I'm Fine — Tinnitus Is Basically Not a Thing Anymore

[DamagedJoe]

Seven months is nothing. It took me fourteen months before I started to feel better. You will know it is starting when your sleep begins to return to normal.

Let me guess — you are waking up around 2:30 a.m. and struggling to fall back asleep?

It already feels like an eternity to me. To be honest, I cannot sleep at all without masking. I tried in the beginning, but now I do not dare to anymore.

And yes, at first, I slept for a maximum of 2 hours — 4 hours with medication.

 

[Tom Cnyc]

It already feels like an eternity to me. To be honest, I cannot sleep at all without masking. I tried in the beginning, but now I do not dare to anymore.

And yes, at first, I slept for a maximum of 2 hours — 4 hours with medication.

So, your body releases cortisol heavily twice a day. The first time is when you wake up, to help you get going.

The second time? Around 2:30 a.m. This release helps transition you from deep sleep into REM cycles.

If your baseline cortisol levels are too high, that 2:30 release can mimic the morning one. You wake up and cannot fall back asleep. I recommend checking out some insomnia podcasts—they explain this really well. There are many good ones out there.

I hated this aspect during the first year of my tinnitus and the first five months after my concussion. But it gets better.

Really work on lowering your cortisol. This can be done through exercise, meditation, and simply giving it time. Try somatic tracking exercises and box breathing.

I keep repeating this, but you have to balance your autonomic nervous system. That begins with the stress bucket.

I promise you, you are safe, and you will be OK again.

 

[Ken219]

@Kam75, you posted, "Two years ago, I considered myself almost cured. Although my tinnitus was constant and intense, it no longer stopped me from living or sleeping properly." That will happen again!

 

[Joeseph Stope]

Jehoshaphat!

The medics should examine two individuals in depth:

1. @Kam75, who exposed himself to moderately loud social gatherings. As a result, his tinnitus and hyperacusis worsened significantly—to the point of becoming almost unbearable.
2. @Tom Cnyc, who did much the same but to an even greater extent—yet his tinnitus and hyperacusis improved. You might even say they got better.

With the new inner ear scanning techniques currently under development, perhaps some valuable insights could be gained by comparing these two cases.

The alternative approach would be more expensive and difficult. That would involve a clinical trial from scratch, comparing two patient groups:

• 30 tinnitus and hyperacusis patients who continue partying and attending concerts (count me out),
• and 30 similar patients who lead quiet lives and avoid late-night bars, loud restaurants, and similar environments.

Duh… any volunteers out there?

 

[Tom Cnyc]

Jehoshaphat!

The medics should examine two individuals in depth:

1. @Kam75, who exposed himself to moderately loud social gatherings. As a result, his tinnitus and hyperacusis worsened significantly—to the point of becoming almost unbearable.
2. @Tom Cnyc, who did much the same but to an even greater extent—yet his tinnitus and hyperacusis improved. You might even say they got better.

With the new inner ear scanning techniques currently under development, perhaps some valuable insights could be gained by comparing these two cases.

The alternative approach would be more expensive and difficult. That would involve a clinical trial from scratch, comparing two patient groups:

• 30 tinnitus and hyperacusis patients who continue partying and attending concerts (count me out),
• and 30 similar patients who lead quiet lives and avoid late-night bars, loud restaurants, and similar environments.

Duh… any volunteers out there?

You are completely ignoring everything I have written.

I am not suggesting a four-day rave on the first day. What I said is that you need to balance your nervous system and gradually reintegrate.

Honestly, you might want to give it a try.

 

[Strife_84]

After six years of tinnitus and hyperacusis, I was basically cured. I could live a normal life (avoiding loud places), and I hardly noticed my symptoms at all in the past few years. Life was good, and in many ways, I was actually happier than before I developed this condition. I did a lot of mental work during those years, discovered new passions and hobbies, made new friends, went back to school, and found joy again.

Then, a month ago, I went to a bar and a club with a friend and brought my earplugs. I thought that since I had been feeling so good lately, I could handle it with earplugs in.

I could not have been more wrong. I've now experienced the worst spike I've had in six years, and my condition hasn't been this bad in a long time.

Thankfully, I've been slowly improving. But in my case, no matter how well I feel, it's safer to avoid loud places, even with earplugs.

That's why I personally don't agree when people say things like, "Just go live your life! You will improve! Stop fearing, start living! You only live once!"

No, I'm not suggesting anyone should lock themselves inside four walls. But everyone should make choices based on their own well-being.

For me, six hours of "living" led to more than a month of suffering—and counting. It was my decision, so I can only blame myself.

Be cautious with this condition. One of the most important lessons I've learned is that a false sense of security can be your worst enemy.