Tinnitus Spike After Club, Lost Hope

I have never posted here and never thought I would. I have only read some posts here. But right now I'm on the edge of just ending it all, cause I hate myself so much.

I'm a 20-year old girl. I have had tinnitus for over 3 years and lately it was almost unnoticable for me, only if i really focused on it.

So 3 weeks ago i made the most stupid mistake and went out with my friends. Alot of alcohol was involved and i got pretty drunk. And when im drunk, i can’t think properly. So we went clubbing. I have ALWAYS used ear protection when i have went out before but this time i was so stupid and ended up losing them during walking to club. When we arrived to club, i could not find them and my stupid ass drunk brain thought that meh, i will be fine without them. The music was so loud (probably even 100 db) and i was in the club for about 15-20 minutes, not more cause it got uncomfortable for me and i left. Immediately after i left club i sobered up a little and realized what kind of mistake i had made and when i stepped out, i heard it. Tinnitus had spiked so much. And i just kept obsessing over it and got a panic attack.

Now it has been over 3 weeks and the spike is still there and is extremely loud. I just want to kill myself, because i cant do this anymore. Im afraid to do anything, i dont even want to go out, cause im so afraid of every sound. After clubbing i have been working almost every day (i work as a cook and its pretty loud and really stressful working there). So i have been using ear protection (32db) as much as possible. But there have been still some situations, when someone has made a loud noise and its just so painful. (I sometimes take my ear plugs out, cause they get uncomfy after a while).

I have lost all hope. I was doing so well not even thinking about tinnitus and now it is all i think about. I also have a severe hyperacusis and even someone talking to me is so uncomfortable for me.I My blocked ear feeling is slowly fading away, but tinnitus is still so freaking loud. I have experienced these kinds of spikes before, but this is a whole new level and im afraid it will be permanent.

Also, before going out i was really suicidal, i had just gone through the most painful break up and my life was a wreck. I was basically homeless, had no real friends around me and now i fucked up my life even more. I have also dealt with anxiety and depression for a while now. I think that my tinnitus started because of my severe depression.

I dont know what to do, all i can think about is killing myself because living with this severe tinnitus is unbearable.

 

Sounds like you have more issues going on...they are all solvable.
Considering your age, your chances at recovery are pretty good, as long as you don't do anything stupid.
You will probably have to get through couple of months of hell..there is no sugar coating that one.
But after that you will very likely get another chance at life.

 

The first thing is sorry to hear your story, there will no doubt be some self blame there and regret to deal with on top of everything which will not help but in time hopefully you will forgive yourself, i have. The other is 15-20 minutes was enough to cause a spike certainly but be thankful that you have limited any further damage, you should give yourself a pat on the back for getting out of there when you did. My Tinnitus was from a band playing in a club i was there maybe 30-40 minutes and for the first 2/3 months it was unbearable, howling, screeching really quite severe but now after 7 months or so its so much better, maybe 80/90 percent better so there is hope. It takes along time but it should get better. Its really important to stay away from noise, earplugs in loud places for long periods of time can have a negative effect as much as anything. Not alot you can do when it comes to work but you might have to consider re thinking things so you maximise your chances of recovery. Dont think it will always stay like it is now i promise you it will get better, your just gunna have a few bad months. Keep going and take it day by day, it wont always be this bad.

 

I've had the same experience myself. There are other posts about spikes lasting longer than three weeks and the member's T eventually returning to their previous baseline.

I've had T for more than 30 years and I've experienced it at numerous levels. However, in 2014, like you, I experienced it at a much worse level than ever before. It lasted for four months. Additionally, to add to my misery, I experienced severe H for the first time. It's the fear and anxiety that our T and H will permanently remain at those levels that greatly exacerbates the situation. It put me in a downward spiral of depression. It took an AD to pull me out of it. As my anxiety and depression subsided, my T level gradually began to staircase downward and eventually returned to it's previous baseline.

So, what I'm trying to accomplish here is to give you some hope that it's still very possible that it's a temporary situation and will eventually pass.

 

Thank you for your replies. Im also afraid i made it worse. A week ago i went to have my eyelash extensions done and the woman who was putting them on, was doing it at her home. I didn’t know she had little kids. If i did, i would not have gone. Anyways during the 1,5 hours, her children started to fight and then her daughter screamed at the top of her lungs. I didnt have my ear plugs with me cause i didn’t know i would need them. It was so loud and lasted for like 10 seconds. I just felt the lump in my throat and wanted to run away, but i had to stay still. Because of that im now even more scared and have been using ear plugs almost everywhere, cause im so afraid that i will just worsen the situation and it is right now terrible enough. Life is pure hell with this tinnitus spike, since clubbing im regretting every day and situation when there is a loud noise and i don’t have my ear plugs with me.

 

That wont do anything. You need to wait at least for 3-4 months, this might go down...Please remember that you get only a limited amount of chances before you make it worse. Please avoid loud places such as loud bars, concerts, festivals, clubs, blender, vaccum, etc. I have Severe T and walk around outside without earplugs but cover my ears when exposed to something loud.

 

Did it take over 2 years for your T to become unnoticeable?

There is a good chance that your T will fade. It takes time. If I were you, I would tell myself to wait a year or two before doing anything irreversible.

 

At first when i got it, it was actually really quiet, but i guess because of my anxiety and depression it gradually has become worse. About a year ago or so, i had a spike for some time and after that it has been pretty much unnoticable for me, unless i force myself to think about it. That is why i regret everything so much, because i had not thought about tinnitus for a while. I guess i get reckless when i don’t remember what it feels like to have a severe tinnitus.

 

You only get a limited amount of chances. I hate saying this but you only get 1-2 chances. I did the same thing as you did well I was kind of pressured into it. My T was very mild and I could only hear it in quiet places. Things like a quiet office would cover it up or quiet library. I had to search for it in my head to find it, my ENT insisted that it is impossible for me to have an acoustic trauma and that meniere/neuroma is much more possible. well I did ear syringing and vemp test (100db-2 minutes). My T jumped on January 18 from 2/10 to 10/10 and then reduced to 8/10 where it stayed since. I also have hyperacusis on both ears since Jan 28 and moderate hearing loss.

So be careful but dont overprotect. Think about it? Clubs, loud bars, concerts, ear tests, loud car audio, are for sure going to make it worse. A door slamming, an object falling, a person screaming likely wont make it worse.

 

Now if you are really lucky it can improve. Jiffyman's tinnitus reduced first time and second time (two traumas), so dont loose hope. Tell me how you feel in 6 months.

 

It is also possible that it became worse because you got exposed to noise.

This is a good sign. Hopefully, in another month T will follow.

 

My T got spiked from using earphones though at low volume 4 months ago. I am struggling to deal with the spike but it's been slowly going back to the baseline. Ears heal really slowly. It's like 2 steps forward and 1 step back or, sometimes, 1 step forward and 2 steps back! Yours can go back to the baseline too but it takes time.

 

What do you mean by “anything stupid”?

 

Like getting drunk and going clubbing again...stuff like that.

 

Being exposed to noise (even moderate noise) when the exposure is preventable.

 

@Katy123 I think we can be so hard on ourselves when it comes to this stuff...too hard for sure, which is maybe natural. We didn't do anything wrong, we simply thought we would be ok without earplugs at a concert or club...in another situation we were not as vigilant as we could've been...or we didn't react quickly or boldly enough when a sound struck. Even if we are super vigilant we cannot honestly stay away from all noise. Sometimes our unprotected (or protected) ears are gonna be subject to this stuff. Even though it's unrealistic to always keep our ears safe we still have regret and "if only this didn't happen" type of thoughts.

Even if the tinnitus doesn't fade we can become stronger and braver in facing it. I just hope we all do that as quickly as possible. We should also have some optimism that our ears could heal in some respect...maybe not fully, but enough to make a difference.

 

If we are super-vigilant, we Will be able to avoid "club-level" exposure for over 15 minutes (unless it is a dental procedure ).

 

Hey guys. My tinnitus was so much better today when i woke up. It had gone down so much and even the hyperacusis was barely there. I was so happy. Then i went to work and immediately put on my ear plugs and used them the whole workday (8 hours). I didnt get the full protection (32db) cause i cut them in half so they wouldnt be so visible, but at least 10 db was cut down in noise. We also use blender there, because of some coctails. And everytime the blendwr was used (it is loud), i had my ear plugs in and i adjusted them at this second so they would help more. Still i sometimes took my ear plugs out, because my ears started to hurt after awhile. What i noticed that after taking plugs out, my hearing is extremely sharp. I hear every little thing. Also i havent noticed any hearing loss. I hear better than most of my coworkers actually, even with my ear plugs in. Now i got home and my ears are ringing again so loud and the hyperacusis is back. I dont know what to do, i am actually changing my workplace because of that loud environment and going to a more quiet job, but that wont be until one month from now. So idk how i will survive that one month in that place, i wont ever get over that spike like this. i feel like crashing my car somewhere or doing something to myself so then i would atleast die or be in a hospital bed for some time to finally get some quiet environment.

 

Hi Katy, I have been reading your thread and only have positive vibes to give you. Loud noises can happen anywhere at any time. That is why I wear ear plugs all the time. Today, at around 3:30pm, 4:00pm I was out doing laundry at a laundrymat about 4 miles from my apartment. Near the laundrymat, there is a commercial train that imports and exports good that runs about 200 feet from the laundrymat I was doing laundry at today. Now, there is a Culver's restaurant about a few blocks from the laundrymat. I walked to Culver's 3 times and back from the laudrymat. On the third (3rd) walk back from Culver's, (I had to go to the bathroom and wash my hands), I was half-way to the laundrymat and this loud train engineer blasts his horn. I was wearing earplugs, (thank God), and I was about 200 feet away from the train horn. I still felt it was too loud even though I was wearing ear plugs. Like the hypochondriac that I am, once I get to the laundryma, I look up decible train blasts. I find 120 decibels at most. I was 200 ft away and there were some buildings to block the noise. That's minus 13 decibles, from my meager calculations. Of coure the ear plugs offer 32 decibles of noise reduction and the total noise attentuation I acheived from the train horn was approximately 45 decibles. Nevertheless, Katy, my mild tinnitus is audible when I wear my ear plugs as it spiked after the horn blast. My question is, can tinnitus spike even though you were adaquately protected? I feel, Katy, that damage was done and if there was then it was a small amount. I hope, Katy, that in a few days my tinnitus will ease off and I'll hardly ever hear it. The only time I hear it is when I wear ear plugs, which is all the time. It goes in and out. Oh God, I hope it returns to normal or little to no damage was done. Katy, it is imperative that you buy the noise attenuating earmuffs: 3M Peltor X-series X5A. Copy and paste this name into Amazon.com and purchase these. They will help you tremendously. I recommend everyone who is sensitive to sounds purchase these for your safety. I live in a noisy invironment and I bought these and got them yesterday. They look like Micky Mouse ears, but they get the job done, you know? Katy, never forget your ear plugs because life is unpredictable and we need to be ready at all times. Buy these earmuffs too. I'm so happy for you, Katy, that your tinnitus is better since the last time. That is great news! Now it will only aget better if you protect yourself. Don't be ashamed to put your finger's in your ears! You know, Katy, in life there is never a manual for any aspect of life that can be labeled negative. Nobody will tell you to, "wear your ear plugs, Katy!" Nobody will tell you to protect your ears. Nobody will tell you to wear a seatbelt. This is a mistake in this society because without proper guidance, we fail to the pitfalls of history. Do you see? Yes. It's tragic that life is so fleeting and unpredictable. One minute, we are fine and the next, we are clamoring for hope. Don't you dare do something, Katy to harm yourself okay? My sister ruptured her eardrum in surgery. She will recover and so will you. I am sad because she moved to California and is gone. Keep your mind occupied and be ready at all time to protect yourself, Katy

 

Can't you just quit now, and spend a month recovering at home? Many of us would pay a lot more than one month wages for a chance of having our T get quieter.

 

Don't worry. We all make mistakes! I've put my hearing in all sorts of danger when I've been drunk or high before, peer pressure has gotten to me a few times too.

I quoted the above because it seems like there might be some acoustic trauma. The pain, blocked ear feeling and spike are indicative of it - that's how I define acoustic trauma anyway. Unless you had persistent hyperacusis before that event, then that could be a little different and could just be acoustic shock disorder: http://www.dineenwestcottmoore.com.au/specialist-services/acoustic-shock#what-is-as

I would really suggest seeing a doctor and getting on a course of high dose oral corticosteroids like prednisolone. They are usually used in a 72 hour window after acoustic trauma but there have been studies that suggest that you can still benefit from them weeks out from an accident. I think in your case it might really help. It's helped me a couple of times. I feel like I repeat this a lot in my posts but I think they are often overlooked by many as a first line treatment when someone's been exposed to noise that can actually harm their hearing.

I'd also jump on a powerful antioxidant like NAC to help mitigate any damage.

Also for work, and going out in the future. Get a pair of custom fit musician's plugs. Most come in clear silicon and are hard to notice in comparison to foam ones. Also found them more comfortable and overall could hear things more clearly while still feeling protected. I tried the cheap foam/silicon ones and remember trying to use them at work, was a mess.

But yeah, seriously look into the prednisolone/corticosteroids. Either way, I'm sure the spike will settle as will the hyperacusis. Have been in your position before and know how scary it is. Stay strong!

 

I don’t even know if I can get these from my doctor. And what should i even say? That i had an acoustic trauma? Last time i went to my family doctor she said that the tinnitus will go away and i should relax blabla

 

A simple way of going about it would be to go to your doctor and state that you've experienced an acoustic trauma and fear you have damaged your hearing further, possibly worsened your existing tinnitus and are experiencing severe hyperacusis. So, you could go in and explain your previous history with tinnitus, how you initially got it and then explain further that you were exposed to extremely loud noise for an unsafe period of time and now you are experiencing symptoms of hearing loss: dulled hearing, pain, hyperacusis symptoms, significantly increased tinnitus.

Spend a few hours looking into oral steroids (corticosteroids) and hearing loss prevention - there are many studies that will come up on Google. You could print a couple out (specifically the abstract and conclusion sections) and bring them along to your appointment to support your case. The research will also help you understand the whole thing a little better so when you go into the appointment you can better discuss this option with them.

I would also possibly exaggerate your symptoms and lie about when you experienced said trauma. Say you went clubbing this weekend and your hearing is severely dulled, you have pain in your ears and your tinnitus is extremely loud. I suggest lying about the time frame because most studies cite a 72 hour window in which oral steroids are most effective. This will make a more strict doctor consider prescribing you a course.

This is all dependent on the doctor though, so you might need to change your approach depending on who you're seeing.

Don't just take one doctors advice either, if you go in and you're prepared and the doctor still won't budge, go see someone else. If you can afford it, go to a private clinic. In my experience, doctors and specialists vary greatly in personality. Some are more than happy to hear patients out on a theory, others will just rush you through an appointment to get it over with - even if you come prepared with all the facts. Find someone who cares enough to give you a chance, it makes a difference.

Also go in well presented, sounds stupid but in the first couple years I spend with tinnitus/hyperacusis I noticed doctors, audiologists and ENTs would treat me differently depending how I was dressed and how well I came prepared. I noticed they were more open to suggestion when I was dressed nicely and came with some research handy.

Also you could try looking up doctors who specialize in hearing disorders, and work in a related building, hospital, etc.

Just a quick side note: this could also be overkill in your situation, I don't want to make you nervous or put any further stress on you. If you've had hyperacusis previous this accident going to the club, then you could just have symptoms of acoustic shock disorder - when the level of noise has led to the symptoms you have now and while it feels like further permanent damage, it could be all temporary (been through it myself). If you didn't have hyperacusis before this then I would definitely push for the oral steroids.

Hope this helps!

 

Unless it's just too painful to wear the whole earplug...don't cut them in half. I'm sure they do not work as well that way. You may have to be a little bold to wear them and have them be visible to others, but try to do that (at least in a situation where you do need them or would feel much safer with them)...don't worry what your friends or coworkers think.

My ear canal will get very sore when I have earplugs in, not always but often...I still do all I can to keep them in. They should be inserted well and somewhat deep but sometimes just backing them out a little bit helps with the soreness. Also if you can find beige colored ones they will stand out much less to people (I usually wear blue Hearos cos they are 33db and fatter so they fill my ear canal better).

I used to be a short order cook for several years, but that was when my tinnitus was milder...so I didn't wear plugs at that time. But in my last moments as a cook I did wear them, plus at a pizza place and a sandwich shop I did get to the point where I would wear them. I would now wear them if I was a cook again. Anyway I'm saying I understand choosing to wear earplugs in that environment, there are loud dishes, metal spatulas hitting a metal grill, buzzers/beepers on equipment, blenders, etc...I get it.

Take care.

 

I booked an appointment to my doctor for tomorrow. I won’t probably get the result i want, but I can’t go on without any help

 

Not sure where you live, but I recommend buying custom mold earplugs (so especially suited for your ears). I have the Elacin-ER25 myself. They were a tad expensive but super easy to get in (quickly) and they dampen about 23dB (though I think you can change the filter). I am sure others can recommend similar or even better earplugs.

As to your situation. I do feel really bad for you and I can relate being currently on a bad spike myself.. But before that it was "half a year of nothing to worry about" again. I keep a journal for myself describing what happened (since 2013) and I saw that one of the first entries was that I also went into a bar (though I was wearing my earplugs) and after that I also got a big spike. I remember sitting in a park at 3.30 am some following night after that, crying and talking to my father on Skype that I couldnt go on anymore. My diary says "never go out anymore" and things like that (that was in 2013). However, after that, I think it may have taken 2 or 3 months or so I kinda went back to a similar level as before, in the sense that it did not bother me, hardly noticed it anymore. So, I am pretty sure that you are not "lost". Your brain usually is able to focus on one thing and not much more (which is your T now). You try to do math problems while you are watching a movie and try to follow the story and you know what I mean. So, the more time passes and the more you accept your situation, the more the (currently spiking T) is being pushed to the background (at least that's my experience) up to the point that you hardly notice it. But, it may take a while. I think others on this forum have similar experiences. In fact, I am in the same spot as you, having fallen on my head, loud T in my right ear (after 6 months of not noticing it). But, I should trust that it gets better again, and I think it will. Over the years, the immediateness of the emotion and stress becomes better manageable.. though sometimes (like now) we do need support from all the nice people at this forum.

Good luck!!

 

I experienced ear trauma after 6 year tinnitus. I too went to sleep with no masking, didn't care, went to cinemas etc.

Then I did a maneuver for my eustachian tubes and caused severe trauma, its slowly returning to baseline and some days its a bad day some days its much better. Its been 4 months and took two months to start improving.

 

Are you talking about Valsalva maneuver?

 

Hi Katy,

May I suggest investing in some custom molded musicians ear plugs? They are not visible and sit very comfortably in the ear. I have a pair and wear them whenever I find myself in a noisy environment. Also they're very easy to put in. Cutting over-the-counter ear plugs in half doesn't sound like the best solution as you don't know what level of protection you're actually wearing! Custom molded ear plugs will not make your ear canals sore either.

 

no a technique to help with patulous eustachian tubes, involves exercising the middle ear muscle. I have partial PET and did it when part of my ET was closed so I ended up sucking in my ear drum and putting pressure there.