Searching for Relief

Been struggling since the middle 90's after ear infections in both ears due to wax build up with a high pitched "whine" in both ears. Recently the volume of the tinnitus seems to be getting louder and louder, making falling asleep virtually impossible at times. I'm 60 yrs old and initially when I developed the condition I was sent to an ENT and was told "Yep you have a mild case of tinnitus, go home, cuz there's nothing we can do to treat it" I've seen all the gimmicks and supposed solutions for curing this condition but I know that it can't be done.

I've resorted to using masking techniques to help over time years, (fan, low volume music) to help trick my hearing into mitigating the ringing, but it just hasn't been working lately. I'm spending more and more nights laying awake with this virtual siren going off in my head, I'm just searching for any suggestion or potential solutions to alleviate the loudness. Again I know there's no cure (unless someone is hiding this secret) so should I be pressing my Primary doctor for sleep medications? I'm sort of getting desperate to be able to get more than 1-2 hours of uninterrupted sleep. It usually only happens when I'm exhausted after being awake for 30 or more hours.

P.S. I should mention that the whine is in the 11,000hz range.

 

@BartmanLA : There are all sorts of drugs out there that are good for sleep; benzo’s, sleeping pills, and different sorts of anti depressants, if that’s the road you want to go down. You have had tinnitus since the 90s, and have done pretty well with it until recently. Maybe it is a temporary spike that might dissipate. Pills offer their own set of problems. I would give it more time.

 

A couple of glasses (maybe three, what the hell) of double whiskey and you'll be sleeping like a baby for hours.
Sleep medications have a very short half life so you'll be waking up and re-dosing in the middle of the night. Plus, they are way less fun and equally dangerous to alcohol - and more addictive.

 

@BartmanLA : Read some of the forums. You might come across something that pertains to your situation.

 

Zopiclone is good for sleep IMO.