A Year Living with Tinnitus (Since 2019 Elton Concert — Brisbane, Australia)

Morning all.

I have done a lot of research and this great forum seems to have a great collection of 'real life' experience on the subject.

I'm in my late 40's & attended an Elton John concert at our Entertainment Centre late last year (December 2019). I never had any symptoms of tinnitus prior to this. Just the normal bouts that would last 10-30 seconds and quickly fade away.

I was a professional muso playing many live gigs back in my 20's and always loved loud music. Attended heaps of concerts & festivals around the world (mainly outdoor stages), but can you believe that it was bloody ELTON JOHN that brought me undone.....

Obviously an indoor concert venue exacerbates the volume more than an outdoor venue, but I'd never considered concert ear plugs in my life (as I would normally love the LOUD, LIVE sound of my favourite acts). I'd seen Coldplay a few times at the same venue (BEC) and the volume levels were fairly average for me.

But from the opening piano chord of 'Benny and the Jets'......WOW - it just cut through my head like a knife! We were in the first ~25% of rows from the front and towards stage left (RH from audience perspective), so my right ear was copping it. After all the concerts I had been to over 20+ years, the volume in the complex was bordering on painful (and that's a LOT coming from me!). It was 100% the loudest persistent 3 hours of blaring music I have ever heard in my life. Great show, but I had to sit down half way through as the extreme volume was too much for me.

I didn't have any insight as to the damage I might be doing until walking to the train station after the show with constant high pitch ringing.

Unfortunately, it's never gone away and with me 24/7 in both ears.

I've been to GP, Audiologist and had a few acupuncture sessions. The latter also suggested a few Osteopathy sessions would compliment the acupuncture for tinnitus treatment too. I can make my lower jaw tight and can manipulate the tinnitus symptoms, but it only amplifies the volume, not the pitch. I still might go see an Osteopath in case it is somehow TMJ related.

I swear it has has gotten worse in recent months (I'm now in month 10 of my suffering). Naturally it's at its unbearable worst when I wake up in the morning (5am - 6am) and it's almost deafening.

It's only once I get into the office at work that I forget about it (mostly) as I have distractions and light office noise.

I take half a Restavit / Sleepwell tablet nightly (Doxylamine), as I've been a poor sleeper for many years. Never any problem getting to sleep, but STAYING asleep (after 4-5 hours) has been the issue.

The Audiologist recommended a great app called 'Relief'. Very nice (free too!) and customisable, but I still prefer this 12 hour YouTube track each night:

Chimes, Rain, Thunder & Wind Ambiance 12...

I'm a side sleeper so I just have one ear bud in on the side that is not on the pillow.

Anyway, apologies for the essay. I should add that I am a long time sufferer of anxiety (social) and depression since my late teens. I used to be a light 'social' smoker (1-3 cigs a day, usually after work) until about 7 years ago I changed to a relatively healthier alternative (and a lot less stinky!) - Vaping.

I've done some considerable research into the effects of Vaping (E-Cigarettes) on tinnitus. There are a few arguments that suggest the PG (Propylene Glycol) in the juice I make does contribute to tinnitus. But along with a few other conditions I have, I find vaping as a crutch / relief to get me through each day.

Thanks for reading, and I look forward to perusing many other people's stories on this great forum.

Cheers,

M.

 

@MaxDee Thanks for joining the forum and sharing your story. Sorry this has happened to you (as I am about everyone!).

What impresses me the most is that you can still sleep on your side, even though the sound is "almost deafening." My tinnitus is surely nowhere near as loud as that, but if I lay on my side and occlude my ear, I can never get to sleep due to the noise. I have better luck sleeping on my back now (though I was previously a side-sleeper).

 

Thanks for the reply @Poseidon65.

I'm 6ft4 and I've been trying to 'teach' myself to sleep on my back for years, but I always end up on my side and find it very difficult to get to sleep when on my back. Although very relaxing (and heaps better for by blocked sinuses) - It just seems to keep me awake. I would love to learn to sleep on my back.

I find as a side sleeper my shoulders always collapse and get very sore to the point it usually wakes me up after 4-5 hours with the pain, the you have to swap sides.

It is at that time (2am - 4am) that you really hear the high pitch ringing extremely loudly. So I swap ear plugs and continue playing with my other ear.

I will continue experimenting with different methods. But as a poor sleeper for the past 8 years, my tinnitus just makes getting back to sleep a bit of a nightmare.