Forever hopeful

@Travis Henry , i’m doing OK. Good days and bad days with the ears. I have some other medical issues that have been more pressing. Benzo dosage .5 BID.

Live for today - as best you can - and hope for tomorrow. This condition is unpredictable, and quite often uncontrollable, but not impossible. Keep the faith @Forever hopeful

I’ve read from many on here that fluctuations are a good sign if they hint towards reduction. Stay optimistic <3

@CRGC. I guess that is true but this fluctuating is def in the wrong direction.

The way I see it, the fluctuation could signal a slow and uneven settling down of your symptoms after your spike at the concert. Hang in there! And happy holidays to you and your family <3

@Strawberryblonde, I’m taking it one day at a time. Enter the treatment program with an audiologist. So I have a little bit more hope. How about you?

What treatment will you be undertaking with the audiologist? And one day at a time is the way I do it too. I'm doing OK, things seem louder but that's either a stress spike or because a neighbour let off some huge fireworks the other night while I was inside. They probably had no effect on the T I just "think" they have.

@Strawberryblonde, TRT. Not using the in ear maskers though.

One day at a time is the way to go. Some days are better than others. This week most days it’s been very loud but last week it was relatively quiet. So the fact that it quiets down gives me hope.

Sorry @Forever hopeful. Sending hugs your way from a virtual stranger who sympathises with you very much.

Sorry to hear. All I can say is that I understand the feeling. My hyperacusis pain, and the fear of making it worse, are keeping me away from so many things and people I love. All we can do is hang in there and hope for improvement.

@Strawberryblonde ams
@CRGC. Thank you both!

Third time lucky hopefully you @Forever hopeful. You've done it twice and think positive that you can do it again. Your success stories give me hope!!! :-).

What is a SBUTT? Is it like fleeting T?

@Nadia231 yes.

Happy belated b-day

@tniuf They're great when you need to actually hear something in detail, like conversation, because they attenuate sound more equally across all frequencies.

If you just want maximum protection in a loud environment, you should stick with deeply inserted foam ear plugs, sometimes preferably in combination with ear muffs. However, best course of action is always to avoid situations that might be loud.

When family are not supportive is even more frustrating. I've experienced that. Luckily now I live with my sister and she is always just as caution as I would be when making noise. She always tells me first when she uses the hair dryer, blender, hoover, dishes, so I can run and hide

Can I come live with you? LOL.

@DebInAustralia, I’m so sorry to hear. I think tinnitus is hard enough but then having other medical comorbidities with it, is just the worst

You said you have head noise. How is yours. Mine is extended high frequency in right and left ear buzzing-static and my head is buzzing-static 24/7. I never get a break and mine gets louder also. The buzzing in my head is the worst. They said, my hair cells were damaged from the high frequency test I had done at the tinnitus clinic and they think it’s noise induced.

I can’t sleep either my whole head buzzes 24/7. I have to use sound therapy all the time. How about you ? How do you make it from day to day. How bad is your Tinnitus?

Does the frequency kinda jolt your brain?

@Wrfortiscue, No I can’t say that it does that. It just sounds like a jet engine in my head. Like if you’re sitting inside an airport by the windows and all the jet engines are on and you can kind of hear them through the windows. That’s what it sounds like.

@Forever hopeful i see yeah my right ear does that a bit when spiked. Sorry you’re going through that

From a lot of stories I've read a hiss is usually a good sign :D

No further measured hearing loss is great news! I’d take it as a sign that your current aggravated tinnitus could be a spike that can subside

@CRGC, Well I would really like to believe that but we’re past four weeks now heading on to five. Although I did have some relatively quiet days over the last few days but I had a horrifically loud day on Saturday. I can’t discount high frequency hearing loss it isn’t measured.

@Forever hopeful same here normal audiogram (have posted it) according to my hearing therapist Audiologist but screeching T. Was told the same about extended test as its no use.

Hi @Forever hopeful , can I ask you what type of 25dB earplugs did you use? I have bought so many, but can't seem to find the right ones

@Nadia231, I have custom molded musicians earplugs. Had the ear molds done at my audiologist’s office. The ear plugs are made by Westone with Etymotic filters. I personally have 15 dB 25 dB and then a solid insert which brings it to about 33 dB. I think for just the molds it was almost $200. They came with my 15 dB inserts and my solid insert And then I bought my 25 db inserts that run about $100.

@Nadia231 I use the 25db Alpine pluggies for kids as I have small ear canals. Work quite well and block out a fair bit of noise. I paid 12 quid from amazon.

@just1morething, I’m surprised that Tylenol and ibuprofen have any impact on your tinnitus I’m terms of quieting it down. That’s very interesting. I have problems with my eustachian tubes as well and I do think that that contributes to the noise along with neck and jaw issues. I use Flonase every day.

@Forever hopeful, I tried some Afrin and I was normal all day yesterday. ENT didn’t help much. I wanted try a balloon dilation to my left Eustachian tube but she said that isn’t done because the results aren’t that great. She did prescribe Flonase. Today I’m not doing good. I think I’ll try someone else. Dr. That did my TMJ repair did a great job.

I think you just need the right doctor to help our condition. I’m going to still look into balloon dilation elsewhere. Mayo Rochester TMJ Dr. Was worthless on my TMJ but I found Dr. Ketan Patel in Robbinsdale. I have sleep apnea too which last Dr. Said was severe.

I'm afraid this is untrue. Anxiety effects everybody. Your just going through a particularly rough patch. It's going to take time and a whole lot of patience and self love. I believe it will settle. These are words I have to tell myself in the mirror every day. You will get through this. WE. Will get through this.

@BrOKeN_1 It’s a theory from a neuroscientist who has been studying T for years and why some people W/HL have no T and others have T and no real HL.I am aware of the theory that the gating system is faulty in people who have T. It was the way he talked about people with depression and anxiety as if it was a causative factor on why they hear T and not other as if anxiety and depression predispose you to T.

@BrOKeN_1 Interestingly both of my parents have anxiety. Both of my parents have hearing loss. My father’s is occupational, my mother’s is age related. Neither one of them have T. Go figure.

I was not depressed or anxious before getting T. Our gating system is broken for some reason. My parents both have HL. No T. They both have anxiety. Why is their gating system working and not mine?

You should be fine, try not too worry.

If it makes you feel any better , I get hit with ambulance noise about 5-10 times a day whether I’m home or walking outside. Live in NYC and near a major hospital, so I have to put up with it all the time. Nothing has come of it so far. The duration of how long you were exposed to noise matters more IMO. 2 seconds is nothing.

Fingers in ears is pretty good protection, especially if you get a little suction going.

@kingsfan Indeed it is.

Spikes can last a while and fluctuate rapidly. It'll eventually settle down. Please try too keep a positive mindset while this is happening, I know it's hard to do when it's loud and unruly but it'll get better in time.

Thank you all. It is better now but I had to take some anti anxiety meds. It’s not gone but much quieter after I slept. It scared me so bad. I have had it loud in the last 3 weeks bit this was something else. No way I could live with that.

And just when I was starting to feel a tiny bit better.

Happy to hear that! Any improvement is good improvement :)

Yes! Great to hear :)

@Forever hopeful my audiologist recommended the " Resound tinnitus relief" app for masking if you are still looking for something to help with T. You can create your own sounds and mix and match. If you've not come across it already.

Had it for years and I’m using it now. I do use the mix and match. Thanks.

@Forever hopeful maybe try zoloft again on a lower dose and see how you get on with that?.

@Strawberryblonde. I’m considering but I was just reading some literature around tinnitus and SSRIs, particularly around the extra serotonin in the brain and how that can actually contribute to Tinnitus. I feel like we are damned if we do and we’re damned if we don’t.

Yeah it's a minefield when it comes to things like this unfortunately. Sometimes people benefit form ssris greatly, others it goes the opposite way.

If I end up in a loud event I say I took the best decisions with the knowledge I had at the time or that the situation was out of my control. Because it's one of these 2. It helps actually not being very reckless with your hearing as if you're healthy.

@BrOKeN_1 Can you come live me and tell me this every day? LOL the loathing and anxiety is making it worse. That’s what I feel when I first open my eyes in the morning.

Try to let it go. Be loving and compassionate with yourself. You wanted to live a bit; to enjoy something. You thought it through, you rightly took precautions. Unfortunately, things happen. Don't blame yourself. Look forward. Be positive like you were before. Focus on other stuff, as you have been doing. x

Life can certainly be and feel unfair at times @Forever hopeful ...but at one point, down the road, I feel certain that you will get better again. The only way is forward.