Hey..! :)

Hello everyone

I'm Valentina, 19 yo, from Italy. My tinnitus is almost 5 yo now. I feel it in both ears like a noisy whistle on a frequency between 9kHz and 11kHz. I have been trying to understand which was the cause, with no results so far, and the many doctors I met could not help me in any way. All I know is that in 2010 I lost my father, it was september, and in december of the same year I woken up one morning with my new friend in my head. Since then, it never left me.

I've found this nice community and then I decided to take part of it because I need help and because perhaps I can offer my help too, since people who suffer of tinnitus often feel alone and desperate (at least, I do). None of my friends have tinnitus, none of my relatives either and I know how important is to share our fears, our angers, our hopes with people who know how difficult is to live with a tinnitus, so... well... here I am.

 

Below, an exhaustive list of causes, diagnostic assessments, and possible treatments as indicated by the Tinnitus Research Initiative, TRI (the organization which assists Team Trobalt with help behind-the-scenes):

 

should all ents conduct test?

 

Benvenuta Valentina..

I am sorry you got T so young, then again young brains are usually faster through the process of habituation.

I had a similar experience to you, I got T sometime after my father passed away and I was going through a tough and stressful time.. That is why I feel my T is mainly psychosomatic, probably came from a lot of stress on my mind in that period… I did use to have disco tinnitus when younger but never longer than a few hours, and it was some time ago anyway…

Well you surely came to the right place then… A lot of very useful information and great support group when feeling down.. Someone always here to listen and help out when needed…

Wish you well..

Take care of yourself and your ears..

Ciao ! Lorenzo

 

@attheedgeofscience

Thank you for sharing that useful table. I have already done all examinations shown on the diagramm, some of them made twice, TRT and Neuromodulation included. I have even tried with the acupuncture. No results, no changes, nothing. Only big money expenses. Now I'm tired of being visited by doctors, tired of searching the cause of my tinnitus, I need to live my life as happier as I can. Thank's again


@Lorenzo74

Ei ciao! Com'è piccolo il mondo, eh?

I'm very sorry for your tragic loss... there are no words to fill the emptyness so... I will not go further. Just know that I understand what you are feeling.
Yes, I think my T is psychosomatic, like yours, because I didn't have any accident, nor used strong pharms, nor had any acoustic trauma caused by music or whatever loud noise. It just appeared.

My habituation process has been quite fast, a few months, but I wouldn't call it habituation, rather is resignation, difficult coexistence. I don't think that anyone will never be able to get used to a strong T, anyway.

You take care too and I will be here if you need help, ok?

 

Hehe… Piccolo e rumoroso

I feel for your loss too.. You seem a very brave girl and I am sure you will be able to cope fine with your T…

Looking at the bright side, I feel this condition has made me somehow a better person, more humble and empathic towards suffering in general.. And learning to appreciate more what I have rather than what I want…

And it totally made me comprehend the phrase :"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger".. I like to think this is what T is doing to me, besides making me crazy from time to time..

Take care ! Ciao

 

Sì, soprattutto rumoroso..!

I like how you look at things and I kind of agree with you, even if... my T didn't give me enough time to realize what kind of person I really am (or I was?), because it appeared when I was 14! Anyway, your statement is true: What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Only the fact to be able to talk with someone who completely understands what a T-life is, well, it's a relief already.

 

I am sure with your positive attitude you can be an inspiration to the younger sufferers around here.. Unfortunately more and more younger people seem to be having this affliction.. It really saddens me and makes me upset that there isn't enough knowledge and awareness on this subject… :-( So that people which aren't affected by it cannot understand us at all.. When I found this place I was so happy to finally relate with someone which understood me very well

Best of luck on your T-journey and life in general !

Ciao!

 

Valentina,

Welcome, or should I say, sorry you're here, under the circumstances?

At 19, you'll eventually have a full and quiet life ahead you, because you will see a cure soon enough.

Maybe, some Cognitive Behavioral Theraphy could work for now? also, read about, alternative supplements that you can take, to help keep the volume down. Like B vitamins, magnesium, zinc, vinpocetine, etc. try them one at a time and see if they help you?

Of course, caffeine, sodium, sugar and alcohol, can make your T louder. Try eliminating these, one by one and see what happens?

We all have our own little tricks, that help us manage T Throughout the day. But keep busy, enjoy life and as your name implies, be brave!

Ciao bella,

Sailboardman

 

Dear @Sailboardman, thank you for your nice words

I have experimented everything the doctors (otolaryngologist, neurologists and psychologists) told me to take, but with no results unfortunately. Recently, I also tried hypnosis with no positive effetcs (except for the short period I have been under hypnosis).

I take the magnesium everyday which, among all the substances I took in the past, is the only powder that gives me a little bit of relaxation, taking my anxiety away. I don't drink coffee nor alchool, I don't smoke, I only eat healthy food, in a balanced diet (mediterranean diet) with no fats and no chemical sugars, so I think I'm ok with that since I respect my body and I try not to put it under stress.

You are right though: the most efficient cure that I've found untill now is to be busy by studying, by working, by doing whatever keeps my mind distant from my T. The brain produces endorphins when solicited by pleasant things, and this is a very effective way to "forget" the T., even if only for short moments.

As I said to @Lorenzo74 before, being here and being able to share my T. with you all is already a gift for me.

Ciao!

 

Welcome Valentina. Thank you for your positive attitude. Young people who have T and with positive attitude can still enjoy life and achieve their goal. On page 15 of the Positive Thread, I wrote about young Zoe Cartwright who has been my guiding light during my toughest time a few years back. She was completely deaf at young 15 and so her T was loud and unmaskable. Yet she decides to accept her T as a slice of her life. She made it to university and made a tinnitus film (which I described in more detail on page 15 of the Positivity Thread of the Support Forum (right at the top). She said despite her unmaskable T, she loves her life. Amazing positivity. I can feel similar positive spirit & bravery from reading your post. I agree you will be a source of inspiration for the young sufferers for sure. Hope you stay around to help out some of the newer sufferers and/or write your success story. There are quite a few success stories from young people and here are some examples:

success story of 17 years old Zach:
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/fake-it-until-you-make-it.7590/

success story of Jari with T since 12 years old:
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/new.7670/

 

Dear @billie48 thank you for your message! I also thank you for the painless injection of strenght you gave me by linking those two stories, which I've read very carefully, with much interest, and which make me believe in a positive future. About myself being a source of inspiration... whew..! I don't know... I mean, it's a big responsibility! I will do my best to be always positive, I swear it!!



Dear @Karen thank you for your words! I see that the year 2010 was a very bad year for us, wasn't it?
By reading what you have written, I'm more and more convinced that the stress can be a very relevant cause of tinnitus. I have never heard about NAC, so I will call my family doctor and ask if I can take it. Sometimes I find difficult to sleep too, expecially during my menstrual cycle, because I become a bit weaky, so I take a soluble powder, called Acuval Audio, which contains melatonin. Time half an hour and I fall in Morpheu's arms, by sleeping eight hours without waking up! It's a very expensive supplement, so I take it only when I really need it.

I am happy to be here too and I am sincerely asking to myself how could I miss this nice community for a so long time. Take care you too Karen!

 

You've had it since 14!? That's crazy! I feel for you! I hope you get better soon. One thing, there will be treatments soon, so all our suffering will dissipate.

 

Yes, I was 14
I hope you will get better soon too Danny. Though, I'm sure we all will get better soon, because we deserve silence!!

 

Is yours really loud?

 

I can ear it everywhere, except when I'm under the shower... it's like having a busy airport in my head.

 

How do you cope?

 

By distracting my mind with pleasant things, by reading or studying, by swimming or running, by hoping that sooner or later we will find a cure, by thinking that who has cancer surely lives worse than us.

 

Personally, I'd rather have cancer, as in some cases it's treatable...But, my tinnitus is 15,000hz so, pretty bad.

 

It must be a really bad day today for you if you say so... Sorry Danny
I am sure you don't think it anyway. Tinnitus will be treatable soon, we have only to be patient. Tinnitus is not more powerful than us humans, never. Look for the strenght inside yourself, you will find it, I'm sure.

 

@Danny Boy i thought you said you were better and feeling great again??

 

I agree, @Danny Boy , Whats going on bro, you say your T is very quiet in the Retigabine thread and then you say it's really bad in others!, What is it man, getting better or is it not?

Would love some clarification on this as it's very important for others who are considering the RTG way!

 

It's not that, if I stay on trobalt I could go blind which is scary but if I come off it and my t comes back, then only benzos will lower it which in the end will make it worse how can I win?

 

But side effects are side effects. Not all people will have side effects. If there are no other alternatives, some people will just have to use some meds to have some quality of life. I know of a lady with bad T due to deafness and her T is unmaskable. She said initially she had been to the ER multiple times due to panic attacks from T. She lost her marriage because of T. The last time we talked (she is in the same city), she said she had been on Klonopin for 12 years and that gives her some control and normalcy, and life goes on for her. Each person will have to look at his/her own case and if meds are needed, it is best to be the last resort and monitored by the doctor.

 

I suppose you will have to wait till you taper off and then see how it goes, Just wish you were more clear in some of your post's as it does tend to confuse!

 

Sorry! I don't mean to confuse.

 

All good.

 

Valentina, I can't add much to what has already been said, except to tell you that you have found a home where we understand and are open 24/7

 

Valentina, bless you. You have youth on your side. There will be a cure someday. What part of Italy are you from.
Italy is absolutely beautiful. Yes it sounds like stress got to you. Me too. I think stress goes after the weakest link.
I am using DIY audio notching. Im starting to like it too much as I cant hear the T when its applied.
Im sorry for your your situation.
R