Cognitive/Emotional issues during an AN journey

[pauline]

Ron,

You are not alone in the white noise world!  My tinnitus (ringing) is so loud, everything
around me sounds like listening to noise while in a cave.  Unfortunately my job is listenning
and the more I listen and concentrate, the louder it gets.  I am fortunate that me
neurosurgeon (Barrows in Phoenix, AZ) is sympathetic.  Although there is nothing he can do about it,
it does make me feel better that he is sympathetic!  I do feel for you as I know it is very annoying!


Pauline

[roncrawford]

I thank you all for the kind words and encouragement.  Now that I know this is a problem that many people go through how about we find a solution?  Early on my doctor told me to limit my caffeine intake but that didn't help.  If you have never had to deal with Severe Tinnitus you don't have a clue what it's all about.  Everybody has had buzzing in the ears at one time or another in their life but when it's 24/7 balls to the wall noise it gets your attention.

Here is a link to a UK site that has an online test to see where your frequency level is.  Maybe I always oversimplify things but rather than trying drugs to help did anyone think of sound balancing the problem?  I know when I found my frequency which is 5800 hz it seams to mask or balance the noise and limit its harmful effects.  If someone would want to check that out and let me know that'd be great.

http://www.audiorelief.co.uk/en/tinnitus_test.html

Later

[MAlegant]

Hi Ron,
I haven't checked the link but my son (20) is a musician who suffers from tinnitus.  Very common actually.  He sets his computer at night to "white noise" at just the right frequency to cancel out his tinnitus. He has also used a loud fan and both seem to work.
Good luck,
Marci

[pauline]

Hi Ron,

Interesting site!  Mine mostly registers at 7000 HZ mostly but my ringing pitch changes and sometimes
has 2 pitches!  If you find anything that helps, I would be grateful.  I teach piano and have had to cut down as it seems the more I listen to students play, my tinnitus gets worse on occasion.  Most upper
level students.

Pauline

[MaryBKAriz]

Hi Pauline,

I too often have more than one sound in my tinnitus. I know the distortion I hear in my bad ear makes it hard to figure out just what I am hearing. I can only imagine how difficult it is to teach upper level students. Hang in there. I am cheering you on!

Mary

[Soundy]

My ears used to ring about equal...since surgery and no sound being able to mask the ringing  AN side
due to SSD the An side is louder sounding ...which the doctor told me to expect... but I didn't really
expect it to be as loud as it is ... and as he said it isn't any louder but that side thinks it is since there
is no real noise going in... had one doof a** tell me that since it was not real noise it should have gone
away with surgery

I have had tinnitus since I was around 4 after a severe concussion ... there are times it gets on my nerves
to the point I am almost in tears ... after 43 years you would think I would be used to it

[Soundy]

Have I mentioned lack of attention span ...was gonna type one thing and got distracted by tinnitus
comments and forgot  what I was saying

This morning I was making ghouls for school carnivals haunted house ... we had gotten some plastic
adult sized skulls and I was suppose to be making hangy floaty ghost like bodies for them... I draped layers
of cheese clothe , some dyed gray and mossy green over a coat hanger and added some boney arms ...

Things were going well until I picked up my drill and began drilling into a skull  to attach the skulls and
bodies together
I  had some weird flashback experience and started shaking and gagging... I have been nauseated all day ...
had to finish the things but gagged all through the process...

At least it was 3 and no one was up when I was at my worst... I was still working when the kids and husband
got up but not so bad as to upset them....they worry when I have a set back or act stranger than
they think I should ...

It was so weird... I just thought to myself  ...They drilled a hole in my head and freaked out ...I
know they did it ... no denial here ... but it just slammed into me and became very real...I know this is not really
making sense but hard to really describe the intense feelings that came over me

I figured this qualified as an emotional issue ...

[JudyT]

Hi Ron....I had CK almost 4 years ago. I had already lost about 90% of hearing in left ear........tinnitus was getting worse. Now I can't hear at all on that side. I cannot tolerate....loud venues....restaurants....theaters.....TV.....conversations etc. It gets confusing when two or more are talking......I can't understand what they are saying. I love music but to loud......can't play my piano because sound isn't compatable to my circumstances. I have other issues too. I was told by a friend that her ENT try 1/4th of 5mg valium to calm the nerve......it does help....as does a small glass of wine. Something tells me that the aggravation of the tinnitus makes everything worse.....this remedy at least makes it tolerable for me and I can sit in the these situations and be okay........perhaps not wonderful but okay. I cannot go sleep without some kind of background noise...........tv....ocean....rain etc. If I start to get agetated I change my surroundings.

[roncrawford]

Thanks for responding to my post.  I don't check the site very often because I can't get caught up in the problems we all struggle with every day.  I have yet to find anyone who understands what we all suffer with daily and have given up hope on educating people near to me.  I don't have the strength to fight the symptoms and the lack of understanding at the same time so I focus on trying to live day to day with it as long as I can.  I'm hopeful someone stronger than me can yell loud and long enough to get the right person with the right mindset to help with these horrible symptoms.  I know that someday it will happen and I hope we will all be able to feel whole again.  My thoughts and prays are with all who suffer from the multitude of side effects from AN procedures and know that the symptoms will one day be conquered either with a medical breakthrough or death.