Hi everyone.
I'm posting in hopes that people that are going through the same thing can give me hope.
I have very severe noise induced tinnitus. Last night I went to a nightclub (with custom made earplugs) and I could hear my tinnitus over the music. I thought I could habituate and was on my way to doing so but the fact that I can hear it over loud music is so scary.
It's so incredibly loud and I'm not sure if I can ever not care if it doesn't get quieter. I just want to hear from others that have it this severe as well that they managed to habituate.
Sorry you are suffering at the moment.
To be perfectly frank with you, since my onset, I have avoided loud venues. I just think once the hearing apparatus is injured, it is rendered vulnerable. Havent seen any studies to suggest otherwise. I know audios try to reassure us that noise up to 80db is safe, but how do we know that when I fail to find any studies to prove otherwise?
I just dont think it is worth the risk, and I never liked loud noise even before my t and h, and hearing loss.
The fact that you can hear it over the music may not suggest that your t is getting louder mind you. I think the frequency of your t is relevant too, and whether the music you were listening to is capable of masking it. It could also mean you have some sound sensitivity, so your t reacts to external sounds.
You need to rest your ears and your nervous system. I can reassure you that I have experienced a number of noise induced related spikes since my onset, that have settled down once I give my ears a rest. One time in particular, was a solid wooden door slamming right near my left ear. Immediately, I felt pain, muffled hearing, louder tinnitus. Then, of course, the panic sets in and the catastrophising. I took magnesium and nac, and raced up to Melbourne for an urgent audiogram. You could do that if you really wanted, or try one of the online audiograms to get a rough idea what your hearing is doing? But, I just wanted to reassure you that it is likely your t will calm down.
I asked about steroids in this situation. I was told unless there is a noticeable dip in my hearing threshold, that it would have no value. However, maybe people who have used steroids prophylactically, could comment.
Have I habituated to loud tinnitus. YES!
I knew several years prior to the onset of my t that i had a mod bilateral hearing loss, that didnt impact on me at all.
24 hours after the last dose of IV ciprofloxacillin for an ear infection, I met my t for the first time 5 years ago.
It was loud, intrusive, and unrelenting.
Then came the spikes, and the hyperacusis.
I threw everything at it in a desperate bid to 'get rid of it'
Nothing worked.
Until i decided that I would have to 'learn to live with it'.
By the time, I decided to do stem cells last year (for severe joint pain, not t), I was already habituating.
Since the stems, I have noticed the reactive component of my t has improved dramatically, along with the spikes, which were the hardest of all to deal with because it obstructed my ability to habituate.
It is definately possible to habituate to loud, intrusive tinnitus. Just have a look at the back to silence thread and video. The OP suffered with very loud tinnitus for several decades before trying a method that has led to his successful habituation.
Hope this helps
Deb
Member
