A Newbie in a Strange Land

Hi everyone,
My name is Autumn. I was just recently diagnosed with tinnitus, I also get huperacusis. I have mild to moderate hearing loss particularly in my right ear.

I won’t lie since the diagnosis I’ve been filled with anxiety. I gave up caffeine about 3 weeks ago. I’ve been working out almost daily and I’ve lowered my alcohol intake to maybe 3 drinks total on the weekends.

Right now all I want is sleep, my anxiety spikes when it’s time for bed. I also use CBD oil to try and calm down to sleep at night. I also use a masking app and fan to help sleep at night. I don’t really have a salt laden diet. I just don’t know what else to do. I do yoga weekly and have chiropractor and acupuncture appts next week. I haven’t gotten hearing aids yet because of how incredibly expensive they are.

This is a strange new land to me. My hope is that I will get use to the sound and my body will ignore it. Any advice anyone could give I’m very grateful for.

It’s nice to meet everyone.

 

Welcome to Ttalk.

Before I start I must say, I think Autumn is a beautiful name. My favorite season by far.

I understand your frustrations and anxiety. I too have H and T. For sleep I suggest sleeping pills. Preferably melatonin. If that isn't strong enough try Tylenol PM. That helped me a lot during my anxiety filled days of early T and H. However my anxiety was so strong it could keep me from sleeping even dazed so much I can't move from the strong Tylenol PM. I would lay there for hours just anxious. I suggest get camomile tea, the kind for sleep. Drink it slow, sit back and relax your body. Relax your mind. Then take the sleeping pills. Stay relaxed. Then fall asleep. It's extremely important you stay relaxed while trying to fall asleep. You may want up in the middle of the night. But don't be alarmed. Just relax and fall back asleep.

One of the best methods of trying to lower anxiety is not reacting to T and H. It's hard. It's hard to not react to a noise whaling in your head while the sound of door knobs and dishes send knives up your ears. But it helps to not react. Anxiety can spike up H and T. Making the symptoms completely worse. I can tell you that from experience. Try to ignore your T and H for now. It's not something that can be done in a day. It may take a week or a few to get yourself to that point. But just try relaxing.

I suggest going to the doctor's and getting perscribed an anti depressant. Something light to take off the edge.

Realize that this anxiety isn't forever. I want you to know that even if your T and H doesn't completely go away that you will learn to come to peace with it. It's hard. Indeed. But I believe you can do it.

Hearing aids? Are they not covered by insurance? I'm sure in the United States they are by many plans?

 

For H. Never sit in silence. You can spike it that way. I suggest always have a fan or some back ground noise running such as the ocean, something peaceful.

Also don't over protect your ears with earplugs. How much is too much? Hours at a time is too much. Unless you work in a job where you need them, don't use them unless you're somewhere loud.

 

Autumn, welcome here (although I certainly wish you were not!! )!! This is a good place for support, information, and encouragement. Listen to @Taylorslay , good stuff!! How long have you had T?? Time is your friend. I am 5 years into my journey with severe tinnitus and I am habituated, and with desire and effort you will overcome too!!! Not to minimize what you are going through now (believe me I know!!) but just to offer up some hope. Proper sleep, exercise, breathing, socializing, concentrating on the good things in your life, and seeking and finding joy will get you through this. Take heart, live in the moment and take your life back. Own your T, don't let it own you!

Peace and rest,

Jeff

 

I've had T for about 2 months.

 

What kind of hearing loss do you have? (sensorineural? conductive? mixed?)
If you feel comfortable with it you could share your audiogram (it will contain the answers).

How did you lose your hearing?

 

I like what you are writing

I will say this much, I prefer to sit in silence..rather than have a fan or external noise. For folks that are new to this, having external noise might help them, not focus on the tinnitus. For folks like me, silence is better.

 

Haha I say not to sit in silence because I fear people to develop H. I have H and it's awful. I don't want anyone to develop it. I can sit in silence for my T too but it spikes my H. Haha so I prefer not to.

 

Thank you so much for the replies and suggestions. I appreciate them so much. To answer GregCA's question. I'm not sure which type of hearing loss I have. I know that I can't hear anything high pitched and the H is on the high pitched side. My doctor believes that my hearing loss is possibly genetic. I have still yet to get an MRI to see if there is anything else that may be causing it. I plan to get an MRI next month. My anxiety is still pretty high and last night was a terrible night's sleep. It's like I realize that this is just my anxiety and not the T, and I just don't know why I can't let go of this. The CBD oil does help with sleep most of the time, but I still wake up in the middle of the night and have to take it again, it's also incredibly expensive. I'm scared to get on anything prescribed because I would still like to have the freedom to have a drink occasionally. Though I don't know how much I really care about that if I want 8 hrs of sleep. My doctors have suggested Clonazepam or Amitriptyline (this one makes me nervous), from reading about it. though they assure me that its a very low dose. I have been exercising ever since this started and have lost 11lbs, its not a bad thing but really my life is becoming consumed with trying to do thing in order for me to sleep at night. Unfortunately, my insurance does not cover hearing aids and it's so expensive. All I want to do is just go about living my life have a drink with my friends, and just live but I feel like I can't.

 

Sleeping is quite hard when it comes to these particular issues. I am very serious when I suggest melanin, Tylenol PM and chamomile tea because they work good for most people.

Many people on this forum get hung up on the negatives. "I got Tinnitus." "I got Hyperacusis." "I have hearing loss.", whatever it is. Many people dwell on it. Always focusing on it. Its important to understand that yeah, they suck, but look at what you do have. Luckily your bad hearing is only worst in one ear. Luckily Tinnitus cant kill you and habituation is possible. Luckily Hyperacusis can be treated with TRT or even go away on its own within 6 months or more. That you have lost 11 lbs since the diagnosis. You likely have been having a better diet. These are all wonderful. I think that we tend to forget what great things these problems may give us. Ironically.

I always say the most important thing with these problems is reducing stress and anxiety. Likely whats causing the sleeping problems is the stress and anxiety. I suggest an anti depressant. Now, anti depressants aren't like pain killers. Where you just have to wait for it to come and reduce the pain. With anti depressants, you have to work with them, calming yourself down to have it take an effect. Try not to think about T and H. Do things that don't bother your ears, take a walk and just think about some good things. Take your mind off the problem. I think everyone here must acknowledge that yes, we have T or H or even hearing loss, but we can still move on with our lives and live happily. That we are not dying. That can look forward to the future and the great things life has to offer. Despite having these problems.

I guarantee you, once you're passed this whole "doom and gloom" stage that you as a person will be much stronger.

 

Thank you Taylor for your suggestions of Melanin, Tylenol PM and chamomile tea. I do appreciate it. Unfortunately, I have pretty bad anxiety and can get beyond the effects of most otc drugs that help sleep. It’s why I went with CBD oil which on average I get about 6hrs or more most nights. I take the CBD oil to treat the anxiety associated with sleep that I’ve developed. I realize that I have to calm down and that my T and H will calm down with it and that everything will be okay eventually. I’m certainly trying not trying to be doom and gloom. I’m just frustrated with my anxiety when all I want is sleep. You’re right in that I need to focus on all of the good in my life and that I will most likely habituate and move forward. Thank you for listening and your response. I appreciate your time.

 

Ya the medicine didn't work for me properly untill I forced myself to log down. I'd lay there for hours imoblized because of the Tylenol PM. But it helped when I worked with it. But if what you're doing helps you. By all means do it.

 

Tylorslay I wish to have your mind , have T for three months and I just can’t get it off my mind. I try to , but it so damm hard not to think of it. I pray only now if I can just accept this and move on with my life. I feel stuck in a hole can’t get out.

 

I think accepting it is what we all need to do. Accept that yes it is there but we don't have to allow it to control us. Control our movements, our emotions and therefore our life.

I think this is a great article to help explain it. Fishbone does a fabulous job doing so https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/the-power-of-accepting.25551/