Tinnitus Worse After 20 Years — Doesn't Let Me Sleep and Causes Anxiety

I've had tinnitus for about 15-20 years and I was used to it. About 6-7 days ago I woke up to ringing in my left ear. It doesn't let me sleep and it wakes me up every 30-45 minutes even with Melatonin. My anxiety and panic disorder basically have come back. I'm suicidal at a point.

Before this I had some vertigo episodes. 3 months ago took some Ciprofloxacin ear drops and Prednisone and I was fine. I've had on and off ear redness and they prescribed some more drops but I read they -mycin ones were ototoxic. He said it looks like I just have bad inflammation and not an infection. He recommended Claritin D as well.

I feel on and off fullness in my ears so I did some ETD exercises this morning from YouTube. Not sure I know how to cope this time if it doesn't go away. I'll be too tired to keep my job, lose the house, everything I worked for. Life is very unfair.

 

Get a better anxiety med that works for you. And also work on habituation, the get used to stage, it is very important.

SLEEP. Get a sound machine and play an ocean sound. Use a fan, take 2 Tylenol PM, take a hot shower, use an eye mask or darken the room. Get some sleep now.

 

Try not to project the future like losing everything. Stress and anxiety are something you don't need right now. Your spike is just for a week. It may be due to a ear infection or ETD or ear wax build up.

Have you seen an ENT yet? I agree you may need a better sleep med for the time being. Take care. God bless.

 

All great advice.

One of my tones in my right ear is super high-pitched and cannot be masked. I have to knock myself out to sleep or keeps me up as well

The best I can do is try to ignore it. I try to focus on what I’m doing, like because I too can’t lose my job, but it is very intrusive so I get where you are coming from. It stinks and it’s hard but what other choice do we have? I find mine has been worsening lately. It used to fluctuate more and I used to have longer periods where it wasn’t very loud or I had it at all and now it seems to be a constant companion. I too am trying to keep my anxiety under control.

Wishing you all the best.

 

I can fall asleep no problem. I just can’t stay asleep.

 

Try to calm down because panicking and anxiety makes it worse.

It is super important that you get some sleep so start by trying different things that may help you calm down and fall asleep. How about taking a hot bath with some Epsom salts, aroma therapy (Lavender oil is nice), Chamomile tea, Magnesium carbonated in a nice hot cup of tea, or reading.

Did you do anything different that may have caused this spike?

Give it some time, it may go down to your regular base.
Hope you get some rest soon.
Once

 

I get up at night also, sometimes I sit for awhile and sometimes I walk around my house. I have a trail. But I also force myself back. I do not take anything else. It's pure will. But I also have good nights as well. I have three tinnitus tones, but they also vary in tone. It takes a lot of will. I also work full time. I started to do light exercise and it helps. I keep to a night time schedule. I go to bed late by midnight.

 

I was checking my daily logs and I have been experiencing on and off the following since early January:

Ear pressure
Ear fullness
Random ear pain
Vertigo/dizziness

I saw an ENT 2 weeks ago and he said my ears looked fine. The week after is when I woke up with louder tinnitus that disrupts the sleep. My ears are popping now when I swallow. I have a scheduled visit again Monday. Maybe it’s ETD or something that can improve? Doesn’t hurt to try since I did nothing to set it off.

 

Perhaps because you are falling asleep anxious. MHO.

That is why you need to try to calm down so that you can stay asleep longer.

 

Whenever I wake up the tinnitus is screaming. That’s how I initially woke up at 2 am. Nod off... wake up 20 to 40 minutes later, take 30 minutes to get the sound down, then nod off and repeat. Woke up 7 times last night.

 

I’m thinking my tinnitus is caused by TMJ.

 

An update.

I couldn’t hear tinnitus last night from my left ear for a while. During the day it wasn’t so bad. Then I went to sleep and it ramped up, waking me up 3-4 times. So depressing lol.

 

This might be a good sign. Hopefully you'll keep improving.
Stay hopeful and stay away from loud noises.

 

I’ll try to. I can live with my old tinnitus, but the new one that came out of nowhere that ramps up during sleep is life changing.

 

I am going through a similar experience with waking up with loud tinnitus. Mine was mild for 7 years then out of the blue it got worse. I went through COVID-19 in January, I'm not sure if that caused this new flare up. Mine is also loud during the day often.

 

I understand and I am sorry. Tinnitus is, really a terrible thing.

Are you ears still popping and are you still feeling fullness and pressure??
Maybe you have allergies??

Let's keep hopeful that it will go down to your base.
Hope you are sleeping a little better.

 

I had a burning stomach last night and couldn’t sleep well. Still can’t sleep well as my tinnitus wakes my brain up each time I nod off. I saw small improvement though but this morning feels worse.

 

11th day today and as time passes my hope decreases. I can’t even look at videos or pictures from weeks ago as I feel that may be a life I can never achieve again. I’ve never been one to cry but I have been now.

 

Try to read up the success stories to give hope for your recovery. The suffering is usually most intense at the initial period. Most posters of success stories will tell you they suffered much at first but then in a few months or a year or so things will improve for them.

Waking up to loud ringing is very common for new tinnitus. It is called the awakening response that the body treats erroneously tinnitus as a vital sign and so it monitors it and amplifies it to make sure it is there.

Here is a much more detail explanation of 'Awakening Response' by Dr. Nagler posted a few years back:

“I have always felt it to be due to the role of the reticular formation in tinnitus perception. The reticular formation is a primitive structure in the brain stem. It's a "vital sign monitor." When you wake up, the RF checks to see whether or not you are alive! It looks for heartbeat, respirations, blood pressure, temperature - basic bodily signs. It does not care whether or not these signs are good or bad - just that they are present. And as far as the RF is concerned, tinnitus is part of "expected" body function in an individual suffering from severe intrusive tinnitus. So when you wake, your RF checks to see whether or not tinnitus is present. And if it doesn't immediately find the tinnitus, the RF seeks it with a vengeance - - especially in the post-nap state, when there has been inadequate REM sleep and when, therefore, the RF is on already "high alert" that something might not be quite right. Theoretically - very theoretically - this RF hyperactivity in seeking tinnitus, which in a person with severe intrusive tinnitus it equates with life, results in temporarily markedly augmented tinnitus perception.”

 

Thank you. I felt better earlier learning I can overcome tinnitus with acceptance. I had a scheduled ENT visit. He checked for hearing loss and for infection and pressure. Everything checked out good. He prescribed Prednisone and antiviral (Valtrex) as he said it could’ve been a virus that brought it on. It’s only been 11 days since my onset and I don’t see anything about ototoxicity so I will take it. That day I got it tinnitus I felt very sick and anxiety ridden out of nowhere too. Shot in the dark, I’m prepared to do CBT as well.

 

I'm wondering if I should take the Prednisone and Valtrex. Tonight I actually slept 5 hours. Still woke up 3 times but the tinnitus was lower, maybe 4/10 vs normal 7/10. During the day it was also good and I'm slowly getting used to it, and it going down to 1-3/10.

I would hate to miss a small window of opportunity but would also hate to make things worse with tinnitus or anxiety. My gastritis/GERD have been horrendous though. Stomach burning and nauseated lately.

 

You will blame yourself forever if you don't try them. A doctor prescribed them for you, you should try them.

 

OK, I'm just stuck in the loop of negative side effects everyone keeps complaining about but I haven't seen much on these two drugs.

 

Glad to hear you are sleeping better and the tinnitus is lower.

No one can really tell you what to do when it comes to taking medications.

Trust your gut feeling and be at peace with whatever decision you make.

If you are going to take them, do it with a positive mindset.

 

I just hate potential regret, haha.

 

Bummer... tinnitus was progressing along nice and, boom, I wake up with really loud tinnitus in my left ear for no reason. Ugh I’m screwed I guess.

 

I took first dose of the antiviral today. I've been having underarm pain today and pectoral soreness for no reason.

 

Should I be protecting my ears? I have been listening to the car radio on low volume and trying not to overprotect.

Man life can suck sometimes lol. Wish I had that awesome mojo some people have that nothing can bring them down.

 

Are you a side sleeper? I got tinnitus a month ago. When I would sleep on one side, the tinnitus would explode on the other side. I realized sleeping on my back on a slight incline didn't cause those explosions. Also maybe your body is just going through an adjustment period like mine is. After a few weeks my spikes are much less and my baseline is lower, around 4/10. Granted my anxiety is much lower too due to meds.

You have to manage your anxiety or it makes the situation worse. You can try medication or natural means.

I read in a few places to hold off on CBT for a few months after the initial onset for things to stabilize.

Hope that helps.

 

Thanks. Yes, I’m a side sleeper. I finally was able to sleep some taking 2.5 mg Melatonin.