Surgery Anxiety: Did Your Tinnitus Stay the Same?

[Meinz89]

Hi friends,

Some of you might recognize me from my earlier, sad lil posts this year — I developed tinnitus suddenly at 7 weeks pregnant back in April. I'm now 35 weeks and scheduled for a C-section on November 11, and while I'm excited to meet my baby boy, I'm also anxious about how the spinal anesthesia or surgery might affect my tinnitus.

I've read that some people develop tinnitus after surgery, but there's no clear cause — maybe anesthesia, physical trauma, or both. My tinnitus has never been stable in tone or volume, so the fear of it worsening is always in the back of my mind.

At the same time, I know that an induction or natural labor could carry similar risks, and my doctors have advised a planned C-section. I've already asked for no ototoxic meds, but beyond that, it's out of my hands.

If anyone here has had surgery and their tinnitus stayed the same/didn't worsen long term, I'd love to hear from you. Any reassurance or tips would really help right now

Always grateful for your support,
Meg