I have heard that tinnitus can improve with alcohol. Is this true? I really need help getting sleep at night.
Should I Start Drinking?
- Thread starter dakotafred
- Start date
it's the other way around, it'll spike your tinnitus by a few decibel for a few hours but nothing drastic.
MemberYea, sometimes it affects my T, sometimes not..either way, nothing crazy..however, prob not a good habit to get into, but I a sure you already know that 
Alcohol affects different people in different ways. In my case, a drink or two seems to make the tinnitus fade into the background. Perhaps I simply notice it less as I relax. In any case, a drink will certainly not lead to a permanent spike. I would be wary of drinking to excess, however. Not only is this bad for your health in general, it tends to lead to poor sleeps, which in turn will likely worsen your tinnitus.
-Golly
-Golly
Dont be dependent on alcohol..if you need help getting to sleep go to the doc and either get on anixety meds or sleep meds for now.. I drink probably 1-2 times a week for fun with friends and my T has never increased but i guess it depends on the person.
- Apr 18, 2013
- 1,633
- Tinnitus Since
- 2003
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Flu, Noise-induced, Jaw trauma
The title of the thread did make me laugh, I did a double take as people generally ask the opposite.
The thing about alcohol is that it can seem a solution, but it will only ever be in the short term. The more you drink, the more you depend on it. And it messes your nervous system up with continued drinking so that your anxiety response will increase.
I drank a lot at one time of life to try and silence it. When I was drunk I was fine with the T, but you can't just stay permanently drunk. The hangover just amplified it for me.
So like everyone says, moderation is the key.
The thing about alcohol is that it can seem a solution, but it will only ever be in the short term. The more you drink, the more you depend on it. And it messes your nervous system up with continued drinking so that your anxiety response will increase.
I drank a lot at one time of life to try and silence it. When I was drunk I was fine with the T, but you can't just stay permanently drunk. The hangover just amplified it for me.
So like everyone says, moderation is the key.
I would not try drinking. Okay, it might help you sleep, but it is not a long-term solution. You may drink more once you become more tolerant, and that will end up doing you more harm than good. It could lead to other health problems.
Is the T keeping you up at night or is it the anxiety? Have you tried playing sounds to distract your mind from the noise. That worked for me when I had difficulty. Or perhaps try medication, but only after speaking with your doctor.
Usually if we are not anxious about our T we don't mind it. I remember that even the sounds I used to mask kept me up. So one night I forced myself to think of other things. My mind would go back to worrying about the T, and I had to actively think, "No, don't focus on that, think about this..." It was a hard task, but it worked and I managed to fall asleep. I now fall asleep without maskers. I think my T is probably lower than other people's, but I have stopped worrying about it (most of the time anyway...sometimesit does get me down). Once we stop getting anxious about it, we tend not to be bothered about it when we're sleeping.
Is the T keeping you up at night or is it the anxiety? Have you tried playing sounds to distract your mind from the noise. That worked for me when I had difficulty. Or perhaps try medication, but only after speaking with your doctor.
Usually if we are not anxious about our T we don't mind it. I remember that even the sounds I used to mask kept me up. So one night I forced myself to think of other things. My mind would go back to worrying about the T, and I had to actively think, "No, don't focus on that, think about this..." It was a hard task, but it worked and I managed to fall asleep. I now fall asleep without maskers. I think my T is probably lower than other people's, but I have stopped worrying about it (most of the time anyway...sometimesit does get me down). Once we stop getting anxious about it, we tend not to be bothered about it when we're sleeping.
I re-read your post, @dakotafred. While I stand by the contents of my earlier post, I do not recommend alcohol as a sleep aid. Try some herbal teas (perhaps passionflower). If that fails, discuss options with your doctor. Remeron is an antidepressant with a sedative side effect in low doses. Several among us use it to ensure a good sleep.
-Golly
Benadryl is my go to sleep aid. As for alcohol? I love a few beers now and then. The T isn't taking that away from me.
- Jun 26, 2014
- 2,264
- Tinnitus Since
- 11/2013
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Drugs barotrauma
I drink constantly, I think it spikes my T very slightly but it relaxes me so I guess it's a trade off. Like Steve says, the hangovers are tough. I don't sleep very well, pass out but then wake up every 20 min all night with anxiety.
As far as staying drunk all the time, no you can't do it but you can stay buzzed most the time. I drink as soon as I get out of bed. Weird the shit we do to get through a day with T and H. I was a health buff prior to T and H, I would have never dreamed I would live like this.
I'm not happy doing this but it gets me through another day of ear pain and suffering. I would rather get by on booze than take something like retigabine.
As far as staying drunk all the time, no you can't do it but you can stay buzzed most the time. I drink as soon as I get out of bed. Weird the shit we do to get through a day with T and H. I was a health buff prior to T and H, I would have never dreamed I would live like this.
I'm not happy doing this but it gets me through another day of ear pain and suffering. I would rather get by on booze than take something like retigabine.
