Hello, Suddenly Much Much Worse

Hello

I am 32 year old female from sydney, Australia.

A few weeks ago I had a cicada sound in my ear all of a sudden one night. I could not work out where it was coming from. At first I thought it was my fridge or internet modem. I went crazy searching for where the noise was coming from and then I realised I was the only one who could hear it when I asked others.

The first few weeks during the day it was not so bad and I could easily mask it with TV, radio etc, and at night lying in bed it was annoying, but was more of a beeping sound and was quiet faint and I was able to get some sleep (not great sleep but enough to function) but today I have woken up and the cicada sound is back big time and very high pitch, also washing machine sound in left ear. Even with lots of surrounding noise I can hear it, Its absolutely horrible. I dont know what to do. I am feeling very anxious and I just want some peace. The sound is non stop and not a second of silence and so high pitch today. I cant concentrate at all. I cant mask the sound at all and its freaking me out. I am absolutely dreading going to bed tonight , with this high pitch i dont know how I will even get any sleep

I cant understand why all of a sudden it got much worse, is this normal?It went from quite faint , to extremely loud. Im panicing that its going to be this noisy from now on at this level? Earlier in the week it was annoying but manageable but now its completely ruining everything and I am so stressed which I know is not helping. Has anyone had this ? Sudden burst from faint to very loud?

I went to the ENT on Thursday and he said he thinks it is because I grind my teeth at night, are there others here that have a similar diagnosis? He told me I need to go to the dentist to get some mouth mould/guard. I am wondering if after wearing this mouth guard how long it will take to go away? Have people had experience with this? Can the tinnitus completely go ?

I am desperately in need of advice, suggestions etc.

Thanks so much
Cheers
Xenia

 

Hey Xenia!
since im not a doctor or an expert, i cant say exactly whats going on, But, as a tinnitus sufer for almost 5 months.
i can tell you that might be experience an "Spike"
some people have different reactions to salt, sugar, msg, alcohol or cigar.
this sustance can spike your tinnitus for a few hours or days.
from now on try to control your intake of this food, your tinnitus should return to its previous baseline soon.
wish you the best

 

Thank you Mario.
I just cant believe the difference like yesterday I could drown out the tinnitus with the tv, radio etc and even going outside and hearing birds and traffic noises the tinnitus was masked but today no matter what I do it is still so high pitch, like really high. Its been like this for over 12 hours now and I am panicing that this is how my tinnitus is always going to be at this horrible pitch. I have no idea how on earth I will get any sleep as I cant block this noise out.

 

Hi @Xenia,
Grinding your teeth or clenching your jaw at night can cause tinnitus and spikes.
A mouth guard will allow your jaw total rest through the night relieving pressure off your jaw joint that will stop inflamation and lower your tinnitus over time.
It goes over your bottom teeth.
It can take a few weeks to see the benifit so dont expect results over night.
In the UK mouth guard can cost about 100 pound to have a dentist make one....lots of love glynis

 

Thank you so much. I am going to the dentist on tuesday to get the mouth guard. I am so desperate i will pay anything at this rate !!!!
Its slightly less today but the past 24 hours have been horrible.

Thanks for your trips

 

Hi @Xenia,
My tinnitus like yours was very faint at first for several months, but, on December 15, 2015 it all of a sudden became very loud. Like you I was very upset. I'm a suffer of extreme anxiety and depression which made all of it worse. I couldn't eat, sleep, or rest. I was overwrought with panic. I was trapped. I considered suicide. How could anyone suffer like this for the rest of their lives. I'm glad I didn't do such a thing. With the encouragement of my family I went to my family doctor and he got me an appointment with a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist listened to my plight, and started me on several medications. These medications have helped me. Though the sound is still there, and worse then it was when it started, the medicine has made it more bearable. Like you, during the day there are distractions which help to mask the sound, but, night was the worst. I have found that if I set my iPod to a playlist of quiet jazz music (which I set at a volume I can barely hear), that during the night when I wake up it is a sound that takes away the silence of the room. (Silence is the enemy since it magnifies the tinnitus sound. Mine like yours is a cicada sound layered with a high pitch tuning fork sound mixed with it.) It is worse when I feel stress. Over these months, my mind is getting used to the sound. I have accepted that this is how its going to be for the rest of my life. Again, the medicine keeps me balanced now. I hope this information is helpful. I wish you the best. Hang in there.

Jeff

 

@jeff bramlett . Hi Jeff. I've been there to we have to adapt to this. At this moment my tinnitus is about as loud as it could get . I know it will lower in volume at some stage. What medicine are you taking to help your tinnitus.

 

@Richard zurowski

Hey Richard,

The medicine is a combination of drugs which are helping with my depression and anxiety along with the tinnitus. I checked the web-site for what the Mayo-Clinic says about tinnitus and helpful drugs.

The first drug which both my psychiatrist and the Mayo-clinic have found that with the proper dosage, Xanax is very effective. My psychiatrist also started me on Zoloft, (which help with the anxiety and depression) also, Wellburtian and Clonodine (which helps to keep blood pressure lower, though I do not have high blood pressure it reduces the blood pressure in the ears.). For sleep he has prescribed Trezodone. I know that these drugs might seem too much for some people. My case however is multifaceted, as for the first time in my life I'm dealing with the anxiety and depression issue. I feel so much better. Of course, we all know that some of the possible causes of tinnitus (which I have experienced all of these) can be: loud sounds (music, construction power tools, yard implements like lawn mowers, weed whips and such, depression, damage from dental work, (of which I had a rough tooth extraction 8 weeks before the tinnitus started in ernest, they must have really cranked my mouth open to pull that tooth, because I had lock-jaw for six weeks after the procedure.) So though why is a mystery, for me, these medicines are having a positive effect on me.

 

@jeff bramlett .That's good that your medication is working for you. Its not easy finding the right medication as some can't tolerate certain drugs while others can its all about experimenting and unfortunately we are he Guinea pigs.

 

Richard and Jeff thank you for your responses
sorry i am hopeless with computers! how do I tag you or respond ?
I dont know how to do it !!!!


Thank you very much for your responses you have given me great hope

I suffer from anxiety and depression already and now that I have this its made it ten times as bad. I have been taking Endep since 2005 mainly for insomnia but now my sleep is a hundred times worse since this noise started.
Its the high pitch that is so horrible. I can deal with it when its more dull and more like a beat but the high screeching noise is horrible!