Intermittent tinnitus- Is it sleep? Alcohol? Blood pressure? Medication? Anyone else have this? It's not hearing related.

[wizardo]

So my tinnitus started 3 weeks ago. It was persistent 24/7 and hell on earth for those 3 weeks. It has now become intermittent comes one day and gone the next. I've discovered that not sleeping well and alcohol are two triggers. Does anyone else experience this? I've had my ears tested twice and no problem. I have suffered from insomnia previously and was taking Amitriptyline and xanax (when needed). I stopped taking the Amitriptyline when it started fearing it was the cause. After it didn't stop I started re-taking it as I was depressed and not sleeping. This coincided with the improvement though not every day. Bad nights sleep or drinking alcohol brings it back with a vengeance.

Not sure what to do apart from keep monitoring and stay healthy? Will it get progressively worse unless I do something? Which doctor do I see? I saw two ENT's they said nothing they can do and sent me to psychiatrist.

sleep alcohol Amitriptyline xanax alprazolam

[Flinder]

My tinnitus was caused by low b12. I have had it for 5 months now, I recently have noticed that if I had a good sleep my tinnitus would be a lot quieter.

[wizardo in reply to Flinder]

How did you know it was low B12? I've know idea how to get a diagnosis of cause. Doctors seems to have no idea.

[Happyrosie]

As time goes by your brain habituâtes to the T. But if you have triggers, then it makes sense to deal with them, I think.

[Newbie71]

WizardoThis sounds exactly like my experience. Although my hearing is going in my left ear and they have told me this could be the case. My right ear now started high pitched sounds last night after having quite a few drinks. I’m also on the same medication as you and my tinnitus is there all day and then silence some other days. My head and ears feel full and like they are firing waiting to happen and I’m waiting for the sounds to start. I honestly think that now we have experienced the poxy horror of tinnitus that we are so scared of it, it makes up slightly insane and terrified and then lives on. If that makes sense?

[wizardo]

Yes the day the sounds go my head and ears feel full. I wonder if it's just my auditory senses are so primed waiting for it to return. I've found if I sleep more than the 6-7 hours it will go that day. Sadly thats rare I usually wake up after bout 4 hours and find it hard to get back to sleep. The Amitriptyline and xanax really help. But I do wonder if they are what caused it. I suffered insomnia for a long time. I feel acceptance is key on both the good days and bad days.