Hello. New to Tinnitus. Bad Habits Finally Caught Up with Me.

I'm Ahlstrom and I'm 27.

Been listening to loud rock and metal since I was a teen. Concerts (stopped those years ago), loud headphones at gym, playing guitar loud... and my favorite: blasting it in my truck.

It all caught up to me. I started having problems several months ago to where it would hurt my ears, or to where I would hear tinnitus but only for maybe 10 seconds every 3 days. So I kind of ignored it.

I don't know if taking the J&J vaccine sent me over the edge or what, but it happened 17 days in. For the record people say effectivitiy kicks in at 14 days. People are getting reports that it's a seemingly noteworthy side effect.

But again, it could just be coincidence.

Either way, I have it now.

I have panic disorder and general axniety disorder so I am kind of struggling to adapt to this. Luckily my mental health is pretty good right now, but I am definitely struggling to accept this. I guess I can only look at it as a blessing from God meant to make me stronger in end; in the same way precious metal must undergo fire before being rendered useful.

Anyways... yeah... this sucks. I'm not gonna lie. But I've overcome some serious stuff in the past like cold-turkey benzo withdrawal so I guess all things in perspective it's an annoyance that can be at least treated. I haven't taken the meds my GP prescribed me nor even seen an ENT yet so I still have hope for the future.

I look forward to learning more about tinnitus and how to cope and treat it in the coming weeks... I will also be keeping a log, as I have with my anxiety disorder. In the past it has helped me make connections that I would have never noticed if I just let them fade from short term memory. Hopefully I can get better and share results with yall.

Thanks for reading.

 

Hey @Ahlstrom.

I'm very sorry to hear about your recent onset of tinnitus. The beginning is usually very difficult for everyone, but if it remains relatively stable, I'm positive you will adapt to the sound as most of us do. Out of curiosity, would you mind sharing how your tinnitus sounds?

This is how I personally look at the situation too; that it may be a predetermined trial to make us stronger. Not gonna lie though, this trial is insanely hard and is increasingly testing my limits. But if I somewhere down the road gain as much as 1/10 of the freedom I once had, I will look at God and the world in a totally different light, and that might be a good thing.

Keeping a log can be great to find connections and be reassured of previous times when it gets though. I actually maintained a spreadsheet for 3 months monitoring the level of my tinnitus 3 times a day, this helped in some ways, but made me think much more about my tinnitus than necessary, hence hindering habituation.

I wish you all the best, and many blessings,
Stacken

 

Hi @Ahlstrom.

Sorry to hear you're having a tough time with tinnitus. Please keep in mind that the initial onset (the acute phase) is the loudest for most people. It is most likely to materially reduce in volume or disappear over a period of a few months to a couple of years. My 2c, for what it's worth, though everyone's tinnitus experience is likely unique: I'd suggest protecting your ears, particularly in the short term, and taking some magnesium supplements if you aren't already. I'm currently not using any headphones and only playing music at low volumes. Distraction through doing engaging activities is also key. I hope you start to feel better soon.

 

That's quite a philosophical look at it. You might be right, never looked at it that way. Thanx.

 

@Stacken77, thanks for the response.

Sure. It sounds very very high pitch. If you've ever used one of those dog-whistles only they can hear (technically you can too if you put it up your ear close enough -- brilliant idea on my end lol)

It seems pretty persistent but there are hours where I don't have it and even one day in the past where I only had it for maybe 10 minutes. If I get up and move around the house I usually don't hear it. If I go on a walk or do something louder it practically goes away. So I would say it's maybe a very light case.

Yeah I really only mark it down before I go to bed in my journal.

The same.

@Simon85, thanks for the response. Way ahead of you using ear plugs for more major environments. And I've been taking Magnesium Glycinate for several weeks. (50% recommend daily intake) but haven't noticed it doing much. I initially started taking it for my anxiety.

Thank you for warning me about headphone usage. I didn't know I should stay away from them. I've been going to the gym and listening to music, albeit at 50% max volume so pretty quiet, but I guess I'll stop until things get better.