1st Time Here

Hello
Decided to write as this sight is the most positive I've come across and I can really use some support..
After a couple of decades of regularly attending shows and listening to (loud) music in headphones, I 1st experienced light symptoms of T in my left ear after a Gutter Twins show in Boston in about 2011. Though persistent and accompanied by a bit of hearing loss, it wasn't an attention grabber and life went on as usual. Then, this past Fall, I was proscribed an antibiotic that made both of my ears ring so loudly it was distracting for the duration. This dissipated in my right ear; but ever since- whether I'm just fixated or...(?)- the high pitched ringing in my left has been consistent- even growing louder it seems- and has really started to get to me. By day I tend to be in social environments and I notice it less; but as soon as I am home, it's there and has me feeling quite panic-y. The thought of this being the case forever- or God forbid- Worsening still....
I have an appointment at Mass Eye & Ear in a month; but I'm just starting to feel very fearful.
Would love to believe I can habituate and continue on with the high quality existence I am so grateful to have; but I'm fearful.... Do not wish to engage in pharma..

 

Welcome to TT. You are at the right place as most of us understand what you are going through. When T first hit, or when it spikes to another level, temporarily or not, we tend to freak out. It is very normal and common for this panicky mode to last for some time. Often, the freaked out mind is also controlled by the limbic nervous system, which tends to make us function in 'fight or flight' mode. In this mode, things will appear a lot worse than they are because we are stressed and tensed, ready for a fight or run. You will be easily scared and the brain will zoom in on any bad or threatening sensation and magnify its significance. You will be flooded with distorted thoughts at this stage, especially 'catastrophic thinking' about the future (like my future is doomed or there is no future), as well as 'all or nothing thinking' (like my life is not worth it with T ringing). Beware of these thoughts. They are called cognitive distortions, a term used in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and they can create havoc in people mental suffering if not challenged.

Our reaction to T can determine the degree of suffering or its intrusiveness. So we need to understand where these thoughts come from, defuse and counter them as much as possible. By doing so, we gradually remove the fear or phobia of T and then meaningful habituation will begin to happen over time. You can read Dr. Nagler's writing 'Letter to A Tinnitus Sufferer' and hopefully you will learn to counter/challenge your distorted thought:

http://www.ata.org/nagler-letter-to-tinnitus-sufferer

It may not be a bad idea that you get masking going at the quieter places so your brain doesn't freak out with the ringing. Just introduce some other sounds for the auditory system to focus on. You can do this until you are more used to the new level of T ringing. For bed time, you can try a sound machine. For mobile masking, try use an ipod for masking on the go. If you use a PC or smart phone, you can use this TT link for masking sounds as well as some tips how to cope:

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/panic/

Many people depend on masking when T gets intrusive, and call this their 'new normal' as they accept T being a reality and yet strive to live a normal and productive life. Here is one of those posts by a physician himself, describing his 'new normal':

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/curing-tinnitus.4136/page-5#post-40854

 

WOW- Thank You so much for this response. I have spent the better part of my day on this sight and came across your inspiring words/story earlier.
What you say speaks to me and I will absolutely begin this stage of my journey along these lines. Cheers!

 

Hmmm Dr Nagler's letter is "not found".
I will see if I can find it online. Would very much like to read it.

 

Glad that my post has helped you.

For my personal success story, you can read up here as it contains more detail and have some more strategies.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/from-darkness-to-light-how-i-recovered-from-tinnitus-hyperacusis.3148/

If you have questions, you can leave a comment there and tag me @billie48 so I can follow up on your questions.

 

Hello Hannah. I'm not sure if you are conscious of it, but you describe that during the day you "notice it less". This is simply because you are focussing on other things. Most people will have a level of T which they do not 'hear' when focussed on other things. For me in the evening, a film, a book, reading TT comments, etc. all grab my focus and serve to make my T less noticeable. Having said that, when the volume gets beyond comfort levels, I have no qualms about taking a 'happy pill' to assist in calming me whilst I listen to helpful masking sounds with earphones on. Discover helpful things you can do and you won't "panic".

 

What happy pill do you take?

 

...distracted by day; but also in environments with ample masking sounds...
Yes, what "happy pill"?

Too- has anyone experienced diminished T from altering their diet in any way? (I've seen writings on a T diet that can be reparative).
And then they are experimenting here with a sort of video game

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/20...ng-disorder/PMvwT8YclzeMgLNn3uWIxI/story.html

Anyone explored this or know anything further?

 

T can be caused by myriad of reasons. Diet is one of them. Mine is probably from hearing loss. But in all the years of reading support boards, diet is one issue many people talk about, such as they benefit from cutting off this and that from their diet, such as MSG, sugar, salt, caffeine, etc. etc. One person even said with his blood type, he found out that eating meat and broccoli has helped to keep T low for him, but the minute he drink some wine, it would shoot up. If diet is the issue, count that as a blessing, because once the culprit is found, problem solved. Likewise, some supplements can help some T victims. Sometimes, the absence of some minerals or amino acids can cause T to spike, and by taking a supplement or a product rich in a certain thing the body is missing, problem solved.

 

Sorry for the delayed reply. I have been prescribed alprazolam 0.25mg. Quite weak, not addictive at that level and I just take it on the occasions that my T is at a level that I find difficult to tolerate. Usually I would just take one and that would overcome the spike. On occasion though I have taken 2/3 for several days in a row with no detrimental effect.

 

Hello I am curious to know which antibiotic was it ?

 

Hmmm I'm not sure of the name of the antibiotic. It wasn't a Sulpha drug (I'm allergic) and it wasn't a Penicillin or any sort of Cillin. I think it was a strong Mycin- not Erythromycin... I was told I absolutely could not drink any alcohol while on it and I was prescribed it for 10 days for a sinus infection.
Wish I new the name or kept the bottle so I could better help!
It was so abject I could not wait to toss it into the recycle bin.... I assumed the loud ringing would stop once off; but no such luck in my left ear... The right ear is relatively quiet =)

 

I feel your pain as I write this my right is ringing. This morning I woke up from a very decent sleep first time in 7 days. In almost total silence. My T started 2 weeks ago,the first week it totally stop for 3 days, then came back. My brother has T he hears what he describes as a headful of crickets cripping. Best of luck I hope we all get better someday.