Depression kicked in...please tell me I’ll be ok??

[lemons77]

Hi all. 3 years into my T journey and up until 3 weeks ago I was fine, habituated and living a happy life with husband and 2 young kids.

3 weeks ago I had a huge spike which I took prednisolone and the H went almost away and the T was fine (since retraining my brain in the first instance I haven’t had an issue with the T, just H when I have a spike).

Was feeling loads better after a week or so but then out of the blue I started getting really anxious (I think in response to the ‘plugged’ ear) and then it just spiralled and now my T is worse and I also can’t stop crying. I feel so so down in the dumps and am scared for my future. I keep trying to tell myself this will pass and I’ll get better but I just keep freaking out that my ear is plugged! The side effects of anxiety / depression have also kicked in. Fuzzy foggy head, loss of cognitive function and a banging headache.

I’m on 20mg citalopram (have been for years) and have increased my dose as of Sat night.

I am at a loss as what to do.....

I only have 1 ear as I am totally deaf in my right ear (since I was a baby).

Also I’ve had a hearing test which was in normal range except one frequency which was only slightly out of normal range.

Help. What can I do????

[Ingrid-p]

Hi I'm sure you'll be fine. If you managed to habituate before then I'm sure you'll be able to again.

I'm struggling at the moment as well. I can go for months/years without any problems. Still hearing it but really not caring. I long to get back there. Over the 37 years I've had it, I've probably had about 6 or 7 really bad periods lasting months. Gradually tho the brain tends to focus on it less. Don't think the noises really change just the reaction to them. It's so annoying I just get stuck in a vicious circle. Mine is loud, but I know I've got to keep busy to stand any chance of habituating again.

Might be worth a trip to the doctors to rule out infection. Just talking to a professional will reassure you there's nothing physically wrong. I've seen my GP this morning as my ears feel blocked, but of course they're not. It's just the brain playing tricks 😠 I stopped a lot of my medication a couple of months ago and he's told me off in no uncertain terms. I was so worried that the medication was making the t worse.

Just need to get out of the negative mindset. It's hard, but we can do it.

Feel free to private message me if you want.

Take care

Ingrid xx

[Richmac]

Hi Ingrid. You sound like a very strong woman having successfully dealt with tinnitus for 3 years and raising two small children.

However, my concern is your crying and anxiety which as you likely know are hallmark signs of clinical depression. I’m wondering if you are now dealing with something unrelated to T but which can worsen your perception and aggravate your tinnitus. I am slightly concerned when you say you increased your Celexa dose on your own.

Are you trying to be super Mom and bury your symptoms so you can continue to be a great wife and mother? Are you being unrealistic thinking you can deal with clinical depression the way you have dealt with your tinnitus?

If you won’t do it for yourself, please do it for your children’s mother, that is, see your doc about your clinical depression symptoms. Perhaps you need a stronger dose of your antidepression, a change in medication or an add on or some CBT therapy.

You deserve to continue to enjoy being happily married with two young children. Raising two young children is a lot of work which requires you to be at your best.

Clinical depression doesn’t usually resolve on its own, it often worsens. It also makes any other conditions worse and more difficult to tolerate.

I say this from both personal and professional experience and based on your current symptoms. But, of course, I don’t know your entire story.

I hope I’ve helped a bit and I wish you a speedy recovery Ingrid.

Take care of yourself.

Richard

[Ingrid-p in reply to Richmac]

Hi I'm Ingrid and I did not put the original post up. I was trying to help Lemons77.

Ingrid

[Richmac in reply to Ingrid-p]

Sorry about that. Thank you for letting me know.

Cheers

Richard

[Ingrid-p in reply to Richmac]

Hi Richard

No worries.

Take care

Ingrid

[elbarto]

Hi,

I definitely recommend you doing psychotherapy, counseling or CBT. These things, to me at least, are things you can't solve in a forum or with friends although they all help.

When I started with Tinnitus, and dizziness episodes I started spiraling down and not feeling ok. So I started doing psychotherapy and it helped a lot, still does and now I feel a lot much better. In fact I just go to improve myself, that is all but I don't feel I need it as much as before.

Tinnitus is still there, from time to time I get dizzy episodes a lot lighter though.

Hope you get better!

[berry76]

I'm told that the part of our limbic system which deals with emotion is very close to the auditory nerves and so they are bound to affect each other. Whenever I'm particularly sad (I lost my husband a year ago) or stressed, my ability to deal with tinnitus is really challenged. It sounds as though you really need an anti-depressant - even Kalms or St John's Wort or CBD oil - and then it will be easier to surface out of the grey depths. What is the bunged up feeling I wonder - wax or a blocked eustachion tube. Get back to your GP or ask for a referral to an Ear, Nose and Throat department and I'm sure you will then get some comfort and reassurance.

Roll on the good days ..............

[abic77]

Thanks for your comments everyone. I’m on Citalopram 20mg and have increased to 30mg as of last Sat-thinknit takes around a week to kick in properly.

I’ve fortunately got access to CBT through work so I’m going to go down that route and have been to see the Dr today who has signed my off u til 12th March when I have my ENT apt. She thinks (& I probably agree now she’s said it) that I have tension headaches which are causing me more anxiety as this makes my T and plugged ear worse. I have had CBT previously (3 years ago when T first started) and I still use those techniques to cope with the T which is why I’m not really phased by the noise at present. I’m trying to take the same approach I learned about to the plugged ear.

This is my 3rd proper spike (with T and H) and the H is mild but still there and the plugged ear still there. The previous times I spiked I also had plugged ear and H which diminished over time so hoping the same will happen.

Thanks so much. Love and hope and peace xxxxx

[lemons77]

Lemons77 here....I seem to have logged in somehow using an old account...abic77 is actually me!

[thadg11]

أنا آسف لسماع ذلك ، فوائد الجهاز السمع مع طنين عالية ، بدأ تأثير العلاج بعد شهر ، وتوقيت العلاج يختلف من شخص لآخر ، والاستمرار في استخدام منشط السمع لفترة طويلة وأنا متأكد من الارتياح ، يجب أن يكون الجهاز مبرمجًا للحصول على صوت أعلى من تنسيق الصوت

[thadg11]

I am sorry to hear that, the hearing aid device benefits with high tinnitus, the effect of treatment began a month later, the timing of treatment varies from person to person, keep using the hearing tonic for a long time I am sure of satisfaction, the device must be programmed to have a higher sound pickup than the audio layout

[1Dar]

Hi .... I know exactly how you feel. I’ve had Tinnitus for 3 years now after having a grommet put in . I’ve had 8 operations and now have a Cochlear Implant, but if I had my time again I would have done nothing as I have had so much pain too. I also panicked and did all of the things you mentioned .... but you will get through it, I had to seek medical help , but some people don’t. I have tried meditation , it didn’t work, but I’m going to give it another try. Just keep busy, music, podcasts, etc. This chatline has been fantastic, I have made a lovely friend ..... Ingrid ...and we live in opposite parts of the world. Message me privately if you like , my journey has been very interesting and it might make you feel better. 😊. Jenny Hang in there , you will be fine

[Ingrid-p in reply to 1Dar]

Hi Jen 😊

[1Dar in reply to Ingrid-p]

Hi Ingrid , how are things going for you? Hope all is good. 💐

[Ingrid-p in reply to 1Dar]

Having a really loud day 😢