Tinnitus for 2 Months and Getting Louder! What's Going On ;(

Hi everyone,

I'm new here and really need some help

My tinnitus started 8 weeks ago. Before that I had chronic sinus problems for a year, since last summer. I had been to several ENT specialists but they didn't seem that concerned. My MRI over a year ago (!!!) had shown some kind of chronic mucosal thickening in my paranasal sinuses, and the latest MRI a month ago showed it's still there, but it has spread to the bigger sinuses as well (wtf doctors why leave this untreated wtf!) I had horrible symptoms, nose and ear pressure and constant severe post nasal drip, throat pain, eustachian tube dysfunction, pulsatile tinnitus etc! It wasn't until 3-4 months ago that they started to take things more seriously. I kept having sinus pressure, fatigue and slight fever every now and then. They ordered a CT scan but I was on the waiting list for too long (3 months)... The only medicine they gave me for all this time was Dymista, antihistamines (Desloratadine) and Avamys nasal steroid, none of them have helped. The CT scan was 2 days ago and showed chronic thickening in all my sinuses! They said the mucus is so thick it has been there for quite a long time!! Today I'm going to see the best private ENT I've found so far, he specialises in sinus surgeries and ETD dysfunction.. Also, I was given a 10 week course of antibiotics (Cephalosphorin) a few weeks ago but with no help at all.

I have been dealing with these sinus issues for a long time, with no tinnitus but I have had pulsatile sounds in my ears for 2 years, it started when I lost too much weight because of a severe Clostridium Difficile infection. The cause is probably patulous eustachian tube. Btw they treated my C.diff with Vancomysin and Metrodinazole (highly ototoxic drugs??!!). But it was so long ago it can't have anything to do with this tinnitus..

But.. 2 months ago I was having a hard time dealing with insomnia, so I was given Mirtazapine. I took one 15 mg tablet before going to bed, and 2 hours after that I got severe vertigo and nausea, I have never had vertigo before, it was so bad I thought I was going to die.. at the same time I started hearing this freaking loud tinnitus, like, the loudest thing ever, some kind of horribly loud sirens in my both ears !! I totally panicked but when the vertigo and nausea settled down, I was like "relax it's nothing, the tinnitus will go away, I's just a bad reaction to Mirtazapine"..

Now it's been 2 months and the siren like tinnitus has been constant and getting louder every day!! I can't deal with this, I need my peace and quiet, I hate loud noises, I have always been the kind of person who really needs a totally quiet space in order to relax, sleep, concentrate etc I hate loud noises and now this unbearable loud siren like tinnitus has ruined my life! I also developed hyperacusis because of this.. and because of my patulous eustachian tubes, even my OWN voice hurts my ears when I talk! My ears hurt and feel like burning all the time, feels like even they can't tolerate the tinnitus sound, it hurts! Every time the ENT has checked my ears they have said there's no infection so why does it feel like my ears are full, blocked, there's pressure, etc? They even checked my eustachian tubes with a mirror and they seem open.. I don't understand this!

As a last resort, I was given Prednisolon 20 mg this Monday. But I doubt it will help anymore. It seems to make my tinnitus louder..? Is it ototoxic?? My ENT said they often give it to ppl who suffer from sudden hearing loss etc, but it should be given less than a week after the onset of symptoms. I guess I'm too late..

I'm sure that my sinus issues combined with an ototoxic drug caused this incurable nightmare! I have been to so many doctors and begged them to "cure my tinnitus" but they just tell me to live with it, there is nothing they can do.

I've read that after 3 months the tinnitus becomes chronic.. and I'm a little over 2 months.. is all hope lost I can't deal with this I'm losing my sanity because of this! Why is it getting louder, what am I missing here?!! Even they said that the vertigo attack was propably proof that the drug was ototoxic for me, I have slow metabolism..

Also, I've had 2 hearing tests and no hearing loss.. I have always protected my ears and avoided loud sounds, how could this happen?

I can't deal with this, this is too much, help!! My life is ruined! I can't go on like this, I can't!! I'm only 26 years old, my life is over

 

@Jemina C-difficile infection is associated with antibiotic use and the therapies to treat the infection are also paradoxically antibiotics. Did your doctors ever discuss your c-difficile infection with you and what care is needed afterwards such as rebuilding your immune system with certain foods?

 

Not really but they told me that Vancomysin is such a strong medicine with potentially serious and permanent side effects and it's given only when nothing else helps. They did mention that I should eat healthy foods and lots of probiotics. I have tried to eat as healthy as possible, and the infection was over 2 years ago and I didn't get any side effects. But my immune system hasn't been the same as before, I get infections more often and my digestion is so bad I have to take Miralax every now and then. Many foods I was able to eat before C.diff cause me horrible indigestion nowadays.. onions, coffee, wheat, etc.

But this constant loud siren like tinnitus started after Mirtazapine and for the past 2 months I have desperately tried to figure out how to stop it, nothing seems to help or reduce it. How cant it be so loud and get louder every day I'm sure it was ototoxic! And this chronic sinusitis left untreated for too long.. I'm sure that because my eustachian tubes fail to close properly, my inner ears are more vulnerable... Over a year with cronic sinus infection.. that can't be good for the inner ear...?!

 

@Jemina Mirtazapine could cause tinnitus but usually along with it - hearing loss. The same with Vancomycin taken intravenously causing damage to the eighth cranial auditory nerve. You had two hearing tests, so I don't know. If C-difficile bacterial came first then it could associate to all of your more recent problems that include both viral and any bacterial. C-difficile can unbalance and weaken both your digestive and immune systems for some time. See your specialist tomorrow and see what treatments are offered. I would continue to eat immune/digestive food along with probiotics. Don't get dehydrated. Maybe talk to a dietitian and a diet similar to those with colitis may be recommended. All of this may help with your other problems. Take care of your health first and hopefully your T will lower.

 

Update:

Saw my ENT today, still no visible infection or fluid in ears, but since my sinus CT scan showed chronic sinusitis inflammation and mucosal thickening that doesn't respond to nasal or oral steroids, antihistamines etc, he recommends some kind of surgery to clean the sinuses. Maybe that would at least help with my ETD and ear pressure + muffled hearing... Unfortunately he said my sinuses and eustachian tubes are not the cause of my T.. many ppl have more severe inflammation and still no tinnitus. He said tinnitus is not just an ear problem anymore, since it's been going on for 2 months, but my brain and auditory nerve have probably already undergone some kind of "remodeling". What now?? Does this mean I have already passed the "this might be just a temporary problem" phase?

And even though my hearing is ok, there is usually some damage to the hair cells/auditory nerve that isn't significant enough to show up in the tests.. now I'm really worried.. I googled it up and found lots of evidence, like this for example http://www.buffalo.edu/news/releases/2017/04/024.html

No way I can live like this!!

 

@Jemina,
I had sever sinusitis and took a year to sort it and seen by ENT twice with it and scope up my nose twice . I had cronic post nasil drip that goes in your eustation tubes at night ,I do have allergies that effect my nose and lungs.

I take fexofenadine 120mg and Nasonex nasil spray and it's helping.
My ears are still so loud due to Menieres.
love glynis

 

Chronic sinusitis seems to be difficult to treat.. before my tinnitus started, I always had severe post nasal drip but it somehow disappeared and now my nose and sinus congestion, ear fullness, muffled hearing and ETD have gotten so much worse, and the CT scan pretty much explained why.. there was so much chronic mucosal thickening in all my sinuses, I'm sure that's where all the mucus gets trapped and every time I talk, yawn, swallow, eat etc I hear a loud painful popping and crackling noise in my ears. I might have some kind of chronic allergy, but without known allergens.. I had an allergy blood test (igE) done and the results were ok, and a white blood cell count that showed abnormally high eosinophil levels...

I had my tonsils removed a year ago and not long after that I started having sinus issues. There was a severe actinomyces infection in my right tonsil. I wonder how much damage all these infections have done to my immune system and ears...

I guess I should have kept taking Dymista or Avamys nasal steroids when I was first prescribed them half a year ago.. what if my tinnitus could have been prevented by keeping the inflammation under control..? One would think chronic sinus and ETD inflammation can permanently damage the inner ear...

Currently I'm having a really bad T spike and I'm so scared, it's past 1 AM and I'm tired but can't sleep. Why is this getting worse??? Feeling so hopeless.. how much louder can it get???

Is it safe to take nasal steroids I'm so scared.. what if they make my T worse I don't know what to do anymore!!! How can my hearing tests be normal with tinnitus so loud what am I missing here

 

Hello Jemina I too am new to tinnitus, just over a month in. I am glad you found this forum as it gave me the hope and the support I needed from a lot of different people who are united by one element, tinnitus. From what I have read and experienced, the first couple of months are very stressful. You find yourself asking what is this, why me, what is next? As I am new to the world of T. I can only give you insight into the stuff I had to learn right at the start that helped me know what would help me, and what I should avoid doing which might aggrivate it. There are others on this forum who can speak with much greater knowledge about hearing and tinnitus, and answer your questions about how your T. started, your med.'s, and your future. I noticed Greg and Glynnis have responded, which is great for they have a lot of experience and insight into the technical side of your situation. Mine can get so loud I hear it over a car engine on the highway, I hear it when I wake up, and then it goes down to next to nothing, it is in one ear, then the other. What gets me through all this is the support and wisdom I have received on this forum telling me, after patiently listening to me, as to what was happening to me and what to expect. For me it was that I had some hopeful signs. So far, their advice has been pretty good, and what I needed.


Everyone knows what you are going through, and you are not alone, you have support at this site. There are others who regularly read, support and answer your questions. Just realize that this site is a world wide site, so if people do not respond right away, it is because they may be on another continent.


As I suspect, you have already been reading the post in the Introduce Yourself and Support sections. These sections may help you gain some insight to issues and aspects of tinnitus. What follows is the answers to my own questions re. 'How do I function?', I hope this helps you navigate the next little while. From what I have started to learn is that the first couple of months are the hardest. I have also come to understand that T. is about as individual as are fingerprints, and so is the amount of time it takes to heal or fade. There are a number of stories about people with T. who have had it for a number of loud months and then slowly it began to fade, SO HAVE HOPE, your T. sounds like it is only in its infancy, and there are many possible outcomes so don't focus on the bad, and it is only going to get worse. I suggest you read through the Support Section with an eye to reading the posts others make in support, and the advice they put forward. See which ones can related to you, especially about the time and nature of recovery. On the forum home page, go down towards the bottom and read the Success Stories section, and then realize that can be you too.

Other issues to be aware of at the start include: loud noise = bad (so at the start listen to your music at a lower volume and movies can be loud so be wary), head phones = bad, ear protection = good (ear plugs, if you use foam make sure you know how to insert them, I got moulded, and/or ear muffs, being aware and not letting your guard down, e.g., going into a loud restaurant or coffee shop without ear protection and thinking it will be ok = not good, when outside and your tinnitus fluctuates realize it can be a result of normal fluctuations, so don't panic, but definitely avoid loud noises as this can affect your tinnitus. Over protecting your ears can also have consequences. It is an interesting balancing act.

When you go to bed have some music playing in the background, and in the morning when you get up. I have found on the internet Tinnitus Sound Therapy music, and for me it helped. I listened to different music, some spoke to me, some didn't. I have it on during the day, and at night I take my laptop into my bedroom and play it overnight (some of the sites go for 8 to 10 hours). From what I have learned, it is good to play it just below the level of your T, as it helps mask the T. allowing you to focus on it less. When I arrive home after being out I put on music, the tv, or a tinnitus sound therapy website on as it allows me not to focus on it.


This is the harder one, but is very important. Hope is a good thing and realizing that you can oversome this is, while hard to see, is very real. It is important, and I know it is much easier to say than do, but learning to focus your attention from the screeming in your ear is possible. As I am writing this, my left ear is louder, and my right has been angry for the past couple of hours, while it was quiet all morning. I too love silence. I have been meditating for around 15 years or so, and I love just sitting in a moment of silence. I am dealing with my T. by not focusing on it and by looking past it and directing my attention on the tv for ex. and reminding myself that it will go down. It does take time to get to this point. One approach, of many, could be to shift your focus and try to think of something you enjoy, or makes you feel good. I remember one post where she watched Star Trek for a month, because it is filled with hope. Meditation and mindfulness and yoga have appeared in a number of posts from people sharing that this helped. If you don't meditate and are willing, there are guided meditation web sites, or look for a meditation class in your area. Tell the orgainzer why you are exploring meditation, and she, or he, can actually run a class that may help you deal with your T. Focusing constantly on your T. = not good, and actually gives your T. power over you, when it is exactly the opposite, you have the power over it. Unfortunately it does take time to adjust, so give yourself time, and some understanding.


From what I have learned in a number of cases it does get better, but that is where others can share their greater wisdon on this, especially with regards to your med's. and your situation. I have found that Greg S. is a wealth of knowledge, as are others, when it comes to the more technical/medical side to this world. As I said I am new myself so I focus on the importance of support and hope at this important entry time to the world of T. as I call it. Coffee Girl, Bill B., Fishbone, Micheal L., Glnyis, Greg among others who have a lot of good ideas, and more experience than I do.


Best of luck, I hope this helps, and remember, hope is a good thing.

John CC

 

If your tinnitus was caused by otoxicity it is confirmed to due with hearing loss.
It is common knowledge within tinnitus communities that ENT pure tonal audiogram test are very inaccurate
http://hyperacusisfocus.org/innerear/#hiddenloss

 

Thanks for such a detailed information and advice. It's almost 2 AM and I'm still awake. I guess i should try listening to some relaxing music or something. Tinnitus sure is bad for ppl who already suffer from sleeping difficulties and really need a quiet enviroment in order to fall asleep. But anything is better than listening to this loud T, it keeps my brain so alert, in a constant "fight-or-flight" response..

I got custom made ear plugs from my ENT doctor. But 2 weeks ago I went to the movies and didn't wear them.. oh no!! I remember thinking something like "this can't worsen my T, it's already so loud it can't possibly get worse".. Huge mistake.. made my T spike so badly I couldn't sleep at all for 2 days..

I really hope my T won't be permanent.. I miss silence!!!

 

That would explain a lot. I was told I don't have hearing loss but I found it hard to believe since I have hyperacusis and sounds don't sound the same as before...

 

yes human hearing is much more complex then just tonal noises up to 8k and the human voice range.

 

Hi Jemina Hope is the best thing, especially at the start, and as hard as it can be to see at times, patience with yourself, thinking and seeing it can get better can help you habituate (get used to it). I think everyone makes mistakes at the start (going to the movies without ear plugs for ex.), just realize you are human, and you are getting used to this new condition. I love silence too, and I too hope to enjoy it's sweet nothingness, but at the very least I know one thing, I stopped and enjoyed it, appreciated it, and acknowledged it, which is more than a lot of people can say. So how about we both hope, and try to see it again, but also accept what will be. I can live with a quiet whisper, and I know I can train my brain to live with it too, so can you.

Best of luck, and I feel you will get to sleep.
John C

 

@John CC

I've read your posts on this thread and you really seem to have a grasp on understanding t. Very well said and great advice!

 

Yes, no doubt. Your doctor is aware of this.
This would relate to our discussions on immunity with influence per the digestive system.
Your actual physical problems probably didn't cause your T directly, but you have low immunity and high eosinophil levels. From this mirtazapine could have had more pharmaceutical impact on your eighth cranial nerve and possible other cranial nerves and nerve fibers. I think that the only concern would probably be your auditory hearing nerve. There are involved discussions about this under 'pharmaceutical eosinophil'.

Up to 98% may have hidden hearing loss, but with your particular condition influence, hidden hearing loss could be limited. Some research that I have read in the past in relationship to internal immunity / infection suggest association may be more due to cranial nerve swelling. For this a compress such as a rung out wash cloth of cold water placed behind ear may help. Notice the mention of colitis in link below. I mentioned this in a post above as being similar and that's probably all.
https://www.webmd.com/allergies/qa/what-does-an-eosinophil-count-do

Glynis knows condition with med treatment beyond what I know. John wrote a compassionate post. You have a good understanding of your medical. Let's hope that nerve swelling is part of your problem and that can be treated. There's now some good safer drugs to control eosinophil levels. It's good to know that you are using
immune/digestive foods and know which foods to avoid. AND who knows you may outgrow some of your immunity problems due to C-diff. Good posture is always important with any condition.

Please keep us updated,

 

Update: woke up with even louder tinnitus feeling so hopeless...

I forgot to mention I've also been having these scary muscle spasms in my ears, they are often triggered by talking, eating, yawning etc... I get this rapid clicking sound in my both ears, and it can last from a few minutes to several hours. It's painful and worsens my hyperacusis. I've been told it's middle ear myoclonus but they don't know any good treatment for it in Finland. Muscle relaxant are usually ineffective. My ENT mentioned something about Botox treatments but that sounds too risky, I already have a weak immuse system and nerve irritation.

I have constant loud ringing tinnitus, hyperacusis, ear myoclonus, eustachian tube dysfunction, and chronic sinusitis... this is a living nightmare...

 

you may have menires disease. Spelling is wrong

 

Before my T started, I had episodes of vertigo and nausea but I haven't had them for a few months, except for the severe vertigo and nausea I got from Mirtazapine... My ears feel full all the time, and my tinnitus is awfully loud, but I'm still sure Mirtazapine is what caused my tinnitus. If I had Menieres, I'm sure my hearing test would have shown some kind of hearing loss, even though the test haven't been taken after those vertigo episodes...?

 

@Jemina
How are you doing now? Did things improve?

 

I'm sorry I can't imagine what you are going through. I hope you have found ways to help cope with your tinnitus.