7 Weeks of Tinnitus After a Loud Concert, Hoping for a Good Outcome

Hi folks,

First post here. Back in January I was at a concert which was too loud. This wasn't a rock concert, but rather a big-band jazz concert.

7 weeks later, I still have residual tinnitus. Note my wife was at the same concert and had ringing that night, which had completely disappeared the next day.

Here has been my journey thus far. The day after the too-loud concert, both ears were ringing audibly all day. Not loud enough to hear out on the NYC streets, in the subway or in the shower, but loud enough to hear in any indoor environment.

The following day, I got a hearing test from an audiologist, who found no hearing loss (this was just a standard 5-frequency test).

Over the first 2 weeks, it seemed like my tinnitus faded and was completely gone. I'm pretty sure I had at least a week where I didn't even think about tinnitus. However, 2 weeks later, while I was on vacation, the tinnitus was clearly back in both ears (note I wore noise cancelling headphones on the plane, and I believe there was no acoustic trauma while on vacation). The tinnitus was not loud, but definitely audible in a quiet indoor environment.

It's now 3 weeks after that, and where I am is as follows:

- The tinnitus in my left ear seems to be completely gone; I hear complete silence even if I plug the ear.
- The tinnitus in my right ear remains.
- I seem to have two frequencies of tinnitus. The lower frequency is louder and is only in one ear. The higher frequency is very high (seemingly near my hearing threshold), and I cannot tell whether it's in only one ear or both ears.
- I only notice the tinnitus in a quiet room. I've never noticed tinnitus outside.
- The tinnitus is easily masked at night by white noise, where the volume level is 50 dB at the listening position.

At this point, after 7 weeks, it's hard for me to tell if the tinnitus is improving. If it is improving, obviously it would be very slow by this point (e.g. not something one could notice day-to-day). And so it's hard to tell if it's still getting better.

I realize the tinnitus I'm describing is a good bit milder than many others' here, and in that regard I realize I'm quite lucky.

One question I have for folks with acoustic trauma tinnitus. If you think back to your post-event trajectory, did you notice any improvement at all beyond say month 2? I'm trying to determine how much additional recovery I can expect from here. I realize it varies by person, and some say recovery can last a full year or more. I also realize this forum's membership skews toward folks whose tinnitus has not fully faded (hence why we all visit here). But any anecdotes would be a big help.

I'll also be posting updated here as the months pass.

 

First, don't ever go to another concert again, and if you do, wear earplugs. The genre of music doesn't matter, what does is the dB level. Your tinnitus is a warning sign - you need to be very careful from here on out with what noise you expose your ears to. Any environment over 80 dB wear ear protection. A dB meter app will help.

Just because the audiologist couldn't find hearing loss doesn't mean you don't have any. They only tested 5 out of 20 frequencies, you could have damage at any odd frequency (hair cell and/or synapse) resulting in tinnitus. The state of otology and audiology is an absolute farce, our testing methods are ancient.

If it's gone away in one ear and fluctuating for the better, then that's a good sign. Everybody's ears have minds of their own so you'll just have to wait it out and rest them. It could be 6 months to 2 years before it settles down to what you're left with. Your situation doesn't sound that dire so I think you'll be ok.

 

Have you tried doing an oral steroid regimen? Immediate treatment of patients with unilateral idiopathic sudden hearing loss and additional symptoms (dizziness or tinnitus) with a 14-day course of 60 mg prednisone (with taper) is recommended.

I could never do loud concerts even before my tinnitus, I remember my mother taking me to a Duran Duran concert when I was 14 yrs old. Crazy loud! I left the concert after 10mins. My stupid bitch of a mother didn't even bring ear plugs.

 

I got mine 5 months ago from loud concert/club.

first month - both ears
Second month - left ear disappeared
Third month - right ear lowered
Fourth month - Right ear gone
Present - nothing.

that’s my experience.

 

Update at 4 months post-concert. Overall my tinnitus is continuing to improve; at this point I only notice it in quiet rooms. When I do hear it, it's more like something I happen to notice, rather than something that intensely bothers me.

During this period of improvement however, I had had a few 1-to-2-week spikes. These spikes have had no clear cause, and each has been extremely challenging. Basically, when I'm having a spike, it's hard to think about anything but tinnitus unless I mask heavily (e.g. with white noise). I also worry that the spikes are permanent, though each spike eventually dies down.

That's pretty much where I am; mostly quiet with some rough spikes. I'll post another update in a few months.

 

@Poseidon65

Thanks for sharing an update and really glad to hear that yours has improved! And nice to post with a fellow New Yorker! (We certainly don't live in a quiet city.)

-Before the concert, were you a frequent earbud/headphone user? (I loved using AirPods to drown out the sounds of the F train every day...)
-Has the tone or pitch of your tinnitus changed since onset and since your first post above?
-Have you taken any steps to protect your hearing during this time?

 

@tbuzz89

- I've never been much of a headphone user. I don't take headphones into the subway for example.
- The tone and pitch have changed some. Currently the dominant tone is at a higher frequency (Hz) than was the dominant tone at initial onset. In addition, what remains is more in one ear than the other, whereas initially it was equal in both ears.
- Steps I've taken to protect my ears include:
-- Wearing noise-cancelling headphones (with no music) when riding in the subway. Though I didn't have to do this for long, as I stopped using the subway in March due to COVID-19.
-- I've started taking baths rather than showers. The db level in a shower isn't low, and with a bath I can leave the room while the water runs.

 

Well, literally 2 days after my last update, it looks like I’ve woken up with a spike. Ugh.

The only thing unusual I did yesterday was have a glass of wine. Many people report that alcohol helps their tinnitus (at least temporarily) but I’m going to cut all alcohol for a few months and see how that goes.

 

I wish you a quick recovery!!!
Let's all hope for the best, that it will go away!!

 

Thank you!!

 

Status update: T is still here at the 6-month mark. Since my previous post in June, I'd been having a rough time for at least a month.

However, the T has calmed down over the past two weeks. During this time, I made two changes: (1) I started taking melatonin daily, as there is some evidence it can lower the perception of T, and (2) I started wearing earplugs around my 2-year-old son, who can occasionally be very loud. I think one of these two things (or perhaps both) are helping.

 

Update at the 8-month mark. Lately the tinnitus has been pretty mild, such that I've been sleeping without white noise for the past 10 days. In the past 1.5 months I've only had one really rough spike. So this all seems good. I'm continuing to take melatonin daily (no idea if it's helping).

I'll post another update in a few months.

 

Update at nearly 10 months post acoustic trauma. It's still up and down. Currently I'm on what seems to be a spike, though I wonder how much the variability of my tinnitus intrusiveness is real vs. in my head.

Whether I am continuing to improve or not at this point, I really can't tell.

I wish this update were more positive, but it is what it is.

 

Update at 11.5 months, so nearly a full year. It's still all ups and downs.

During the ups, as long as I avoid silent places (i.e. if there is a fan running on low), I really only notice the tinnitus when I wake up, and then maybe every few hours or so. On these days, the tinnitus detracts little to none from my quality of life.

During the downs, the tinnitus bothers me all day.

Some more detail. If I look at my log, where I document the annoyance of my tinnitus every few days, my longest stretch of "up" is 17 days. Below is a plot of the data, where 5 = "Tinnitus annoyed me throughout the day", 2 = "I didn't really think about my tinnitus much at all", and in between is, well, in between.

 

I got tinnitus after an acoustic trauma in January 2020, so I'm now in my second year of tinnitus.

Many people say this gets easier over time. If anything, I've found that as time passed since onset, my outlook has probably worsened. Early on, I had some hope of my tinnitus fading, but at this point only the hope has faded, and the reality has set in (so to speak).

For people with tinnitus for at least 2 years, I'm curious how your second year was relative to your first. Was it easier, harder, or no change? Any wisdom to share?

 

Update at 14 months.

It continues to be ups and downs. Basically, when the volume is low, the tinnitus doesn't bother me much and life is good. When the volume is higher, I get no enjoyment from daily activities, and I wonder if I have anything to look forward to in this life. No idea if it's getting better or not over time, but I'm pretty sure it's not getting worse.

Currently I'm at a low point, which is probably what's motivating me to post. I'm very thankful for the milder stretches, the most recent which was 2 weeks long.

Some updates are that:

- I got hearing aids which I use for white noise and also slight amplification. These have helped no doubt.
- I've also started CBT. Unclear whether or not this is helping. It will probably take time to tell.

As far as my progress habituating, I feel like it's not particularly good. My understanding is that folks who habituate can still hear the sound, but they aren't bothered too much by it. Kind of like how you're not bothered by the sound of an air conditioner, or the sound of a car when you're driving. When I'm in a "down" stretch, my stance toward tinnitus is nothing like this. I have no idea how to get to such a place, and I'm hoping the CBT can help in this regard.

Tinnitus also makes me feel very alone. I hope someone out there is listening. If you made it to the end of this post, please click "Like."

 

15-month update: still ups and downs. I'm now in a "down period" which began the Saturday before last (9 days ago). I really need to try posting when I'm in an "up" period.

I can say that the struggle thus far has been thoroughly exhausting. Truthfully if I knew there would be cure for tinnitus someday, even if it were 10 or 15 years away, I feel like I'd have no problem. Because with every day of struggle, I'd be one step closure to the finish line. But struggling today just to struggle tomorrow, and the next day, for the indefinite future, is much harder to endure. And I know a lot of folks here have it much worse than me...

Hoping for a more positive update next time!

 

@Poseidon65, thanks for the update. Just take one day at a time. You’ve made it through yesterday and the day before that. Tomorrow will bring easier times and eventually you’ll reach an up period again. Remember to do some things that you enjoy and try to distract yourself. We’re all in this noisy, rickety boat together. Best of luck.

 

16 months in now, and I feel like I've aged 10 years in that time. I'm just so tired.

I don't feel like I'm losing this battle, but I'm not winning it either.

 

Hey @Poseidon65, sorry to hear you’re having a hard time. Fully understand it’s not easy... also very difficult to get understanding from others. The only advice I can give you is to try and stop measuring it, hard as that may be. It’s easy to think of it as a battle that needs to be monitored and won, but that approach will just wear us out. Easier said than done, of course.

I’m trying to approach it as: I may not like it, but it’s there, it’s all me and not trying to be hurtful. Hope you start to feel better.

 

@Simon85, thanks for your note.

For what it's worth, I have gotten past the stage where I am monitoring my tinnitus continuously. For example, intentionally going into a quiet place (e.g. a closet) to see how loud it is, asking myself whether it's louder or quieter than yesterday, etc. I am no longer doing that.

That said, over longer stretches, it's kind of unavoidable that I can tell how much my tinnitus has been affecting me, even if I'm not actively paying attention to it at any particular time.

 

Has your tinnitus increased at all beyond what you reported in your first 6 months? I know you have had temporary spikes, but have you been able to keep your ears in stable condition despite the noise of your 2 year old? I know children can be a huge source of noise; I swear my 13 year old's every move is louder than a rock concert, but I don't see her as often as I'd like due to my depression.

If you can only hear it inside and not when you are out, perhaps you may start feeling better as things open back up from the pandemic and you are no longer stuck at home.

Or is it perhaps the limitations that tinnitus has brought to your life. I can hear my tinnitus everywhere but the shower, but often I find myself most hurt by the limitations of my new life. Feeling like I'll never be able to safely and comfortably go to sports games, movies, Disneyland, Vegas... many of my favorite things. I know my goal of taking motorcycle lessons and riding on the weekends is toast. I'll never play in a band again... You get the point. Wearing earplugs all the time also never allows anything to cover the ringing when I'm out, so I'm constantly reminded of my affliction and all the burden that comes with it, not to mention how disconnected wearing them can make you feel with your environment.

Sorry to be so longwinded but I'm trying to give some solid examples for you to think about. Maybe if you can pin-point what about your tinnitus is causing you grief, maybe you can take some positive steps to help you overcome. Or maybe you just aren't through the grieving process of losing silence. I'm certainly not.

 

@kingsfan, thanks for your note.

Unfortunately these days, I can hear my tinnitus much of the time in outdoor environments. I originally wrote "I have never noticed my tinnitus outside." However, that was out on the streets of NYC, which is a lot more noisy than typical outdoor environments (e.g. a park, walking around a suburban neighborhood, etc.). I'm not exactly sure when I started hearing my tinnitus outside, but it's been for quite a while now.

I am less worried about loss of activities, as my ears are not overly sensitive, and I could do without loud activities anyway. Even before the pandemic, I couldn't tell you the last time I went to the movies. I agree with you about earplugs; when I plug my ears, the tinnitus is extremely loud relative to the background sound, and this is super annoying and disturbing. As a result, I am more inclined to avoid loud activities altogether, than than participating with plugs in.

I think the issue is mostly the annoyance factor. I have one specific tone of tinnitus that's so high-pitch, it's more like I can feel it rather than hearing it. The only thing that really masks it is running water. This tone basically annoys me regardless of what I'm doing. Trying to sleep, trying to work, playing a game, playing with my kids, driving a car, etc. The tone is right there piercing through, annoying me always.

I do think with the pandemic lifting here in the USA, more outdoor activities will generally help me.

 

Did you ever try steroids? I initially did find they helped my "pinch" sound... permanently.

Some people also do better on Mirtazapine.

Some also say the COVID-19 vaccine helps (more likely does nothing).

Hoping for some potassium channel drugs one day soon so we can all live again.

 

I haven’t tried any medications. As for the COVID-19 vaccine, it had no effect, positive or negative.

 

Didn’t Prednisone give you a new tone permanently?

 

One other challenge I have is: I feel like I still have some PTSD following the acoustic trauma incident. The event was a show by a live acoustic-instrument band, with sit-down meal and drink service. I was always very diligent about wearing earplugs to concerts. I have a pack of earplugs in my house specifically for going to concerts. But this acoustical event didn't "seem" like a concert, so it didn't even occur to me to bring plugs. And truth be told, no one else there had plugs either. The music ended up being extremely loud, and bam, now I have "moderate" tinnitus for life. I still wake up some days and wonder how such a stupid thing could result in a lifelong disability.

My wife, who sat right next to me, had no issues at all. Thank god for that.

 

Update at 18 months.

Over the past month, my tinnitus has actually been pretty mild, such that it's not detracting from my quality of life much at all. Let's see if it stays this way.

 

Hey I saw an older post of yours. You have mild high-frequency tinnitus? What did you do for sound enrichment? Mine is so high it buzzes my head.