Long Time Sufferer

Hi all,
I have been a T sufferer since 1990, I was 21 and it happened over three consecutive Saturday nights!
Drunk at my mates flat in a small lounge with a rather tinny stereo!
Each time my ears were ringing at the end of the night but got better and returned to normal until the third Saturday when the ringing stopped and it wasn't until the next night laying in bed and noticing the sound of silence was louder than normal, way louder.
I went through hell after seeing an ENT specialist and him saying "nothing can be done just get used to it",
On top of that I got slight hyperacusis and was very paranoid about noises that I perceived to be loud but others did not.
I was basically left to my own devices with no help from anyone, I stuffed cotton wool into my ears and tried to get used to it, after a little while with me thinking that every loud (or what I perceived to be loud) noise was making my T louder, I, in desperation, started to wear foam earplugs every time I went out and only took them out at night to sleep.
This was the norm for the next 10 to 15 years, I never went out to clubs or any place noisy, I got used to the T even with earplugs in I could go about daily things almost unaware of my T, but always aware of noisy places.
About 8 years ago I finally started to retrain my brain not to fear noisy places with my foam earplugs in and started to go out more with my wife and have even been able to go to a couple of concerts.
Where amazingly enough I went to first Iron Maiden and then to AC/DC with 35 dcb foam earplugs in and it was sweet, My T didn't spike or play up, I was finally leading a semi normal life.

I got to a stage where I decided I had to start to get used to normal noise situations without earplugs so started to use cut down earplugs for work, (I am a Truck driver) but take them out completely when at home with the family and only quarter length on family outings and dinners.
It was hard at first but I have or had done so well to retrain my noise tolerances and my T had not really been too much of an issue until a few months ago!
I don't know what triggered it but it started to play up, I reassured myself at each spike that it was probably a wax build up from wearing earplugs so in my dumb wisdom I decided to go in for an earwax vacuum.
That was three weeks ago, the older woman who did it had a look inside each ear and said that there was a few flakes in them and proceeded to do it anyway (probably wanted her 40 f#@#ing dollars).
I only let her turn the machine on twice in each ear before I told her that that was it I cant handle that shit, she looked at me like I was mad, she obviously had not seen anyone suffering from Tinnitus before!

And now my T is twice as loud as it was I can even hear it over my truck when at work admittedly that is with 30 dcb earplugs in but I could only just hear it over my truck before now I can't help but hear it.
I have got an appointment at the University of Auckland’s Hearing and Tinnitus Clinic on may 7 to get a full 2 hour test done.
So now I'm almost back to square one with my T, I have been told by the specialist in Auckland over the phone that this spike should calm down within a month and that that it would not have caused any damage but it's a little hard to believe when it's not showing any sign of calming down.
Have found out as well that I may be suffering from Organic Depression,(chemical imbalance), apparently could have been building for years until the symptoms appeared in the last 4 to 6 months, maybe could have something to do with my T spike I don't know.

Sorry for rambling on a bit long but I am glad I have found this forum seems to be allot of caring people here.

 

Hello mate my tinnitus has recently gotten really bad from being tolerable so I know how you feel.

I am hoping it will go down after a little while but it's something that takes time.

I have to accept that and the best thing that you can know is that nothing stays the same forever try to be optimistic.

This tinnitus is nothing more then a demon trying to suck your life and take all your attention. Just try (and I know it's hard) to just make peace with it and learn ignore it for now and spend your focus on all the good aspects of your life instead and getting better!

Good luck!

 

Thanks for the reply AThroughB,

I thought I had made some peace with it years ago, didn't expect this 20 odd years later.

It's just real hard, I guess it will be till I see my audiologist and get all the tests out of the way and see where to go from there.

Thanks mate.

 

Hey rich I'm sorry you have had a spike. The good news is you don't have to go at it alone like you did the first time. If it is really bad I would hope you find someone who is experienced in t. There are options out there that can help someone habituate faster and more effectively then we can on our own.

 

Rich, great post. Sorry to hear of the recent increase. Your story sounds like mine. My T was about a 1-2 on scale to 10 for more than 20 years. I went to concerts and clubs with hearing protection. Often forgot about T for days at time. Then had an increase 2 months ago, that may have been due to noise, may have been bad sleep/stress. But I can say it HAS come way back down. Perhaps almost to the old level. So yours could very well be stress. T is often so multi-faceted, from what I understand. Limbic system is often involved. Hang in there, get the tests done, perhaps see a pro to talk about how you're feeling.

BTW, two months back a nurse at my primary physician's office came at me with one of those water pressure devices to blast out ear wax. I said "hell no" and then got an appointment with an ENT who extracted the wax plugs very easily with mini tweezers.

 

Can they extract it from the eustachian tubes?

 

I could be wrong but ear wax does not accumulate in the Eustachian tubes. Fluid yes. Or perhaps you are asking a different question.

 

cullenbohannon; and MikeA, Thanks, I know I'll get through it eventually just hope it does go down again.

Thank you for the encouragement.

 

It's very possible it will go back down rich. I. Just wouldn't wait around for iit to go back down though . Google letter to a tinnitus sufferer. It may helpful. Goodluck man

 

Just a quick update,
After combing the internet for the last 2 months I finally think I have found my problem and this seems to fit at least a couple of my symptoms at least.
http://hearinglosshelp.com/weblog/do-i-have-tonic-tensor-tympani-syndrome-ttts.php#comment-40134

"
3. In people with Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome, there is a link between their emotional states and their resulting middle ear muscle contractions. Thus, if you form a negative emotional attachment to your tinnitus and/or hyperacusis, you may develop one or more TTTS symptoms. Conversely, if you don’t let your tinnitus and/or hyperacusis become a problem to you (remain emotionally neutral towards them), you are unlikely to develop TTTS. In this sense, Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome is a psychosomatic condition.

4. If you believe that certain loud (to you) sounds have damaged your ears (when they haven’t), you are setting yourself up for developing various TTTS symptoms. Conversely, if you treat such incidents as no big deal (no emotional involvement), you are unlikely to develop TTTS and will much more readily habituate to your tinnitus and hyperacusis if any develops.

"
Unfortunately I think since getting my ears suctioned I have fallen into this same emotional state as warned in these two sentences in the TTTS fact sheet obviously compounded by the fact normal sounds are now louder to me anyway because of my use of earplugs in everyday life.
I assume this must be a form of self brainwashing? lol!
My stress and anxiety would have contributed to that as well as my suspected depression so I at least know where I stand and have now got a fare idea of who and how to seek therapy.
Just want to say that this forum has helped immensely even though I haven't contributed allot, just reading the positive, informative and heart sent stuff you all contribute has helped me through most days and I wouldn't mind betting this forum and the people in it have saved the odd life here and there as well!

Your thoughts on this would be appreciated.

Rich

 

To my knowledge, ETD has three malfunctions: clogged, stays open or can not regulate air properly.
I saw a youtube video where a woman who was having ear issues, coughed up a short bloody looking tube and recorded it. She said she could feel it come out from her ET.

 

Hy Jay, my eustachian tube don't work good normaly but when I have a hypercusis setbaback I have some blood in saliva or a blood taste.
Could you say the link of this vídeo? Thanks.
My tympanometres are goods but I feel my ET don't work good. Normaly in the mornings and after setbacks after speak (one two seconds after) my ears produce a sound like a truck descompression

 

MikeA, I can relate. Have T since 1990. Had a few relapses but was doing great the last ten years. I believe I do all the right things. Ear plugs when exposed to noise. The only thing I can think of is stress. But I can't say the last ten years have been stress free. I don;t get it?