WHAT HAS HELPED ME COPE WITH MY TINNITUS!!

[aegeandon]

I am 82 have had tinnitus for most of the last decade AND while I do suffer from it there are a few things that DO HELP ME and I want to bring them to the attention of anyone interested.

1) The most important is my Wellcare (WE686) sound machine + independently purchased pillow speaker. This small battery operated machine provides my pillow speaker seven different sounds to distract me from my tinnitus.... (including rain, sea waves, white noise etc).....BUT.....the one I always use is the Babbling Brook! With a variable volume I can set it just higher than the tinnitus and it really helps me ignore it....it's almost like 'winning a battle' against the T.

2) It also helps me to keep a log rating how bad the tinnitus is 'whenever' I feel like it. I do have 5 categories - 5-max flair...intolerable, 4- high-difficult but sometimes possible to ignore, 3-medium - half of the time I can ignore it, 2-low - just hard to totally ignore, and 1-minimal -easily distracted from it.

The sound machine helps for obvious reasons but the diary also does because psychologically I feel I am 'fighting the enemy' by doing it.

I also add what I have been eating since I am finding a correlation between some food additives and my bad 'T' experiences.

I do also take a quarter to a half of a Unisom sleeping bill half an hour before I turn in.. AND..(talk to your Doctor) most days when I'm not out and distracted I take a quarter of a Xanax which seems to help me work in my office ...BUT I worry about acclimation or addiction so 'Google' it and also you'll need a prescription.

What is the most capable/experienced research group looking for a solution? I could make a very modest contribution hoping they'll find something in my lifetime.

One last note I have spent 30 years as an archaeological diver with 2000 dives and my E.N.T likes to blame my T. on that....BUT....many of my diving companions do not have T and many non-diving friends do. However one day a few years ago I was struck with 'sudden deafness' in my left ear AND four rides in our recompression chamber breathing pure oxygen at 60 feet cured me ! So I have also tried chamber several rides for my tinnitus and ALAS got no improvement.

My best wishes to my fellow sufferers out there!!! The sound machine is inexpensive and keeping the log costs nothing but time so.... give them both a try .

ALSO..my T seems to be strongest in the ear I slept on. Do other people find that?? !

[Freddy17]

Thank you for sharing that information and your years of experience with tinnitus.

[marc1974]

Nice post but the part where you are fighting with the enemy is where people might go wrong.....

Look at it as part of you maybe or a sign your brain is working correctly placing a sound in a part of hearing lost? Practice mindfulness and Cbt acceptance is the way forward not a psychological fight...

I’ve had this louder than my car on the motorway or ever as I ride my motorcycle for 37 years...

If you fight or stress you run into anxiety, fight or flight then a negative spiral..none of these feelings or emotions are tinnitus they are a result of, so try accepting and seperating emotions or reactions you will have peace, even then fully habituation...

Apart from that my friend I’m glad you posted on a positive note, just hate to see people fighting a battle.

I’m 44 I’ve had since 7 years old, it’s awful but our own my minds can be powerful either positively or destructive, best to be looking at Cbt and mindfulness people.