Necessary Evil to Combat Severe Tinnitus — Long-Term Ambien (Zolpidem) Use

I think stress is a big part of it. My tinnitus has gotten worse over the last nine weeks because I am not sleeping well at all. That makes me stressed, and increases tinnitus.

How is your tinnitus, now? Has it stabilized since you started sleeping better?

 

The tinnitus seems more intense since early December. It might be related to the Omicron variant first coming on the radar screen. If I sleep well for a week, it does not seem to decrease the tinnitus or hyperacusis. I have read postings by people who indicate that a good night of sleep increases their tinnitus. I think that my mood makes it easier to accept. I woke up one day this week after only five (5) hours of sleep and was in a better mood. It was a good day overall.

 

It's funny, I awaken from a dream and my tinnitus is often raging, but when I get out of bed and use the bathroom, it seems to subside, a bit.

I had a terrible night's sleep, last night, and my tinnitus is terrible. I think sleep is a big part of this whole condition.

 

I am also taking 45 mg of Mirtazapine but not for sleep. It is my understanding that it is more sedating at lower dosages. I was taking 1 mg of Clonazepam last summer but I am down to .5 mg. I very recently tried to go down to .25 mg, but slept poorly last night so I might have to go back up to .5 mg.

I also take 300 mg or 600 mg of Gabapentin which is to help me taper down from the Clonazepam and the Zolpidem. I take 5 mg of Zolpidem which is down from 10 mg. I also take 5 mg of Melatonin. Have you always taken 20 mg?

 

I only slept for no more than three (3) hours last night and do not notice an increase in the tinnitus or hyperacusis. When I sleep reasonably well (five hours or more), I worry about the tinnitus and hyperacusis. When I do not sleep well, I worry about my insomnia and do not really obsess about the auditory issues.

 

That's really interesting. We all are different, and I guess tinnitus affects us all differently.

 

Do you have hyperacusis?

 

Big time. I can't unload my dishwasher, these days, due to the sounds of the dishes being so grating. It's a recent development---hopefully it doesn't get any worse.

 

How long have you had tinnitus?

 

I'm 59 and played guitar in loud rock bands as a teen (though I usually wore hearing protection). I had a few instances where my ears were unprotected, so I think I developed tinnitus in my early to mid 20's.

For years, it wasn't a big deal. It was there, and I could hear it in a very quiet room, but it didn't bother me. I guess I habituated to it.

This current spike, though, is a different deal entirely. It is super loud and annoying, causing me to not sleep well. Poor sleep generally increases tinnitus, and the cycle continues.

How about you?

 

I woke up with hyperacusis in September of 2020. I started noticing tinnitus after going to bed one night in December of 2020. I started having major insomnia in July of 2020 which I think brought hyperacusis and tinnitus to the surface. I had some mild sound sensitivity in my left ear in the past. I played very loud live music for decades without protection.

 

We never think about the future when we are kids---turn the amps up to 11 and let the chips fall where they may.

Decades later, we pay for our youthful excesses; I probably would have become more of a folkie and played acoustic guitar had I known the loud music would contribute to putting me in my current condition.

 

Are you in treatment for your auditory issues? I wear sound generators for most of the day. I am not super optimistic about this treatment.

 

I am being fitted for Signia hearing aids with notch therapy next week. Will they work? Who knows. But at least I will be hearing the sounds of the ocean in my ears instead of the high-pitched dentist drill...

 

One audiologist wanted to fit me with hearing aids and give me a small touch of amplification. I was too apprehensive based on the fact that the hyperacusis already made various sounds too loud. My hearing loss is considered minor and consistent with my age. My word recognition scores were flawless.

 

The ENT that I saw yesterday was a pessimist and said my hearing loss wasn't great enough for hearing aids to matter. I told him I wanted the masking and notch therapy features of the Signia hearing aid, not amplification.

Sometimes these doctors can't put themselves in our shoes, and it is disheartening.

 

I had those same hearing aids with that therapy feature. We had to send them back because they kept malfunctioning, and they gave me a refund. You have to make sure to clean the tubes regularly or wax can get into the devices. I now wear sound generators that look like hearing aids but they are much less expensive.

 

Good to know--thanks so much for that tip! I'll see how it goes... not expecting miracles, but just want some partial relief from this noise. When I hear it, I think about it, and when I think about it, the noise gets even louder. Vicious circle...

 

Hey @Bruce NH USA, I'm getting fitted for sound masking hearing aids next week. I'm curious as to how you are doing with yours? I'm about a month into tinnitus and my audiogram showed loss of hearing at 4000 Hz only. I've talked to people that do really well with maskers but everyone is different. Thanks.

Ben

 

Hey Ben,

Sorry to not reply sooner.

I have had the hearing aids now for about 7 weeks. The notch concept of making the tinnitus sorry of fade into the background has not worked for me, so far. I think this is mainly because I can hear several different tones, depending on the day.

I will say, though, that the hearing aids have been great for masking. I listen to nature sounds (birds, water) as well as music at a soft volume, and it helps to take my mind off of the tinnitus.

How has it been going for you? You got new hearing aids recently, yes? I, too, have some hearing loss at 4 kHz, but not bad, otherwise.

 

Hey @Bruce NH USA.

I've had Widex Moments for a out 2 weeks. They do help take the edge off. I'm having a little issue with getting used to having something stuck in my ear.

From what I gather it's important to use the maskers in conjunction with CBT and other behavior modifications to start getting a better emotional response to the tinnitus... That's next on my list in trying to find improvement and work towards habituation.

Hope you continue to see some positive results from your hearing devices.

 

Thanks for the good wishes, Ben!

Lately, I have noticed my tinnitus becoming more high-pitched and consistent (could be the Amitriptyline?). So it's harder to mask.

Has your tinnitus fluctuated at all, or been relatively consistent?

 

It's pretty consistent but I occasionally get a loud ring that lasts for a few seconds.

One of the biggest things I'm fighting now is the anxiety/depression side of this. I feel like my former "happy" life is over with. I know that in time things will normalize but that part is really tough right now. My care free side feels long gone. When I see pictures of me and my kids from just a year ago, it just kills me.

Have you had to deal with this?

 

Ben,

110 percent. I know that we have to accept the condition in order to help the process of habituation. I guess we just have to stop listening to it so much, which is really difficult, especially in my case, as my tinnitus has become very difficult to mask.

I think the big thing is just to remember to take some joy from each day. I try to find times each day when I can try to relax and just not pay attention to it. The results are mixed, on that end, but I am trying.

The people on this discussion board have been super supportive, and that definitely helps, too! Hang in there.

 

@Athens, did your hyperacausis improve after discontinuing Zopiclone?