Tinnitus at 8 weeks...

[EirM]

Hi everyone i'm new to Tinnitus I have it 8 weeks now. Trying to keep a positive attitude towards it but finding it very hard. Any tips? And any success stories of Tinnitus eventually going away by itself? I had a mri done yesterday so waiting on the results from that now.. Its my last hope to maybe find something out? Tinnitus has completely changed my life and me for the past 8 weeks. I find mine pitches up and down randomly but is constant hissing / electrical sound which is the hard part cause I cant get a minute from it! I keep telling myself it has to get better or go away.... Its constantly on my mine cause I can constantly hear it..

[Jimmuck]

Hi EirM,

Welcome to the forum. You'll find lots of very useful information on here, posted by other tinnitus sufferers, some of whom have had the condition for many years. We share our experiences both good and bad and just communicating with others who know what you are going through, can be a huge help in itself. When I was first diagnosed, I was totally panic stricken and felt as if my world had changed forever, as the racket going on in my head was relentless. However, several months down the line and thanks mainly to the support I have had from forum members, I am more relaxed about it now. I have just come through my worst spell ever, when the volume suddenly ramped up to an almost unbearable, all time high but I was advised by many people on here that it would settle eventually and it is indeed gradually coming back down as they said it would.Try not to focus on the noise in your head or get yourself into a panic as it only makes things worse. Avoid quiet places, keep some background music playing in whatever room you relax in, try to stay calm and it will eventually back off a bit. You have obviously seen your GP already as you have had an MRI scan and if that's clear, the next step will probably be a referral to ENT then an audiologist. It might be some time before you get an appointment but hang in there. If you are having problems with sleeping, tell your GP and they will prescribe something to help. I hope things get a bit quieter for you soon. Best wishes.

[EirM in reply to Jimmuck]

Thanks for your reply Jimmuck it means a lot to know i'm not alone in this. Unfortunately a lot of people who don't have tinnitus don't realise how bad it can get or else they say "God that must drive you mad" which doesn't help either... My t started off either from medication I was taking or a very bad head cold which all happened at the same time.. I'm off all medication now about a week and today for some reason it seems to be very quite so i'm hoping it will stay like that for awhile as it has been quite bad on and off recently... I have been to an audiologist and my hearing is fine and I was at an ENT who just looked into my ears and told me to go for an MRI plus gave me a leaflet about tinnitus (this was a private ENT specialist by the way)! I also seen another ENT at the beginning in the eye and ear hospital emergency room (when this first began) and after waiting for 7 hours seen an ENT. She looked up my nose with a camera and said the Eustachian tube was not blocked but that there was a lot of congestion behind my nose and gave me a spray for 6 weeks. I have stopped all sprays and tablets at the moment because i'm not sure if it is aggravating the tinnitus and just want to see if it will calm down or go away by itself... I'm still hoping its something physical that's causing this and that it will eventually clear up...

[Jimmuck in reply to EirM]

Glad you're having a quieter time now and I hope it stays that way for a while! I hope you're right about it being temporary and perhaps caused by your medication but time will tell as tinnitus is such an unpredictable condition. Enjoy the peace and quiet and I look forward to hearing from you again and you saying normal service has been restored! I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

[EirM in reply to Jimmuck]

Thanks so much Jimmuck I'm hoping its on the way out but you never know as each day is different with t!! I'll keep you posted...

[Keoni]

Hi, EirM,

I, too, am glad that it's a bit quieter for you and I truly hope that continues for you. I also hope that you have more good days than bad days. Do, please, read up on relaxation and distraction techniques - even a brief respite is better than nothing. You may be feeling isolated but, truly told, you are not alone as others with more experience can surely attest. Stay positive, if you can, and tell yourself you will get through this. At the very least you have our support.

Respectfully submitted,

Keoni

[EirM in reply to Keoni]

Thank you for your support Keoni it means a lot. I find even when my t is quieter I still focus on it as I know its still there hissing away . I suppose I keep waiting for the day that I cant hear it anymore. It has stopped me doing some of my "normal" things. I used to be big into walking but I have found that when I go for walks my t becomes more noticeable as I think I might have the sporadic t which seems to move with me, it seems to get worse the more I do!! I brought my 3 year old out for a walk a while ago and by the time I got back to the car I was crying cause all I could hear was my t. I have to say that at the moment I feel its better than when it began which is giving me some hope. I get my MRI results tomorrow or Tuesday so maybe that can shed some light on whats happening. I wonder if they can tell from the MRI if the medication done damage to my ear? I was on an antibiotic a week or so before it started ( I did not have t when I was on the antibiotic) then started high blood pressure tables (I was not taking both at the same time). When I started the high blood pressure tablets I also got a very bad head cold and it was only when the cold subsided that I could fully notice the t however when I had the cold I knew something was not right with my ear as I was putting cotton wool into it... I went back to the doc and he changed my blood pressure meds after 2 weeks but unfortunately the t stayed even on the new meds. I am now off all meds about a week so i'm hoping something might change...

[Curlew]

Hello EirM,

I got severe,constant,loud T ten months ago whilst taking antibiotics for a chest infection.

Most people who start to have bad T feel like you in the initial stages. This will be difficult for you to believe at this stage, but if your T does not go away you will start to get better slowly. The important thing is for you to try and keep living your life in as normal a way as you can at this point, you will then start to find that this becomes easier as time goes by and that you will start to have very brief periods where T is not your uppermost thought. These periods will then start to happen more often and you will verily slowly start to feel better about yourself and your T.

It is a very difficult and distressing condition, especially in the beginning, but you will start to feel better as long as you try to keep going in a positive manner.

It is important for you to take all the professional advice you can, of course.

Keep in touch on these boards, there are many people who have been exactly where you are and are very much better now.

Take care.

[EirM in reply to Curlew]

Thanks for your support and advise Curlew. I think the thing i'm finding the hardest right now it the "how and why" the t started. When I was taking the antibiotic for my sinuses my ears were fine it was only after when I started my high blood pressure tablets that I got a sever head cold at the same time and only noticed the t when the cold wore off... At the moment i am trying to stay as positive as possible and that is thanks to everyone including yourself for all your advise and realising that eventually I can hopefully live with this condition without thinking about it.... Hopefully things will get easier with time. Take care and thanks again.

[NicBTA Partner]

Hello 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.

Tinnitus does generally get better over time. And even if it doesn’t go away completely, it can get to a level where it isn’t intrusive, and it isn't noticeable - in the same way you probably don’t really notice traffic noise when you walk down the street.

The time tinnitus takes to disappear or reduce in intensity varies from person to person, but there are some tips and techniques you can do to help. These are the things we at the BTA generally recommend:

Information - you will probably feel better when you find out more about the condition, that it is very common and that you are not alone.

Counselling - techniques such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can be helpful, either as a standalone therapy or combined with sound therapy.

Correcting any hearing loss - if your tinnitus is accompanied by any hearing loss, then trying to correct this loss with hearing aids is often very helpful. Do make sure that these are adjusted correctly, and that they are worn – they do not work if they are kept in a drawer!

Sound therapy - if the noises seem louder at quiet times, particularly during the night, it may help to have some environmental or natural sound from a CD, a sound generator, or even a fan or ticking clock in the background. Some people use in-ear sound generators.

Relaxation - learning to relax is probably one of the most useful things you can do to help yourself. Those who practice relaxation techniques say they reduce the loudness of their tinnitus and helps them become indifferent to it. Yoga and tai chi can also help.

Mindfulness is showing some very promising results after recent clinical trials, so that is something else you might like to try.

I would say that none of these solutions is an "instant" fix - they take time and perseverance. Some people do expect tinnitus to subside after one session of breathing exercises, for example, and that just isn't the case.

There is no drug or medication which directly helps tinnitus, so we do not recommend any.

There’s a lot of good information on our website tinnitus.org.uk - try to avoid sites which promise “tinnitus miracles” or “tinnitus cures” as there’s no such panacea - but with time, you will learn to manage your tinnitus well.

We have a free tinnitus management e-programme as well takeontinnitus.co.uk which you may like to try.

Our Helpline 0800 018 0527 (Monday-Friday 9am-5pm) (outside the UK you can call [phone]) can also answer your questions and give you support.

Warmest wishes

Nic (BTA Communications Manager and Forum Administrator)

[EirM in reply to NicBTA]

Thank you for the information it's very reassuring. The past couple of days have been slightly better so hopefully it will continue

[NicBTA Partner in reply to EirM]

That's good to hear EirM

Best wishes

Nic

[JRDTR]

I have Tinnitus, something ringing in my ears for years. I've read many options, but I refused medical treatment. I've been researching how to relieve pain and saw an article that says hearing aid could help. I'm still doing further reading and research.