Anyone with tinnitus at a 8 to 10 level?

I have serious T. It distracts me all day and basically drives me nuts. I have different noises, drills, scratching, clicking, ear thumping. I have had this for 7 months. I started with soft T in one ear and escalated to a point (both ears now) where I just sit in aww of it sometimes. Gets so loud it hurts my head and ears. I really think that I'm about as used to it as I can get, I don't see getting habituated at this level. I hope im wrong. Bed time, well sleeping is my favorite time as I don't hear it while I sleep most nights. However, I do dream about it constantly. I really can't for 5 min forget about it.

Anyone have this and now lead a normal life???I don't work anymore, my carreer was my life. I sometimes have a hard time even holding a conversation from the distraction. I'm young and have so many years left to hear this. How can it be done? I've tried a lot as far as keeping busy etc, and have a relatively positive additude.

I look about 5 years older in the short 7 months from stress. I was hoping time would bring the vollume down or at least change the tone. My T is from ototoxcicity and sits in the upper range...I'm basically deaf from 10khz up and is replaced with all these noises.

If there is anyone who beat this type of tinnitus? please let me know how!!!! There are lots of success stories here but I don't know if it's due to the sevarity of the condition. I'm a strong person but I can't see taking this for the rest of my life.

 

There was a guy on here said his T was something like 70 decibels if i remember and he habituated with TRT ill find it and post the link, Dr.Naglers was extremely loud and he habituated. I cant say how loud mine is compared to others but its loud to me 16khz, electrical buzzing, ,morse code ear pain at times. In the beginning i could almost swear i felt physical pain from my T like nails on a chalkboard. I think if you have not habituated or are not making progress you need to find someone who is experienced in treating T. Im curious if you have seen anyone for help? Sometimes it takes 3 months, 6 months a year, 18 months, a guy on youtube posted a video called the noise and said it took him 6 years i believe. If you look at the majority of people who have made it out of where you are you will see a common theme, a lot of them get bored of T and stop reacting to it. Good luck.

also check out @Dr. Hubbard story, inspiring stuff.
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/how-cbt-helped-me-live-again-dr-hubbards-story.4608/

 

I have been to a workshop here in Calgary but To be honest for a city over a mil there is very little here in the way of tinnitus help. Yeah, I guess I need more time or help. The current sound therapy treatments seem ummm not so promising, but I guess it works for some. Yours sounds a lot like mine, like it's causing pain...such a shrill sound. I would even trade more volume for lower pitch..its tough.

Thanks for message of encouragement and the links, I will check them out!

 

Hi Telis,
I understand your pain. It is the same for me. Although with a positive attitude, this is tough starting every day.
T onset 9 months ago caused by stress. It is only one tone in the head, but high-pitched and sounds exactly like a dog whistle. Awful. Masking is only possible with high pitched cricket sounds which is also not really a pleasant sound. Sleeping is the only relief from this sound.
I am 45, with a great IT job, a lovely wife, two boys age of 7 and 11.
I try to work as good as possible (can work from home). My boss has full understanding for me.
Things that keep me alive:
- My family. If you do not have a wife or kids, stay strong for your parents, sisters, brothers etc.
- Masking sounds (I use Cricket Sounds from Google Play Store with Cicada High Pitch soundtrack).
- People like billie48 or Dr. Nagler have habituated to ultra bad T. It took one to two years for them.
- Maybe there will be a cure in the future, although I aim for habituation
- Distraction like video gaming, gardening, simple things like driving car, going into the supermarket etc.
- Reading success stories on the yuku board. In the meantime I know them by heart.
- Spoke yesterday with one of my friends and for her it also took a year with intrusive T.
I really try to live a normal life as possible and wait for the day where habituation kicks in.
Of course I would like to do sports, but exhaustion and depression make things difficult.
So I can only give my view to the things. Many people have habituated. I think it takes longer for intrusive T. But it is possible. It takes time and will power.
Take care and stay strong.
We are here to help each other.
Martin

 

Hi Telis. I am sorry to hear what a difficult time you are having. Your T does sound very intrusive indeed, and I understand that it would be very difficult to habituate at that level. That being said it CAN happen, and actually is LIKELY to happen. It just might take longer.

You can habituate to T regardless of how loud it is. Time is your ally, and as others have said it may take a long time. But every day you get through is a victory - remember that.

I would suggest trying to find a therapist to help you - either TRT or CBT. Perhaps visit your local doctor and ask him about it. It has helped a lot of people cope with T. Also, as hard as it is, distraction is the best thing you can do. I was like you at first - sometimes not a minute past when I wasn't thinking about T - but there are days where I only think about it once or twice, and when I do I think, "Oh, that's my T" and then forget about it while I do something else. It is the best way to deal with T. Again, I know it is difficult, but the more you do it the easier it is. So as hard as it is, meet up with friends and have a good time, exercise, watch a funny film etc. Do what you enjoy. It will be hard at first, but I like the "fake it til you make it" approach. It will get easier, I promise.

Let us know how you are doing.

 

I have spoken to quite a few people that has been through a hard time with T, but for 90% of the people I have talked to, it has gone away within months to a couple of years.. It seems like tinnitus is a quite common thing to experience at least once in our lifetime, from drugs, stress, acoustic trauma etc.. So even though habituation is a good thing, the way I see it is that there is a good chance it will go away as well, especially if theres no damage to the ear.. But from what I have read, even the ear is able to heal to some degree given enough time.. But it does take time.. They found that in rats, the ear was still recovering after 6 months after exposed to acoustic trauma, and a full recovery was still possible..

I also read about a guy that got terrible T after taking cipro, and his T eventually went away, though it did take some time..

Not sure how important this is, but I think thats something to keep in mind as well..

 

Thank you for that @Mr. Cartman, I have spoken to two people with T, and both of there's went away: one some times between 6-9 months, another after 2 years. I actually believe that T does have a great chance of going away, despite the fact we can have it a long time. After all, I think everyone has a ringing in there ears when they leave a concert or a loud club. There ears have some hearing loss, but once the ears adapt to it, the ringing disappears. I can't see why ours won't do the same, it might just take a long time. Hopefully that is the case for many on this forum.

 

I would say I have it about the same ,my lifesaver has been hearing aids,it knocks it off a good amount ,must be worth an investigation?

 

I developed my T from the use of cipro ear drops. So who knows I guess, maybe it will still go. I was hopeful it would at the beginning, but deffinately loosing hope as time passes.

I had mild T in my right ear. The doctor said that he didn't know why I had ringing in that ear, it was slightly swollen. I remember sitting in his office and not being able to to hear the T, only if I plugged my ear. He told me to try these drops, the ear didn't look infected, but just try them anyway, he said couldn't hurt. Wow, fatal mistake.

I don't take meds at all, for anything unless it was life threatening. I'm not sure why I did this time. My tiny tiny bit of ringing in the right ear that I had did eventually go away, the low level hum. But the high screaching and deafness that occured after taking the ear drops did not. I had no reason to take them, I still don't understand why he gave them to me, and how he thought my low level hum could be cured with them.

I look back now, I just had water in my right ear (which I told him) Fast forward 7 months and he can add another ruined life to his list. Honestly, I feel like it's a crime. Now, I won't go see a doctor under any circumstance or take any med. I am scared, and so upset that I can't even look at another doctor right now. I know this is irrational behavior but it just hurts at the moment.

I can't describe how wonderful life was, I was honestly living the dream in every way. I had as much as anyone could want, And I still had way way more to give and get out of life.

This doctor stopped me in my tracks. I'm now a pathetic mess and embarrassed to be around family, the way I look, act, etc. people don't understand this condition and to be honest, I really don't either. What it has taken from me has been unthinkable.

Anyway, I don't want to get all negative here. I just wish this T came out of no where or even from going to a concert. Or maybe that I had some valid reason for taking this medication (like it saved my life) I wouldn't feel as stupid as just taking some chemical and dropping it into my ears for no good reason. Sorry about this rant!!

 

Thanks everyone for the posts, what a great and supportive bunch of people. Unbelievable really!

 

@Telis

I was told that the outer ear does not communicate with the inner ear. Was your eardrum ruptured? Otherwise how did the drops damage your inner ear??

 

There was instructions on how to move the ear so it would penetrate into the inner ear. Instructions for inner and outer ear, I used both methods. Also I kept up with the drops. I didn't know it was the drops until every day I took them things worsened and could feel a burning/pain in the ear while administering them, I then at that time I discontinued use. Also, throughout this time I would not leave my bed as I was distraught. I don't know, maybe the drops would normally run out of the ear to a certain degree as you move around under normal circumstances.

 

I will try the cricket thing. Thank you for your excellent advise in general.

 

Thanks Martin, is your hearing loss only in the upper range? I have excellent hearing in the normal range of hearing, up to 8khz, then starts dropping off until nothing after about 10khz.

 

Hi Telis.
Yes, I have the "ski slope" on my audiogram. So hearing goes down in higher frequencies.
I was only tested up to 10 kHz and it goes down at 6 kHz.
But this is more or less the normal age-related hearing loss (I am 45).
T is normally in the range of hearing loss, mostly in the high frequencies.
Speech is in the low area, so I can understand speech perfectly fine.

 

thank you sir for your advise and story

i was actually turned away as a hearing aid candidate because my hearing was good in the normal range. I will try someone else. I won't know until I actually try it I guess.

 

@Telis

I'm lost for words. Eardrops... and then a lifetime of T. I understand completely when you say you feel hatred towards doctors...

hugs xx

 

You never know if it is for lifetime. The body can heal and adapt. We have seen this in other cases.
Telis is young and things can and will improve.

 

I suffer in the same way unfortunately. Very high pitched T which started in the right ear and now just sounds within my head. This sounds like the high pitched sound old cathode ray tube tv's produced - very difficult to mask and notice virtually all the time. In the left ear a low tone which flicks between 2 tones.

I moved into a new flat about 10 weeks ago and for the majority of this time T has been there but not that loud or bothersome. There have been days were it is very quiet at work and been so in the moment I completely forgot about it. I am confident this was because I was keeping busy with decorating etc.

Suffering a bit more in the last couple of days and tonight. Thing is, I am so used to the sound now I don't really react to it negatively or positively to it, it's just there. I also sit there in aww at times wondering how it's possible for a body mechanism to create such a racket and how non tinnitus sufferers would cope for even a day with this sound!

I think it's important to have a plan. Be proactive about it and do not stop trying things as something may work for you, YOU need to be the detective! Be 100% involved in whatever your doing and when you get distracted by t (which we will), go back to what you were doing. Find a passion and love doing it, live life as best you can!

My T is screaming right now, but I will make dinner and enjoy an evening with my girlfriend, because that is so much more important than thinking about T.

With modern medicine we may be closer than we think to discovering the ultimate cure to this tricky condition, I am confident this will happen, but in the meantime, be so happy for everything you do have.

Peace and love to all,
ER

 

Sorry to hear that. I hope you will be alright. I got no clue how you could habituate to it, but maybe you should try sign up for those AM-101 trials if you think your Tinnitus is permanant.

 

I like your suggestion about getting back to whatever you were doing. I find it so so easy to get frustrated, drop things and go lay down. It's tough to battle through at these moments, but I always feel better after, even if it takes the life out of me at the time.

Glad to hear you still enjoy things like dinner with friends, even with your T screaming!! Very inspiring!