I'm Travis, My Tinnitus Is 10/10 — Please Send Good Vibes and Advice

I think the concern with benzos is if you suddenly stop them, that can bring on tinnitus. For most it’s temporary but a legitimate fear nonetheless. That’s why it’s very, very important that if you take these meds to taper very slowly and very carefully.

 

Maybe I have hyperacusis now? As something is spiking my tinnitus like crazy and all sounds seem to hurt and my tinnitus tries to match it. I've never had it be this much buzzing in my head. I feel worse than ever.

 

@Travis Henry, you mentioned you started noticing tinnitus in October after you got the first Moderna COVID-19 vaccination in late September. No hearing loss, but a tight jaw needs to be considered.

Autoimmune rheumatic with the American Rheumatism Association has focus regarding the COVID-19 vaccine triggering flare-ups and then tinnitus.

Patients are treated with intra-articular steroids with rapid improvement and receive clinical remission of RA and a high degree of tinnitus deduction.

When RA affects the jaw and it often does, it causes tenderness and stiffness. X-rays and/or examination of the jaw.

Consider asking your doctor for blood tests - CRP, ESR and ANA needed to help determine an association including an autoimmune condition and autoimmune rheumatic conditions.

Hug.

 

Omg I just put two and two together. I had some quack chiropractor putting a low level red laser treatment on my head and neck and then he got this wand pen out and did it on my ears and it got hot... wtf and now I have hyperacusis.

He did this last Monday and I noticed I developed sound sensitivity and ear pain from sounds on Tuesday. Wednesday was horrible and tonight/morning is maddening. That has to be it... because I didn't have sound sensitivity before this week. I knew I shouldn't have let him put that laser on me. God I feel so stupid.

 

Hyperacusis can show up whenever it wants to. Mine didn't start til a month after I got tinnitus. So it's not your fault.

 

It's pure hell. I feel like it's more than hyperacusis. Everything hurts/makes my tinnitus louder, including my window unit A/C running, cars driving by outside. I got burning sensation in my ears, and I can't sleep at all.

 

I agree with Rockman. It peaked its nasty head little by little. But it seemed to get worse before it started to get better.

 

https://www.lzr7.com/laser-controllers/zx2-next-generation-class-4-laser-from-lzr7/

Don't ever let a doctor put that pen on your ears! I'm in so much worse pain now because of it.

 

@Travis Henry, with a history of noise exposure, no hearing loss, but maybe hidden hearing loss and now tinnitus and hyperacusis, the timing of your COVID-19 shot should be considered as a remote to possible trigger. Vaccines can cause inflammation and more so if you have an autoimmune condition, inner ear disease, red or hot ears, soreness around the ears, jaw and neck.

You probably have a blood drawing place within a few miles of your home. Getting blood testing - CBC with CRP, ESR and ANA is a smart decision as there are multiple treatments including intra-articular steroids that could make a difference for you. I would consider talking to your doctor about blood work. No one for sure can say that your COVID-19 shot didn't cause a reaction. Even with blood work and additional lab blood examination it may be difficult to note if there's a COVID connection, but markers will show if you have inflammation or a chemical cause inflammation history.

 

Would a Prednisone taper help?!

 

Within research and professional advisement with your onset of tinnitus, without having hearing loss. Confirmed in many research articles per COVID-19 tinnitus unless noted hearing loss. So, if tinnitus started within six days of vaccination, then the below should be considered as a probable cause. If not, noise, COVID-19 or another cause?

1. COVID-19 vaccine tinnitus. A 28% chance for an autoimmune condition being triggered from vaccine and with the likelihood of no hearing loss, an autoimmune response becomes more possible. Intra-articular steroids are used. Corticosteroids shouldn't be used if the COVID-19 is active.

The laser to your ear's discussion - instability with normal hearing:

SOAEs produced by the cochlea can be perceived as tinnitus. SOAEs are usually inaudible, but they can become audible due to instability. These atypical SOAEs are much more prevalent in the higher frequency range and can appear at sound pressure levels up to 55 dB SPL in the ear canal. Tinnitus due to SOAEs is more common in subjects with normal hearing and in those with only middle ear disorders. SOAEs decrease as hearing loss progresses, and these otoacoustic emissions are not likely to cause tinnitus when a hearing loss of 35 dB or more is present.

2. Autoimmune inner ear disease (AIED), is a rare disease that happens when your body's immune system mistakenly attacks your inner ear. It can cause ringing in your ears, and hearing loss. Less than 1% of Americans who have hearing loss have it because of AIED. Autoimmune inner ear disease suggested treatment is high-dose prednisone, with methotrexate added for relapses.

Blood study for inflammation is needed detect autoimmune or middle ear condition. CBC with CRP, ESR and ANA.

3. One research article states that tinnitus after COVID -19 injection completely resolves within months - 57%. Most others will experience less tinnitus, but a percentage wasn't given or a percentage for reduction amount.

Assessment of Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss After COVID-19 Vaccination-Web of Science Core Collection

 

Got prescribed Methylprednisolone. Should I try it for this recent onset of hyperacusis? I'm tired of the tinnitus spiking to everything.

@Greg Sacramento, any advice please! Thank you.

 

@Travis Henry, for you I would use Methylprednisolone.

 

Thank you all for your advice and time here. It is very much appreciated.

 

It will only get better, I'm hoping for you.

 

Reactive tinnitus is worse than being in prison. At least with prison I could work out and have a chance at getting out. I pray others read my story here and do not make the same mistakes I've made and worsen their conditions. I am living in hell 24/7 now that I have both tinnitus and hyperacusis.

 

Consider taking the Valium. The panic and stress will send you over the edge. You need to relax. Valium will help you sleep and with sleep you will have the energy, both emotional and physical, to endure this plight.

 

I took a 5 mg earlier today and slept for 1 hour. Woke up with it still screaming at the new level. Praying somehow the spike isn't my new baseline.

 

Agreed.

@Travis Henry, hi. This protocol helped me when I was shattered. It may help you calm your nervous system down so you can start the process of rebuilding. We are pulling for you and know where your at.

Peace be with you,
Daniel

 

If you have some TMJ and head and neck issues, it might be a good idea to try the Alexander Technique. Head/neck/back balance and coordination is a key element in this. A lot of tensing in the neck area can be deeply ingrained.

 

My conditions just have gone to bad to worse. Already had screaming tinnitus and now hyperacusis has kicked my ass and amped it up even more. I can't control my sound environment enough it seems & sound tolerance is so extremely low.

 

Can you describe your hyperacusis?

 

It's like it reacts to the computer fan, and if I am pissing in pot if I don't have hearing protection on. Makes my tinnitus be more piercing feeling. It just amps up my tinnitus anytime it wants to it seems. So hard to describe, but walking with headset on and earplugs in my tinnitus is screaming deathly loud and I hear my footsteps just making it worse. So I tip toe. I'm just baffled by this.

When I first got it badly I tried to take a shower without head gear and it seemed like it didn't react and the other times it does react, like to the moon even with head gear on. I can't understand it or figure out how to get it under control one bit. Even with my fan blowing from other room and A/C on with my door barely cracked so cold air can come in, it seems to be reacting to it now. I'd give anything to have my regular screaming tinnitus back... but guess I had hyperacusis to some extent even then because I didn't like loud restaurants at all.

It's killed my mind so much I can't even think straight. Now being stuck without being able to use any kinda music or sounds to distract me is absolutely pure hell.

 

I'm so sorry Travis. Hoping and praying it gets better for you. My mom would always say "it will get better, don't worry." And I would get so upset because everything seemed to only make it worse and it had only gotten worse. "It only gets worse!" I would yell beck.

But in time, it did eventually get better. Maybe it got better or maybe I just habituated a bit. So for the sake of being overly cheesy: It will get better. You just have to believe it will.

 

Besides the reactivity, do sounds actually feel overly loud?

 

Yes. I hear everything in my house so much more it seems.

 

I have been too scared to take any drugs. My experience of them is that they're more dangerous than what they're trying to cure - but that's just my own experience. I do take Paracetamol if the tinnitus causes a bad headache, but that's all.

Also, re the driving. I've found that it's the vibration that makes it worse. Going in a car as driver or passenger was a total nightmare so I basically avoid anything except essential journeys. If you have to travel try sitting on cushions or do something to minimise the vibration (some cars are worse than others!).

Good luck!

 

Fudge. I'm so screwed. I can't sleep without medications.

How many noise exposures can one bounce back from?

 

Can't sleep with medications either. Ugh.

 

Quite a bit but it gets harder. Sleep loss is the toughest thing, I know as I get 1-3 hours on bad nights lol. It’s not even being distressed, it just jolts the brain awake.

Allow time and start researching how you can manage sleep. Horse tranquilizer, I don’t know, but get sleep. Wishing you the best.