Tinnitus in ears.

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   Phyllis Doyleposted 9 years ago

   I have tinnitus, which most nights causes sleep deprivation. I try to nap during the day to catch up on sleep. I rarely sleep more than two hours. This started about 6 months ago. My ear doctor recommended I get a sleep machine. Has anyone ever used a sleep machine to aid with ... uhmmm ... sleep?

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      Alastar Packerposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Phyllis my friend I dislike having to say this, but I've known a few folks wit the prob who tried just about everything and only found relief with a scrip for a small dose of alprazolam at night.

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         Phyllis Doyleposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Thank you, Alastar. I have been thinking about asking my doctor for a scrip to help me sleep. He said a sleep machine or a fan going does help, but I just have not gotten one yet. He has the same problem I do, so he knows the machine sounds work. I really need a scrip, though. I find it harder every day to focus due to lack of sleep.  My doctor says this condition never goes away. 
         
         The only time it does not bother me so much is when I am researching and writing because I focus so hard on the research to verify my accuracy with historical facts, etc.  Thanks, my friend.

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      manatita44posted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Go to a kinesiologist, Phyllis.
      
      They most certainly can help but can be expensive. So you need to say from the word 'go' that you can only spend so much. B12 and manganese are good aids. The answer may be nutritional, so try them first. Also zinc. They can be tested on you by the kinesiologist. Best wishes.

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         Phyllis Doyleposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Thank you so much, Manatita.  I will look into this and also try the nutritional aids you suggest. I am glad you mentioned zinc and magnesium - another friend of mine suggested that also. Thanks again.

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            manatita44posted 9 years agoin reply to this

            magnesium is important and useful, but I said manganese. try both perhaps.

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               Phyllis Doyleposted 9 years agoin reply to this

               Oh ! now see, I was not focusing as I typed. Yes, manganese is what I should have said. You are so sweet to come back and correct me on that. Thank you.

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      PhoenixVposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I agree with what Arachnea said, white noise helps. I use a box fan and Equate PM sleep aid/pain reliever. The aspirin might not be good, but the dyphenhydramine knocks me out and its OTC. I try to ignore the noise or get used to it, as impossible as that seems. I understand what you are going through and hope you get rest and relief from it somehow.

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         Phyllis Doyleposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Thank you, Phoenix.. It is funny, when this first started with me I was going to all my neighbors (I live in a complex with apartments above and on both sides) to find out who was leaving their radio or stereo on all night.  It dawned on me that it was a problem with my ears when I was way out in the desert with my brother, gathering sage - and there was no radio around.  LOL

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   Phyllis Doyleposted 9 years ago

   Well, I did not finish the comment - this is my third time up since midnight and I am a bit foggy. 
   
   Tinnitus is a constant ringing or humming in the ear. Mine is due to damage to my ear drum (it broke several years ago). Over the years, I have had whistling (like a tea kettle) in my right ear, for a few minutes at a time. Now I have the constant ringing, sometimes humming sounds.
   
   Does anyone else suffer from this condition, and if so, what helps you sleep?

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      The Examiner-1posted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Stop drinking caffeine and smoking nicotine, which reduce blood flow. So does aspirin, limit that. Exercise increases blood flow.
      
      A few options: Try ear plugs/earmuffs; try to localize noise(s) causing it; try meditation/yoga; try playing low music, soothing sounds such as ocean waves or a humidifier when sleeping.
      
      Call Dr. if loss of balance, vomiting, localizes in one ear, hearing does not improve, tinnitus cont. for more than one week or symptoms become more severe.

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         Phyllis Doyleposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Hi Kevin. Ear plugs and ear muffs will not help. I could put in the plugs, put on the muffs, lock myself in a sound-proof room and still hear the noise, for it is inside my inner ear. I have been to the doctor and he says this condition never goes away. Thank you for your concern, I appreciate it.

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            The Examiner-1posted 9 years agoin reply to this

            Phyllis,
            I was going to suggest a fan but I figured in this temperature...
            I have a portable heater going every night in my bedroom.

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               Phyllis Doyleposted 9 years agoin reply to this

               Thanks, Kevin. I do have a portable heater, I forgot about that. I will give it a try. 

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                  The Examiner-1posted 9 years agoin reply to this

                  You are welcome Phyllis, I hope that helps.
                  Happy Thanksgiving Day!

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         Phyllis Doyleposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         PS: Kevin, I also appreciate the caffeine and smoking advice. I did not know caffeine could add to the tinnitus problem. As for the smoking, I don't.  Thanks.

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   Arachneaposted 9 years ago

   I have tinnitus from working on aircraft systems in the military. Most times, for me, white noise will do the trick. The heater or fan or other continuous background noise will help balance that out. Also, recently, I had an hearing exam and discovered a hearing aid set which when used one on both ears will balance out the tinnitus and give me tone-free hearing. In answer to your question. No I haven't ever used a sleep machine.

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      Phyllis Doyleposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      OMGosh ! Arachnea - I have a friend who has tinnitus for the same reason you do. He worked on an aircraft carrier for a few years and was a rotary machine pilot. He was around military aircraft systems for years. 
      
      I am glad to know the white noise helps you. I will have to check on the hearing aid set. Thanks for your help.

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         Arachneaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         The hearing instruments that I mentioned are ReSound Verso hearing instruments. Also, there are sleep aids available in the health food stores. Serotonin sleep aids are one, valerian concoctions are another. I used to make myself a valerian and hops pillow to help me make the transition from night shifts to day shifts and visa versa. Research for any remedy you select is important before starting a regime using it.

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            PhoenixVposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            Yes, valerian and hops would be a lot better than the Equate PM stuff I take. My sister used to make some kind of tea from hops and it will do the trick.

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               Phyllis Doyleposted 9 years agoin reply to this

               Good idea. Thanks, Phoenix. I will try the tea.

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            Phyllis Doyleposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            Thanks, Arachnea. Hops tea sounds good.

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            MizBejabbersposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            Arachnea, is the hearing instrument you mentioned anything like a hearing aid? I was prescribed ReSound hearing aids, but they didn't help much and made me irritable.

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   TurtleDogposted 9 years ago

   Hi Phyllis,  sorry to hear that you (or should I say 'we') have this condition. Me too.  I use one of those conventional box fans that I sit on a chair, face it toward my bed and I keep on all night. If you don't mind a cool room and air blowing on you (I don't mind being under the covers) I find that the ambient noise of the fan motor and the air drowns out my ringing. Sounds counter intuitive that drowning out one sound with another would work but it does. Though I never used one,  I believe sleep machines work on the same premise of creating an ambient 'white' noise that drowns the tinnitus out.  I'd say if you have one of these fans try it first and see if it helps. If not, then I suppose investigate other.  Best of luck

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      Phyllis Doyleposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Hi TurtleDog.  Sorry to hear  you have the same problem.  I definitely will get a box fan. I sleep under the covers anyway. I am so pleased to be getting so much help from everyone. Thanks for your message - I really appreciate it.

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   Phyllis Doyleposted 9 years ago

   Thank you so much, everybody.    It is so nice to get so much help from you all.
   
   I have to get ready to go to my brother's for Thanksgiving dinner.  I can almost smell the turkey roasting away.
   
   Have a wonderful day everyone and Happy Thanksgiving. I give thanks every day for so many things and my friends on HP is a BIG thank you.

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      PhoenixVposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Happy Thanksgiving Phyllis, to you and all your family

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   Jodahposted 9 years ago

   Phyllis my wife uses a CPAP machine for her sleep apnea. I have no idea if it would help with your condition but it helps her sleep soundly as she stops breathing multiple times per minute. It also stops her having bad dreams which she had been suffering. It is reasonably quiet however and doesn't bother me sleeping beside her. there are many different machines available and they vary quite a bit in price, though I do know they are much less expensive in the USA than here in Australia. Good luck with finding something to relieve your tinnitus.

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      Phyllis Doyleposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you, Jodah.

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   vocalcoachposted 9 years ago

   Phyllis, when you mention a sleep machine are you referring to the CPAP?  I don't think you are.  The CPAP is for sleep disorders (which I have.)  I have suffered with tinnitus for years, off and on.  Most of the suggestions given in the forum I have tried.  I also cut back on my salt.
   
   If you find anything that helps, please let me know.  Tinnitus drives me nuts.

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      Phyllis Doyleposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Hi Audrey. No, I am not referring to CPAP. That is mainly for sleep apnea. If you go to Amazon and search for "sleep machine" you will see what I am referring to. Sleep machines provide calming music or nature sounds which will mask the sounds in the ear and help one relax.
      
      Several people have told me that cutting out caffeine and nicotine is very helpful. I have almost done away with caffeine in my daily life, but it is so hard to give it up - I am doing better on that. Like I told MizB, it seems that different things work well for different folks. We just have to keep trying till we find what works for us.
      
      Thank goodness I do not drink any alcohol - a really stiff potion might knock me out, but the after effects the next day would take away from any joy or pleasure in life.
      
      We can pray for each other, Audrey.

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         The Examiner-1posted 9 years agoin reply to this

         They do have decaffeinated items, such as tea and coffee and, maybe it is me, but they tasted the same as the caffeinated types.
         I have a normal radio which plays music but it has buttons for things like waves, wind, etc. Six buttons total. Quite a few different brands have these.

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   Arachneaposted 9 years ago

   The CPAP is the snoring machine to deal with sleep apnea. A sleep machine is specifically designed to produce white noise for tinnitus patients and patients with some other sleep disorders not including sleep apnea.

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   MizBejabbersposted 9 years ago

   Phyllis, I am so sorry you are having this problem. I’ve had tinnitus for as long as I can remember. In 2006 I was in a city bus rollover, and a pop-out window hit me in the head as I was tumbling through the air. That made it severe. My problem is so severe now that it actually interferes with my hearing and people think I’m hard of hearing. I tried hearing aids, but that only magnified the problem. I’ve read medical reports that say certain types of surgery will help or cure it. My doctor said he couldn’t do anything about it, so I haven’t asked him about surgery.
   
   I’ve learned to live with it, and call me crazy, but sometimes I actually have fun with it. I sit and count the number of tones I hear. These sounds vary in ringing and intensity. I have one in my left ear that sounds like cicadas, and it is constant. The right ear has a constant tone that is lower-pitched. I have a third one that is in both ears. Sometimes I can count as many as five, and it is interesting to me to sit and listen to them. They’ll change in number and pitch, like a symphony in my ears.
   
   A train goes by about a mile down the hill from our house every morning at 4:00, and my husband complains about the whistle waking him up. I rarely can hear the whistle because the tinnitus masks it. That’s one good thing that comes from it, I guess. Once I woke up in the middle of the night and it was totally quiet. I realized that the tinnitus was gone and the silence woke me up. The next morning it was back and has not left again. When I told Mr. B about the quiet world I had experienced, he joked “maybe they had the rapture and we got left behind.”
   
   Someone mentioned alprazolam, and I agree. I take 25 mg. of lorazapam nightly (it’s in the same family as alprazolam). It doesn’t do anything for the noise, but it does calm the nerves and aids sleep. I found that so-called white noise only added to the irritation, and so did any other sounds or noise. I sleep under fans in the summertime, but not in winter, and I can’t tell any difference.

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      Phyllis Doyleposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Hi MizB.  I am sorry to learn of your tinnitus condition. My goodness, your ear symphony is a lot like mine - not as loud, but I can at times count five separate sounds. Sometimes I wake up because the sounds are completely gone, but return within a minute. That is funny what MrB said about the rapture.
      
      I guess the tinnitus issues and what works are a little different for everyone. I am surprised to hear from several others that this condition is more common than I thought. I have not really tried anything yet to help me sleep at night, and I am getting used to the sounds. My sleeping routine has become quite consistent.  I go to bed about 10PM and wake up about every two hours. I usually get up and do some writing or research, then back to bed for another two hours. I try to stay busy during the day so I won't take naps like I was doing for awhile. If I can manage to stay up all day it helps to sleep better at night.
      
      Thank you for sharing your helpful tips. I will be seeing my doctor this week and will ask him about medicine for sleep aid - I do not like to take medicines, but sometimes it may be necessary - the lorazapam you take seems like a good choice.

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    psycheskinnerposted 9 years ago

    A method described to me by Temple Grandin was to have multiple source of quiet sound in the bedroom. Like a radio on low and one of those sleep sound machines in a different part of the room.

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       Phyllis Doyleposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       That does sound like it would help. I often wonder, though, if masking the ear sounds with other sounds would help me.  A lot of people, including my doctors does say it helps. I will try it anyway.

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          psycheskinnerposted 9 years agoin reply to this

          As she explained it, it does not mask the sound but the mind is unable to focus attention on one sound as there are three of similar volume--and the loss of focus encourages sleep

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    word55posted 9 years ago

    Hi Phyllis, I think there is info online that tells how you can minimize this problem like using herbs and dietary remedies. I have it but have become so used to it that it doesn't bother me at all. It is ever present :-)

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       Phyllis Doyleposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       Hi Word. I have been thinking about some herbal remedies. I will look into that. Good idea! Thanks.

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