john

[777john]

i developed tinnitus 21 years ago after surviving a aggressive cancer probably one of the drugs i had may have caused it but just guessing had my ups and downs in the early years but it hasnt been a problem for many years then 6 months ago i smashed the handle of the fly press at work against the side of my head everybody herd my scull crack it knocked me out but i was soon ok and i carried on working and after a few weeks my tinnitus got worse but still manageable then i did the same thing again hit the handle against my temple and then 2 weeks later my tinnitus really increased to the point now where its driving me mad and i can not cope when i go to bed at night and lay down the noise is unbearable never experienced any thing like this before its just impossible to sleep its such a loud high pitched sound and its the same in the day but not as bad its been like this now for about 3 weeks was prescribed phenergan to help me sleep but did not help now been put on zopicione 3.75 g again to help me sleep had the first one last night i slept on and off i work in a very noisy place with very loud machines so i am going to take some time of work to see if that help i am desperate at the moment just terrified that the noise wont ease couldnt live with the level of noise that it is now i can live with tinnitus but not at this level the high piercing sound is to much to bear

[rabbits65]

Hello John,I’ve just read your post and feel very sad for you, think yours is even worse than my tinnitus... look the first thing you need to do is go to a private specialist ( for quickness) and get a mri scan done of your head because it sounds like your poor head may have suffered some injury from work .

Tinnitus is dreadful but can be overcome to some degree, but you need to see a specialist first .

I hope you feel better soon .

[Happyrosie]

Oh 777john this sounds really awful for you. I absolutely agree with rabbits, except I would say (if you live in the UK) that your doctor should be referring you urgently as it’s causing you such distress.

This may be an industrial injury so your HR department or whatever it is at your place of business should be involved and also your union, if you belong to one. You’ve probably already thought of this but I didn’t think there’s any harm in my repeating it! Sorry if you’ve done all that already.

In the meantime, if you are able to get out and about, go for walks in the countryside and try to listen to the sounds of nature. Nature is a great healer. She won’t cure you but should help you a little, and you need help.

[doglover1973]

Oooh. That's sounds painful. Agree with rabbit & rosie. You probably need ENT and an MRi scan to check if there's a problem. I'm really sorry that your tinnitus has got so loud and you can't sleep. It's horrid when you have to listen to it day and night. I've been thru this but - when the tinnitus settles - it gets easier to sleep. I hope yours will settle very soon. Hang in there.

[777john in reply to doglover1973]

Its been a nightmare i did go to the hospital last monday becauce i couldnt cope any more i was thoroughly checked over and was told every thing was ok with my head he did say the only thing left to do was do a ct scan but they didnt do one i was just told to contact my doctor and arrange a E N T appointment which i have and they did hopefully i wont haft to wait to long

[bridgeit in reply to 777john]

Hi John, in my layman's opinion your case needs to be investigated by a neurosurgeon as well as ENT. Multidisciplinary is something that doesn't just happen unless we push for it.

I think that ideally you need a CT scan with contrast, so that any damage to blood flow can be picked up. Either that or an MRI/venogram of your head/neck which is very specialized and will show up any blood outflow restriction/damage within your head as well as bone/tissue issues. The results need to be carefully examined by an interventional neuro-radiologist as well as someone looking for ear-related issues.

If all is clear (fingers crossed), it might be worth a visit to a good chiropractor to have some gentle work done on your head/neck to try and calm things down. Nothing vigorous mind you, just massage and perhaps a bit of dry needling.

Meanwhile, either stay away from that fly press, or wear a cycle helmet!

[777john in reply to bridgeit]

Thank you for your concern lots of things have been going through my mind this last few days even the s word because its been unbearable thankfully the zopicione tablets iv taken the last 3 nights have worked and iv slept through the night my head certainly does not feel right not painful just feels heavy if that makes sense especially the back part just above my neck and whenever i move my neck the tinnitus noise moves with it i will try and see the doctor tomorrow and explain what i am feeling when i went to the hospital last week i did not really think too much when i was examined and they did all the reflex and hearing tests i just excepted my head was ok .

[bridgeit in reply to 777john]

It could be whiplash trauma John. It doesn't always need a car crash to trigger whiplash injury to the neck. The injury happens quickly and the effects can be very disturbing.

A good chiropractor will be able to confirm or discount neck whiplash injury - and treat it if it's happened. One thing, advice I've been given in the past is not to start wearing any kind of appliance e.g. neck brace, without medical supervision i.e. on the advice of a medical specialist doctor.

[777john in reply to bridgeit]

Thank you i did not consider that i will mention that to the doctor

[doglover1973]

Hopefully not john. It probably depends where you live. I've had a long wait because I live in a town with limited hospital services. Other people on the forum have been seen relatively quickly. The key thing to remember is that you will cope. I know it's really tough but it gets easier. You're doing all the right things. Be kind to yourself.

[777john in reply to doglover1973]

cheers my friend

[TinnitusUKPat Partner]

A lot of sensible and positive advice here, John. You've been through a heck of a trauma and you're coping with it really well.

Some cancer medications administered during hospital treatments like radiotherapy have been linked with damaging the ear, with tinnitus being one indicator of that effect. An audiologist may be able to determine if your hearing has been affected as a result and suggest ways to help you manage your tinnitus.

Like others, I would be concerned that you've sustained a workplace injury and to try and establish the extent to which this may have worsened your tinnitus at the moment.

Try to stay positive - there is help out there and tinnitus can improve when you've got the right support.

[777john in reply to TinnitusUKPat]

Thanks Pat i have received a letter for a appointment to see the E N T clinic but not given a date yet the early part of my tinnitus 21 years ago was i remember very scary but it did settle down and even though its been there ever since its never bothered me , but now i can not tell you how loud it is, its more bearable when i go out side, the out side noise helps but in side the house its impossible to ignore , and at night with out the sleeping tablet its impossible to settle down let alone sleep, the last couple of weeks have been a nightmare. it was my own fault at work but to whack my head twice in the space of 6 months i just can not believe iv done that the first time was at the side of my temple it knocked me out, i was alone in the room and my two colleagues heard my scull crack from upstairs and came running down stairs to find me staggering around, my tinnitus increased after that but i was still ok with it, then 7 weeks ago it was my temple that i hit it stun me a bit and 3 weeks ago my tinnitus hit the roof and that's where i am now, iv worked there 16 years and i must have used that fly press a 1000 times iv never hit my head before what a plonker as del boy would say, i saw the doctor again this morning not sure what i was hoping far but he gave me some nasal spray he thinks clearing my nasal tubes might just help a bit but would take a few weeks to work, to be honest i will try anything the way i feel i dread the days but the nights i dread more, just hoping it calms down.