Tinnitus Spiked and Got Worse After Acupuncture — Is This Normal?

Hi guys,

So I've been suffering with tinnitus for the last 9-10 months, the beginning wasn't really too hard as the noise was quite low and I could only hear it in quiet rooms. As the months went on, it got a little louder and a little harder to manage, BUT, I slept like a baby all the time, give or take a few days here and there. I found the ability to sleep gave me that extra bit of willpower to deal with the tinnitus during the day, and it wasn't really really loud tinnitus. It was manageable. However, ever since I went out to a party at the weekend (I forgot to bring my earplugs, stupid I know!), I drank a lot, and my tinnitus has spiked big time. One night in the past couple of weeks, I heard a beeping, morse-code tone which freaked the hell out of me! Anyway, the tinnitus kind of came down. It was up and down in terms of volume. By the way, my tinnitus has always been like this. I might hear it really loud for a couple of weeks, and then really low for a week or even a few days.

Ever since the spike since the party I decided I would try acupuncture. First session was ok, didn't affect the volume of my tinnitus but it relaxed me so I was happy with that. However, the second session sent my tinnitus through the roof, and made it 100 times worse. It's extremely loud in my right ear (previously I could only hear static, hissing in that ear). It was so loud it kept me awake the whole night. Usually when I lie down too, my tinnitus quietens a little (so I've had an easy-ish ride in comparison to some of the stories I read online).

The tinnitus is still really loud, I mean I only had the acupuncture yesterday. But my question, can acupuncture actually make your tinnitus worse? My acupuncturist said 'sometimes it has to get worse before it can get better...', I'm not sure if I would agree with that... I am just hoping and praying this spike will lessen and I am not left with this terrible loud pitch in my right ear for good, as I feel I was managing really well and I was just at the beginning of the Habituation process. If this keeps up, I won't be able to sleep. If I can't sleep, I will lose my mind. I even tried to mask last night with the 'Relax Melodies' app and the sound further aggravated my tinnitus! It's like there is no way out! And no help! The only help I knew if I couldn't sleep was masking, now that's gone out the window, I am freaking out.

If anybody has any advice, I would really appreciate it. This forum has been a god-send by the way. I would have been lost this last 9-10 months with its support.

Nic

 

Hi! Here is my answer to your post in another thread regarding the acupuncture:

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/posts/308296/

I'm really sorry about your spike I am also having one for the last 10 days but I know it is going to fade away. There is no choice, you just have to put up with it and stay as calm as you can. Just like you, I can't sleep with any kind of sounds playing. It aggravates me even more. But I found a great solution: I take 5-6 drops of CBD oil right before I go to bed and it really helps me sleep. My tinnitus gets a bit worse when I lay down. It starts as a morse code and then it metamorphoses into a loud fax machine with a touch of hissing and a raging tea pot in the background.It is hard not to focus on it, but then after 15-20 minutes the CBD enters the show on and it knocks me off to sleep.

At least now you've learned your lesson about the ear plugs. I always keep a pair in my jacket and in my bag. You can also put them in your wallet so you never forget them.

Btw, how did you get your tinnitus in the first place?

 

I have had spikes in the past but this one is off the scale. My tinnitus was mild before this episode. I could mask it, I could sleep. I can't do either now. . And I'm terrified the acupuncture made it worse. In relation to your other post, I called him and told him it was getting louder but he said that is normal. It just doesn't feel normal! I didn't really research the place I went to, I just seen it on the street near work and I just popped in. So I hope he's not a dodgy acupuncturist!

What is CBD oil? I must get some! Anything to help me sleep. I feel I will have to go on sleeping tablets to get past this episode and I am just praying it is a spike not permanent.

My tones sound the exact same as yours when you go to sleep. At least I know I'm not alone!

In terms of how I got my tinnitus. One night last May I was trying to sleep and I could hear this faint ringing. My ear was blocked so I put it down to ear wax. But when I got my ears cleaned it was still there and a little worse. I then went to an ENT and he told me it looks like early signs of otoscelerosis. But it wasn't exactly confirmed, those were his thoughts. To be honest he was not a nice ENT. He didn't really care I was distressed and just told me to go home and I'll be fine. Here I am 10 months later crippled with tinnitus.

I do honestly live with hope that it will get better, like you say, we have to. We can't let it beat us. And I won't let it stop me from living my life. It's just hard now when it increased in volume and intensity.

How are you finding the acupuncture now? How many sessions did you do? And you never noticed a spike just to clarify?

Nic

 

@Nics2drescue ,
I have had it done to knees and ankles and back and been ok and done for pain.
Acupuncture is not a fixed cure for tinnitus and only short term reduction for some people but can be relaxing and for pain also.
Love glynis x

 

I really can't tell you much about acupuncture because I had only 2 treatments for now. I'm having another one in a few days. For now, I plan to continue with it and I also have an appointment with another acupuncturist in March. People say that he is the best in my country and in the region. I had to wait for 3 months to get an appointment at his office. The thing with this kind of treatment is that it takes a lot of time, it has do be done over and over and unfortunately that costs a lot of money and the results are not always significant.
Maybe try another therapist, there are a bunch of them! When I had my 1st appointment, we talked for two hours before she even started poking me. She really had to know every single detail about me, my body and my T.

Here is a thread about CBD oil:
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/already-6-hours-tinnitus-free-with-cbd-oil.11281/

You should definitely get another opinion about your ears, especially if otosclerosis was mentioned. Based on what results did he give you this diagnosis? How old are you?

 

@binsonica Yeah, my T has gone down a little. I had an OK night's sleep last night. Think that's why it's gone down a little. Still loud though, just not as loud as yday. Had to take a Xanax to knock me out, but I can't be relying on those every night as they are highly addictive, but if you need to sleep, you'll do anything, right?

That CBD oil, I don't know if it's legal here, I'm in Ireland. I would be worried in case it got stopped at customs. How do you purchase it? What site do you use?

Yes, I agree with acupuncture re time and money. I've already spent €100 on two sessions and it hasn't helped. It made me more anxious as my T spiked! I am really unsure what to do, go ahead and try another few sessions and wait it out, or just leave it.....I am due for another appointment on Friday, so I will have to make a decision before then. Did your acupuncturist give you herbs to take too? Mine gave me a box of tablets, they look like little black peppercorns. I have no idea what is in them or what they exactly do as the box is in Chinese, but I've been taking them as directed.

Yes I am actually considering a second opinion and I am currently researching ENTs. He thought it was early signs of otosclerosis as there was a dip in my hearing for certain frequencies when he tested my hearing. I'm only 30 and I was only 29 when I went to the ENT, so it's kind of shitty.

Nic

 

Thanks for your advice Glynis. I've read a lot of posts on this forum and you seem to always try and make people feel better and see the positive side of things. That is a special gift. We are lucky to have you on this forum.

Nic

 

Yeah, sleep is very important and CBD is the only thing that helped me with it. I am too afraid to try any sleeping pills, they are really my last last resort.
CBD is legal in Ireland, just google it and you'll find all of the information. You can buy it on Amazon or from one of the many companies that produces it. You'll probably find it in your nearest local health food store or a pharmacy. Just be sure to buy oil that is extracted from the flowers and not from the leaves and the stems. I have a 10% CBD mixture.
If you have any more questions about the oil, just aks
I would definitely change a therapist. He/she should have informed you about the ingredients of the pills he has given you. You should find someone who is more engaged. Maybe the pills contain ginkgo and it worsens your T just like it did to me, who knows.
Most of the ENTs are shitty since they have no clue what to do about tinnitus, so be prepared for the same scenarios over and over again. But you should keep trying till you find someone cooperative enough to do as many tests as possible

And yeah, @glynis is the best !

 

My tinnitus spiked in my non T ear after acupuncture, I think. It might have been a coincidence but it seemed to do it right after.

 

That's exactly what happened with me. It spiked in my right ear and the T in my right ear was always kind of low. The sound was kind of like a hissing noise which wasn't very distressing. But the noise after acupuncture is a really loud ring like 'eeeeeeeehhhhhh' which is just terrible. And the hissing sound came and went, but the new ringing is constant. I went for my third accupunture session and the sound is actually getting louder and more constant. I've had this for the past couple of weeks and feel like it's here to stay. My T did also spike a little before I started accupunture so again like you it could be a coincidence, but I don't think it is.

Did your spike calm down after or did it stay the same? Did you continue with accupunture? I don't think I will go again as I seem to be getting worse with each visit and now I am associating it with being distressing. So I'm not relaxed when getting it down and that defeats the whole purpose of accupunture. Plus it's more money each time! I think all of us with T would give the moon and stars to try and find a cure or to ease it.

 

I found they sell CBD in my local Holland & Barrett so I'm going to buy a bottle this weekend and try it.

I also tried gingko b. tabs but it had absolutely no affect on me. Well not that I noticed. I was only taking it for around 3 months though. Maybe I will try it again. I also have tried multiple other supplements such as Vit. B, zinc, magnesium. Have your every tried those Lipoflanoid (that's totally not the way to spell that but hopefully you know what I'm talking about) tablets? Ive read some reviews on Amazon that it may help. I'm just willing to try anyway and everything at this stage. I've had to take xanax tablets the past few nights to sleep because the T has been so bad. I don't mind sleeping tablets i was on them before for insomnia and I didn't get addicted to them. See the problem is if you get into a habit of not sleeping it's bad, so the sleeping tablets help you get back into the routine of sleeping as you get your life back on hold. I'm getting married in April so the last thing I need is more stress and lack of sleep.

I think I'm gonna stop the accupunture. It's not doing any good for me only making me worse.

 

@Nics2drescue my spike calmed down but it took a while, more than three weeks I think

 

I'm glad to hear yours calmed. And do you still go to accupunture?

 

As with many paramedical methods, the principle of action of acupuncture is the placebo effect. There is also the nocebo effect... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nocebo

 

@Nics2drescue no I do not.

@Tinniger. Who knows, but I'm not usually susceptible to nocebos. The acupuncturist stuck a bunch of needles in the side of my neck and left me for too long which caused the muscles in my neck to spasm. So that might of had something to do with it

 

So you aew

So you are saying that it's not that it got worse with accupunture but that I think psychologically that it got worse?

 

Nics, Good question but who really knows the answer. If anyone has the definitive answer I'd like to hear it. I have had spikes about every 6-8 years. Usually habituate 12-24 months. It is a long road but I'm still here. Praying for all to get relief.

 

Or the deterioration is not the cause, but only a random temporal connection with acupuncture.....

 

Yeah ok perhaps it is a coincidence, but only I know my own body and mind and I feel that perhaps I was headed towards a spike but the accupunture further aggravated the T for some reason.

@Ken219 I wish we all had the answer too. What I find most infuriating about T is the spikes. You know you get use to a certain sound after months of torture and you think 'yeah ok maybe I can live with this', then out the blue and for no apparent reason the T spikes and you are dealing with new sounds, new loudness, new frustrations, new worries, new anxiety and you're back to sq one. That's what I can't accept. I can't accept how cruel T can be. But I do live with hope that one day it won't bother me as much and I truly believe that will happen and for us all. We have to keep hope. We have to keep trying. We have to keep going. We cannot let this shit excuse of a condition defeat us. Because we all know there is nothing out there to help us only our own willpower and as much as I have good days and bad days I will not let T ruin my life.

 

@Nics2drescue Hey, any news about your spiking? Did it get any better? Did you get the CBD? I am also having a bad one in both my ears and CBD is getting me trough the night.

 

Hi, well would you believe my spike actually went down. I went for my third acupuncture session and my T again was blaring (it got even louder on the table and I got even more anxious!) so it was like the acupuncture was making it worse! That was last Friday, then last Sunday I woke up to a very low ringing in my ear. And it's kind of continued like that, which I am so happy about! Although still confused. Either I had really mild T to begin with and the really loud T (after the acupuncture) was so distressing that when it went back to the baseline T, it wasn't that bad all along, and I have miraculously habituated as I was so distressed by the loud T that my baseline T wasn't that bad. Or....the acupuncture which made me worse to begin with, has helped lower my T. I'm really not sure....I do also sometimes go through periods where my T is very low and is not distressing and so because it's not distressing I don't focus on it (this period usually lasts for perhaps a week, and in terms of frequency, I might get one 'quiet' week every 2 months).

So again, I could be having one of my 'quiet' weeks, or I have miraculously habituated or the acupuncture resolved all of my problems.....I am not sure which is which. All I know is that I am having a good week and by god I am RELISHING IT! That said, I don't think it's gonna be like this for good, I have a feeling deep down that the T will get bad again, and it's just a matter of time. I would love to think that the acupuncture solved all my problems, but I think that would be too naive. I'm not sure to be honest. I have an appointment for my fourth acupuncture session tomorrow, but seeing as I am having such a mild week with T, I am going to cancel it as I don't want to jinx the good week I'm having.

I'm glad to hear your CBD is getting you through the night. I also started taking a herb to sleep. I bought it in the health store, it's called 'Dormeasan'. You put 30 drops into a glass of water 30 minutes before you go to bed. It tastes absolutely vile, but I take it every night and I've been sleeping.

Actually, I've thought of another thing that would add to my already confused equation above. I was taking amitriptyline for the past few months. I started on it when the T was quiet new. The T was giving me awful headaches, like really bad. So my doctor put me on these (10mgs) to help with the headaches, and I was taking them ever since. Then I upped the dosage as they are also an anti-depressant and I was feeling a little rough so I said I'd try upping the dosage. It had no effect really on mood, the dosage was still only 25mgs so it was still quite low. Anyway, I was taking those tablets for the past few months, possibly 7 months, and I ran out of tablets on Friday night. I completely forgot to order a repeat prescription and so I was off them for the weekend. I felt no effect being off them, so I just stayed off them. The headaches never came back so I didn't really need to be on them. I'm now nearly a week off them and I actually feel a little better would you believe. So unless the amitriptyline was also causing the T to spike, I have read other discussions where this has happened.

So really not sure what has helped!

 

Also another important factor, I have been hectic busy with work this week and I have also been hectic with my wedding plans (more so than any other weeks) so it could also be simply the fact that I am so busy I just haven't had the time to focus or listen to the T. I'll report back in the next few weeks and let you know how I'm going. I have a feeling I'll be back looking for more advice! I'm just thinking this is too good to be true!

 

OK reporting back, and my T is back . Went for my 4th session of acupuncture so will wait again for a few days to see if it benefits me like the last time. I knew it was going to come back, it always does! . Having trouble sleeping again too. Well I certainly enjoyed my week of 'silence' so at least I have that to reflect on...

Hows your T now @binsonica ?

 

@Nics2drescue That's very interesting, because I also have a week of silence every now and then. I think it is like 5 days in a month. And this month it was at the same time as yours. I will start to write a diary about my T intensity and try to compare it maybe to moon cycles or my menstruation cycle I don't know. I wrote a diet diary once and I found that the food didn't significantly affect my T.
I am still attending acupuncture, once a week regularly, but there is no change in T. I do feel better afterwards because it gives me energy and motivation. Yesterday was the first time it didn't have absolutely any affect whatsoever. I was too tired to begin with, then I fell asleep 3 times during the treatment and every time I woke up I couldn't wait for the treatment to be over. So it made me kinda edgy actually.
I did notice that my T started to change sides. Like 2 nights ago, my left ear didn't ring at all, but the right ear was ringing louder than usual. And when they both ring, one side is always dominant and more profound.
I also started taking extra strong turmeric pills and I've been reading a lot about medicinal mushrooms so I am ordering some Lion's mane mushroom pills..I have a good feeling about that. It is the best mushroom for regenerating nerves and it creates new neuron connections, so I'm giving it a try.

Congratulations on your wedding! I do believe the stress affects your T significantly so try to relax as much as possible. Maybe try some breathing exercises. There are a few which take only 5 minutes to do and they help tremendously . They literally force your nervous system to calm down. Breathing control helped me a lot when I first got my T and after that with a lot of other everyday problems in my life Ujjayi breath is the basic technique that can help you in any stressful situation. You can do it while doing something else, you can be sitting, standing, walking or whatever, no special preparations for it and trust me it does miracles.

Do you know maybe on which of your meridians is you acupuncturist working on?

 

Hi, that is so bizarre that you have the same pattern as me, quite for a few days a month. I definitely think it has something to do with the menstruation cycle. I am also on the pill, are you?

In terms of a diary, I don't think it's beneficial for me to record everything I eat as I can find no pattern between the food I eat and my T. God I wish I knew that, wouldn't it make life so much easier.

My T has been horrendous the last 5 days. I went back on the Amitriptyline tablet (if you remember I mentioned above I stopped taking it as I was feeling good, but I got really anxious and could not sleep so I went back on it), but I feel it has made my T worse. The morning after I first went back on it, my T in my right ear was so high pitched and right from as soon as I woke up. My T usually wouldn't kick in until later on in the morning, or at least an hour after I got out of bed. Then last night, it went from bad to worse. My T was super loud in my right ear, then my left ear kicked in, and the T started fluctuating, and changing between ears, and really quickly. Then I would have maybe 1 minute silence and it would repeat the cycle. This was the first time I ever experienced this sort of T. It's usually only loud in one ear or the other, but the two ears were full whack last night. Which of course made me into an anxious wreck! Had to take a Xanax to knock me out! So now I don't know weather I should just stop taking the Amitriptyline tablet as my T seems to have gotten way worse ever since I started taking it, which is so odd as I was on the same tablet for the past 9 months....It's mind boggling.

In terms of my acupuncture, I gave it a miss this week. I usually go on a Monday, but I might go later on in the week, I'll see how I'm feeling. I don't know what meridian lines he's working on to be honest. He puts some on the top of my head, my ears, my hands and my feet.

I've never heard of Ujjayi breath, I must look it up! I really could have did with that last night. I was up the walls with anxiety!

I can see based on your profile, you'd have T since February of last year, so over a year at this stage. I'm around 10 months in. Do you find you're coping better with it as time goes on? I feel my T is getting worse. It was very mild in the beginning. Having said that, at the same time, it doesn't stop me from working, or doing general day to day things, it just more so affects my mood. If I had a really mild day of T, I would be ecstatic, then the very next day if the T was loud, I would be super super low. Do you feel like that too?

Also, what sounds do you hear? Between both of my ears, I hear hissing, a high eeeeeeee (this is the loudest and most distressing sound of them all), static noise, whoosing, and sometimes beeping (although the beeping is rare thankfully).

Does the tv mask your T? The tv use to mask my T, but lately, it hasn't, it kind of makes it worse actually, which is a bummer as I love watching telly!

 

@Nics2drescue As my period knocks on the door, my T is becoming louder. Last night I woke up and was like oh here it comes again... But I think I am almost fully habituated since it doesn't bother me that much.
I also noticed every time I eat agave syrup, my T spikes! But every time!
I'm not on the pill, I never was. Also I don't take any medications, except Ibuprofen for migraines. It is the only thing that works for me. That is why I started taking CBD oil, beacuse I don't want medications to mess up my feelings Did you buy CBD? You should give it a try, it is much healthier than any anxiety pills, it just might work who knows.

My T also changes all of the time. I had it since February, but it was only in one ear, and after a neck treatment which I had a few months ago, I got it in the other ear in it got much worse. That was the lowest point in my life. I was never that depressed. I thought I could not live like this. And after that mental burn out it started getting better. So I had a roller coaster for the last few months, but I can say that I am doing quite well now.
I also have a few sounds: there is an overall head buzz which is more or less of the same volume all of the time. Like when you come home after a loud concert. In my right ear there is a sound which is hard to explain, like someone is tapping glass on glass really quickly.
In my left ear there is a hiss and a constant high eeeeeee. And there is the boss of all sounds; the fax machine sound!
That one is the most annoying since it changes from second to second and there is no way of getting used to it. And the most interesting thing is that is is induced only by another sound. If I'm in total silence, it is not there!

I usually don't hear it when I watch TV, but when I'm having a bad day I can't mask it. Only if I turn up the volume.

I hope your wedding plans are doing good

 

@binsonica Yeah I actually purchased the CBD oil today so going to try it tonight. Fingers crossed it helps! My T has been absolutely horrendous for the past couple of weeks. I'm really struggling. I feel like I am where you were when yours got really bad after your neck treatment. As mine was very mild for the first few months and it's only recently it's gotten bad. I'm in a dark place tbh. Feel really low and sad. Not sleeping great either. Just constantly worrying and anxious. Although I do have hope when I hear that you have just about habituated. That means things will get better, I hope for me. I'm so glad to hear you are doing good lately too!

How did you get through those dark days? I am going to see my GP next week as I don't think I can stick feeling this way any longer. Not sleeping and constantly anxious. I know it won't change my T and it could even make it worse as that's what medication does but I feel I need help to get past this. I can't do it on my own and I have my wedding soon and I also have a little one so I can't really afford to let my emotions get worse or bring me down further. If I can get a little more control on my anxiety and sleep I feel I will be able to tackle this better.

I went for my 5th accupunture session this week. I don't know if it's helping. I mean my T is still at the same level, and it's costing me so much money each time. I have read on other forums from others who have tried accupunture that after the 5th go if no change, it probably won't help. Plus it's not even helping my anxiety! And like accupunture is proven to help that...so I'm still in two minds. How have your sessions been going?

Yes my sounds are quite similar to yours, the buzz in the head, the hiss (although to be honest I don't mind this sound very much, I've had the hiss since the beginning so I have habituated to that sound), the high eeeeee (that one is the most distressing), the low eeeeee, the whoosing/whirling (again kind of habituated to this one too). God, just naming out all the sounds, imagine we had silence previously in our lives......alas...

Today my little one burst a balloon and my god it nearly blew my ears off! Both of my ears are really tender after it! Another thing that sucks about T, you have to be so careful around your normal everyday noises and sounds. Ugh makes me feel even more isolated.

I have also found going to the gym and lifting weights might be contributing to my problem. I was doing some squats with a heavy barbell and after I left the gym my T was blaring. It's like my neck/shoulder muscles can't handle the pressure or something strange like that....

Will update you on the CBD oil. I bought it from my local health store. The assistant said there is no THC in it though. Does yours have THC in it?

 

Just noticed the CBD oil is only 2.75%! You recommended 10% in earlier posts! Hmm this might not be strong enough! But will let you know!

 

@Nics2drescue I am so sorry you are going trough all of this but I know how you feel. I felt like a ghost while I was going trough that darkest phase. Couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, I felt like I was out of my body. I was so focused on the T, I wasn't aware what was going on around me. I couldn't concentrate on working, driving, cooking, sleeping, nothing, only T. People would talk to me and I would just wait for them to finish and go away so I can focus on my T even more.
One day my husband flipped and said he can't handle it any more and that he had enough and that I have to get a grip on myself or I'm gonna loose my mind. And he was really furious, I think he was thinking about leaving me even tough he never said that. So slowly I started coping with it. I would wake up in the morning and first thing I did was 20mins of breathing exercises. I slowly got back to doing yoga which was very hard because I practice in silence and all I could hear was the T. Also as yours, mine spikes whatever kind of exercise I do.
I also started takind CBD oil which helped me sleep. Mine also has no THC. THC is psychoactive and I suppose it is illegal in most European countries.

I'm still going for the acupuncture treatments but mostly because they make me feel good. They do absolutely nothing for my T. I'm having my last session this Friday, but I have an appointment at another therapist who is suppose to be the best in the country so I'll see how that goes.
If you are not getting anything from your therapies you should definitely stop going because they are only a waste of money.
I can't even imagine how it's like having a child in this state of mind. I'm afraid there is nothing smart or insightful I can say to make you feel better Just remember you are not alone and thank God it is not worst.

 

@Nics2drescue I know it's been a while but does your intial spike from the accupuncture go away? I'm also doing acupuncture like every 4 weeks. The last time 2 days ago. Later that day I got this new sound (like an eeee above my hiss) and it makes me pretty nervous. Not sure if it relates to acupuncture but it started later the same day. I had no problems the other times with the needles.