Tinnitus from Loud Concert — Doctor Suspects Costochondritis & Presribed Steroids and Ibuprofen

Hello all,

My name is Shelby. I just recently... and I mean very recently developed tinnitus from a very loud concert. Now I know this was idiotic of me but even when I first walked in I realized I hadn’t brought any ear protection, which I’ve recently started doing. This was the loudest and biggest concert I’ve ever been to (plus I was seated towards front). The friend I went with is fine but I’m not. So it makes sense in some way to me that my t hasn’t gotten better.

I’m still in the beginning stages though it’s been about 3-4 days. It seems like now it’s mostly in my right ear (I can’t tell thought could be in left as well) and I can hear it when I’m in a quiet room or alone. I can slightly hear it with other noises if I focus on it but I’ve been reading to try to ignore it as much. It’s sort of a constant tone. A ringing.

Figured I would join this group for some information, advice, and some support. I’m not sure when or if this will go away.

A separate issue: my doctor thinks I have Costochondritis and prescribed some meds, steroids and ibuprofen, which I read are bad for tinnitus.

 

Those loud concerts are ridiculously loud. Avoid them like the plague! If you are hearing the tinnitus when you are in a quiet room, then this is at the lower end of the scale, and this is a good chance it will reduce in volume over the next few months if you avoid further noise exposure. Make sure to have ear plugs with you at all times, and no more rock concerts for sure. Look around as this has a lot of potential to get tons worse.

 

All I can tell you is when I first got tinnitus ENT prescribed prednisone for 8 days. I do not recall a spike. However, this is my experience. If I’d had read it causes spikes I would not have taken it. Do not do anything that you feel uneasy about. Go with your gut. God Bless. Peace.

 

Thank you! They absolutely are! I normally only go to smaller venues and shows and even then I would wear things. I’m truly hoping this will eventually get better! I can’t tell how loud it is when I’m around other noises as I’m trying to habituate to it in case it doesn’t go away. It’s mostly hard when I’m trying to sleep and when I wake up or in room alone. I’ve been playing rain noises for sleep,

 

Prednisone is often prescribed as a treatment for acute noise injury, it actually helps many people. It may actually give you a better outcome.

Ibuprofen is technically ototoxic but doesn't seem to cause a problem for most people except in high or prolonged doses. I personally wouldn't take it immediately after a noise injury, but that's just me.

Hopefully you will get other opinions, too. It's a good sign that your tinnitus is manageable at this point. In a lot of cases it will probably settle down even further.

 

You are where many people get to after a year or two. So you haven't hurt your ears as badly as many here. It will likely eventually switch to a hiss and fade. But even if it won't, after a year or two you ought to get used to it (given how quiet it is) and it ought to stop bothering you that it's there.

Make sure to not hurt your ears again, especially during the vulnerable time of healing. It probably isn't a good idea to go to concerts anymore, even with protection.

 

@Shelbylynn
Short term use of prednisone may be worth a shot to reduce any inflammation. It is commonly prescribed for noise induced tinnitus.

I personally would not take the ibuprofen. This always caused my tinnitus to spike and I know of many others with tinnitus that had the same problem.

Hopefully your tinnitus will fade away, but protect your ears from loud noise to avoid more damage.

 

Thank you so much! I think I’m going to go to urgent care tomorrow and see what they say. Like I said it’s been a few days but I just developed what feels like an ear ache in my more affected ear? Is that normal with noise injury should I be concerned? I haven’t had any pain thus far until this. I have had random ear pains in the past before the t though. Thanks again !

 

If anyone can answer my question about an earache being part of healing I would be grateful

 

Ear fullness after an acoustic trauma is classic. If you only hear the tinnitus when it is quite, you are actually on the mild end of the scale. This should likely get better over the next few months. Take it as a warning to avoid noise in the future as this can get tons worse.

I found ear plugs at night helped with sleep and would quiet my tinnitus down. Also, melatonin at night for about a week got me over the worst of it.

 

Really? blocking out sounds made your T less loud? wow thats interesting. What kind of earplugs?

 

Kind of paradoxical I know, but definitely repeatable. Regular foam earplugs work for me, whichever ones are most comfortable for the night. I find putting the earplugs in makes the tinnitus lower in volume after a couple of minutes, and helps to sleep. I tried masking at night, and it made it worse on more than one occasion. Of course, YMMV, but simple enough for others to try.

I also found that without the earplugs, it was more difficult to fall asleep as the passing cars would wake me up right away, and now I can sleep through the night. I also find the tinnitus is at a lower volume in the morning, and even more than what would normally happen.

 

Some people have ear fullness and it is quite common and I have seen others describe an "ache" in their ear after noise injury. Hard to say if it's related since you have had it in the past, though.

 

Do you know why that could be? I think I experienced something similar earlier myself. I don’t have any foam ear plugs on me yet, but I have regular wireless ones so I’ve been using those playing nothing. I used when in my mothers room when she was watching tv because she watches way too loud. And when I took it off I felt like it was more silent for a bit? But eventually came back up again.

 

I term it my acoustic rest, bout am not sure of the exact mechanism.

 

Get one of these to deal with the costochondritis. Seriously. Use this daily for about 2-3 months.

How to fix (most) Costochondritis and...

 

@Digital Doc do you still wear ear plugs at night? My tinnitus goes away when I sleep and comes back in morning. Making habituating difficult I think. It peaks when the cars start going.

 

Yes, foam earplugs at night. I believe it has helped me a lot. My tinnitus is pretty low these days. I have habituated pretty well, but I am like 20 months into this.

 

@Digital Doc if your tinnitus were to stay super low until you were around people then it peak super loud, what would you do? I am avoiding people and I know that's not good.

 

I do whatever it takes to avoid spikes.

 

@Shelbylynn how are you doing now?

 

I just need to vent: I think I’m severely depressed. Well I know I’m severely depressed.

I saw a therapist two years ago who said I had both severe depression and anxiety. I haven’t treated it because well the oogy boogey possibility of ototoxicity felt like a lose lose with medication.

I’ve always had delicate mental health and mental state. I’ve had childhood trauma from grief/bereavement - death of a parent. If I’m being honest I never felt like this world felt fit for me after that, having someone so fundamental taken away. Every day since then feels like borrowed or misplaced. So when things get tough when the going gets tough as it does in life I tend to fall apart rather quickly. I can feel the judgment of those around me who tsk tsk and suck their teeth and wonder how a girl can face so little adversity and fall apart so readily. I don’t know either, just that I feel weak deep inside in my heart soul or bones or whatever. If I got really ill I would probably die quickly because my willpower and tolerance is so low.

Living with tinnitus has been the only thing that has truly rivaled my trauma. I feel like I’m living in a punishment. Everytime I try to move forward I feel punished with noise with pain with sound. I have given up so many things that make me happy for the sake of betterment to be met with only further noise incidents. I feel like I’m only surviving. I feel like I can’t do things I want to do or used to do or even need to do.

At this point I just want to detach from my own body and leave it behind like a shell. I wish I could remove my ears or something. I would do it if I could. i miss my passions - music, I miss my friends and the curiosity of my future and the wonderment of what lies ahead. I no longer want to even wonder or know what lies ahead. I don’t care because it’s probably more of this. And I just can’t cope with regular coping. Sound therapy or Melatonin or NAC or whatever. Nothing is more isolating than this for me. Being alone. Feeling stuck. No treatments. No help. Only a wish and a promise that maybe some day. I guess reading this post from a third person perspective I would think “yeah you’re depressed, go get therapy or take meds - treat that.” Unfortunately, both conditions are in my brain - rotten brain. And all who I am is in my brain - and can we even fix that? Can we fix my brain? Can we fix me? Will I still be me then? Or will I be sedated? And honestly I wish I could be sedated I wish I could be unaware and maybe some day I will since I have a bad heart.

I hope my mood lifts and my perception changes because I know my ears won’t. My hearing won’t. The world won’t stop being loud and I won’t stop being exposed to alarms and sirens and hell. And trust me I’ve tried all the protection in the world it’s not enough. You can’t be ready 24-7. I’ve tried. It happens when I sleep too. And I know my poor damn hair cells are getting mowed down. I know they’re punishing me.

I was actually working up the courage to take antidepressants. I’ve had untreated depression so long I’m sure it’s affected my brain somehow. And anxiety. Both untreated. I don’t even know how I’ve made it this far honestly. But now I’m not so sure. Will it make my tinnitus worse? No one can say. And exercise does not take away severe depression you’ve had since childhood so I don’t think that’s the solution. And I’m sure all of my mental health plays a role in why I find it hard to get over my tinnitus. Being that it’s fairly moderate, for now. We shall see how this series of alarms right next to my ear make it feel. I wish it was a fire alarm and not a burglar alarm... but you know, fate or whatever.

i try so hard to be calm to be positive and happy and healthy, I feel like I’m losing a battle though. And I don’t know how much longer I can keep faking that I’m okay and positivity when I haven’t seen it materialize for me.

If I spike more and I get worse, I feel like I’ll be all alone.

 

Hey, @Shelbylynn.

I am sorry you're feeling hopeless. Your story/journey with tinnity breaks my heart particularly because others here said that your initial condition and symptoms = a more positive pathway to "recovery" than most. I wish I could ease your pain, but I am still very fresh to team tinnitus.

I am where you were at the start. 15 days out from the concert that took my old life from me. As of right now, tinnitus is only affecting my left ear (I have moderate-severe conductive hearing loss on that side) and it's mild most times, like a 4/10, but it is "full" or aches for most of the day. The aching feeling is like just as bad as the ringing IMO. I want to rip my eardrum out of my head so bad right now.

My right ear, which has no hearing damage, is beginning to get more and more sensitive to noise particularly by the end of the day. Maybe it is just overworking, making up for my increased conductive hearing loss on the left, leaving me with this sensitivity? This scares the crap out of me. I know I can manage my symptoms as they stand, but I am scared that accidental noise exposure will lead me down a path similar to yours. As a teacher, I know that sometimes helping others can help yourself. I found jumping on here and offering support to others lifted my own spirits. Typing this right now makes me feel better.

For me, the worst days are those I spend fantasizing about time travelling to my life before the concert or thinking about my future. Like you, I am no longer curious about what the future holds because it is mostly going to include tinnitus to some degree and I am only 28. It was a beautiful summer day here in Philly and I just spent it cooped up inside my apt...

But I digress. I am sure you most likely hear this one, but focusing on my life in chunks is how I have been coping best. I break down each days into 2-4 hour windows. I reevaluate how I feel at the end of those windows and adjust the rest of my day accordingly. The goal is to have more positive windows than negative ones, but it's been 50/50 most days. Maybe next week it will be 60/40 good. With this condition, it seems that it is all about baby steps.

If you have any advice for me at my stage, please share or just reach out and say hi.

We are going to be okay. Sending my love your way. Stay strong.

- Camp

 

@jecamp1, don't let my experiences scare you too much, I know that is a lot to ask at this time when you're probably nervous and worried and still trying to acclimate to this new condition you are in. I think I have been uniquely unlucky lately with these sirens/alarms so that is why I have been more exposed to this loud noise than an average person. Funnily enough pre tinnitus I don't remember ever being around more than a fire alarm once in a blue moon.

Tinnitus is a tough sob, and it takes an even tougher sob to deal with it. I guess I don't feel very tough right now, in fact I feel deflated.

My advice to you is that you're still very early in and that there is a lot of hope that your condition will improve, it's just the getting there that is tough. And I guess this goes for me as well, I will hopefully heal from this and be able to acclimate again. I'm having uncomfortable sensations in my ears like you, which I actually never had when I first got my tinnitus. So this aspect is really new and scary to me. I suspect it is not just my anxiety and I did real damage this time. I haven't gotten a new tone or louder tinnitus yet so I'm not sure if that's in the cards for me later or what, could be a delayed situation. I guess the best we both can do right now is just take care of our ears the best we can.

I'm 27, not too much younger than you... it's a difficult thing to have so young. People our age don't usually understand. Luckily my friends have been somewhat understanding and helpful.

I still go into the "why me" phase. Actually that's all I've been thinking this morning.

I think your advice to split the day into chunks is very good! Thank you. I will definitely try that. I honestly feel like distracting myself but with my ears so shot I don't know what to distract myself with. Maybe I'll pick up knitting. My favorite cathartic hobby is music and I don't feel comfortable doing that at the moment since... ya know. The pain is difficult to deal with. I'm not religious or spiritual but I'll send some kind of prayer of sorts out into the universe for both of us, I hope it's answered.

If it makes you feel any better, I would think that if you baby your ears for as long as you can you should be able to get to where I was right before this incident. I started to have decreased volume, I had only hissing. It was getting more quiet and easy for me to sleep with. I didn't have any pain or any fullness etc. I was able to go to the beach and loud parties with earplugs. I had actually JUST gotten to this point like this month, so this is devastating to me. But I hope that you will be able to get to that place too! Hopefully I will return to that. I don't know. I feel like I have to.

If you ever need anything, ask away. Thank you for your kind words.

-Shelby

 

Hi @Shelbylynn, nice to meet you, I met @jecamp1 recently as I'm also new to tinnitus and thus forum. I wish you both the best on acclimating to your new situations.

I just wanted to chime in to say that my therapist told me the same sage advice: time-chunk your day. We haven't started the actual chunking because I've only had the one meeting with her. But she wants to start me out with chunks as little as one hour. She said it helps ground you and stay more in the moment.

Sending positive vibes!

 

My doctor told me that if I was on the correct antidepressant I wouldn’t be able to tell I was on a drug, I would just feel less depressed. It’s trial and error though, and I don’t like the sound of that. For me, one of the most frustrating things about tinnitus is that it impacts your ability to improve other disabling conditions.

I’m sure your mental health does play a role, but moderate stable tinnitus is still difficult to live with, no matter what anyone else says. You are not struggling because you are weak, you are struggling because this shit is tough and you’ve been through a lot. There is only so much one person can take.

Not really got any advice for you though, no doubt you’ve tried all the talking therapies etc. The ‘tsk tsk tskers’ should be more understanding, you deserve better.

 

Thank you Joe! Pleasure to meet you as well, and welcome! I'm sorry of course that we cross paths in this way. I hope you are finding some support here and tinnitus isn't getting you too down.

Thank you for that extra reassurance, I think it definitely has helped me.

Hope all is well! - Shelby

 

Hi,

Two of my closest friends are encouraging and supportive of antidepressants as they have depression as well and use them as a tool to cope. I do hear there is some trial and error in finding the right one, and I only ever was briefly on Zoloft in my teens (I wouldn't mind trying it again as I don't remember any negative effect in the time I did take it) but everything is so much more... risky with tinnitus.

Have you tried antidepressants post tinnitus?

I do find talk therapy helps me a bit, contrary to a lot of other people's experiences. It just helps to have some coping skills as well as someone who is non judgmental/supportive. I should probably go back.

- Shelby

 

The support and discussions on this forum have been great. I owe a lot of my ability to cope to coming here, reading and interacting.

I'm on Zoloft post-tinnitus, and also Gabapentin. They seem to be working, since my mood has been pretty stable. I also agree with therapy. I'm seeing a therapist that specializes in chronic conditions and somatic therapy. She's treated folks like war veterans. I'm finding it quite helpful. I can describe her approach with me if you're interested.

 

That's great! I'm glad you're finding some relief, and support.

Thank you for sharing that with me as well! That sort of puts me at ease and motivates me to try it, though I realize risk involved as well as everyone having their own individual experiences. I'm glad to hear that you are doing well on it.

That's great that you found a therapist with those specifications! Sometimes it can be quite hard to find therapists that deal with chronic illnesses etc.