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.

 

[Joeseph Stope]

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.

First of all, I want to say a big thank you for taking the time, making the effort, and having the patience to share your story and clarify the parts that were difficult to understand.

Hang in there—or maybe I should say hang in here. As long as it does not push you out of the "sweet spot" of trouble-free tinnitus, you're in a good place.

New University of Michigan Tinnitus Discovery — Signal Timing

A startup funding report from the University of Michigan has just been released. Auricle is briefly mentioned. Quote: @Fra, it is very old. Do not read anything into it.

www.tinnitustalk.com

Look here! At long last, Professor Susan Shore is holding her coming-of-age event on Tuesday, June 17. And it looks promising.

As for me and my particular tinnitus problem? Well, read this from one of the researchers:

Putting the Brakes on Hyperactivity in the Brain - Hyperacusis Research

Dan Polley in his laboratory (all photos courtesy of Dan Polley). We asked Dan Polley, one of our scientific advisors, about his auditory research. Dan is currently a professor of otolaryngology at Harvard Medical School and the Director of the Eaton-Peabody Laboratories at Massachusetts Eye and...

hyperacusisresearch.org

It really drives home the point that tinnitus and hyperacusis are both incredibly complex conditions… and then there is hearing loss on top of that!

Everyone's story is different, especially when they are difficult ones. In my case, I had very sensitive hearing as a teenager. Then, at the age of 39, I developed tinnitus and an increase in hyperacusis.

I have certainly learned a lot from the discussion around your story.

 

[Kam75]

I feel for you. But you are exactly why I believe these forums can take a toll on your nervous system.

Hi @Tom Cnyc, I beg your pardon. My intention was not to take away from your success story when I shared mine.

I only wanted to warn others so that they do not end up in the same situation as me.

I can confirm that it is extremely important to be careful after experiencing sound trauma, as things can get worse.
We are a community of sufferers, and I simply wanted to share my experience in the hope that it helps others avoid the worst.

However, I should not have written that last message in which I lamented my fate, because I now realize it only added to the negativity.
I asked the moderators to delete that post, but they did not. I sincerely apologize again if I ruined your success story.

@Joeseph Stope, thank you for your testimony. I have of course already consulted the best ENTs in Paris, including the so-called "French tinnitus specialist" Alain Londero.
I will not go into it now, because that would only add more negativity, but to be brief, it was not helpful. No one has a miracle solution to offer.

@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!

Thank you so much for your message. It means a lot to me, and it is exactly the kind of thing I needed to hear.

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.

Unfortunately, I identify very strongly with your story. That is exactly why I shared mine in this thread—not to spread negativity (even though that may have happened unintentionally), but to warn others.

I don't know for sure. I use someone who works remotely. She saw the tinnitus and even identified which ear was worse. She says it is getting better and that it will eventually go away. It is definitely better than it was.

What about this guy? He does not charge unless you feel that it has helped. He has some testimonials on his website specifically for tinnitus.

https://www.guerisseur-magnetiseur.eu/temoignages/

Best wishes.

Ah, this person reminds me of something. A member of Tinnitus Talk once told me about him.

I called this healer, but for some reason I cannot remember, we were not able to work together.

 

[Tom Cnyc]

OK, since people can't seem to resist posting negativity in a thread meant to be positive, I'll share a quote from Sarah Polley:

"Everyone tells you to listen to your body, but very rarely does someone ask you, 'How much are you listening to your body?'"

Yes, be careful. Wear earplugs. But truly ask yourself how much you're listening to your anxious brain. If you didn't have tinnitus, would you go to that event with earplugs, or would you skip it altogether? If you didn't have tinnitus, would you be wearing earplugs in your current situation?

Those questions will help guide your decision.

I am not encouraging anyone to damage their hearing. Personally, I don't go to places like gun ranges, where certain firearms can produce sounds over 160 decibels. But a 110-decibel club is fine for a few hours with 25 decibels of reduction. Build up to it, because if what you're doing is objectively safe, the issue is likely coming from anxiety.

 

[Strife_84]

OK, since people can't seem to resist posting negativity in a thread meant to be positive, I'll share a quote from Sarah Polley:

"Everyone tells you to listen to your body, but very rarely does someone ask you, 'How much are you listening to your body?'"

Yes, be careful. Wear earplugs. But truly ask yourself how much you're listening to your anxious brain. If you didn't have tinnitus, would you go to that event with earplugs, or would you skip it altogether? If you didn't have tinnitus, would you be wearing earplugs in your current situation?

Those questions will help guide your decision.

I am not encouraging anyone to damage their hearing. Personally, I don't go to places like gun ranges, where certain firearms can produce sounds over 160 decibels. But a 110-decibel club is fine for a few hours with 25 decibels of reduction. Build up to it, because if what you're doing is objectively safe, the issue is likely coming from anxiety.

You just do not seem to understand. It is not about being negative, and it is not about being anxious. It is about giving people a warning.

I went to a nightclub about a month ago, wearing earplugs. I got the worst spike I have ever had during my six years of living with this condition.

I was not anxious when I went there. I was relaxed and having fun. But I still ended up with the worst spike ever.

Why did I go to the nightclub? Because for the past few years, I had basically felt completely normal again.

This has nothing to do with fear, anxiety, or anything like that.

@Kam75 and I are simply trying to offer a different perspective.

I am happy that you can go to clubs again and live a normal life. That is great! But just as a warning to others, you need to be extremely careful with this condition.

If someone now decides to go to a club thinking, "Well, that person on TinnitusTalk said I would be OK for a few hours," and then their condition worsens, it could be devastating.

It is not about you. We are happy for you. It is about providing another point of view.

You say, "Just go out and have fun." I say, "Be careful and think twice," because my experience with earplugs was absolutely horrible.

That is why this condition is so complicated. There is no single truth. We all have the same condition, but our symptoms can vary a lot.

I really do not understand why you get so angry just because someone offers another opinion. You are healed. You can live a normal life.

I do not understand why telling people to be careful with this condition makes you angry.

 

[Joeseph Stope]

OK, since people can't seem to resist posting negativity in a thread meant to be positive, I'll share a quote from Sarah Polley:

"Everyone tells you to listen to your body, but very rarely does someone ask you, 'How much are you listening to your body?'"

Yes, be careful. Wear earplugs. But truly ask yourself how much you're listening to your anxious brain. If you didn't have tinnitus, would you go to that event with earplugs, or would you skip it altogether? If you didn't have tinnitus, would you be wearing earplugs in your current situation?

Those questions will help guide your decision.

I am not encouraging anyone to damage their hearing. Personally, I don't go to places like gun ranges, where certain firearms can produce sounds over 160 decibels. But a 110-decibel club is fine for a few hours with 25 decibels of reduction. Build up to it, because if what you're doing is objectively safe, the issue is likely coming from anxiety.

What is the name of that movie again? One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest! That is it.

Of course, that movie was about the inmates living locked up on the funny farm. There is nothing crazy about us, right, Napoleon?

Ha! Just kidding, @Tom Cnyc. But let me say that you are one very lucky person, and you give the rest of us some hope by having broken free.

There seem to be two groups in the tinnitus and hyperacusis community. The first group manages to get used to it and move on with life. The second group does not. To be honest, I get by until the next acoustic assault happens. Last month, it was the dentist making that screeching noise while cleaning my teeth. The month before, I got caught full blast in a fire alarm.

So, although I am not as much of a hard case as @Kam75 or @Strife_85, the three of us all belong to the unlucky group. And I, for one, am afraid of it getting worse as the years go by. I am what you Americans call a senior citizen now.

I have a gut feeling that there is some technical problem inside the auditory system somewhere. Is it damaged synapses, damaged inner or outer hair cells, stereocilia, nerve damage, or something in the brain like you described?

It was nice of you to stop by and share your story with us poor folks.

 

[Ken219]

OK, since people can't seem to resist posting negativity in a thread meant to be positive, I'll share a quote from Sarah Polley:

"Everyone tells you to listen to your body, but very rarely does someone ask you, 'How much are you listening to your body?'"

Yes, be careful. Wear earplugs. But truly ask yourself how much you're listening to your anxious brain. If you didn't have tinnitus, would you go to that event with earplugs, or would you skip it altogether? If you didn't have tinnitus, would you be wearing earplugs in your current situation?

Those questions will help guide your decision.

I am not encouraging anyone to damage their hearing. Personally, I don't go to places like gun ranges, where certain firearms can produce sounds over 160 decibels. But a 110-decibel club is fine for a few hours with 25 decibels of reduction. Build up to it, because if what you're doing is objectively safe, the issue is likely coming from anxiety.

If I had known about tinnitus and how unreliable the NRR of earplugs is, the answer would have been no! Now that I have tinnitus, the answer is still no!

 

[object16]

@Kam75, I am so sorry to hear what you shared, but I also completely agree with you. The idea of locking a positive story for comments is dangerous. It is fine if someone had a wonderful experience and wants to share it, but to then say "do not worry about it, there is nothing to be afraid of" is simply not true. There is definitely something to be afraid of.

Every day is a struggle for me. Like you, I take a medication cocktail, not by choice, but out of necessity. Over time, more and more medication has been added. I try to be very disciplined with my meds, especially the benzo, and I gradually taper it down. For me, benzo is an emergency medication.

Just last week, all it took was staying up later than usual to tend to my garden, and I had to take my real emergency meds: half of a 3.75 mg Imovane and half of a 5 mg Morphine. Ten years ago, I tricked my doctor into prescribing Morphine when I had a shingles attack. At the time, I took none of it. Last week, I did take it. That combination gave me the type of sleep I needed to regenerate my central nervous system and quiet my tinnitus, so that I could function again. If that had not worked, honestly, who knows what would have happened next. I would not have been able to continue working, for a start. You can imagine what might follow. People around here do not like that kind of talk.

As for the suggestion of holistic approaches, I have already been in therapy for the past seven years. My first therapist was extremely generous with her time. She passed away last year, rest in peace. She had severe intractable back pain, treated with a spinal cord electrode implant. In the last year of her life, the only thing that would control her pain was cocaine. She knew how to procure it, and she did. I will not go into more details out of respect for her.

For the past year, I have been seeing another therapist who certainly takes a holistic approach. So please, no one needs to tell me I should try holistic methods. I already do. And frankly, there is no way I am going to a concert or any noisy environment. I cannot even handle the fire alarm at work. I run for cover, use double protection, and try to escape to my office, which thankfully does not have a fire alarm.

Different people have different brain wiring, and everyone's situation is different. I am very happy for those who have success stories. In my own case, if you look at my posts from seven years ago, you will see that I was hoping some natural illness would take me quickly. Even twenty years ago, I was thinking about doing something foolish. A very close friend asked me, "Will your wife be alright financially?" The answer was no, so I had to keep fighting. I am glad I did.

Everyone at work knows I have very reactive tinnitus. They close the door gently by turning the handle so there is no click. If someone's voice gets too excited or loud, I signal with my hands. They instantly understand and lower their voice for me.

I actually started crying in my dentist's office because the dental work and drilling noises always cause a spike. After my last spike, when I attended my next session with my MSW, she observed, "Oh, I have never seen you this bad. You are struggling to find words and put sentences together."

So please, everyone, do not take chances. This is a vicious and cruel disorder. Unless you actually have what I have (and it sounds like @Kam75 may even have it worse), please refrain from reassuring us that 90 dB is fine. For me, 90 dB is not fine. 60 dB is fine for me. 70 dB I can probably handle. But do not give me 80, and absolutely do not give me 90. Also, please do not tell me that it is all in my head and that I need some magical holistic healing and everything will be fine.

I will repeat this again. Every day is a struggle for me. Some days, I do not even know how I will make it to the next day.

So to @Kam75, I know what you are going through. It is very different from what the original poster described. I wish the original poster would not dismiss our experiences or suggest that the thread should be locked. No, this is a discussion forum. Locking this thread would be misleading and dangerous.

It would be wonderful if what the original poster says is true for them, and maybe it is true for some others. But for people like us, it can lead to a very dark place of pain and suffering unless this condition is treated with respect. The original poster should show some respect and consideration for those who are not as fortunate. I am happy for their success, but I am also deeply sympathetic toward @Kam75. He is actually worse off than I am, and I thought I had it bad.

By the way, my psychiatrist now sees me every two weeks, and it is not just so he can send invoices to universal health care. He knows I need the support. He already has plenty of patients and does not need to "milk the system" with me. He used to schedule appointments every six to eight weeks, but lately he knows exactly what I am going through. I have explained my medication regimen in detail, and at least he understands how serious the situation is.

 

[Kam75]

Hi @object16, thank you for giving credence to what I said previously. I am sorry to hear about your difficult situation.

My case is particularly catastrophic. Believe it or not, I suffered the sound trauma, which gave me four new disabling tinnitus symptoms and hyperacusis, at a music festival while I was wearing 25 dB custom made protection. It should never have happened.

I am not going to go into too much detail on the subject, as this is a thread about a success story, but you can find my full story in this thread.

Best wishes to all, and please be extremely careful with noise.

 

[Tom Cnyc]

I am sorry you people are suffering. But that does not change the fact that nearly everyone will be OK. And it also does not change that it is really quite unfortunate for you to kill a positive post in an otherwise highly negative place.

You are not raising awareness. People here obsessively read the whole site looking for answers. I only posted this because I want to reach the version of me from nine years ago, desperate to read that it is possible. Do not tell him it is not, when statistically, it is not just possible, it is extremely likely.

 

[SafeMusicFan]

I am sorry you people are suffering. But that does not change the fact that nearly everyone will be OK. And it also does not change that it is really quite unfortunate for you to kill a positive post in an otherwise highly negative place.

You are not raising awareness. People here obsessively read the whole site looking for answers. I only posted this because I want to reach the version of me from nine years ago, desperate to read that it is possible. Do not tell him it is not, when statistically, it is not just possible, it is extremely likely.

I am personally thankful to you for that.

Keeping a positive and hopeful outlook is something I aim to achieve, if only because I am convinced it is the best choice for my own health. Messages like yours help me with that.

 

[Tom Cnyc]

I am personally thankful to you for that.

Keeping a positive and hopeful outlook is something I aim to achieve, if only because I am convinced it is the best choice for my own health. Messages like yours help me with that.

Reminder. I am posting here because, for the second time in my life, I had an injury that the world will tell you is permanent. You think tinnitus is bad? Try a brain injury on for size. I became obsessed with forums again, and the negativity made me MUCH WORSE.

And now? I am dramatically better. And I will totally recover, again. Because, similar to tinnitus, MOST people do. Even though Reddit is full of people who deny that message whenever someone comes back to tell everyone that they are better.

Even here. Try this as an experiment. Read a long thread that dates back many years, and watch how the people posting change. There are "generations" of people on this site and most other injury forums. The people who stopped posting? They are back to life.

Further, I have been on this site since 2016. I have posted a few positive messages here, and each one has led to people talking to me. People who were suffering. And over the years, nearly all of them are fine. I mean, back at music festivals, loving life, fine. Nearly all of them were beyond distraught, asking me about "reactive this" and "sub-types of hyperacusis that" and "new tones" and "I will never sleep again."

Tinnitus was a living hell for me. I was terrified. And I am not minimizing how bad it is. I am just telling you that eventually, you will accept that it is not dangerous. And eventually, a paper tiger stops roaring.

 

[DimLeb]

In psychosocial nervous system disorders like tinnitus

No, just no.

 

[AfroSnowman]

I fall on the side of living life. I have had tinnitus for six years at a severe to catastrophic level. I have learned to function in this world at a diminished capacity and do not waste time mourning the brain I used to have compared to the one I have today. I go out and do the maximum I can in this state, accepting that it is not the same as my pre-injury state.

One thing that has remained true with my tinnitus is that it often stays at a 10 out of 10, with some blessedly milder periods that last a couple of hours, during which it drops to about a 7 out of 10. This fluctuation has never been connected to anything in my life. Whether I get good sleep or bad sleep, whether I am exposed to noise or remain in protective silence, it simply does what it does, and I have no control over it.

With that in mind, I take earplugs but live life. I go for motorcycle rides, visit restaurants, listen to music, or fly in planes. Sometimes I forget my earplugs, and in the end, it makes no difference at all. Even if an event makes it worse, all that means is that it will be at 10 out of 10, which is my baseline state about 70 percent of the time anyway.

To quote the late great Kris Kristofferson, "Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose."

 

[Tom Cnyc]

No, just no.

You can reject this concept, or you can try something different.

How well has your approach worked for you?

People often reject this concept because they feel attacked. "This is not my fault, I do not want this." "I am a victim of this." "This is not all in my head, I am not crazy, it is real."

Well, yes. You do not want it, and you feel like a victim. But your brain thinks it is important, so it is monitoring this to try to protect you. It is an autonomic issue. No, you are not crazy. It is real. But also, it is all in your head, because literally everything is. Your brain processes everything, and it is what manifests sensations.

You cannot just will your way out of any situation. But I think we can all agree that stress makes tinnitus worse. And why is that? It is tied to the limbic system.

 

[DamagedJoe]

Thank you for your positive attitude. I really need an "it can be done" story because I am really struggling right now. Could you elaborate on your path to healing? When and why did you notice the first positive changes? How long did it take? I try to keep a neutral mindset about this, but I think it is getting worse for me. Thank you for your time.

 

[Joeseph Stope]

Thank you for your positive attitude. I really need an "it can be done" story because I am really struggling right now. Could you elaborate on your path to healing? When and why did you notice the first positive changes? How long did it take? I try to keep a neutral mindset about this, but I think it is getting worse for me. Thank you for your time.

I see that you joined in late January 2025, so I conclude that your tinnitus onset was sometime in January 2025, about five months ago. You are still in the acute (early onset) phase. Your chances of it getting better are pretty good. It would be helpful to have a good ENT who understands tinnitus.

My ENT advised me to avoid loud noise and also to avoid complete silence. Circadian rhythms are important too. I understand that you cannot sleep because of your tinnitus, and your tinnitus worsens because you cannot sleep. However, the body takes what it absolutely needs. I get by on four hours of sleep, sometimes five or six, but I am a senior citizen.

You have my sympathy for going through this difficult time. You are doing the right thing by reaching out for help.

Be careful with herbs such as basil, oregano, parsley, bay leaves, and others. It is better to test them first to see if they make your tinnitus worse.

For me, it is usually noise, a head cold, or certain herbs that trigger a tinnitus spike.

There is a lot of useful information here on Tinnitus Talk. Life can get so technical.