Take a step back @ErikaS Try to rest up as much as possible, and focus on you. Hopefully you are in a much better place in 6-12 months time. Feeling lost and hopeless is human, but have faith in better days ahead.
Thank you @MindOverMatter .. I just feel like anything I do or have done these past 5 months is the “wrong” thing. I have not used ear protection much at all but have limited my environments greatly while trying to take in ambient daily sounds at home, and I only drive when needed to therapy and make a store run. Reactivity has not improved, so I have the opportunity to do TRT…
@MindOverMatter I felt somewhat okay and good about it after my follow up yesterday, however I’ve been warned here by some who really think it would just make me worse/have no positive affect. Meanwhile, I am just trying to help myself. All very hard to navigate when you feel you try your best.
@ErikaS Yes, it is difficult to navigate at times. I've been going to counselling (with an audiologist specialized in t/h) over a span of about 2,5 yrs. To me this has been an important factor to understand the mechanisms of the mind and body, and how to learn to draw attention away from it. If you have found someone that is knowledgeable, and you have sort of good chemistry with, make it a fair shot.
You get very conflicting advice on here at times. What works for one my not work for another.
Some people carry on with life and it fades, others it doesn't.
You do what you think is best :) it's good to take a break from here as it won't be an all consuming focus @ErikaS .
Along the way, after another 5 months, you will most likely see at least a certain pattern of what works with you and not. What you've done so far seems reasonable. What takes a lot of time, imo, is accepting the situation (for now), and move on from that point. Thats a difficult one...because there is so much grief involved. A temporary feeling of "a lost life". I feel certain you will get your life back eventually.
I get how you feel Erika, had the same feeling of making several mistakes that I shouldn't have gone through with in hindsight (like going to the ENT and allowing him to do microsuction)
People here all try different meds (or none), and they either get better or worse from it, there are just too many things we don't know about T and H to make the best possible decisions, so try not to beat yourself up over it okay?
I am working with an audiologist right now, and doing TRT. the generators helped me so much with my spike, I was able to get my mind off of it at least (even if it doesn’t “help”) well it helped me and I know I would’ve lost my mind if I didn’t have some what of a crutch. Go with what you feel is right. I think if I listened to some people on here I wouldn’t have been able to get through my spike a couple months back
@Sydney13 thank you so much for your feedback. With this spike, did you experience tinnitus that reacted to sounds, whether it got louder, changed pitched, different quality, or more intrusive?
@ErikaS certain sounds make it reactive but I have no idea what because it all seems so random mostly! I have my generators on for most of the day so now even if it is reactive I can’t tell which saves me from a lot of anxiety. I do find that after showers/baths it is a bit louder but it settles down after 10-15 minutes
@ErikaS the spike that I had in October was just one tone, and it lasted a little bit over two weeks. It was one of the hardest two weeks of my life bc I didn’t think it was going away. The one thing that bothers me the most is my noise sensitivity, that has been such a kind fuck it makes me not even care about my tinnitus. It’s pretty mild to begin with
Just like you, I’m a young woman who was so busy and loved life. Have a wonderful home, amazing job, great family, two Doggos and now I’m stuck with this. It’s been depressing to say the least. But I will try anything and that’s why I’m trying TRT along w counselling. I just want my life back :’(
@ErikaS coming on this forum helps at times but it can also be depressing. I try to distract myself with other things but there’s only so much you can do when you’re dealing with this sort of stuff. I hope you’re doing okay.
I did that at the beginning and that's how my habitation started. I even sit down in total silence for weeks to be friends with my T and then my brain start putting in the background
@Sydney13 thank you for sharing all of that! And I am right with you, I will try anything where I can find relief that will let me function more. Once my reactivity is decreased, I feel like I will be a new woman because my T, although multi tone, isn’t loud at baseline.
@ErikaS i feel you 110%! My T is mostly static in both ears, but my right has a bit of a dull high pitch ring from bubble wrap that popped right next to my ear lol pretty annoying but I can only notice my T when I go to bed. Also I’m recovering from Covid and have noticed my T is a bit louder than usual but nothing crazy!
@ErikaS - I too feel like I need to take a break from here. It's just all too 99% depressing sprinkled with 1% of hope. The odds are way too counter-balanced based on 750 million sufferers worldwide. I wish I never have found this forum in some ways
I will say this though, in terms of TRT treatment you are probably the best person to know whether you're ready. Unfortunately my baseline is loud now due to a one in a billion chance incident (struggle to hear sometimes) - and back to being reactive, so I know it wouldn't be right for me
If you feel you can manage low volume whitenoise, and any reactiveness returns to baseline later or next day, it may be worth at least trying. I was picking up new tones two or three times a week, if you're not that susceptible then your ears may be stronger than you realise. Your baseline is low, so you have a little wiggle room. For me, my body is telling me to live a reclusive life, of what's left of it.
If your body and ears feel strong enough, it may be worth starting. My only advice would be not to push through if things rapidly worsen - it would be expected your reactivity will be hit, but it should return to baseline. It's at a time it doesn't then you need to tread very cautiously. Wishing you all the best.
I 100% agree with @DeanD. You definitely will know if you are ready for TRT treatment. I also agree, that if your ears can tolerate white noise and return back to baseline this is a good rule of thumb. this place is packed with knowledge but also can become addicting if you need time please give your brain a rest from TT. Better days are ahead my friend
@DeanD@Sammy0225 thank you both for your input. I have not gained a new tone in a long time. Current tones like to get sassy & change themselves some, but nothing new added. I have about 3-4 constant tones & the others that used to be constant just come in and out randomly. I also seem to reset every night in sleep, no matter if I stayed home in quiet or not. So I think Im ready to try TRT and just be mindful.
@DeanD - I know I don’t know you, but you & I came on here around the same & I very closely followed your story. Please know I am so angry for you and pray for your healing & strength to endure this. You CAN get better. This CAN improve.
@DeanD Focus on success stories like @Marin, @Coffeebean, etc. Push docs to think outside the box, consider functional med doc. Marin communicated in closed caption remotely with her homeo. doc., When there’s a will there’s a way. I’m rooting for you!
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