ENT Prescribed "Happiness" to Cure Tinnitus — Advice Needed

My first post, I'll try to keep it as short as possible, please try to bear with!

I got my T about 45 days ago, I was out clubbing, didn't spend more than 30 minutes close to any loud noise (normal night out for me can be hours exposed to super high noise). At the beginning of the night my friend gave me a "happy drink", I strongly suspect it was ecstasy. I didn't handle it too well and therefor didn't spend too much time at the dance floor.

The T is "only" in my right ear, at least if I don't put my fingers in my ears or it's completely quite.

When I went to bed the same night I noticed the T for the first time. Never had any short term tinnitus before after a night or a concert so I wasn't worried. But the fucker refused to leave. The first 30 days I became really depressed, I slept a lot and couldn't stop thinking about the T.

Now, 45 days later~ after visiting the ENT & for the first time It has gotten about 50 % better (the T is lower and I don't think about it worry too much). I did some hearing test, turns out I don't have any hearing loss (might not have done the super advanced hearing test with all the different frequencies tho - it was just a normal test).

He told me - don't worry, start being happy and you will get rid of it and said it was not caused by any high music. I'm not sure if he was saying this to make me feel better, so that I would think about it less or if he meant the actual sound of the T would go away (?). He also said that I wouldn't have to be "especially worried" about loud noise exposure, but that everyone should still be careful.

After the ENT I went to the chiropractor, he noticed that I was tense at the right side of the neck and pressed some "muscle" or something and asked if the T became worse, and it did when he kept pressure on the "point". Then he worked his magic, "twisted my neck" and since that day the T has been much better. (This might just have been a placebo, but i'm 80 % sure it isn't since I now don't hear my T in some situations where I used to hear it)

So, to my question: Is it likely that the T is noise induced (?) Could the "ecstasy" & my emotional state have caused it? Or is it likely that it's caused by my neck problem (I've had neck problems before).

And to the most important question: Should I follow my ENTs advice and "not worry" about being exposed to high sound (?).

Appreciate any and all feedback, sorry for the long post! Hehe

 

I would imagine it was from something that night if you noticed it when you got home, so either the ecstasy or the loud music, or maybe even both. I know I got mine from about a half hour at a small gig, but it was extremely loud. Anyways, I would definitely take caution about loud noise from here on out. Maybe your still going to be able to go to loud places and be fine, but I would slowly work up to that to see just to make sure you don't increase it more. Earplugs will be your friend
Best.

 

You have high chances to be among the ones who get rid of their T completely and not become chronic.
Good luck!

Of course you have to protect your ears from excessive noises, you don't want this to happen again to yourself, now that you showed that you have a vulnerability in this respect (not all people have it).

 

Yes, you should follow the ENTs advice. If I would have got this advice from my ENT when my T started, I would have considered that advice naive, awkward and insulting. But now after almost two years, these kinds of advice are the right path imo to habituation -> keep busy and find meaningful things to do to break the pattern of worrying about T, which just slows down / stops habituation.

 

Thanks for all the replies - means a lot for me! (Cant find the quote botton on my phone tho..)

Something I forgot to add was that my jaw at the right side makes a noise that sounds like a small bone popping almost every time I open it. The stuff I got in my drink (E?) made my jaws really "tense" I was biting down really hard the entire night.

I've also been experiencing some minor pain inside the ears from time to time, I like to believe it has something to do with healing but the doctor didnt find any infection or anything..

Any thoughts?

 

This stiffness of the jaw mucles and bone popping sound indicate TMJD, which is a cause of T.