ErikaS

Hi @ErikaS, it will get better, the first 3-5 months I slept maybe 1-2 hours a night waking up every 20 minutes, covered in sweat, it was crazy, my anxiety was so high. Don't know how I survived haha. Just try to rest and sleep if possible. Now I just take 1mg Melatonin and I will try to come off in January, I'm sleeping 6-8 hours a night

Trazodone has been a godsend for me, but it really only started working "great" when my anxiety levels came down. It helped a lot before that too though.

@DeanD Thank you, I hope the NM goes well for you too if you choose that! Do you have multiple tones and is the T unilateral or both ears?

@ErikaS - yes, similar to you (from what I have read on your posts), multiple tones - and my t is bilateral. Are all your different tones down to further acoustic setbacks, or did they all come on at once?

@DeanD I cannot say that new tones came from acoustic setbacks, I think my reactivity got a little more sensitive, however newer tones came on with 2 colds/viruses. which is interesting because first ring came on with ear infection, so sensitive to viruses after that.

@Forever hopeful ugh what has the audiologist said about this to you? The loss is only in my R ear and it now makes all the sense in how T first presented and how the reactivity is mainly in R ear. I’m just SO mad this wasn’t caught at onset when I could have gotten IT shot in ear.

@Forever hopeful I am 33 and the only reason I am experiencing this in R ear was due to ear infection and ear inflammation leading up to ear infection. I am hoping given my age, and time, my brain will reorganize and things will calm down. My T is not very loud (thankfully) but it is many changing tones and high electric hiss is reactive so it still is very overwhelming and haulting my life.

@ErikaS You have youth on your side. Hoping it improves soon.

@ErikaS, when they say you have no hearing loss. It just means you have no hearing loss in the ranges that are specific to speech. You may have hearing loss above that. I don’t know how old you are but it comes with age. They don’t test for it because they don’t have any benchmarking for it. So how are you score is not always that relevant if you have no reference point. It sucks either way.

You still have alot of time for improvement I’m hoping the best for us both

Thanks @Sammy0225 , right back to you. Month 3-4 may be the worst, I am hoping for a turn around at month 5-6. Hope your little improvements you’ve seen lately continue !

I hope it will make a difference to your tinnitus in the long run. Let us know how it goes.

I hope you're able to find some relief! You're still early with this, as am I. We have to remember to be patient, healing takes time.

@CRGC I know, it’s just scary when you’re taking precautions and doing things to help but it’s not getting better, just worse. When did the H start for you?

Mine started at the same time as the rest of my symptoms, so 6 months ago. Overall I’m a bit better than in the summer when it was at its worse, but still struggling as the pain fluctuates unpredictably. Being very careful about everything i can control, and trying to stay patient and optimistic.

Hi @ErikaS I see. For me, my reactivity on a bad day immediately picks up when I hear certain noises and gets louder and louder the longer I keep hearing those noises. When I step away, it'll either calm down or be spiked for the rest of the day. I didn't ever experience ear fullness at its peak. I only experienced ear fullness for a few days when my tinnitus started. Is the fullness bothersome?

@Joe Cuber cant tell if fullness is coming from some sinus inflammation or T sensitivity.
What do you think helped your reactivity improve? Anything specifically?

Hi @ErikaS - I personally think that sound enrichment at home (low, background nature sounds like rain) and going out to expose myself for short durations to parks, cafes, small downtowns. Going out sometimes made me spike, but sometimes it would settle down. Over time, it got better. I can often go out now without spiking.

@MindOverMatter I developed the T just over 3 months ago in R ear with ear infection. Started as high electric hiss, now 5-6 tones with reactive hiss and distortions. I know it takes time to get better, but what I do not understand is why getting worse?

@MindOverMatter i took a leave from work, do not go around very loud sounds, do not wear protection in the house and have low background sound on from something. But going in the car sends my reactivity up and recently the R ear is now “feeling” it through this sensation rather than just hearing it.

@ErikaS You seem to be doing "what you should", in my humble opinion. T winding up while in the car is, unfortunately, very common for many with different versions of sound sensitivity and reactive t. "Feeling" it, yes. I know what you mean. It will get better with time, 3 months is not a long time. There is a good chance for you to feel at least better within a time frame of 6-9 months.

@ErikaS Around the house during the day, I play nature sounds from Youtube (like water fountain sounds) on my computer. For bed, I use the Resound app on my phone to play a combination of pink noise/thunder/crickets. I connect my phone to this pillow speaker https://a.co/d/j3ZWyzw, which I lay my bad ear on (my T is in my right ear, my reactivity is in both ears).

Hi @ErikaS took a good break from here so just saw message. My therapist pretty much said to me ditch the ear plugs and get used to normal sound again. Reactive tinnitus just happens according to him and they don't know why :/. 1)

2) not very helpful in my opinion my hearing therapist as they just don't know much other than sound therapy and white noise generators. Figuring it out myself, well trying too. :-( my T had been reactive this week so sleep has been limited but learning to tune it out which takes a lot of mental strength.

@Joe Cuber yes, it definitely has an affect which is a blessing and a curse. I have been taking .25mg at night for about 2 months, going to taper soon. I have read on here that it can hold up healing. Glad I’m on such a low amount though.

@Strawberryblonde I have been taking .25mg at night for about 2 months, going to me tapering off over the next few weeks. Doesn’t really do anything for sleep anymore.

@Strawberryblonde I take clonazepam. Doesn’t really help my tinnitus at all.

Got any tips kn decreasing neurological inflammation

@Travis Henry, I would look up things/supplements for nerve inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction. I don’t have anything specific for you as it can be trial and error.

@Travis Henry I know ur against meds, but have u considered switch to Valium to wean from Clonaz. more easily, then wean from V? Also wondering if u’d benefit from nerve pain med, with how loud ur T is & if nerve inflammation based, just a thought. I know meds suck, but the goal is to get ur body/mind to come down from the “fire in the house” state, then once you get there, address weaning.