Hi All, New Here. My Story and Some Doubts.

Hello all,


First of all , sorry about my English , is not the best…


My history started when during 3 years trying to have a baby and 3 miscarriages the desire to be mother turned into an obsession (as I was late. I am 43 now).

As a result of this difficult period of 3 years I started with “floaters” in the eyes and this new condition and my fragile mental state ended in anxiety ….. one month later I developed tinnitus (09/2016)

At the beginning it was only in left ear; I had periods with silence (one day, one morning ) alternate with bad tinnitus days….i had as well some hyperacusia . The tinnitus reactioned with the noise. In the morning the silence was in my ears but, after going to the road started to ring. I couldn’t cope with that because it wasn´t only the tinnitus, it was the tinnitus + the anxiety and the frustration of not to be a mother. I was everyday crying, so I went to the psychiatrist and she showed very clear that I should start with lexapro.

After 4 weeks on lexapro 10mg. I developed tinnitus in the right ear, As I was so worry about if the MED was exacerbating my condition I had a consult with an expert on tinnitus here in my country and he told me that it wasn´t nothing to worry about the lexapro, because most of the tinnitus sufferers start with tinnitus in one ear and then goes to the other. So I followed taking lexapro.


After months I saw that my mood was much better, no anxiety, better mood…but still very worried about tinnitus (always thinking in the T is there). 7 or 8 months later the tinnitus changed, The sound was different, he turned into a head sound very often but less intrusive, only heard in quite rooms, sometimes over conversations as well but less often. I started to be happier. Still with tinnitus but thinking more positive.


One months ago I went to a week intensive therapy in order to solve my psychologic problems with the fact to not be a mother and I moved all my emotions. After 2 days my tinnitus increased and the anxiety came back (even taken lexapro) . I have managed that and controle the anxiety with my thinking but still the tinnitus is worse.


I scared again about my tinnitus and my doubt is always the same. Why if I am doing all that I have supposed to do (food, avoid noise…work with my feelings, meditation , etc…) is getting worse? Is the lexapro helping or not? Because I would like to stop with the med in order to avoid any risk but I am not sure if I am going to cope with that without lexapro.


As I am nearly one year with tinnitus I am so pessimistic about the improvements….Is there still hope to improve? My tinnitus is so changeable that I don´t know if one day could manage with that. Is the reaction to the sounds hyperacusia?

One specialist here advise me to increase the dossage to lexapro to 15mg, but i am not sure due to the risk.

Thanks for the support

 

Hello @lucrecia, and welcome.

Do too worry about that, the fact act you can communicate so clearly in a language that is not your "native" language is very impressive.

Tinnitus is a strange condition; everyone experiences it differently, and techniques that work for some people will not work for others.

And, even if you do everything correctly, it can change. Mine was consistent, unchanging, for over 40 years, and then it suddenly got worse. I didn't do anything differently, it just got worse.

Now, that is not to say that yours will get worse. based on a study that @Bill Bauer posted ( https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/spontaneous-recovery-stats-over-70-recover-3-studies.21441/ ) recovery rates are fairly high, so statistically you have a good chance of your tinnitus getting better.

Also, if you read the success stories section of this forum you will see that many people not only get better, but if it does not clear up for them, they learn to habituate (basically, learn to ignore the sounds). So, either way, you have a great chance of getting your normal life back and not be bothered by your tinnitus.

@Michael Leigh has a number of great posts contains excellent information on other tinnitus and hyperacusis. You may want to read the posts at the links provided below, they should answer some if not most of your questions.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/answers-to-hyperacusis-and-habituation.12058/

Yes. There is always hope. And, again, if you look at the success stories posts you will find people how have seen improvements after long periods with tinnitus. So, there is hope.