My Pulsatile Tinnitus Seems to Worsen Every October: Anniversary Syndrome?

[emmie]

Hi,

I had a breakdown in 2022 and also developed pulsatile tinnitus, which I now have 24/7. It started on October 12. I couldn't stand it and eventually went on antidepressants. After about six weeks, I found I could cope with it better.

I've had an MRI of my head and a CT scan of my neck, but nothing was found. At the end of September 2023, I gradually came off the antidepressants by slowly reducing the dosage. However, within three weeks, the tinnitus became unbearable again. It took another six weeks for me to manage it. I was fine until October this year, but then I started focusing on the tinnitus again, and I suddenly felt overwhelmed. This past month has been a struggle, and I began to wonder if the antidepressants had stopped working.

Since I've had such difficult Octobers for the past two years, I decided to do something positive this year by painting the hall and landing, which I did.

Has anyone else had similar experiences? I looked it up online and found something called "anniversary syndrome."

 

[Notreve7766]

Hi,

I had a breakdown in 2022 and also developed pulsatile tinnitus, which I now have 24/7. It started on October 12. I couldn't stand it and eventually went on antidepressants. After about six weeks, I found I could cope with it better.

I've had an MRI of my head and a CT scan of my neck, but nothing was found. At the end of September 2023, I gradually came off the antidepressants by slowly reducing the dosage. However, within three weeks, the tinnitus became unbearable again. It took another six weeks for me to manage it. I was fine until October this year, but then I started focusing on the tinnitus again, and I suddenly felt overwhelmed. This past month has been a struggle, and I began to wonder if the antidepressants had stopped working.

Since I've had such difficult Octobers for the past two years, I decided to do something positive this year by painting the hall and landing, which I did.

Has anyone else had similar experiences? I looked it up online and found something called "anniversary syndrome."

Hi @emmie,

We know that tinnitus distress often feeds off attention, so it's possible that this time of year triggers increased focus on it, leading to these challenging Octobers. I'd recommend avoiding Google searches, as that tends to increase attention on the symptoms and can make the experience even harder.

Did painting help? My advice is always to keep exploring your "toolbox" for ways to distract yourself from it. Hopefully, knowing that you've come through this before will give you more confidence to cope each time it happens.

 

[emmie]

I try to stay busy and not think about the tinnitus, but it's hard because it's always there. Painting has helped, and I'm nearly finished with my current piece. I was considering talking to my doctor about increasing my antidepressant dosage. I don't really want to, but it seems to help me cope.

 

[Notreve7766]

I was considering talking to my doctor about increasing my antidepressant dosage

This seems sensible if it helps. Antidepressants can be beneficial; they were helpful for me on my journey. You'll find differing opinions on this, but in my experience, they allowed me to regain some objectivity, which, in turn, made other methods I was using to calm myself more effective.

 

[Duffy]

Odd, I've been having major issues with my pulsatile tinnitus lately. In fact, it started a year ago, in October 2024. It must have something to do with the time of year or the weather.

 

[henkess]

I had pulsating tinnitus. There was something wrong with my blood, I can't remember exactly what, but I was given some medicine for it, and the pulsating went away.

 

[kaz60]

Hi @emmie,

Your post describes me perfectly. I've had pulsatile tinnitus since August this year, and I'm not coping well. I'm on antidepressants and sleeping medication, but I feel sick to my stomach, can't eat, and can't sleep. I'm waiting for my MRI and MRA results next week. I'm praying they find something that can be treated because I can't live like this.

Can anyone else relate? I feel like I'm losing my mind. I can't stop crying, and I have no life right now.

 

[Mjm66]

Your post describes me perfectly. I've had pulsatile tinnitus since August this year, and I'm not coping well. I'm on antidepressants and sleeping medication, but I feel sick to my stomach, can't eat, and can't sleep. I'm waiting for my MRI and MRA results next week. I'm praying they find something that can be treated because I can't live like this.

Can anyone else relate? I feel like I'm losing my mind. I can't stop crying, and I have no life right now.

Give yourself time to habituate. I've had tinnitus since 1989, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Thankfully, it was mild for the most part until June 13, 2023, when out of the blue I developed reactive typewriter tinnitus in my left ear, along with a low buzz to keep my long-term ringing tinnitus company. My right ear only had the ringing tinnitus, but at a lower volume.

Fortunately, with hearing aids and time, after six months, the typewriter tinnitus faded away. Over the last twelve months, my long-term ringing tinnitus has become severe in my left ear — I can even hear it in the shower most days — and moderate in my right ear. This year, my infrequent pulsatile tinnitus has also become constant, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. An MRI and MRA showed no obvious cause. I have a CT scan scheduled this month and hope they find a fixable vascular cause.

The reactive typewriter tinnitus was the worst of all of them. It would get louder, and the number of beeps would increase with louder ambient noise. My point is that despite all this, while my quality of life has taken a hit and some days are especially challenging, I have been able to habituate and still sleep. Each new change caused a few nights of poor sleep, but eventually, I was able to adapt. I took 0.5 mg of Xanax at night for six months, and for the last twenty-two months, I've taken 0.25 mg, which at that low dose may be more of a placebo.

I hope your tests show a simple and fixable cause, but even if not, you can habituate. It takes time, and I still have some poor sleep nights and annoying days. My ENT told me that in about 50% of pulsatile tinnitus cases there is no treatable cause, or one cannot be found. I have a feeling I may fall into that category. If I can just lower the long-term ringing tinnitus and the more recent buzzing in my left ear, I'll be satisfied. I still hold out hope that the Susan Shore device or some new drug will become available in the next three to five years, if not sooner.