Unexplained tinnitus....need help

Posted , 4 users are following.

Hi everyone! I've never been on a forum before, but I thought I might as well give it a go since my tinnitus is slowly driving me insane.. Any help/support/fresh insights are much appreciated! 

I'm 24yo and have had a sudden unexplainable onset of tinnitus about 6-7 weeks ago. I should probably mention that I've had a cleft palate operation (and grommets) as a child, because of which I have had frequent middle ear infections for most of my life. The ear infections got much less frequent since my late teens. Also, because of the whole cleft palate thing, my eustachian tubes never really function "properly" (ears don't pop in a plane, can't pop my ears whilst holding my nose etc), although this has never been a problem for me. 

So far I've tried oral and nasal decongestants, a steroid nasal spray and a course of antibiotics (to get rid of a possible infection). I've also had some earwax removed by a specialist a few weeks ago, and had a go at some home remedies like apple cider vinegar and steam. Unfortunately, none of these have helped get rid of the tinnitus. I would say that the antibiotics relieved the loud sounds a bit, but I've finished the course now and the doc says there's no sign of an infection. 

I've never had tinnitus for over a month before and in the past it was usually caused by an infection and would be cured with the infection going away. I'm baffled by the mysterious onset of this tinnitus & concerned it might be something more serious. I have an appointment with an ENT specialist, but its 2 months away. 

The odd thing for me is, why did the tinnitus get a little better with antibiotics if according to the doctors there was no sign of an infection?? And for the last 2 weeks or so, sometimes when I'm eating my ear canal feels a little scratchy (like the sensation of someone scraping out earwax) but this happens only occasionally when I'm chewing. 

Recently, I have also noticed a strange  "good day- bad day" pattern emerge. I seem to have a day or two when the tinnitus is barely noticeable (or at least bearable) whilst watching TV/listening to music etc., followed by a day or two when the sound spikes no matter what I do. This gets so bad to the point where I can't concentrate, can't sleep (even with rain sounds/white noise playing in the background which helps on good days), and even TV/music doesn't drown it out. Does anyone else have a similar good day-bad day pattern?? Is there any reason for this or am I just being more emotionally sensitive to the tinnitus on some days than others? 

I'm also wondering why every morning I seem to hear two sounds- the normal high-pitched ringing one, along with a low-pitched buzzing one (almost like a bee/wind whistling in my ear). The buzzing sound disappears a few hours after I get up. Is this common? Does it have something to do with lying down for 7-8hours? 

I'd love to hear if anyone else has a similar experience with tinnitus, or has any other suggestions for me! 

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1 Reply

  • Posted

    Hi su

    Sorry to hear of your problems with tinnitus,

    I have suffered with this for just over a year now and I have had a number of tests including MRI, CT and general hearing tests. All have been negative, I also have the two different sounds but have no answer as to why. On bad days/nights I listen to white noise/calming sounds but try not to rely on this. Some days are fine but other days are not. There seems to be thousands of us suffering so I am hoping that one day someone will be able to cure it. Am doing my best to live with it but hard sometimes.

    All the best to you

    Robin

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