Any experience of Tinnitus?

**Katiekoo** · 09-03-2012, 05:28 PM

I've recently been diagnosed with tinnitus, i'm on three tablets a day to control it, just wondered if anyone here has any experience of it as I'm feeling kind of on my own.
I had never really noticed it until recently I actually thought I was loosing my mind - I could hear screeching whenever I got stressed out, then I realised it's always been this way!
Any info/experiences would be great,

**breezy** · 09-03-2012, 05:34 PM

my dh has tinnitus and menieres disease. He would be happy to answer any questions if he can, you'll be amazed how many people suffer from it.

**breezy** · 09-03-2012, 05:38 PM

http://www.tinnitus.org.uk/

these people are great

**sarah707** · 09-03-2012, 05:48 PM

I really feel for you!

I don't have any direct experience but we dealt with cases when I did my clinical audiology many years ago.

The sufferers all said it was really bad when they got stressed - so do try and stay calm.

A friend got a lot of relief using acupuncture - it wasn't cured but she said it did help her to manage the condition better.

Don't spent lots of money on 'cures' they are unlikely to work.

Hugs xx

**Playmate** · 09-03-2012, 07:21 PM

I suffer from tinitus and was diagnosed about 3 years ago, I have never been offered any treatment

I'm loosing my hearing too which over the last 6 months has got much worse and I'm now considering a hearing aid. My tinitus has ups and downs, I have a high pitched hissing in one ear and a low draoning in the other. In the last few weeks I have also started getting tapping noises! some days it drives me mad and places like childminding/ toddler groups can be hell when I'm having a bad day. Other days I just get on with it

**Twinkles** · 09-03-2012, 08:20 PM

I had it for a while when I was going through chemo. Apparently it doesn't completely go away but I rarely notice it any more.

**venus89** · 10-03-2012, 07:39 AM

I have it. I thought everyone had noises in their ears all the time until me husband told me that wasn't the case so I think I developed it when I was quite small, when I cracked my head open. Interestingly, although it's not meant to be genetic, my Mum has it too. Hers developed when she broke her neck.

Mine's worse when I drink alcohol, and unlike Plymate it only bothers me when it's quiet. The worst for me is when I'm trying to sleep because then there's nothing else to drown it out,

I'd agree it's affected my hearing. I can struggle to hear characters talking on the television over the music. My noises are high pitched ringing and a low rumbling, generally, like lorries quite a way away. And I'm very conscious now because I'm thinking about it!

**Playmate** · 10-03-2012, 08:21 AM

Originally Posted by venus89

I have it. I thought everyone had noises in their ears all the time until me husband told me that wasn't the case so I think I developed it when I was quite small, when I cracked my head open. Interestingly, although it's not meant to be genetic, my Mum has it too. Hers developed when she broke her neck.

Mine's worse when I drink alcohol, and unlike Plymate it only bothers me when it's quiet. The worst for me is when I'm trying to sleep because then there's nothing else to drown it out,

I'd agree it's affected my hearing. I can struggle to hear characters talking on the television over the music. My noises are high pitched ringing and a low rumbling, generally, like lorries quite a way away. And I'm very conscious now because I'm thinking about it!

Interesting Venus about the alcohol, mine worsens too; which is why I hardly drink. My tinitus is worse in the quiet, but I think my hearing is worse when in very noisey places. so that upsets me more. The tinitus has been there for so long, I have switched off to the normal noises

**RainbowMum** · 10-03-2012, 09:05 AM

I have it

Drives me batty some times

I sometimes feel sad that I never have true silence. What are the tablets? I didn't think there was any treatment....

My hearing is awful in noisy environments - cant hear the person right next to me - feel a right pillock saying pardon, sorry etc all the time

**Katiekoo** · 10-03-2012, 09:06 AM

Interesting about the alcohol, I think that may be true for me too.
Also my hearing is bad when there are other sounds like in a crowded place, I complained to the doc and my hearing was tested at the hospital last year and they said it was perfect

The doc says now that the tinnitus may be such a distraction that my hearing/concentration on a single voice is affected.
Thanks all for your experiences, interesting to how it affects people.

**Katiekoo** · 10-03-2012, 09:11 AM

Originally Posted by RainbowMum

I have it

Drives me batty some times

I sometimes feel sad that I never have true silence. What are the tablets? I didn't think there was any treatment....

My hearing is awful in noisy environments - cant hear the person right next to me - feel a right pillock saying pardon, sorry etc all the time

The doc said it is notoriously difficult to treat but gave me these tablets to see how I get on. They are working I think, weird because I don't necessarily notice a big improvement when I take them BUT they must work because if I miss one I really suffer! They are called serc - 16, betahistine dihydrochloride

**Playmate** · 10-03-2012, 09:27 AM

Originally Posted by Katiekoo

The doc said it is notoriously difficult to treat but gave me these tablets to see how I get on. They are working I think, weird because I don't necessarily notice a big improvement when I take them BUT they must work because if I miss one I really suffer! They are called serc - 16, betahistine dihydrochloride

thank you for sharing, I'm going back to docs soon to get refered back to the hospital to get hearing aids ( I have fought against it for 2 years, but its no good I can't carry on like this

), I will speak to them about medication for the tinitus

**breezy** · 10-03-2012, 11:17 AM

Dh says hearing aid helps tinnitus but then hes lost 90% of his hearing in one ear. Hearing aid is in for repair at mo and hes found it harder to cope. He also takes Serc.

**venus89** · 10-03-2012, 03:21 PM

I agree with the crowds thing, I find it very difficult to hear people talking to me in a crowded place, but I don't understand why that should be so. It's like my ears can't pick out a single voice but just let every noise barrage me. I hadn't really thought about that in terms of the tinnitus itself, rather in terms of the hearing loss

**TooEarlyForGin?** · 12-03-2012, 06:00 PM

Originally Posted by breezy

my dh has tinnitus and menieres disease. He would be happy to answer any questions if he can, you'll be amazed how many people suffer from it.

My mum has both tinnitus and menieres as well, it has been really bad for her in the past, she got so dizzy she would just have to lie down flat on the floor no matter where we were, she has now been purposely made deaf in the worst ear which has actually helped over all (although you have to remember to speak into the right side). I have also go tinnitus, it has been very bad recently with a cold, both my Aunties on my mums side have tinnitus and 2 of my cousins. But we have all been told it isn't hereditary.

I have really good hearing and am very sensitive to high pitches. I can hear the TV still buzzing when it is on standby and drove my husband nuts the other day when I said there was something whining in the car, he said it was my tinnitus, but when I got out of the car it wasn't my "normal" ear noise.

Tonight I have had 4 little girls after school and their high pitched voices really cut through me when they start to get loud. Although maybe that's not just me.

I joined the tinnitus group at one point which was nice to know so many other people are going through the same as you.