Sudden Tinnitus Increase and Pitch Change — The End Feels Near

I'm at a loss here, because this type of increase/change has never been this drastic, especially with no "trauma" occurring beforehand.

Just a quick info, I'm 27 and had mild T from 18-26(2015 June) due to one musical festival I wen't to which gave me a temporary threshold shift for a few minutes and of course, T. In June of 2015 my T got worse from a a woodsaw waking me up, just a few feet outside my window, in which 3 days later I notice higher T (which is reactive to sounds) and it's been that way since (with lots of fluctuations of the level) and hyperacusis.

Although there have been many hard periods, I rebounded because the T never entered the zone I'll call, unbearable. Sadly, that has now come because the increase and pitch change is literally making me want to throw up and call it quits.

What happened? Last Thursday 19th, I was on the couch and suddenly I noticed my left ear getting a feeling of pressure deep inside. I've not had this type of feeling for some time, but I recall it. When that occurred though, my T wen't up and got really noticeable. In BOTH ears. Now sitting at 7 days later, today is honestly feeling worse than a week ago. The pressure went away in my left ear a few days ago, but the T in both left and right ears, are drastically different. I can't mask it anymore with normal sounds I was use to or watch t.v downstairs with out it just cutting through. There is a new sound and the old sound I had is now a a T that as best as I can describe is doing some type of "jump" or "spike". Like a bell curve where the sound will just spike up every split second, essentially giving me no "normal" as I call it, tone.

I don't know what the cause is, which is the worst part. I've been taking NAC/Taurine since the 31st of Dec. (dog barking near me gave me a little increase so I took this) and recently stopped because I've never taken it this long and I'm wondering if this is the cause. Other than that, I can't recall any massive noise traumas recently. The same day, my brother did slam two kitchen doors very hard, I was just outside the entrance kitchen maybe 15 feet away, and although very loud I would assume that couldn't be it, but it bothered my ears so who knows. I swam the day before, with plugs in and just generally have been out at stores with moderate levels. So I have ho clue what the reason is, and I'm now scared beyond belief this is permanent. Could Taurine/NAC do this? 500mg/600mg a day for 20 some days? Could this be delayed damage from something occurring previously?

It's been a week, I don't even know the cause, so I don't even know how to cope with this. At least if I was exposed to a noise I'd have the feeling like maybe my ears will repair, but not knowing what is going on, I just can't cope with thinking this is just the new life. I quite frankly can't handle it and it's been a week.

 

Hi,
Have you had your ears checked for wax or infection for this flair up ?
I'm sure it will settle down but I know it's the here and now and getting through this rough time that's hard to deal with.
Keep sound on around you day and night with what you feel comfortable with and some nice smelly stuff on also to lift your mood.
I always download a new CD to help pass the time to listen to if find tv hard to concentrate on.
Try go for walks to keep your chin up.
I know how you feel I really do as it wasn't so long I was struggling to cope too...
Give it more time and see if your doctor can give you something if it's to hard to cope.
My doctor started me on a low dose Nortryptaline and its been the best thing ever and reduced my tinnitus to the best its been in 12 years and really changed my life.....
Don't give up or lose hope that it will get better....lots of love Glynis

 

I've never had an ear infection as far as I can recall, and don't have any symptoms of it from what I read. Wax has never caused this type of increase/change so I don't think it's that, especially since this random pressure feeling that came suddenly last Thursday was in only one ear, but the T increased in both.

I've been struggling with my mild T becoming worse for the last year and half, and it's been rough but it's never been THIS bad before. Before, there was a reason, fleeting tinnitus lasting a long time, noise trauma. I don't even know the reason right now, which I think may be from Taurine/NAC for 20ish days. Other than that, I don't understand how the T can just increase and change in pitch so drastically unless a trauma in December (loud car red lining 50 feet from me) is now catching up with delayed damage. The T feels like it's just misfiring constantly up and down and up and down, so it's never constant. How can I cope and move forward after a year and half of struggling with the fact my T wen't from mild for 7 years to bad, to then dealing with that, to now this. If it keeps getting worse, how can anyone cope to that.

 

Have a chat with your doctor to see if you can try Nortryptaline,its a antidepressant but a low dose can help your nerves from backfiring and reduce tinnitus for some people.... lots of love glynis

 

Maybe this will help... https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/back-to-silence.7172/

 

I really don't want to be put on something as I don't want to get stuck using it you know? My issue is if your ears are so damaged they just continuously get worse and worse, I wonder what's the point. I struggle for a year, semi-reach a point where general noises I'm around semi-mask it, only to have it get worse and go up, for no apparent reason (unless it's delayed damaged taking root).

If I can't just have T and it stay the same, it just feels like you're a ticking time bomb of it getting worse as time goes by.