Ideas for getting back to baseline...

Hey everyone,

I'm new to this site. It seems like an awesome resource and it's great to find other like-minded people who are going through the same hell as me, when you feel like you're the only person in the world dealing with it!

I developed tinnitus almost exactly a year ago after I started experiencing balance/dizziness type issues. At the first, the ringing was limited to my left ear. It was moderately loud and at the beginning, it was extremely depressing and caused a great deal of anxiety. After reading about tinnitus, and all the things you're not supposed to do (i.e. consume alcohol, salt, caffeine, or be exposed to loud noise), I thought my life as I knew it was over. No more beers, coffees, meals at restaurants or nights out with friends. I'd be a recluse with no social life.

As it turned out, my predictions were not true at all. Over time, I experimented and found that I could actually keep doing what I was used to doing with no long term negative effects... My tinnitus might get worse after a night out at a noisy restaurant but by morning it would be back to baseline.

Sleeping was difficult at first, and I would frequently wake up every few hours and feel tired and crappy the next day. But eventually, I tried pink noise and it helped me to sleep normally. After a few months, I didn't even need it anymore and could just rely on the sounds of having the window open. It was great!

So imagine my surprise when after a year of progress towards habituation, that I woke up last weekend and the tinnitus was worse. The tone changed, it was higher pitched and screetchier, it was louder and it had shifted from just my left ear to be both my left ear and the middle of my head. I felt like I was back to square one all over again, and questioned whether I'd have to reconsider all my assumptions and gains from the past year.

It's been a week and a half and the noise is as strong as it was a week ago. Has anyone else had this experience?

My other question for you is about masking. I find that the sound of the shower is amazing, and completely covers my tinnitus. Usually when I'm done my shower, my tinnitus is way quieter than at the start. However, the "shower" sound is impossible to replicate this using my iPhone and the multitude of sound apps I've downloaded. White noise, pink noise and "fan" type noise is very aggravating for my tinntus. The running stream sound doesn't aggravate it, but doesn't cover it up either. Brown noise seems to be OK.

Any suggestions on what types of noise might be beneficial?

Thank you.
Andrew

 

Start here mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/rainNoiseGenerator.php

 

As Jodi mentions above, rain is great, there are soft rains, rainstorms, tropical forest rain...I use relax melodies oriental premium App, I can use a few sounds together...like tropical forest and wind and rain and running stream or waterfall. I can add birds or a fan also. I think a paid a few dollars but I get over 100 choices. Shower is one of them. Check out relax melodies apps and see what speaks to you. I like the oriental, as I like flutes and the birds etc. Relax melodies also have a great sleep one too. I think the premium ones let you to use more than one sound at a time and offer more sounds which is great. Worth checking out.

 

Also, there is a lot of water/similar sounds at YouTube.

 

Cool thanks.

Re: my other question, is this a common occurrence to have your tinnitus change and get louder over time?

 

Hey Andyman: welcome to TT. You will find some amazing people who are in the same boat and will give you great advise.
I try to avoid Noisy places, but if i go, I wear foam ear plugs..if you learn to wear it properly (see how to wear foam ear plugs on you tube by EAR) it will be a great help.
Noise almost always increases by T and ear plugs have been great help..i wish i had know about these ear plugs before.

 

Ideas for getting back to baseline?, ,,(not that I really know, I don't know actually)
This is my idea for today, may or may not work.
(The whole idea, is just to de-stress your life a little bit)

don't go to work
try to sleep in
take a high-potency multi-vitiamin
mope around your place/home
don't get excited about anything
don't even do much, low stress
make it a low noise day
Then eat a good dinner