Newbie here!

Hi everyone!

So after the last 9 weeks, which have seemed like the longest and worst of my life, I stumbled on this forum. It's great by the way!

9 weeks ago I was cleaning my ear with a cotton bud (I know, I know) I was distracted momentarily and I went to grab something from a shelf above my head. In the process I struck the cotton bud with the inside of my forearm and it went deep into my ear. I perforated the eardrum (according to the ENT the hole was 1/3 the size of the whole eardrum). The force of the impact knocked me to the ground and the tinnitus was there immediately. The eardrum was patched and after about 5 weeks the hole closed. I had a CT scan because of the pain. It showed damage to the middle and inner ear (fluid/swelling). But fortunately no damage to the bones. I have lost some hearing from 3 kHz and upwards.

But I guess as is common with most of you, I could live with the hearing loss but not the tinnitus.

I've tried masking which is useless as I need my iPod on really loud. I've tried acupuncture (4 sessions so far), Chinese herbs, hypnotherapy and even a spiritual healer. I've just started TRT as well.

I know it's early on (it only happened 9 weeks ago) but I am going crazy. My T is so loud and constant from the moment I wake to the moment I get to sleep). It's affecting my work (small, quiet office) and, worse still, my marriage. It's the only topic of conversation in my house.

Does anyone have a similar experience to me? I keep clinging on to the hope that once the ear mends properly the tinnitus will stop. But I'm starting to feel like the ear has nearly mended. It no longer feels as 'blocked' as it did. So I'm scared that I'm going to be left with the tinnitus forever.

I look forward (I think!) to hearing what you guys have to say. Thanks!

 

T takes time. I have it for a year. In the beginning the sound was an 8 and I was going crazy. But now it's a two. My sister-in-law also had T last year and after 6 months it just went away. SOme never get rid of it. I have done acupuncture, the ipod, etc. WHat has helped me the most is diet-no tea or MSG (which is in everything you but that is canned, boxed, jarred, or frozen0 and spices. Then I added some homeopathic meds for T (graphites and ring formula by Newton) with Primrose oil and lipoflavanoids. And time. Best of luck.

 

Your TRT therapist will have mentioned this for sure, but you've also created an anxiety cycle; since the accident you've awakened an acute awareness of what you can hear, and so learned to focus a lot of attention on it. You've been wanting to get well (back to how you were before), and so you check the status everyday - this means listening for it. You can hear it, so you worry. This all goes around in a cycle.

The CBT aspect of your TRT will help you deal with this, and I can assure you there are better times ahead, and a time when you spend whole days forgetting what you can hear.

 

Hi Ritchie and welcome.

No, I have not punctured my ear drum. Just plain old tinnitus with no apparent reason yet. Had all the tests. Could be from blood pressure medication changes or just plain old stress. Who the heck knows.

I totally understand the anxiety you are experiencing. So sorry. Nasty business this condition.

I have been doing Reflexercise now for a bit over a week. If you try this and give it a week, I bet you will start to calm. It is a simple exercise, but you MUST do this every hour or more for the first couple of days and then it's up to you to practice it when you either feel like it or remember.

One suggestion about the protocol. I had trouble with biting my tongue., so I used the other method of relaxing the jaw. Hold your tongue on the roof of your mouth just behind your front teeth. The position is where you place your tongue when you say the letter "n"... that is the only difference.

Here is the thread for this method. Reflexercise. https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/reflexercise™.620/

It has made a big difference in my stress levels in just one week.

Feel free to give me some feedback is you decide to try this free method.

You are not alone in this.