What Is Tinnitus Habituation Really?

[screwtape]

Hi,
I suppose it was about three years ago that i felt the tinnitus was settling, i had an acceptance, i was coping, life was ok, but then my health started failing, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, bi-lateral head pains, stomache ulcers, hiatus hernia, peripheral nuropathy apparently stemming from a cyst growing on my spine, sacrum area, and theres more. I found a whole new load of reasons to panic, and tinnitus had, and is having, a feast. I found panic, and pain expanded into anxiety, and then the dizziness started, and all these ailments i experience right now.

My tnnitus is remarkably loud, the problems my body has accumulated, well, don't look good, i live a solitary life, mainly quietly, and i know things can only get grimmer.

This life is all i know, these probs havereally humbled me, the smallest of things now can captivate my attention, i care not for wealth, luxury holidays etc.., my want is people, good company, interesting conversation takes my mind away from the state i'm in, tinnitus is all around me blasting away, but if i'm happy, especially if i'm laughing, its of little consequence.

I don't live in hope, i live in the moment, i take every day as if i were my last, or try to, i don't care if i take this sound to the grave with me, i'd be far more grateful if my deteriorating body eased up for a while, then i can relax just that little bit more, and the tinnitus would lose its grip again, but when it spikes, it spikes, just more noise, thats it.

We feel we can't handle our predicaments, we can, it just takes us time to adjust, but we do adjust, i used to operate a large floor polisher, i gripped it so tight, i struggled with it, forcing it to go where i wanted it, eventually i realised that if i held it really lightly, let it float, i could guide it with two fingers, i realised in life quite often i was trying toohard, the solutions far simpler. Without listening to tinnitus, i try to listen to my body, give myself time, create time, take one foot step at a time. This horrendous racket in my head is a noise, then a sound, its just a sound, not a horrendous racket, i won't react to it, i play it down, i pacify it, and me.

My one weakness or fear is to be alone with this thing for weeks, months etc.., thats where you guys come in, because i feel your company is such a precious thing, and its a warmth to be in the company of others alike to me, sorry to waffle on

 

[Caralyn]

your message made me shed a tear. i dont want to sound cheesy but your principles and what you look for and want in life were lovely and earthly.

it also made me realize how lucky i am that my health (except tinnitus) is in good standing

do you mind if i ask one personal question? why do you lead a solitary life when you like good company and a laugh or two? i hope you have at least one good friend, you sound like a person anybody would be lucky to have a friend like

i wish your health starts improving and hope you have a couple of good laughs each and every day

this was such a good example
" i used to operate a large floor polisher, i gripped it so tight, i struggled with it, forcing it to go where i wanted it, eventually i realised that if i held it really lightly, let it float, i could guide it with two fingers, i realised in life quite often i was trying toohard, the solutions far simpler."

 

[screwtape]

Hi Caralyn,
Please understand i'm not in mourning for my body, its basically a situation report, theres far worse out there than me, but when i put the screaming loud tinnitus into perspective with everything else, it comes someway down the list, so i actually notice it less, my sort of habituation i guess.

I live right out in the countryside, have arthritis in my feet and knees, getting out and about just gets harder, and really has to be meaningful when i do, i'm not a pub person, clubs are practically non existant, of any sort, keeping fits generally a no no (thats how i got like this), i just don't have any meeting places, friends have dissapeared, or even died, i use a car, but arthritis in my wrists limits that, yeh most places i go, i go alone, bu its not all whatever, i enjoy my independance, illness and especially tinnitus weakened me in that respect, there was no one to turn too, but that has also toughened me up even more, i guess, it was my lack of knowledge with what was going on, healthwise, that panicked me, i mean, i'm late 50's, been around, had a good run, so many guys on these forums are a lot fitter, but they've started with tinnitus so much younger, as i dare say you have, i've had it 4 years.

I generally accept my lot, even so i'll work to improve it, but the groups of people i mixed in when i was so much younger and healthier i miss so much, i've no offspring, no real immediate family, theres not a great deal happening for people in my age group normally, without all these orrible little ailments, so thats just the way it is, i guess, take care

 

[mike]

I am just looking for a some advice. I have had tinnitus for 6 months now.I was told you would start to get better and less focused on it.Well in the last 3 months it seem the edge was reduced a little. but in the last 4 weeks it has been raging more than ever.I guess I was looking for habituation part. Any advice on this.
Thanks
Mike Z.

 

[Karen]

Mike,

For some of us, habituation takes a lot longer than it does for others! I've had severe tinnitus for over 2 years (had mild tinnitus before that), and I am just now noticing a reduction in my tinnitus. I'm using several supplements, going to a chiro who specializes in neurology, etc., so it would be hard to say what has caused the reduction in T. I only know that, after 2 years, I'm finally beginning to see some improvement.

There is not a straight path toward habituation --- for some of us, the tinnitus gets a little better, then it gets worse again. However, that doesn't mean that you are not getting better! There have been many times when I thought mine was getting better, only to find it was worse the next day. But, now that I look back, I can see that I've made a lot of progress.

So, no, you are not unusual in having your T take two steps forward, then two steps back. I'm glad it did reduce a little for you --- that's a good sign that it is not remaining constant! Do you remember anything that you were doing that might have caused the temporary reduction?

 

[Markku]

A Finn on another Finnish forum said this:

"If there's a term such as "I can always make my ears ring whenever I want", is that tinnitus? Always when I start listening to it, there's this endless beeping there.

It doesn't control my life, but concentrating on reading is impossible if I think about the beeping in the slightest.

Yes, I always use headphones while on computer, but at moderate volumes."


Just thought I'd share. It was written in Finnish so I translated it myself, but the message should be 100% there.

 

[Louise]

I cant see how I can ever habituate this T because it has so much movement in the sound. Its not a constant thing, it slides up and down frequencies. I mean within a couple of seconds. It MOVES all the time. Its attracts my attention because its moving. A shrill noise that moves up and down in pitch. I cant see I'll ever be able to ignore it. I know the TRT book says the type of noise and volume dont matter but how can that be so?

Does anyone else have movement in theirs?

Its driving me insane. I'd definitely choose deafness over this.

 

[jazz]

Hi Louise,

My T is also erratic. I always have it over my left ear (my auditory cortex?). But I frequently get noise in either my brain stem or on the top of my head. In general, all noise is focused on my left side, where I injured my ear. Every few days, however, I'll get an obnoxious noise in my right ear, which makes me believe the T will eventually become bilateral. And my scalp always hurts where ever the T is currently residing. It is like someone pulled my hair.

That said, I have been so fortunate over the last two weeks. My T has reduced about 50 percent. I'm not sure why, but I now keep track of everything I drink and eat. I've also been taking several supplements since October, including melatonin. Perhaps, they are kicking in.

BTW, I know broadband noise, like white noise, is supposed to help you habituate. I've read about TRT and would like to try it. But my T is reactive; it competes with the noise and always wins. As such, over the past few weeks, I keep the TV on for background noise while I'm working. When I go to sleep, I play running water, which doesn't mask the T but helps me focus on something else.

Are you taking any medications or supplements? Did I read a while back you were trying SoundCure or was that someone else?

Jazz

 

[Louise]

Hi Jazz,

Does one of your noises dart about in your ear at all or is it a constant ring/buzz/hum? I have it moving up and around frequencies all the time. But, having said that now that its also started in my other ear I am seeming to get a change in the original ear too where sometimes the noise is more like static/white noise. Last night & this morning I also had the static noise in the middle of my head & forehead and it seemed my head was full of noise.

I see you also have changes. The other thing we share is the effect of noise on the T. I know we are not supposed to be in silence but virtually every noise I try makes the T seem louder like it wants to be heard over whatever noise I put on. For sleep the noise that's suited me best is a babbling brook. it doesnt mask really but it is better than silence. I tried rain this morning (very similar to white noise) and it didnt like that at all. I also got along with purple noise but the noise that started in my right ear was so similar to purple noise I am frightened that my ear actually took on that noise!

I started takng Mirtazapine (Remeron) but then was frightened it might be making it worse and so halved the dose this week and am going to stop for a few days to see what happens. I started taking Melatonin (timed-release) 3 days ago. I take NAC and Vit C for the T. I'm going to have a look at the supplements you listed on the other thread and try some of those.

Yes, I tried SoundCure. I kept it too as when the original ear was bad its the only thing that could mask it well and make it a bit better. But I am thinking maybe it was that which put the T in the other ear as I was playing it only into the bad ear. And now with the sound changing I dont think its as useful and if I only have it in the original ear then the noise in the other ear becomes louder for some reason.

I'm glad something has reduced yours by half. Thats a big change. I hope it continues for you.

 

[click]

Mine darts about too Louise. It changes all the time but is always in my head and never in my ears (except when I step heavily with my ears blocked - then my ears have bells in them).

I found that rain sounds didn't mask my T but I use them a lot because I want to hear the T so that eventually (hopefully!) my brain will learn to get rid of it.

I often get worried too that my head is 'picking up' the sounds I play and those sounds have been added to the T - not sure if I am imagining it or whether it actually happens.

Did you have any success with hearing aids? I can't remember whether you have already said...

 

[Louise]

Jane, does yours dart in and out with a shrill sound? Mine sort of makes a circle going from high pitch to some lower pitches and then back again. But it does always close the circle, sometimes it sears in high and then goes low and stops. There's static around it all too. I wish the movement would stop.

I was walking from the car today with my earplugs in and I heard those tinkling bells you speak of It must be the vibration as we walk that we can hear when we've created silence in our ears.

Before Xmas I spent a lot of time trying to pitch match the T on a tone generator site. That night those tones were playing back to me in my ear. Not my memory of them, the actual tones. It did it about 20 times I would say. Then not since. So, it does seem to me that some T is looking for a place to hang its hat and latches on to sounds. I could be wrong and it does sound far-fetched but it was doing it that pitch matching day.

No success with the hearing aids other than they do seem to push the T into the background a bit when I watch TV with them in. They dont reduce the T noise when I have them in in a quiet room. I've that if they dont cause the T to drop off quite a lot when you have them it that it means (might mean?) that you have hearing loss above 8khz. Do you know that they can only measure us up to 8khz even though we can hear up to 22khz I think. Its crazy how behind they are. Though I suppose because speech falls into the 8khz range then they only need to bother about that for the purpose of actually aiding hearing.
The other thing about those aids is I dont trust the NHS audiologist that fitted them. Her skills were not up to much in my opinion. Every time I asked a question, instead of answering she jsut said 'Why do you want to know?'. I also found out by chance on a refitting that she'd enable a function which when it detects sound at a frequency you cant hear it'll shift it down to a frequency you can hear!! Thats' the exact opposite of what's needed for T, it should leave the frequency alone and up the volume to give the brain that sound its lost.
With the T changing so much right now (its started in my previously good ear and developed static in the original ear) I'm not going to wear the aids in case its them which have caused it.

 

[jazz]

Hi Louise,

My T has darted, ie very brief, shrill electrical sounds that move quickly. But no darts for the last month. I know what you mean about the T interacting with tinnitus programs/devices, like SoundCure. I've downloaded several tinnitus devices for my iPad and iPhone, including Tinnitus Tamer and another that makes notched music, and they both irritated my T and changed its sounds (Fortunately, the changes are always temporary). I was so disappointed as these are the types of therapies that supposedly enable you to habituate. My T instead gets angry and gives me spikes whenever I try something that "therapeutic." That's why I'm off background noises except at night. But still I am willing to try them again in the future. I don't believe supplements will get rid of the T, and I don't believe taking them for years is good. At some point, there could be toxicity. I'm not going to worry about that for at least a year, however.

I do love melatonin. The research is all positive on the drug for lots of conditions, including T. (I don't think you're supposed to take melatonin with antidepressants.) Of my other supplements, I know the magnesium made a difference in the beginning of my T. I would take it and an hour later it would not be as loud. I take the zinc with it because it supposedly helps with magnesium absorption. (Both supplements are also really good for many nervous conditions.) You have to watch the quantity and type of each mineral. I take magnesium glycinate (Bluebonnet brand, 200mg); and I take zinc picolinate (Thorne Research, 15mg). Both are available on Amazon. Don't exceed 400mg of magnesium or 30mg zinc. And magnesium, especially in the beginning, may give you tummy problems so you might start slowly. Read the reviews on Amazon about taking magnesium for regularity. I also know the Gaba worked. I take Pharma Gaba. It's chewable. I only take 1 tablet at a time, 3x daily. You can take 2 at once, but the Gaba might make you tired until you get used to it. If you don't like the Gaba, try Taurine. It's very similar to Gaba, and uses the same receptors. (It's also neuroprotective!) Thorne Research has a 500 mg version, which you can divide into two doses. In general, it's best to divide all your supplements so you don't overload your brain.

Here's a great article on taurine:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20868734

NAC is similar to alpha lipoic acid. Another similar antioxidant is Acetyl-L-Carnitine. The latter is neuroprotective and has been used for other brain diseases.

One last thing, I'd check my supplements on the WebMD website. Though the website doesn't list all the uses for a supplement (not many doctors care/follow tinnitus research), it will list potential interactions. Here's the link for melatonin interactions:

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-suppl...gredientId=940&activeIngredientName=MELATONIN

Briefly examining the list, I did notice the site did not mention antidepressants and melatonin. But I recently read about potential interactions. I'd definitely google "antidepressants and melatonin" before you go back on Remeron. Better safe than sorry!

Well, I'm off to look for more "cures." I see there's new postings on the board.

Jazz

 

[Louise]

Thanks for the info Jazz. I forgot to say before that I already take Magnesium, did so before the T even.

You're right there is something about interactions between Melatonin & ADs but only one saying anything about Mirtazapine.

Those new postings were probably mine

 

[Lesky]

I´ve been taking 30-45 MG Mirtazapin since 2009 and it has not made my tinnitus worse in any way or form. Its the only SSRI that is not known for causing tinnitus. My doctor has prescribed it to lots of tinnitus patients and no one has reported any worsening or new tinnitus.

I certainly respect if you want to avoid it anyhow, but all indications are you should be safe with it!

I have also used Mirtazapin in combination with Melatonin with no change to tinnitus.

 

[Louise]

Thanks. I have a book on which drugs are ototoxic and its the only one that had a low tinnitus risk (it shows the cases of tinnitus reported in tests as equal to that reported by people who took the placebo).

 

[david c]

Hi, my tinnitus has different frequency levels -though most usually a very high frequency sound so I can sympathise.

I take melatonin to help with sleep and find it helpful. I'd avoid taking too many supplements however as they aren't all that beneficial and some can have negative side effects.

Sound therapy is helpful but normally with a free standing sound machine to help with sleep. Avoid using in-ear sound therapy systems especially at night as this can make tinnitus worse.

 

[jazz]

Hi david,

I agree with the in-ear sound therapy--especially at night. Several times the in-ear therapy made my T crazy, like a 10.

 

[click]

Jane, does yours dart in and out with a shrill sound? Mine sort of makes a circle going from high pitch to some lower pitches and then back again. But it does always close the circle, sometimes it sears in high and then goes low and stops. There's static around it all too. I wish the movement would stop.

I was walking from the car today with my earplugs in and I heard those tinkling bells you speak of It must be the vibration as we walk that we can hear when we've created silence in our ears.

Before Xmas I spent a lot of time trying to pitch match the T on a tone generator site. That night those tones were playing back to me in my ear. Not my memory of them, the actual tones. It did it about 20 times I would say. Then not since. So, it does seem to me that some T is looking for a place to hang its hat and latches on to sounds. I could be wrong and it does sound far-fetched but it was doing it that pitch matching day.

No success with the hearing aids other than they do seem to push the T into the background a bit when I watch TV with them in. They dont reduce the T noise when I have them in in a quiet room. I've that if they dont cause the T to drop off quite a lot when you have them it that it means (might mean?) that you have hearing loss above 8khz. Do you know that they can only measure us up to 8khz even though we can hear up to 22khz I think. Its crazy how behind they are. Though I suppose because speech falls into the 8khz range then they only need to bother about that for the purpose of actually aiding hearing.
The other thing about those aids is I dont trust the NHS audiologist that fitted them. Her skills were not up to much in my opinion. Every time I asked a question, instead of answering she jsut said 'Why do you want to know?'. I also found out by chance on a refitting that she'd enable a function which when it detects sound at a frequency you cant hear it'll shift it down to a frequency you can hear!! Thats' the exact opposite of what's needed for T, it should leave the frequency alone and up the volume to give the brain that sound its lost.
With the T changing so much right now (its started in my previously good ear and developed static in the original ear) I'm not going to wear the aids in case its them which have caused it.

Thanks Louise - for letting me know about the bells. I'm so glad that I'm not the only one! Not sure why that makes it a bit better.. but it does

Yes, mine does dart around but it's always been a buzz (static, electrical). When it started it was darting horribly with extreme force from one side of my head to the other. I think there may be a central 'tone' but the buzzing is so loud that it hides it.

I can understand your thoughts on the audiologist. They really have no idea of how we feel or perhaps they just don't care. I'd be cautious about wearing them too. We're the ones who will suffer if the noise gets worse.

On a more positive note, I've now had a full week with the T so distant that I almost forget about it at times. For me this is a huge step forward as I always thought about it - constantly - even when it was low.

Even my morning nasty T is lower, more distant and lasts for less time.

Could come back with a vengeance at any moment but I still believe that mine will go eventually. I think it could take around 2 years to go completely as it's taken over 9 months to get to this stage.

I still haven't taken any drugs, vitamin supplements etc. and I've had no GP appointments, investigations, scans - not since the beginning - useless GP and then the ENT Consultant. I have avoided tea, additives, MSG etc. to the point of being obsessive and I've also upped the cinnamon for a couple of weeks as this really does lower my T. I think I trust my own body's ability to cure this far more than the medical profession.

 

[Louise]

Hi, my tinnitus has different frequency levels -though most usually a very high frequency sound so I can sympathise.

I take melatonin to help with sleep and find it helpful. I'd avoid taking too many supplements however as they aren't all that beneficial and some can have negative side effects.

Sound therapy is helpful but normally with a free standing sound machine to help with sleep. Avoid using in-ear sound therapy systems especially at night as this can make tinnitus worse.

David, does your sound join these different tones together in like a 'dance' or are they completely separate not joined up?

I have an in-ear sound therapy machine an have it on low in the worst ear which never gave me an adverse effect but after a few weeks I started to be able to hear it in the other, previously good ear even though I was using it in the bad ear. I just think this might be the reason I now have T come into the previously good ear? maybe it wouldve anyway, i dont know but I'm devastated.

 

[Louise]

Jane, I think you're right about yours, in everything you've said. Glad you have it lower a lot now. Mine just gets worse.

 

[david c]

Hi Louise, more usually my tone is a "joined-up" high frequency sound but I can get short periods of separate short tones.

My advice would be to avoid using in-ear noise generator at night - better to use a sound machine and if necessary get pillow speakers. Also it's not a good idea to use in-ear generators in one ear only normally. Remember tinnitus levels can go up and down so don't think you'll always be stuck with the same level of noise.

 

[Louise]

Thanks David. I need to send you a PM about this.

 

[click]

Jane, I think you're right about yours, in everything you've said. Glad you have it lower a lot now. Mine just gets worse.

Hi Louise,

Mine is screeching again today. It just feels so awful when it comes back with such ferocity.

How is it going with your house - I keep thinking about what you said.. the house.. the job. Hope you're ok.

Jane
ps. one of my all time favourite films.. girl, interrupted - totally brilliant

 

[Louise]

Hi Jane,

For some reason I had it go quieter for the first time yesterday. Then overnight I couldnt sleep for it, I think it even woke me up it was that loud. I've never had it so loud and fast-spinning as it is today. Its got worse again. And my crime?.... I went out to a pub for lunch, the only place there was to sit was with a speaker above but the music was only normal level. I put in my 33db NRR earplugs and intended to keep them in all the way through the meal. Someone came in that I havent seen in 5 years so I took them out for about 10 minutes to talk to her. I can only think that's what did it. It was 10 minutes and the music was regular family pub level music. I just cant be in noise at all. I am praying it goes back down again but I've never had fluctuations in it that you do and others here do so I'm really worried.

Sorry yours is bad today. Can you put it down to anything? I know you keep a diary of what you eat etc.

The house, job and all that is very bad. Black

'Girl interrupted' is exactly how I feel. Life completely interrupted by this T. So I chose that as an avatar. It's not that I look like Winona unfortunately I also like the film.

 

[click]

Hi Louise,

Yours going quieter has to be a good thing. Even though it went up again it DID change, so hopefully it will again. Every time mine goes back up and screams, and especially when it stays there for ages, I begin to think that it will never change again... but it always does.

I'm so sorry things haven't improved on the house/job front. Have you tried some programming at home just to see how you'd cope?

I'm as confused as hell about the food etc. I'm positive that something is affecting it but it could be a combination of factors and I think that some things affect it when the T is in a certain 'state' and that these don't affect it at other times. Pretty difficult to define even with a detailed log. But then, if it was easy someone would have worked it out long ago.

I keep thinking that the combined efforts of all on here who have changing T could help - could even help those without fluctuating T - knowledge is power and we're the people who could collate some stats on the whole thing. Put enough information together and we could see a distinct pattern emerging. The spreadsheet about causes didn't attract enough people - only twenty something and that's just not enough.

Hope you're ok today.

Jane

 

[Louise]

Thanks Jane.

Its quieter again today, certainly quieter than yesterday which was the loudest ever. That's the first time this has happened to me in the nearly 7 months I've had it. Does make one worry about what the next day might bring. I have an app with an NHS Hearing Therapist tomorrow who does CBT. I'll ask her what she thinks is going on with it.

I'd love to do some programming at home but in my field (AS400 (called iSeries now)) working from home never happens, or very, very rarely. You always have to be on site. Thats just a historical thing. I know the Internet technologies are different and its much more common to work from home with those.

Yes, the state of the T could make a difference on what affects it. Very frustrating for you. You would think 'someone' (scientists!) would have worked it out by now. Its a shame about the spreadsheet. I dont think I did it because I know mine's from noise damage. Maybe you could put it out again?

 

[click]

Yes - maybe - it's quite disheartening though. You'd think that members here would do anything to find out anything that may help. Perhaps many don't think it will - and they could be right!

Every night my last thought is 'what will it be like tomorrow?'. The worst days are when it's been quiet for a week and then bang... it's back.

Good luck with the hearing therapist - let us know what happens.

 

[stantheman]

I've had tinnitus for 15 months. I have improved but not to the point where I feel I am habituated. What happens when one becomes habituated? Does the suffering stop?

 

[Emma]

I am finally becoming habituated with my tinnitus. I dont notice it too much. This may have to do with the fact I am keeping busy, but I also have other health problems so my mind doesnt focus much on the T anymore. I have had T for one year and it got louder after 6 months. What helped me is finding other things to care about: my family, my overall health, religious beliefs. I think about those more than Ido about the T. I wish the T wasnt there but it no longer is the focus on my life I hope you get there. Most suprising for me is that the T doesnt bother me at night when I am trying to sleep. It is more like background noise. I have a decent support system too so that helps. Warning others about T actually helps me feel better too.

 

[Markku]

I've had tinnitus for 15 months. I have improved but not to the point where I feel I am habituated. What happens when one becomes habituated? Does the suffering stop?

To me, habituation has meant that most of the time I can live and go about things without actively thinking and dreading the noise. I can hear it anytime I want, and sometimes it does become annoying and I can't help but be anxious and dreadful about it, but the more time has passed, the rarer these worse times have become for me.

Basically I think that once you are habituated, the effect tinnitus has on your quality of life will diminish. I don't think habituation means that your quality of life returns 100% to the previous level pre-tinnitus, but you can be very near that. I guess it depends.

I will never be so habituated that I could say "I don't need a cure. I wouldn't take it if there was one available.".