Strange Coincidence with Tinnitus Fluctuations

Well I'm sitting here, frustrated due to a lack of sleep.

Trying so much to make sense of the fluctuations of my tinnitus.

Monday I had a spike, which eventually resolved Tuesday evening. Wednesday was one of the most quiet days I've had yet. I didn't sleep perfectly, but cumulatively I got rest. Was sure to eat healthy yesterday.

For no apparent reason, my low end warbling tinnitus came back and woke me up around midnight, and therefore a bad nights rest followed.

Here's the strange coincidence. One of my tones is in my right ear. I've traced it down to right around 963 Hz. If you Google that tone, there's all this info from meditation folks who claim that tone activates the pineal gland. So I search what that's for. Among other things, that makes and regulates melatonin. I've been taking 10 mg of melatonin every night to sleep for probably the last 3 weeks or so.

What's also odd about that one tone, if I stand in a quiet room and plug that ear, it's there, but if I push and plug it harder it goes away. I can push on that and release and it's on/off.

Anyhow, I'm wondering if maybe I stop taking melatonin that particular tone will subside. I hardly notice that one while outside working. If I can lose that one, and figure out how to be rid of the most devastating tone - the low end warble, I'll only be left with my high pitched hiss which is easiest to mask.

Here I was last night, thinking I really turned a corner. I was eating an orange for desert (healthy!) and I felt my bad ear open up. It was like I could hear a little better. I didn't tell my wife because I didn't want to jinx it. I just kept that victory to myself, thinking surely, I'll wake up and be doing even better. Normally I wake up around 2:30-3:30 and then fall asleep by 5ish. Then up at 7.

Anyway, I realize I sound like a crazy person. That's life with tinnitus.

Any thoughts are greatly appreciated.

 

I'm just having a tough time. I just want to talk to people on here. I screen shot positivity, success stories like my situation, etc. Just to hang on.

I've researched the hell out of tinnitus and just about tried it all. I am about out of tears, and I'm just tired man. I'm just exhausted in all ways possible.

I have had noise induced tinnitus for 5 weeks and 2 days now.

The positives: I've had a few quieter days this week. Perhaps more than previously. I posted a few weeks ago that my high pitched hiss is like soda bubbles, or pop rocks, or an icee going down your throat. Well, maybe not at the moment, but a few times this week I noticed that part was less in my "throat" and a little more in my ears. A little quieter compared to a few weeks ago, where I could barely hear the swallowing of a soda. So that's positive.

What bothers me like a mother f****er is my low end tinnitus. It comes and goes. I have no idea why. It is how my tinnitus started (super exacerbated after the hearing test) to a very loud low end warbling tone. During the 2 weeks of prednisone, that went away, only to return about 3 days after finishing the meds (however a lower volume). Sure enough in the 3 weeks following, it has come and gone, maybe lasting 3-4 days at a time, and seems to coincide with when my "full ear feeling" is particularly strong.

Literally this weekend, both Saturday and Sunday I dragged my wife with me on a one hour each way drive to the local "mountain" which is only 1000 feet, but driving up there, hanging out, and then coming down, causes my ear to pop and it feels good.

My dog was in the back seat crying because he saw another dog or something like that and I was telling him "shh" and at that moment, the radio volume increased and my shh was louder. My ear popped and I could hear better, if only for a few minutes. I was like wow it's louder! And my wife was like the tinntus? No, my hearing! But now I'm back to full feeling, ear cracking during swallowing, etc.

The acoustic pressure of a room has a large effect on this low end. I've tested it in different houses, buildings etc. When it's more pressure or density in a room, it's harder to deal with.

I have turned off my AC and rolled out the refrigerator and unplugged it just to delete those sounds - which themselves truly play into my low end tinnitus. That's what's crazy. Sometimes it's truly in my head, but many times it's responding to actual sounds - a jet flying over, a truck driving by, etc. Things in that Hz level are louder or my ear is more sensitive to.

And how frustrating is it that we all can experience this crap, find very similar feelings and occurrences and theories and the damn ENT docs are clueless. Makes me MAD!!!!! Come on! Can't we target the inflammation that's obviously happening? Duh!

I've started curcumin to hopefully help.

The day of my test I had 30 dB dip at 6 kHz in my left ear. I have seen several hearing tests which improve after several months. One guy had exactly a 30 dB 6 kHz drop in his left ear just like me, which 6 months later dropped to a 15 dB drop. Don't tell me ears don't heal! They can and do!

I have been praying like I never have in my life. I actually really take offense when I read success stories where God is mentioned and some fool says "guess he doesn't like all of us because mine blah blah blah". People like that need to buzz off. This place is for support and positivity. The tough guys can kick rocks. I have plenty of them in real life. I'm coming to this forum for people who GET IT. Who suffer like me. Who could use support like me.

I hang on to what I have been told. Healing isn't linear. I'm in 5 weeks and 2 days. I'm still early in this game. I'm going to keep it together.

Sorry all. I just needed to vent. If you have anything positive to say, or questions, please go right ahead. I would love conversation.

Love to all.

 

@Rb86

You can't control your tinnitus, it's a matter of fact. Your mind will get better used to it over time. You should try and stop obsessing about it if possible.

 

I just got done crying on my wife's shoulder like a child. An all out cry. Even the dog jumped up wondering what's wrong.

I got a message from someone saying I was being rude and self centered.

No, I wasn't crying due to this.

I just need support. I'm going to make an appointment for sleep med/anti depressant.

This is a HARD road.

 

I understand every bit that you are going through right now. I’m just where you are. I see that you are five weeks in. That’s an early stage and a lot can still happen, for the better! You are more than welcome to pm me if you want to talk or anything.

Take care,
M

 

You are so new to this, you can’t control the process of habituation.

You will go through fear, anger, acceptance, frustration... It will become your new reality and you’ll adjust to it.

Five weeks in with no real distractions (i.e. may still be thinking about it while you’re engaged in other activities) its very hard to ascertain how your tinnitus will actually behave in real life.

Early days x