Suggestions That Could Rapidly Reduce Tinnitus Severity and Long-Term Strategies That Could Help

1. Ask the doctor a short term prescription for Xanax. Take this to calm you down in the first day or two and then save the rest of the bottle for extreme flare ups and stress now and then. Don't take consequentially over a long term because this drug is not good to take long term, plus you don't want to be sedated much. Try not to take 2 hours or less before sleep because it can mess you up in the morning. Of course, ask the doctor if this is all okay. Why go this route? -Because you don't want to create a PTSD problem about tinnitus.

2. Buy a large fountain for your room and turn it on as needed when you sleep or are bothered by T. After a while though and you have calmed down try not to use it anymore. If you can't afford a fountain the next best thing is to go to mynoise.net, hook your computer up to some nice speakers and select "water stream" or something similar.

3. Go out and try a pair of hearing aids but first call around ask for an extended audiogram that goes at least to 12khz. Most audiograms go only to 8khz. If you have hearing loss beyond 8khz I would suggest the Siemens Primax 7px (the 3px or 5 px won't program that high and unfortunately the 7px is top of the line but try to haggle with them on price) which can actually be PROGRAMMED and ADJUSTED for up to 12khz. Don't go to some hearing aid audiologist who doesn't know the new tech or wants to sell you a certain brand. Go to someone who is up to date on current technology and knows how to program these. Tell him to take the noise reduction off and amplify the frequencies a little bit more where your T is (safe level of course). Remember the goal is not just to get you to hear voices (like most hearing aid places try to do) but to reduce the perception of T. This should reduce the perception some if not all. Use the maskers a little off and on if necessary but try not to use them all the time.

3.5 Stay hydrated and drink plenty of fluids. Dehydration can make you feel bad and your body not function right. Even a mild dehydration. A sign of dehydration is yellow urine.

4. Read the Success stories on here, not the negative ones.

4.5 Do not sleep an excessive amount of time. Too much sleep can cause depression. In addition, sleeping under the covers for a while causes you to dehydrate because of the heat in addition to not drinking while you are sleeping. To test this out, urinate after getting out of bed and see if your urine is yellow.

5. Exercise to increase endorphins and get outside. Spend time with some friends at a place that has some ambient noise.

6. After calming down about T and getting a clear mind, tell yourself that its just a noise and it won't harm you. Instead of fighting it or trying to fix it, don't worry about it. If a cure comes great, if not, you aren't going to let it ruin your life. After repeatedly doing this in the right frame of mind your mind should accept it. You'll probably get bothered again and then you fight it again and accept it. After repeatedly winning these thought battles, the time it takes to overcome them should be less and less and you should be like "Screw it, there is no point in getting upset about it because I am going to get over it anyways". Since the T won't bother you, you will ignore it more and more and since no emotional response will be given, it will be like a fan noise in the background which you will only notice when you think about it and it won't be a big deal when you do. There is evidence that with some people, once they stop focusing on the T it actually decreases because the mind is not paying attention to it and is not considering it a "concern"

7. Get on a regular sleep cycle. A constant circadian rhythm can benefit people.

8. If step 6 does not work consistently you might be bipolar or have depression issues that cause you to focus on things in a loop over and over and over again. I had a guy tell me that was a "chemical imbalance". Well, whatever it really is, its not healthy. Most people's lives are not affected by T. Most people I know think it is no big deal. They are NOT the ones getting on this forum. If you have not habituated after 12 weeks consider going to a doctor for something to help you with depression. Take the lowest amount possible that will work for you. There are several types so don't feel like you have to go with SSRI's or SNRI's. There are alternatives such as Remeron or Trazadone. If you don't like anti-depressants ask your doctor about Lamictal or something else. Ask your doctor about titrating slowly and if it increases your T, tell your doctor you want off asap. Alternatively, if you go the route of getting on an anti-depressant soon after tinnitus to help deal with T, just know it might help but after a while you might not want to be on it. You will have to talk to a doctor about slowly weaning off which is hard for some people.

9. If your T starts bothering you again after you have got "over it" multiple times after a long period, just tell yourself you aren't falling for it again and keep doing whatever you were doing.


This is from a human standpoint. If anyone has any religious experiences that helped them please state so below.

Also, anyone else have some more steps?

Note: My problem is number 8. I have prior depression issues so that is why I fluctuate on dealing with T but I have a few ideas on what to do. If it continues, I might have to ask the doc for an anti-depressant. Please pray for me because I really don't want to take anti depressants.

 

I forgot to add: Go for better posture. Do not have forward neck posture. Bad posture can effect hormones negatively (please research this on the internet) and affect circulation. These things can increase depression. Another suggestion of mine is to not have your pillow jacked up too high while laying down.

 

Thanks Jason, some very helpful info.
I guess even when you're stuck in an anxiety/depression loop there can still be a way around this?
A lot of people suffer from T, a lot suffer from anxiety/depression. When the two meet it is a powerful cocktail...we must be able to break that circle somehow...

 

Thanks, sometimes if you break the cycle you can take a notch off T.

 

I hope you feel better soon...I'll pray for you.

 

Thanks for your prayers...I'm going through benzo withdrawal, have tinnitus, and am bipolar II (I think). Honestly, if it wasn't for the tinnitus I would be between 85 -95% most of the time. I would also be off the klonopin. I was doing great the week before last but the past week has been not great. This could be the second worst week this year for me.