Holding Out Hope

Hello my Tinnitus family! So it's been almost 6 months since my tinnitus started and 11 weeks since I had my baby. Unfortunately my tinnitus is still present. It's still very reactive to sounds also. While it doesn't cause me too much panic anymore, it's still very annoying and irritating at times.

My doctors told me it could still go away on its own after pregnancy but it would just take time. They also said it could persist through nursing (which I am) and then improve several months after I stop nursing.

I have been holding out hope that this will be true in my case as well but the longer it goes on the more hope I'm loosing about it ever going away. Even though it's not causing me tons of panic anymore it's always there. There are periods of time (several hours) when I don't notice it and only hear it when I think about it but it is always loud when I'm watching tv still.



Just venting because it's really loud today as I'm trying to relax and watch tv and it's getting on my last nerve!

 

Aww Natalie,
Sorry to hear your tinnitus has not settled down yet but hope after breast feeding your little girl your tinnitus might settle down again.
Hope your little family is ok.....lots of love glynis

 

Natalie, have you read the "Back to Silence" thread and watched his video yet? It may help you to cope with the thought processes and cope better overall. Wishing you the best outcome and congratulations on your baby!

 

Congrats on your new little one, @Natalie Roberts. She is lovely! What is her/his name? Apologies if you already have posted this info...

I, too, will cross my fingers that your T will dim or vanish once your hormones rebalance post-pregnancy. If not, I bet you will find your awareness of it will fade as you enjoy your life with your new child.

 

Thanks! Her name is Mila Rain and she's just a doll. Her big sisters love her so much too. She's a lot of fun. I would venture to say I am statting to habituate to my tinnitus as I have periods where it doesn't bother me much and I only notice it when I look for it . It just saddens me thinking I may never be free of it. Also, I worry about the future and it worsening.


@glynis I hope you are well! It had been a bit of time since I posted here so I wanted to check in with everyone here I am still nursing and don't have any plans of letting my tinnitus ruin that for me.. But that's my last hope- that it will go away after I finish there.


@Path Maker I haven't seen his video but I've read the method. I've applied it as well. My tinnitus has not caused me great anxiety since I had my baby because I just said to myself 'I'm not allowing tinnitus to ruin my life anymore!' But of course I still have my bad days. I also go back to work soon (4 weeks) and I'm worried my headset use will make my t flair up again. Sigh. Unfortunately I don't have any way of working without my headset.

 

Hey @Natalie Roberts ! Your baby is just precious!! I wanted to reach out to you because I don't know if you remember but I also had t onset during pregnancy as well. So I took prednisone for a few weeks and my t was pretty much gone I mean to the point where if I listened for it I could not hear it in a quiet room. However, lately we have been looking to move and looking at houses and the whole process flared up my t again big time to where I hear it all the time now and cannot sleep without music or white noise. I wanted to reach out to you because my mom talked to me about my t and what may have caused it. She thinks it's pre/post partum anxiety/depression. You should read up on this because I think she is right. After ruling out Meneires, ETD, a negative MRI, migraines, everything has come back to anxiety/depression and the fact that this is the way our bodies are responding to this major life change! I might add that my mom is a nurse practitioner and has been top of her field for more than 25 years. It's something to consider and I would definitely do some research on it. Good luck and congrats!!!

 

I'm sorry to hear that your tinnitus has flaired up again. That's really too bad. I totally agree that my tinnitus is most likely due to anxiety and depression. I've been battling with it and it was especially bad after I got pregnant. I mean, my anxiety was just out of control. It still is most days.. I have not been tested for Menieres or had an MRI because the ent and primary care dr don't feel it's necessary so they weren't offered to me. I am currently trying to reduce stress but it sure is hard, plus I feel like my tinnitus is never going to go away and that just makes me very frustrated at times. I can't remember, have you already had your baby?

 

Yes I had him 1/16/16. It will go away!! You have to stay positive!!!!!

 

I hope so! Are you still breastfeeding ?

 

No I'm not

 

Is your tinnitus the same or is it getting worse?

 

It's the same as it was when I was pregnant. I just find that when I get stressed it spikes a little and then goes back to normal

 

@Kgro719 @Natalie Roberts did either one of you deliver your baby all natural? I get worried about my tinnitus during child birth.

 

@Natalie Roberts do you take any medication to help you sleep at night?
@zombiechick i had an epidural.

 

I delivered my baby natural. No pain meds and only ibuprofen after because I was worried about medications..

No I don't take anything. I drink a beer or glass of wine sometimes but no medication.

 

@Natalie Roberts well then it's gotta be hormones, there's just no other explanation! So frustrating....I'm here right with you.

 

Yeah. Mine is actually a little worse. When I was pregnant I had good days and bad days. Now everyday is a 'bad day' with no variations. The 'bad days ' aren't as bad as they are for some people but it's just constant. I hear it all the time. Even when I go to bed now which I didn't when I was pregnant.

 

Why do you think that is? Could it just be stress? Or anxiety?

 

@Natalie Roberts I was worried, thank you for your response. I hear my T no matter what. Right now, it sounds like bells are playing in my ears as I get ready to go to bed. I can hear it over music too, which is more sad than anything. Maybe try taking Benadryl? And my ENT said it could take months to go back to my baseline T before pregnancy. Not sure if you're sleep deprived, that wouldn't help. I hope it gets better and calms down.

 

No idea :/

I don't think Benadryl will help . I didn't have tinnitus before pregnancy so I don't know what caused it. I hope mine will go away someday but am not thinking it will

 

@Natalie Roberts do you have any other symptoms at all? Headaches? Light sensitivity? Etc?

 

Nope no other symptoms. Sometimes ear fullness but usually just the tinnitus.

 

@Natalie Roberts check this out. http://www.anxietycentre.com/anxiety/symptoms/ringing-in-the-ears.shtml

 

I've read that before. It's very interesting ! I think Something can be said about all that! I does say if we eliminate the stress the ringing can diminish. I'm hoping that will happen in my case eventually

 

Hey @Natalie Roberts i wanted to let you know that I woke up this morning and my tinnitus is completely gone!!!! My baby is 3 and a half months old now and I can no longer hear my tinnitus at all! There is hope

 

That's amazing!!! Is it still gone? There has been a few hours during the day that on occasion I do not hear my tinnitus at all and I think it's gone but then it always has come back.. I'm truly hoping mine goes away also.. Please keep me posted!

 

Yes @Natalie Roberts it is still gone

 

Makes me hope mine will go back down in volume!!!

 

Amazing! I'm so jealous! My baby just turned 3 months so it gives me hope mine will go too. Keep me updated!

 

Did you have any hearing loss also marked on a hearing test and is your t still gone??