Tinnitus is driving me insane. Will it ever go away on its own?

myporridgeiscold · 09/10/2022 15:17

Septemberintherain · 09/10/2022 15:13

I’ve had tinnitus for many years but since hitting my 40’s it has become much more intense.
A few years ago, I had an MRI, nothing found. I also had an appointment with the tinnitus nurse and she told me that tinnitus bothers some people so much that they become suicidal. At the time I was like ‘Ah, no I’m fine, doesn’t bother me at all’ but in all honesty it is starting to drive me slightly bonkers.
I also have tmj disorder and although I have tinnitus on both sides, it’s much worse on the side where the tmj disorder is worse.
Has anyone managed to control their tinnitus to the point it no longer troubles them?

Tinnitus can be one of the many, many symptoms of peri menopause. HRT might help.

JudithHarper · 09/10/2022 15:19

I have had severe tinnitus for decades and I can fully understand people that commit suicide with it, especially if it starts suddenly after illness or an accident.

I seem to be able to screen it out, unless someone or something draws attention to it. I always have an MP3 player for quiet situations so I am always busy listening to something. That helps me immensely.

embarrassinglythis · 09/10/2022 15:24

I developed bad tinnitus after being in an MRI for an hour and a half without earplugs. (Well in fairness, the GP said that this couldn't be a cause, but it literally started on that day, zero problems beforehand, after being in a very noisy machine for a long time, so personally I can't help blaming it.)

I eventually had to start medication to help me sleep and through the misery and suicidal thoughts of having it forever more. I'm still on that and mostly feel I've tuned it out but there are days it's back and I do feel despair occasionally.

urrrgh46 · 09/10/2022 15:25

Are you particularly stressed atm (other than obviously by the worsening tinnitus!!) my DD (21yrs) has had tinnitus since she got a bad ear infection age 16. Hers get worse (or she becomes more aware of it - not sure which it is) when she's stressed or particularly tired/unwell/has hayfever.

slo · 09/10/2022 15:29

If it is really debilitating you can get hearing aids that turn it off.

I mentioned that my newest hearing aids turned off my tinnitus to my audiologist and he said some people get them just for this reason. It's a bit drastic through as they are wildly expensive.

Original poster

Septemberintherain · 09/10/2022 17:05

It’s definitely been worse since peri and I have lots of other peri symptoms myporridgeiscold, trying to convince my GP is another thing!
JudithHarper I need something on standby for when it’s really bad.
I am glad you have found some relief embarrassinglythis, it truly is enough to drive you insane.
Not going to lie urrrgh46 I am really stressed this year. That probably doesn’t help at all.
I didn’t know such a thing existed slo, thanks, I will look into that.

OP posts:

Perime · 09/10/2022 17:14

I’m on HRT and mine’s is still bad. I’m getting my ferritin tested this week as low ferritin is another cause of tinnitus

Pishposh99 · 09/10/2022 17:18

Septemberintherain · 09/10/2022 17:05

It’s definitely been worse since peri and I have lots of other peri symptoms myporridgeiscold, trying to convince my GP is another thing!
JudithHarper I need something on standby for when it’s really bad.
I am glad you have found some relief embarrassinglythis, it truly is enough to drive you insane.
Not going to lie urrrgh46 I am really stressed this year. That probably doesn’t help at all.
I didn’t know such a thing existed slo, thanks, I will look into that.

My tinnitus ramped up last year when buying a house. I was so stressed and it was happening constantly. Literally the minute we completed it stopped and now it's back to how it was before, just every now and then. Whenever I feel stressed though I do notice it starts again

SantaOnFanta · 09/10/2022 17:18

I got full blown tinnitus about two weeks after taking anti-depressants. I stopped the drug but the tinnitus continued for about four years. Bizarrely it stopped after receiving the Covid vaccination. I totally get how awful it is.

PurpleBananas22 · 09/10/2022 17:22

White noise. I'm Never in a silent room as the silence is defending. I sleep with white noise on (actually brown noise - it's lower frequency that white noise and I find it more soothing. Always have the radio on. I find that if I don't notice it I forget about it. As soon as I turn into it it seems like it's 10 x louder.

It's worse for me when I fee stressed or have tension in my neck.

cultkid · 09/10/2022 17:23

Have you tried Botox?

All my love
What about going to sleep with white noise.

lingle · 09/10/2022 19:33

Get some osteopathic massage on the bad Taj side OP.

lingle · 09/10/2022 19:33

TMJ side…

Coyoacan · 09/10/2022 19:45

White noise is wonderful when the symptoms are particularly bad and to be able to get to sleep.

Original poster

Septemberintherain · 09/10/2022 20:55

Perime my ferritin was 2 at the beginning of the year, I had to beg for an infusion as I wasn’t functioning. The infusion has pushed my ferritin to 150 but sadly, my tinnitus is worse than ever.
I could really do with something like that lingle
Thanks all regarding the white noise. I do listen to rain sounds ever night to try and block it out.

OP posts:

KitchenSupper · 09/10/2022 21:03

I have had tinnitus since the age of four. It got worse a while ago (perhaps 15 years ago) and kept me awake, but I genuinely barely notice it now although it hasn’t actually changed at all (except for getting worse when I had mastoiditis in the summer). I didn’t do anything in particular so not sure what to advise, but it is at least possible that it improves.
There are ‘life hacks’ around that claim to stop it temporarily but those seem very risky. I’m sure I’d notice mine more if it stopped and then started again.

DrRuthGalloway · 09/10/2022 22:53

I had terrible tinnitus in one ear (and frequent sinus issues the same side). All cured by getting a root canal in a cracked tooth on that side. Had had a hairline crack for 30 years. I assume something to do with nerves and infection.

Saladd0dger · 09/10/2022 22:57

Did you get your b12 tested with your ferritin? I had awful tinnitus for a couple of years. Slowly went away with b12 injections

Lovetok · 09/10/2022 23:03

mine came on very suddenly one day about 7 years ago. Got rushed through to see a consultant quite quickly, who confirmed it was tinnitus but with no hearing loss. Since then it’s come and gone, but definitely flares up when I’m stressed.
the thing I’ve found helps most is meditation and deep relaxation, especially at night when I’m trying to get to sleep. I started yoga when I was diagnosed and learnt the meditation techniques there.
hope you find something to help, OP.

StapFooterin · 09/10/2022 23:13

I have had tinnitus for years. It ramped up from low level irritation to a loud, shrill whine when my mum was diagnosed with breast cancer 16 years ago. I was so worried and stressed. It has never gone down to previous levels, even though Mum has been cancer free for years, but it did settle down a bit. There's an everyday level, which is loud when I tune in to it, then a much louder level when I'm stressed or ill. I rarely sit in silence as it drives me mad. It's loud now because it knows I'm talking about it😅😅 I listen to audiobooks a lot (also to make boring tasks more interesting!) and keep one ear bud in when I'm trying to sleep with my audiobook set to switch off after half an hour. I think I'd go insane without some sort of background noise.

daisyjgrey · 09/10/2022 23:17

I've had it for years. I have the hearing aid type devices that sort of cancel it out/overrides it but I find them really itchy and uncomfortable so I'll only use them when I'm desperate. I was given them via the nhs about 6 years ago.

Other than that I just avoid silence. Sleep with noise on etc. I can definitely see how people get pushed to the limit with it.

Sparklythings1 · 09/10/2022 23:20

I’m really stressed at work and have just developed it the last few months. Some days it’s not bad and I forget then other times (like now) it’s hard to ignore. It’s like listening to a shell but a noisy shell in my left ear 🙈

Sh4rkAttack · 09/10/2022 23:30

My situation is almost very similar to yours as I also have TMJ disorder, with the tinnitus on that side being much worse and was referred for an MRI a few years ago which was clear. Mine was bad for a couple of years, but then got dramatically better for a while.... I noticed the other day that it is back with a vengeance. I have a lot of tension in my jaw and shoulder on the affected side, and am sure this is related. Until reading this thread I hadn't made the connection with being perimenopausal, but that also makes a lot of sense... haven't had many troublesome peri symptoms, but went through a phase of losing hair, heavier periods, night sweats and a few other things at around the time my tinnitus was at its worse, then things settled down a bit for a few years, but I've recently been noticing the odd hot flush and my periods have now become erratic and less frequent, so maybe this is peri round two. Gives me hope that it might be a temporary state of affairs...

norwichmummy123 · 09/10/2022 23:55

I have it bad and mine started 5 years ago after a virus. First year was horrible but now I have habituated and accept it. There is no cure but your mental attitude to it. When mine spikes I know it's a sigh that something is wrong in my body or I am getting poorly so that is handy. I just live with it and ignore it. CBT is a good option if it's too hard to live with and you want to learn how to. Xxx

Whatdoyawannado · 10/10/2022 07:51

I developed this just coming up two years ago, it drove me to the very depths of despair - I lost so much weight I went down to 43kg, I looked so ill. Happy to say I got past it and although I still have tinnitus (various different noises in each ear and one in the head) I'm able to have times when I'm 'tinnitus free', which essentially means it's still there but I've not noticed it. I didn't do anything in particular, I probably did all the wrong things to make the focus last longer, but here I am, able to get on with life as before. What I wouldn't give to get rid of it though! There are still times when it bothers me but nowhere near as much as it used to.

You'll be ok, it might take a while but the brain is a clever thing.