Finding It Hard to Cope :/

Hi everyone.

This feels weird but I have been lurking here for a few weeks now and... figured I should come and say hello.

I don't really know what to say right now other than I am currently sat here listening to this high pitched screaming in my head wondering what to do.

It started for absolutely no reason at the beginning of the month and has not stopped since. I was just sat listening to some quiet classical music and writing an essay for college when I felt a shifting sensation in my head and heard a weird alarm noise. I thought it was coming from outside but after turning off my music to go to bed I realised it was in my ear.

I have seen one dr who said I had ETD and gave me a nasal spray. I also took allergy meds and have been using steam to try to make it better but the noise has not settled down. I went to my dr today and he said my ears are looking fine and could not really give me any explanation for the noise. He also said an ENT would likely not be able to help me and said he would refer me but there was not much point.

I have been having jaw pain and finding it hard to eat, tinnitus (sounds like high pitched static screaming) which is stopping me from sleeping and painful reactions in my ears from loud noises. Does anyone know why this is happening to me? Will this go away? What can I do?

I am going to stop taking my migraine meds (amitriptyline) in the hopes that it will stop the noise and am going to try some anti-biotics as I have pain deep inside my ears so fingers crossed? I have also been given anti-inflammatory meds for my jaw.

I keep bouncing between feeling like I can deal with this and feeling like i'm going to do something stupid (especially when on my own at night). I am only 24 and it is making getting through college so difficult. How can a person live like this long term? All of this is just too much.

Sorry if this is a bit of a ramble. I know no one can really help me but... I just felt like I needed to reach out.

 

Hello Argghh random tinnitus is the worse! Im also really young(23) and I realie how "nice" it is to combine tinnitus and work and study (especiallu if one is used to studying in the quiet).However you mentioned you have been having jaw pain. Sometimes tinnitus has to do with jaw problems (such as arthritis etc). Did you get the pains before tinnitus and did you tell your ENT or GP about them?

 

Hi! Have you also been dealing with random tinnitus? How are you managing to stay sane? I think I have cried at least once every day since the beginning of the year now :/

I had an xray a few years back and it was shown that my jaw is misaligned. I have been having jaw pain on and off for a long long time. Although it has been worse recently (who knows, this tinnitus may have caused me to grind my jaw more with the stress of it). I was given something to try to calm down any swelling today although my dr said there was little to nothing they could do about my jaw issue sadly. Thank you for responding x

 

No, I dont have random tinnitus. Mine was caused by years of loud music + stress. I also havent really been able to stay sane and cant imagine living with it.
Maybe you could see a special surgeon? Sometimes there is really nothing that can be done but occasionally doctors are wrong as well. Always a good idea to check twice. Try to find the best docs in your area.

 

Hi Kys,

I am so sorry this is happening to you. The good news is you are definitely not alone. There are tons of people on the forum who have had T for years and can help you out a lot more than I can.

Just a thought, how long have you had jaw pain. The ears and throat are connected and there is a jaw condition called TMJ (I think - someone will be able to tell you more) that can cause T. I would advise talking to your GP and ask him to refer you to a specialist after doing more research yourself to see if this is what you think of.

Even if you T does last, many people can manage their T effectively. There are therapies that teach your brain to ignore the noise which has really helped. You can live with T, as hard as it is to believe.

You are at the worse stage right now. When I first had it I couldn't sleep, eat or concentrate on anything but T. There are links between stress and T, so the best thing to do is try to keep your mind off it. I know it's hard, but try to focus on your studies and meet up with friends (avoid loud music/noisy restaurants). It will help you stop thinking about the noise in your ears.

As for sleeping try a noise masker so you aren't listening to the noise. If it doesn't help go back to the docs and get some pills. Sleep is key to coping with T.

Good luck and if you need to talk please come on the site. T can go away. Stick it out because yours could disappear

 

Stina -

No I can't imagine living with this long term but I am already considering the possibility that I might have to =c

I think that stress might have played a part in triggering it also as I was under a lot of pressure with college work along side being on my own.

I wish I had something positive to say. It feels really awful not being able to say something to make it okay, you know?

citigirl13 -

Thank you for replying to me it means a lot as I have been feeling pretty alone with this. I am still making sure to get my college work done and some times during the day I do feel okay. I feel like I could cope with this. But then the noise ramps up and gets louder and I falter again :c

I am going to go back to my dr after trying a course of tablets that are meant to help with my jaw. So fingers crossed this will help me in some way.

The thing that tipped me over the edge is a few days ago the noise kind of stopped. It was so fantastic. I slept well for two nights in a row and started to feel myself again. Then last night it came back just as loud as ever for no reason and... well I am not handling it that well.

 

@Kys : I think stress could cause it (have no idea why but it listed as one of the two main causes of T: either loud noise and/or stress, depression, anxiety). Im really hoping yours is caused by jaw problems. The idea of having it forever has thrown me into relatively bad depression. What do you study anyway?

 

well you just got T and believe me it's just a matter of time until you cope with it and my T is also because of TMJ as well so i have neck pain and jaw pain too in addition to the T which i got when i was 17 and im 22 now but now im TMJ treatment which seems to help my jaw and my neck and later T hopefully

 

@Stina - I have a history of depression and whatnot but I have been really happy and bright these past few months. I took myself back to college on an access to uni course (hoping to do web design... if I can get through this ear issue) and for the first time in a long time felt like things were looking up.

I have been feeling so down and withdrawn/lonely since it all started. I don't know what to do because I am worried someone will say to me 'you have the noise because you are depressed' while I am thinking 'I am depressed because of the noise!'

What do you do at the moment? Also do you take anything for the depression? (sorry if that is a little personal).

@Raul - I really hope I do learn to cope. I keep reading pretty scary stories of people that have just lost it due to the noise :c How long have you been having TMJ treatment? What treatment do you get for it?

@Karen - Thank you for the welcome c: I hope that it does stop, and soon. But I think it might be best for me to accept that it wont and start trying to learn to live with it? I'm not really sure to be honest. I think the frustrating thing is wanting someone to say 'this is what is wrong, and this is how long it will last' and not being able to find any answers. Its all so random and horrible.

 

Hey Kys!

So bummed to hear about your bout with T !! It sucks!! I know. My T came on suddenly as well, and unfortunately hasn't gone away. But the fact that it went away for a few days is really encouraging!! Don't lose hope. You are definitely doing the right thing by trying different things and being proactive!! Keep fighting!!

I totally agree with citigirl13 that you are at the worst part of having T! You (just like I was!)are confused, scared and freaked out by this insane screaming in your head. I get it!! It may not be encouraging right now, but trust me you WILL get thru this!! Stay connected on here on TT, tons of great people going thru he same thing you are! Lots of wonderful support and great info!! Also, don't stop living your life!! Fight thru and continue to do whatever it is that brings you joy and fulfillment! Don't let your T win!!!

 

no believe me i have been dealing with this for 5 years now and you will cope with the T but now let's deal with the pain first!
first when i got T i had no pain or anything just T and i went to many many ENT but my ears looks just fine and some of them gave me allergy meds and others but nothing seems to work! so i just had to cope with it but a
few months ago when i started to get jaw pain and unbearable migraines i went to a doctor and was diagnosed with TMJ and so i started to see a dentist specialist in TMJ and he made me a splint something like mouth guard to relax my jaw muscles and just two weeks ago i started to see an osteopath and she seems to help me a lot with my neck and jaw pain

 

@Jeff M. - I am already feeling a little calmer from posting here so I certainly will try to keep it up! The noise gives me short lived panic attacks quite often (in the middle of the night usually) and keeping the will to keep fighting something un-winnable is a little bit taxing. But seeing as there is no other choice I will keep trying.

@Raul - Yes I do get a lot of pain in my jaw and it gets tired easily while eating too. Makes it hard to finish eating things which is not fun and it starting to become a problem weight wise too. I have been diagnosed with migraines but I honestly think it is more likely issues with my jaw than it is actual migraines to be honest. I should make an appointment with my dentist and see what they can do for me. Hopefully a mouth guard will help?

 

i have been experiencing migraines for years but never thought that the problem comes from my jaw muscles!
must be a dentist who treats TMJ cause the rest unfortunately knows nothing about TMJ and would just disappoint you and give you pain killers! a mouth guard would help if you clench and may even help your T not only the pain so give it a shot

 

turn a fan on, it may be permanent. it started that way for me too, jaw pain, jaw issues, clicking jaw.. etc.. most likely if its to do with your jaw in my experience most doctors/dentists wont/cant do much about it besides give you a mouth guard at night..sorry but you might have to live with it!

 

no tmj is not something that you have to live with it could be treated

http://www.massoralsurgery.com/oral-surgery-procedures/tmj-disorders.html

 

Kys
Welcome to the group; I just joined last week (have had severe and invasive T for a year now). T isn't always permanent; and as others have stated, TMJ can be a cause (and it treatable). As hard as it may sound right now, the more you can relax the better off you are; however, that took me a while (I would literally get stressed out about relaxing! -- not to mention the fact the noise in my ear was agitating me beyond all reason). Eventually, you learn to relax (accept the situation, as hard as that appears to you right now). It gets better/easier and is manageable.
The medical community is dead on this issue (frustrating); I found a great audiologist (not an ENT) that fitted me with some great hearing aids with programmable white noise generators (built in); they are awesome! Instant relief, and in the long term very effective in getting your T under control
Anyways, welcome to the group!

Mark

 

Hey Keys,

Sorry to hear about your situation right now but don't worry cause your not alone and since when did you get your T?

Hope your doing fire and do something that can make you busy so you won't notice it and 1 thing, don't drink too much coffee cuz it will make it worse.

 

Great sign that it went away for a few days! A sign of it coming and going is always a good indication.

I am almost certain your jaw has caused this, maybe along with your depression. Hopefully you can get better never give up hope. You may have to live with it I am sorry to say, but T has gone before and it could go again - especially if yours went before

 

Hello Im currently studying Theology in Masters in the Uni of Tartu. I was prescribed an anti-anxiety med Salymbra but its minimal dose and its not helping at all. I also cant sleep and the sleeping pills dont seem to be working I have an appointment with the psychiatrist again, as the problems are caused by depression (have a family history of it).

 

IT way take a couple of weeks for it to start to work

 

Yeah Ive been taking them for a month and no effect, in fact it has become a lot worse.

 

The kind I'm on took about 2month to really take affect.

 

The ones Im taking shoukd take max 2 weeks. Also the amount I take is really small.

 

You'll be okay. When I first got this, I thought life was over and I even contemplated some things I would never have thought of in my normal state. It got better. It took some time, but it really did get a lot better from there. Many will tell you about habituation. Your brain will get used to the sound etc. What they do not tell you is how habituation works. Yes your brain will start to get used to the sound, but what actually happens when that occurs is that you start to hear what you think is silence and you will notice sounds like the wind pushing the leaf on a tree outside your window, and you will also be focused on other things in life, like your desires. Basically your brain learns to ignore the sound, like you can hear silence again. I personally got my Tinnitus by noise induced damage, and if I can habituate like this, so can you. Life is never over. Just look through the threads in this forum and you will see some amazing things. Do what you love and hang with your friends. Also do yourself a huge favor and ditch the headphones and listen to your music on lowest possible volume even if it seems too low. You could also be facing some other issues causing this problem for you, and I really think you should go for a second opinion, but for the most part if it's noise induced, there will be a cure sometime soon down the road and you will hear silence again either way.

 

I am really sorry for not responding to you all right away but I have just been really down these past few days and have struggled to drum up the motivation to do so. I always feels a bit weird reaching out when I feel bad.
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@baddream - I am really sorry you have had such little help with your jaw and with this. It is so frustrating when Drs act as though they are powerless to help you. I am having trouble eating at times and my Dr seemed a little indifferent really :/

@Mark McDill - Thank you c: I do find it very hard to relax with this noise going off the whole time. Especially with sleeping. It is of such a high pitch that it is impossible to drown out with other sounds :s

@Nathaniel Teposo - I have had it for a little over a month now and I go through patches where I feel I am going to be okay and then patches where I feel the complete opposite!

@citigirl13 - I am getting more sure it is caused by my jaw issue as I have been doing some jaw massage and it makes the noise much worse when I do it! It is also usually much louder after eating too :s I am hoping that if I can sort out the tmj that it will go away which helps keep me sane but... now and again I just think 'this is never going to stop' and crumble a little bit :/

@Stina - How are you doing with the anxiety?

@Kimbo Slice - Thank you. It is always good to hear from people that have managed to overcome this and live a 'normal' life again. I am trying to get used to it and face it and be strong about it but it can be difficult when I have such little sleep. I am finding it hard to believe it is noise related damage because I don't really listen to loud noise but then... seeing as loud noises are painful to me recently it may well be...

@Karen - I would love to be able to ignore this! I am going to try keeping calm and being okay about it as much as possible. It is so hard though.

 

Hi Kys just wondering if you stopped amitrip, it caused my t to get much worse after 6 days on it, I stopped it and it took sum time to calm down again.i was given it to help with sleeping.