Positive Attitude, Tinnitus for 10 Years

I've had tinnitus for around 10 years now. Being a drummer, I'm fairly confident it's due to noise and stress. Recently, it has once again come back with a vengeance and it's not any easier for me than when it first onset. Although I am once again obsessed with it, I realize it's an unhealthy behavior which I'm trying to control through meditation, medication, and relaxation.

I have 30 dB hearing loss at 4-8 kHz in both ears. My predominant tinnitus tone is around 14 kHz in my left ear. Rarely it may go quiet for a day. Other days it's louder than the shower. I have no idea why. Both ears have multiple tones but they are not nearly as bothersome as the 14 kHz tone.

I have eustachian tube disfunction with some type of random popping. I have bad neck posture (aka 'nerd neck') which I'm working on. Maybe solving these problems will help alleviate the tinnitus.

I have thyroid issues I'm trying to solve. I had a parathyroid issue when tinnitus first onset 10 years ago. Maybe the strange thyroid fluctuations are related to tinnitus... who knows...

I use white noise, rain sounds, etc... to assist with masking the tinnitus for sleeping purposes. It has been the most effective thing by far. Sometimes I may listen to the sink run or use a white noise app on my phone which gives a little bit of relief during the day.

The idea of neuroplasticity I believe is true. I feel if the mind can relax enough to be able to focus on the tinnitus without causing distress eventually the mind will adjust. I don't believe this an overnight process. It takes courage, patience, and perseverance.

I believe it's very important to reach out to friends and family for dealing with this condition. This condition which lately feels like the end of the world I do believe will get better as I grow stronger mentally through the help of friends and family.

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask.

 

Welcome to the forum and thank you for the positive post. Yes masking with white noise or any favored sounds will help. It saved me from anxieties.

 

Have you worked as a drummer over the past 10 years?

 

Yes, I took a break for around 7 years then started performing again after the tinnitus reduced in volume. The tinnitus became quiet and very manageable to the point where I no longer needed white noise to sleep. I thought the tinnitus was going away. So I started playing out again using hearing protection. Now that my tinnitus has became much louder I no longer play other than very quiet practice on muffled surfaces like pillows/pads. My tinnitus is now sometimes louder than ever now. It fluctuates in volume dramatically.

 

Do you have any idea why it became louder? Did it become louder several days after you taking an ototoxic drug or being exposed to a loud noise, or did it gradually get louder?

 

Strange as it sounds I noticed a drop in barometric pressure would cause a spike in my left ear. Eventually the spikes became more frequent and had nothing to do with the barometer.

I sought treatment and was given antibiotics for what was presumed to be a middle ear infection. To my surprise the weeks-long spike completely subsided. However, a few months later the same spike returned.

Again I tried an antibiotic but this time it didn't work. I did receive a kenalog shot which worked for about a day.

Although rarely the tinnitus tone almost completely disappears, instances of this are becoming less and less frequent.

 

Have you had a blood test to check your thyroid levels? If low, maybe you need more iodine. But check with your doctor.

 

I had a thyroidectomy in 2010. Lately my thyroid levels have been off. High tsh (14.5), normal t3 & t4.

 

When did it become quiet? After how much time? And did it initially feel it was getting worse before becoming quiet?

 

Gradually it became quieter. In 2017 it was no longer bothersome. Early 2019 I could sometimes put my head on a pillow with my bad t ear facing down and barely hear it. Occasional spikes would occur at that time but they were few and far between.

When it first onset 10 years ago the tinnitus just showed up one day and never left. I dont recall it getting worse before it became quiet. It seems like it's much worse since it has returned.

 

So it took like 7 years to become quiet? (Not bothersome)? What was the level when it started in 2010?

 

Yes, it took me around 7 years before it was not bothersome. I don't have a good reference for the volume when it started in 2010. I recall it was always possible to drown out the t by running the sink. Today in 2019 this works most of the time but sometimes it's still audible even over a running shower which is significantly louder than the sink.

 

Hi @Cernuto, just been reading some of your posts. Our situations are quite similar. I had tinnitus for a long time and once habituated was very comfortable living with it. But eventually a spike from over zealous headphone use (fellow musician here) pushed the tinnitus to a new level where I realised that what I'd been living with for circa 28 years was pretty mild by comparison.

Like you, I do believe things will get better over time even though this last 4 years has been a long road. Tinnitus is a strange beast, a shower sometimes can't mask yours but can always mask mine (at least for now), however, I think my hearing profile is worse than yours, which would suggest I should experience louder tinnitus.

Similarly, I get good days and not so good. Today is quite loud but Saturday was blissfully quiet. What a difference. I do think you're right that we can grow stronger mentally by reaching out to friends and family (my mum suffers with tinnitus and is always good for a chat). And a positive mental attitude is everything. Glad to hear you're still drumming - even if it is only pillows.

 

Musician here. I do audio/production/guitar for a living and I feel like just breaking down. Thanks for your post, it's nice to read something positive while I search the internet endlessly for a cure for this invisible demon.