Scared — Had a Spike and I'm New to This

Hi ,

I am relatively new to T. Two months in now. Apart from no sleep I was finally doing better . T was very quiet and I was less depressed and anxious overall. I was actually hoping to be one of the lucky ones Dr Nagler references for whom T resolves in the first few months. I use sound therapy and again, doing quite well with the exception of sleeping,which has more to do with my anxiety I think than my T. Although I do wake up dreaming of ringing in my ears and convinced it was happening. Then I would go into the bathroom and it would be gone. So I was imagining it. So bizarre. I wonder if that happens to anyone? Or am I going crazy?

Anyway, I have been good at using ear plugs on the train and at any thing / place where I thought the noise level was too high. I was even avoiding using a blow dryer and wore ear plugs to my son's hockey games. Then my ENT and audiologist told me to stop overprotecting my ears. That I would only succeed in making my T worse and my ears sensitive. Btw, my T has never been reactive and I do not have H. I also do not have hearing loss at the levels at which they test. And I have not experienced a sense of loss either. So their collective advice was to use ear protection in any situation where you have to raise your voice to be heard. I had months ago purchased tickets to an ice show for my kids that was last night. I had even told my audiologist about the show and she cautioned me again not to overprotect my ears. So I brought my ear plugs and assessed the noise level. It was not that bad. We did not have to raise our voices to be heard and it seemed fine. I plugged ears during loud applause but that was it. Then about 40 minutes into the show I noticed my T. I knew I was in trouble because I never would hear it over even most conversation. It happened during a performance to a piano piece that seemed louder than the rest. Anyway ear plugs went right in for the rest of the show.

Now I am beating myself up for being so stupid. And I followed medical advice!!! I am back to being an anxious mess with a pit in my stomach. And really no sleep. I can really only recall two spikes in past and they lasted only a few minutes if that. What can I expect from a spike? Will my T go back to baseline? I am hoping I did not make myself worse. I had already resigned myself to the fact that I can never go to a concert again or pro sports game. So now all shows and plays are out? Really? I am supposed to go to a musical play in a month with my co- workers and am seriously considering not going and eating the cost of the ticket.


Any feedback/ advice / experience would be appreciated.

Btw, the cause of my at is likely many. Loud ACDC concert, ETD and TMJ.

Many thanks and sorry for the length.

Danielle

 

I have had a lot of spikes for being to restaurants or moderately places. It usually resolves after a good night's sleep. Apart from the typical fleeting tinnitus that lasts minutes and is ridiculously loud.

If your T is noise induced you should be careful, most people will tell you that spikes from moderately loud events are temporary. Just try to calm down, sleep and relax, this works for me. Btw mine is stress induced, reactive and it's a bastard, but I'm starting to know how it works and act in consequence.

 

Most people here would have told you the same thing i.e. it is a bad idea to over protect your ears. I am really sorry you had a bad spike. T is unpredictable.

 

Hi Danielle,
Your condition sounds like mine. Loud music and a noisy jaw when I was a teenager.
I quickly noticed in the title of your post, and your post itself, that you're hopeful, cautious, and curious.
I came here lookeing for advice too, and found a good remedy that has helped 99% even after all these years. I've had T since 1974. A few people here are trying this easy-to-do 'Back To Silence' method. Two friends of mine in town here are doing it and one fellow is already having good improvement. I started doing it a year ago and the T has almost totally left my head, or rather, I'm trained myself to not hear it. You have to be hopeful, and do it correctly. It's OK if you are anxious or fearful. It's been a miracle for me. - - -
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/back-to-silence.7172/

 

Wearing ear plugs for sports event, public transportation or concerts is not ''overprotecting'' your ears. The levels of sound of those situations are not normal sounds human auditory systems should be subjected to. Sure in most people nothing will ever come out of it, but if you have auditory related problems already, it's best not to assume you'll be one of those who will end up fine.

The field of audiology is laughably behind the times.

 

Spikes are quite common in our T journey. Sometimes there are causes and sometimes T just want to screw us up. It is an unpredictable beast. So I gave up trying to figure its pattern out nor try to tip toe around it. Most spikes will settle to baseline after a while. The more calm and positive you are, the more likely the hyperactive neurons will settle down. Make sure you have good sleep, drink lots of water, perhaps take supplements like NAC, Magnesium, Zinc, B12, D3 etc Hope you will get better soon.