Started Experiencing Tinnitus a Week Ago — Unsure What Brought It On

Hi. My name is Brett. I am a 63-year-old guy who just started experiencing tinnitus about a week ago. It came on suddenly and out of nowhere. It comes and goes, and switches from ear to ear.

Sorry if this is long to read, but I have had a lot going on in the past year and I feel that one or more of the things that I describe here may have been the cause. Hopefully you guys can help me.

I don't know why tinnitus started for the first time ever last week, but a little background about me may shed some light on it. I have been on several prescription and OTC meds for a long time.

I have been on Lexapro (an SSRI) and a low dose of Valium and 1/2 a tablet of Unisom for sleep (off and on) for about 15 years.

In December last year (2019) I developed severe bladder pain and frequent urination. It was so bad I woke up about every hour at night and suffered from lack of sleep. I started taking between 600 and 1200 mg Ibuprofen daily for several months along with physical therapy to ease the symptoms . Eventually I discovered that Naproxen Sodium was more effective so I switched from Ibuprofen to 660 mg of Naproxen daily for several more months. I switched from Naproxen to Tylenol in early October because I was having hernia surgery on the 9th and Naproxen cause bleeding.

Unfortunately the hernia surgery didn't cure my urinary issues.

From October 13th through the 23rd I took Amoxicillin for ear infections possibly caused by using Q-Tips to remove ear wax or from swimming in the lake. The ear infections resolved after the antibiotic.

In mid to late October I suffered from a severe lack of sleep from having to get up and pee every hour. This problem had been going on for 10 months but had recently spiked. My stress level and lack of sleep took a toll on me.

I went back on the Naproxen to try to ease the urinary symptoms.

A few days later on November 3rd my ears started ringing. The only way I could sleep was to turn on my radio (tuned between stations) and listen to static all night. I also used relaxation music which helped too.

I have had severe neck pain, tension in my face, jaw pain, and tightness. If I press on my jaw when opening my mouth it hurts. I can make my jaw click. If I turn my head the loudness of the tinnitus increases.

I saw a psychiatrist yesterday who prescribed Xanax. I had my first decent nights sleep in a long time. But the tinnitus came back in the morning.

I had a hearing test today at the audiology docs office. The tech said I have high frequency hearing loss considered normal for my age. I see an ENT doc tomorrow.

 

I know everyone here has a LOT more experience and knowledge than me about tinnitus.

After learning that Naproxen is ototoxic I took my last dose of it 3 nights ago. Might take a while for it to all get out of my system.

Any recommendations about what I should ask my doctor tomorrow?

Any help is appreciated.

 

Going by the jaw pain and the clicking it sounds like you might have TMD (Temporomandibular Joint Disorder).

You might want to check with an orthodontist and an oral surgeon. Good luck friend!

 

Anyone?

 

I definitely have TMD. I saw an ENT doctor today and he said my tinnitus is just a symptom of other root causes. My hearing is fairly normal for a man my age (63). In my case he said the likely cause of my tinnitus is anxiety, tight jaw and facial muscles, and NSAIDs. I was taking Ibuprofen and Naproxen. I stopped those two meds a few days ago.

Today is my second day of Xanax and it has really helped. I slept better last night than I have in months. The tinnitus is 90% gone. Went for a two mile hike today and that helped me completely forget about it.

The Xanax is not a long term solution. Am seeing the dentist Monday and will ask about a mouth guard and other remedies for TMD. Also I am looking for behavior therapy to help me reduce my stress and anxiety.