My tinnitus started in December 2024 after I took Ambien for a few weeks. Insomnia has always been a problem for me. An ENT I trust said the Ambien may have "unmasked" the tinnitus. I stopped taking it, but the tinnitus continues. It is a high-pitched, nonstop ringing, and I would not wish it on my worst enemy.
An audiogram showed high frequency hearing loss, although I do not notice it in my daily life. I live in Los Angeles and work at a hospital, so I have seen every specialist available and tried everything without success.
A couple of weeks ago, I finally gave in and bought Oticon hearing aids with a tinnitus masker. They were extremely expensive (7,600 dollars), and I am not wealthy. I had to pay with a home equity loan, but they were absolutely worth it. They helped me forget the tinnitus and feel like a normal person again, even though I feel much too young to be wearing hearing aids. I only use the masker function, not the amplification. After a while, you stop noticing the sound, and in any case, the masking sound is much more pleasant.
If you are desperate, these hearing aids are a wonderful option. At night, I wear Soundcore sleep buds and play rain sounds.
That said, I have tried many supplements, but recently I added Zinc. I take 30 milligram pills twice a day, and this has helped tremendously. It has reduced the tinnitus to the point where I sometimes forget about it, even without the hearing aids. That was never the case before. I am still using the hearing aids to help retrain my brain to ignore the sounds.
Anyway, that is my story so far. This is a terrible thing for anyone to go through.
An audiogram showed high frequency hearing loss, although I do not notice it in my daily life. I live in Los Angeles and work at a hospital, so I have seen every specialist available and tried everything without success.
A couple of weeks ago, I finally gave in and bought Oticon hearing aids with a tinnitus masker. They were extremely expensive (7,600 dollars), and I am not wealthy. I had to pay with a home equity loan, but they were absolutely worth it. They helped me forget the tinnitus and feel like a normal person again, even though I feel much too young to be wearing hearing aids. I only use the masker function, not the amplification. After a while, you stop noticing the sound, and in any case, the masking sound is much more pleasant.
If you are desperate, these hearing aids are a wonderful option. At night, I wear Soundcore sleep buds and play rain sounds.
That said, I have tried many supplements, but recently I added Zinc. I take 30 milligram pills twice a day, and this has helped tremendously. It has reduced the tinnitus to the point where I sometimes forget about it, even without the hearing aids. That was never the case before. I am still using the hearing aids to help retrain my brain to ignore the sounds.
Anyway, that is my story so far. This is a terrible thing for anyone to go through.
