Tinnitus anyone?

[chunkyfrog]

For the first few months after my tinnitus started, it drove me NUTS!
Then I began envisioning a tiny angel sitting on my shoulder, singing in my ear.
(said angel would be totally unable to hit a sweet note, but very loving and caring)
This worked for a while, but I finally had to get the hearing aid.
I have heard of the desensitization therapy--I'll definitely give it a shot. Thanks.

[znurtdog]

I have multiple freq's in both ears singing to me all the time. I have just made an appointment at a hearing center for an eval. I'm hoping to try the new-ish mp3 player treatment. Thanks for the info.

[49er]

I got mine as a parting "gift" from being on Wellbutrin XL. The cpap and sleep apnea had nothing to do with it in my situation.

49er

[Todzo]

Has anyone else developed tinnitus either with their sleep apnea or with being on PAP treatment?

Hi kaiasgram!

Yes, both hearing loss and tinnitus post PAP.

I have a few questions for you:

How did your transition to PAP go?

Do you ever wake up breathing hard?

What is your score on this? ( http://www.heartofengland.nhs.uk/upload ... nnaire.pdf )

Thanks!

Todzo

[kaiasgram]

Hi kaiasgram!
I have a few questions for you:
How did your transition to PAP go?
Do you ever wake up breathing hard?
What is your score on this? ( http://www.heartofengland.nhs.uk/upload ... nnaire.pdf )
Thanks! Todzo

Hey there Todzo -- My transition to PAP was/is difficult but there is another medical issue that is likely making it so challenging -- and it looks like the medical issue is also primarily responsible for the tinnitus based on research I've done. I strongly suggest that people not get more than one health issue at a time !

I was under 23 on the hyperventilation questionnaire. If anything I'm wondering if I hypoventilate -- I just got my oximeter and recorded last night. Unfortunately the oximeter software doesn't work on my Mac so I'm trying to round up a friend with a pc to download the software and load my data so I can see if I'm still desaturating on cpap.

[Todzo]

Hi kaiasgram!
I have a few questions for you:
How did your transition to PAP go?
Do you ever wake up breathing hard?
What is your score on this? ( http://www.heartofengland.nhs.uk/upload ... nnaire.pdf )
Thanks! Todzo

Hey there Todzo -- My transition to PAP was/is difficult but there is another medical issue that is likely making it so challenging -- and it looks like the medical issue is also primarily responsible for the tinnitus based on research I've done. I strongly suggest that people not get more than one health issue at a time !

I was under 23 on the hyperventilation questionnaire. If anything I'm wondering if I hypoventilate -- I just got my oximeter and recorded last night. Unfortunately the oximeter software doesn't work on my Mac so I'm trying to round up a friend with a pc to download the software and load my data so I can see if I'm still desaturating on cpap.

Hi again kaiasgram!

As I remember back to my first days, some nine years ago, I remember that willfully breathing more did help me to maintain focus when they first put me on CPAP. I think I did have a tendency to hypoventilate when things got quiet back then.

I think my pressure was just a bit too low for the first couple of years. I would do OK if not working but after a day or two at work the symptoms would come back.

Medical theory about this points to the tendency of OSA to produce more red blood cells. The blood vesicles in the ear are extremely small - so perhaps the higher concentration of blood cells makes for a kind of reduction of flow or even blockage from trying to flow a large number of blood cells in a very small space.

As you work with PAP please do use the data to keep an eye on what is going on as you heal and change. One way (hypoventilation) or the other (hyperventilation) OSA tends to mess up our breathing reflexes. I use Pulse Oximeter Guided Breathing as well as Aerobic Exercise with some Interval Training added to try to get the breathing reflexes back into shape. Still, recent loss of weight and other changes brought about unstable breathing (PAP induced hyperventilation). I did catch it in my data and my pressure was dropped from 15 cm/H2O to 8 cm/H2O. There will be changes, you need to fly with data.

Have a great week!

Todzo

[kaiasgram]

Hi again kaiasgram!
As you work with PAP please do use the data to keep an eye on what is going on as you heal and change. One way (hypoventilation) or the other (hyperventilation) OSA tends to mess up our breathing reflexes. I use Pulse Oximeter Guided Breathing as well as Aerobic Exercise with some Interval Training added to try to get the breathing reflexes back into shape. Still, recent loss of weight and other changes brought about unstable breathing (PAP induced hyperventilation). I did catch it in my data and my pressure was dropped from 15 cm/H2O to 8 cm/H2O. There will be changes, you need to fly with data.
Have a great week! Todzo

Hi again Todz -- I do look at my SH data every morning. My AHI is always less than 1 and almost all events are transitional clear airway events. Still I wonder if my pressure might be a little too low for optimum therapy. The tricky part is that when I increase the pressure from 8.0 to 8.2, the aerophagia kicks in. So if it turns out that I need more pressure I may have to consider bipap. If I find that I am hypoventilating and/or if I'm still having O2 dips at night I'll post about it. Thanks for your feedback. This is a great group.

[Todzo]

Hi again kaiasgram!
As you work with PAP please do use the data to keep an eye on what is going on as you heal and change. One way (hypoventilation) or the other (hyperventilation) OSA tends to mess up our breathing reflexes. I use Pulse Oximeter Guided Breathing as well as Aerobic Exercise with some Interval Training added to try to get the breathing reflexes back into shape. Still, recent loss of weight and other changes brought about unstable breathing (PAP induced hyperventilation). I did catch it in my data and my pressure was dropped from 15 cm/H2O to 8 cm/H2O. There will be changes, you need to fly with data.
Have a great week! Todzo

Hi again Todz -- I do look at my SH data every morning. My AHI is always less than 1 and almost all events are transitional clear airway events. Still I wonder if my pressure might be a little too low for optimum therapy. The tricky part is that when I increase the pressure from 8.0 to 8.2, the aerophagia kicks in. So if it turns out that I need more pressure I may have to consider bipap. If I find that I am hypoventilating and/or if I'm still having O2 dips at night I'll post about it. Thanks for your feedback. This is a great group.

Hi again kaiasgram!

I am glad to hear that you do data!!

Hyper or Hypo ventilation - I think aerobic exercise and especially interval training (with doc approval) is good for the breathing reflexes and should be done. Be careful to not hyperventilate.

I do a strange thing with a pulse oximeter. I use it to find the breathing rate - with exertion held constant - which results in the lowest heart rate. Breath too much, too little CO2 vesicles constrict and heart rate climbs to make up - breath too little - too little O2 (and too much CO2) heart rate climbs to make up. Breath right - lowest heart rate. When you find the lowest heart rates the SpO2 reading becomes a guide. When I started (I constantly used my pulse oximeter for three months starting this) an SpO2 of 96% at my computer and 97% while doing moderate exercise would consistently be near the lowest heart rates. Now it is 95% and 96% respectively.

May we find good health!

Todzo

[Denial Dave]

I've been on "la machine" for a little more than a week now... I have noticed that the volume level of my tinnitus has decreased.

We have the volume of the TV turned down 2-3 notches these days.

Dave

[Carol MSL]

I have had tinnitus and mild vertigo for many years. The alternating CPap seems to have made it worse. My hearing is worse also. Perhaps that is a coincidence. Before I went on Cpap I had no ear pain. I had terrible ear pain when I first started Cpap. The ear pain did go away-- I had fluid behind my ear drum. Once I started on the alternating pressures the ringing in my ears became much louder and I am more easily off balance as compared to before being on that pressure. I have fewer migraine headaches on the alternating pressure, and that is nice. Since I have mild sleep apnea, I am going to try a dental device to see if I can have less migraines, and also have less tinnitus and being off balance.

[palerider]

I have had tinnitus and mild vertigo for many years. The alternating CPap seems to have made it worse. My hearing is worse also. Perhaps that is a coincidence. Before I went on Cpap I had no ear pain. I had terrible ear pain when I first started Cpap. The ear pain did go away-- I had fluid behind my ear drum. Once I started on the alternating pressures the ringing in my ears became much louder and I am more easily off balance as compared to before being on that pressure. I have fewer migraine headaches on the alternating pressure, and that is nice. Since I have mild sleep apnea, I am going to try a dental device to see if I can have less migraines, and also have less tinnitus and being off balance.

you're also older than you've ever been, and things like that do often get worse with age.

[Soosecip]

I've had it for years due to exposure to LOUD rock music. No OTC snake oil helps.
Usually some hearing loss is experienced as well. See an ENT.
Good website I've found on all things Tinnitus: http://www.hearingreview.com/products/tinnitus/
Devices being developed; the Levo System: http://otoharmonics.com/tinnitus/
I'm intrigued about a Ginkgo Biloba extract called: Tebonin EGb 761.
A study (old, 2003: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12757407) shows there may be a reduction in the perception of Tinnitus.
Can only be purchased from Australia or New Zealand. Hmmm.

[Sir NoddinOff]

An old thread but the issue pops up sometimes. Dental devices don't have a great track record for solving apnea issues. For tinnitus I've tried a lot of different potential stuff but an inexpensive white noise generator (or pink noise, a little softer fuzzed-out tone) helps to ameliorate it. There are lots of long duration sound samples on Youtube... just search for white noise, or maybe nature sounds like crickets or babbling brooks, those also work for me. If you need help downloading MP3 sound files from Youtube just PM me and I'll tell you how.

Of course your sleep partner, if you have one, is liable to not be too excited about that playing all night long. There are under pillow speakers you can buy online.

Maybe an ENT specialist has something new on the market offered that's addressing that market.

https://www.amazon.com/HoMedics-SS-2000 ... +generator

[avi123]

White noise generators to mask the Tinnitus sounds:




https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F ... g194820-20

[keysgate]

I see this is an old post but many still find it interesting including me. I suffered for many years with problems with my left ear including tinnitus and loss of hearing. It got so bad I finally went to a ENT doctor. After extensive testing I was diagnosed with Meniere's disease with the long term prognosis of total deafness in my left ear and no more tinnitus at that time. So as I wait for the total shutoff of my ear,I tried many different sounds during the night as the sound would drive me insane if it was totally quiet in the room, even with the machine sounds. What I ended up with are podcasts or You Tube lectures on whatever subjects, playing on my phone as it charges next to my bed. They have podcasts designed for falling asleep as they are smooth talking nonsensical narration so you really are bored. But I found it really doesn't matter to me what I listen to as I usually fall asleep within 30min anyways, so I may as well listen to something interesting. I just need the distraction. Hope this helps someone looking for options and it's free to try.