New Tinnitus Sufferer

[Chers]

Hello
I thankfully found this site searching online for help.
I am 59 years old and developed tinnitus last month. I am unsure of the cause but there are a few probable contributing factors.
I am a licensed veterinary nurse and also a weekend DJ for 30 years.
The onset of ear discomfort, but no tinnitus started this past April when allergy season began. Very clogged ears with muffled hearing. Went to chiropractor, which I've done on and off for many years to get some relief from allergies. Did not seem to help. Took sudafed to clear allergies and ringing started 3 days later. Stopped Sudafed butHearing got more muffled so went to GP. He found both ears impacted with wax. Told me to use mineral oil and returned for wax removal by syringe. BIG wax plugs in both ears. Ringing went away but everything sounded very loud. Then 2 days later ringing returned and got progressively louder. Primarily the right ear, but the left too although somewhat lower. Initially I heard the sound in both ears but then, and still now, I hear it in the back of my head. Went to ENT. Had hearing test done which showed very mild, borderline normal hearing loss on very high end frequency. ENT put me on pred for 12 days and valium to ease the panic attacks and help sleep. God I was a mess. My life just flipped upside down. I couldn't work or sleep and just kept getting more and more depressed until I got the point over a few weeks that I just wanted to end my life. I didn't really want to do that, but I couldn't see how I could live with this noise. Thankfully, I didn't do that and kept reading about ways to help myself on this site and others. I was having a really hard time sleeping and went back to GP for rx for Xanax but he reufused to give it to me worring about addiction. Gave me rx for Buspar but then I read it could cause tinnitus so I didn't take it. Then he gave me rx for Zoloft which I didn't take either because I just wanted something to help me sleep on bad nights. I have an apt with a different GP tomorrow who hopefully understands this better and will give me the proper sleep aide.
Questions
1. Allergies have caused pretty bad sinus/rhinitius and eustachean tube clogging. It pops all the time. I often hear myself talking in my head and things sound tinny. Could this actually be the cause? Does anyone have any ideas on how to fix this?
2. I started taking Pharma Gaba supplements and they definitely seem to help but I notice it spikes immediately when it wears off. Can I take this long term? Can I take Gaba with Xanax?
3. I've also been taking Bromelain supplement which helps with sinus headache and general inflammation from allergies. Is this ok to take with tinnitus?
4. The BIG question. How do I habituate when it gets really loud. I can't seem to find a way to ignore it. Music, white noise etc just does not seem to work.
5. Does this every stop??
6. I also notice that when I go to sleep I get woken up by much louder tinnitus that I went to sleep with. It's not that I hear it louder at night, it gets louder in my sleep. Does anyone experience this and know a reason why?
7. How do I keep from going crazy?

Thanks so much!
Chers

 

[billie48]

y life just flipped upside down. I couldn't work or sleep and just kept getting more and more depressed until I got the point over a few weeks that I just wanted to end my life. I didn't really want to do that, but I couldn't see how I could live with this noise

Welcome to the forum. I have empathy of your suffering. Your reaction, even the suicidal thought, is quite normal for a traumatic new T sufferer. At this early stage of T a new sufferer will usually be very scared and anxious about the future and will usually falls trap into thinking life with T is not acceptable nor livable, therefore giving rise to so much anxiety and stress. As such you are now functioning with the limbic nervous system and may act in fight or flight mode, and everything about T feels so much worse than it is. Over time you normal parasympathetic nervous system will take over and things will be easier to handle. Also, your T, being so new, may just fade over time. It has happened to many folks. You never know. So don't panic. Even if it stays, as mine did, life can still be good, as illustrated by many members who wrote their success stories, including myself.

If you read the success stories, you will find most people take some time to get better. If they have a good positive attitude as well as some effective strategies or treatments, they will recover even faster. So don't panic. Give it time. Learn from others what work for them and apply what you learn. Things will definitely get better. Yes, definitely we can have a peaceful life even after T. It may not be reversible but it is definitely livable. Your perception about T will likely change over time like most of the recovered member do. I suffered and feared my ultra high pitch T (and hyperacusis too) a few years back and I was in a mess. But now I don't give a dime about T high or low. My body is hardened to this ringing and its tyranny over me is truly over. I live a normal and absolutely enjoyable life. If you like to check out some important strategies which help me to get better and which answer some of your questions, here is the link. Take care & God bless.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/from-darkness-to-light-how-i-recovered-from-tinnitus-hyperacusis.3148/

Regarding your question #6, it is called 'Awakening Response'. The body is trying to protect us with this response, lol. Dr. Nagler once wrote a much deeper explanation of this phenomenon as illustrated below:

"I have always felt it to be due to the role of the reticular formation in tinnitus perception. The reticular formation is a primitive structure in the brain stem. It's a "vital sign monitor." When you wake up, the RF checks to see whether or not you are alive! It looks for heartbeat, respirations, blood pressure, temperature - basic bodily signs. It does not care whether or not these signs are good or bad - just that they are present. And as far as the RF is concerned, tinnitus is part of "expected" body function in an individual suffering from severe intrusive tinnitus. So when you wake, your RF checks to see whether or not tinnitus is present. And if it doesn't immediately find the tinnitus, the RF seeks it with a vengeance - - especially in the post-nap state, when there has been inadequate REM sleep and when, therefore, the RF is on already "high alert" that something might not be quite right. Theoretically - very theoretically - this RF hyperactivity in seeking tinnitus, which in a person with severe intrusive tinnitus it equates with life, results in temporarily markedly augmented tinnitus perception."

 

[glynis]

Chars welcome to Tinnitus Talk.
I suffer really badly with allergies as a sever asthmatic under the hospital sever asthma unit.
I take a very strong 180mg antihistamine so you could ask your doctor for a strong one to help you.
Struggling badly at the moment with sever asthma but the antistamines are helping my nose and eyes.
.... lots of love glynis

 

[Chers]

Hello Billie
Thanks so much for the reply. You make me feel hopeful!
I think the biggest struggle for me is acceptance. As each day pases I feel I'm getting past the shock. WTF just happened to my life stage.
I'm also realizing drs don't offer much help. With each dr I went to i held hope and was then disappointed, starting the "grieving" cycle over and over. Same thing w diff supplements i thought would help.
I'm just beginning to understand that the power to co exist with this is inside, not outside me. Of course understanding is only
first step, but I think it's a big one.. Learnin to and succeeding at this I'm sure is a winding road.
I went to a dr I had seen a few years ago last week. I don't know why. It just popped into my head to go there. As it turns out , he has had a bout with tinnitus himself. Said he got it from gerd backing up into eustacean tube. Said it improved after 6 -8 months after he treated gerd. He also was in military and that was his "gun" ear.
He seemed to know quite a bit abt tinnitus for a GP and knew much abt the supplements I've been trying. Gave me rx for Xanax with strict instructions not to use more than 3 nights in a row then not to take any for 5 day. During the days I'm ok to take pharma gaba supplements and l theanine if I feel they help, which they do.
He told me "masking" is ok but to try and just let it ring best I can and go about my job and life. He said that will help my brain habituate faster but in order for that to work I have to be in a calm state of mind.
Told me to avoid salt Choc caffeine alcohol junk food.
All seems reasonable to me.
He also said DJ for 30 years, although I miraculously have no hearing loss, def contributed and put my ears on the threshold.
He said this was a perfect storm of sorts.
DJ, allergies, chronic post nasal drip, eustacean tube inflammation, ear wax. All at once. Said there is a chance it may go or lessen quite a bit over time b c wax is removed and allergies will eventually quiet down.
Oh also said the sudafed and claritin D may have contributed by making mucos gluey.
I sure hope he's right!
Thanks again, and I'm so glad I found this forum!
Chers

 

[Chers]

Hi Glynis
Thanks for the reply and suggestions!
Wishing you to feel better!
Chers