New Tinnitus Sufferer

Hi all.

I am a new tinnitus sufferer who had an onset of tinnitus on may 11., nearly 14 days ago.

It started as a low high pitched clear tone on my left ear. I dont know when during the day it started, but I noticed it when I laid my head on the pillow that night and kinda freaked out a bit, but thougth it was just by—passing like the times before. The next day it was still there and then I began worrying and focusing on the noise but since i could only hear it when there was complete silence I tried to go about my day, not thinking too much about it.

Fast forward 3 days...Sunday....I suddenly "felt" another noise coming on, a different but still pitched much higher tone which feels like it is all around me and not just in one specific ear.
Now i really began worrying and freaking out!!

Next morning, Monday after a fairly horrible night with abrupt sleep I had a complete melt down. An intensive melt down with a feeling I have never experienced before...at least not to this extent. I cried and cried and had panic attacks and intense suicide thoughts.

Since that day it has been total catastrophe and a pure living hell. I have sunk into deep depression and have been to my doctor 2 times, had body therapy, had a visit from a doctor on call at night and have been put on antidepressants and sedatives to help me sleep and calm me down.

I have googled the word suicide in a variety of sentences and even planned it out. I wanted out!! (I still want out of life to some degree)

I feel a 100% like I have been disabled. Like a person being put in a wheelchair or loosing their sight or hearing completely. I feel my life limited because I feel I can no longer do the things I used to enjoy: go to concerts, listen to music with headphones on....even reading and watching tv seems a struggle because I can not focus and enjoy myself

How one is able to live a fully enjoyable life with this condition is beyond me. I just don't see it happening for me. I LOVED MY SILENCE!! I loved laying on my couch with all electrics turned off and just letting my thoughts wander, no more of that either

My doctor is convinced the tinnitus is set on by mental stress in my head and that it will disappear eventually. I really UTTERLY hope she is right.

Thoughts??

(I'm from Denmark so sorry about any mispellings)

 

This could be sudden hearing loss (SSNHL). One of its symptoms is tinnitus.

Please read
http://www.masseyeandear.org/for-pa...ation/diseases-and-conditions/sudden-deafness

"The most common chief complaint in SSNHL is aural fullness, followed by complaints of hearing loss and tinnitus."

"Since there is only a two to four week window of opportunity for treating SSNHL, it is essential to initiate therapy as soon as possible, even if a complete diagnostic work-up has not been completed.
...
Standard treatment for SSNHL is a tapering course of oral corticosteroids (prednisone or methylprednisolone). ... Treatment of SSNHL consists of a short burst of oral prednisone or methylprednisolone, followed by a taper over several days. Duration of therapy varies from site to site around the United States, but a typical treatment would be prednisone 60 mg/day for 14 days, followed by a five-day taper (50 mg, 40 mg, 30 mg, 20, mg, 10 mg)."

If I were you, I would go to the emergency right now, show them a printout of the above, and ask for prednisone pills that you can take as you wait for your family doctor or an ENT to give the rest of prednisone to you.

I went through this too...

Same here.

Check out
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/spontaneous-recovery-stats-over-70-recover-3-studies.21441/

There is still a high chance that you will spontaneously recover (or that the volume will decrease). One thing to keep in mind though, is that when it comes to tinnitus, recovery normally takes months (as in 3-6-12 months)...

 

Full disclosure: when I was two weeks in (like you), I found the link above, and managed to get an emergency doctor to give me a 7 day course of prednisone. Unfortunately, neither my family doctor, nor my ENT were willing to give me a prescription for more. I saw my ENT on day 7 of the course, and since I didn't see any improvement in my tinnitus, I didn't insist on him giving me that prescription. So prednisone didn't help me, but then again, I didn't finish the entire course.

 

@TheDanishGirl ,
What AD did your doctor put you on?
Amitriptyline or Nortriptaline are better for tinnitus as can help reduce it for some people.
50mg Nortriptaline stopped my head tinnitus.
Love glynis

 

Amitriptyline is non-addictive...

 

You are NOT disabled. I personally know one CEO, one PHD researcher and one writer with Tinnitus. I've been there, you will feel better.

2 weeks is an awfully short period. Try to sleep and rest well, eat and engage in your life. Leave the concerts and loud places for later and try not to thing about that. If you need, use something to mask, I had a white noise app on my phone and a small water fountain at home. That's keep your mind off the sounds in your head.

I've been suicidal (this is me at my worse: My Girlfriend Said "It's Not Cancer, You're Acting Like a Child" and Broke Up with Me) and life is much better now. If you're really considering suicide find a psychiatrist, there's no shame in it. In time you will feel better.

Best,
Zug

 

@glynis

Dont know what the AD's im on are called in english but the names of them are Tolmin 10 mg (Miaserin) and Cipralex 15 mg. These are two different AD's, one is tetracyclic and the other is an SSRI.

In addition to this I take Oxapax which unfortunately is addictive but I simply can not do without it, or else i would get only a very small minimum of sleep, if any.

 

@Bill Bauer

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experince. I will look into into.

 

@Zug

Thank you so much!
I have a very VERY hard time enjoying life at the moment because I am as severely depressed as I am. I have no interest in anyone or anything at the moment and my mind is swirling with suicidal thoughts almost all day long.

I have tried masking videos. actually a lot of them and although some do help a tiny itty bit, i feel the benefit from them is very short term. But maybe I just have not come across a really good one yet.

I am gonna get some psychiatric help very soon (therapy session with a psychiatric) which is a comforting thought at least. I know I need all the help I can possibly get. I will also look into some cranial sacral therapy, as I have heard many good things about it. And as soon as I get a tad better depression wise I will begin on something like yoga, medition or the likes.

 

Sandra
I know how you feel. I have a couple good stories that may help you. 12 years ago I was exposed to a very loud noise for about 45 minutes. The Tinnitus was extreme. a screeching high pitch, pain, fullness, low hum. A living hell.
I thought my life was over. I lost my job, thought of suicide. But guess what, my T slowly faded. It took about 18 months, but it totally faded away. silence!!!
Fast forward to last fall, I went to an outdoor band concert that must have been a little too loud, I could not believe it, but I had Tinnitus AGAIN. Not quite as bad as the first time, but bad enough. I got depressed again,my ears hurt, sensitive to pressure changes, loud ringing/hissing/humming. That was 8 month ago, and guess what, It is about 70% faded. I have done a lot a research and have discovered that a vast majority of Acute Tinnitus will eventually resolve itself. The problem is it can take as long as 6-18(even 24) months to fade.
I think you should trust your Doctor that believes it will fade.

 

Hi @TheDanishGirl,
Depression is tough going but it will lift over time.
Talking therapy and medication and family and doctors support.
We can support you too!
Try to build on little things and they will build up and build up.
Depression can take away your self worth and confidence and social skills but as we are not born with them they can soon be built up by working hard to build up achievements at your own pace and reward yourself.
Hope you managed get out in the beautiful weather today and had a chat with someone or talk on the phone.
You will get there like I did I promise you,even with naughty ears..,
Love glynis x

 

If I may give you another advice: Don't wait for it to get better. I started Tai Chi and Pilates and hated everything for a while. You need to start something, and then you'll start to feel better.

 

@jjflyman

Thank you for sharing your positive experiences. This fuels my hope further so thank you much.

 

My depression is really really bad these days. The days are sooooooooo long, i lay in bead staring into the wall, and i just want to dip into my Ad's and sedatives all the time, so i can sleep the day away.

My suicidal thoughts are also very dominant. I think of suicide and methods to do it 90% of my awaken time. Today I even took a knife and held it toward my neck and my wrists, but of course i could not bring myself to cut

The thing im so ashamed about is that it actually feels like my tinnitus has gone down a tiny bit since yesterday, really not much but a tad, and yet i still want to kill myself. The fact is im just scared....SOOO scared......that it will get worse.....tomorrow, in one year, 10 years, 20 years maybe......and what then?

I feel like an absolute failure

 

velkomme til jeg er også fra Danmark men skriver lige på engelsk så alle forstår hvad jeg skriver. am also new to this and i got mine from 5-6 weeks ago and the first weeks are the worst (i was also in a really dark place) at the beginning i had 4-6 differens sounds and now am down to 1 sometimes 2 its a good sign yours gouing down in volume there is still a chance it will go away and a really good chance it will go more down ( mine have) am at the point were i dont really are annoyed by the sound anymore i also used sleep meds in the begning ( the first 3-4 weeks)the most annoying think about it now its i sometimes think about it but the sound dosen´t really hurt me its just there and sometimes i can hear it over almost everything but i dont think about it alot anymore.

what i did to get better? i go and do some hard exercies so i get out of my head and feal my body i also use this

How To Calm Down In 10 Seconds (Fast...

and also do Breth throw my nose sometimes. these things help your nerve system settel i will i will also try to do some medetation later on and see how that works. but after i tried to settel my nerve system ( my feets was almost shaking in the beginning) and i belive thats were the anxiety comming from. and it also help alot to not think about the sound as a thread because thats what makes your nerv system running on high all the time (sry for my bad englich)

i also use this

Simple Trick To Stop Negative Thoughts

for my mind to tell my body what can i use my thoughts for? (my negativ thughts)

 

Hi Sandra, I hope that things get better quickly for you. I do know that when you first get tinnitus and at times when it gets worse it can be VERY scary, beyond scary. But I do know that you can get used to it and get to a point where you can listen to the sounds and sensations without feeling scared. Apparently some cases of tinnitus can improve so maybe that will happen for you, but even if it weren't to get better you will be able to deal with it. It may take a little time to get to that point but it will come.

 

Cutting your wrists or throat would most likely simply leave you with damaged ligaments and scars - it would most likely not cause death. An unsuccessful suicide attempt can add to your health problems. It can even leave you with brain or liver damage.

 

Sandra, I think you should get help right now with your situation. There must be some professional help for your depression and bad thoughts.

 

Sandra
Please give it time to resolve itself. It will fade away, but it takes time. I think you will see a lot of improvement in 4-6 months, maybe sooner. It's going to go away.

 

@TheDanishGirl,
You are not a failure and you will get through this I promise you.
Depression makes you loose grip on reality and makes you think you can not enjoy life and takes away your confidence.
Your thoughts become strong and everything seems hard to do even the simplest thing and loose your coping mechanism to deal with stress or making decisions and solving problems.
I know I have been that person looking back at myself in the mirror and so withdrawn and no emotions and not recognising my self in this pit of depression.
Our mind just wants to shut off and sleeping seams the only way to have time away from unwanted thoughts.

You need lots of support of family,friends,doctor and counsellor with talking therapy to help you think through your feelings and realise how unreal your thinking can get.
You might feel scared of the future and nervous wondering where life will take you.

Ring MIND or Samaritans anytime and Mental Health have a crisis team.
Also depression support groups can help.
Sane is another.
Bit by bit step by step you will get through this with a action plan to move you forward in a positive direction.
Keep posting for support duck as we can help support you also .
Love glynis

 

"Next morning, Monday after a fairly horrible night with abrupt sleep I had a complete melt down. An intensive melt down with a feeling I have never experienced before...at least not to this extent."

Interesting to hear this as this reminds me of my story this past January. The journey for help is crazy, but I've been there so hopefully something I share will help you.

a) lack of sleep will make you anxious

I was losing sleep over the tinnitus too and got to the point I thought I was losing my mind. I had never experienced this before either. I was told it was General Anxiety Disorder--caused by a stressful thing I was dealing with a family member combined with the tinnitus and lack of sleep.

b) Cipralex can take 6 weeks to kick in.

I'm on it too and it has helped me manage the tinnitus.

c) Create a plan for living.

My plan included getting my hearing checked by a tinnitus and hearing centre to rule out if it was a hearing issue. My hearing was perfect which was comforting to know.
I contacted so many places and came up fruitless, that the following is what I suggest. You are way ahead of me in that you are being treated medically for the anxiety. That's terrific. Took me some time to get that. Let the cipralex kick in over 6 weeks or more. If it doesn't you can ask for an increase or a different product. I manage my tinnitus better being on the cipralex.

By all means hire a psycho therapist. Smartest thing I did. I found it helpful to have someone to hear me and believe me and walk through my choices, help me address stress, etc. My medical plan covered my cost. It was a full hour once a week where a medical doctor gives you 15 min. Choose one who teaches CBT and EMDR. I found my tinnitus often decreased while sitting with her in her office. There is an online article that connects anxiety to tinnitus. It can make it worse. So get your anxiety and stress under control.

Keep taking one step in front of the other. Massage can be helpful.

Mine eases up every few days. Yours CAN too!

My last option if mine doesn't ease up enough is something called Sound Options here in Canada which retrains the brain.

 

Good evening, Sandra. You might consider Ambien (Zolpidem) as an alternative to the benzoduazepine. I have found it to be very effective for sleep induction while noticing no withdrawal upon discontinuation. Also, you've only had tinnitus for a short time. There is a real chance that the level could diminish with time. Things will get easier.

 

Hej min danske vän!

I kniw what you are going through we all have. I am also struggling during nughts i barely get any sleep. In ir case chances are the t might still go away. But either way you wilö hanituate in 1 way or another and find different methods.for you!

Writing from my phone excuse all the errors

 

My T started in january, but it has come and go. Funny thing is my T also started again 5 of may until now. In my case my t went away several times, this can indicate that your T can also disappear IF you stop listening to loud music and avoid loud places. I think I didnt care enough and now im stuck with a permanent t. So u still seem to be in ur early stages, IF u take care of urself it just MAY go away. And if it does do NOT do like me. Skipp everything and be careful!

 

UPDATE

I am doing horribly. I am now in the psych ward because of suicidal plans. I feel like tinnitus has already killed me and now I just need to take the final step in ending my conscious being..i can not mask my tinnitus and I can not stop focusing on it no matter what the hell i do. Going through 1 day feels like a month and i simply can not deal with this much longer...
And im only 3 weeks in.....how pachetic is that?!

 

Had my hearing checked today by the way....I have perfect hearing and no damage in my ears....this does not comfort me though.

 

I think most of us have had those thoughts, the simple fact is it will get better. I know exactly how you feel, I've been there. You have no idea how amazing the brain is, it'll find ways for you to live and ignore the T. It find ways to make T a part of you without bothering you so much. But you need to give it time! Plus! You've only had it for 3 weeks and there was no hearing loss found, you still have the chance of getting rid of the bloody thing.

Kämpa!

 

There is nothing pathetic in tinnitus when it is loud and intrusive @TheDanishGirl The only thing pathetic is the comments that come from people that have no understanding of the condition, or from those that have it mild and have no idea what it's like when it's loud and intrusive. Whenever you're able to, click on the link below and read the article: Tinnitus, A Personal View. You might find it helpful.

Hope you start to feel better soon.
Michael
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/

 

It is really hard to describe "my sound" but I wouldnt call it loud....it is just like....really high pitched in a way that makes it break trough most other sounds, but it is not particually load...i mean....i can hear even faint sounds easily with it.
And thank you....

 

I know you're scared, but I really think you T is just a temporary condition. It is almost unheard of for somebody to just develop permanent T without a reason (injury, accident, illness, long term exposure to noise)
Before the Tinnitus did you start taking any new medication or supplement? Sometime that can have a side effect. Any changes to your diet? Eating new foods? spices?
I know the first month or 2 are really hard and really scary. I'm 8 months in and my T has faded about 75%. I'm hoping I'll be all clear by the 1 year mark.
Right now you need to concentrate on one day at a time, avoid loud noise and try to heal. I believe 100% that you will make a full recovery and have your silence back. Then you can write your success story here to help others. Nobody knows what it's like except the people who go thru it.