sound therapy

Hi friends, i’ve been wearing t maskers every night (hearing aids with Beltone app white noise), otherwise i cant sleep. My dr gave me 2 100mg gabapentine and 5mg valium to take at night. I’ve been doing this for a month or so but the T is even louder, had to take half a zopiclone at 2am last night. But woke feeling so tired. Started a course in CBT with Debbie Featherstone 2 weeks ago so doing all the required breathing exercises. But the constant hissing is making my anxiety high too. Overall i feel low, tired, lack the energy i used to have. How exactly does habituation work? Is there hope with CBT? Treble Health did an excellent zoom session and dr Ridder was very very interesting and hopeful so worth watching - but of course no cure for now. youtube.com/live/sI3WAOUTMS...

[Happyrosie]

you ask, how does habituation work? One of the reasons that tinnitus causes anxiety is that the primitive part of your brain thinks that these noises could be signal of danger; so as the brain gets used to the noises it disregards them. It habituates.

In one’s life, one habituates to many things. Just as an example, if your pet dies then you grieve for it, that grief gradually dissipates. That’s habituation too.

It looks as if you’re doing all the right things. But it can take time!

[Hidden in reply to Happyrosie]

thanks Happyrosie

[Suz_2]

Hi N - Habituation involves neuroplasticity , the creation of new pathways in brain away from the T sound - the main treatments being CBT and sound therapy and other techniques - here is a good book related to this : Rewiring Tinnitus by Glenn Shweitzer , he was on the TH summit recently. The book is not too long and gives practical tips.

Although i think habituation can be compromised by other things such as certain meds ( benzos in particular) and rare types of tinnitus .

I am doing the DF CBT - but not seeing much change as yet , but its only week 2

[Hidden in reply to Suz_2]

thanks Suz. I’ll try and read the book. Me too, just finished week 2. Keeping hopeful!

[Suz_2]

N - could some of yr symptoms be due to side effects of medications? I dont know much about Gabapentine but 5mg of Valium ( which is a Benzo I believe?) is a wee bit worrying - is this every night or just sometimes. Maybe reduce the dosage and see how u feel

I am bit surprised yr doctor has given both of these at same time - a quick online search can show any potential interactions.

[Hidden in reply to Suz_2]

hi Suz, you’re right. It’s just that the T gives me so much physical anxiety (or vice versa), and i told the dr i can’t take antidepressants as they make my T worse. So she gave me small dose of gabapentine to take at night and the valium in the beginning while the gaba takes effect on my anxiety. So now i’m going to taper down the valium because you’re right it’s a horrible benzo. Hate meds for sure but no sleep is torture too! And i’m looking after grandkids all this week (school hols here in Paris), so i need to be in shape! Talk soon. xx

[bournville]

Hi sorry to hear your struggling but thanks for the video post it’s really interesting. Several people have given you some good explanations on habituation. How long have you been experiencing tinnitus for?

[Hidden in reply to bournville]

almost a year but bothersome since last October.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

how about you bournville?

[bournville in reply to Hidden]

I’m just into my my 4th year I think - I’ll be honest the first year is difficult but you are nearly though that. Eventually you will get to a place where you become kind of bored with your tinnitus sound & it will stop being upsetting. Once that happens your brain stops monitoring the sound as it doesn’t view the tinnitus as important anymore. This effectively turns your tinnitus down or even off in your field of awareness so just ride this first bit out best you can. Get all the help you can - suggest joining a support group that’s helped me a lot. Stick with the CBT & also look into “mindfulness of breathing” face to face tuition & practice if possible. A multipronged approach will help speed up habituation but you will get there - may be hard to believe at the moment I know.

[Hidden in reply to bournville]

thanks so much for the encouraging words. I will get there! The Tinnitus UK support group is great and there’s a zoom session this Wednesday (first Wednesday of every month), if anyone wants to join do enrol. It’s very reassuring.

[Kellythecat-74 in reply to bournville]

Hang on in there. I first got my T 20 years ago .Probably for the last 15 years it got quieter til I didnt hear it at all . Unfortunately I was given statins and now back to the beginning . I hate my doctor. Now thinking of trying CBT , acupuncture and hearing aids.

[White-noise]

Hi nanima. I also need white noise to go to sleep with. Have used white noise for 6 years now. Can’t believe it’s been that long. I need white noise playing through the night to I also wake up exhausted every morning. I have hissing sound for a few months now on top of my usual noise. I had CBT for over a year. Sometimes I need to tell myself to breathe. You don’t realize you’re holding your breath. I do my breathing exercises so many times a day if it’s a stressful and noisy day. I also on medication to keep me calm. Nothing can take T away it’s the learning to stay calm which is hard when your ears are screaming. I’m the morning I don’t want to get up because I can’t face the day exhausted and ears screaming and hissing. I’m still trying to get doctors appointment for another hearing test. Fellow T sufferer on here advice When they explained it, it made sense about the hissing sound. The hissing is torture and so loud.

[Hidden in reply to White-noise]

thanks for your reply. Effectively i’m keeping strictly to the CBT breathing in Debbiie Featherston’s course - i think it’s helping - slow process but just need a lot of patience and optimism!

[Doxiemom1]

Unfortunately Valium is a benzo that’s said to interfere with your neuroplasticity to habituate. Maybe the Gabapentin and Valium is working against each other?

[Hidden in reply to Doxiemom1]

you’re probably right. I’m tapering down the valium, now at a very low dose, zero very soon. Will taper the gabapentine later - just scared not to be able to sleep. But my CBT breathing etc is helping me.

[Doxiemom1 in reply to Hidden]

I know. It’s so scary at night and not be able to sleep. Thinking about trying taurine cause suppose to help brain but who knows