Tinnitus Increase After Years — At a Loss and Struggling (Any Response Appreciated)

I'm just hoping somewhat that some second opinions and maybe some thoughts will help me cope, because I'm in bad shape.

Little quick backstory, I have tinnitus via noise induced. Slight T around 13 from loud music Sat. night clubs for young teens, nothing bad. Also have TMJ from being hit in right jaw. Never thought of T it until 18 when I idiotically went to a electronic music festival with out earplugs. I experienced a temporary threshold shift that wen't away and idiotically I stayed for another half hour after that. Sine then, I've had permanent T with supposedly no hearing loss from audiograms as recent as last week (though I disagree with this as I've read, "It turns out that there are different neurons that detect sound at a high volume threshold – and these are not tested in an audiogram." Paper on testing here:http://www.jneurosci.org/content/29/45/14077.full)

Since then, as I'm 26 now, I've coped with my tinnitus (which is both ears, high freq. T with something a bit mid freq. under it which I never could hear before unless in a quiet room) after years of struggling and not masking, I simply go used to it and trained my brain not focus on it. I've had loud exposure incidents which have temp. increased it but always came back down.

Unfortunately something has happened, a lot of things, and I have no idea what is connected what is not. April 12th, I wen't to a restaurant that is small and closed off from outside (have to take an elevator underground). It wasn't too loud, certainty not with in range to cause an issue from what I recall. Two days later, I woke up in the middle of the night to this pulsing "hmm....pause....hmm...pause...hmm" sound, that was inside my right ear. Almost felt external. A pulsing vibration of sorts. Wasn't attached to my heart beating rhythm The next morning it was there, going off on all triggered by sound at times, others I don't know. The first week and half followed a full/pressure feeling and deep pain in the ear. I also noticed low freq. bothered my right ear. The fridge hum seemed louder in my right ear, the subwoofer seemed louder in my right ear ect.. The pain/full symptoms wen't away after 1 and half weeks and next 2-3 weeks had intermediate pop ups of just the the pulsing "hmm". The episodes started to become less frequent and going week with out at times. Since May 25th I haven't felt it until last night where I head a killer headache and it was very brief and low. During this time I also experienced a few cases of what I believe people here call "fleeting T", which I've experienced for years briefly, but not typically bad. This lasted hours though, and any rubbing of the ear or moving it along the pillow further increased the sound. It wen't away but left a partial come/go type tinnitus on my right ear, a different frequency that feels like it can't tell whether or not it wants to stay or go that I've had on and off since this original incident. In addition, I've noticed clicking like sounds off and on since the original April 12th incident in the right ear, though not frequent.

The REAL issue came June 4th, when I noticed that night my T was louder. And since then, I've been hearing it at all times and over noises that used to block it. It's higher frequency and general noises it cuts right through. I can't sleep, hear it all day, I'm depressed beyond belief because I'm not sure why this happened, or if it had any relevance to the above. A few things have happened before June 4th. Prior, I was taking 30 days of Omeprazole(prilosec), about that time I had been getting off it, gone a few days with out taking. I also took NSAID more than typical around the week of May 11th for a hurt knee from running. Though NSAID never typically bother my ears, I did take about 4-5 with in a 4-5 day period of that week. One week and 4 days prior to June 4th T increase, I believe around May 25th I woke up in a panic to some idiot below my window next door (in condos) using a table saw! I jumped out of bed and covered my ears with my hands in a panic for a good 10 seconds until he stopped so I could close my window. It triggered my pulse issue I descried above for a good 10min, but I generally don't recall any increase T until finally on June 4th at night. On June 4th I went to a starbucks with the parents, upon leaving was subjected to a loud motorcycle, probably a good 15-20ft away and I did cover my ears, yet I'm thinking of anything that could of triggered it.

I have no idea what caused it, was it a delay damage of the cells dying off from the saw, and popped up a week later, or something else. I have no idea, and I'm completely angry over not knowing. Tonight will mark the 2nd week and it's been hell. In my room with sounds that usually blended with the T and didn't notice it no longer do it, I can hear it basically all day. It's so high freq. it just cuts through anything other than being next to a faucet slightly on. Pink, brown ect.. noise it cuts through. I can hear it walking outside now, which I never did, over bathroom fan too. I've also noticed now these T spikes from sudden noises (not even loud). Typing on my mechanical keyboard for example, every time I hit a key, I can hear my T spike. Or a piece of plastic and I tap my glass table, I hear this very quick spike in accordance to the sound. Combined with that, I'm completely terrified this T will not go back down, and have been scurrying through information of vitamins and minerals to see if anything can help speed the process of recovery, if at all possible. I'm terrified that the hair cells that may already been week from previous exposures and something could of pushed them over the edge and destroyed the hair-cells increasing the T.

Is it possible that T increase can recover and go back to baseline even a month after an incident, or 4 months. Or since It's been 2 weeks and not really any change, It seems more likely from the above something permanent?

Sorry for the long post, but I couldn't see any way to condense it with out listing what has happened thoroughly.

 

I would see an ENT if I were you. Even if you've been before this is a "new" symptom and if nothing else he may be able to put your mind at rest that nothing more sinister is going on. I'd do that first before anything else as he may be able to find something organically wrong in your ear that he can solve for you.
If there is nothing he can find to explain it I should immediately take action to help your reaction to the tinnitus and your stress levels. I'm not saying stress or your reaction is causing this but I'm saying you don't need those things on top of the already loud T to exacerbate the problem further because at the moment it sounds like you are panicking - and naturally so.
You said you are angry not knowing what caused it. Nine of us can tell you either but it's possible an ENT might have some clues. Anyway I think just seeing the ENT and ruling out scary stuff will help your rising fear.

 

Thank you. Ive been to ent already. He didnt do anything to help vocally. Nothing is wrong visually or a concern from his exam. I guess i just want other opinions on what ive had.

 

"Is it possible that T increase can recover and go back to baseline even a month after an incident, or 4 months. Or since It's been 2 weeks and not really any change, It seems more likely from the above something permanent?"

From posts I've read on this forum, a spike can definitely last 2 weeks or even a month and then the T return to baseline. I had a spike that lasted 10 days from a toddler shrieking in a small cafe. She was sitting just behind me and to my left. SHRIEK!! pause SHRIEK!! pause SHRIEK!! and at that point I told my friend I couldn't handle it, and I left.

Your situation sounds complex with a lot of variables in it, but hopefully the T will subside back to baseline. In the meantime, do what you need to do to get some relief, if at all possible.

 

We're with you. May mother earth bless you.

 

Have you tried Gabapentin + Klonopin? It works for some people.
http://www.tinnitusjournal.com/detalhe_artigo.asp?id=49