I Should Introduce Myself...

I realized after my little post that I haven't introduced myself. I've had tinnitus for over 3 years. I remember when it started, I was lying in bed with my ex-husband and watching TV, I went to turn off the TV and it was so loud, the ringing. I tried to plug my ears, like I usually do and the but the ringing wouldn't stop. I turned the TV up as loud as I could, and could still hear the ringing, I was trying to fall asleep. I was trying to come off a medication at the time, clonazepam. The only thing I could figure, was that the tinnitus was induced by trying to come off this medication because there was really no other reason. When it initially started, it wasn't that bad I could put on a sound machine and mask most of the noise. I went to a hearing doctor and got the usual Spiel of there's nothing we can do and you need to go home and live with it. He also suggested I lose weight, that maybe my diet was causing my tinnitus Or it could help. Lower my sodium. I lost eighty nine pounds and the noise did seem to quiet. I stopped using my speaker that played all my tinnitus sounds a year ago. I could sleep with the ringing.

Fast forward to the end of February and being almost 30 weeks pregnant. I was watching TV and turned it off and went to sleep to be awoken by my tinnitus. It was extremely loud. I began pacing the kitchen, it seemed to make it easier but as the seconds ticked by and the sound wasn't getting any lower, I began to have a panic attack. I've had panic disorder for six years but this was a full blown panic attack. I called my midwife crying, she didn't know what to say. I went to a hearing doctor who felt it was louder because of my anxiety. He also felt that diet has nothing to do with tinnitus and didn't bother to do a hearing test. I was told three years ago I had major hearing loss. Last year a different doctor told me I it was mild at best. This has been extremely hard on my boyfriend and myself. He stays up with me when the noise because too much. Sometimes I have to force myself to go to work. I had horrible panic attack at work and was sent home when I couldn't stop throwing up. Like I said, debilitating. The midwife put me on zoloft and told me to take a clonazepam as needed. It hasn't been a fun week. I want to try and habituate. I have a baby coming in May and he needs me. For a while, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to raise him but am trying to be more positive. For myself and my family. Its been hard leaving the house but I don't want to become a shut in. I keep hoping it will get lower or more tolerable. I need that. Badly.

 

Welcome to the forum. We have quite a few members having to deal with T when pregnant. Hopefully your situation will get better when the pregnancy is over. I also had suffered anxiety and panic disorder for decades. So when my ultra high pitch dog whistle T and severe H hit me a few years back, my brain simply had no chance against T & H. Ya, I was overwhelmed by panic attacks daily, even multiple times per day. LOL. But don't panic an despair. Things can get better. People told me that back then and I had my doubt. But now I am living a normal and absolutely enjoyable life. I wrote my success story and mention some points and strategies which have helped me turn around the suffering. Check it out when you have time. God bless.

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

 

@billie48 thank you for the encouraging words. My boyfriend and friends have been extremely supportive. I have a baby on the way and I keep that at the forefront of my mind when it's extremely hard. Still have a lot of hard days. Probably doesn't help that I wake up nightly and have to eat because I'm famished. I try and take it one day at a time.