Sudden First Tinnitus Spike Ever, Advice?

So I'm new here and to give a bit of background, I'm 27 and have always had the most minor of tinnitus mainly from loud work/music when I was younger (most of you would consider the volume of mine a blessing) the only time I would notice it is in complete silence, and even then it was hardly a bother or worried me.

I used to drink heavily through my 20's way too much and know now that it was a bad idea, anyway I had stopped drinking for 3 months which was fine and just at the start of this week I was rather stressed and it was my friends birthday so I decided heck, I'll drink some so I ended up over the night having about 8-9 drinks (too many I know).

Fast foward to the next morning, I felt slightly ill as you could imagine but was otherwise fine, until about 1-2pm my ears I started ringing (like someone had flicked a switch) high pitch, normally it would go away in a few seconds if it ever happened, but not this time it has stayed, it is loud enough to her over conversations, music, fans you name it, my work has already began to suffer as I also stopped drinking caffeine the same day the ringing started so I've been feeling weak tired and just trapped and scared that somehow the alcohol has permanently damaged something, I try to distract myself but I can never shake the fear and anxiety that this gives me as this has never happened before, trying really hard to hold it together as I am already finding it difficult to be happy even be motivated.

I'm wonder how people deal with tinnitus or if anyone else has had a similar spike, or if there is a chance of it going away. It's been 4 and a half days and the ringing is so much louder than anything else, I'm just hating myself right now thinking alcohol has permanently damaged something.

Side note, I started to get a minor ear infection (I think) as my right eat ached a few days after which the Dr has prescribed antibiotics for, any advice would help.

 

Maybe it is the alcohol but certain antibiotics are known for ototoxicity.
Also maybe it is the infection in your ears.
Give more details? What antibiotic do you take.

 

So, the ringing started Tuesday, and I started the antibiotics yesterday, so on a Friday. The antibiotics are just standard amoxicillin 500mg.
Also I just thought maybe something else, I have been on PPI meds (pantoprazole 40mg) for acid reflux for 3 months now and would of stopped taking them Monday morning as reflux is fine, and ran out anyway. I read a side effect was tinnitus, so thought maybe the sudden stop triggered something, though I've stopped a few times before between doses but have never had any problems.

Unfortunately I can't see a ENT or audiologist till 28th

Edit: also the infection I think we caught extremely early and the ringing was around for about 2-3 days before I started antibiotics

And Thank you for taking the time to reply

 

It's not the alcohol, it's your ear infection that is ramping up your tinnitus.

It can definately fade once the infection clears. I'm not sure if it will go back to what you had before but I'm very confident it will get better.

I suppose it wouldn't hurt taking chelated magnesium at night and using Nac. Maybe get a blood test done if you feel tired all the time and have them check your b-12 levels.

 

I though ear to be less likely, just cause the ringing is in both ears and ear is no longer hurting at all, but could be wrong since T is so hard to figure out from what I've read, and just wondering what Nac is and chelated magnesium.
Thanks for the reply
Just weighing up possible causes and keeping hope it will go away.

 

There are several types of magnesium you can take. I sometimes use chelated magnesium because it's easier on the stomach.

NAC is an antioxidant that when taken with antibiotics protects your hearing and I guess there are some studies when taken before a loud event it protects the ears. Also it protects your ears from the negative effects of otoxic anti-biotics according to a study.

The anti-biotic you are using is very safe.

I probably only use magnesium a few times a month. You can use it daily with the recommended amount.

You might have some fluid behind your ear drum? An ENT or your GP can easily see that.

I'm sorry there is no clear cut answers. There are several causes for tinnitus including viral infections.

 

I'll look into the Nac and magnesium first chance I get, and GP looked at both ears but said nothing about fluid, so not sure, hopefully the ENT picks up something on the 28th, but not getting my hopes up too much.
Thank you for the advice regardless, I'm just trying to stay as relaxed as possible to not worsen it, which is quite hard at times.

 

Drinking can annoy the tinnitus, as can the antibiotics/ear infections. There is no telling how the tinnitus will re-act. The thing that you can do, is to possibly finish out your antibiotics and let your ears heal. Ears can take quite a bit of time to heal, even after the antibiotics are finished.

Remain patient and calm and just take it day by day. Try not to get stressed over this, because it can annoy your tinnitus.

 

Easier said then done sometimes but thank you, and I am trying to occupy myself as much as possible, hoping that it will receded sooner, if at all.
Since my regular T was never noticable 99% of the time even if I tried to listen for it..
This on the other hand, quite the challenge, but will give it time.

 

This will be temporary @Bryce. I know it is scary. Stopping the caffeine cold turkey may also be a factor right now. Why did you stop? I find one cup of coffee in the morning quiets my morning head tinnitus head jolt. The important thing is moderation.

Oh yes an infection will cause your tinnitus to get louder. Good note is it will go back to normal eventually when the infection is cleared up. Inflamation in the inner ear isn't good. The antibiotic is one I have used many times without any issues.

Hope you feel better soon!!

 

I doubt it was the alcohol. I doubt it was loud noise. The reason is that I never drank much, very rarely listened to loud music, wore ear protection if I used tools and only went to two concerts in my entire life. The secone one, Heart was over forty years ago and my ears did hiss for a time afterward. But once it stopped that was that. Since your T started before you began taking Amox, it isn't that.

Did you have any dental work recently, vaccines or flu shots?

 

I just used to drink too much caffeine a day (160-300mg) maybe just to cope with things after I stopped alcohol, and that was a decent amount of time, maybe about a month and a half or 2 months.

I have read caffeine can make T worse, so I stopped it the day the ringing started just in case as I dont want it to worsen and am worried it may if I drink coffee.
The ear infection feels extremely fine right now and only caused very minor pain with no blockage that I know of. Also the ringing seems a tiny amount worse in my left ear than right, which is odd because the infection was in my right, but I think I have less hearing in my right anyway, just sort of confused at what would trigger such a thing, so I stopped my PPI meds I think the day before the ringing started and have not taken them since because I feel I font need them so not sure it that would prolong it.

For now I feel a little bitter, caffeine withdrawals + the PPI withdrawals and the ringing has been a killer the past few days, feeling weak and anxious and headaches galore, just waiting it out and hoping it is just inner ear playing up from a mild infection or something.

@starthtower thank you for your kind words

 

Spike will go away , don’t think it permanent, it is the fear from the noise is causing the neurons to fire more . Possibility more parts of your brain. Staying calm , don’t focus on it is the only way. It our emotions that is eating away at us slowly. I am all for getting better, for now seem this our only option until they figure it out . Now I kind of understand how complicated Tinnitus is , it across the network of the brain. Stay calm.

 

I'm trying to focus on other sounds continuously, but it's becoming so draining. First day back at work In a week or so, so hope I manage okay.

 

I feel you Bryce, I am currently on day 6 of a spike after several years of very tolerable tinnitus in which i often had many days in a row with absolutely no T at all no matter how I listened for it. Mine shot up out of nowhere a few days ago for reasons unknown. Luckily for me it is mostly hissing, only very rarely ringing, which to me is far worse than the air hissing sound. Hopefully both of our 'spikes' will end soon!