I found this forum yesterday. Chatting to strangers isn't something I've ever regularly done via the internet but I thought it might help me to begin to deal with what I'm experiencing at the moment.
I have always had a level of tinnitus. I suffered a perforated eardrum as a kid, jumping in and out of swimming pools didn't help. Constant ear infections. Fell in love with loud music as a teenager, that didn't help either. However it's always been transient and something I have been able to deal with, cope with and ignore. Probably because it's never been as bad as it is at the moment. Six years ago I had a grommet fitted (at the age of 36!) and it was bliss until around 2018 when it started to get blocked again and the crackling, whizzing sounds reappeared. Fast forward to last month, worsening hearing, definite wax problems and what felt like another infection brewing. I managed to get a quick ENT appointment, had micro-suctioning and now have a date to have the grommet removed. I was also given an antibiotic ear spray. I have been left with the most extreme tinnitus I have ever experienced. I'm struggling to concentrate, I'm struggling to work, I'm struggling to sleep.
I kick myself now for not reading the Otomize spray information leaflet first. I've always hated putting anything into my ear but I just went ahead and followed the doctors advice. The hearing has decreased but I'm wondering if that's just down to further blockage of the grommet. I've been told the tinnitus could be due to pressure within my middle ear.... I just don't know.
I'm sleeping with Zopiclone at the moment but that can only last so long.
I'm having good days and bad days, reading through these threads it seems that's what many experience. If you've read this then thank you, I think I'm just reaching out to people with the same problem essentially. I can't keep going on about it to my wife - she's had enough hearing about it it's now giving her earache!
Thanks.
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Totally feel for you Am in a similar situation where the sleep deprivation is the worst aspect. And the impact on my mental health. I have received a lot of support and comfort from people on here. It’s early days for me also and the bad days are horrendous. The better days just tolerable at the moment. Best of wishes to you
Definitely unfortunate what you're experiencing, as many of us on hear will say, you're not alone. My advice, although it's weird to pass advice to someone double my age, is to give yourself a distraction when it spirals into a crescendo. For me, I listen to music, watch videos etc when it becomes incapable. Luckily for me I have alot of free time due to not finding work etc, but it is something to do over weekends. Wish you the best of luck.
Hi Jack, thanks for responding. I would say tinnitus doesn't choose to afflict us based on age so I'm glad you didnt let that stop you from talking to me. I'm sorry you are struggling with this also at a younger age than me. Sometimes music does help, sometimes it adds to the 'noise'. I find i have to be in the right mood at the moment to want to listen to anything. I'm living in hope this will get better of its own accord at some point.
Sorry you have been suffering so much with this affliction!
Just a thought, could the spray have gone behind the ear drum.. I had fluid behind my ear drum due to Eustachian tube dysfunction the tubes didnt close allowing fluid to sit behind my ear drums. The T was so loud i couldn't hear anyone talking to me! It has get much better over time.
I know you're telling the truth but that just seems so incredible, I'm very happy for you. Can I ask, does the tinnitus reappear when you're not using the hearing aids?
My tinnitus is on overdrive this week, very difficult. I need to sort a hearing aid out asap but it's so difficult at the moment to het hold of ENT/audiology. Your message here has given me much hope.
Hi Emily. Thanks for talking to me. I think the spray must have reached my inner ear, so yes,that might be where the problem is. I've had fluid build up behind my ear drum more times than i can remember, that led to the grommet insertion. I'm trying hard to get a hold of my ENT consultant, the one who prescribed the Otomize, but its a wall of silence (no pun intended) made no better by all thats happening in the world right now!
I'm pleased to read that yours has improved and got better with time, that gives me some hope.
Sorry you are suffering. I had a panicked, teary first month after mine started. The lack of understanding from doctors and others without it really made that worse (on top of that I was misdiagnosed for the first two months). But they can't help it and there are loads of us who know what you are going through.
There is a great YouTube video by Isobel Anderson that I would recommend. It is about half an hour long - youtu.be/XDngnIM8KGM - see also the notes under the video where age has listed useful links.
For masking noises, my audiologist recommended the ResoundGN app on the app store (it is free, and you can build your own personal masking sound). I usually have bird noise on at night to see me through, but have started to lessen daytime usage so as to minimise the stark contrast between masking and no masking, and to let myself adapt to the tinnitus more (took me a few weeks to work up to this). I find it best not to listen to anything too loud, and to use the masking as a distraction rather than a complete overload of sound if you see what I mean.
Thanks so much for responding to me. I made some time last night to watch this video, it was very encouraging. When I first noticed the tinnitus a few weeks back I tried some Apps but I think I was too distraught to accept them to be honest, I found even more noise in my ears and head to be worse. In time however I think I might be able to get them to work for me if I can find the right sounds/tones.
Over the past week I think I've managed to cope better, almost as Isobel discusses by relaxing and partially accepting the tinnitus. I've noticed it is worse at the end of the day when I'm tired and stressed (I'm a nurse so stress is a by-product right now!) but I've quickly come to realise that mindfulness has a large part to play in being able to cope with this.
Welcome remember we are all in the same boat hopefully you will fine use full things here I take zopiclone if I forget to take it I am up all night.keep you and all your family safe in these bad times.
Yes, I'm glad I joined this forum as I can see I am far from alone. I was hoping to join a local meeting group but that isn't likely to happen for some time now unfortunately.
For the first two weeks since this started I continuously took something to help me sleep, I became very anxious. However for the past three nights I have slept fairly well without anything. I'm not sure why this is, I am ensuring I relax properly before I go to bed and also have managed to let go of some of the anger - this may be a major factor.
I live in hope that this will ease if not disappear at some point in the future.
My tinnitus is increasing. It's interfering more and more with my understanding conversations and even tv. How can I reduce anxiety to hopefully mitigate the levels (mine varies it’s shrieks and roars)?
Mine started about three weeks ago, I have never felt quite so distraught and angry as that in a long time. I'm not quite sure what's changed within me, the tinnitus certainly hasn't, but I have managed to let go of the level of stress, that in itself is helping me to sleep better.
I find certain conversations difficult, especially if there is background noise happening yet at the same time my ears have become extremely sensitive to all sounds, I'm actually turning the TV down!
Have you watched the video someone has added above. I found it very comforting.
I wish you all the best -feel free to respond anytime.
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