My Tinnitus Started with Electroconvulsive Shock Treatments

[MichaelO]

Because of severe depression I was was subject to Electroconvulsive Shock treatments (ECT). I noticed my after waking up from one of those sessions. It has remained fairly constant for four years now, though I notice it more at some times. It can be debilitating and I have only found auditory masking techniques to be helpful... but they are not a cure.

Has anyone else experienced tinnitus after ECT or an electrical shock? Is there research on this type of induced tinnitus?

Many thanks,

Michael

 

[Mad maggot]

Wow! I didn't think anyone did that shock treatment stuff any more! I've not had that but know at least one person who did - he's way older than me. More like my dads age and he's fairly deaf now. Dunno if he has T though. I hope that if you went thru all that it at least did something good for your depression?

 

[Ian Dennis]

Because of severe depression I was was subject to Electroconvulsive Shock treatments (ECT). I noticed my after waking up from one of those sessions. It has remained fairly constant for four years now, though I notice it more at some times. It can be debilitating and I have only found auditory masking techniques to be helpful... but they are not a cure.

Has anyone else experienced tinnitus after ECT or an electrical shock? Is there research on this type of induced tinnitus?

Many thanks,

Michael

 

[Bobby B]

We know of some people on these forums who got T after going to a AC/DC concert but you got T from the actual AC/DC current !

 

[Ian Dennis]

Michael, I am asking the same questions. We are in the same boat except your ECT induced tinnitus started much earlier then mine. How are you doing now?
Some days I am not managing at all especially after sleepless nights. A good sleep, if I can have one, will help me to manage the next day and avoiding stress some food, spices, vitamins and medication is helping me to keep tinnitus as low as possible. It is not easy to keep the stress down with blasting tinnitus then sleep without medication which in return makes my tinnitus worse in the morning.
So far nothing has worked for me including acupuncture, hypnosis, Chinese medicine, herbs and so on.
Top on that, I got addicted to benzos because of it and now I have more then tinnitus to deal with.
Is there anything else I can do?

 

[MichaelO]

Hi Ian, the tinnitus is always with me, at times like now barely noticeable and others fairly loud. Trying to sleep is a problem so I take sleep meds. When I do the tinnitus is reduced somewhat in the morning. Other than that I don't have any other methods to reduce it. I am able to deal with it by reminding myself that I only have to put up with it in the moment. The past and future don't matter, just what is happening now. When that moment passes I am able to notice that I was able to tolerate it. I hope you find relief for yours.

 

[Håkan Andersson]

Hi , I also got tinnitus after ECT-Treatment in January 2011 in Sweden. Its chronical since 6 years now, but I am actually not so disturbed by it anymore. It was horrible the first 2 years ( I could not work). It is propbly due to damage to some kind of blood-vessel in my head. Its my blood flowing that I hear. ECT treatment causes a temporarily increase of the blood-pressure in the brain. I took Inderal ( beta blocker), that lowered the pulse rate of the heart and then the tinnitus was not so loud, but Inderal is not sio funny to take so I quit. My tinnitus increase after physicl training (higher pulse frequency) and when I am tired.

 

[fhs]

Its my blood flowing that I hear.

A couple of years back I turned my head a certain way and heard blood flowing through my ear. It happened for about five minutes but stopped after I moved my head and touched my ears all over the place (Thank god because it was like 60db haha). I guess blood vessels are flexible and can move around. I see blood vessels move when I turn my arm.

 

[fhs]

This recent article states that out of 42 patients who suffered electrical injuries at work, a lot of them had complaints of tinnitus and imbalance. No details on whether tinnitus was directly caused by electricity though. For all we know it could've been lightning strikes.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28117879

 

[MichaelO]

Thanks for your replies.