Increase in Volume Over Last Week...

I've had an increase in the volume and pitch of my tinnitus over the last week . I've been doing pretty good overall handling it now this. I feel like I'm back at square one. I've been having a lot of anxiety and am also in a super shitty mood because of it. I don't know what's up with this increase.. Before I could tune it out when I was distracted or whatever but now I can't even ignore it if I try.. I could just use some support and advise. I'm hoping it goes back down to baseline soon.. This is hell.

 

@Natalie Roberts . Hi Natalie sorry to here that you are having a difficult time with your tinnitus.its the same for everyone it's not just you. I'm the same I'll have days when it doesn't bother me and days when it's all I can think about. My T at this time is as high as it can be. But I know it will go back to baseline and yours will to. Try and find ways to bring your anxiety and stress down . I know that's easier said then done but it helps immensely.

 

THank you for your reply . I almost notice I'm having a difficult time hearing things today and I'm not sure if it's because my anxiety is so high or because the tinnitus is so loud or what. I'm just hoping my hearing loss hasn't worsened. I'm sure it's just stress and anxiety but I feel awful today. I had to call in to work.

 

Hi Natalie,
Hope your tinnitus settles soon.
I know your a young mum of 3 so might be nice have a bit of me time and try to relax through this stressful time.
I had a bad week comming off amitryptaline my ears and head had a full blast of tinnitus but glad to say it settled.
Stay strong ....lots of love glynis x

 

Same here. I had a few easier days and then it ramped back up again. I actually thought maybe it was going away. Ha! I got anxious about something and ever since it has been loud. Now I am a few days past when I got anxious. I don't know if that's a coincidence or not. Maybe your anxiety is making it seem louder. Idk

 

Maybe it is the anxiety.. I'm not really sure. I'm just having a hard time dealing with the increase. I'm feeling depressed and exhausted. I miss silence.

Thank you, Glynis. I hope my tinnitus settles, like you've described. I've gone lax about my strict diet so this week I'm going to cut caffeine, alcohol, reduce sodium and sugar and see if I can get through whatever this is and get back to a baseline..

 

A suggestion and only that and has been touched upon...because there is such synergy between T and anxiety...chicken and egg...which is driving each...a circular spiral of awfulness consider perhaps taking a med to break this chronic cycle. I am hopeful someone will come forward and say this worked for them. I could write a lot about this but will show some restraint. You have many options. One...take a med episodically i.e. when you need it...like a Xanax or Ativan to mellow you out. It may not even lower your T initially but will liberate serotonin to make you cope much better. Or...if you feel chronically anxious and/or depressed, consider taking a long term med everyday to tweak your brain chemistry to allow you to cope much better. As it turns out, each of us are a bell curve of neurotransmitter drugs in our system which also can affect T. This synergy can be hard to break without a little help from your doctor and local pharmacy.
My best....your T will diminish....as it tends to go up and down for many of us...without explanation....but likely its brain chemistry affecting muscular tension and other things that can affect T.
A last note if feeling your anxiety is going off the chart...make changes in your life. Take time to exercise more. Drink more Seriously, choose activities that bring you pleasure. A more full life and indulging in activities that make us happy distract us from the bad stuff in our lives.

 

I appreciate your reply. The problem with my T was that I developed it when I was about 6 months pregnant and therefore had to cope without medications. Now, I am breastfeeding and Ativan and the like are not safe to take while nursing so therefore I cannot rely on medication to help ease my anxiety. When I was pregnant I did a lot of meditation and massage to try and reduce stress.. I guess I need to try to get back into that. Right now, its just screaming at me and I am feeling very depressed..

It was so strange, last week I had 2 episodes of complete silence which lasted for 3 or 4 minutes at a time within a 25 minute period. And you know, the silence was weird.. It was so quiet It actually caused me anxiety for a minute. It was so strange. And then it was amazing. But then, my tinnitus came back and since then it's been on full volume.. I was very obsessive about my diet when I was pregnant and really eliminated caffeine, hardly any sodium, minimal sugars and my T fluctuated a lot. Since having my daughter I have become lax about my diet and eat pretty much whatever and said "F - you T! " but I'm thinking maybe build up of sodium/sugar and caffeine in my diet is making my T more reactive and more noticeable. So this week, I'm starting reducing all that stuff again to see if I can get back to baseline.. I'm sorry for such a long, rambling post. I'm just having an extremely difficult time right now.

 

You have a lot of company with the pain of tinnitus...myself and others here are with you on this journey none of us even thought possible.
You may be going thru a bit of postpartum as well...hormones...interacting with brain chemistry...stress robs serotonin...a chronic cycle of anxiety and depression. OK...you can't take meds. Guess what? Caffeine is a drug...one in fact I am addicted to. Take it away? Your T can worsen. You have tweaked your brain chemistry. Chemical withdrawal...especially post baby hormones...and whatever else you are doing to your body which you may believe is directionally correct, may not be. I personally think that some of the radical diet changes I made including coffee withdrawal caused my T to spike and not abate. So be very careful about withdrawl. Take inventory of all the supplements you take which sounds like you are being sensitive to what you are passing to your baby.

I hope you are adding exercise to your routine....including a fancy stroller that you can run or walk briskly behind. Endorphins are powerful in elevating mood. I like to hammer on my road bike at 25 mph while listening to classic rock. I can faintly hear my T in the background but it is reduced to nebula when my body is flooded with endorphins with elevated heart rate and breathing. Contemplation and introspection is the worse. Get out there with your baby and try to focus externally.
Again, we are all in this together.

 

I don't drink a lot of caffeine anyway, I was only drinking one caffeinated beverage a day (a small chai tea or a half-caf coffee. Mainly because of my T as low amounts of caffeine are regarded as compatible with breastfeeding. I don't currently take any supplements. Sometimes multi-vitamin but normally nothing simply because of nursing. I just need to get my diet back on track. Currently, I don't regulate sodium like I used to and I think maybe that could be the cause of the increase. Also, I do drink wine/beer in the evening after the baby is asleep for the night but am thinking maybe this could be also causing increase so will be tapering back on that. I'm just so frustrated. I was doing so well dealing with and managing my tinnitus and then BAM this is the loudest "spike" I've had so far, although I have had other periods of increase. It's just exhausting and chronic.

At this time, I currently do not work out which I know is something I need to add in. I work 40+ required overtime in a high stress job and have 3 kids under the age of 6 so I am a busy lady- but no excuse. I should be working out and I know this. I have been trying to incorporate this over the last few months but struggling to find a routine that works with my demands of unpredictable work schedule and small kids.

 

You sound to be a very busy lady so at this juncture maybe an aggressive work out campaign to work off some of the stress you feel isn't viable. I will just say, raising 3 small kids + a stressful job sounds like too much for anybody.
I hope hubbie is very actively engaged in helping...especially because as I see it right now you have special needs in coping. Honestly, seek a professional to manage your stress levels. You will get a lot of support here but to me, medical intervention would go a long way to help you cope thru this period even though you say you can't because of breast feeding.
I wish you all the best.

PS: If you do seek professional council, I am quite sure he/she would recommend lifestyle changes which may even include change of vocation away from a stressful job to keep your sanity raising 3 small kids. Common sense. Of course we know why you are working...it is very expensive to raise a young family today. But your mental health is central and needs to be addressed so changes have to be considered in earnest. As discussed there is no question a linkage between raging tinnitus and high stress levels. So please for all concerned, try to make some lifestyle changes to attenuate the burden of stress you feel. There is perception and there is reality. Taking medication changes perception...but if you are trying to do too much, reality still must be served.
Grace.