Anxious and Need Help with Coping — Tinnitus Worsened Two Weeks Ago After a Camping Trip

So I’ve had tinnitus since 2014 after getting Eustachian tube dysfunction/back to back ear infections. The first few months I was in a very dark place. After a few months (I think 6-7) I barely noticed the tinnitus and went on living life and never thought about it.

2 weeks ago, the tinnitus came back just as loud as it was in 2014. Now I’m back to square 1 with depression and anxiety. My Tinnitus also keeps changing... which has again caused me MASS anxiety.

I’m 26 and so f*cking scared. I just got back from the ENT who prescribed me Amitriptyline (low dose). Idk why I had this spike recently but really freaking out. I am also having a lot of ear pressure but the ENT did a test and said I don’t have any.

I’m on Flonase etc. I noticed the spike when I went camping up in the Blue Ridge mountains. That was 2 weeks ago... since then all the ear pressure, fullness is back and of course the spike. Notice my spikes get a little worse at night or when I’m trying to sleep.

I also had a hearing test and a plethora of other tests and it came back really good, no hearing loss etc

 

Hidden hearing loss is a thing.

 

^ uhm thanks? I don’t think that can produce tinnitus. My doctor did a lot of tests on me and didn’t even mention hidden hearing loss... idk, I don’t think that’s very positive.

 

This may be helpful for you.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/cognitive-behavioral-therapy.1648/page-2#post-300962

 

Have you had any loud noise exposure (concerts, clubs, guns etc.) Do you listen to music in the car or through headphones loud?

It's totally possible to ace a hearing test and still have underlying (hidden) hearing loss, ie. cochlear synaptopathy, which can cause T. The state of hearing care is in the dark ages when it comes to issues of cochlear origin. Most doctors, ENTs, and audiologists aren't up to date on current research. I'm not saying ignore them, but take what they say with a grain of salt.

I'd be careful with the amitriptyline. I take it myself (25mg), but my tinnitus is noise-induced from hearing loss and is pretty much rigidly permanent. If your T is fluctuating and isn't noise-induced, it could be caused by circulation issues or something else. In this case, I wouldn't take it as there are some claims to it being ototoxic and it might interfere with things. Some people have claimed to have gotten their T in the first place or had it worsened from amitriptyline. But then again, there are those like myself who haven't experienced any worsening from it. From anecdotal observation I've noticed that amitriptyline tends to be better for people who know their T stems from noise/hearing damage.
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...snris-maos-tcas-tecas.768/page-24#post-499773

Hang in there, rest your ears/protect them from noise and hopefully this spike will subside. Ears heal notoriously slowly and it could be months before it settles down.

 

No noise exposure, no concerts, nothing. I just notice it camping that it was slightly louder than usual and it kind of brought me back into that dark place I was at back in 2014. I asked my doctor about Amitriptyline being ototoxic and he said no. Not sure. I guess He wanted to give me something to help because I really was a f*cking mess at the doctor's office sobbing and having a severe panic attack. It’s been a rough 2 weeks...

 

Hidden hearing loss is absolutely a thing. In fact, many of the most widely accepted theories of tinnitus and hyperacusis is that the inner ear isn't sending a proper signal to the brain so the brain is overcompensating.

 

I asked my doctor the same thing and she also said it wasn't ototoxic. It's controversial, the ATA has it on their list of ototoxic meds. I'm actually a fan of it, helps me unwind, but I just thought you should know it can be a wildcard before taking it. It should at least help you sleep if your T is making that difficult.

How loud is your T, can you hear it over the shower? You mentioned it keeps changing, is that the volume or tones? If you get periods of time where it eases up then that's a good sign.

 

I’m nervous on taking it honestly, like really scared but my panic attacks etc are horrible and making all of this worse. How is it changing a good sign? So I’ve always had t but it was BARLEY noticeable... until 2 weeks ago after driving through the blue ridge mountains I notice a spike. I mean for 6 years I didn’t think about it, never bothered me or caused anxiety. I think last year in March or early February maybe I had a small spike that lasted a day or two but then it went away. Didn’t have anxiety then.

It changes a bit. I notice when I wake up it’s more of a hiss kind of like low hiss but now it’s a higher sound still faint and can be masked at times but I still notice it when watching tv etc. but not when driving, or at work (where I work there’s always a lot of background noises). I just notice it changes more at night. Like evening times it is that higher soft pitch. Not sure why that is. Idk what to do for anxiety/depression now. When all of this started back in 2014 I was a wreck for MONTHS, I think almost a year until I magically didn’t notice it anymore. Not even sure how that happened but I hope that happens again... where I don’t notice it.

Also I will note, after the Blue Ride mountain trip I notice it for a day it was louder then back to not noticing it. It wasn’t until that following weekend I noticed it more for some reason the. It changed a week later.

 

No I don’t notice it in the shower ever. Sometimes I just want to live either in my shower or driving lol.

 

My ENT put me on Flonase when I first got my tinnitus and I found that when I was using it my tinnitus fluctuated a lot more and I had more tones. I suspect that the extra liquids in my Eustachian tubes or somewhere up there was doing something weird to my ears.

If you’re feeling like it has anything to do with congestion maybe try switching to Sudafed or Claritin D, I’ve read of people treating their ear fullness that way.

It seems like ear fullness either stems from liquid in the ear, congestion from allergies/being sick, or some sort of trauma to the ears such as loud music or a gunshot (some suspect loud noises cause inflammation). Since you noticed it while camping in the mountains perhaps it has something to do with the elevation/pressure changes?

Can’t advise much on the anti-anxiety meds but if you’re worried about taking them some great natural remedies in the meantime are Valerian root, Glycine (also a natural supplement) and Chamomille Tea. These have all helped me with my panic attacks over the last few months.

Hope things get a bit easier for you!

 

Because it doesn't sound like it's settled into a permanently higher baseline. It can fluctuate for the worse before it gets better.

Well it doesn't sound like you've abused your ears as to cause permanent damage, so if it faded before it could fade again.

 

Not all cases of tinnitus are noise induced. While most are, there are definitely other causes. You mention having had ETD before and getting problems after being in the mountains - altitude changes can mess with your tubes and cause issues.

Give it some time and see how they settle. Hopefully your spike goes away.

 

Sudafed gives me horrible anxiety.

I have ETD a couple years ago along with fluid/ear infection. I was not exposed to ANY loud sounds, don’t listen to music on my ear buds etc. the fullness just came out of nowhere after camping and my ENT said he can’t see any fluid etc behind my ear but my ears are bothering me and they weren’t like this before camping... I can hear myself swallow (like a pop/crackle) and whenever I yawn I hear pops etc. that wasn’t a thing for me and my ears feel congested. Sorry I rambled there lol

 

@Tweedleman in the morning it is usually a buzzy sound more bearable and honestly doesn’t scare me as much. Throughout the day it can change into a faint higher pitched sound that makes my anxiety so much worse and gives me horrible horrible panic attacks. Not sure what to even do, too scared to take the anti depressants to...

 

2 weeks prior to getting my Tinnitus, I had a terrible cold, like fever/stuffy nose/all of that. I was traveling that weekend via plane, and experienced a ton of pain/pressure upon both descents despite the fact that I took a ton of preventative measures (decongestants, etc).

I also have that congested ear feeling. My ears crackle and pop a lot whenever I yawn, talk, sometimes I feel a weird click within my cheeks (close to my nose) if I move my head a certain way. An ENT I saw told me our ET tubes are pretty much the size of the little hole that the tip of a pen goes through, so any sort of blockage of this could give you weird symptoms. It can often resolve on its' own with time.

Have you tried steaming? A warm washcloth over your sinuses can also help things loosen up if there is some sort of blockage or issue with your ET tube.

The fact that this all appeared for you while camping in the mountains could be that your ears just had a hard time adjusting to all the pressure or something like that. Since it wasn't due to noise exposure, I think your chances of improving with time are fairly high.

All I know is, my T was definitely worse when I was using Flonase and fluctuating more often

 

I do agree that it can take a long time before ET issues clear up. Sites write about days, but in my experience - and that of many here and anywhere you'll read - it can take much longer. They really are very narrow and take a while to calm down.

 

@ASilverLight ya but how does tinnitus change with that? Why does mine keep changing throughout the day

 

Not sure. Mine changes a lot too, but then again so does the crackling when I swallow/yawn and my general congestion. Mine is due to ETD, a neck injury/neck strain and perhaps another medical issue, although I'm not sure on that because I'm yet to determine if I have it. Bit hard now.

Does it change for the better, though? If you have moments it gets softer, that's usually a very good sign.

 

@ASilverLight I have it due to ETD too. It started while traveling again... it changes a lot though. Sometimes it’s a buzz (more bearable and really only noticeable in quiet rooms) but then I have this faint ringing usually more so at night, really depends, it kind of just changes, it can be during the day too. Just f*ck me lol

 

Have you had yourself checked for Lyme? You may have gotten bitten by a tick while camping and didn't develop the rash. It's coming to light that Lyme may cause tinnitus.

You might try a 10-day cycle of doxycycline hyclate. It's relatively harmless and probably worth a shot.

 

@tbhale20 no I wasn’t bitten by any ticks on this camping trip. My boyfriend and I checked. But thanks. And what is that? Antibiotic?

 

Maybe you hurt your neck while camping? If you shifted things in your neck and jaw maybe it activated some ET pressure. Just a guess. Camping is uncomfortable and hiking can mean carrying a lot on your back. Hope it resolves.

 

Large doses of Amitriptyline had been used as a treatment for tinnitus. But just like any tinnitus treatment, it gives spikes to a very small minority of people. I've taken it (7.5-10 mg), as did many others here. It helped me a lot. It can help one sleep. It isn't addictive and it doesn't make you feel drowsy the next day.

I've had many spikes and I learned not to wait before panicking. Most spikes are temporary. It makes sense to panic only if it doesn't get better after 3 months or so. Most likely what you are hearing now isn't what you will end up being stuck with. Give it time and try to ride it out.

It's too bad you don't know what caused your spike. I hope you get to the bottom of it. Could it be that you have TMJ?

Check out
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...eone-else-who-has-tinnitus.26850/#post-307822

 

@Aloe_Blossum I did go camping but not tent camping we rented a cabin with a bed etc. I didn’t carry anything while hiking other than a water bottle so I know that isn’t what caused it.

 

@Bill Bauer spikes are scary, the ringing keeps changing and that is what’s causing me to have massive massive panic attacks. If it could just STAY one sound I could eventually learn to habituate maybe.

 

I'm not so sure about doxycycline being harmless. It seems to have caused tinnitus for others

 

Hi Maddy, it's weird because my tinnitus got massively worse two weeks ago... and I live here in the Blue Ridge (Asheville). I'm somewhat sure, though, that my tinnitus is because of Gentamicin/Neomycin eye drops.

Also, my friend in Colorado said they gave her Doxycycline potentially for tick-related stuff and she's pretty sure that gave her tinnitus (she said going on 3 years now). Not trying to scare you, just keep you informed! I wish someone had mentioned it to me before I took the eye drops.

You are not alone in this! I recognize that this sucks so much!