T returned after habituation

[Luxjim]

Hi all.....had Tinnitus for about 5 years and was a real problem for first 18 months but for months and months now its not really bothered me as I assume i had "habituated" to it....then suddenly last week it seems to have returned pretty much as worse as it was originally..... Just wondered if anyone else has experienced the T returning after habituation and did u manage to habituate again? Many thanks

[Happyrosie]

you may or may not get a response to this post, Luxjim. I don’t suffer T in this way myself - I habituated sixty years ago and it doesn’t bother me much - but I’ve been on this forum for some four years and I can say that many many people have posted a similar story to yours.

You’re not alone!

[Mawpaws]

Yes thats happens a lot and usually settles again after a few days or weeks

Often caused by a stressful experience such as health or work related problem or a change in your hearing

Might help to get involved with a local group( shown on this website) or a virtual one run by TUK orgo to your doctor and get refereed to audiology

[Luxjim in reply to Mawpaws]

Thanks for reply.....yes have had a bit of stress at work a few weeks ago so possibly a delayed reaction to that. Also started doing some grass cutting with petrol lawn mower which is quite loud but using ear defenders so dont see that should be a problem. Hopefully it will settle.

[Mawpaws]

Good idea to wear ear defenders when around loud noises My wife wheres ear plugs when i take her to see live bands !Remember people who live near airports get use to the noise and so will you again The mind focuses on the new noise and sees it as a threat Once its no longer seen as a threat it gets "forgotten" Distraction techniques can help in the short term like music or white noise it Dont lie in bed for more than 20 mins trying to sleep,getup and do something in another room eg read , I play video games !

[Tal-r789T]

Hi, I have suffered badly for about last 3 years. With hearing aids I've started to habituate, but I still spike now and then. Work stress seems to have an impact on me a lot, occasionally a loud noise can but that usually calms down quicker. I always had issues with loud noises causing my ears to have a ringing/echo effect for a week or two afterwards - I had that before I got the tinnitus bad.

[bantams]

Hi Luxjim, Sorry to hear your having problems with T again, my advice to you would be to do the things you did to habituated with T, if you did it before I`m sure you can do it again.

Keep the faith.

[777john]

Even after habituation your tinnitus will still fluctuate and it can still get you down, iv given up thinking how the brain works, but the great thing is that you will always habituate. Spikes can not be avoided they just happen. We haft to live our lives as normal as possible and unfortunately these spikes will happen in the stressful world we live in.My worst spikes are always when i have a head cold and they can last weeks. Iv always said that habituation is the cure for tinnitus even though it does not take the noise away or even lower it, it allows you to except the situation and that has been a godsend for me, so don't worry my friend even if your tinnitus stayed louder than it was, and i am sure it will calm down, you will habituate again.

[RONf]

Hi Luxjim

I have had T for eleven years. I have habituated - but have during the eleven years experienced episodes of the T returning to a noticeable level. This has been perhaps triggered (I think) by medication or ear infection or build up of wax.

As always the T becomes more troublesome at night - so I once again use white noise at a low volume until, thankfully, I gradually habituate again. Habituation now does not take as long as it did back eleven years ago. Good luck Luxjim - I am quietly confident that because you have previously habituated you will once again find the T calms down.

Ron

[RobWG]

Hi

I'm 3 years into T and I'd say for the last four months or so I'm generally at level 3 to 4 on the habitulisation scale so most of the time it doesn't bother me really.

It's not a constant state for me though, I still have bad spells where it grates, these tend to last for a day or so at most and it settles down.

My T does fluctuate and change in the sounds I get which is probably part of it.

I think I've habitulised that change, I know it will settle down again. And critically in all of the above it's very very rare now I feel overwhelmed or panicked by it as I was in the early days which were difficult.

Hope this helps.

Regards

Rob

[Kellythecat-74]

My T started 20 years ago . Not sure exactually when I habituated , but pretty sure I hadn't heard it for at least 17-18 years . Got mine back this January from Atorvastatin. Not worse just the same . Did you take any new meds? At first I was devastated ( with a lot of tears) but now more or less coping okay. I am hopeful it will go the same way as before, but don't know anyone else who has had the same except you now. I haven't habituated to this lot yet !! let us know how you get on .

[Luxjim in reply to Kellythecat-74]

Hi...Ive not taken any new meds but Im the same in as much i dont exactly know when i habituated and in the fact it has come back as the same level originally. Im pleased to say im much less stressed about it than i was originally but the anxiety level is higher than normal. My theory that it has come back at the same level is because it has never gone away just the brain stopped noticing it ie habituation but for some reason it has started to notice the sound again but as to why i dont know. Im positive in as much ive habituated once to the same sound so i should do again fingers crossed.

[Kellythecat-74 in reply to Luxjim]

I agree , am so much more relaxed about it this time . I have tried one CBT , she just told me how well I was coping. Also one supposed acupuncture .He put a few needles in my foot and then proceeded to massage my legs and head . I didnt go back.

[Luxjim in reply to Kellythecat-74]

Also tried CBT first time round but didnt find it a great help tbh. Tried reflexology also 1st time round which was good and relaxing at the time but of no great help to the T. Good luck.

[angusthedug]

Yes, I'm in much the same position, I've had it for a few years and was totally habituated. Then, at the beginning of August, I started wearing hearing aids and it started up all over again. At first I thought it might be due to the aids, but apparently they are the one thing which can actually help. I'm nowhere near habituated again yet, and still suffering from sleep-poor nights.

I would add that I had some very anxious nights on it's return, but I did find a webinar at youtube.com/watch?v=fVaac8T...(Not working as expected?) from a Dr Bruce Hubbard to be of some help, and to provide hope. Other webinars are obviously available.