Does Tinnitus Ever Become Part of Your Life?

I have seen some of your posts and know you struggle when generously helping others. Bless you for giving your time.

I am too fearful to pursue Gabapentin. My doctor prescribed me first Effexor XR and then Zoloft. I started Effexor XR for a couple of days and tinnitus seemed louder so I stopped. I have the bottle of 50 mg Zoloft but am so fearful to start taking it for making my tinnitus worse. I have the same dilemma as others, taking something that may help can also make my tinnitus worse. I also have not a good relationship with Klonopin. Since September of last year I have gone from 0.5 mg to 0.75 mg to tapering to 0.1125 mg and in December had a microwave overcook and smoked my kitchen and stupidly reset 3 of my smoke detectors without hearing protection, then went back up to 0.7 mg Klonopin and am tapering again.

My tinnitus is still in right ear on my TMJ side, as a continuous high pitch constant static that is somatic. My TMJ pain basically is gone but I still wear my splints. My teeth have shifted a bit as the lower jaw was pulled forward but have not pursued anything further, i.e. TMJ phase 2 teeth work, mainly for COVID-19 reasons and not sure I can justify the cost. I really have not been able to do any physical therapy, etc.

Like many, I am struggling with what to try next for my tinnitus. I have sound enrichment 24x7 which helps some but is still continuous struggle.

Well wishes to you and all who battle!

KWC

 

Ok, so to be clear you take 2mg of Klonopin a day and 600mg to 900mg of Gabapentin? Has this allowed you to no longer have tinnitus stress and make you feel back to yourself again as far as the tinnitus is concerned? I understand you may have some other issues as do I, but is tinnitus still a big issue for you or is it not much of a factor for you with these dosages?

 

Yes, more like 1.5-2 mg (usually 2 mg) and 300-900 mg (usually 600 mg).

It's still a "big issue", I think about hearing protection all the time when doing loud stuff, and I am aware of my tinnitus to some extent throughout the day. I don't tend to dwell on it; sometimes it gets worse and it's more bothersome. I've been skiing a lot this year and I've had some mild cervical spine trauma from hitting my (helmeted) head against trees or ice harder than intended, and that kind of thing can amp it up for a day or two.

The times I have an emotional reaction to becoming aware of my tinnitus are pretty limited unless I'm in a high stress state for other reasons.

 

I am pretty much miserable all day long with it and then it goes away for a few days only to come back for another few weeks. I am bothered by it about 95% of the day.

Sounds like you might be in a little better spot than me at this point.

 

That's a very sensible dose. Are you still following this treatment or stopped/adjusted dose?

 

I really like this idea! I think this type of “mantra” is just what I need. Still really hard when first waking up and trying to settle down to sleep. Bedtime used to be my favorite part of the day. Not anymore. It seems to be something I have to work at now, even with my various sleep gimmicks. But I can do it!

 

Hi there Tina, I'm agreeing with you a lot here. That is a good mantra, I might be using that too. I do have a hiss myself that comes and goes. It's also hard on me when waking and sleeping. It's good to see that you have a positive mindset about it. I also work at my sleep.

One thing that's helped me a lot is to have a sleep routine that I adjust depending on the type of noise I'm hearing. Do you have a good sleep routine that you follow?

 

I believe I do. No caffeine after 4 pm, no screen time an hour before bed. Most nights I read or knit and am ready for sleep by 11:30 pm. I have a CD that nearly always puts me to sleep if I can’t on my own (Quietly by Jay Stocker) and the ever-present sound sleep machine. It’s getting better, but sometimes I can’t help but feel sorry for us all.

 

Thanks for describing your routine. I try to get off the screens an hour before bed, but that's been a hard habit to break. I'll be trying harder on that one. To wind down, I do something calming too, like a jigsaw puzzle, or I'll play with some Lego, or read a book. A couple of people suggested that I also try herbal tea to help calm me.

For sound, I found that nature sounds work well for me (river, fountain, rain, crickets). I choose a sound that is similar to what my tinnitus sounds like that day, since it changes day by day. Same here, I feel sorry for us all, such a mind-boggling affliction.

I'm glad to hear it's getting better for you. Sometimes I feel like I'm really improving, and sometimes I get floored by a bad couple of days.

 

Nope. I stopped the Gabapentin but I remain on 1.5 mg of Klonopin daily along with 40 mg Prozac, 50 mg Naltrexone, 50 mg Elavil, and various supplements. I am getting better. Honestly I think time is the biggest factor. I am over 2 years in and much better than a year ago. It's still there but I am coping better and have more good days.

 

I have no experience with prescription drugs for tinnitus so I'll leave that to those who do.

As to getting used to tinnitus, as has been said, many/most do but a few don't. In discussions elsewhere on this forum, the long time sufferers refer to themselves as the 0.1% or 1% club. The recognition of the small number who really struggle. For the rest of the population it appears that they can get used to it, that certainly was the case for me and every other person I have talked to in person about this (about a dozen).

My tinnitus is loud, variable and extremely reactive. In the beginning it was quite shocking and hard to ignore but after a few months of reading and self reflection I decided to accept this, assume it's permanent BUT to also assume that I can ignore it and not let it control my life. If people can sleep next to a train track or live in a noisy city, then I can learn to ignore this. About twice a month it's so loud after the shower that it takes me about an hour to fall asleep, other than that I ignore it and it does not bother me.

Some people seem to be wired to get to this point naturally, others appear to get there through some help like the mantra stated here or the Back to Silence thread. There are many other formal techniques like CBT, mindfulness, etc.

I think that for a lot of people they struggle because they lose control over something that does not belong there. That was true for me in the 80s with chronic back pain. I decided that there is a lot of shit I can't control and this does belong here due to aging and loud sound exposures and it's part of life right next to things like my arthritis, and now we deal with it.

Everyone is different and everyone needs to approach these things in their own way but I think that one thing is universal, you start with acceptance and then the belief that you can make this better and then do the work.

Good luck on your journey, life is a wild ride.

George

 

Great line and SO true!

 

Or they have other comorbidities that make this a bigger challenge like OCD which causes hyperfocus (I have OCD), anxiety or depression problems (I had severe anxiety in the 80's and became addicted to Benzos). These are just illnesses like everything else and need to be treated just like all illnesses. I often wonder about the differences between two given people that both have the same level and type of tinnitus show up. One says eh whatever, this too shall pass or I don't have time for this and the other goes in to a violent hyperfocus mode and has their life significantly ruined by this. Many people say that it's a mild vs extreme case and I agree but that the sounds AND the reaction in total is mild vs extreme. I think that the key is to understand how those two people got to where they are and treat the one suffering with the knowledge of how this difference manifested.

George

 

When I read some of your stuff, it resonates with me on many levels. You have your heart on your sleeve, it's evident. I agree with you on our perceptions and how we can view things. I remember, like it was yesterday, when I had the mildest tinnitus and I was in "hyper-focus" mode for a bit. It made things very hard and life was just not moving forward for me.

My initiative to find my mentor, someone that could explain tinnitus to me, it shaped my life and the future moving forward. These days I deal with beyond severe, "hell" level ringing with multiple tones.

My foundation, and the coping skills from a few decades ago, shape how I handle the "horrific" tinnitus that I deal with on a daily basis. I wake up feeling like this, and the stress factors of life hit me daily, like it does for all of us.

You have had tinnitus, for not too long. Your attitude towards it and your afflictions are amazing. Keep moving forward my brother and keep helping others.

 

I'm glad that you have been able to develop some skills to get at least some relief from your suffering, even if it's not complete. Thank you for the encouragement and kind words.

George