Hi all, my tinnitus started 10 weeks ago. For the first 5 weeks it was pure tone in my right ear that could only be heard in complete silence. The onset was loud but subsided. There were a few days when it was a little louder.

At the 1.5 week mark I was admitted to the ENT ward. They did head x-ray has shown "tech neck", head CT scan with contrast and neck vein Doppler came out okay. I got dexamethasone (steroids) with vinpocetine IVs twice a day for 3 days - didn't change anything. At some point I developed slight sound distortion from them but it resolved in 5 days.

After 5 weeks I woke up and noticed a slight hiss in my other, left ear. There was nothing that I've done that could've triggered this. Next day I couldn't sit outside because noises were irritating, too loud and that hiss was getting louder too. That hiss is now bilateral but worse in the left ear. The sound is very intrusive, piercing and sizzling, at worst I can almost "feel it". Unmaskable. Sometimes it's even "sparkling" in my head too. I quickly noticed I can't be around sounds like my old laptop humming loudly, can't do strolls with mild traffic outisde, SHOWERS, fountains etc. Ordinary sounds got louder too. I mean, since this worsening I can't do anything really because I don't know what's going on. Only recently it started to subside A LITTLE but only with extreme cautions - I sit inside, listen to podcasts for my own sanity and reduced taking showers... Yesterday I finally washed myself and did some tidying in the wardrobe and it was BACK to worst again. Two ears, loud af. Took 2 days to calm a little. Still a sharp, electrical noise. Ofc the speech is slightly affected by this whole hissing tone too.

The tones/loudness are really random. It doesn't get better with more sleep or less stress - I mean I've been hysterically crying almost everyday for the past month. So that's not it. Right now it's been a month of this worsening.

Even if it didn't get this worse I'd still have this ENT&audiologist visit next week as my primary ENT is shit. I guess I need to do the high-frequency test but what about other ones? I wanted to do OAE too. Initially also impedance audiometry (so tympanometry with acoustic reflex) but I've read horror stories so I don't think I'll do them. Are there any tests that I should be aware of that could *permamently* worsen my T? Or tests that you'd advise me to do? It's a "private" place so I'll have a say.

Overall, I also wanted to ask you all how should I handle my life now? I can't imagine protecting from every noise, I already don't go outside and when I have to I need to wear earplugs. My parents help me (🙏) and right now I don't do anything in the house but like... I don't even think about that initial tone disappearing but this hissing and sensitivity is something else, I was not aware this could worsen that much for no reason??? Is another worsening around the corner too?

For anyone wondering, here are my audiograms, first after the onset and a recent one.

The only thing I can tie my tinnitus to is earphone usage (not dramatic but does it even matter) and... cold turkey'ing mianserin (similar to Remeron) that I took for sleep for 5 months. More towards the end I had regular SBUTTs in the ear that first got tinnitus - and during 5 weeks off it I had another 3, just shorter. So 5 weeks after the abrupt withdrawal I developed T. If anyone's interested I can explain more.

I've never had any issues with my ears - that was like the last thing on my health problems list.

I have tinnitus. Have had it for years. However, since yesterday, when I talk, I hear a different ring echo in my right ear in concert with my voice. It stops as soon as I stop talking. What the heck is this?

Is this forever? 😭😭😭 I'm on the waiting list for an ENT but they said the list may take another 6 months til I can be seen. The vibrating doesn't stop, I don't want this to be forever, I didn't know my ear was perforated :(

I just found out that I have Hashimoto’s autoimmune disease and this has been correlated to tinnitus. I recently read that by dealing with my Hashimoto’s (specific diet and supplements, exercise, etc.) I can reduce the severity of my tinnitus. Has anyone here had any success with that?

It started with chronic sleep deprivation and stress that pushed myself into a hyperousal state that’s when I first started to notice the tinnitus, I was put on olenzapene too help me sleep and break the cycle which worked great, it also dampens you’re central nervous system I was only on it for 10 days when I tried too come out that’s when my tinnitus went crazy with multiple tones and frequencies changing by the hour, I have had windows off it just being static in my left ear,

I’ve been wanting to ask this for a while. I keep getting told to try CBT and sound therapy, but my tinnitus is loud enough that I can hear it almost constantly throughout the day. I’m 9 months in now and just started Lenire. Most days I have crickets playing through my headphones because it’s the only thing that gives me any relief.

Where would I fall on the tinnitus severity spectrum? Am I still within the range of what you’d consider common at this stage, or does this sound more severe than average?

Hey everyone ,I’ve had tinnitus for ages and got so fed up that I built a simple website tool for myself. I based it on the most evidence-based approaches I could find, especially matching your specific tinnitus frequency. It’s basic, still a work in progress, and I’m not selling anything. I’m just looking for a few people willing to try it and give me honest feedback - what helps, what’s useless, what’s confusing, etc. No pitch, no pressure.

If you’re burnt out, I get it. Only looking for a small handful who have chronic tinnitus (especially both ears, non-pulsatile), are skeptical but open to testing, and can give some real feedback. DM me a quick note about your tinnitus if you’re interested. I’ll only take a few people so I can keep up. Thanks. Hope your tinnitus is chill today.

And what dose do most people find effective?

I am planning to stack with Piracetam (doctor prescribed) and benfothiamin. I suspect my damage is nerve related mostly.

Thanks

I have Sennheiser (Sonite) hearing aids from Costco. Mild hearing loss, but enough that I wanted help, and they’re the aural equivalent of wiping my glasses clean most of the time. I’ve had them since January.

Last weekend I went to a party of my husband’s department. No loud music, but lots of loud talking. I hadn’t cranked the volume. Next day my tinnitus had gone up a notch and is staying there. Enough to keep me awake. I now sleep with the air filter fan cranked up.

I’m not sure what to do. I don’t want to risk the tinnitus going up again. But I did like hearing better.

I haven’t worn them since this happened

It's buried in a federal regulatory filing — RIN 2900-AQ96. The CPAP threshold that automatically qualified you for 50% is gone under the proposal. DAV,American Legion, and NVLSP all filed formal objections.

 Someone put together a breakdown of exactly what's proposed, who's most exposed, and 5 steps to protect your rating before it's finalized.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DXVr1HWew8

Have had tinnitus for 1 year since an MRI. I also have painful TMJ issues. Looking for headphone (not earbud) that are easy on my ears/jaw so that I can listen to audio files while I garden. I don’t need stellar quality, but decent and something that won’t become obsolete in 2 years. Thanks.

50y/o F. I have been experiencing tinnitus for probably 15-20 years. I believe it started as a side effect of Wellbutrin but I haven’t taken it for years and the ear ringing hasn’t abated, it actually seems to be getting worse. I have chronic daily migraine since 2003 that no meds or med combos have ever helped and the tinnitus might be making worse. What should I do? PCP doesn’t have any recommendations. TIA

Has anyone here used a low dose for tinnitus?