Feeling Desperate

I first got T and H in 2012, I thought as a result 1 month prior of a West End musical. I was not stressed or unhappy at the time it hit. Now my audiologist says slight hearing loss does not cause T!
I muddled on avoiding loud noise, not knowing what H was. To cut the story short I habituated, slept well always did, it did not rule my life and was never spiked by stress. Up to January I was fine, still avoiding loud noise but fine.
This year zjanuary I had surgery, medication reaction end of February which took 3 months to leave my system,went into menopause too and bam the worst T and H ever. It spikes, I can't cope with stress plus that makes it spike. It wakes me at night, I feel I've lost my whole life only my fragile state prevents me fighting this time.
I have no energy to keep busy to take my mind off it, I've been drowning in this new hell since April. I simply cannot see a way forward as this T is not like my original T.
I really feel my life is finished, I'm so depressed.

 

Im sorry to hear of your plight. Do have hope for Autifony drug coming soon. In the meantime consider trying Trobalt...I dont know what else to tell you dear.

 

Trobalt for tinnitus and keppra for hyperacusis.

This will help with masking-

http://www.generalfuzz.net/acrn/

And if you want something else -

Nortriptyline can reduce tinnitus by 10db=50% reduction.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2817678


Treatment of depressed tinnitus patients with nortriptyline.
Sullivan MD1, Dobie RA, Sakai CS, Katon WJ.
Author information

Abstract
Patients disabled by tinnitus show a high prevalence of major depression. Furthermore, tinnitus produces patterns of disability similar to those produced by major depression. To explore further this link between tinnitus and depression, and to investigate the efficacy of treating depression in the treatment of tinnitus, a single-blind, placebo-washout, nonrandomized pilot study of the tricyclic antidepressant nortriptyline (hydrochloride) was undertaken in disabled tinnitus patients who also met diagnostic criteria for major depression. Nineteen patients began the study, two responded to placebo, and two dropped out prior to completion. Fourteen considered their tinnitus improved, and 12 chose to continue taking nortriptyline after the study. Depression severity decreased, on the average, by 65% (p less than .0001). Tinnitus loudness measured by audiometric matching decreased by a mean of 10 dB or 50% (p less than .02). Self-reports of tinnitus loudness and severity, somatic and psychologic symptoms, and psychosocial dysfunction all showed significant improvement with treatment. These results suggest that what initially appears to be an irreversible otologic disability in these patients may be in large part a reversible psychiatric disability.

 

Hi there @noisebox, please do not lose hope. So many of us have felt similarly to the way you seem to be feeling right now and gone on to live happy, full lives again. When my T began, I only had three hours of "sleep" a night, if even, and it seemed like the one most permanent solution, was the only one. Things can and do get better for most people with T over time and you will most likely not feel the way you feel right now forever.

All of that said, I know it does not make your immediate situation or feelings much easier. Have you tried talking to anyone other than us here? Have you thought about going to a doctor to perhaps get some temporary help with the anxiety, depression or sleeplessness? Those three issues can make tinnitus even more difficult to deal with, if not impossible. I think a good first step to see what you can do to help lessen the anxiety and increase the amount of sleep you get - those are things that can be helped and will make the rest of the journey easier.

We are all here for you, keep talking to us and we'll keep offering anything we can. Also check out the success stories and the (don't) panic guide, there is lots of hopeful and helpful information in both places.

 

I would never dare take Trobalt. Obviously should Autiphony work I would try that, but I react badly to most meds.
I have a CBT therapist but she does not understand T and H. She thinks H us like a spider phobia that you can get over.
To me T is like migraine no amount of talking can make it better.
I'm due to see a neuro as I asked my dr for melatonin for sleep but only neuros can prescribe them here in the UK.
I can't believe I can ever get the old me back

 

There is also Keppra which @Danny Boy often mentions as effective for the H condition. If you get rid of one of the two devils of T & H, perhaps it is easier to manage.

A few years back, I had both ultra high pitch dog whistle T & severe H. H made all normal sounds piercingly hurtful and they appear glassy plus amplified, to the point one just can't bear with it and has to wear ear plug of trying to stay away from noise. But blocking all outside sounds also leaves the T shrill so unbearably dominant without masking. Being in a quiet environment is not something you want to do with T either. You can't please these two monsters at the same time. They are mutually exclusive. So I know what kind of hell you are living through right now. I have true empathy for your suffering. I often thought my good life was over, and perhaps even my mortal life, as the mind just had repeated suicidal ideations when it sensed no way out of the dark tunnel.

But through visiting T support forums, I realize T (and even combined with H) is not an end game. People do survive them and live a normal life. I went through hell with T & H a few years back. But now I am living a normal and absolutely enjoyable life. I wrote my success story like many others. I encourage you read up the success stories to give you some hope and learn some insights. Use masking and meds if you have to. This is just to deal with the anxiety and depression caused by the T ringing. If masking can help alleviate some stress and let you have some sense of control, perhaps it will help reverse the downward mental plunge of T suffering. Leave meds as the last resort. But if you need it to survive the anxiety, talk to the doctor to get some benzo to help out.

Try to give it some more time and seek out some strategies while waiting for a medical/drug solution. Stay as positive and calm as you can. Hopefully this will reduce your suffering. Take good care & God bless your recovery. Here is the TT link with great tips for T sufferers as well as a media player for some excellent masking sounds:

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/panic/

 

My T came on hard as well. The H came later but was tolerable. I am over a year into this and please know it DOES get better! REALLY! Please hang in there and keep working hard in therapy and try different suggestions of posters on this site. Trust that you can find a way to manage.