Croatian Tinnitus

Hello my name is Mario, I'm 35 and I'm from Croatia.

First of all I'm sorry on my bad English.

In fact, to me it all started before 2 months when I got a virosis, dropped my immune system and I had to work in such a condition of two days, and I work with a chainsaw already for 10 years.
After this week began lightweight ear infections which have not give much attention because usuly go very quickly. Since it was not going away, and even then I began to notice a slight noise, then I tried antibiotics , the pain stopped but the noise continues. Then I go to ORL where they found that I have a hearing loss in right 50 and left up to 30 dB but only at high frequencies( 4kHZ), in speaking area hear is OK. Who knows, maybe it already had from before, and maybe from now on.
Then they give me Medrol two weeks and after the first week of taking started terribly ringing in both ears after exercise on a bicycle and now it rings on high frequency on boath ears, and on the left ear I hear very quiet beeps as morse code .
I fell into a great anxiety (depresion) because I did not sleep the first 4 days, then I got sedative and finally I started a little sleep. I passed all examinations ; MR head, neck, blood, thyroid, neurologist ... and everything is OK. Notice that the noise is much quieter when I'm less stressed, and the increase in stress and physical strain. This noise is so loud I can hear it always, not only in silence, driving, watching TV, I do not know how it is with others...
Now take Betaserc for blood circulation in the head, a lot of vitamins and sedative for anxiety. And still I sleep poorly, almost none, that's my biggest problem.
Give me please advice on how to survive the agony, how long it takes to get used to noise, is there a chance that it will pass because it do not take so long(obout 1 month very, very quiet noise, and for last 7 days laud noise?

Thanks a lot !!!
Mario from Croatia!

 

From day to day I'm getting worse. It seems to me that the T increases.
I still can not sleep, and I'm tired I can hardly stand on my feet.
My heart is beating like crazy.
The psychiatrist gave me antidepressants so I hope that I will finally be able to sleep better.
I never can to sink into a deep sleep. Most bothers me ''Moors code'' in the left ear which is becoming louder.
I am aware of all that I have to calm down and the evening I can a little bit and I feel better,I do everything to make feel better, I walk, wash the car, talk with family, it may be funny but I'm trying on and sex therapy , but after another sleepless night, again as usual, maybe even worse.
I do not know how long I can hold out so ... Every morning I have dark thoughts.
It seems to me as if my life is falling apart and that can no longer be the same as before.

Please HELP!

 

Hi Mario and welcome to the TT-forum.

First things first. IT WILL GET BETTER. You have to give it time. Right now you are depressed and panicing. Tinnitus and panic or depression do not mix well. When you are depressed and have dark thoughts your brain will hear the tinnitus much louder. If you calm down it will get quiter. Also if you listen to the sound and have dark feelings towards it you will hear it louder. Just try to calm down and not to give it that much attention. The sound will not hurt you. It's not dangerous, it's a symtom.

I have about the same problem as you have. High frequency noise in both ears, right ear the most, sometimes when I listen to it I can hear small abruptions in the sound sortof like morse code but not so apparent. It's mostly just high frequency noise and when I'm in a quiet room I can also hear another sound of a lower frequency that seems to be in my head. I have no problems with hearing up to 8 khz. The audiogram at the doctor from just two weeks ago is fine up to 8 khz (wich is how high they measured) but above that I don't know. I'm pretty sure my hearing is damaged at around 14-15 khz, but they don't do test that high up where I live so I can't be sure.

I have had this for 9 years and I can tell you, it will get better. I still have times when I'm annoyed by it and it bothers me, like the last few months. But for the most part I can live my life just as I did before.

Accually for most people tinnitus disapears within a year. And then for some people, like me and almost all of the people on this forum, it stays forever. But it does get better.

I have an ongoing episode right now and the last few months where it annoys me a lot but before that I barely noticed it for years. There were months at a time where I didn't even think of it. When someone would start talking abouot hearing or tinnitus then I would be like "Oh right, I have that" and then first I would hear the sound, but only becouse I searched for it. Now I can hear it all the time and I have to do the same as I'm advising you, try not to think of it. I feel like it's getting better again though. Your mind will adapt and you will not hear it as loud or it might disapear completlly. You will get through it, just hang in there!

Try focusing on your life and do the things you love doing. But if you are going to work with a chainsaw again, wear ear protection. The same goes if you want to go to a concert or a night club.

It's a good thing that you are seeking medical attention. I did not do that at first but I am now. There is lots of help out there. There are lots of reasons for why some people have tinnitus and yours might be treatable now. And even if it's not, and it doesen't go away in a year or so, it will get better. There is also lots of research going on and a cure or releif might be just around the corner so hang in there!

By the way I'm also Croatian but I live in Sweden.

 

Bok Mario. Evo i ja imam ovo. Hi Mario...for non Croatian guests, that was my Croatian greeting to Mario.
I also have this terrible T. It is hard to get used to for me as i have had it now going on 4 years this coming 4th of July in USA. I got it on the 4th of July 2011 when a fireworks blew up very close to me. How i wish i was never at that friends house.

anyway,,,,i use an mp3 player with ear buds,,,the kind that sit on top of your ears and not inside. This way you can hear all other sounds while recoreded cricket, rain, etc sounds help mask the T. I am wearing them as i write this as i am in a quiet office environment.

Get yourself a sound machine and put it next to your bed. I set it on the sounds of crickets in Forest. This is very helpful. Also, i found that taking Melatonin and Valerian root together just before i go to bed really put me out in 30 mintues or less. During those 30 minutes i read a book which aids in falling asleep.

Its not easy, but i take it one day at a time.

Cuvaj usi Mario.

Bok.

 

Really annoying when a stupid accident ruins your life. To you was a firework. To me it was a damned child balloon who blow to close to my already damaged ear.

 

Silvio and Viktor, how's a small world ...
Thank you for your advice and support, and I'm sorry you have to fight with this monster to.

I began to sleep better, and during the day to occupy with some things that would not have thought on T.
The worst thing you can do is be in the silence and listen to it.

Tomorrow I go to one of the best ENT specialist for T in the country and I hope at least some progress. I just do not want to make peace with the fact that what I listen to the last three weeks I'll have to listen to the rest of my whole life.
My wish for quality and fulfilled life is STRONGER THAN T.

Pozdrav prijatelji!

 

Da, bash nas ima, kao da je ovo sve izazvano ratom...

Never mind, the world is small. Yout t is fresh I suppose, did you try Hyperbaric chamber, or did they diagnose you where it is. MRI is a must, with plugins, there is hearing you can test... but typewriter is the worst i think type of tinnitus. There is in Croatia available drug name Trobalt (retigabine) but it makes you dumb, but it helps you lower tinnitus and actually it helped many to habituate. if you can get hold of it and use 3x200mg (that is minimal daily dosage) if you dont drive and work dangerous jobs at the moment it will help you sleep definitely. And then go off it

 

@Christian78
I have a friend currently on holidays in Spain. I could ask him buying some Trobalt for me.
But I really, really don't know if it would help on the long run. I fear side effects and at the end T will be the same or even worse. What I am thinking would be taking it occasionally.
What is your opinion after your trial with Trobalt?

 

I have Dan in Spain too, + i get is on prescription in Sweden, but i am still on trobalt and i would not survive without it. Or better say i would kill myself without it i guarantee.

 

Compare these two audiograms. Is this possible? Two days ago I went into a company where they made for me noise protective earplugs. By the way I requested that we make audiogram and I should mention that on that day my T was very quiet.Stress and anxiety have also minimized the last few days. Beeps on my left ear is also disappeared the last few days, today I hardly noticed in the morning. In my case, the link between T and anxiety (stress) is enormous.



Is it possible that because of the loud T and stress so big differences in diagrams?

Next week I start with Hyperbaric chamber, 10 sessions for the beginning, I hope it will be a progress ...
I have also the opportunity to buy very affordable used Tinnitool Soft Laser. Is it worth a try?
http://www.tinnitool.com/en/therapie_moeglichkeiten/index.php

 

Anyone ...

BTW. First HBOT sessions done, I'm cured ....... NOT!

 

Another question ...
I work as a roofer (I own the company, so I can not easily change job), which means that there is a lot of noise. Does this mean I'll have all the time to wear earplugs and that any short-term noise worsened my T in the short or long term?
Surely I'l wear it when I'm working with powertools, but whether what we have T means that we have to be more careful than before, if you know what I mean?

BTW. Five HBOT sessions are behind me, definitely something's going on with the T, sound (frequency) is changing and highly variable, sometimes is very quiet, and for example, as soon as I get out of the hyperbaric chamber is quite loud.

Can someone, please, answer the question about audiograms above?

 

what do you mean by sex therapy?

 

nobody knows how t works so we cant say if we are more prone to damage after you get T. Some say, there is no damage even when you have T. It is just a reaction to noise exposure or some other thing.
All you can do is be just as careful as anyone else should when it comes to noise exposure. Earplugs can cause hyperacusis and earwax to build up.

 

I knew I should not mention it ...
It was the cure for anxiety and depression, they all say; just do what makes you happy ! So ...

Thank you for your answer and opinion!