My 10 Years with Tinnitus Caused by Stress, Worsened by Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine

At this point, I have tried many things to treat my tinnitus. By the end of this, you will find out that being near ocean waves and rushing water, both of which mask it, are the things that give me the greatest relief. But I am hopeful that my experiences in trying to deal with tinnitus will be of help in some way.

I've had tinnitus for ten years. It developed during an incredibly stressful period in my life and it was very mild and mostly manageable at the beginning. At that point, I tried OTC tinnitus supplements. They did nothing. But my tinnitus was so mild at that point that I thought it would eventually go away.

For years, all was steady as she goes. I would get spikes after flying and with bad colds or the flu, but they never lasted long, so did not concern me much.

But then I got the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, after which it increased in intensity unlike anything before. My GP sent me to physical therapy to see if that might help. I was diagnosed with TMJ and some neck and jaw alignment issues and I did get some relief, but it was temporary. The most interesting thing was hearing how much my tinnitus changed depending on how I held my neck, or pushed my tongue to the roof of my mouth, or with several other position changes.

But the most relief I got from physical therapy was from the deep tissue neck massage at the end of some of the more rigorous sessions. The reduction in my tinnitus, which was sizable, would last for about an hour. Even that little bit of relief was glorious. Doing the exercises at home did not really help much, if at all.

Several months after that, the noise spike from the vaccine had finally abated, so I got the second jab which I needed to do for travel. There was a slight increase after getting that one, but I had also taken every natural anti-inflammatory supplement I knew of for two weeks leading up to and for two weeks following the jab. Did it help? It seems that it did, but there's honestly no way to know for certain. I mainly took Berberine, Curcumin, and Quercetin.

I visited an ENT after that for a sinus infection. I mentioned the tinnitus so she could check my Eustachian tubes and anything else within her specialty, but she was pretty boiler plate about tinnitus and offered nothing except information about how to tune it out. *sigh* She also, however, gave me prednisone and an antibiotic for the sinus infection, and the prednisone gave me pulsatile tinnitus for the first time ever due to sharply raising my normally low blood pressure. I was advised to immediately stop the prednisone and the pulsatile aspect disappeared with that.

But then, in June 2022, I got a very mild case of COVID-19. My tinnitus ramped up and has pretty much stayed there. Between the vaccines and actually getting COVID-19, my tinnitus is the worst it's ever been.

I am still able to mostly tune it out. I have tried to view it as a part of me in much the same way as any other aspect that makes up my person. I try to think that, had I been born hearing this noise, I would never know anything different and that it just is what it is. It does help me to think of it that way.

I do try to limit reading about tinnitus to the research and to any advancements. There are so many differing reactions to possible treatments, like Psilocybin for example, that I am not sure if I'm enough of a gambler to find out if trying those would make things better or worse. If I read too many depressing things about it, I find that it makes it harder for me to ignore mine perhaps because it makes me more conscious of having it.

In short, it's a very complicated thing to have.

Relaxation techniques (meditation and such) are a slight help to me.

I get the most relief from being near ocean waves, which I fortunately am, or near any rushing water - even small cascades or waterfalls in brooks and streams. All act as an effective mask that make me believe my tinnitus is gone. Even though I know it is only being drowned out, it helps me tremendously. I take extra long showers because that noise has the same effect.

That is how I am dealing with it while hoping that every day brings us all closer to a cure.

 

Interesting. I didn't connect the two. My vertigo and of course tinnitus returned after my second booster. Vertigo has calmed down, but tinnitus continues.

Glad you found something to ease your suffering.

 

Welcome to the forum. I can emphasize with you. My tinnitus is ultra high pitch. In fact I initially had to sleep in the bathroom with the taps and shower all turned on to get some sleep or to have some relief from the oppressive tinnitus.

Now the body is hardened to the ringing and I don't need any masking. You probably will too. Give it time. Take care. God bless.

 

Hi @Wende, thanks for your post. It sounds like you've been on a journey with many twists and turns, and I sincerely hope you're able to find lasting relief.

I've heard so many people talk about tinnitus connections with the vaccines, and am sorry that you're one of the unlucky ones. I didn't even think about this when I got vaxed, but now that I'm in the tinnitus club from an acoustic trauma, am thinking twice about even the flu shot.

Anyway, wishing you only the best!