Tinnitus - What you say?

[ITGITC]

 

Folks, I am certain some of you have to deal with tinnitus. I'm having a hard time today.

 

I cannot figure out why some days it's worse than others.

 

I don't drink a lot (although you may not believe that based on all my posts about beer-drinking).

 

I don't use a lot of caffeine.

 

I get plenty of quality sleep.

 

Question: If you have this problem, have you ever tried any medications such as this one:

 

Quietus

 

There are some new commercials on TV about tinnitus medications and I'm thinking I should try one.

 

If you have found relief some way, some how, will you let me know?

 

This is seriously a pain in the...

 

earz.

 

Thanks -

 

Tom

 

[solpincus]

I had it 7 years ago after have 1 ruptured ear drum, & the other ear was infected. it last 1 month. for pain relief, i put both ears (1 after another) on a heating pads with a wet rag on top of the pad.that worked for pain. I had 3 doctor visits before that. eventually , it went away 1 month later. the hearing, at first, was tinny & metallic , gradually wearing off. good luck ! it ain't fun, but at least you can tune unwanted external sounds off. SEE A DOCTOR ASAP !!! TELL HIM YOU NEED A PRESCRIBED PAIN RELIEVER (VICODIN WORKED FOR ME. TAKE STOOL SOFTENERS WITH IT !) GOOD LUCK !

[sakari lindhen]

Stress is also a factor.

 

See a doctor.

[Magpel]

I have pretty serious tinnitus and have had it for going on seven years. It has tripled in severity over that time. Mine was triggered by an ear infection (and, I believe, the treatment thereof) but the fact that the last seven years have been the pinnacle of my gigging rock and roll life has obviously been a factor in the progression of my condition Nothing has relieved it for me, although I have tried only a handful of pop cures.

 

One of the most effective treatments for it appears to xanax and that class of anti-anxiety meds. I am not too keen of extended use of those. I am trying to consult with a specialist not far from me but it looks like about a 2 year wait...good luck! Mine went from annoyance to MAJOR quality-of-life issue. It's a tough one. For some people, it just goes away.

[therealvicz]

I wouldn't expect too much from homeopathic remedies tbh. I have fairly constant high pitch ring/whistle sound most days, quite quiet and easy to ignore unless room is silent, so I usually have the radio on quietly in bed until I go to sleep at night. Sometimes it gets very loud for two or three days at a time, it can be so loud it interferes with my normal hearing. One way I get some relief is to use a tone generator (e.g. iPhone app Tone Generator Pro), I tune it to the exact frequency I am 'hearing' and listen to it for about 2-3 minutes at a time, this seems to reduce the tension due to hearing the imaginary noise, and often causes it to subside for a couple of hours or more. There are similar professional treatments and devices you can get which work like this, if my condition gets any worse I might investigate.

 

Most successfully I try to avoid triggers, for me these are mainly Ibuprofen, strong coffee, red wine, lack of sleep, and having nasal congestion. Generally I live with it without any real problems but from time to time it does become difficult to put up with.

[Synthoid]

For some people, it just goes away.

 

I didn't know it could go away, just thought it was always there.

 

I've had tinnitus in my right ear for over 10 years now (due to loud music and other damaging factors). It's normally just a background ringing but there are occasional flare-ups when it gets obnoxious. At this point I've lost about 40% of the hearing in that ear. I haven't tried any remedies but if anything really works--let us know. I guess some day I'll buy a hearing aid.

 

After talking to a few folks, seems hearing aids are hopelessly overpriced and a high-profit item. Nothing like companies preying on the elderly. I hope there's something affordable out there...

[ITGITC]

 

Thanks for your replies, everybody.

 

I've had this for many years. Some days are worse than others.

 

I'm not on any medication that I think could be a contributing factor. I do maintain a fairly high anxiety level - so much that I have to practice what my friend, ProfD, preaches:

 

Stay laid back as a dead fly.

 

I'm TRYING, ProfD. Really, I am.

 

Unfortunately, from what I've read, there really isn't any cure. The methods that people have tried for relief don't seem to be validated within the medical community. I visit the doctor every six months for a routine check up - one major, one just for blood work and such.

 

I'm going to ask around to see if I can find any new information on this topic, but I thought I'd start with you folks first. If I discover anything that could help, I will certainly let you know. I'm quite sure there are many of us who, if we don't have tinnitus now, we will later in life. My understanding is that it's not just caused by being around loud noises, it's also genetic. I believe this to be true based on family history.

 

Bummer.

 

Thanks again.

 

Tom

 

[LennyTunes]

I am sure I have it from playing in loud bands. BTW, why is acceptable for drummers to be loud, but unacceptable for keyboardists to play at the same volume?

Although I prefer the open sound of an amp or wedge monitor, I will use IEMs for protection from blasting stage volume (more than a quality sound mix).

[Jazzwee]

Heh? I can't hear you....

 

My tinnitus is pretty bad. I use various masking sounds to give relief (Tinnitus Masker software). I play it over earphones and then I forget about it for awhile. There should be an iphone app too, though the better one was a PC app where you can adjust the pitch.

[Synthoid]

I'm going to ask around to see if I can find any new information on this topic, but I thought I'd start with you folks first. If I discover anything that could help, I will certainly let you know.

 

I look forward to seeing what you discover. Gotta be something out there.

[Bill H.]

Yeah I have it bad too. I've never been to a doctor about it or anything so this is just what helps me personally.

 

The best relief I get is if I keep things as quiet as I can for as long as I can. I would never think of trying to mask the noise and ringing in my ears with a similar external sound. In my case it would just exacerbate and amplify it.

 

I actually go so far as to wear earplugs around the house whenever I can. If I can keep all auditory information down to a minimum it eventually fades away somewhat for a time.

 

But it's always there.

 

If there's some new research into tinnitus that you folks discover, or anything that works medically I'm all ears.

[MikeT156]

One thing folks with tinitus can do is ALWAYS wear hearing protect when around any kind of noise; like a lawn mower (BIG offender!) chain saw, any power tools, even city traffic noise (ambulance and fire engines driving by can seriously damage your hearing) The issue is to STOP THE BLEEDING. I have a set of ear plugs for inside my ears as well as a head set ear muffler set for cutting the grass.

 

Musically, I haven't played in a loud band in so many years I can't remember how long ago it was. Be care of using headphones. Anything loud directly into your ears is a recipe for damage. When practicing, point the speakers away from your ears. IF you practice in a small room, use a little cotton in your ears instead of ear plus. Cotton can slightly muffle the sound while allowing you the ability to distinquish what you are hearing. Keep the sound level down to an absolute minimum. Carry a set of ear plugs in your pocket anytime you leave your house. Noise is everywhere.

 

Since the years I've been away from loud music, my tinitus has diminished a great deal. I don't know that I will ever be completely rid of it (I doubt it) but it has declined to the point where its difficult to distinquish it sometimes.

 

 

Mike T.

[mcgoo]

I don't remember where I heard this... maybe I dreamt it... but I had heard that modern heating aids could be equipped to generate a pitch matching that of the tinnitus, but out of phase, so that it could cancel the noise that way. Anyone else heard about this?

[HammondDave]

Tinnitus is what made me retire from performing. About a year and a half ago I was playing at a club and left my earplugs at home... The stage volume was ridiculously loud, mainly because the Leslie was elevated to ear level and the monitors were blaring. My ears were roaring after our 75 minute set. From that moment on I heard the ringing.

 

My doctor tested my hearing and it's fine. But the ringing is still there. Some days more than others. Some days it disappears.

 

My doctor prescribed Xanax... I asked him if anxiety caused the ringing. He said No... The Xanax is there to keep me from killing myself. He was serious...

 

My audiologist told me that they have no idea why it happens.. Some people are more sensitive than others and can contract it.nsome can play for years and never have any problems. The weird thing is that I played live for over 40 years... And this one time brought it on.

 

She also told me that there is an implant that will cancel out the ringing... But it is very expensive and most insurance companies don't cover it.

 

My best advice is always wear good earplugs when playing, and keep the stage volume down!

[zxcvbnm098]

I seem to recall this topic came some years back, and a couple of people posted some positive results with one or another homeopathic products? Not sure if you searched, but I'm pretty sure I'm right about that.....

[ksoper]

I had a thread going a while back when I began treatments for TMJ. There is a theory that TMJ can produce or exacerbate ringing. I spent a good deal of money on treatments, which basically consisted of seeing a cranio-facial pain specialist (fancy orthodontist) who fitted me for two oral splints. The good news is that I don't get headaches or sinus pain anymore. The bad news is that the tinnitus didn't go away. I can keep the volume down if I can reduce the tension in my shoulders and neck, but I can't make it go away. When I wake up the volume is manageable. As I go through the day it increases, and by the time I'm ready for bed I can barely discern speech.

 

I am coming to terms with the fact that my hearing is trashed. That said, I know the frequencies of the tinnitus as well as where the notch is (3k). When I mix I'm careful not to push those frequencies, and I mix at low volumes. I wear hearing protection when playing as well as when I'm using power tools.

 

I'm going to look into the masking software or tone generation approach. Haven't tried that yet.

[Marzzz]

VICODIN

 

Actually, tinnitus is a known side effect of Vicodin usage.

[MalH]

I've had mild tinnitus over the last 2 years related to a neck injury. The tinnitus was caused by tight neck muscles (mainly SCM muscle) and went away when this muscle loosened up.

[Bosendorphen]

Wow I didn't realize how many forumites had this condition! I've heard of the genetic factor... I'm blessed because I'm genetically predisposed to have good hearing (my Dad was tested and still able to hear around 16 kHz in his 60s which is quite unusual).

 

And I always wear ear protection at gigs (since 1977), cutting the lawn, even using vacuum cleaners. Tend to play music a fairly low volumes - to the point that my acoustic piano seems to be too loud!

 

That said, I've had a slight tinnitus on rare occasion lasting maybe 25 seconds. I've understood this to be due to pressue changes in the ear. Otherwise, my head is very quiet.

 

My heart goes out to y'all that have this. I cannot imagine having to deal with it day in and day out. I sincerly hope there is some kind of help available. I personally don't know anyone in my musician circle that has it, but if I hear of anything that will help I will certainly post it here.

 

Again you have my sincerest empathy. Being a musician is hard enought without having to deal with hearing issues.

[Joe Muscara]

I probably should have worn earplugs on those flights I just took. Between the noise and the air pressure changes, I couldn't hear a thing afterwards. Well, I could, but it wasn't as good as normal.

 

I think I've always had it to a degree. I can remember as a kid when things were really quiet, I could hear a background noise in my head. Now, it's louder thanks to loud band members and me not wearing earplugs when I should have. I have the associated hearing loss now, too.

 

I've had other musicians "brag" to me about coming home from a show and it was so loud their ears were ringing and they didn't want to listen to the car stereo. Idiots. Even worse, these guys seem to never complain about permanent ringing nor hearing loss, and that makes me especially since one of them was one of those loud band members mentioned above.

 

I get the volume changes in my ringing. It just comes and goes and if I wait it out and don't think about it, it seems to lessen.

[Magpel]

I have been sloppy with ear protection and have paid the price. I hate gigging with plugs, even my good prescription plugs but it's now or never for me at this point.

 

A guy named Kevin Hogan is one of the real lay-people experts on the whole landscape of tinnitus, its many false grails and the few sources of real hope. His treatment regimen essentially boils down to Xanax and a two-year behavioral process called habituation. Yikes!

 

Another friend with the condition thinks that this is going to be a real growth area in medical research because A) we live in an era of loud war and B) we live in an era of rampant headphone abuse.

 

But tinnitus is multi-factoral and often idiopathic. I think it's a rough road to a true cure.

 

Did you know that there is a form, called objective tinnitus, that a doctor can hear with a stethoscope? Very rare. Very strange. Self-oscillation...

[HammondDave]

They have NO IDEA how this occurs... They have a better chance to cure cancer than to cure tinnitus... Funny that since I read this thread and this morning, my ears have be ringing very loudly. Maybe this thread causes it....

[antimatter]

I have Tinnitus, constant ringing, never goes away. Mine though is the result of a brain injury from a car crash I had several years ago. Actually before the accident I had some hearing loss, which I honestly think began from being way too close to the stage at a Motorhead concert sometime in the late 80s. Of all the ultra loud musical performances Ive experienced, that was just one louder. Enough amplification for a Soccer Stadium inside a place that could barely hold a 100 people. I know youve been there, done that but Motorhead does it, or used to do it, just a little bit louder.

 

Anyway, when I woke up from my car wreck (like 2 months of sedation) I noticed my ears were ringing. First they thought it was from the pain meds. Nope. Then they thought maybe it was a significant amount of ear wax and gunk. Nope. So the neuro surgeon guy explains how I had fluid in some canal and with all the subdural hemorrhages, I probably have nerve damage; the kind of nerve damage that doesnt heal.

 

So I had hearing tests done and sure enough Ive lost a lot of the high frequency range. I got hearing aids (NOT CHEAP) and they help amplify the high frequencies. While they help me hear a little better, they dont do what I really want, which would be to stop the ringing. My next door neighbor, an elderly gent, says he takes ginko biloba, and that takes away his ringing. I tried it myself but didnt see any improvement.

 

So far I keep sane by always having background noise. Last summer I went and bought some battery operated fans in case of power loss from a hurricane. My wife laughed because the things are junk and probably wouldnt do much for cooling. I had to explain to her, its the noise. I cant sleep without some noise!

 

 

[HammondDave]

For those who do not have it, yet... You need to understand something. This does not just sneak up on you. So, as in the old joke, you can't keep doing it until you "need glasses"... If you don't protect your ears, one day it will be there... Loud... And it will never go away.

[Jazz+]

I have tinnitus for almost 10 years now . I own expensive custom fitted 25db filters and I have stopped using them. I like the inexpensive foam dead plugs better. I buy them by the case from Amazon. I can hear plenty enough in the foam plugs. I wear them when teaching, driving and gigging.

[JeffLearman]

For me, the best cure is for nobody to ever mention it. It's gone when I don't think about it.

 

So ....

 

 

 

THANKS!

 

 

Seriously, there is no cure for the physical damage that causes the problem. But there's good news: our brains are actually very good at weeding out useless data, extraneous information that has no impact on us. (Example, a wife's voice. )

 

Unfortunately anything we find distressing is NOT considered useless to our brains. So the best treatment is to learn to like it -- make it a non-issue and it'll naturally subside.

 

Yeah, I know: not easy.

 

Here is something you can do, though -- if you have an SPL meter. (If you don't, well ... I need a new one and I'll loan it to you.) Measure it, just for the fun of it. Use your Kurz or a VSTi to match the pitches and volumes (roughly) and then use the SPL meter to find out how loud your tinnitus tones are.

 

Then you can post here and get bragging rights if yours is the loudest.

 

I'm tempted to measure mine. An audiologist can do this too, and a lot more accurately using calibrated headphones. No harm in seeing one, especially if you're interested in other stuff like IEMs or hearing aids. (My wife says I need hearing aids, but see above about wife's voice ...)

[jogger]

My experience was if I heard a really loud band or played in a loud band and had ringing, it went away in a couple days. I recently played a wedding in a 18 piece band that was really loud and made the mistake of sometimes having one plug in an ear. I was right in front of the drummer and I got hammered by the sound. But what did me in was the next day 3 hr rock band rehersal in some guys basement that was crazy loud. My ear is still ringing.

[Jazz+]

Welcome to the club, jogger.

[frogmonkey]

Funny, I noticed it as a little kid. I thought it was a sound that was just everywhere. It was like the hiss of a TV.

 

A few years ago I went out to my car to rest after a particularly loud set on a cramped stage. I had the weirdest, most clangorous noises in my head-- thankfully they went away. I went out and got fitted for earplugs that week.

 

I do still have a constant hiss/ring, though.

[Les Mizzell]

I've had it for the last 20 years or so after a nasty fall in a darkened theatre where I whacked my head hard enough to pass out for a second or two. I've tried a number of things over the years, but pretty much nothing makes it go away. I've learned to tune it out unless I'm somewhere where it's VERY quiet and there's nothing else to listen to.

 

Submerge yourself in the bathtub and think about the sound you make while breathing. It's louder than you think, but you never pay attention to it. Once you start thinking about it and listening to it though, it's there. It's kinda like that.

 

I spent some time one afternoon synthesizing the sound so others could hear what I was hearing. I've got two discreet pitches, one at approx 4186hz, and the second approx a minor third above that at 5274hz - start with sine waves, and modulate them with just a small touch of white noise, and you've got it.

 

I've also spent some time analyzing music I've written over the years to see if I thought that I unconsciously gravitated toward keys sympathetic with this, and there does seem some connection! Even my atonal modular "bug music" stuff, I've noted that I tend to avoid anything that's greatly dissonant with the two notes, unless I'm making a conscious effort to write in a specific key (B minor for example).

 

Still, my hearing seems pretty good. I can walk into a room and if somebody is using an older CRT on their computer, or a tube style TV - I can hear the high pitch whine they make that says "yup, we're on". Pretty suprised at that, what with all those years trying to compete with two guitar players that insisted on running their Twin Reverbs at 11 regardless of what the PA system was like.