Struggling with a New Tinnitus Tone After Noise Exposure: Can It Get Better Two Months Later?

[Pollo]

Hi,

First, I apologize for any mistakes, as English is not my first language.

I've had tinnitus for five years. It took about three years to habituate and for it to stabilize or improve. It was a long journey, with many ups and downs, including occasional spikes. On bad days, it was already quite severe, but I also had good days that made me feel normal.

Two months ago, I went to a dinner at my boss's house. There was no music, but it got loud from people talking (around 15 people). I thought I would be fine without my earplugs, but when I left, I realized that one of my previous tones had changed. It became higher in pitch and not as continuous as before. I'm not sure if this is what people call Morse code or typewriter tinnitus, but it is an irregular sound, and I hate it. It is also louder and even more intrusive than it was before.

The first three weeks were awful. The sound stayed mostly the same each day, and it caused me a lot of anxiety. Now, seven weeks into this spike, it has improved a little, but that new tone is still there, and I hate it. I have better days, but they are not as good as before. It's depressing.

I have always been very careful about protecting my ears since this started five years ago, but I made a mistake. Of course, I regret not using earplugs that night.

Has anyone experienced a bad spike from noise exposure that improved after two months? What was your longest spike with a new tone? My previous spikes were the same sounds but louder. This time, the sound is completely different, and it makes me nervous. I really need some hope.

 

[Nes]

Hello, my longest spike lasted for three to four months. I got it after going to a restaurant. During those three months, my tinnitus was extremely loud and constantly changing. I thought it was going to be permanent, but after three months, and after starting Clonazepam, it finally went down.

My spike lasted from July to October 24. Now, eight months later, my tinnitus has settled at a baseline that actually feels better than the one I had before the spike. Since then, I have experienced a few sounds that come and go. Sometimes they stay for weeks, sometimes just for hours or days. As long as it gets better at times, it means improvement is possible. And since your spike is getting a bit better, I would say that is good news.

 

[jjflyman]

I had a recent spike from ten seconds of a TV at full volume. It took six months to fade, so yes, it will probably go away. It just takes a lot of time.