Hey Everybody
Lately my tinnitus has really been acting up. My ENT said there isn't anything he can do for me,I think I'm going to look for a new one, in the meantime. Does anyone have an good tips,tricks or product recommendations that they have found useful for treating tinnitus?
I've had tinnitus for quite a while now; it's a side effect of Plaquenil. I guess mine isn't too bad, because the only time I notice it now is when I put my head on the pillow at bedtime. I think this is because the house is quiet then and there's no background noise that works as a distraction the rest of the time.
I don't know whether there's an effective treatment, but since mine isn't bad, I ignore it in preference to possibly adding another pill to the ones I already take.
Only thing I can think of Dry, is to wear headphones, which blocks out a lot of the annoying noise.
I did once read that someone swore by breathing in hot steam every day helps, not tried it tho',
as luckily I have only ever had short episodes of Tinnitus ..
its the pits tho', I sympathize, Dolly
Hi Dry :)
My ENT doc told me to try to have background noise going all the time. He also told me to go to bed listening to the radio. (Impractical. It would drive hubby up the wall) I suppose I could feed music through earphones.
The tinnitus I get is like 'white noise' rather than a high hum or whine - although that happens occasionally.
I think background noise helps. Silence just doesn't sound silent any more. :-\
Take care - Scottie :)
I'm interested to see how people respond to your question. I've developed tinnitus about three months ago but haven't asked the doctor. I thought it was from the plaquenil but when I went took a break from the medication about a month ago it didn't go away. So now I don't know the cause but hate to go to the doctor AGAIN. I just try to ignore it.
I hope you find relief. Maybe someone here will have some suggestions.
Deb
Hi Dry,
I'm another one with tinnitus, and Scottie makes a good point in that you'd always have to have some noise around to "combat" the noise of tinnitus. I have it in both ears, and they are different sounds and let me tell you, it can get very interesting especially if I'm on a cell phone or certain phone systems.
I sometimes sleep with a tv or a radio on otherwise I just would not get any sleep. I try to forgo them because it's too exhausting to always have something or another on (if it's interesting, I'll just watch the show - noise and all :-\).
I've heard of white noise machines helping tinnitus, but I don't know anyone that uses one so I can't say if it works or not.
Take care of yourself -
Patze
I too experience Tinnitus but it started long before I started on Plaquenil.
I have not yet seen an ENT for the problem as it seems like I have been working through other issues.
I wish that I had something that worked for me but the only thing that helps me sleep is to fall asleep watching tv, otherwise the noise drives me crazy.
Looking foward to hear what others have to suggest.
Tinnitus here too, but in my case I think it's because of my heart problems. Heart/valve problems and tinnitus seem to go hand in hand and for me it was definitely a tipoff something's been wrong with my ticker for quite some time as I remember my ears ringing for no apparent reason when I was a kid.
I have had tinnitus for almost a year now... I sure hated it at first. Drove me insane for a while... Now it doesn't bother me like it did the first 4 months or so.
I do have a better time going to sleep if there is a little noise, but honestly I am so used to it, it doesn't bother me.
-Y
If you go to the website for "The Doctors" and put Tinnitus in the search box you will see the new treatment for tinnitus that they had on the show. I remember going on a message board for this and the treatments are on the expensive side.
Sue Ann
Someone mentioned a white noise machine and I remembered hearing about an acquaintance who got a similar result by tuning her radio between stations at bedtime. The static, she said, was almost the same as white noise.
I have had tinnitus since about 1996.This is when I started having problems with my right ear. I slowly lost my hearing and could hear only garbage. The tinnitus got worse though. As a nurse I had to talk on the phone with my good ear and could not hear what my staff were saying to me. Then I had the constant extra noise of bangs, booms, multiple voices talking, footprints, music playing on the intercom, tv playing in many rooms, confused patients yelling----the list just went on and on.
By the time I got home from work my tinnitus was beyond the ceiling. I would have to change clothes and lile down with a pillow over my head to block out all the noise and try to take a nap. If I could get some rest I would feel some better.The stress of this when you work is really lousy. I feel sorry for those of you who have it in both ears and still try to work.
Years ago I read that Kenny Rogers had tinnitus in both ears and had contemplated suicide at one time because of it. This article was about the hearing aides that he got that had a white noise in them that helped tremendouly in masking the tinnitus. I have never even thought to check on this so if someone does a search on this please post what you find.
Also, my tinnitus got so bad that my doc (who is a (ENT) with a neuro otolargngologist specialty) did a surgery on me where he destroyed the otic nerve by drilling it out and destroying it where is came through the base of the brain. He did a labryinthectomy at the same time. In other words he destroyed all the hearing mechanisms of my right ear. Also did the mastoidectomy on the right side. My tinnitus got less.
However, it did not go away entirely. I have to add that this is a very delicate operation and when you destroy the hearing nerve on the right side you also destroy 50% of a persons balance. I had to go to rehab at Sister Kenney and learn to walk again. Took a lot of exercises and just plain living life to get my balance back. I still have the balance issues, which I had prior to the surgery anyway so who knows what causes what.
It was pretty traumatic in some ways as I could not drive for a long time and hubby had to take me to work. I also had a lot of trouble walking but managed to do better at work because of the narrow hallways which give a persons brain some landmarks.
I started to develop more tinnitus the past several months along with more dizziness. Have had some nausea also. I don't know what the deal is at this point, but when my doc does my sinus surgery he had the nurse tell me that he is going to put a plug in my oval window. I had a cat scan with landmarks last month and I am guessing he found something on the scan. I don't know which ear or why but I am sure I will find out November 9 when I go for an appointment.
I am back on another antibiotic just one week after finishing the last one. The ENT is also having me finish this antibiotic and then he is having me start Biaxin 500 mgm once a day for 3 months. This was interesting. Nurse told me it is for the antibiotic effect plus it also has an anti-inflammatory affect. I had never heard that before.
I do have to add that as the years go by one becomes more accustomed to all that garbage that is going on in your ear. Also, some of the sounds one hears are weird. The most common is the sound of static on the radio. Also, birds chiping is interesting and the sound of jets taking off is so real you think that you are on a plane.
I would love to hear any comments that others have about the noise they hear. The thing that is so interesting is this noise is just something that the brain sort of spits out at us. Has nothing to do with what we hear, etc. So really, you could say our brain is talking to us ;D Irish
I wonder how many thousand that was. 8)
Hi Irish,
I don't know how you did it! Wow, working as a nurse and having to put up trying to hear out of one ear!
It's interesting that you mention that the noise is something that the brain spits out at us, I just wish it would either let me choose a radio station to listen to or just shut up already! ;) :D Dang!
Take care -
Patze
The majority of the time my tinnitus just sounds like white noise. It possibly would not be so disconcerting but it's in my 'hearing' ear. My other ear hears very little and never has done.
Dear Sjogren's Angels:
Tinnitus is the bane of my life.
I DO find that wearing my hearing aids reduces my awareness of the noise during the day.
One otolaryngologist told me that:
Tinnitus is the result of your brain trying to HEAR sounds that aren't coming from your ears. The brain tries to get sound, and when it doesn't get sounds, it produces sounds, like tuning a radio to a setting that has no broadcast.
In other words, you get tinnitus because you are beginning to lose your hearing. And sure enough, that's what's been happening to me.
In fact the deafest ear has three part 'harmony' in tinnitus now. The ordinary static sound, a lower drone like a bee hive, and a high pitched whine.
When I take out my hearing aids, the symphony starts. The world goes silent and my ears go ballistic with tinnitus.
People have been known to commit suicide to get away from the noise.
I manage to ignore it most of the time, after the first assault.
Just like I mange to ignore my background pain most of the time.
Aspirin and other medications will cause ringing of the ears, by the way, not to be confused with the sort of tinnitus I have.
The best solution is a soothing noise which covers the tinnitus sound, for me a fan in the summer and the humidifier in the winter.
Here's the Mayo Clinic on the subject of tinnitus:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tinnitus/DS00365/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs
Keep us posted on how your Tinnitus is 'going', Dry.
Kisses
Elaine
Patze, You are so funny, girl!!!!
You know, I never even gave it a thought about working with only the one hearing ear. I guess when you lose hearing gradually you sort of ease into it. The funny thing is that I didn't notice I was losing my hearing at work or talking to people.
For years I have listened to the radio with one ear bud or the round case with both ear buds in it. I would just lay it on top of the ear that was "up" and fall asleep that way. I have done this for years and I can fall asleep pretty fast that way Also, I don't keep hubby awake with the noise.
Anyway, it seemed like I kept having to turn the radio up more and more and I thought that there was something wrong with my radio----until I put the ear buds on my other ear and also left the bed from the loud music. Wow, I was sure surprised at that!!! After that discovery and visiting my ENT with hearing tests every time I was found to be deaf except for the really loudd garbage sounds. It went quite fast.
No one has every said anything to me about it being a nuisance. This spring my sister had a very bad ear infection and was almost deaf in one ear. She told me she had no idea how limited a person is with only one ear. Well, yeah, it is a bummer isn't it!!
I do find that there is one perk to the problem. When I go to sleep I sleep with my good ear next to the pillow with my ear bud listening to music. My deaf ear is out and I can't hear a darn thing. Can't hear hubby snore, can't hear a tornado coming, you name it, but I sure can fall asleep better that way.
I am sure glad that I didn't lose my hearing until the boys were raised. They would have come in at all hours and I never would have known a thing.
Scottie, I don't know how you manage with the tinnitus in your good ear. You must have a very good stress tolerance. Irish ;D
Tinnitus means that I am losing my hearing??!! Are you kidding?!! Both my parents are legally blind so I've been resigned to the fact that I'll probably end up in the same condition. But lose my hearing too?! OMG!
Deb
Hi :)
Way back when I was at school we entered a science fair. Our group was measuring hearing - and hearing range. We tested more than a hundred people during the time the fair ran for. Once people are over 40 they lose the top and bottom of their hearing range. If one has very good hearing to begin with - one doesn't notice. If it's not so good - one does.
So for all of us over 40 - some hearing has already gone! As I only had 10% hearing in one ear back then - and not as much as 100% in the other - I've had a hearing aid for a while now. They're good! I can now hear better than I could when I went to school!
Take care - Scottie :)
dee, I don't know if all people who have tinnitus lose their hearing. It could be that all the people here who have tinnitus also have autoimmune diseases and have lost their hearing due to that. I guess I would ask your doc. I never even thought about this angle. Irish ;D
Hey everyone
I saw the rheumatologist today and told him about the tinnitus, he changed my prescription of plaquinol from the generic to the brand. He said it might make a difference, I'll post an update when I see results.
Gosh Dry, I'll keep my fingers crossed that the brand name helps to rid you of tinnitus. I know what a nightmare that can be!
Don't forget to keep us posted!
Take care of yourself -
Patze
I was Dx with it in my teens when I went into the Air Force. That was 40 years ago. Keep your ears clean and dry just like your gun powder. (If you do shoot as a hobby or are around loud equipment, wear ear protection.)
I have had just the low background ringing in both my ears for many years. Recently, I have developed a really loud "cricket chirping" in my right ear which is making me crazy. I just got new hearing aids which seem to damper the noise when they are in. My Rheumy stopped my Plaquenil to see if that makes a difference. 2 weeks off and I don't see a difference. It is really weird to hear 3 different sounds, if I could just escape from the noise at night, it would be great. Do the white noise machines really help?
Wow Newtosjs, three different noises? And I thought two was enough to drive me around the bend, down the road, and over the bridge too! ;)
I've not tried a white noise machine, but I know that the CPAP machine seems to help dampen the noise down a bit to where I can get some rest.
Good luck if you decide to get a white noise machine, and don't forget to keep us updated, okay?
Take care of yourself -
Patze
Oh, Newtosis!
I also have three in my RIGHT ear!
Amazing, isn't it???
During the day the hearing aids do a good job of blurring out the noise.
Soon we will run our humidifier at night, and that will be all the white noise I need.
Kisses
Elaine
I was at the ENT the other day and read a article on this noisey ear,, its all from the brain,, circuits get rerouted and eventually a loop is formed,, noise is produced in this look of neurons,, and we get tinnitus,, its not something produced by the ear,, or even in the middle ear,, its a brain thing,, sometimes things get right and it goes away,,, I love watching people sleep that dont have this problem,, they look so peacefull, nothing bothers them,, and we who have it would resort to shoving a icepick in our ears if that would stop it,, but i guess we need to hit the brain to make it stop,, mine comes in waves of high then low screams,, and at times i;ll get it in the other ear,, almost in stereo,, but I do hate it
For tinnitus relief any white noise such as a fan, humidifier, or a white noise machine will help. Some audiologists have some hearing aid type things that can provide similar white noise feedback if it gets unbearable.
Im so glad for this forum. Im still finding things people are mentioning that I have been dealing with. Nice to know Im not alone. I have been dealing with tinnitus sinse I was a kid. That is why I didnt mention it to my doc... Im used to it. I assumed everyone had this..
Luna
I've had tinnitus my whole life too. I remember getting constant ear infections as a kid, my doctor told me to put a hot towel on my ear. I'm so used to it I only hear it if I think about it. I haven't suffered any hearing loss.
There is a website called T-gone which offers herbal tinnitus remedies that helped my daughter tremendously. First you determine the cause, then choose the appropriate remedy.
There is a very good Tinnitus Support Message Board on the Internet. I'm not completely sure that I can post a link to it here, so I suggest either sending me a PM for a direct link or just search for that name. You can get very good information on it about what "cures" are actually effective and what are considered snake oil. Also, lots of tips about dealing with tinnitus-related sleep issues and lists of ototoxic drugs (those that damage your ear and/or lead to tinnitus).