Convinced My Tinnitus Is Getting Worse, I Don't Know Why :(

[geg1992]

Hi all,

Basically to keep it short so far, I've had T about 4 months after a loud gig combined with taking antibiotics.

It was extremely loud. I then took Predisnolone or however you spell it, the steroid. This brought my level back down to about a 2/10 which I was fine with and I was getting my life back to normal, I even slept without any masking fine.

I then went to Norway, a week after arriving back into the UK it suddenly got really bad and I developed H. I then took the steroids again and it quietened down to about a 2/3. Since then it just seems to be getting louder and louder each week and it's really getting to me now. I'd say at the moment it's about a 4 or 5/10 and I can't seem to mask it at night even with my de-humidifier which is like a little fan. It's getting to the point where if it gets much louder I won't be able to sleep.

I just don't know why it's getting louder and I'm frustrated as I'm scared it will get louder until I can't cope with life any more.

My daily routine is a 10 mile drive to work and 10 miles back. My car averages anywhere from 82db-87db on an average journey but it's a very short journey. I go to the football/soccer still but wear ear plugs. I can't think what it could be?

I'm going to Disneyworld in September which is another worry, as this is full of loud noises. Do I just wear ear plugs all day through the park?

Water parks too - will my ear splashing against the water cause damage to my ears?

The noises also seem to be changing, and sometimes when I walk I can hear the bones clicking in my ear which makes the T worse. The noises are more higher pitched, staticy and random. It's the unpredictability I hate. If it was a constant noise it would be easy to habituate, but it seems impossible with this.

Another thing; it seems to change ears. For example, when it's in the left ear it's far worse, the right ear is a constant tone when it's doing it's thing. But it's only one or the other, very rarely do both play at the same time. For example, I can plug my right ear whilst the left ear is ringing and it will be silent, why is this?

It's also got very reactive, it will play above almost anything when it wants to, so frustrating.

Thanks for any help, this website has been a great help so far.

 

[billie48]

First off , don't panic. While I am not able to offer medical opinion on your condition, You seem to have hyperacusis if you think your T is reactive to sound. I can just say that T is an unpredictable beast and that is one of the reasons it is scary for newer T sufferer. They become scared of doing this or doing that which will aggravate T, and they tip-toe around T gingerly. But by doing so, T has control on our lives. The more we appease T, the more we become a 'slave' to this T bully. Do your best to stay positive. It can only help. Your T is still new. People can take a few years to turn around, as I took 3 years with many setbacks in the first 2.

While I am not trying to put down the severity of your T, if a fan can mask it before, then it is not severely loud or high enough pitch. Take that as a positive. Some people can't mask the T or it may require sounds of shower, heavy rain, even waterfalls to mask. Mine need those sounds to mask, sometimes only partially. Dr. Nagler said he could hear his T above the Niagara Falls. I can hear my T above the jet noise or above the raging rapids in the salmon rivers that I fish. Many members have dog whistle like T or those like electric storms. Of course I will never wish any one to get to that level of T. What I am trying to say is, try to calm down. Don't let the T-weakened mind create many scary stories about your future & your T-future. Even if your T increases, it is still possible to habituate. Many of us are living normal and productive life, by accepting the reality of T in our life (if not T itself), by willing to flow and adjust, by using various strategies such as TRT, CBT, mindfulness meditation, exercise, outdoor, hobbies, etc. etc. The main thing is don't feed T with fear and more fear. This is putting more fuel to the fire. Try to read up the success stories to learn some insights how to cope with or win over the battle with T. Give it time. To close, I share with you this video of some celebrities with T themselves. This is a 1996 show of David Letterman & William Shatner (Star Trek Capt Kirk). They both said their T were worsening, but as of today these two gentlemen are still sane and living a decent life. I believe in the body's ability to have progressive habituation. Don't try to project your future based on your mind at the current state of T. You may feel differently about your T after a while. So why worry about the future?

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j...=II2UjDyEURU7WjDQyqufcg&bvm=bv.89184060,d.cGU