Two Long-Lasting SBUTT Episodes Crashed the Little Confidence I Had Built in the Past 13 Months

[buttercake]

I spent the past months repeating to myself that I could do it, that I could pull through. At some point I even started believing that: I completed my PhD thesis, I found a good job, I started to get myself ready for the defense that will happen in April next year. Until yesterday. My right ear became "full", the hearing muffled and a loud pure tone began (completely different from my atonal baseline); SBUTT - Spontaneous Brief Unilateral Tapering Tinnitus - episodes (I had for sure 100+ since the onset, even multiple times a day) typically last for less than a minute, while this lasted for at least one hour and a half. It eventually resolved and this morning I was fine. But then again today, this time in the left ear; I freaked out and I went to the ER because I thought it was SSNHL. While waiting there the muffled hearing began to fade (after 1+ hour) and the augmented tinnitus to baseline.

Now I am sitting in the bedroom where I had been sleeping for 18 years as a child and a teen; there's a picture of the kid me hanging at the wall. My grandfather took me on some hydrofoil and the captain let me hold the ship's wheel for a few moments. If only that curious and quiet kid knew the amount of suffering waiting for him. I really just would like to curl up in a ball and cry.

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For those interested, I found this paper published in July 2021. They seem to be convinced that SBUTTs are generated by the twitching of the lateral pterygoid muscle.

 

[Jack Straw]

Very interesting. I never knew there was a medical term for Fleeting Tinnitus, as we call it.

Many people have it here and there seems to be no rhythm or reason. I have experiences short and very long episodes of it lasting hours. It does feel like there is a tightness in the ear, which would explain the muscle spasm. I even brought this up to my doctor that it feels as though the ear it spasming because of the fullness, but I was dismissed as per usual. Seems like I was on the right track after all.

Thank you for you post and I hope your situation improves.

 

[GoatSheep]

I had three occurrences of extended episodes of fleeting tinnitus lasting about 20-30 minutes each. It was about 6 months after onset around this time of year actually. I haven't had an extended episode like that since and those happened within days of each other, so it's possible this is something that will come and go quickly. I know it's hard not to lose hope. When I experienced those episodes they were extremely stressful.

 

[buttercake]

Many people have it here and there seems to be no rhythm or reason. I have experiences short and very long episodes of it lasting hours. It does feel like there is a tightness in the ear, which would explain the muscle spasm.

In my case there was little tightness, but the sensation as something was obstructing the ear canal (like an ear plug). So the muscular hypothesis makes sense to me. The paper in the OP was published in a reputable journal by Levine from the Mass Eye & Ear, so I think it definitely deserves our (as Tinnitus Talk community) attention.

 

[Jack Straw]

In my case there was little tightness, but the sensation as something was obstructing the ear canal (like an ear plug). So the muscular hypothesis makes sense to me. The paper in the OP was published in a reputable journal by Levine from the Mass Eye & Ear, so I think it definitely deserves our (as Tinnitus Talk community) attention.

Sudden brief unilateral tapering tinnitus: prevalence and properties

Here is another article about this.

 

[Stacken77]

My right ear became "full", the hearing muffled and a loud pure tone began

I guess it's part of the package. Those are extremely scary. I remember I suffered a horrifying episode this summer, but weirdly enough, it was bilateral, with wavering high volume tinnitus and the feeling of deafness. I thought I would pass out. My fleeting tinnitus is usually just a few seconds, but I've also had episodes that has lasted till the end of the day.

Now I am sitting in the bedroom where I had been sleeping for 18 years as a child and a teen; there's a picture of the kid me hanging at the wall. My grandfather took me on some hydrofoil and the captain let me hold the ship's wheel for a few moments. If only that curious and quiet kid knew the amount of suffering waiting for him.

Not gonna lie, that description hit home. I often think about memories from my childhood and teenage years. It makes me very emotional.

I really just would like to curl up in a ball and cry.

I can relate, and it's totally okay to feel that way. This (disease!) is so hard to deal with, and the slightest change can make the house of cards that is confidence and habituation fall apart. Keep pushing through buddy, you can do it.

For those interested, I found this paper published in July 2021. They seem to be convinced that SBUTTs are generated by the twitching of the lateral pterygoid muscle.

That's a highly interesting study. Fleeting tinnitus has always been a mystery to me.

Wish you well mate,
Stacken

 

[DimLeb]

@buttercake, I truly understand and feel the extreme anxiety and panic that comes with fleeting tinnitus. I always had these episodes in my life (upper mid pitched tone or a few times bassy tone) and scared me a bit, but since the onset of chronic tinnitus (9 months now), this fear has gotten to a whole new level of hell.

There are periods that I may have these one time or twice daily, and periods that I may have 5-6 in a month. They last around 5-10 seconds each time, but oh boy they are enough to tear your last bit of life apart. For me, however, even if it feels like a muffled/full sensation, my hearing itself isn't really affected.

I guess we can't really do anything for them, just wait them out and time will tell... Also, that last picture you described hit me hard. I even look at pictures from just before the onset some months ago and sink in deep depression...

 

[Thomas_83]

My chiropractor told me about this muscle, and showed me how I can massage it myself.

Like this:

Palpation & Release of the Lateral Pterygoid for TMJ Pain

 

[Thomas_83]

If you place your cheeks in the palm of your hand and press the head downwards against the hands, can you raise the volume of your tinnitus?

I can, and it's so weird. Told this to another tinnitus sufferer, and after 20 years he had never noticed this. Like a volume knob.

Is it in the muscles, or do I actually just press the nerves in my brain? I got tinnitus from loud music, but it seems like it's just my muscles, am I right?

 

[buttercake]

If you place your cheeks in the palm of your hand and press the head downwards against the hands, can you raise the volume of your tinnitus?

Yes, I can modulate my tinnitus with different head and jaw movements. I do not know exactly what happens, but Susan Shore has some theories about it. Apparently a lot of tinnitus sufferers have this "ability".

 

[Johan001]

I can also relate to getting emotional thinking back about past memories, childhood, adulthood, just any time before the tinnitus nightmare. It's a very dangerous path though, so I am trying my best to just block these thoughts. I then just think how much of a mess I was in the first months and that I have hope to get better in the future. It's very hard though, and impossible not to think back about stuff.

I got tinnitus in May last year and had a job where I just couldn't work at all. My manager at that time was my good friend, so he did his best to protect me. In the end the company went bust and we all lost our jobs and didn't even get paid. I ended up almost broke and was thinking about going back to my home country to live on benefits (horrible outlook). I then pulled through, got another job in January and was sacked after the first 3 months because I couldn't concentrate because of the bloody ringing and tinnitus induced anxiety. I studied really hard (while working full time) to get the qualifications and spent a heap of cash on it, to end up like this... That hit me even harder. Then in June I got on another, slightly different job and I made a good progress. It's remote, so no office trips (can't imagine doing it now amid tinnitus anxiety), colleagues like my work and it's literally stress free.

So, as much as I still suffer, pulling through has been very rewarding.

 

[buttercake]

Then in June I got on another, slightly different job and I made a good progress.

Very good progresses @Johan001. You are right on track. My PhD advisor also has tinnitus so he very well understood when I spoke to him asking for some time off. Luckily I was very well positioned in my studies when I got struck by this abominable thing so I could take 2-3 months of "break" without hindering too much the PhD outcome. After that I slowly started working again and I still managed to publish one paper in a top Computer Vision conference. After my PhD studies I plan to move to industry; that scares me a bit. In academia nobody cares about when or where you work, but industry is another thing. But hey, one day at time, right?

 

[Johan001]

Very good progresses @Johan001. You are right on track. My PhD advisor also has tinnitus so he very well understood when I spoke to him asking for some time off. Luckily I was very well positioned in my studies when I got struck by this abominable thing so I could take 2-3 months of "break" without hindering too much the PhD outcome. After that I slowly started working again and I still managed to publish one paper in a top Computer Vision conference. After my PhD studies I plan to move to industry; that scares me a bit. In academia nobody cares about when or where you work, but industry is another thing. But hey, one day at time, right?

Thank you. It really depends where you end up in the industry. If you mean IT, it can be quite relaxed and you can work remotely from home. I had remote gigs even before COVID-19, so it's even more widespread now. When I am at work I either go to a noisy place like a coffeeshop or run masking tapes in the background when sitting at home, so I am not distracted by the ringing too much. I am lucky that my type of job allows for such flexibility. I am getting many remote job offers now via LinkedIn, so I am confident these things are out there.

Breaks are good, but in my case being able to work and getting things done helps me along the way. I think, even if I took a year off, I still would not be able to get better and then go back to working full time. So it's about finding a good balance between the right job and amount of time to rest IMHO.

 

[Forever hopeful]

I guess it's part of the package. Those are extremely scary. I remember I suffered a horrifying episode this summer, but weirdly enough, it was bilateral, with wavering high volume tinnitus and the feeling of deafness. I thought I would pass out. My fleeting tinnitus is usually just a few seconds, but I've also had episodes that has lasted till the end of the day.

Not gonna lie, that description hit home. I often think about memories from my childhood and teenage years. It makes me very emotional.

I can relate, and it's totally okay to feel that way. This (disease!) is so hard to deal with, and the slightest change can make the house of cards that is confidence and habituation fall apart. Keep pushing through buddy, you can do it.

That's a highly interesting study. Fleeting tinnitus has always been a mystery to me.

Hey there. Just saw your post as I've had a couple of instances where I've had fleeting tinnitus that has lasted for hours. In my left ear always. I have a lot of TMJ issues and I often get fullness in the ear, which they equate to muscular versus hearing loss. I'm in physical therapy and I'm actually just starting back after a month-long break. A lot of it started after I had a crown and root canal done on the left side of my mouth and I swear my bite has never been the same.

So I'm always interested when someone has fleeting tinnitus last more than a few seconds.

The tinnitus lasts a few hours. It is not particularly loud but it's a pure tonal ring that lasts for a few hours and has me completely freaking freaked out that I have new tinnitus. Twice it has woken me up. Most recently, last night. The thing that really gets me is I had this for a few months last year and it resolved. I had some hearing loss that resolved and consequently the tinnitus resolved. And I'm always terrified that it's going to come back.

This is, of course, independent of my bilateral teakettle screeching tinnitus that I have that fluctuates throughout the day and even throughout the hour.

What a life we live.

I told my friend today that can't stand the anxiety. I said I can't live like this not knowing what the next day will bring, with regard to tinnitus of course, as no one knows what the next day will bring. I actually said that I wish I was elderly so I could kill myself.

Turns out she has it too. Bilateral. Pure tone ring. She has had it for years. She has to concentrate on it to hear it but generally speaking she doesn't hear it and isn't bothered by it. She told me she has a hard time hearing on the phone using her left ear and her tinnitus is consequently loudest in that ear. She hears it at night and she just rolls over and goes back to sleep. Oh what a gift. I'm up taking any anti-anxiety meds.

 

[Bambam0]

I had to hop on really quick.

I had a massage earlier today where they worked the lateral pterygoid muscles in my neck. I do this about once a month. But rarely do they hit the pterygoid muscles.

Today after leaving the massage, I had a few SBUTT episodes, and now I just had another! Wild!