Posting Out of Desperation

This is my first post here. I’m not sure what to say.. This started a little over a month ago. Used a bead blaster at my job as a tire guy. Have used this tool numerous times before, no issues. I never wear ear protection. So stupid of me in hindsight. I’ve been ringing and had a dial tone this whole time. I’ve never dealt with a monster like this. I have mental issues already, and this just exacerbated it 100 fold.

I’ve lost 13 lbs, can’t hardly sleep, I pace every single night now. Anxiety that has literally dropped me to my knees. Awful thoughts in my head. I’ve cried more in this past month, than my whole life combined. Hopeless, scared, exhausted already. And it’s only just begun.

I want my life back. Tinnitus has been my biggest mistake so far.

 

Tinnitus can be very scary when it first happens. Your body can't get away from the sound and it goes into a fight or flight mode.
13 years ago I was exposed to a very loud piece of machinery for about 45 minutes. I don't know your specifics but I can almost guarantee my exposure was louder and longer than the bead blaster (I'm guessing the bead blaster was about 110 Decibels for less than 10 minutes exposure)

My tinnitus was absolutely screaming loud with pain, fullness and pressure. It totally faded away in about 2 years.
IMO you will probably recover from this, but your ears take a long time to heal. You will probably start seeing some improvement in 3-6 months, but full recover could take 2 years or longer.
At this point I would not recommend going to an ENT for any procedures, as they can sometimes make things worse, and the only treatment for acoustic trauma T at this point is time.

Many of us here know how you feel, tinnitus can bring the "toughest" person to cry like a baby. There is no shame in that.
It will be a long tough road, but your tinnitus should fade significantly in the next 12-18 months

 

Thinking back to my first month after onset, I can relate.

For some hope and advice, check out
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...eone-else-who-has-tinnitus.26850/#post-307822

 

@Stigma82

I'm sorry this happened to you. Are you talking about the air tank used to quickly fill tires? Those things can get loud. It sounds like you have acoustic trauma from that sound. I wouldn't be surprised if you have some noise induced hearing loss from listening to impact guns and banging at work.

It's really hard the first few months. If you read my first thread you'll see what a mess I was as well. Eventually you get more used to the noise and hopefully it will start to go away. Like @jjflyman says it can take a long time to go away but search the site for some hope. There are many people on the site who were exposed to a gunshot, another form of acoustic trauma, and things got better with time.

The greatest healer with t is time and it's going to take some. Try to be patient and hopefully improvement will come.

 

@Stigma82

I've been suffering with tinnitus for the last 3 1/2 months after cutting metal with a grinder. I promise you, you are not alone in feeling panic, losing sleep, feeling hopeless, scared, etc.

But, like others have said, it will get better. It will fade with time AND you will get used to it, which will, in turn, help you start to ignore it and not let it bother you. But number one above all, you need to focus on getting better sleep. The lack of sleep makes the situation exponentially worse.

I suggest you do the following things ASAP:

1. If you don't have a noise machine that creates a variety of sounds to mask the tinnitus at night, get one. I use this one and it's very reliable:
https://www.amazon.com/Adaptive-Sou...&qid=1545358259&sr=1-7&keywords=noise+machine

2. Download the ReSound Tinnitus Relief app for your phone. Please note that it's $6.99/mo to subscribe to it, but it's an amazing app IMO. It has so many sounds and coping resources, you might find it really helps you. I cannot describe how much this app has helped me.

3. If the noise machine isn't enough, this pillow speaker has really been helping me stay asleep. I actually stream custom sounds from the ReSound app from my phone through it all night.
https://www.amazon.com/Sangean-PS-3...qid=1545358876&sr=8-4&keywords=pillow+speaker

4. Take Melatonin. I take 5mg a 1/2 hour before bedtime and it's been helping me stay asleep.

I hope this helps! Hopefully others will chime in, too.

 

most of us are depressed. be strong brother. we're in this together.

 

Have you tried smaller doses? 5 mg is a giant dose.

 

3 mg works just about right for me, but I have a friend who takes 15 mg before going to bed. If she wakes up in the middle of the night, she takes another 15 mg! She said she's read that some people take as much as 50-60 mg, and also that she's never felt anything negative from taking her 15-30.

 

Whenever I take an amount that is larger than a couple of grains of sand, I feel drowsy and completely exhausted the next day (I feel as if I haven't slept the entire night).

 

@Bill Bauer Sometimes I cut them in half. I do feel drowsy in the morning sometimes if I take 5mg, but if it's on the weekend, it doesn't matter as much. I'll keep experimenting with it.

 

I was surprised how little of it it takes to get me to fall asleep (and below a certain level I don't feel drowsy the next day).