Hi, I’m Samantha! I Developed Tinnitus 2 Months Ago and I Don’t Know Why

Hello,

My name’s Samantha and I’m 30 years old. I live in Canada, have a 7-year-old son, and I’m a nursing student. I developed tinnitus May 3rd.

Some details surrounding the start of tinnitus: I had COVID-19 in January 2022, booster February 2022, attended a concert April 7th, and tinnitus started May 3rd and has been constant 24/7 ever since. I do remember mentioning to family weeks or a few months leading up to May that I was hearing some ringing, but I guess it wasn’t loud and not consistent. Also, a few weeks before May I was having extreme stress and anxiety to the point that I was having anxiety attacks and on May 3rd I thought I was having a heart attack. I don’t know if the ringing or panic attack came first that day.

Medical: May 3rd I went to emergency and got a EKG and X-ray of my lungs because I thought I was having a heart attack - results were normal. I had a phone appointment with family doctor a few days later and was prescribed Sertraline/Zoloft. That only lasted 8 days as it did not agree with my body. May 9th I went back to emergency as the ringing was just getting worse. I was given IV anti-inflammatory drug and an emergency referral to ENT. I had other appointments with family doctor as I was not doing well and he prescribed me Trazodone for sleep and Lorazepam/Ativan for emergencies. I got my sleep under control with 2.5 mg Melatonin and Magnesium so didn’t take Trazodone. I went to an audiologist and she said my hearing is fine. I had ENT appointment end of May and he said I’d just ‘have to live with it.’ He did give me a referral to an advanced hearing test at the hospital. Still waiting on that - could be months. I had blood and vitamin levels checked. Apparently I’m vitamin D deficient. Also taking Turmeric, Curcumin, B12, and was taking Ginkgo biloba, but stopped. I contacted a chiropractor and had 3 sessions with her. We were working on my masseter muscles and upper back, but my last adjustment which also included acupuncture spiked my tinnitus. At first it was a high pitched EE only in the right ear, but after the adjustment and acupuncture I started getting Morse code in the left ear. Now I have it moving from left to right and different tones multiple times a day, hour, minute... I’d say it’s a 6/7 most of the time. Additionally, I have been dealing with some sciatic/nerve issues in my right leg/foot. Doctor prescribed Lyrica, but I don’t want to take it as I’d rather find the issue and treat it. Not sure if that’s related. A week ago I went back to the ER and had a CT with and without contrast and they found nothing.

My next steps: I plan to try CBD, muscle relaxers, a new chriopractor that offers X-ray to check my jaw, neck and back area. And also get a deep tissue massage.

Well if you read all of that, thank you! I’m happy to be here to get and hopefully provide support.

 

Hi Sam and sorry to hear that you’ve joined us. Early on when a friend told me welcome to the club of ringers it actually angered me, but now I understand. The people who have it are the only people who get it. This is why podcasts about tinnitus have been so helpful for me - you hear from real people who are doing well, how they manage it, and also other episodes from experts on the science of it. They’ll also help cut through a lot of the noise you can find yourself lost in. The American Tinnitus Association has a great podcast series. Tinnitus Talk Podcast of course! And the Outring Tinnitus Podcast is great too.

I also discovered people in my life who have tinnitus too. It provides a notion that you too can live normally despite the seeming impossibility of it.

Muscle relaxers have helped me but I haven’t had one in a while, it seemed to reduce the noise the next day. Benzos help calm spikes, I take sparingly. Trazodone has been really helpful for my sleep, I take a very small dose at 25 mg nightly, and I’m not a small person. Don’t be afraid of it if you need it.

Oh, by the way, I too developed a pretty bothersome and loud Morse code beep a couple months into my journey. It has since subsided and I can only hear it with ear plugs in and even then it’s very faint. YMMV of course!

Take care, you’ll be alright.

 

100% panic attack triggered chronic tinnitus - happened to me in 2011.

Noise insult > intermittent slight ringing > panic attack > next day woke with the big tinnitus.

 

@SamRosemary, single issues that comprise combined issues that you list under Medical relates to a posture injury. Most likely from repetitive forward head motion and maybe with also twisting back and neck, Lumbar and C spine X-rays first, to examine straightness and all disk. Then examination of muscles, nerves, veins and arteries of neck will be needed.

For now continue to use Glycinate Magnesium, use a seat with lower back support with a swivel base. Consider placing a pillow or rolled towel in the behind your mid back to maintain normal curve. Keep your knees and hips level. Keep your back straight and bend only at the knees. Hold objects close to your body. Avoid lifting and twisting simultaneously. Find a lifting partner if the object is heavy or awkward.

 

Thank you! I find reading about other people’s struggles and achievements with tinnitus super helpful. I actually have been listening to some of the YouTube tinnitus doctors/stories and find it helpful. Will checkout the podcasts you mentioned. I find it helps with distraction when I’m doing tasks like cooking.

Yes, I have noticed others in my life expressing their own struggles with it that I never knew about. I’m sure some have it not as severe, but maybe the same or worse as mine but handle it better. Never know. But it’s super interesting for sure. And yes I will take the meds if/when needed. Had to take the benzo last night actually as the Morse code was driving me crazy.

And that’s great to hear that your Morse code subsided. I honestly felt I was doing okay with the baseline I started with- after a few awful weeks, but then this monster started and it’s been even more difficult. I’m hopeful it will go away! Or I’ll habituate one day. If it all just disappeared would be a dream, but only time will tell. Really appreciate your response!

 

I agree. Seems like the most likely cause. It can’t be just coincidental that I had both start at like the same time. As for noise from the concert I was in nose bleeds so it didn’t seem loud, but who knows!

Thank you for your reply.

 

Hi @SamRosemary, welcome to the forum. I wanted to mention that I had low-level tinnitus for a long while, then I had a was under a great deal of stress just prior to my major onset this March.

I have taken several different meds for my resulting anxiety/depression. In the beginning I was taking a benzo (Ativan) regularly, then tapered to as-needed, then tapered off of it. Right now, I'm on Zoloft and Gabapentin for my mood and I take Trazodone (100 mg) at night to help me sleep. A doctor I spoke with told me Trazodone is non-addictive and well-tolerated.

Another thing I wanted to mention is that I also chose to get treatment from a chiropractor. I have pretty bad posture, and my neck muscles have been pretty tense in order to hold my forward-leaning head. The adjustments my chiropractor has done has done wonders for my posture and neck tension. It has had a positive effect on my tinnitus. The severity on my bad days have dropped to a 7 at the most, and I'm having more quiet days now. I hope your adjustments give you some relief.

I'm also scheduled to see an osteopath for the first time this Thursday. She'll be doing a whole-system diagnosis to see if there are any contributing factors that might be exacerbating my tinnitus. Just a thought in case you wanted to pursue another angle.

Anyway, welcome, and I wish you success in your next steps.

 

More so for young females with low vitamin D, muscle spasms targeting lower musculature can cause sciatic/nerve issues usually in right leg/foot. This can be caused by movement (twisting head and lifting), noise, emotional stress or panic attacks.

And during a panic attack, muscles can tighten from adrenaline release and this can cause tinnitus. With some receiving tinnitus, low levels of GABA can cause a higher firing frequency of nerve cells that can also affect the inner ear often temporarily. No hearing loss is often noted. Muscles that tighten are back, shoulder and neck muscles. Sometimes there's little muscle discomfort. These muscles need gentle treatment as they can temporary increase tinnitus, cause different type sounds and be very somatic with movement from one ear to the another.

With somatic issues, neck X-rays and radiological testing of neck arteries should be considered. Lower back examination for disc issues should also be considered.

 

Yes I agree, that’s a big possibility. I will be scheduling the X-ray soon with the new chiropractor. I do think when they did the CT they looked at neck arteries and all of that. I’ll check out the report to make sure. I will continue to work on my posture. I have been trying slowly, but I’ve been pretty depressed with everything so I’m often laying down lately. Will try some of your suggestions. Thank you.

 

Hi Joe,

How are you doing on the medications? Is the Gabapentin also for your mood? I still have my Zoloft in case I decide I need to give it another shot, but when I first tried it was my first few weeks with tinnitus and I was a mess to begin with. So I don’t think I have it a fair chance, but I also have anxiety about taking it - kind of stuck.

I will be seeing the new chiropractor soon and giving it another shot. Just been scared off after the spike. I’ve heard of people having success with an osteopath. How are they doing a whole system diagnosis? The new chiropractor I plan to see offers a bio impedance analysis. Not too sure about that yet though as I’m not familiar with it.

 

Hi there @SamRosemary,

I've been tolerating my meds quite well. No adverse reactions to any of it yet. Zoloft is one of those SSRIs which takes weeks to take affect, but if you have a reaction to it, you'll know pretty soon. I spoke with a guy who took Zoloft, and he had an immediate reaction--it made him ridiculously drowsy. Yup, Gabapentin is also for my mood. It does the job that a benzo would do--it's quicker than an SSRI at stabilizing mood. I was uncomfortable taking a benzo long-term, so I worked with my doctors to taper off of Ativan and onto Gabapentin. So far so good. I can understand having anxiety about taking meds. If you didn't have an immediate reaction to Zoloft before, I'm guessing you're tolerating it well.

I'm guessing she'll do a full-body inspection, but I actually didn't ask her whether she does anything fancy. I can tell you a lot better after I see her tomorrow, so how about I loop back and tell you my experience tomorrow.

 

I do take an Ativan anywhere from 5-10 days depending how I’m doing. It’s only 0.5 mg so I’m hoping I won’t become dependent or need to taper off. Not that it’s my greatest concern. With this condition you gotta do what you gotta do to get through!

Yes, please fill me in tomorrow! And good luck

 

Seems like all meds made me worse. I'd steer clear of them if you can. Everything is ototoxic. I got the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, 1 shot, and noticed tinnitus a month after - only in silence. My life has been hell ever since it as it's gotten worse with noise exposures. I'd have been better off not going to any ENTs and just reading this forum. They put me on Gabapentin + Valium + Muscle relaxers + ADs and said it was OK to still go to loud events, just wear plugs.

They pretty much ruined me. Wish I had steered clear of all meds except maybe for some steroids right away after onset and just exhausted myself with exercise everyday to sleep.

Either way good luck and hope you heal and hear silence again. I'm praying I can get anywhere close to healing myself.

 

Hey Travis,

Sorry to hear. How long have you had your tinnitus, what’s the cause, and what does your tinnitus sound like?

I’ve had 3 doses of the vaccine. 2 Pfizer and Moderna booster. Last one was in February. Not sure if related or not, but who knows.

 

@Joe Cuber, any update?!

 

Hey there @SamRosemary, thanks for the reminder. I did visit the osteopath today. I'll describe my experience.

It was a 90-minute session. We spent 30 minutes going over my symptoms, what care have I been receiving, my past traumas (both physical and psychological), any significant surgeries, and family history of disease/disorders.

For the remaining 60 minutes, she went through a physical inspection followed by a treatment. Overall, it was very low-tech--no devices, machines, or tools. She emphasized that what she looks for are blockages present in my body that prevent fully natural movement. Her philosophy is that a body is self healing and blockages can prevent the body's natural desire to self regulate and heal. In my case, based on my history and symptoms, she felt that my parasympathetic nervous system is blocked. This would prevent me from allowing my parasympathetic nervous system from functioning well and help me calm down. She also wanted to inspect my whole body to see if anything structural was contributing to my tinnitus symptoms, like my lymphatic system for example.

The inspection involved asking me to stand in certain positions and move about, like taking steps forward and sideways. She also had me stand but stay relaxed as she lifted my arms in different directions to study my range of motion. She had me sit on her cushioned table to check the range of motion of my head and neck, and then lay down to check the range of motion of my legs. She also carefully checked my whole body alignment by feeling my body in various places. She seemed like she's done this many times. She's been an osteopath for many years, and she moved about me very adeptly and noticed very small movements in my body, like tension and places where my muscles were vibrating. She took copious notes along the way. She noticed for instance that my pelvic bones were forward, my right clavicle had very minimal range of motion, my right leg had near zero range of motion, and that my sacrum and temporal bone were connected--one was affecting the other. She had me turn my torso and asked if that had an effect on my tinnitus--it did, I could here the pitch become higher as I twisted.

She proceeded to treatment, wear she had me lie down in various positions and began working on my pelvic bones, pelvic floor, and also my lymphatic system around my neck and arms, which involved deep massage. When she was working on the right side of my neck, my tinnitus went haywire.

She said I was off to a good start and we scheduled another visit in a week. She said she doesn't like multiple visits in a week because my body needs to incorporate the changes she made and also because she assigned me some stretches to do every day. Basically the treatment is like peeling an onion. You start with the first set of blockages to uncover more blockages to work on next. The goal is to get my body to be well-connected and moving well.

My opinion is that these 90-minute sessions go a whole lot further than what my chiropractor is able to provide--which is like a 15-minute adjustment session focused primarily on the spine. With 90 minutes, the osteopath was able to carefully inspect things like my musculoskeletal system, my lymphatic system, my various diaphragms, and do a lot treatment. I like that she's taking in consideration my whole body and not just one aspect of it. The cost, by the way, for one 90-minute session is $290, which she bills as physical therapy, so my insurance might even reimburse for out-of-network physical therapy.

Hope that helps!

 

I think your tinnitus is related to anxiety. Go for a holiday to a quiet place and enjoy; it will make things better.

 

Hey Joe!

Very thorough response - appreciate it.

It sounds like it was a very good session, so that’s amazing. I didn’t even know that the parasympathetic nervous system could be blocked, but that makes a lot of sense. I could possibly have a similar issue. I do think tho the fact that your tinnitus went haywire when she was on the right side of the neck is an indication of a connection for sure! When I had my last chiropractor adjustment she worked on the left side a lot and that’s when I got the spike in my left ear. I’ve been afraid to go back but I do think she must have been onto something and had I stuck with it, it could have been beneficial.

That’s also great with your insurance. I hope that gets covered for you. Almost $300 a visit is pretty expensive - sounds worth it, but I don’t know your circumstances so that could become pretty pricey. I know I’ve been spending beyond my means with all the supplements, headphones, sound machines, neck massagers, chiropractors, testing, etc. It’s worth it though to find a possible solution and in the end even if I don’t I will feel I tried all I could!

Well I’m glad that went so well for you! Hope you have an enjoyable and possibly quieter weekend.

 

Hey there Sam - You and I both. I try not to think about how much I'm sinking into this, but, I agree, it's worth it. And if not a complete solution, if we find a measurable improvement in symptoms, it's worth it in the end.

Yeah, the session with the osteopath went well, I'm looking forward to the next session when she starts to work on the deeper issues present in my body. A full 90 minutes of treatment sounds awesome. I agree with you, I think she's on to something with my neck. I'll be asking a lot of questions about that area next time.

You too, have a great weekend

 

Hi Sam. Thank you for sharing the details of your story here. It really helps other new people on the forum to feel, at the very least, like other people understand what they are suffering. My stuff started a month ago so I've been reading up a lot on this condition.

I read a few reports on clinical trials showing that Vitamin D deficiency was a factor and that once the levels returned to normal there was improvement in tinnitus. Hopefully this will apply to you! Have you noticed any improvements yet and what Vitamin D dose did they give you?

Best wishes!

 

Hey Max,

Regarding the vitamin D, I’m taking a combo so I’m not exactly sure if/what is helping. But I do feel I have been having some better days, especially compared to the first 4-6 weeks. I have had my vitamin D levels checked and my doctor did say they were low and I’ve been taking 2000 IU, but not sure if it’s been helping or not.

 

I have no clue if this means anything to you Sam or anyone posting here: When I was in my early 20s I was on Zoloft for maybe 6 weeks but stopped as my ears were affected. I had no other side effects. First my ears cracked with noise it never had before (I was listening to a favourite album when I noticed). It progressed to a sound like a plane was going over my head and this was unprompted by noise. It happened in a quiet room at night. I believe it was blood pressure. Soon as I stopped the pill, the sounds stopped. That was 20 years ago and I've since I looked up Zoloft and ear issues and found nothing.

Just noting it here in case anyone had a similar experience.

 

Hi Sam,

How are you? I saw your profile that you were having a rough day and wanted to let you know you are in my thoughts and I hope are getting some relief! Warm and calm thoughts to you!

 

Hey Max,

Yeah I’m not really sure what’s going on. The one noise that is the worst seems to be the loudest and most constant these days. Specifically the last week or two and it hasn't gone down. I’m now just about 3 months in and it’s changed so many times and what I’m at now is definitely the worst. It sucks most because there was a week or two period in there that it was manageable. I do still have hope though. I’ve been on the city bus a lot and there are lots of fans in my house that could be causing it, but I have to continue with life. I have things to do so I don’t know what else to do. And we’ve been in a heatwave so the fans need to be on. Just been rough, as I’m sure you more then understand!

How are you? I know, silly question given the circumstances.

 

Hi Sam,

When out, are you using over the ear protection? I had a terrible tone after using earplugs and ordered over the ear ones instead. Just wanted to let you know I read your post and was checking in on you. I hope it may have calmed down a bit for you now. Hugs and love to you!

 

Hey,

I actually got new earplugs that I use sometimes. I don’t wear them outside for normal noise, but I used one on the bus in my more reactive ear. And at the mall yesterday the fire alarm went off so I shoved the earplugs in. I live in a noisy area so when we go out for walks, we try to avoid the busy streets and construction. Sometimes I’ll just put my hands over my ears until a truck passes.

I have my little brother’s birthday BBQ today and my mom’s trailer this weekend for my partner’s birthday. I get so anxious away from the house. I’m so worried, but I have to do these things for my family... Hoping I can remain calm because regardless it’s super loud so my reaction is what I can control.

 

Hi, @Joe Cuber.

The osteopath is helping me a lot and if he has knowledge of the TMJ, the better.

Best wishes.

 

Hi Sam!

Can you get over the ear protection for going about the city and your life? They look like like headphones and can help you get around without too much risk at loud noise exposure.

I read you are attending activities that are making you anxious... Don't do anything or go anywhere that makes you uneasy and puts your ears at risk for further damage!

Are you loved ones aware that your ears are damaged and need time to heal? I wonder if they understand how serious just everyday life is as a threat when you have this condition. Make sure they know what you are up against.

Keep us posted and keep your ears protected from noise that's just too loud to not be bad for you right now.

Love and Hugs!

 

Hello Sam. For postural and back/neck issues I would recommend Alexander Technique as it teaches you to recognise your bad habits and eliminate them. The obvious one is neck and shoulder tension - no matter what you do with your posture - if you don't solve this - it will never be right. Good postural alignment should be no effort.

I have an Alexander exercise I do everyday which is very complicated to get into correctly - it involves lying down on the floor with the back fully in contact with the carpet and the knees up and the head resting on a good size book. It straightened my back out over the years and is great for the back and releases a lot of tension. But you need to find a way of getting into this position in a safe way. I had lessons so know how to do it. The basic principle when getting into the positions is - keep the back straight - head forward - neck relaxed - bend the knees to lower yourself. Getting out of the position involved rolling onto your belly and then using your arm strength to push yourself upright - keeping your back straight and head and neck in line. This one exercise basically saves me the trouble of going to any osteopaths, physios etc.

I'm glad you are getting some relief from chiropractors - personally - the manipulations they do - I would never go near them. But I understand many report benefits of chiropractors and I wish you luck with the treatment you are having.

 

Hi Stuart,

I’ll look that up right away. Not super flexible/in shape but have been doing better so I’ll see about trying to get into that position. Will look up some safe ways on YouTube.

I actually stopped going to the chiropractor.

I had a few good weeks recently. I stopped thinking about and worrying about my tinnitus so much, but my anxiety still plagued me. I went to a sound and light show 3 nights ago and used my earplugs for half of it. Didn’t think it was too loud, but about 30 minutes after I got home I heard a loud flash bang noise in my left ear and it has been twitching and having spasms since with a high pitched more code type noise. Not sure if it is the sound that caused it or what - possibly TTTS.