First Post; Five Years with Tinnitus

Hi.
I have looked at tinnitus sites online over the last five years, but thought I would finally sign on here and see how it goes.
I guess after five years I am kind of philosophical about T (strange typing that; I see it is common here naturally). I feel embarrassed saying that for the first four years, I struggled with thoughts of suicide. Over the last year or so, the T has POSSIBLY subsided somewhat, or my body has somehow managed to compensate, or my self, my being, has learned to deal with it. Though I still flirt with ideology of suicide, I do feel better, finally.
Maybe at some point I will like to share my story -- maybe mostly for my own benefit, but possibly for the benefit of others to try to understand their own journey and suffering.
I kind of look at T as the gaslighting of disorders. My glance at posts on this site confirms that a bit. Every poor devil is wracked with all kinds of suspicions about where it started, how long it shall continue, what exacerbates it, etc., etc. I share all those characteristics. T, its very "subjective" nature, is a hell of a gaslighter, annoying as a MF. But at various points in the last five years I went through passages where one way or another I crushed T somehow. There is an awful lot to it, so that's why I say maybe one day I can share my story.

I just happen to be initiating this forum account now because I am interested in something, and I am considering pursuing it in other forum areas later:
I am going through a T "spike" atm that has gone on about four days.
There was a sale on salad dressing at the grocery, and I picked up a bottle of Kraft Roka Blue Cheese Dressing. I have had it before and I couldn't resist. I am very, very cautious about what I get for prepared foods, and some things I just always shy away from, because I suspect (there's the gaslighting) that it exacerbates my T. MSG is the number one suspect, and I have learned that salad dressings are USUALLY packed with it. I checked the label, but sidenote: the food companies have gotten very clever about this. I won't go into detail but they might say Autolyzed Yeast Extract or some BS, or they might just wrap it under "natural flavors."
Anyway I took the gamble! The first night after trying the salad dressing I woke up at around 1:30 with searing tinnitus. I was just staggered. Not only did I not get any sleep but I felt awful the next day anyway. Two days later though, I said, I'm gonna catch this bugger. So I had a salad with the dressing. I was afflicted with T a few hours later. I had all kinds of other foods in the interim, naturally. Then today I said, I need to confirm; so I had a little bit of the dressing on some celery stalks. And now, a few hours later, is the familiar T, which after five years, I have come to identify in a sense, and it seems the same "type" that I have had over the last few days.

Anyway, that's all I got for my first post. That's a damn mouthful.
I thought it might be useful to mention I am a 58-year old straight man. I am probably fifty pounds overweight if the truth were known, I'm 6'4" and 270 pounds. I am probably an imposing figure to most people as I am fairly physically robust. I'm a do-it-yourselfer and have no qualms about working in bad northern weather and things like that. I drink several times a week, and I have restarted smoking cigars since February.

Cheers!

J

 

This makes me want to become more serious about trying to figure out what foods I am to avoid.

 

Food plays a part for sure...Salt, sugar and carbonated drinks spike my T and H. My suspicion is that these foods affect blood pressure or flow for me. This then causes the T and H to get aggravated. Not 100% sure though

 

I had just confirmed that salt spikes my T.

 

Food does play a part in my tinnitus, mainly caffeine. I have to avoid coffee at all cost. Salt normally affects tinnitus or so I thought as if I eat bacon for example my tinnitus spikes but yet I'm able to eat cheese without any issues and I read that's high in salt.

Some foods also help my tinnitus such as spinach, garlic and chocolate (80% or above cocoa content)

 

In my 20 years with tinnitus never noticed any change with food. Tinnitus is really a strange thing that can affect each one in different ways.

 

Welcome to Tinnitus Talk,
I too learned the hard way that sugar, salt and msg are a big no no. Interesting thing, I had but just a little bit of caesar dressing yesterday and I am paying for it today.