I have tinnitus

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Please help..anyone out there who has or know someone who has tinnitus...constant ringing in the ears. Really awful.

I had a fall...not on my head, and ever since have had this ringing.

Am having an mri this afternoon.

Anyone please help. Thanks.

Specializes in Critical care.

I too have ringing in my ears, some days it is the left and some days the right, but mainly my left ear rings...I think in my case it has been Tylenol that has done it, though I do not take Tylenol much anymore except for headaches (which I only get when it is time to see the eye doctor), and I used to take a lot of APAP in cold medicines, etc because I have sinus infections usually twice a year with the cold weahter and warm weather changes...Anyhow...I have learned to live the ringing, there was one time that ir was so loud I was wanting to ask my roommate if he could hear, becaue it was that loud. It hurt so bad I could not sleep, this was when I was in graduate school so I had one of the NP faculty look in my ears, to no avail. no problems...Most of the time now it is not bad, though I would like to get rid of it for good...Good luck, please post more information when you can...

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The ringing in my ears never stops. Never! Do all of you have constant ringing too? Have any of you ever found anything that would make it stop for any length of time?

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I used to take Goody's powder for headaches. Don't any more. You have tinnitus? What have you tried. Thanks for your help!!

No...I HAD tinnitus at one point when I was put on a K+ drip for extreme dehydration. All they did for it was discontinue the drip.

I hope you and everyone else can get that annoying tinnitus under control. Its the little things that totally get us off kilter.

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The ringing in my ears never stops. Never! Do all of you have constant ringing too? Have any of you ever found anything that would make it stop for any length of time?

Wow! I am so sorry. I took a course of 4mg methylprenisolone for 6 days and it stopped, but stupid me, drank a large capacino and it started all over again. I am now on ginko biloba and will let you know how I do.

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I had tinnitis and bad headaches. I went to the chiropractor and had weekly treatments and I quit using Tylenol. After a month of weekly chiropractor treatments the tinnitis went away. :)

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

The strategy that has worked best for me is to avoid the things that aggravate it. Mine is greatly aggravated by stimulation of the nervous system. So, I avoid caffeine and any other chemicals that act as stimilants. I also avoid noisy situations when I can. At one time, I even wore an ear plug in the effected ear to to decrease the auditory stimulation in that ear. That helped a lot. (The ear plug did not effect my hearing because I became totally deaf in that ear at the same time I developed the tinnitus.)

Also, having a little background sound (like the TV on at home) sometimes helps. I know of some people who actually wear hearing aids that play a recorded sound into their ear to mask the tinnitus. Other people, whose tinnitus keeps them awake at night, buy those machines that play a "white noise" to mask the tinnitus. While I do prefer some background noise when I am at home alone (TV or music), I haven't tried the other two masking strategies.

Over time, my tinnitus has faded a little (as long as I avoid stimulation) -- AND -- I have simply become more used to it. So I don't consider it as big of a problem as I did at first.

Take care,

llg

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wow, I am so glad to see this thread too! I was born profoundly deaf, basically no hearing from birth but did pretty well on hearing aids for a long time til about junior year in high school. Finally decided on a cochlear implant on my right side which is my better ear about four years ago. It was the best thing I have ever done for myself and it was a success. But I have also suffered ringing in my ears from time to time and it is DARN annoying. I totally understand all these people doing what they can to relieve it. Mine can be from stress and also from loud places. I tend not to go into clubs or bars or anything that plays really loud music which unfortunately includes restaurants sometimes. I hate it sometimes. I also tend to get really dizzy when it happens too to the point where I get nasueated. Fortunately it doesn't happen too often. I suffered it more when I was a child when I had ear infections constantly due to my sweating and the ear mole in my ear blocking the sweat and not letting my ear dry out. So I TOTALLY understand what you guys are talking about! I try not to take tylenol, I take aleve when I have to for my migraines when I do get them and thats when the ringing also kicks in too. But I try not to drink too much caffeine too. Just a couple of things that other people on this thread have said also. I hope your tinnitus gets better!

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Specializes in NICU.

I've had ringing in my ears for a long time. I have also been on NSAIDS for years, ibuprofin, Relafen, and now Bextra (the latest problem med). I wish it would go away. I don't plan on taking any more meds, though.

Have you ever been out in the desert, when all you can hear is the ringing in your ears? There is no silence.

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Mimi2RN, that sounds awful! No I have never been to the desert so I can't possibly know what that is like. It has gotten so bad before for me that I got no sleep for quite a while. Some people just don't understand how you can be hearing impaired but still "hear" ringing in your ears. They often say something like but you are deaf that's supposed to mean you can't hear anything! That is when it gets annoying. Has anybody else had a person say something like this to you? I really try to be nice and explain how you can be deaf and still hear ringing. They usually give up in trying to understand and I have given up in trying to explain. I just tell them I am not a doctor LOL! I know that may come off as rude but some of these people that are like this come off as pretty rude themselves....

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Thanks for all the replies! Keep them coming!! My tinnitus is really weird. Some days I don't have it at all. Other days I do..like today..high pitched ringing left ear..all from that fall. Trying to ignore it. I, too, have ditched caffeine and asa. Trying ginko which has helped and now 50mg zinc q.d. Will keep everyone posted.

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Have been in touch with the ata and another ENT. Have started 0.5mg xanas q.d. It really really helps. Have also sent off for some masking tapes which are guaranteed. Hope this helps you sufferers out there. This can be a terrible thing.

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That is XANAX.

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