New to Tinnitus

Hello,

I have been experiencing Tinnitus for about two weeks. To clarify, I actually believe I have had since around June in my left ear (feeling of fullness, occasionally heard my heartbeat/sound of my blood pulsing in my ear) but it was not terribly bothersome. Since September 1st, I have experienced a much higher pitched, almost constant sound in my right ear. This was after a loud concert plus dealing with my Mom's health issue that resulted in a triple by-pass on 9/6. So far my sleep has been severely interrupted. Worse night yet last night, took a Unisom and woke up a hour and half later when my husband came to bed with the loudest noise yet in my ear and then woke up two more times after that before I got up for the day. Stomach is upset and have already lost six pounds. (Maybe the one positive to date!)

I am a take charge kind of person and already have seen an ENT and had an MRI (waiting on results). I have an appointment with specialists later in the month at a clinic specializing in Tinnitus and Hyperacusis to be further evaluated and to discuss treatment options. Seeing an Acupuncturist this coming Monday. Also have read Rewiring Tinnitus by Glenn Schweitzer and Tinnitus Miracle by Thomas Coleman and documenting all possible actions that may help me deal with the situation and eventually start feeling like myself again.

Focus right now on is on stress/anxiety management via meditation, exercise and acupuncture. Trying to get sleep through noise masking and sleep tablets with not great results due to anxiety related to ability to fall and stay asleep.

My initial questions to the forum are:
1) Did anxiety meds help calm you and provide the patience that will be needed to got through habituation training which I gather can take months to have effect?
2) Are there any Tinnitus community members in the Minnesota Twin Cities area that can recommend a good Therapist/Hypnotherapist that is familiar with Tinnitus an it's effects on well-being?

Thanks in advance for any and all advice!

 

How did the trip to the ENT go, did you have hearing loss?

 

Hi Contrast,

The ENT told me that I had lost some hearing in the higher frequencies but that I tested "normal" for my age. I am going to review with the Tinnitus experts and probably have them retest me. I have read some info that says Tinnitus should be the loudest in a quiet room with your ears plugged, but plugging my left and right ear actually seems to help the volume go down temporarily.

Maybe a hearing aid might help?

 

Hello Staci I too am new to tinnitus, not yet 2 months in. I am glad you found this forum as it gave me the hope and the support I needed from a lot of different people who are united by one element, tinnitus. From what I have read and experienced, the first couple of months are very stressful. You find yourself asking what is this, why me, what is next. As I am new to the world of T. I can only give you insight into the stuff I had to learn right at the start. There are others on this forum who can speak with much greater knowledge about hearing and tinnitus. My t can get so loud I hear it over a car engine on the highway, I hear it when I wake up. What gets me through it is the support and wisdom I have received on this forum with many people telling me, after patiently listening to me, as to what was happening to me and what to expect. For me it was that I had some hopeful signs. So far, their advice has been pretty good, and what I needed.

Everyone knows what you are going through, and you are not alone, you have support at this site. There are others who regularly read, support and answer your questions. Just realize that this site is a world wide site, so if people do not respond right away, it is because they may be on another continent. So when you look for responses and your waiting, give it some time.

As I suspect, you have already been reading the post in the Introduce Yourself and Support sections. You might also want to read the Success Stories section and realize it can give you some hope. These section may help you gain some insight to the various issues and aspects of tinnitus. One issue to take heed of is to be wary of new solutions to your tinnitus, as unfortunately there are anumber of people out there who are looking to take advantage of people, and co-incidently take their money. So if you come across a treatment or solution, post it on this forum asking "What do you know about ...?" and wait for the answers. As of yet, there is no cure for t., there are strategies to deal with it, and for many people it does fade and they are able to live with it, and be active. From what I have heard, acupuncture has had mixed results for different people. Maybe for you it will work, lets hope. I noticed you took Unisom for sleeping, I would post on this site and ask about it. Some medications can have unintended consequences with t. I am not the person to make observations in this area, Glynis is actually really good in this area. Send her a post and ask. My doctor gave my Nortripyline. It will not deal with the t. but it is designed to help with the anxiety, and for me it has been great.

I have been meditating for years and it has come in handy for I can still go to that quiet place by re-focusing my mind. Even when my t. is humming and very angry I can shift my focus away and onto other areas of focus. Have you thought I trying that before you go to bed? Have you ever heard of something called Reiki? It is energy work and it fits into meditation. You should look into it. The Reiki by-itself will not cure the t., but if you learn how to do Reiki, you can practise self-Reiki energy work on yourself, and this can have a very quieting affect on you, especially if you focus your work on your head. If there is not a Reiki person in your neighbourhood, find a meditation group, and ask the organizer, or find a bookstore that sells literature on mediation and such, and inquire there.

On the things that helped me navigate the world of t., there have been a number of 'things' one should be aware of. From what I have started to learn is that loud noise = bad (so at the start listen to your music at a lower volume and movies can be loud so be wary and keep the volume down), head phones = bad, ear protection = good (ear plugs or ear muffs or a combination of), being aware and not letting your guard down, e.g., going into a loud restaurant or coffee shop without ear protection and thinking it will be ok = not good, realizing and having and believing in your future and hope = good.

How do you get off the vicious cycle of t = anxiety which ='s more t which ='s more anxiety, and so on, and the endless loop continues especially when you are trying to sleep. Meditation and Reiki I have mentioned above.I have been finding that it is time which helps, as you do, believe it or not, learn to deal with it over time. It comes down to how you look at it, easier said then done. For me, when I go to bed I have some music playing in the background, just below your T to help me sleep. That means you can hear it but it does not drown our your t.. It has helped me tremendously, and I know a number of other people on this forum also have it playing at night. I have found on the internet Tinnitus Sound Therapy music. I listened to different music, some spoke to me, some didn't. I have it on during the day, and at night I take my laptop into my bedroom and play it overnight (some of the sites go for 8 to 10 hours). If you look on the tinnitus talk forum home page, about half way down to the right you will see a bar titled Audio Player. You can click on it to get an idea about the different sounds used in tinnitus sound therapy, or you can play this during the night as it continuously loops. Try different sites to see if they have adifferent impact. It is hard at the start, but it will get easier as you learn to habituate to it. Unforutnately it takes time, and at the start, it is hard to see.

It is important, and much easier to say than do, to learn to focus your attention from the screaming in your ear. One approach of many could be to shift your focus. It is amazing how it begins to disappear when your attention is elsewhere. Yes, it is easy to say, not always easy to do, but with some practise and focus you can do it. I would recommend you see your doctor and perhaps an audiologist. Tinnitus unforunately has no cure, and the first couple of months are important, so by seeing them they may be able to provide you with information specifically about your situation.

At the start, and for the first couple of months, for some the t. is fairly consistent, while for others it can fluctuate a little or a lot. From what I am learning is that it may stay at one volume at the start (for a month or 2) and then it may fluctuate, or it my also fluctuate at the start as well, both can be considered frustrating, but neither are unusual. From what I have learned in a number of cases it does get better, but that is where others can share their greater wisdon on this. This condition appears to be as unique as are finger prints and while people may have similiar stories, there are unique qualities to each individual. My t. has fluctuated over the past 2 months, sometimes it is very loud and other times I can't hear it (the not hear it times are sadly far between). If your symptons don't fit into other peoples descriptions, it is just the nature of the beast. As I said I am new myself so I focus on the importance of support and hope at this important entry time to the world of T. as I call it. Coffee Girl, Bill B., Fishbone, Micheal L., Glnyis, Greg among others who have a lot of good ideas, and more experience than I do.

Best of luck and I hope this helps you deal with the world of t., a world no one wants to enter but enter it we have. Remember the start is the hardest and most challenging, but from what I have read there is room for optimism.
John CC

 

John CC,

Thank you so much for the thoughtful reply.

Since I first reached out there have been a couple of good days and one pretty bad one (today). After my best day yet yesterday, I had a tough night with little sleep and received my MRI results (no physical cause for my T). Received this while driving to an event and T noise just got louder and louder. Probably due to my anxiety of knowing that I am in for a long-haul to find out how to cope. Event was at a winery where there was noisy machinery and lots of folks talking loudly. Made T even louder and I had to take off early. Wish I had read your post before this evening as I would not have gone or would have worn ear protection! Was in a panic on the way home and stopped by the Audiologist clinic that I have an appointment with next Wednesday and, in tears, begged for a new a closer appointment. To my relief, they were able to get me in a few days earlier.

Had my first appointment with the acupuncturist, but know that will take some time, if it helps at all. Also adjusted my spine, hope that did not make the sounds louder. Taking daily walks or working in the yard has been the best part of each day since the sounds started as they are so low, I do not notice and can relax. Worried about the onset of winter when I will lose the ability to walk outdoors. Talking with family has also eased some stress. Trying to stay busy as when I am, noises are much softer or I do not take notice.

Definitely will keep up with the sound apps, they do help. Listening to "air conditioner" as I write this and T has settled down to a noise level I can deal with. I think I can deal with the constant noise if it just does not get so loud/insistent.

Need to get a GP and will look into anti-anxiety meds. I have not had any major health issues in the past, which was a blessing, but feel like I am less equipped to deal with this new complex, life-changing item.

So far, two times I have taken Unisom have not come out well. Seems to make T worse so going to try hard tonight to get myself to sleep through listening to comforting sounds (but not too loud as all have advised

Thank you for the advice on meditation, relieving my anxiety until I get a handle on what methods work best for me to deal will be key to keep on carrying on. Did it take you long to learn how to meditate? Just wondering what to expect in terms of being able to "get in the zone".

Thank you so much for the support. It sounds like you are doing fairly well and I wish you continued success in your efforts to adjust and live life to the fullest again. Please feel free to reach out at anytime. Trying to make connections with people that have a positive attitude and will gladly be there to support when a challenging day comes around on your side.

 

Hearing aid's usually do help but i'd make the better investment in something that would be a cure and save money on future therapeutics that might reverse hearing loss and not not just a $5000 microphone/equalizer that goes inside the ear. AKA hearing aid

 

" 1) Did anxiety meds help calm you and provide the patience that will be needed to got through habituation training which I gather can take months to have effect? "

For Tinnitus sufferers there are several issues we have to learn how to manage. And anxiety is one of those. Everybody's emotional fabric is different and to deal with anxiety you will chose along with your doctor an initial strategy. However, the patience that you want will not happen overnight. It will be a "trial and error" process where you learn what works and what doesn't work for you, until you get it right.

The first months with Tinnitus are the worst, but eventually the anxiety will subside and you will be feeling and sleeping much better.

 

Staci -- update? Did you take any anti-anxiety meds?