Been Through the Worst

Hello I am new here!

I have had tinnitus for about 3-4 years, and I guess people can talk on here.

I have been through the worst, when I had first noticed my tinnitus, I used to panic loads, and go outside and run and run because I was running away from something I fear, (I know running does not help :/) and I was looking at stories of people on YouTube with tinnitus, thinking (how do they cope) and I was thinking, how would I ever cope, but I have been the worst, with the worst tinnitus.

And I just want to say, I have been through a hell of of ride for the last 2-3 years, but I want to tell people it DOES GET BETTER.

When you change your perception on tinnitus and life, and distract yourself... I distract myself with music, life is too short to worry and panic all the time about this noise in my head, I watch 24 hours in A and E , and I think "life could be so much worse".

I just want to say I used to be just like you, worry, panic, fear of the unknown, but I find that at night, using a fan or something is a great way to mask tinnitus.

Tinnitus used to be my life, now Living is my life.

 

@corey . Now that's what I call a positive attitude towards tinnitus. I'm happy for you. Hope this is a inspiration towards others who are suffering from tinnitus.

 

WOW so happy for you!
Exactly what my 6 friends told me when I found out on 5/13/16 I had hearing loss ,and Tinnitus
5 guys & 1 52 year old woman
From 30 years to 4 years they dealt with it on moved on

 

Gerald -

I just was diagnosed with T (Im 58) and just hearing your wise words helps me to calm down. I feel so blessed that there are others out there sharing their stories and I feel confident with everyone's support that I will get through this as well.

I am currently on prednisone (40 mg) starting 3rd day soon. The first day was incredible and T really went down. But then today not so great so I was feeling a little discouraged. Hopefully it will get better soon - either one way or another.

And yes, I have friend who has had this for 8 years and she says she has just gotten used to it.

Thanks for listening.

 

to anyone who has Tinnitus, Keep on fighting through this life , keep that smile, please dont cry, You just gotta keep that head held high , dont give up ! keep on going !

 

my T cant be masked at all. what do you do then

 

What does it sound like?

 

high pitch fire alarms or frying wires

 

I wish my tinnitus can be masked with a fan... I have to put several sounds together to mask it. It just keeps getting worse and worse and I do not know why. But I'm so happy for you and thank you for coming here and write about your positive story.

Take care

 

Maybe it keeps getting worse because you're trying to mask it? What an audiologist told me is that we shouldn't try to mask it completely (she told me "I don't like to use the term MASKING"). But that we should mix it with other noises so that the brain is still aware of it, but not as much, such that it can habituate to it (if you mask it completely, the brain doesn't "sense it" so it can't habituate to it).

 

Thanks Corey. Your input is inspiring! -- I have been up and down with cooping and look forward to the day when I don't even think about it anymore.

I did go to a concert for the first time a week ago and had a blast not even thinking about it..

 

Glad to hear it John! I went to the Dave Matthews concert last week and though I fidgeted with my earplugs half of the time I had a blast.

I too am still up and down which is the most frustrating part. Felt pretty good for a couple weeks but now this week has been tough. I think the most frustrating part is I know the sound isn't any different but some days it's all my brain wants to focus on and some days it couldn't care less. The roller coaster and staying positive is the hardest part as well as not really understanding why it's so up and down.

But I'll keep plugging. Got my wife two beautiful girls to wake up to every day.

 

I hear ya. I have 2 awesome kids and a beautiful wife too. -- Some days I don't notice it at all and sometimes it gets really annoying.

I recently read an article about how Daymond John from the "Shark Tank" lost most of his hearing from loud music and now wears hidden ear plugs. -- You know he must have T as well and has gone on to live a very happy & successful life!

 

He does. “I’d often think people were mumbling or something wasn’t on that loud,” he said. “But at the event, they invited everyone to try on a hearing device, and it was like night and day. I was suffering from tinnitus [ringing-ear syndrome] in one ear and something else was going on in the other.”

http://columbiabasinhearing.com/article/4409/

 

For sure. And I'm relatively sure I'll get there too. I think the frustrating part is the unpredictability of it. Like feeling good for a few days and then feeling like crap again. It's a grind. For me when I feel like crap for a few days is when all the negative bs flows in again. Then I wake up the next morning and it's there but doesn't bother me. I'm sure I'm in the same place many have been and have gotten all the way back.

Am I better than I was a year ago? Hell yes. Am I where I want to be? Sometimes. I look at stories of others that have it far worse than I do and have habituated and it gives me the faith that I will too even though it doesn't seem like it some days.

 

Hearing loss doesn't necessarily cause T. That's one of the mysteries scientists are trying to understand. He may not have T at all, but let's not minimize his condition as hearing loss is quite a bad curse too.

 

I'm the same, nothing masks it except the shower and I can't stay in there all day.

 

Daymond John did mention in his interview that he has pretty loud T in one of his ears and "something else going on in the other"..

 

Same with the hot tub at my gym..

 

The silver lining for me is that T has forced me to eat better and workout more. -- Who knows. Maybe I was around the corner from something really bad healthwise and T saved me..

People lose limbs, fight cancer, lose loved ones, etc and move on with their lives. I just try to think of them when I am feeling frustrated with Mr. T.

Email me anytime if you need to chat with someone who can relate. Sincerely, John

 

Then he's indeed one of us with the combo...
I wonder when he got his condition, because severe T will affect your "professional orbit" way differently if it's at the beginning of your career (when you have to "fight the system" without many resources) vs later (when you're more established and have more levers at your disposal).

At any rate, I'm sorry he has to go through this hell.

 

Yeah, instead of an upset stomach and a beer belly you got lifelong T.
Doesn't sound like much of a deal.

 

Feel grateful for that shower time. It used to be like that for me and many others, now nothing ever diminishes it. I should have cherished my no-T shower time more than I did.

 

Nice to see others still going to concerts still. Theres a lot of negavitity towards them in other threads on here.

Tbh i wish i didn't read some of the stuff because before i came here i was going to shows with t with ear plugs and it was fine. Then i came here and read poste about going to concerts and tbh it has caused me some anxiety about still going which i didn't have before.