Tinnitus for 12+ Years. Bad Times and Better Times.

Hi all!

I first got a major shock with tinnitus in '02 if I remember correctly. Somehow learned to cope with it or it went away. In '07 I got a hit in the ear that ruptured my eardrum and left a lasting impression, tinnitus. Of course the shock back then was severe and had me depressed indoors for several months. Tried to look for a cure but it seemed to be a ways off, maybe 10-14 years into the future. Since then I habituated and learned to cope with it but is still having a real impact on my quality of life. The past year I haven't even noticed it. Maybe it just got quieter or I didn't pay attention to it anymore. Up until 2 weeks ago when it began again, and louder.

For the past few months I've had a few ear infections and antibiotics to go with them. Also used some Amlodipine for blood pressure and some Ibuprofen. Could they have made it worse? I've also been under a lot of stress lately so maybe all of these things together made it worse. So bad that when I go to sleep I put on a notched white noise track on and try to concentrate on the AC humming as well. Last night this kind of helped and I was not too stressed out about the tinnitus being there. My problem is that there seems to be many different pitches of tinnitus present. Some of which I can modulate with clenching my jaw or pressing under my ear (makes me think the University of Michigan method might help me). I keep waking up every 2 hours or so in the night and then I take my phone and earbuds and try to see which frequency is flaring up at that given time. And while I do this, it seems like hearing that certain frequency from an outside source, the Tinnitus quiets itself for some time. Sometimes so much that I can get back to sleep.

I saw a doctor lately and he said the problem is difficult to treat. I know. He said that it is not an ear problem but a brain problem. And if you get to the bottom of it the cause might be in the ear but the root is in the brain. Overexcited nerves and all that. He prescribed me yet another antibiotic for my ear as the canal seemed to be a bit inflamed. Reminds me of when I was a kid and had repeated ear infections and my ears were tubed. Now after a few days into the antibiotics my ear still hurts sometimes, also my head around the ear. Maybe this flaring up of the tinnitus is caused by the inflammation and it will go away once the inflammation is cured? Maybe it will get worse with time? The doctor told me it does improve with time and yes, I did habituate from the earlier big tinnitus but it took a lot of time. Maybe the coming winter and colder weather now is the cause of the flaring of the tinnitus? So many questions and so much desperation. Maybe if I hold on with time it will quiet down again?

Still looking for a cure, or even a way of making the tinnitus quieter. Listening to the tinnitus frequency helps for a while. Curcumin and pepper, don't know yet (been taking it for 4 days or so). Sometimes the "Reddit tinnitus trick" snapping fingers to the back of my skull helps for a while. Maybe the notched white noise will help again after months like it helped last time? But how to notch in all the different frequencies as there would be not much white noise left in the audio file if I notch them all? Just notch the worst ones?

FX-322 seems promising and I've got my hopes up for it to work. Just speed it up already! And Work! I could use it for my other ear too. The Michigan University's tinnitus treatment seems promising as well. Been thinking maybe try rTMS too? Sorry for the rambling but maybe putting all my thoughts into writing would ease my mind a bit and maybe get some of your thoughts on my case.

 

Sounds like you need some time. I try not to focus on it, but then, like today I drop a 2 x 8 on the driveway and the noise spiked my T. The modulation you have, I have the same. Sometimes it just changes frequency for a little while, maybe for several minutes, or maybe hours. Clenching the jaw or pressing the side of my head will also modulate the frequency and I think increase the volume some.
This website has helped a lot. Typing thoughts and feeling about this and knowing there are others going through the same thing.
Tonight on this site, I just read about a person who had ear trauma and found some relief with a controversial LLLP low level laser therapy. Type it in the search and I'm sure you'll find it.
From what I've read on here, everybody has different triggers, however, stress, sodium, high blood psi are the big ones. Read that on here and my audiologist said the same.
Good luck and I hope you find some relief.

 

I haven't had tinnitus for as long as you, but I am, and I was in very similar situation. I don't think that rTMS or the similar methods, have been studied enough, to prove their efficacy in treating tinnitus. That's the general consensus, between ear experts and tinnitus sufferers.

There are different methods of stimulating different nerves, but it's not guaranteed to help you, for example stimulating Vagus Nerve with special devices that you can use at home. In the past half a year, there has been one of the first bi-modal stimulation device, called 'Lenire,' and it's discussed well in the forum, but it does not guarantee improvement in tinnitus, neither.

Me and probably most part of the users on this forum, are waiting for Michigan Device, Minnesota Device and more than 5 different drugs that might help with tinnitus. So, things are unlikely to change in the next 1-2 years, to say the least.

Getting enough sleep and managing stress, are probably one of the biggest things you can do to help your health and your tinnitus. Also, avoid things that trigger your tinnitus, if possible. Maybe, you could consider increasing the intensity and frequency of techniques and activities that help you in relaxing, somehow? Healthy nutrition, getting enough Magnesium and not over-working yourself, seem to be extremely important in keeping your tinnitus from worsening.

I can see that tinnitus is not causing you a great deal of stress, other than interrupting your sleep. But, there are people who seem to sleep normally and they have very severe cases of tinnitus, so I'm sure you will find a way out, and you'll be more fine than ever before! For me, it's shit and I should be sleeping now, but every day is a new day and I can't take backward steps in my life. Moving forward is the best thing to do, even if done at very slow pace.

Take care.

 

@Mr.Drop
You had mentioned that the cold weather may affect your tinnitus. Today is rainy and nasty here in the North East US and the barometric pressure is very low... my tinnitus is screaming. I keep a log of my tinnitus each day and have noticed it being better on sunny high pressure days... I wonder if there could be a correlation?