Time Is the Best Salve: Tinnitus Stays, Distress Fades

[locoyeti]

Hi everyone,

Firstly, I still have tinnitus, but it no longer bothers me at all. I developed tinnitus on February 11, 2014, a day I will never forget. What followed was the worst day, the worst week, the worst month, and the worst year of my life. I was on this forum a lot for the first few years (I have many posts in the Retigabine thread). I could have written this many years ago, but I felt compelled to share my current status, if it helps anyone going through any hardship. I can live my life without it affecting me at all. I will occasionally pay attention to the tinnitus, but can just as quickly pass my attention elsewhere. It is a skill to develop, no doubt, and one that makes you even stronger, somewhat like cultivating a healthy sense of detachment. The last band-aid that was peeled off was the need for masking during sleep, which I no longer require (I stopped using it about 6 years ago).

I was a major contributor to the Retigabine thread and even took a short course myself. With the passage of time, I remain undecided about its ultimate efficacy; much of it may have been a placebo effect, although one noticeable thing that occurred was an attenuation of my hyperacusis. However, the attenuation may have simply been the usual course of events after initially experiencing tinnitus. While a few individuals who have taken it have reported visual snow and other visual side effects, I must report that I have not experienced any adverse side effects ten years later. I have undergone at least four different eye exams, which have shown no effects.

Shoutout to @Markku, I know there are a lot of supporting members now, but at the time it seemed he was holding this site up single-handedly. Much love to everyone here, and I send my power to you. Just remember that time is the best salve for this condition.

-Locoyeti

 

[Jupiterman]

@locoyeti, could you describe what your tinnitus sounded like when it first started, and what it sounds like now?

 

[Furetto]

Every success story should always include the following:

• The cause
• The initial severity
• The time it took until the first signs of improvement
• The current severity

 

[trevl]

Every success story should always include the following:

• The cause
• The initial severity
• The time it took until the first signs of improvement
• The current severity

Correct.

There is a lot of missing data here. The original poster could also include:

1. A numerical description of their tinnitus in measured frequencies
2. The condition of their hearing at those same frequencies
3. Whether the tinnitus is in the left or right ear
4. The loudness of their tinnitus
5. The cause or causes of their tinnitus

The original poster could also provide a link to their earlier posts, which they mentioned having made. I would be cautious about calling this a success story.

Hearing cell damage is gradual, builds up over time, and becomes unavoidable with aging.

The auditory system, including both the ear and the brain, continually tries to adapt by using other functioning hearing cells to take over for the ones that are damaged.

If this process works well, it can reduce or even eliminate tinnitus.

However, even when this adaptation is successful, the damage that has already occurred cannot be undone. The auditory system also becomes more fragile and more likely to suffer additional and more serious damage, which can lead to tinnitus becoming permanent and severely disabling.