Hi, I Have Just Entered the Tinnitus World

Hi there guys. It's now been 10 days since my life changed. I woke up at 4am ish on Monday 17th April, 2017, with a whooshing sound coming from my left ear. At the time, it was so loud I got up to check to see if I had left the tap on. Suffice to say since then I have had little sleep and I am still experiencing the same sound . Being a typical hypochondriac, I scoured the internet with answers and was shocked to find that T can be a permanent thing.

Now I've got it, I have since sought medical advice. My health advisor checked my affected ear and said it has wax in it- I also noticed at the time that the area around the entrance of the affected ear was sensitive to touch. She advised me to insert olive oil to soften the wax, which I have been doing for the last six days. I am just about to make an appointment to see my GP-not an easy task now if you happen to live in England. What concerns me is the negative stories that I have read on the internet concerning ear wash outs and the fact they can exacerbate T. I am also weary of taking antibiotics in case my GP gives me an anti-biotic that has ototoxic properties (how will I know?) . The last thing I want is full blown T. Any advice would be welcome.

My T is now mild. I only notice it when I am in bed trying to get to sleep. During the day I don't hear it at all.

I am trying to figure out the cause of my T. I can confidently eliminate loud noise and head trauma. From what I read, there is a possibility that my medication, age, (i'm 56), stress levels & high blood pressure may be factors in the sudden appearance of my T.

Medication:
I have recently successfully weaned myself off a 10+ year addiction to Zopiclone. My last tablet was taken four weeks ago today.
Because of my chronic social anxiety, I was unable to collect my high blood pressure prescription from my GP's surgery and foolishly went without my b/p medication for nearly a month. I have a new course of Amlopipine to take but after reading stories about the connection between blood pressure tablets and T, I don't want to take them. The health advisor who diagnosed the wax in my ear took my b/p during the same consultation and told me my b/p was unlikely to be the cause of my T-but I am still not reassured.
For anxiety, I take Atarax albeit now sparingly since my T developed. At one time I was popping 4 of these 25mg tablets just to get out of the house. My GPs surgery has recently informed me that Atarax can affect the function of the heart and that my GP wants me off them ASAP despite the fact I have been taking them for years. This is one of many reasons why I have developed a mistrust of doctors . By the way, is Atarax an ototoxic drug?

Age:
Statistically, is the age 56 atypical of the development of T?

Stress levels:
I have suffered from panic attacks for years but I know that these attacks are temporary. However with my newly developed T, I have no idea when this debilitating sound will end. My panic attacks have considerably worsened since the development of my T. I am not sleeping well.

I do remember a week before my T appeared feeling slightly deaf in the T- affected ear but at the time I put that down to the wax- based ear plugs I inserted that night in order to sleep. What worries me is a possible neurological connection between this temporary loss of hearing and my T , which appeared about a week later.

I have read terrible stories about T and how this condition has blighted the lives of many. I feel angry that the medical profession dosent's take T seriously.

Thank you for providing me with a platform to voice my concerns.

 

I scoured the internet with answers.
For instead of with.

 

Hi Jp,

Thank you for sharing your story; I have developed my condition April 8th, and I am 100% deaf in left side and have hyperacusis too. My experience with its sounds are from a dentist drill in my head, to being next to a smoke alarm - that's when my hyperacusis really hurts.

I am no expert, but psychologically I know that my success is already manifesting due to how I allow my thoughts to wander aimlessly. I had a day when I broke into tears in a restaurant because I couldn't interact with my family. If I remember that scene, I choke up...so I am making mindful, conscious choices about where my head goes. I highly recommend looking up Dr Hubbard and his links on cognitive behavioral therapy, which is also perfect for anxiety and panic attacks.

I started my own blog too, for friends and family but I intend to develop it to be a helpful resource; https://managingmytinnitus.wordpress.com/

I absolutely know the despair you share; I think there will be phases. For me I was depressed because my passion for music is dead at this point; music hurts. Acceptance and befriending my situation has helped dramatically.

Out of 10, 10 being suicidal, I admit I have been at 9 and 10. But by actively managing my thoughts, I can honestly say, even with major H right now as I sit in Starbucks, I am no worse than a 5.

Good luck.

 

Welcome to the forum. Living with T, it is best we keep a positive attitude that things will improve. Having a mild T as you stated above it just a huge positive. Generally, the more positive and relax we are, the less intrusive T can be.

Yes, it is upsetting that the medical world and the pharmaceutical world are lagging behind when it comes to tinnitus. There are some terrible stories around but there are also the good stories. Perhaps focus on reading the success stories on TT. People do get better even with really bad T. I have ultra high pitch T and severe hyperacusis which turned me into a mess initially. Like you, I also had suffered anxiety and panic attacks often in the past before T. So T & H just opened up the flood gate of hell of relentless anxiety and panic attacks initially. Life was tough and hopeless during the darkest days. But today I live a normal, productive and absolutely enjoyable life. Here is my success story if you like to check it out. Take good care. God bless.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...w-i-recovered-from-tinnitus-hyperacusis.3148/