- Aug 7, 2021
- 1,478
- Tinnitus Since
- 2012 (mild) & 04/2021 (severe)
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Ototoxicity (2012) Unknown-likely noise induce (2021)
Hi. I had a period last year where my tinnitus spiraled out of control. I had progressive and constant tinnitus worsening from May 2021 to the end of August 2021. It seemed to have plateaued and slowly stabilized from there on after, although spikes can still sometimes happen. I lost count of how many tones/noise I accumulated during that worsening period, but many have slowly disappeared (still have quite a few). Tinnitus is variable. Familiar tones come and go as they please. The volume varies, currently ranges from moderate (high end) to very severe. Sometimes masking works, most of the time it doesn't. Adequate masking will depend on how perceptible the reactivity will be for the day. I have the instant kind.Hard to find anyone who has had tinnitus going out of control up for months like this.
I should point out I also had debilitating loudness hyperacusis, palinacousis, and distortions/dysacusis too. Loudness hyperacusis has improved dramatically, palinacousis seems to be non existent, and distortions come and go (less frequent now or not noticing as much). I was spiking to trivial sounds too during the worsening phase, but not anymore. The reactivity is still a bitch though. Still hoping it eases up at some point.
With all this said, I feel like I'm in a much better place now. Tinnitus gave me the ass whopping of a lifetime, that's for sure, but I did improved significantly in other concerning areas. I'll take any victories where I can.
Maybe I'm wired to handle this chaotic mayhem better than others, but give yourself a chance to see how your ears will fare in 2 years. You probably at some point will have to come to terms that your tinnitus is likely not going back to the way it was before. That doesn't have to mean your life is necessarily over though. Adjustments will have to be made in your life. Be patient and wait for stabilization along with your symptoms improving in some manner to happen. And then let habituation do its thing. Always protect if you're unsure and avoid disgusting noise.
You're currently in a category 5 hurricane. Weather it as best as you can and let it run its course.