CPAP and Tinnitus

So YES! I have had the same experience. In fact, I just found this blog registered just today and after navagating around for a few hours, decided to search tinitus and saw your question. Also Ironically my situation was exactly like yours. I have severe Apnea, and the tinitus developed after the same amount of time .One other point of interest. I have had unrelated complications w my cpap that made me stop using my CPAP for a spell. Of course my sleeping was terrible but also that during that tine, tinitus went away entirely. I see you wrote this years ago. Please chime in if you have had any insights on this.

I have tinnitus as well except prior to treatment. Has anything else changed besides stopping therapy? Certain drugs are known to cause it.
I know if I listen for it I hear it a lot more then when I don't.

I have tinnitis on one side only--a result of gradual nerve damage from a childhood infection.
My hearing aid helps a lot, because real sounds help distract my attention
from the ruckus in my brain.
At night, my cpap sounds serve the same function.

I have been using the cpap for 4 years. The first couple of years on and off until my wife made me use it permanently. I had the pressure set at 8 as per the doctor's instructions. I had the sleep study and found that I had a mild case of sleep apnea and needed the machine. Not because of overweight, but because of the anatomy of my neck area. I never had an issue with my hearing. Actually, I always had good hearing. About the third year, I started hearing like computer bleep noises at night. They came on and off. This, of course, after constant use of the machine. Every night. Then one morning it was as if I had gone to a loud concert the night before. None stop ringing. After 1 month of ringing I went to the ENT who did a hearing test and said that I did have tinnitus and it was permanent. I also have hearing loss on the high bands and that will progress with time. I do think that it was the CPAP that caused this due to the back pressure it causes on the ear drum. Like a constant blowing of your ears on a plane to remove the pressure. I would stop using it but it would annoy the wife too much so I continue using it. I lowered the pressure to 5, but the damage is done already. I wish they would tell you all these things before giving you the damn machine. I know that they would say that 5 or 8 pressure is nothing. Well overtime anything constant will cause damage, just tell the rock with hole on it from dripping water over hundreds of years.
That's my 2 cents on that. Just wanted to share my misery.
Thanks,

Francois L'Ollonais

lollonais wrote:I have been using the cpap for 4 years. The first couple of years on and off until my wife made me use it permanently. I had the pressure set at 8 as per the doctor's instructions. I had the sleep study and found that I had a mild case of sleep apnea and needed the machine. Not because of overweight, but because of the anatomy of my neck area. I never had an issue with my hearing. Actually, I always had good hearing. About the third year, I started hearing like computer bleep noises at night. They came on and off. This, of course, after constant use of the machine. Every night. Then one morning it was as if I had gone to a loud concert the night before. None stop ringing. After 1 month of ringing I went to the ENT who did a hearing test and said that I did have tinnitus and it was permanent. I also have hearing loss on the high bands and that will progress with time. I do think that it was the CPAP that caused this due to the back pressure it causes on the ear drum. Like a constant blowing of your ears on a plane to remove the pressure. I would stop using it but it would annoy the wife too much so I continue using it. I lowered the pressure to 5, but the damage is done already. I wish they would tell you all these things before giving you the damn machine. I know that they would say that 5 or 8 pressure is nothing. Well overtime anything constant will cause damage, just tell the rock with hole on it from dripping water over hundreds of years.
That's my 2 cents on that. Just wanted to share my misery.
Thanks,

Francois L'Ollonais

NONSENSE!
How would you explain that after nearly 13 years of use, MY Tinnitus has actually gotten BETTER???
The pressures you're using ARE "NOTHING".
Did you bother to read any of the links in this thread? If not, here they are again.

Wulfman... wrote:A few links to some reading material on the subject:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-cond ... n-20021487

https://www.ata.org/understanding-facts

https://www.ata.org/understanding-facts/causes

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinnitus

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/unde ... tus-basics


Den

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Den

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Lets see

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-cond ... n-20021487 - Useless

https://www.ata.org/understanding-facts - facts?

https://www.ata.org/understanding-facts/causes - I don't fit into any of these explanations - I am early 40s - Useless

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinnitus - Nothing I didn't know

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/unde ... tus-basics - same as above


No one can explain why I got it, not even the ENTs. I am not in the age group. I don't fit the demographic (no loud noises). I am not overweight. I am actually pretty healthy other than my messed up anatomy that makes me snore. So if the only variable here is the CPAP that changed in my lifestyle that happens to affect the airways in my head which happens to connect to passages to my ears that happen to touch my ears' inner workings, then yes you are right its nonsense.

lollonais wrote:Lets see

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-cond ... n-20021487 - Useless

https://www.ata.org/understanding-facts - facts?

https://www.ata.org/understanding-facts/causes - I don't fit into any of these explanations - I am early 40s - Useless

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinnitus - Nothing I didn't know

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/unde ... tus-basics - same as above


No one can explain why I got it, not even the ENTs. I am not in the age group. I don't fit the demographic (no loud noises). I am not overweight. I am actually pretty healthy other than my messed up anatomy that makes me snore. So if the only variable here is the CPAP that changed in my lifestyle that happens to affect the airways in my head which happens to connect to passages to my ears that happen to touch my ears' inner workings, then yes you are right its nonsense.

I was barely 40 and in pretty good physical condition when I got it, too......and that was about 25 years before I started CPAP therapy. But, I have a pretty good idea of what contributed to mine.
You haven't mentioned what you've been exposed to in your working or other environments. Could be job or hobby related.

Take a soda straw and insert it into a glass of water about 2 - 3 inches and gently blow into it until some bubbles come out of the straw........that's what a CPAP pressure of 5 - 8 cm is.


Den

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Wulfman... wrote:
I was barely 40 and in pretty good physical condition when I got it, too......and that was about 25 years before I started CPAP therapy. But, I have a pretty good idea of what contributed to mine.
You haven't mentioned what you've been exposed to in your working or other environments. Could be job or hobby related.

Take a soda straw and insert it into a glass of water about 2 - 3 inches and gently blow into it until some bubbles come out of the straw........that's what a CPAP pressure of 5 - 8 cm is.


Den

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Code, on a desk 40hrs a week, in a silent office for 25 years. Listen to talk radio, play sports.

Like he said - have you looked for any other answers, or just jumped on what seemed possible? It's easy to blame what's there, but it doesn't mean it is to blame.

lollonais wrote:I have been using the cpap for 4 years. The first couple of years on and off until my wife made me use it permanently. I had the pressure set at 8 as per the doctor's instructions. I had the sleep study and found that I had a mild case of sleep apnea and needed the machine. Not because of overweight, but because of the anatomy of my neck area. I never had an issue with my hearing. Actually, I always had good hearing. About the third year, I started hearing like computer bleep noises at night. They came on and off. This, of course, after constant use of the machine. Every night. Then one morning it was as if I had gone to a loud concert the night before. None stop ringing. After 1 month of ringing I went to the ENT who did a hearing test and said that I did have tinnitus and it was permanent. I also have hearing loss on the high bands and that will progress with time. I do think that it was the CPAP that caused this due to the back pressure it causes on the ear drum. Like a constant blowing of your ears on a plane to remove the pressure. I would stop using it but it would annoy the wife too much so I continue using it. I lowered the pressure to 5, but the damage is done already. I wish they would tell you all these things before giving you the damn machine. I know that they would say that 5 or 8 pressure is nothing. Well overtime anything constant will cause damage, just tell the rock with hole on it from dripping water over hundreds of years.
That's my 2 cents on that. Just wanted to share my misery.
Thanks,

Francois L'Ollonais

I know for certain that a particular medication caused my Tinnitus. Even though I no longer take the medication I still have Tinnitus and will for the rest of my life. Mine can be very loud and annoying at times. I deal with it by ignoring it. Sometimes, if it's particularly bad at night, I focus on listening to it. Before I know it I've either forgotten about it or I'm asleep. No, it's not fun, but in the long run of life...

I imagine my tinnitus is a tiny angel, singing her love for me.
The poor thing is tone deaf, but her love is pure.

While I don't have this experience, it does appear that some are reporting it on this thread. Some say that it predated CPAP use. Some others report otherwise. This is not a random sample, so it's extremely biased.

I will report that my minimum pressure is 13.5 (max 20, but it never really goes there). Thus, its a bit higher than the original poster's settings.

Just a side, CPAP pressure in the U.S. and the U.K. (and everywhere else in the world) is measured the same way, so there's no issue about that.

I have had Tinnitus for 30 years. I've been using XPAP for 13 years, It HAS to be XPAP that caused it because XPAP causes everything.

One thing I know it couldn't be is working on and driving equipment with Detroit Diesel V-16 engines, without mufflers, or welders Air Arcing all around me.

Tinnitus is kind of nice, I'm never alone the Cicadas serenade me all my waking hours everyday and night.
Jim

I have a certain amount of tinnitus, not bad yet, though...came after cpap, but I don't believe it's associated with cpap, just with getting older. Both cpap and tinnitus happened as a result of getting older, that's life, I guess *smile*.