Can Tinnitus Spikes Subside After Months?

I have a spike which started in last week of November after an accidental slap on my left ear that had tinnitus. It's still not gone. In fact I can hear tinnitus in right ear too now which wasn't there before. My right ear had some hearing loss but no tinnitus. During the Christmas season I had been exposed to loud music twice plus fire alarm went off at my work right on top my head.

Been a pretty destructive month.

Can anyone tell if the spikes can last for months and go away or am I screwed up more?

 

I've had multiple long term spikes resolve themselves over the course of weeks and months. So stay positive and try not to let the spike get you too down!

 

Lets pray it will subside.

 

yes. I had one for a month once.

 

How long when you say months @yonkapin ? 1? 2? 4? 6?

My tinnitus got worse in October 2018 following playing a piano and has been Hell since.

 

It will be good to know how long they can usually last. In my case it veen two months already..

 

I am on a four month spike with really no known causes and it has been hell. I am losing hope at this point that it will return to baseline.

 

It all depends what caused the spike? If it was caused by listening to music through headphones or music at a club or concert, the spike might not decrease for quite some time. There is also the potential for the spike to increase the tinnitus to a new and permanent level, especially when the ears have repeatedly been exposed to loud sound levels and the original cause of the tinnitus was "Noise induced".

Michael

 

I've had a splike for arpound 6 weeks!!!!! Doesn't seem uncommon to last a few months!!!!!

 

I'm new to the whole tinnitus but my last spike lasted around 3 weeks.

 

The spike can certainly last this long, and still has plenty of potential to go away or at least diminish over time. Be sure to take precautions to not have any additional noise expsoure, or else it can certainly respike or worsen as well.

Feel better soon!

 

Temporary spikes can last a surprisingly long time:
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/head-movement-spikes-tinnitus.25179/#post-290614
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/poll-how-long-do-your-tinnitus-spikes-usually-last.23110/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/poll-how-long-was-your-longest-spike.22099/

 

Would be great to know. I got an increase after an ear infection in October and it doesn't seem to be going back to baseline. It's crushing me to think that this might be my new permanent volume.

 

My longest and most severe spike lasted 4 months. I had the additional misery of experiencing Hyperacusis along with it for the first time. I finally got to experience what others meant by catastrophic and debilitating Tinnitus. In more than 35 years of living with it, I had never experienced anything before or since that compared to it. At times, I could not even remain seated and a couple of times I even paced back and forth.

Fortunately, after four months my T went back to its previous baseline and my H is not nearly as bad as it was.

I believe that my fear that it was my new and permanent baseline and that I would have it at that level for the rest of my life exacerbated the situation. I'm one of those people that believe that sustained stress can worsen or even prolong a spike. So, I want to give you some hope that the worsening of your T may not be permanent. I hope that knowing that will help to reduce your anxiety and stress levels to some degree.

 

I'm 3 -4 months in (early October 2018) with no signs of reducing. In fact in the past four days I've been getting beeping in my left ear.

I'm devastated and want off this planet.

 

@jimH I'm on my 30th year of intrusive T. During that time I have had many relapses(spikes). It has taken up to 18 months to habituate. For me there is no correlation to a relapse. At times it is a struggle. I do a lot of praying and crying but I'm still here. Hang in there.

 

Longest spike?

 

My longest spike was 12 months. Used medicine to survive that one.

 

Wow...12 months. What caused the spike and did it just return to baseline? Sorry for your suffering that but it gives me some hope mine might settle eventually.

 

There is always hope that a spike will improve. One of the most damaging things that will halt a person's recovery from a spike, tinnitus or hyperacusis is "Negative thinking". If it is allowed to take hold, it will totally destroy a person's recovery and the habituation process.

In 2008 my tinnitus increased to insurmountable levels, brought on I believe listening to music one evening on my HI-FI which I thought wasn't particularly loud a Haydn Symphony. The next morning I experienced an increase in my tinnitus that grew louder over the following days and weeks. This required returning to ENT for treatment, which I have explained in my post: My experience with tinnitus. It took 4 years to recover.

Michael

 

Allan, 'baseline' by now is an I do not know. I hear it all the time. What happens is one day I say this isn't too bad. The cause of the spikes are unknown. I avoid loud areas and always carry ear plugs. Ear inflections I can't avoid. Colds I can't avoid. You will adjust in time. I see you have tinnitus for 21 years. Have you had a spike in the last 21 years? Hang in there buddy.

 

What were the causes of your spikes?

 

Sorry I didn't reply sooner.

I've had spikes last for hours through to nearly a year or so. I can give more specific examples if you want.

Some spikes were completely random, some were coming and going when I was new to tinnitus (I think this is common), some were noise induced, some were because of hyperacusis I dealt with for a few years, etc.

They've all resolved though thankfully, and many of the tones I initially dealt with in my first year of tinnitus are gone. My baseline the last year has actually dipped below that of when I first got tinnitus. Fingers crossed things continue to improve.

 

I'd be interested in the noise induced ones please? How long they took to resolve and anything you did to help them?

I've had tinnitus 20 years which I habituated to, back in October following an evening of amateur piano playing I woke up the next day & my my original tinnitus [or perhaps another higher frequency] crashing through my head and another sound in my opposite ear.

Its been like this since with days where its intolerable to days where I can just hear it. Unfortunately the intolerable days outweigh the good.

In the past four days however I've been getting a beep beep beeeeepppp beep in my left ear alongside the continues 'eeeee', which is distressing. As the day progresses they both get gradually worse. My hearing is within limits and I don't have hyperacusis [thank God].

Thank you @yonkapin

 

I've had spikes by ibuprofen and one major one 10 years ago when my jaw on the left hand side snapped (TMJ) but that subsided after about 5 months.

This latest catastrophy was by noise and I'm convinced it won't settle.

 

@Allan1967

It is this type of thinking and negative mindset Allen, that will delay or prevent you from making any progress whatever tinnitus treatment you undertake; for you have convinced yourself that nothing will work.

Try to change this way of thinking by reading my posts in the links below.

Michael

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/is-positivity-important.23150/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-and-the-negative-mindset.23705/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/acquiring-a-positive-mindset.23969/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-and-negative-counselling.26669/

 

In my experience with T over the last 15 years spikes often don't get better, but with time you do get used to them.

 

I know you're right Michael. Tinnitus as you know has an uncanny knack of sucking us under like quicksand.

 

I agree and this is why people should protect their ears.

 

I am not saying one should never feel negative occasionally Allen but it's something that has to be kept in balance. If you read my posts in the links that I have sent you on a regular basis, they will help to reinforce positive thinking, for they are a form of "counselling". It is something that you have to consciously and deliberately work at. As I have mentioned to you before. Spend time with your family interacting as much as you can as this is one of the ways forward.

Michael