Spike Nightmare, Tinnitus Very Loud — Could Stress Cause This? Or Was It Diazepam's Fault?

[El BUZZ]

My tinnitus has been really loud for two weeks now. Spike, permanent worsening... I don't know. I have spent this two weeks really worried about it. I use an app (Resound Gn) to mask it at night for 30 minutes before falling asleep. It perfectly masks my tinnitus at a relatively low volume with some gentle cicadas sounds.

So I fell asleep last night then started to have a nightmare in which I was on a bus and my tinnitus was insanely loud... I mean INSANELY. I woke up all of the sudden and found that it was my tinnitus sounding that way what had awake me up. Sound was really high pitched and loud. Never had it like this before. Got my phone and played the app. Wasn't able to even barely mask it despite being at max volume. Panicked. My mind got filled by really nasty thoughts. Was about to have a Diazepam but have read they are ototoxic and perhaps that's the reason for my spike/worsening (two weeks ago had a bad back and took them twice a day for five days, 5 mg each pill).

Decided to relax and somehow managed to fall asleep. Had vivid dreams again but no tinnitus in them. Just woke up now and tinnitus seems a bit less intrusive bad but still louder than ever.

Is stress/anxiety over my possible spike/worsening causing me this? Should I ask for help? I am completely scared that thing would show up to be my new normal. Baseline is already hard to cope with.

 

[Digital Doc]

Did anything happen in the last 2 weeks? Stress can cause a spike, but not often this loud. Using the masking app at max volume does not seem like a good idea.

 

[fishbone]

My tinnitus has been really loud for two weeks now. Spike, permanent worsening... I don't know. I have spent this two weeks really worried about it. I use an app (Resound Gn) to mask it at night for 30 minutes before falling asleep. It perfectly masks my tinnitus at a relatively low volume with some gentle cicadas sounds.

So I fell asleep last night then started to have a nightmare in which I was on a bus and my tinnitus was insanely loud... I mean INSANELY. I woke up all of the sudden and found that it was my tinnitus sounding that way what had awake me up. Sound was really high pitched and loud. Never had it like this before. Got my phone and played the app. Wasn't able to even barely mask it despite being at max volume. Panicked. My mind got filled by really nasty thoughts. Was about to have a Diazepam but have read they are ototoxic and perhaps that's the reason for my spike/worsening (two weeks ago had a bad back and took them twice a day for five days, 5 mg each pill).

Decided to relax and somehow managed to fall asleep. Had vivid dreams again but no tinnitus in them. Just woke up now and tinnitus seems a bit less intrusive bad but still louder than ever.

Is stress/anxiety over my possible spike/worsening causing me this? Should I ask for help? I am completely scared that thing would show up to be my new normal. Baseline is already hard to cope with.

Stress/anxiety can do TONS to the body and mind. You had a bad nightmare and your system probably got amped up and when that happens our tinnitus might be louder. Let me tell you this, your new normal or a new baseline will not just show up on its own (most of the time it will not). New baselines can possibly happen due to meds, new exposures to LOUD sound or a possible physical issues like TMJ. Asking for help and talking it out is a good idea. Just talking to someone that cares and you expressing yourself can help with stress/anxiety. Maybe the individual can help you cope better and teach you stuff that might help you out.

Take care...

 

[El BUZZ]

Did anything happen in the last 2 weeks? Stress can cause a spike, but not often this loud. Using the masking app at max volume does not seem like a good idea.

Hi. Thanks for taking your time to answer. I never play the masking app at its max volume. I just did it to test how difficult was to mask the loud tinnitus which woke me up. I use to play that app really low and is enough to get my tinnitus mixed with it, not covered but masked. Two weeks ago I had a very bad back for five days in which I took 2x5mg diazepam pills a day.

Stress/anxiety can do TONS to the body and mind. You had a bad nightmare and your system probably got amped up and when that happens our tinnitus might be louder. Let me tell you this, your new normal or a new baseline will not just show up on its own (most of the time it will not). New baselines can possibly happen due to meds, new exposures to LOUD sound or a possible physical issues like TMJ. Asking for help and talking it out is a good idea. Just talking to someone that cares and you expressing yourself can help with stress/anxiety. Maybe the individual can help you cope better and teach you stuff that might help you out.

Take care...

Hi there @fishbone, thanks for your feedback. Only loud event I've been exposed to was half an hour in a pub with music and people playing pool. Barely 75/80 dB I'd say. No earplugs. Use to always wear earplugs in those conditions but didnt have any with me. Things were maybe loud but not LOUD there. Anyway that was one week ago and this junk has been creeping up for two weeks now. Maybe diazepam have played a role in all this. Now I am in bed ready to pass, fan is on (still being hot here in south Spain) and can hear my tinnitus as harsh and loud as this morning...

 

[fishbone]

Hi there @fishbone, thanks for your feedback. Only loud event I've been exposed to was half an hour in a pub with music and people playing pool. Barely 75/80 dB I'd say. No earplugs. Use to always wear earplugs in those conditions but didnt have any with me. Things were maybe loud but not LOUD there. Anyway that was one week ago and this junk has been creeping up for two weeks now. Maybe diazepam have played a role in all this. Now I am in bed ready to pass, fan is on (still being hot here in south Spain) and can hear my tinnitus as harsh and loud as this morning...

It's possible that the benzos might be bothering you. Only you can decide if the benzo is helping you or not. I wish you the best of luck!

 

[linearb]

Taking 10mg valium a day for 2 weeks and then stopping might be expected to have some rebound effects in sensitive individuals; if so, based on the length of action of the drug and known implications of messing with the GABA system, such rebound effects could certainly include worse tinnitus and be expected to last for days to a few weeks following cessation.

I'd just try to take it easy...

 

[Bobby Sinatra]

I see more and more connections between benzodiazepene use and tinnitus. Mine came after Ambien use for about 8 days. What do you all think? Can there be a connection?

 

[GregCA]

I see more and more connections between benzodiazepene use and tinnitus. Mine came after Ambien use for about 8 days. What do you all think? Can there be a connection?

FYI, Ambien (Zolpidem Tartrate) is not a benzo, as far as I know.

 

[Bobby Sinatra]

FYI, Ambien (Zolpidem Tartrate) is not a benzo, as far as I know.

They act the same on the brain

 

[ajc]

Is stress/anxiety over my possible spike/worsening causing me this? Should I ask for help? I am completely scared that thing would show up to be my new normal. Baseline is already hard to cope with.

Did the spike resolve itself?

I think you could take diazepam, for up to 2 weeks so you avoid dependency.

 

[Digital Doc]

FYI, Ambien (Zolpidem Tartrate) is not a benzo, as far as I know.

https://www.drugs.com/slideshow/ambien-facts-1189

Correct, ambien is not a benzo, but it works in a similar fashion.

 

[El BUZZ]

Did the spike resolve itself?

I think you could take diazepam, for up to 2 weeks so you avoid dependency.

It did somehow. Baseline is so nasty is difficult to tell but it doesnt bother me as much as it did for those two hellish weeks.

 

[DebInAustralia]

My tinnitus has been really loud for two weeks now. Spike, permanent worsening... I don't know. I have spent this two weeks really worried about it. I use an app (Resound Gn) to mask it at night for 30 minutes before falling asleep. It perfectly masks my tinnitus at a relatively low volume with some gentle cicadas sounds.

So I fell asleep last night then started to have a nightmare in which I was on a bus and my tinnitus was insanely loud... I mean INSANELY. I woke up all of the sudden and found that it was my tinnitus sounding that way what had awake me up. Sound was really high pitched and loud. Never had it like this before. Got my phone and played the app. Wasn't able to even barely mask it despite being at max volume. Panicked. My mind got filled by really nasty thoughts. Was about to have a Diazepam but have read they are ototoxic and perhaps that's the reason for my spike/worsening (two weeks ago had a bad back and took them twice a day for five days, 5 mg each pill).

Decided to relax and somehow managed to fall asleep. Had vivid dreams again but no tinnitus in them. Just woke up now and tinnitus seems a bit less intrusive bad but still louder than ever.

Is stress/anxiety over my possible spike/worsening causing me this? Should I ask for help? I am completely scared that thing would show up to be my new normal. Baseline is already hard to cope with.

Was it the Diazepam?

 

[El BUZZ]

Was it the Diazepam?

Could be. It went back to baseline.

 

[Wrfortiscue]

Could be. It went back to baseline.

Hey, welcome back lol.