Tenacious Tinnitus Club – Ear Pressure, Noise and Hyperacusis

[[Dr...]]

  I miss silence.  And when I had it, I didn't realize how beautiful it was. 

Lab Rat #2 

 

When I had my recording studio I use to go into the main orchestra room and sit in the middle, in the dark, just to listen to the silence. It was beautiful. Thank God I did realize it and appreciate it and love it. And boy do I miss the silence. I know you are all looking for a "cure" but everything I read tells me there is no cure. It is so damn difficult to try to find a way to accept this thought. My heart breaks for all of you suffering here.  :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(

God bless you.

[[Bi...]]

Amazing the simple things we take for granted. Silence is a beautiful gift until we lose it  :'( :'( :'(

 

There is so much truth in this simple statement Birdie.  I miss silence.  And when I had it, I didn't realize how beautiful it was.  I'm not giving up hope yet.  My tinnitus seems to keep diminishing very, very slowly...with some days better than others.  I believe that the information about adrenaline and anxiety being closely tied to tinnitus is true.  The information I read by Julian Cowan Hill that explains how these are tied together, certainly seems to fit my situation.  I have been working with a craniosacral therapist as he recommends, which I believe is one thing that has been helping me to decrease stress and calm down my nervous system.

 

I thought I would also mention that I recently started taking zinc.  Some lab work my doctor did showed that I was low in zinc.  So who knows...may be that is one of the things that is helping me.

 

Lab Rat #2 

 

Thanks for stopping by PD! :smitten: :smitten:

 

I am sure as our minds "REV DOWN" it will end but it's SO LONG!!!

 

This is really torture  :'( :'( :'( :'(

 

Hugs Birdy  :smitten:

how is the Potiga experiment going?

 

Actually, very well.  I only take 600mg twice a week.  My T is better than ever. The side effects scare me so I am taking it easy.  I did a titration experiment with potiga and crushed the pill and put it into water.  I drank to simulate a taper dose,,,,,,,, HOLY SMOKES, it hit me like 4 Xanax!!  Then I read the bottle DO NOT CRUSH  PILLS!  I guess they are time release without saying  "XR".

It's a anti seizure drug so it's no wonder it behaves like a tranquillizer. 

 

From what I have read online some think pushing the potassium channel can send the DNC back into healing mode repairing a chemical imbalance.  Like taping on a loose nail to drive it back in to the right spot (I think that is what the headache means but I really do not know)

 

Also read you can't mix potiga with gabapentin or Valproic acid!!!  So I quit gabapentin too.

 

Ears are the best ever with the 2 times a week potiga treatments.  I know its working since the potiga gives me a headache and during the potiga headaches the T is very low.  I stopped for a week and the T is still lower than before.  So far it's working for me.

 

I REALLY suspect that potiga must be addictive so I take it only twice a week and then once a month washout for 7 days.  When I took the crushed powder I knew it was an abuse-able drug!!

 

Potiga ultimately manipulates calcium via the K channel but in a different way than a benzo manipulates calcium.  Let's call it OPPOSITE of a benzo, kind of.

 

http://i.imgur.com/GYzN7sc.png

 

Lab rat #1

 

 

 

 

 

 

[[Bi...]]

Haven't been on here in a while but I wanted to share some things I have recently experienced and wanted to see if anyone else has experienced this....I have had tinnitus for 1 1/2 years...it started in my left ear then moved to both and now is more so in my right ear.    Can anyone else relate to my experience?

 

Yup,  for me too. Left ear madness then both and then increasing the right ear at times.  I think its the brain and or DNC trying to heal (its a good sign)

 

Keep in mind it can take as long as 5 to 7 years in the worst cases.  This SXS is a bitch!!  Takes a long LONG time to fade.

 

We all heal but T takes the longest as Ashton says.

 

Hugs to all 

[[NN...]]

Amazing the simple things we take for granted. Silence is a beautiful gift until we lose it  :'( :'( :'(

 

There is so much truth in this simple statement Birdie.  I miss silence.  And when I had it, I didn't realize how beautiful it was.  I'm not giving up hope yet.  My tinnitus seems to keep diminishing very, very slowly...with some days better than others.  I believe that the information about adrenaline and anxiety being closely tied to tinnitus is true.  The information I read by Julian Cowan Hill that explains how these are tied together, certainly seems to fit my situation.  I have been working with a craniosacral therapist as he recommends, which I believe is one thing that has been helping me to decrease stress and calm down my nervous system.

 

I thought I would also mention that I recently started taking zinc.  Some lab work my doctor did showed that I was low in zinc.  So who knows...may be that is one of the things that is helping me.

 

Lab Rat #2 

 

Thanks for stopping by PD! :smitten: :smitten:

 

I am sure as our minds "REV DOWN" it will end but it's SO LONG!!!

 

This is really torture  :'( :'( :'( :'(

 

Hugs Birdy  :smitten:

how is the Potiga experiment going?

 

Actually, very well.  I only take 600mg twice a week.  My T is better than ever. The side effects scare me so I am taking it easy.  I did a titration experiment with potiga and crushed the pill and put it into water.  I drank to simulate a taper dose,,,,,,,, HOLY SMOKES, it hit me like 4 Xanax!!  Then I read the bottle DO NOT CRUSH  PILLS!  I guess they are time release without saying  "XR".

It's a anti seizure drug so it's no wonder it behaves like a tranquillizer. 

 

From what I have read online some think pushing the potassium channel can send the DNC back into healing mode repairing a chemical imbalance.  Like taping on a loose nail to drive it back in to the right spot (I think that is what the headache means but I really do not know)

 

Also read you can't mix potiga with gabapentin or Valproic acid!!!  So I quit gabapentin too.

 

Ears are the best ever with the 2 times a week potiga treatments.  I know its working since the potiga gives me a headache and during the potiga headaches the T is very low.  I stopped for a week and the T is still lower than before.  So far it's working for me.

 

I REALLY suspect that potiga must be addictive so I take it only twice a week and then once a month washout for 7 days.  When I took the crushed powder I knew it was an abuse-able drug!!

 

Potiga ultimately manipulates calcium via the K channel but in a different way than a benzo manipulates calcium.  Let's call it OPPOSITE of a benzo, kind of.

 

http://i.imgur.com/GYzN7sc.png

 

Lab rat #1

Any significant side effects apart from headache which worth mentioning? Are you taking other medications while taking Trobalt?

 

Mine also left ear dominant-->moves to right ear

[[ma...]]

Has anyone ever tried sound masking hearing aids for tinnitus relief?  I have used hearing aids before with no luck and I have used sound masking devices before with some luck.  I went to the ENT last week to give another try and she recommended new hearing aids that have sound masking for tinnitus built in.  I went back today and she gave me a set to try out for a week. I have them in now and I can say it does make a good bit of difference. Does not make the tinnitus completely go away but does seem to make it lower.  At a level where it seems I can tolerate it now without losing my mind.  Sitting here at the computer and able to concentrate and focus without having to put in headphones and blast background noise.

 

Just curious if anyone else has tried this and had any luck?

[[Bi...]]

Has anyone ever tried sound masking hearing aids for tinnitus relief?  I have used hearing aids before with no luck and I have used sound masking devices before with some luck.  I went to the ENT last week to give another try and she recommended new hearing aids that have sound masking for tinnitus built in.  I went back today and she gave me a set to try out for a week. I have them in now and I can say it does make a good bit of difference. Does not make the tinnitus completely go away but does seem to make it lower.  At a level where it seems I can tolerate it now without losing my mind.  Sitting here at the computer and able to concentrate and focus without having to put in headphones and blast background noise.

 

Just curious if anyone else has tried this and had any luck?

 

Hi martinlake.  I have used maskers for 18 months now.  Without them I would be mad. It's important to find the right pitch and then they can be even more effective.

 

Check this out  http://generalfuzz.net/acrn/

[[Bi...]]

95%  improvement in tinntus!!!  Any one try this yet?

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11771024

 

 

J Otolaryngol. 2001 Oct;30(5):300-3.

Efficacy of amitriptyline in the treatment of subjective tinnitus.

Bayar N1, Böke B, Turan E, Belgin E.

Author information

Abstract

 

We investigated the effect of amitriptyline, a tricyclic antidepressant, on patients with subjective tinnitus. The study group consisted of 37 adult patients admitted to the Ear, Nose, and Throat and Audiology Department of Hacettepe University. The amitriptyline group consisted of 20 patients and the placebo group consisted of 17 patients. All of the patients were evaluated using a questionnaire, audiologic evaluation, high-frequency audiometry, impedancemetric tests, auditory brainstem response, tinnitus frequency, and loudness matching assessed by audiometric methods at the beginning and end of the study. The patients in the amitriptyline group received 50 mg/day amitriptyline in the first week and 100 mg/day for the following 5 weeks. In the placebo group, the patients received tablets consisting of lactose starch for 6 weeks, with a dosage of 1 tablet/day. The subjective complaints of the patients in the amitriptyline group decreased, and the "present" symptoms resulted in fewer complaints. The severity of tinnitus decreased in the amitriptyline group by means of subjective and audiometric methods. In the placebo group, no significant change was observed. The success of treatment was 95% in the amitriptyline group and 12% in the placebo group. Amitriptyline therapy was concluded to be effective.

[Guest [jc...]]

no WAY would i ever try that drug, bad as my tinnitus is

[[ba...]]

tinnittus seems to be the most bothersome long term affect on me i quit xanax at a very low dose 0.0625 3 months ago i still get tinnittus from smoking tobacco or sugar its too hard to give up both of those i eat a few donuts each day & i smoke 1/3 of a pack of cigarettes each day too

[[Bi...]]

no WAY would i ever try that drug, bad as my tinnitus is

 

Hi JC,  Do you think your tinnitus is from quitting ativan?    How bad is yours??

 

Bird

[[Bi...]]

tinnitus seems to be the most bothersome long term affect on me i quit xanax at a very low dose 0.0625 3 months ago i still get tinnitus from smoking tobacco or sugar its too hard to give up both of those i eat a few donuts each day & i smoke 1/3 of a pack of cigarettes each day too

 

Hi babyA,  What is your avatar of?    What time of the day is it worse?  For me its peaking at bed time and I wake up in good shape if I sleep deep.

[[ba...]]

hi bird, i changed my avatar earlier it was my boyfriend's pet hamster . umm i get some bad tinnittus after smoking or eating too much sugar i also feel tinnittus like 15 20 mins after i wake up usualy in the evenings i feel worse

[[Bi...]]

hi bird, i changed my avatar earlier it was my boyfriend's pet hamster . umm i get some bad tinnittus after smoking or eating too much sugar i also feel tinnittus like 15 20 mins after i wake up usualy in the evenings i feel worse

\

A hamster lol.    I am sure all this will stop someday.    I was hoping for quicker results.  I took 50mg Amitriptline at bedtime a few times now and it always lowered my tinnitus considerably the next day.  Need to learn more about it before I do it nightly.

[[ba...]]

hi birdman thanks for the heads up , i very much appreciate it  i just read about it , i saw it can also help with neuropathy as well , i've had neuropathy in my lower legs and part of my arms for years before i started xanax in early 2012, thanks again for the heads up 

 

katie

[[sn...]]

Just keep that hamster away from Richard Gere.

 

Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

 

 

Carry on friends...carry on.

[[Jo...]]

This is a rather long thread and I have read several pages but please forgive me if this has already been discussed or answered.

 

I tapered off and was clear of xanax on 5/17/14.  It wasn't easy afterwards even being clean, still had big time tension and headaches but it was worth it to be off.  But mid-November, almost 6 months to the day, I started getting high pitched whines in both ears.  Someone on this thread described it as sounding like a dentist drill.  Someone else described a feeling of pressure as well.  That's what I'm experiencing.  It came out of the blue, no reason. I was really proud that I was free and clear but I guess not.

 

What I'm reading here says that I try to use coping tools; that there is no "cure".  Is the tinnitis permanent?  Has the xanax permanently damaged my hearing? Or my brain for that matter?

 

I'm feeling really discouraged and more than a little depressed. 

 

However one thing Birdman said that is a little hopeful:

 

I think its the brain and or DNC trying to heal (its a good sign)

 

Keep in mind it can take as long as 5 to 7 years in the worst cases.  This SXS is a bitch!!  Takes a long LONG time to fade.

 

Thanks for saying that.  I hope it is a sign of healing. 

 

[[Po...]]

I think some sxs might never go away, but they might fade out a bit and then we would too get used to them. That's what I think of my own tinnitus, as well as of sensitivity to light, sounds etc.

 

I think withdrawal damages some of us pretty heavily. It is a risk. I think people who start withdrawal should know more about the risks, like tinnitus. These ear problems alone might be a bigger problem than any problems we had prior benzos. I think that people who start psychoactive medication should know about the possible risks that are there years ahead, even if they'd feel better for years when they're on meds (that happens, too).

[[Bi...]]

Just keep that hamster away from Richard Gere.

 

Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

 

Carry on friends...carry on.

 

Snowy!!!!  Sheesh 

[[pe...]]

Just keep that hamster away from Richard Gere.

 

Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

 

Carry on friends...carry on.

 

Snowy!!!!  Sheesh 

 

I must be out of it...I don't get it! 

[[Bi...]]

I think some sxs might never go away, but they might fade out a bit and then we would too get used to them. That's what I think of my own tinnitus, as well as of sensitivity to light, sounds etc.

 

I think withdrawal damages some of us pretty heavily. It is a risk. I think people who start withdrawal should know more about the risks, like tinnitus. These ear problems alone might be a bigger problem than any problems we had prior benzos. I think that people who start psychoactive medication should know about the possible risks that are there years ahead, even if they'd feel better for years when they're on meds (that happens, too).

 

I hear you loud a clear! LOUD AND CLEAR!! I wonder if any of us would have attempted this knowing about the long term tinnitus problem.  I almost hate to say what's on my mind but here goes.

 

I am giving this loud tinnitus 1000 days to heal (about 2.5 years and that's IT!)  If it does not clear my doc and 3 other docs all said the same thing.  Up taper Valium or tranxene slowly until the tinnitus is tolerable.  This would be the additional level needed by the DCN to find a balancing point.  At least a few people here have gone back on low level benzo's for life just to beat this sxs.  All of them told me to give it 3 years to heal first before giving up   Most of these low level users said they are in mild tolerance as far as anxiety goes but find life better without the tinnitus.  Maybe for some of us gaba never comes back up to full power? I just do not know if that's even true or not.  I hope to God this is not the case for me but I do not want to suffer from this my last 30 years on this earth, I need some peace.  730 days to go before my benzo free ticker disappears and I fad away from this web site forever.  HOPING HOPING HOPING my last sxs heals! It is getting better but it's so darn slow!!!  Ridiculous!  Nothing should heal this slow, RIDICULOUS!!

"The bells, the bells!!" I feel like the hunchback did!  Ahhhhh! :'( :'( :'(

 

[[Bi...]]

This is a rather long thread and I have read several pages but please forgive me if this has already been discussed or answered.

 

I tapered off and was clear of xanax on 5/17/14.  It wasn't easy afterwards even being clean, still had big time tension and headaches but it was worth it to be off.  But mid-November, almost 6 months to the day, I started getting high pitched whines in both ears.  Someone on this thread described it as sounding like a dentist drill.  Someone else described a feeling of pressure as well.  That's what I'm experiencing.  It came out of the blue, no reason. I was really proud that I was free and clear but I guess not.

 

What I'm reading here says that I try to use coping tools; that there is no "cure".  Is the tinnitis permanent?  Has the xanax permanently damaged my hearing? Or my brain for that matter?

 

I'm feeling really discouraged and more than a little depressed. 

 

However one thing Birdman said that is a little hopeful:

 

I think its the brain and or DNC trying to heal (its a good sign)

 

Keep in mind it can take as long as 5 to 7 years in the worst cases.  This SXS is a bitch!!  Takes a long LONG time to fade.

 

Thanks for saying that.  I hope it is a sign of healing.

 

I am happy it gives you hope,  Waiting 7 years, not a fun thought for any of us but nothing is worse than hopelessness, so true

[[Bi...]]

Just keep that hamster away from Richard Gere.

 

Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

 

Carry on friends...carry on.

 

 

I must be out of it...I don't get it! 

 

:laugh:   That's OK PD    Google: Richard Gere and Gerbil  :laugh:

 

[[pe...]]

Just keep that hamster away from Richard Gere.

 

Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

 

Carry on friends...carry on.

 

 

I must be out of it...I don't get it! 

 

:laugh:   That's OK PD    Google: Richard Gere and Gerbil  :laugh:

 

Thanks birdman.   I understand now, although I'm not sure I believe the story! 

 

And by the way...you're not allowed to leave BB!  What would the Tenacious Tinnitus Club be without you?! 

 

PD

[[Bi...]]

Just keep that hamster away from Richard Gere.

 

Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

 

Carry on friends...carry on.

 

 

I must be out of it...I don't get it! 

 

:laugh:   That's OK PD    Google: Richard Gere and Gerbil  :laugh:

 

Thanks birdman.   I understand now, although I'm not sure I believe the story! 

 

And by the way...you're not allowed to leave BB!  What would the Tenacious Tinnitus Club be without you?! 

 

PD

:-[ :-[

[[Po...]]

I think some sxs might never go away, but they might fade out a bit and then we would too get used to them. That's what I think of my own tinnitus, as well as of sensitivity to light, sounds etc.

 

I think withdrawal damages some of us pretty heavily. It is a risk. I think people who start withdrawal should know more about the risks, like tinnitus. These ear problems alone might be a bigger problem than any problems we had prior benzos. I think that people who start psychoactive medication should know about the possible risks that are there years ahead, even if they'd feel better for years when they're on meds (that happens, too).

 

I hear you loud a clear! LOUD AND CLEAR!! I wonder if any of us would have attempted this knowing about the long term tinnitus problem.  I almost hate to say what's on my mind but here goes.

 

I am giving this loud tinnitus 1000 days to heal (about 2.5 years and that's IT!)  If it does not clear my doc and 3 other docs all said the same thing.  Up taper Valium or tranxene slowly until the tinnitus is tolerable.  This would be the additional level needed by the DCN to find a balancing point.  At least a few people here have gone back on low level benzo's for life just to beat this sxs.  All of them told me to give it 3 years to heal first before giving up   Most of these low level users said they are in mild tolerance as far as anxiety goes but find life better without the tinnitus.  Maybe for some of us gaba never comes back up to full power? I just do not know if that's even true or not.  I hope to God this is not the case for me but I do not want to suffer from this my last 30 years on this earth, I need some peace.  730 days to go before my benzo free ticker disappears and I fad away from this web site forever.  HOPING HOPING HOPING my last sxs heals! It is getting better but it's so darn slow!!!  Ridiculous!  Nothing should heal this slow, RIDICULOUS!!

"The bells, the bells!!" I feel like the hunchback did!  Ahhhhh! :'( :'( :'(

 

I think starting benzos again is a risk, too. At least you should know if it really helped those people permanently or just temporarily.