered at all (i.e. I don't even pay attention to tinnitus at all), but in certain circumstances it is a nuisance.
Still, I see you are having tough times with yours. I've had tinnitus about a year longer than you, so maybe you'll achieve some peace of mind soon, I hope.
It might be harder to habituate with tinnitus that constantly varies, I do agree there. But it's not impossible, might just take a while longer than with the usual tonal tinnitus.
You will get through the hard times and eventually find that you're going to be okay.
Yep, anxiety can make you stress about the T really bad and thus noticing it all the time. It's hard to differentiate how much of anxiety comes from life's other things and how much of it can attributed to the tinnitus itself (of course tinnitus that you aren't habituated to can cause serious anxiousness)
ATA doesn't have a forum as far as I know, but maybe you'd like to check out their magazine, Tinnitus Today. Back issues are available here: http://www.ata.org/tt-archive
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