dotscorp

I'm a 48 year old man living in Boston. I worked as a truck driver for 13 years in a noisy environment and have attended many rock concerts, but have always been sensitive to loud noises and have purposely removed myself from situations where noises are too loud.

In the past, I've had ringing in the ears after being in particularly loud clubs but it has always gone away. Sometimes, out of nowhere, even when in a quiet place, I'd get a buzzing in the ear, but would always go away before long.

About a couple months ago, I started having difficulty sleeping which was strange as it's never been a problem. I could count on falling asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, had no problem falling asleep watching movies and even plays. I often fought sleep while browsing the internet so it was odd that I couldn't sleep through the night.

Not long after, I realized I had a buzzing in the ears that sounded like fluorescent lights and it wasn't going away. I went to the doctor and he referred me to a specialist who bluntly told me they don't know why it happens and have no cure. Nothing was offered to me in the way of relief and that's when my depression began.

Since that day, I've tried every alternative therapy including acupuncture, foot reflexology, reiki, chiropractic, and massage therapy. Additionally, I've cut out foods I believe are inflammatory and am taking a fist full of supplements every morning, but the ringing goes on. Shortly after changing my diet, the sound diminished by about 90% and I was elated, but went back up to full volume a couple days later. Since then, it has fluctuated, but mainly stays on the high side.

My biggest concern is the lack of sleep and it's negative affects on my mood and my productivity at work. I have a white noise machine, but it's not loud enough to drown out the sound and it seems I just can't shut my brain off to allow me to relax.

I tried an over the counter sleep aid, but that plagued me with nightmares and left me feeling like a zombie the following day.

I'm hoping this group can help me find some treatments that will help me sleep and alleviate the crushing depression of not having some peace and quiet in my life.