Introduction

[Jessica5]

Hello! My name is Jessica and I have had tinnitus for 2 months now. One day at work my head started feeling funny and I couldn't hear. It was almost like I was in an airplane at higher altitude. I went to the Dr. and they diagnosed it as a middle ear infection even though there was no pain and I didn't have any throat pain, cough or congestion. The antibiotics they prescribed weren't working so I went back and a different Dr. put me on prednisone. When that wasn't working I went to an ENT and they diagnosed me with Sudden Hearing Loss. I was put on anti-virals, more prednisone (which was hell!) and had 3 steroid shots in my middle ear. I did regain some of my hearing but I ended up with tinnitus.
I'm not sure what to do with my tinnitus. The ENT doesn't advise me at all on my tinnitus. I have searched the internet for some course of treatment to make this more bearable but that was pretty much to no avail. This has been such a maddening roller coaster for me. I try to stay positive but as time goes on and there is no lessening of the tinnitus I feel very helpless and hopeless.
I am very happy to have found this group and I welcome any advice or encouragement that can be passed my way!

 

[billie48]

Welcome Jessica. Don't worry and don't feel hopeless. It is normal to think that though at this early stage of T. We have all been through it. So you are not alone and we understand your struggle. I hope you can find a medical solution to your T. Even if you don't, your T may fade or disappear over time. Your T is so new, so never rule this out.

In the mean time, what should a newer T sufferer do to get better?
There are many great threads on TT which can help a new T sufferer. Here is an excellent thread started by a member on what to do when you are new with tinnitus and stressed out. I added some comments to the OP's thread, but you can scroll up to post #1 to read up on the excellent suggestions by the original poster.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/new-and-stressed-with-tinnitus-read-this-first.3978/#post-40275

TT also has this standard thread which besides giving you some excellent masking sounds with an audio player, it also contains tips and step by step instructions for newer sufferers. Here is the link for it:

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/panic/ (the icons on the left side give you instructions step by step)

So, relax. There are many things one can do to get better. Instead of wasting energy on worry and panicking, perhaps follow some of these steps and suggestions to see if they can help you feel better. You can also read up many success stories to give you hope. Don't panic and stress out. You will get better. Good life can be back. Believe it and be positive about the future. I never thought I could survive my ultra high pitch dog whistle T and severe hypercusis plus relentless anxiety and panic attacks a few years back when T & H were new. But I am living a normal and absolutely enjoyable life now. So be positive and never give up hope and be patient. Take good care and God bless.

 

[Jessica5]

Thank you for your words of encouragement. I will definitely read the threads you have suggested.

 

[Karen]

Welcome to Tinnitus Talk, Jessica5!

I don't have much to add to Billie's excellent post above, but I did want to say I agree -- please don't panic. I have hearing loss, too, and a high-pitched hissing tinnitus, along with pulsatile tinnitus. Right at first, I suffered from panic attacks and anxiety. Now, however, things have improved greatly, and life is worth living again.

There are many ways to cope with tinnitus. Read some of the posts Billie suggested, and you'll find lots of good suggestions for how to live with T. It's good, especially right now, to have some type of soft noise in the background wherever you are, especially if you're at home. Try white noise, pink noise, or brown noise, or soft music, to see what works best for you. For me, it has been water sounds that have helped the most.

Also, my doctors prescribed anti-anxiety drugs and sleep aids when my tinnitus was new, but I found that natural supplements worked well for me. The best ones include magnesium (I take magnesium chloride), holy basil, pharma GABA, and NAC. I still take NAC (N-acetylcistene) capsules twice a day, and they help a little bit with the tinnitus, and also protect your ears from further damage.

Take care, and please know that we're here to provide help and support. You're not alone!

Best wishes and hugs,
Karen

 

[Jessica5]

Thanks Karen.
Thank you for your advice! I honestly don't know what to do about my doctor. He doesn't give me any advice on coping with this.He just says that I may be able to deal with it better in a few months. I have learned more about T on this site than in all of my doctor visits. I'm not feeling comfortable with this doctor at all. Not only did they lose the results from my first hearing test but he was telling me the results of my good ear not the one with tinnitus. I feel like I am in denial if I go to another doctor. I really am just looking for some guidance with all of this.