When Is Tinnitus Considered Permanent?

[Vegas Robb]

Hello,

I have what some may call quiet tinnitus, but still, when you are used to silence it bothers the hell out of me. Mine was caused by taking an ototoxic drug (ciprofloxican).

I've had it now since nov 26 2013 just coming up on 3 months...

What it the projected time frame when one can say, "it's permanent ?"

I've heard anywhere from 6 months to a year.. Anyone out there know?

 

[Penelope33]

I've had tinnitus for 4 months now. No sign of it getting even a bit better. I guess it's here to stay but is it considered permanent after a period of time anyway?

 

[seal]

It is said that tinnitus is acute until the 3 month mark, subacute between 3-6 months and permanent after the 6 month ( to 1 year) mark.
But really those are marks doctors invented. Generally speaken of course a tinnitus is more likely to stay forever the longer someone had it.. But that doesn't mean that there aren't any cases where the tinnitus went away even after a few years.

 

[mikey13]

exactly. there's no 100% permanent benchmark. some people's go away in days,weeks months,even years later. there's cases of people having it disappear completely after 5 or 6 months, there's cases of people's healing after 2 or 3 years, there's cases of people's disappearing after a decade or more. and,unfortunately,there's cases where people never have it go away.

it all comes down to the amount of damage done.much like a stroke victim,the brain tries to make new neural pathways to repair the damage done.it just takes different amounts of time in different people. and,again unfortunately, sometime the damage is too severe for your brain to fix.

best of luck to you!

 

[Markku]

In the future there may be treatments available that take away or reduce the noise, but in the meantime you should just accept it and not wait for miracles. Generally speaking I think, depending on source, they say tinnitus is regarded chronic after 6 or 12 months.

I remember my first months; I just couldn't believe it would stay forever, I fully expected it to resolve. Once I acknowledged it won't go away and accepted it (I used to listen to it countless times a day and assess how it may have changed etc.), things started to improve a lot, and quite quickly.

So try not to put your life on hold and try to get over the self-blame (I remember your case, and it wasn't your fault, nobody could have known better).

I also suggest you read the following blog post from beginning to end: http://blog.szynalski.com/2010/12/24/tinnitus-tips/

Best wishes for your life --- which will again be enjoyable .

 

[demi]

My T had almost completely diminished before my spike in November. I believe if I didn't go to the concert it would of gone away. That was a month prior to my 1 year mark. So I'm sure it can go away whenever it wants.

 

[Stina]

@Penelope33 how are you doing? managing well with the kids? I think tinnitus is considered chronic after 3 months and permanent after a year. However as others previously said, it is relatively random. There has been discovered differences in the brains of people with acute and chronic tinnitus, but no-one knows where the border exactly goes.

 

[Penelope33]

@Penelope33 how are you doing? managing well with the kids? I think tinnitus is considered chronic after 3 months and permanent after a year. However as others previously said, it is relatively random. There has been discovered differences in the brains of people with acute and chronic tinnitus, but no-one knows where the border exactly goes.

Hi Stina, I'm doing ok.... Have a flurry of ok days then one bad... Kinda goes like that. Just keeping busy, with the kids. For the kids. But the prob with being too busy and not relaxing/ sleeping well enough, means I'm a bit run down. Got a cold that's been going for over 2 weeks.

 

[Amelia]

Someone else will have the answer but I don't like to think of T in terms of "permanent" and "non permanent" ... I'm 7 months in and still would like to think things can improve, however I'm classed as "chronic" ie: sticking around

 

[Karen]

Robert,

I've heard that tinnitus is considered permanent after anywhere from 1 year to 2 years. I have tinnitus caused by an ototoxic drug, too, and it also reacts to the television. I've been using an ear plug in my affected ear when I watch T.V. because I don't know what else to do.

I've had this tinnitus for 3 1/2 years, so by that definition, it is considered permanent. However, mine has gotten a lot better. I think it is very possible for you to habituate to it -- it just may take awhile. The best advice I can give you is to try to continue doing the things you enjoy doing, and put the tinnitus at the back of your mind whenever possible. In time, things will improve.

For me, what has worked best has been: (1) Distraction/doing things you enjoy that will keep the tinnitus on a back burner; (2) getting enough sleep; (3) natural supplements; (4) exercise.

 

[Vegas Robb]

When you say it's gotten better what do you mean. And if it's gotten better, then why does the tv still bother you. I've also heard that it depends on what kind of ototoxic drug was taken as to whether it could clear up or not....all drugs are not the same....hoping...

 

[Vegas Robb]

Someone else will have the answer but I don't like to think of T in terms of "permanent" and "non permanent" ... I'm 7 months in and still would like to think things can improve, however I'm classed as "chronic" ie: sticking around

Thank you...

 

[sgal]

Hi Robb, It's interesting to me that your tinnitus started when you were on ciprofloxican. Mine got much worse while I was on Ciprodex ear drops which is a combination of ciprofloxican and a steroid. I've had three doctors now say that they didn't think it was the Ciprodex that caused my tinnitus to get worse and I want to believe them but it's hard to ignore the fact that I was taking that drug when my tinnitus became a much bigger problem. They actually treat inner ear infections with Ciprodex in children. I don't know what to think really. Anyway, I too am hoping that things will go back to normal in time. My tinnitus started or I should say got worse on January 10 of this year. Oh, how I wish I could go back and not have taken any of the meds I was on at that time, especially the Ciprodex. One thing I did that you may want to consider doing also is I contacted the FDA and reported this side effect. Enough people need to let them know when they're had these bad reactions to make them take a second look at the safety of this drug. I think I'll be writing Bayer Drugs a letter also! I know I'm not actually helping you feel better but at least you know you're not alone. You are lucky that the tinnitus is mild. Try to think of it that way. Karen gives great advice. I hope for both our sakes things improve with time and I hope you will wake one morning to find you hear nothing but the birds outside your window.

 

[Neenie]

God it makes me so angry when people get tinnitus from an ototoxic drug. How can the doctor not warn you about this possibility before they give it to you. I realise that pretty much every drug is listed as ototoxic but still, there are ones that are more likely than others. I probably got mine from a combination of ototoxic drugs and it just really annoys me that i wasn't warned. I'm not sure though, because I have unilateral tinnitus so I would suspect that if it were an ototoxic drug it would affect both ears equally. IDK

 

[Karen]

Robb,

My tinnitus has gotten much softer and calmer, so that I don't notice it much during the day. It still gets a little bit worse in the late afternoon, then seems to taper off at night. Television still bothers my tinnitus, but not anywhere near what it was like before! I couldn't even watch T.V. for quite awhile, because the sound activated my pulsating and made it almost unbearable. Now, I am able to watch for 1/2 hour to 1 hour at a time, and I often use an earplug in the affected ear. I think my problem is due more to the pulsatile tinnitus than the hissing tinnitus, if that makes sense.

I wish quieter times for you, and I believe yours will begin to gradually calm down as time goes on.

Best wishes,
Karen

 

[Dr. Ancill]

God it makes me so angry when people get tinnitus from an ototoxic drug. How can the doctor not warn you about this possibility before they give it to you. I realise that pretty much every drug is listed as ototoxic but still, there are ones that are more likely than others. I probably got mine from a combination of ototoxic drugs and it just really annoys me that i wasn't warned. I'm not sure though, because I have unilateral tinnitus so I would suspect that if it were an ototoxic drug it would affect both ears equally. IDK

The problem is illustrated by sgal above - she contacted the FDA to report that a drug she was taking led to her tinnitus. The FDA will accept this report simply because it was made and without taking any further steps to try and determine if it is scientifically correct. When you look up side-effects, you have to try and establish the incidence. Most drugs with tinnitus as a side-effect are typically around 1% or less. Certainly, antibiotics and anticancer drugs are more likely cuplrits because they attack living tissue.

 

[Vegas Robb]

Hi Robb, It's interesting to me that your tinnitus started when you were on ciprofloxican. Mine got much worse while I was on Ciprodex ear drops which is a combination of ciprofloxican and a steroid. I've had three doctors now say that they didn't think it was the Ciprodex that caused my tinnitus to get worse and I want to believe them but it's hard to ignore the fact that I was taking that drug when my tinnitus became a much bigger problem. They actually treat inner ear infections with Ciprodex in children. I don't know what to think really. Anyway, I too am hoping that things will go back to normal in time. My tinnitus started or I should say got worse on January 10 of this year. Oh, how I wish I could go back and not have taken any of the meds I was on at that time, especially the Ciprodex. One thing I did that you may want to consider doing also is I contacted the FDA and reported this side effect. Enough people need to let them know when they're had these bad reactions to make them take a second look at the safety of this drug. I think I'll be writing Bayer Drugs a letter also! I know I'm not actually helping you feel better but at least you know you're not alone. You are lucky that the tinnitus is mild. Try to think of it that way. Karen gives great advice. I hope for both our sakes things improve with time and I hope you will wake one morning to find you hear nothing but the birds outside your window.

You're very kind and thank you for writing me back. And I've already contacted Bayer and gave them a good peice of my mind about this poison my doctor gave me... Ps, I hope it goes as well....

 

[Vegas Robb]

Thank you Karen ...you're very kind for getting back to me ... Best wishes and quieter times for you...

Robb,

My tinnitus has gotten much softer and calmer, so that I don't notice it much during the day. It still gets a little bit worse in the late afternoon, then seems to taper off at night. Television still bothers my tinnitus, but not anywhere near what it was like before! I couldn't even watch T.V. for quite awhile, because the sound activated my pulsating and made it almost unbearable. Now, I am able to watch for 1/2 hour to 1 hour at a time, and I often use an earplug in the affected ear. I think my problem is due more to the pulsatile tinnitus than the hissing tinnitus, if that makes sense.

I wish quieter times for you, and I believe yours will begin to gradually calm down as time goes on.

Best wishes

 

[Vegas Robb]

God it makes me so angry when people get tinnitus from an ototoxic drug. How can the doctor not warn you about this possibility before they give it to you. I realise that pretty much every drug is listed as ototoxic but still, there are ones that are more likely than others. I probably got mine from a combination of ototoxic drugs and it just really annoys me that i wasn't warned. I'm not sure though, because I have unilateral tinnitus so I would suspect that if it were an ototoxic drug it would affect both ears equally. IDK

Thank you.. All the best...

 

[Vegas Robb]

The problem is illustrated by sgal above - she contacted the FDA to report that a drug she was taking led to her tinnitus. The FDA will accept this report simply because it was made and without taking any further steps to try and determine if it is scientifically correct. When you look up side-effects, you have to try and establish the incidence. Most drugs with tinnitus as a side-effect are typically around 1% or less. Certainly, antibiotics and anticancer drugs are more likely cuplrits because they attack living tissue.

1% worldwide is a lot of affected people.. Not acceptable !!!

 

[Dr. Ancill]

The population of he world is not taking medications so your statement makes no sense. The problems with taking any medication is to balance the risk with the benefit. Most drugs carry a a risk of producing tinnitus at 1% of less. For nost antidepressants, the risk is 0.5% but this does not mean that the drug caused the tinnitus, only that 1 person in 200 who took that drug reported tinnitus while taking the drug - that is not nessecarily causative. Further, any tinnitus produced this way is typcically temporary. By the way, you were right - unilateral tinnitus makes it unlikely this was caused by a drug.

 

[carol kane]

The population of he world is not taking medications so your statement makes no sense. The problems with taking any medication is to balance the risk with the benefit. Most drugs carry a a risk of producing tinnitus at 1% of less. For nost antidepressants, the risk is 0.5% but this does not mean that the drug caused the tinnitus, only that 1 person in 200 who took that drug reported tinnitus while taking the drug - that is not nessecarily causative. Further, any tinnitus produced this way is typcically temporary. By the way, you were right - unilateral tinnitus makes it unlikely this was caused by a drug.

@Dr. Ancill, you seem to talk about ototoxic meds pre Tinnitus ... I.E didn't cause it, etc, etc, ... but once you have it!!! what is your advice POST tinnitus ... if the ears are already broken, then surely Meds will make it worse, if they can hurt a very healthy ear, then i'm sure they can destroy a weak and vulnerable ear ...

 

[Dr. Ancill]

There is a major difference between drugs which are know to be ototoxic - certain antibiotics, anti-cancer drugs - and those for which there are occasional reports of tinnitus. The first group will dmaage the inner ear further but the latter group will likely not cause a problem or, if they do, it will be temporary.

 

[Ricky81]

All the doctors I spoke with say Ciprodex is safe so I'm not sure how I got T. Maybe due to head injury.
I've had T for 3 months now. It is 70% better and calmer than the first month.

I hope this stupid T goes away in a few months or so. I only hear it when sleeping and when I have head phones.
However I sleep well now within 5 minutes.

 

[Ilija]

A year, two is also possible but less likely.
I've seen people lose lose it in 2 yars.
Seen more lose it in 1 year
Seen A LOT lose in in 6 months or less
Also seen a lot lose it in 7-8
While Tinnitus is unpredictable and all researching it on the net will give you a bad idea that it's extremely rare for Tinnitus to leave when in truth it leaves for a lot of people.
Some dude made a post saying how when he talked to the people he knows in real life almost all had Tinnitus and all of them had it go away after some time.
You're only 3 months in you have lots of time for it to go.
The nerves take time to heal up.
I suggest you take B12 vitamins also magnesium and zinc as these help with brain neurons a lot, might speed up the process.

 

[Sean]

Hello I have what some may call quiet T, but still, when you are use to silence it bothers the hell out of me. Mine was caused by taking an ototoxic drug ( ciprofloxican ) I've had it now since nov 26 2013 just coming up on 3 months.. What it the projected time frame when one can say, "it's permanent ?" I've heard anywhere from 6 months to a year.. Anyone out there know? PS.. Mine mostly reacts to the sound around me.. When I'm in a quiet room my t is quiet, but when I turn on TV it seems to want to match in volume. Now this doesn't happen all the time, just sometimes and other times the TV doesn't bother me at all ..weird...Robert

How long did you take ciprofloxacin ?

 

[locoyeti]

A year, two is also possible but less likely.
I've seen people lose lose it in 2 yars.
Seen more lose it in 1 year
Seen A LOT lose in in 6 months or less
Also seen a lot lose it in 7-8
While Tinnitus is unpredictable and all researching it on the net will give you a bad idea that it's extremely rare for Tinnitus to leave when in truth it leaves for a lot of people.
Some dude made a post saying how when he talked to the people he knows in real life almost all had Tinnitus and all of them had it go away after some time.
You're only 3 months in you have lots of time for it to go.
The nerves take time to heal up.
I suggest you take B12 vitamins also magnesium and zinc as these help with brain neurons a lot, might speed up the process.

When I got tinnitus I scoured every resource to find out people whose tinnitus naturally resolved many months, or even years later. I have not found much evidence at all that this happens, and I am almost 9 months in. I think for most people they just get used to life with the ear ringing, and don't get distraught over it. The tinnitus can go down, but it never goes away completely for the vast majority of people. I thought there would be something like a selection issue where the people that naturally got cured simply never came back to forums and told people about it, but seriously I have not read a single post by anyone that they're tinnitus naturally cured. Such people are probably a very very very tiny percentage of people that get tinnitus.

Do you have any evidence for these people you say were cured in these time periods you say? Can you tell them to come on this forum and please post their experience? I am genuinely curious, because I am an internet hound and from all the information that I have read, most people that get tinnitus have it for the rest of their life, it is just that the tinnitus volume can get lower with time, and the emotional reaction gets a lot lower as well, that is what makes it much more bearable.

 

[Sjoerd]

Hello I have what some may call quiet T, but still, when you are use to silence it bothers the hell out of me. Mine was caused by taking an ototoxic drug ( ciprofloxican ) I've had it now since nov 26 2013 just coming up on 3 months.. What it the projected time frame when one can say, "it's permanent ?" I've heard anywhere from 6 months to a year.. Anyone out there know? PS.. Mine mostly reacts to the sound around me.. When I'm in a quiet room my t is quiet, but when I turn on TV it seems to want to match in volume. Now this doesn't happen all the time, just sometimes and other times the TV doesn't bother me at all ..weird...Robert

As far as I know there is no such thing as permanent or not permanent, at least there is no time frame to it. After 3 to 6 month they call it chronic.....but that is only a arbitrary time frame if you ask me.

T quiet in quiet room but louder in louder environments? That is probably your brain forcing you to listen to it! It is just zooming in an a signal that is deemed relevant or threatening. Stop listening to it (easy talks but very difficult to do, I know)!

 

[dan]

I've seen people lose lose it in 2 yars.
Seen more lose it in 1 year
Seen A LOT lose in in 6 months or less
Also seen a lot lose it in 7-8

Do you run a tinnitus clinic or something ?

 

[Ilija]

When I got tinnitus I scoured every resource to find out people whose tinnitus naturally resolved many months, or even years later. I have not found much evidence at all that this happens, and I am almost 9 months in. I think for most people they just get used to life with the ear ringing, and don't get distraught over it. The tinnitus can go down, but it never goes away completely for the vast majority of people. I thought there would be something like a selection issue where the people that naturally got cured simply never came back to forums and told people about it, but seriously I have not read a single post by anyone that they're tinnitus naturally cured. Such people are probably a very very very tiny percentage of people that get tinnitus.

Do you have any evidence for these people you say were cured in these time periods you say? Can you tell them to come on this forum and please post their experience? I am genuinely curious, because I am an internet hound and from all the information that I have read, most people that get tinnitus have it for the rest of their life, it is just that the tinnitus volume can get lower with time, and the emotional reaction gets a lot lower as well, that is what makes it much more bearable.

I'm sorry but what part of no one who has even gotten rid of their Tinnitus will go around spreading it on Tinnitus forums was unclear?
Being an "internet hound" is the worst thing you can do for Tinnitus because guess what? no one who either has had it go away or has habituated to it completely will go around posting simply because they don't care.
For instance, when I had bad lungs from a severe cold I went around forums seeing what it is, how it works, will it go away.
When it did went away, do you think I went back and talked about it?
No I didn't care.
Stop searching on the internet for positive feedback, the internet is anything but positive feedback.
If your Tinnitus went away tomorrow yeah sure you would post a month or more, but would you really be posting on Tinnitus forums 3-4 months later when you're Tinnitus free? or would you be out doing other things?
Stop searching on the internet.
Go out, talk to real people most people who post on these forums are either bothered by their Tinnitus or are people like Dr. Nagler helping people otherwise no one will want to be around something that once made them unhappy.
When I lose my Tinnitus or when I just habituate to it, the moment I lose interest in it that'll probably be it, I won't want to come back here because it'll just be a reminder of a darker part of my life.
No offence to anyone on the forum or the forum itself it's supportive and great but you don't see ex cancer patients going around chemotherapy rooms so they can be reminded of that part of their life.