Tinnitus After a Concert — Three Weeks After Onset, Fluttering/Clicking Sound in My Ears

Hello all fighters. My name is Matilda and I come from Sweden.

I got tinnitus 2 months ago from an outdoor concert. Or it's probably something that has built up over a long time as I never wore earplugs in nightclubs or concerts, I don't know.

I have done a hearing test and I have no hearing loss. I hear almost too well. I hear all the little sounds from the TV etc. and everyone around me thinks it's strange that I've got tinnitus. But I explain to them that you can have tinnitus without hearing loss.

I'm sad every day and blame myself why didn't I stay home instead of going to music events. I regret every day that I even went to the concert.

How do I get rid of these thoughts? Because I know deep down that it doesn't help to think like that.

And as if tinnitus wasn't enough, 3 weeks after my tinnitus onset, I got a fluttering/clicking sound in my ears. Mostly in my left ear where I hear the tinnitus all the time. The fluttering/clicking is worse when I'm lying down or have been lying down for a while, like when I wake up in the morning; I barely have to open my mouth and it clicks and flutters several times. It feels like the jaw is "loose" in some way.

Do you get such strange symptoms from tinnitus?!

/Matilda

 

Hi @Matildasweden, welcome to the forum. I hope you're faring well under the circumstances you're going through. I know the intrusive feelings like regret and blame. I hope you can process those feelings and get beyond them. You're in an acute phase. It often gets better, but it can take a while.

I too had many bad thoughts when my tinnitus first onset. I ended up taking anti-depressants to help stabilize my mood and also took a course in cognitive behavioral therapy. I think the the CBT has had more of an affect on changing my mood. It helped me accept what was happening and get past my bad thoughts.

The fluttering/clicking--that sounds like it could be MEM (middle ear myoclonus) maybe? Have you seen a doctor about your symptoms?

 

It is not unusual to feel the way you do in the early stages of noise induced tinnitus @Matildasweden, but you will begin to feel better, so try not to worry too much because this type of tinnitus usually improves with time. For this to happen it's important that you don't do anything that could make your symptoms worse.

I strongly advise you not to listen to audio through headphones even at low volume. This includes earbuds, AirPods, headsets, noise-cancelling and bone conduction headphones.

Please click on the links below and read my posts. Then go to my started threads and read: Will My Tinnitus Get Worse? The Habituation Process, How to Habituate to Tinnitus, Tinnitus and the Negative Mindset, Acquiring a Positive Mindset, Hyperacusis, As I See It, Can I Habituate to Variable Tinnitus?

All the best,
Michael

New to Tinnitus, What to Do? | Tinnitus Talk Support Forum
Tinnitus, A Personal View | Tinnitus Talk Support Forum

 

Thanks for your reply @Joe Cuber.

Yes, it is a very hard life change. I feel like I can't live a normal life anymore. I'm afraid of all noises and being in big groups of people.

It feels like I'm waiting for the tinnitus to go away but it probably won't. That's the hardest thing to realize.

I have been to 3 nurses/doctors but no ENT doctor. I'm on the waiting list to get there so I hope they have some knowledge of what I'm experiencing.

I just don't understand why some get for example MEM? Everyone with tinnitus doesn't seem to get it? Is it because the ear is damaged?

 

Hi. I'm suffering tinnitus after a concert as well. Don't blame yourself. Additionally, it is still possible for it to go away. I have read of some people having tinnitus from a concert go away after 7 months.

I was having similar thoughts to you last night but ultimately sometimes life just throws you curve balls and you cannot prevent every possible thing that can go wrong.

And you did nothing wrong by going to the concert.

There's so little public knowledge about this; you really can't blame yourself.

 

Hi @Matildasweden,

I am sorry to hear about your experience. I am in a similar situation with regard to regretting the day of the acoustic trauma a lot and getting back to it. Ironically, I almost left at the beginning as mine was in a nightclub and I did not particularly want to go but it was a friend´s birthday and he did so I went along. I even almost did not end up getting there at first as my train was cancelled but I run to catch another one.

Thinking about it this way just makes it worse of course as there is nothing we can do about it now - try to have a strategy of what you are going to do every time you think of it e.g., go for a walk or do something productive to take your mind off it. If it doesn't help I would consider going to a counsellor or a psychologist to work on this as that can also help a lot to break the negative thought cycle as @Joe Cuber mentions. You could even search for specific tinnitus approaches like Tinnitus Retraining Therapy although it may only be available privately, I think you should be able to find some books or information about how it is supposed to work - I am new to this so do not know that much about it. And also there is still a chance that the sound will go away with time.

I am not sure about the clicking sounds, my tinnitus sounds more like a hiss and a fluctuating tone but I heard other people mentioning similar.

I hope you get better soon, as annoying as the sound is I think there are many ways to learn to cope with it in a healthy way and lead a good life although it is something I am struggling with at the moment too.

 

Welcome, @Matildasweden - I agree with those above and encourage you to let go of your regret and self-blame (I know, easier said than done

I found that - like @Joe Cuber - taking an antidepressant helped with this. And, as @Blackbird1016 said, it may (and hopefully will) get at least somewhat better and more manageable.

Hang in there, stay connected to this community for support, and be kind to yourself!

 

I wish I knew more about why some people get certain symptoms and some don't.

Tinnitus is a single term for a wide variety of conditions and symptoms with a wide variety of causes. Some people have tinnitus pulsates, some have morse-code-like clicking, some have a sound that fluctuates in volume wildly throughout the day, some only react to certain sounds, some have accompanying pain, some can vary the sound of it by moving their neck or jaw, and the list goes on.

2 months since onset is still pretty early. It takes ear issues a long time to get better. The odds are that you will see improvement. Just make sure you're not exposed to loud noises. Try to get good sleep if you can and try to keep a positive mindset. This community is great for support, we're here with you.

 

Thank you so much for all your kind responses and support.

Thank you for saying it will get better with time, whether it's that the sound goes down or that you get used to it.

Some days it feels better and some days I just want to scream and get all my anger out. But I know that doesn't help anything.

It helps to know that I'm not alone, even though it still feels like it. Although, of course, I wish that no one had to have tinnitus.

 

You will improve Matildasweden, so try to keep strong. If you are feeling stressed which is understandable in the early stages of tinnitus, talk to your family doctor.

All the best,
Michael

 

I bounce between cycles of feeling like "I can do this," and others, like "my life is ruined." I do think that if you can find a healthy, safe way to release anger and frustration, it's fine to do so - unfortunately, for many of us, yelling and screaming just makes the symptoms worse

I'm with you in wishing that nobody had tinnitus, and we're all in this together with you, @Matildasweden.

 

Thanks so much. I'll try being strong

 

If you are in South of Sweden, I can give the name of an ENT I was referred to through my vårdcentral, who does research on tinnitus (mostly vestibular though) at the university. It might be helpful for you to speak with a specialist who speaks your own language, and who is more knowledgeable of the average ENT.

 

@obnoxious, unfortunately I live in northern Sweden. But which ENT did you go to?

Yes, I also think it would have been a relief to be able to see a tinnitus specialist or an audiologist, but it seems that it may take time to get an appointment with someone like that. I'm still waiting for an ordinary doctor who has to check my ears again

 

His name is Måns Magnusson; he is full Professor in Lund, but he also used to visit patients within this clinic. I think he is an expert in vestibular things like Meniere's. In any case I would not expect much from ENTs, they are pretty much powerless when it comes to noise induced tinnitus.

There is still hope that your tinnitus could spontaneously resolve. Do not lose hope until the 2nd year mark. Take care of your ears and avoid noisy environments like the plague.

 

Okay, thanks!

Yes, I have read that tinnitus can disappear after within 2 years but right now it feels unlikely. I have to try to keep hope up.

What counts as noisy environments? I am going to a dinner tomorrow with my colleagues and there will be about 60 people...

I just feel that I can't stand the tinnitus taking over my whole life like it already has.

Do you think it is safe if I wear earplugs?

 

Hi Matilda,

I think there’s no harm in going when wearing earplugs. I’m literally in the same situation as you are (went to a way too loud concert end of August) and I’m slowly starting to pick up my social life (going to the pub with friends, having dinner in restaurants etc.) and it didn’t result in any spikes whatsoever. And even though my tinnitus is still quite bothersome and frustrating, these activities gave me relief and strength to go forward: things will eventually be back to normal.

 

A lot of people with tinnitus live a fairly normal life and their tinnitus is not affected... until it is. It is reasonable to assume that you will be ok if you wear earplugs. Just remember that tinnitus can become catastrophically worse if one does not pay enough attention to what s/he is doing; I really do not mean to scare you, but this same board is filled with countless stories of people who got worse by just "living their life".

For me everything above 80 dB is no-no, even though I never spiked to borderline loud situations.

 

So I went to the dinner and had earplugs in the whole evening. It went great and I have no increase in my tinnitus today. I still have my ordinary tinnitus.

But today I'm left with a worried feeling that I've ruined the chances that the tinnitus might go away. However, if I keep myself completely isolated and being terrified of doing things, it will drive me crazy..

Ugh, how life changed into a completely unimaginable life...

 

I’m also slowly coming to terms it might not go away completely (almost 3 months in).

At the same time I’ve talked to so many people (family, colleagues) that completely habituated to tinnitus, that I try not to worry too much. Their lives are literally exactly the same as before tinnitus, so there is definitely hope

Hang in there!

 

Yes of course. I hope I learn to accept this 100% one day.

The horrible thing is that it feels like I don't really remember what it was like when it was completely silent... It feels like I have always had tinnitus but at the same time I remember how the feeling of quiet was, when you weren't "afraid" of the silence, felt calm and that the ears felt completely different. It's like the whole brain and ears feel inflamed now.

But you have to take it day by day and try keeping the hope up. Thanks everyone for the support.

 

Hej Matilda.

What helped me the most with tinnitus was to stop monitoring the sound. Like checking everyday if it's there. You might be in a more acute, or shocked, phase right now. Try not to overprotect your ears as it can lead to hyperacusis. Wear music earplugs when you have to, like concerts, clubs, crowdy bars etc.

I also got some ear fullness, or clicking sensations after an acoustic shock many years after my tinnitus. There is a lot of information at Myriam Westcott's homepage. You can even book a video consultation with her. This is the broad diagnosis TTTS. Anxiety fuels both tinnitus and TTTS. CBT (KBT) is a good treatment in order to handle your thoughts.

 

Some days are better and some are worse. I'm starting to have more days that are better, but I'm still processing the feelings that this will surely be a life long condition. And that's hard to face. I guess there will be days when you think more or less about the tinnitus, simply.

Thank you for the advice. I saw a doctor yesterday who said my flutters/clicks are fluid behind the eardrums... but I don't think it's fluid because of my other symptoms that match TTTS/MEM. It's such a shame that so few doctors know what this unusual symptom is.

 

Hi Matilda,

I just wanted to add. I suffered from the fluttering (TTTS) for a year after my trauma. I couldn’t sleep on my right hand side ear against the pillow. It would constantly flutter and was mentally exhausting. A year later this has subsided and has not come back, touch wood. My guess is the trauma and focus overexcited this defence mechanism and creates a vicious cycle. I’m sure this will chill for you too with time. x

 

Hi @Lorca, thank you for your answer. I'm getting a little bit of hope from hearing that your TTTS symptom have stopped. Maybe it takes some time... I'm praying it will stop some day and I will do anything to make it stop (reduce stress, better diet, more sleep).