Alcohol

[nels13]

Does Alcohol make pulsatile tinnitus worse. Trying to relax and having a glass of wine. My ears are now pulsing and chirping for England. Thanks for any replies

[Happyrosie]

I find it helps me a little to relax - but on the other hand if nothing else is grabbing your attention then the T starts popping his head up over the horizon. I imagine him as an imp just out of sight behind me. So when I’m not busy he can intrude.

I was thinking about this today after a really lovely walk in Surrey to a nature reserve I’ve never been to, and found a fairly rare wild orchid that I’ve never seen before. This was such a thrill I’m still excited six hours later. Anyway on the drive back in the car I was relaxing and the T started making himself felt even over the nose of a car travelling at sixty on a busy road. Because I was relaxing. But the T then disappeared until now, when I’m thinking about it.

All to do with habituation. I co aider myself really lucky that it rarely bothers me.

[nels13 in reply to Happyrosie]

Thank you Rosie for your reply. It's going nots at the moment. But I only have it in one ear. I have a piece of cotton wool in to stop any further loud noise. Thinking giving up the wine would be a good idea.

[Hidden]

I've never found alcohol to affect mine negatively, maybe even made it better as I'm more relaxed and less focused on it. I wouldn't use ear plugs too often though as you can cause your ear to become hypersensitive to normal everyday sounds and also the more ambient noise you block out the more your brain will search for sounds and risk creating more of it's own - which translates as tinnitus.

[nels13 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Angel. Do you think I can use my headphones... In ear type for listening to tinnitus relief sounds.

[Hidden in reply to nels13]

I would be too nervous to put anything in my ears, I would rather use over the head ones I think but it shouldn't be a problem as long as the volume is low. If your tinnitus isn't noise induced then it also should be fine. I just get nervous because the in ear ones are so close to the delicate parts of the ear and wouldn't want to cause any damage. But I'm overly careful with my ears now anyway!

[nels13 in reply to Hidden]

My T isn't noise induced but due to microsuction to clear ear wax. I find it soothing. Thank you for your advice. How do you manage your T.

[Hidden in reply to nels13]

I've had mine 8 months now, don't know the cause - just woke up with it. In the first few months I really struggled. I used gentle music if it got really annoying but generally I didn't actually 'do' anything. I have two young children and a busy part time job so they provided good distractions. Over the last few weeks I've got so much better at hearing the T but not 'listening' to it. Yes I do still find it annoying at times and I still really miss 'silence' or the choice of not having to hear noise if I don't want to but I try not to dwell on it too much now as it gets me down if I do. I watched a lot of YouTube videos by Julian Cowan-Hill and Ben Thompson who is an audiologist, these helped me in the really bad times.

[nels13 in reply to Hidden]

Tha k you Angel. I have been watching both on you tube. Early days for me. I am hoping to adjust. Been told by my audiologist and ENT guy that due to how I got it it should disappear. Not convinced but I know people have had it go. Many thanks for your advice

[TinnitusUKPat Partner in reply to nels13]

Nels, if you can do it I would suggest having tinnitus relief sounds playing through speakers in the room, rather than using headphones.

A blend of normal ambient sound in your living space, and the music or relief tones that you're using, can help to break up the focus on the tinnitus noise which you've been having issues with.

Aim not to drown out or block tinnitus, but to give yourself options as to what you are going to focus your attention on.

[Oysterseeker]

I don't think alcohol affects mine, I have 3 days a week when I will not have any and the only difference I could say is I am probably less likely to notice it relaxing with a glass of wine or a beer in the garden. Right now this morning with morning coffee, no alcohol for 3 days the T's going billyho! So I see no reason to avoid alcohol because of the T but would consider it if evidence it was linked.

[Oysterseeker in reply to Oysterseeker]

3 days without alcohol I mean, 3 days a week without the T would be bliss!

[nels13 in reply to Oysterseeker]

Thanks you for your reply. Do you get used to it.

[Oysterseeker in reply to nels13]

I wouldn't say I am getting used to it, had it about 16 months but I suppose I should say I'm slightly more resigned to it, it's less distressing most of the time but I do sometimes panic when it steps up a notch or changes. I haven't found any masking sounds to help but I do listen to radio and podcasts to distract myself from it, especially when trying to get to sleep.

[Snow47]

I was told that alcohol is high in histamines which is why it triggers my tinnitus also. Doesn’t always though so it’s hard to know for sure. Sorry if not helpful

[bantams]

Hi nels13, alcohol in moderation does not make my Tinnitus any worse, but on the few times I have had a few too many it will make a hangover worse. Also many times when I have not drunk any alcohol for a week or two I can still get a bad spike. Still hoping one day someone will find a cure this annoying condition.