Twenty years of coping then this.

[jbradford42]

Hi All, I’m new on here. I’ve had tinnitus for twenty years and just been able to live with it. Then about a week ago my world ended I woke up one morning and to my horror the noise in my head had turned to a incredible loud scream. Instant panic set in my tummy was turning not knowing what to do I decided to go to the docs. When I got there I told the receptionist I need to see a doctor she said no chance. She turned me away and didn’t even ask why I was devastated. A week on after being sick dizzy not sleeping and over all hell my life will never be the same I’m still struggling to come to terms with it. Just wandering is there any body out there that can advise me. Thanks John.

[Jimmuck]

Hi John,

So sorry to hear about your current predicament and the torture you must be going through. If I were in your shoes, I would get a firm appointment made with your GP ASAP and ask for a referral to ENT at your local hospital for a full examination. It's the only practical solution I can think of. I hope you get some help soon.

[jbradford42 in reply to Jimmuck]

Thank you so much Just reading this reply brings relief

[JohnJopp]

Hi John. It sounds like you have been experiencing "mild" tinnitus for 20 yrs and that now for some reason your T has cranked up to what I would call "loud & intrusive". This is often likened to having a jet engine inside your head and it's a natural reaction to panic and feel extremely anxious about the future. First thing to do is to see your doctor who will check your ears for any signs of infection or wax build up. If nothing is found he should refer you to ENT where you will get your hearing checked and they will probably arrange for you to have a MRI scan to check for abnormalities (quite rare). It often takes a couple of months to get an ENT appointment. It's possible you may have some hearing loss. It's quite likely that no obvious cause will be found. Let me say first of all that things will get better. It takes time though. The next month or so will likely be hard going. You will no doubt be spending hours googling for cures or treatments. Don't! This will only serve to keep your T in the forefront of everything. It's best to keep yourself busy & occupied to keep your mind off of your T. You will find night time is worse because of the quiet surroundings which seems to amplify your T. I think you will find that pretty much everyone on this forum will be playing nature sounds at night - the sound of the rain or the sea or even an electric fan. These should be played at a volume lower than your tinnitus sound to give your mind something else to focus on. There are quite a few free apps for your phone which will serve the purpose. I like both "Relax Melodies" and "Relax Meditation" on android. Alternatively you might consider investing in an Oasis sound machine which you can get from the BTA website. While you're on the website there's lots of info available there so have a delve and see what you can find. Right now you will find it impossible to believe that you could ever get to ignore this sound in your head, but believe me when I say that you will and that you will get to live a relatively normal and happy life. It takes time though. The first few months are the worse and then things will slowly get better.

John

[jbradford42 in reply to JohnJopp]

Thank you so much

[hazyfan]

Hi J, I am going through the same thing myself, had mild tinnitus for many years never bothered me now I have loud intrusive T, I am 2.5 months in and its a daily struggle at the moment, never cried so much, work is a good distraction night time is the worse at the moment, but I am getting at least 5/ 7 hours sleep , my thought is it cant get any worse , it can only get better and that is keeping me going.....its so tough tho, meds / antidepressants are helping keep relativey calm...

[jbradford42]

Hi I know exactly how you feel so you are not alone. I know this doesn’t help but we cannot give up we have to keep fighting this.

[NicBTA Partner]

Hello John and welcome to the British Tinnitus Association forum. Do feel free to ask any questions, I hope that you find this a helpful and supportive place to help you manage your tinnitus.

I hope that you have been able to make an appointment with your GP - I know many places don't accept walk ins these days, and you need to come to terms with whatever system they have in place - not always easy when you are distressed!

We have some resources that you might like to check out in addition to our home here:

tinnitus.org.uk

takeontinnitus.co.uk

Helpline 0800 018 0527 (Monday-Friday 9am-5pm) (outside the UK you can call [phone])

Warmest wishes

Nic (BTA Communications Manager and Forum Administrator)

[jbradford42]

Hi Nic thanks been to the doctor and they seem to just look at me and say sorry no cure. He did say il refer you to ent at my local hospital. And said il see you in five weeks well five weeks have come and gone and still nothing went back to the doctor as he said come back in five weeks then said you have not made an appointment. Nobody told me I had to make an appointment so now at witts end.

[hazyfan]

How you doing bro?

[jbradford42 in reply to hazyfan]

Hi Bud at last going to see the doctor tomorrow. Well that’s I went for an appointment but there was none for five weeks so they said he will ring me next Monday that was last week. So can’t wait until tomorrow. At the moment it’s really loud so it’s a case of fingers crossed sorry for going on a bit Thanks for asking