Diary of My Tinnitus (JM) and "Hi"

I'm going to write a diary about how I live with my Tinnitus. In this first post I will try to explain how I got it, and the possible reasons that it has shot so strongly in this last month but... with HOPE of having relief for my own experience.

Maybe this help for me.. and everyone who needs to follow an history, having support and maybe will find some hope with reading this...

(I'm gonna write 1 post per day, or each 2 ...)

Anamnesis: (28 years) I am a graduate of law school, I study psychology at the moment (April 2018), I use to play piano in rock bands (1 or 2 presentations per year). 6 months ago I dieted without sugar or fat, I do not smoke (maybe using "vapers" without nicotine", liquor once a month (before more times, not now). 1.75 height (m), 83 kg weight (April 2018)

Clinical history: I was diagnosed with type 2 bipolar affective disorder (when i was like 20 years); I took antidepressants (venlax and lithium carbonate) for 5 years; never tinnitus was affected. I have not had other illnesses or accidents.

How I got it: in my adolescence I had to do an ear wash, since then I have the TINNITUS (about 10 years ago), but it was not remarkable, I barely heard a "ring" in moments of total silence, but it was not a problem...

PROBLEM: about two weeks ago, the TINNITUS became uncontrollable, the "ring" was too audible, like a cricket sounding loudly in my head, since then it has been this way every day (except for a couple of days that seemed to improve noticeably and I only heard a "shhhhh", like waves of sea or static at low volume).

Deductive hypothesis: 1- Drug: 1 month ago I went back to take antidepressants for an emotional situation that led me to a crisis. The psychiatrist prescribed "Bupropion" (150mg per day). About 30 days later, the Tinnitus exploded and became unbearable ...

2- The problems of emotional type: (love breakup, confusion, discussion and fight with best friend, fight with my father, little desire to continue studying, breakage of lifelong friendships, among others) occurred weeks or days before the appearance of this strong TINNITUS. There may be some correlation ...

3- Indecision about my professional life: doubts about what I should dedicate myself to (working in law, in psychology or others) were presented in the course of this year ... There could be some correlation

4- the day before the TINNITUS increase, I was playing videos on YouTube about white noises, frequencies or neuro sounds that "helped to improve tinnitus". Listen to a couple of these videos for 15 to 30 minutes ... As I said, before this had never been a problem the "biip" I had since adolescence, but I wanted to know if I could even eliminate it ...Maybe there is a correlation or cause-consecuence for listening to these videos... But i really dont know...

Treatment (what am I doing?)

• Initially, to counteract the crisis I tried psychiatry (taking the antidepressant), but with the possibility that it has shot TINNITUS, today I will go to see the doctor again to discuss what happened and review the possibility of stopping the drug .
  
  
• With the TINNITUS shot, I visited an otolaryngologist one week ago who prescribed VERUM (16mg) 2 per day, (Betahistine dihydrochloride), according to his diagnosis of TINNITUS, it is about inflammation of the inner ear area, and the drug would help that process (but... there is no a big progress yet...)
  
  
• I am attending psychology therapy (focus of humanistic psychology - at the moment predominantly "gestalt"), with a professional who was my teacher in the University (Dr. Sandra Barreto). We did not directly attend the TINNITUS, but with its appearance we are working on it. (Part of that exercise was to make this diary). This therapy helped me to improve these last 10 days at least in my communication and difficulties with my friend and father. (This will be relevant to the TINNITUS possibly). The frecuecy of therapy is 1 sesion (like 2 hours) per week...
  
  
• I am doing daily exercise with the "FUERTAFIT" program of a Spanish instructor
  
  
• I'm still dieting to control my weight (Dr. Juliana Muñoz Nutritionist)

What happened the previous Saturday:

After about 6 days of the TINNITUS strong and terribly annoying, on Saturday I woke up for a class very early in the morning, with the surprise that the cricket sound was NOT PRESENT ... (I only heard the shhhh as wave), It was a great joy for me. All day Saturday there was no major annoyance. i was really happy and in a good mod.. (this is a point to check and look...) On Friday and Saturday I did not take antidepressant (although I can hardly relate 1 day of not taking to have improvement). In the afternoon it started to rain, and for a moment I heard the sound of cricket a little louder ... (LOOKS THAT THE WHITE SOUNDS WILL ACTIVATE THE TINNITUS ???) On the same Saturday, I went out to have beers with friends of the University (I wanted to take a chance); I did not sleep too much and on Sunday I had the TINNITUS active again ... (liquor + sleep may be relevant)

But ... on SATURDAY the terrible "ring" was not ... so, THERE IS HOPE. It is possible to diminish the T, but it is necessary to look for means or forms. And part of that exercise I'm doing here.

Well, the idea is to register the changes that I can get, together with the drugs, psychological treatments and moods. Perhaps it is possible to find causalities between one thing and another, or to have more clarity about what can trigger tinnitus or what is the way to continue to decrease it. Some days the T is really low... (and 1 day was "off" ... )

In 10 days I will visit another TINNITUS specialist in a higher level clinic, I will tell you how the situation progresses, as well as psychological therapy.

I hope it serves you something, we can beat the TINNITUS, if there are days that are not present, we can make those days the rest of our lives! Courage and strength.

(this thread gonna be on reddit as well... )

 

Just wanted to say interesting read and I am following! Good detail.