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Tinnitus driving me mad. Loosing my life.

Posted , 5 users are following.

brian1998
brian1998

I really need some advice, badly. 3 months ago I went shooting and forgot ear plugs. I shot about 20 rounds and when I got home my hearing was muffled and my right ear was ringing. It all got pretty quiet then I went to a party that was pretty loud and the ringing got even louder along with a hissing sound. Over time the ringing eventually subsides but every time I expose my ears to semi loud noises like somebody dropping a weight at the gym, breaking glass etc.. no clubs or shooting or anything that loud, the ringing comes back and eventually fades but the hissing keeps getting louder every time and doesent subside. I went to an ent after the 6th week and he said I have no hearing loss and cleaned out my wax. Still no progress. Then he prescribed prednisone which I only took for 2 days then had to stop. After all that i waited a few more weeks then went to an audiologist and got more advanced tests. Still no hearing loss at all , even with an advanced test that tests the reactions of the little hairs in the ear. She said I should be fine. I also have no bone structure changes either and no eustacian tube dysfunction. I eventually accepted it and got used to it.

Then last week somebody in the gym slammed a weight next to me and I immediately noticed my ear started ringing again and the hissing got even loudersad it had been about five days since the incident and the ringing is quieting down . But the hissing but is louder than ever. I'm terrified. Now I can't live this life anymore. Nobody will give me any answeres. My parents think I'm overreacting. Every time an incident happens it actually does get louder and from barely being able to hear it at home I can hear this everywhere I go. And I've looked in every tinnitus study and practice out there and there's nothing I can do! I'm dammed for the rest of my life.

I'm only 18 and now I can't even go to a restaurant because I'm afraid it will make it even worse. Does anybody have any idea that this will maybe go away? Because again I have no hearing loss. This has taken over my life and from a student who was about to graduate and go to a great collage (FGCU) im barely gonna graduate now and I lost my spot in my dream collage. Now I'm dammed, I'll be living with my parents till I die, I lost everything in my life, I'm afraid to go to the gym now, I lost all my friends, and I'm getting depressed.

Idk if I can do this much longer. The only thing keeping me going Is hope because I have no hearing loss. Does anybody have the same thing happen to them ? I thought maybe I have hypercausis, but I'm not sensative to noises, the hissing just gets worse. And if I was ever going to recover, wouldent this get better instead of worse because these noises aren't that loud. Please help !!!!!!!

1 like, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • clivealive
    clivealive brian1998

    Posted

    It seems you have tried to rule everything out but sadly without success.

    I'm not a medically trained person but I do know from experience that a Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause Tinnitus and it may just pay you to ask your doctor to test your serum B12 and Folate levels if for no other reason than to rule them out as a possible cause.

    Stess, anxiety, excessive exercise and (possibly) poor student diet could all contribute to lowering your B12 level which in turn can lead to depression.

    I wish you well.

    • brian1998
      brian1998 clivealive

      Posted

      Maybe your right , but the diet I have on lock. I'm an amateur bodybuilder my diet is probably perfect. I started supplementing ginkgo, magnesium, and zinc. I seems like it's helping a little bit.

    • clivealive
      clivealive brian1998

      Posted

      I'm pretty sure that many "atheletic" folk supplement with B12 but as long as your diet includes plenty of red meat, fish, seafoods, eggs, poultry and dairy products you should be OK.  

      However you also need to eat plenty of leafy green vegetables, sprouts, broccoli, asparagus, beans, peas etc for Folate as this works together with iron and B12 to make red blood cells.

       I just was concerned that your being a student you may not be exactly into "healthy eating".

      Take care now.

  • eleftherio33095
    eleftherio33095 brian1998

    Posted

    I believe that this should go away eventually, as I believe this was triggered by a mictrotrauma (shooting).  But you need to back off from torments.  Going to the gym inbetween was not a good idea.  The ear needs space to heal.  Help it to heal by not exposing it to loud sounds.

    Eleftherios S. Papathanasiou, PhD, FEAN

    Clinical Neurophysiologist

    Fellow of the European Academy of Neurology

    • brian1998
      brian1998 eleftherio33095

      Posted

      You think so ? And most of the time whever I'm at the gym I wear an earplug in my bad ear. Would this be effective ? And if not what do you believe I should avoid like decibel levels. Because if it eventually goes away I'm fine wearing earplugs everywhere for a while .

    • brian1998
      brian1998 eleftherio33095

      Posted

      And just another question, I have a bunch of prednisone left on 10mg tabs. Do you think I should start on a prednisone cycle to speed up the process because my first ent prescribed them to me but I only took like 2 because I hate that medication. Now I will do anything reguardless if I like it or not. Is it worth a try or should I not even bother because I still have no hearing loss and I read your sopposed to take it 2 months or earlier of the tinnitus onset.
    • eleftherio33095
      eleftherio33095 brian1998

      Posted

      Yes take the Prednisone as prescribed, and stop going to the gym for three weeks.

      Eleftherios S. Papathanasiou, PhD, FEAN

      Clinical Neurophysiologist

      Fellow of the European Academy of Neurology

    • brian1998
      brian1998 eleftherio33095

      Posted

      Okay thankyou so much. And final question , if I took Tumeric which is an anti-inflammatory herb, along with magnesium which helps you heal, do you think that would be strong enough? Because I will probably have to go back and get another prescription for the prednisone.
    • eleftherio33095
      eleftherio33095 brian1998

      Posted

      No experimenting. If needed, you will need to top up on the prednisone.

      Eleftherios S. Papathanasiou, PhD, FEAN

      Clinical Neurophysiologist

      Fellow of the European Academy of Neurology

  • janastav55
    janastav55 brian1998

    Posted

    Brian,  I did not read all the posts here, but I had a shooting related ear injury as well.  I'm 57.   I have seen my husband go from ear ringing to severe hearing loss... just got used to the ringing.   Anyway, I went to a naturopathic doctor.  He has me on homeopathic medicine, ginko and Neprinol.  He told me that the sooner you see a professional either MD or naturopath, the better your chances of healing it.   Don't put it off, go see a doctor.  Best wishes.

     

    • brian1998
      brian1998 janastav55

      Posted

      Hi I've been to two doctors , I am almost positive that it is from swelling in my eardrum. And I noticed if I lay low for a few weeks , the hissing and ringing quiets down . I talked to somebody who has the same problem as me they said it takes about 2 years for your ears to completely heal from a trauma.

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