Really Need Someone to Talk to...

My name is Miriam I recently got tinnitus I am not sure of the cause I just know that I got it while having a conversation with my dad who has tinnitus. I remember my dad talking about how tinnitus has made him be unable to sleep properly or even fully relax due to the constant ringing in his ears when I started imagining what my dad was feeling and imagining what the sound would sound like I automatically end it up hearing that ringing in my ears.

Throughout the day I would not hear the ringing if I don’t think about it but once night time comes the ringing gets really loud which makes me unable to fall asleep.

It has been 4 days that I haven’t been able to sleep I am afraid this ringing is never going to go away I am only 18 years old. I never thought that there would come a day in which I would hate the silence so much that I wished it never existed.

I would really appreciate some advice on how can I be able to sleep better without having to constantly think about the ringing.

 

I'm sorry to hear of your pain, Miriam. Sometimes I wonder myself if I've long had a ring or hiss and just didn't notice it until trauma made me more aware of it.

Everyone deals with T differently and no one can really say for sure whose is harder to manage. Have you tried some kind of white noise? Maybe a nice gentle fan or something that isn't too loud but enough to make you distracted from the ring? Maybe also a moderate sleep aid if your nerves get too bad?

 

I have tried white noise but for some reason I can’t get myself to fully relax in order to fall asleep I have even tried drinking teas that would make me fall asleep but that did not work either I don’t know what to do.

 

I'm sorry, Miriam... Hopefully since you only just noticed this you'll eventually be able to let it fade into the background like before... Also, who knows what might happen? If you protect your ears and avoid loud situations it may even fade with time... Stress and anxiety also heighten your awareness of the ringing so it becomes this awful feedback loop. Easier said than done though managing that. Believe me, I know.

Maybe some other members can chime in...

 

@miriam123 Hi Miriam!

I think your biggest priority right now is to get your stress/anxiety down. If that means going to a doctor or a therapist then that will be your best option. Also try to do things that make you happy during the day or tired by the end of the day. Anything to increase that seratonin and decrease your stress. Stress and anxiety increase tinnitus or at least the perception of it.

As for sleep, may I recommend some melatonin tablets? That's what I take to help me fall asleep. No more than 5mg though or it may not work.

And finally, it might take awhile but I know that you are gonna be okay.

 

There is a high chance that in the next 3-6-12-24 months your T will fade (and even disappear).

For more statistics about the likelihood of recovery, see tip 1 on
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...eone-else-who-has-tinnitus.26850/#post-307822

Have you ever had this (symptoms as a result of stress) happen to you before? If not, you might consider seeing a doctor and possibly getting an MRI to rule out disease as the cause of your T.

 

I agree with the suggestion of trying Melatonin. Also try masking it with more soothing nature sounds instead of just white noise.

 

Do check out all of the tips on
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...itus-recently-this-info-will-be-useful.25741/
as some of the tips are about what you could do to improve your sleep.

 

Melatonin truly works for me, at just a very low dose.
I have a 2mg tablet (called Circadin, over here)
and halve it with a pill cutter, so I use just 1 mg which gives me a good six hours sleep, with no side effects.

 

@miriam123 Teas, white noise and relaxing music don't work for me either. What does work is a tiny bit of melatonin. Start with 1 mg and give it about 45 minutes to kick in. Try it and let us know how it works! If you live in the US you can buy it almost anywhere, but I think it is prescription in other countries.

Also, see a doctor about getting the anxiety under control. That is easier said than done, but you should at least address it. It's hard to find support for tinnitus, but there are plenty of treatments for anxiety.

 

Hi Miriam. I had tinnitus 15 years ago. I think noise related, but not positive. At that time, I had "medical" acupuncture by a highly rated neurologist. I could not sleep at night, as it was so loud. After the acupuncture, the decibels were reduced and it became rhythmic, like your heartbeat. I did have to lay on my hand at night for some time with the fan on, but it definitely has been gone for 15 years. There have been recent studies that show that acupuncture is effective and talks about the rhythm--just make sure you have a medical or a functional medicine physician. My neurologist studied overseas. The VA has some studies, using it for tinnitus with much success. There is another study--several out there--acupunctureintegrated.com/articles/tinnitus that talks about great success with electroacupuncture. The study does not include those with hypothyroid, as there are different causes for tinnitus. My tinnitus returned on February 24th after being off of my thyroid replacement. I haven't fully recovered, but I am learning a lot--right now listening to Christian music all night with the fan on--don't want to habituate to the sound. Most mainstream physicians only do TSH and Free T4 and mine was not happy about ordering a full thyroid panel, but did. Free T3 is the most active in your body, which most physicians won't do. There is a new branch of medicine, called functional medicine from The Cleveland Clinic that realizes that we all don't fit into the same "normal" range and most are not even being tested for thyroid antibodies or T3--you need a whole thyroid panel and have a good functional MD to appropriately treat. Dr. Mark Hyman and Dr. Isabela Wentz might be 2 people you want to research or just Google top functional medicine doctors. I haven't specifically seen either one talk of tinnitus, but more of gut/brain inflammation. And of course, all the latest research points to the brain for tinnitus. Just wanted to mention gluten, too, as they are saying that is part of the autoimmune disorders like hypothyroid. Depression, anxiety and tinnitus are related to the thyroid--quick Google search--Hypothyroid mom is another good site for me. This is such a shattering experience, believe me I know. I hope that some of this helps you and others. Thoughts and prayers for all of us suffering through this.

 

What you really really need to do is not tune into it. I know exactly how hard that is but by tuning in to it your telling your brain hey this noise is important and so your brain thinks hey he wants to hear this noise ill push it to the front of his mind. If you ignore the T as much as possible your telling your brain hey this noise is junk i dont need to be conscious of it. Dont monitor it, just anything to create new pathways and memories in your brain. Find anything to do that will occupy your mind with something more important, make it highly important. Im playing my guitar solid at the moment and singing out loud because i think the key to me winning this battle now lies in the re wiring my brain.

 

Hi, I have had T for 20 years. Now developed PT which is a bit nerve racking. It is loud hissing, and revving sound of a motorbike at standstill and now heartbeat and pulse. I also have panic attacks. I don't use any white noise at night. I use a ticking clock and sing songs in my head to its tick - and just go with the flow as I have got used to it. If you give it too much attention it gets over bossy - you have to tell it to do one and the sound will diminish, promise. I also felt better about it when I googled up famous people who have it. I remember seeing Francis Rossi from Status Quo talking about it and he said it never leaves him but he is totally used to it. Cher is another sufferer. Loads of others also - just makes you realise you are not alone. Keep pushing it backwards - don't let it cross the line coz you are the boss. Can be done.

 

Hi. I’m pretty new to tinnitus. I’m having a terrible time falling and staying asleep. When I do doze it’s the light dreaming stage. I can’t get to the deep refreshing sleep when you’re oblivious. Had a better night last night by doing the following.

I turn off the TV an hour before bedtime and read in a softly lit room listening to a tinnitus masking app. When I started getting sleepy I turned on my sound pillow. White noise works best for me. I downloaded the Mindfulness app and did a 15 minute relaxation session while laying in bed to relax. I had taken a Melatonin but I can’t tell it helps. I was still awake at 12:30 so turned the TV on for a few without sound. I turned it off and fell asleep for 5 hours! That’s huge as I was staying awake all night. So this type of bedtime routine might help you. They are so right about trying to get the anxiety under control.

Days are much easier because of all the outside stimulus. I have found a drop of peppermint oil rubbed around my ear and a bit under my nose helps the morning T which is usually a little worse. The tingling from it on the skin around the ear and the fragrance under my nose draws my mind there instead of to the T. An early evening walk seems to lessen the intensity as that is my second worse time of day.

Ignoring tinnitus is hard. It’s really about reading what has worked for others and seeing if it works for you. I also do a short meditation whenever I feel myself getting tense. I have a long way to go but I’m beginning to believe it’s doable.