Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Tinnitus has been known to drive some people over the edge. I've lived with mine for 10+ years. It's the main reason I take Zoloft, not much can be done but treating the mental and emotional distress it causes. If I were to wake up one day without a head full of crickets chirping, I'd be ecstatic. Last night I had a new noise - the buzz of a mosquito, and it was not a mosquito. I could not get away from it. I tried. It was almost 1:00 before I got to sleep.

The mosquito buzz is gone this morning, thank goodness! But I got so desperate that I decided to google tinnitus to see if there have been any new treatments discovered. There are a couple of dietary supplements for sale with money-back guarantees that I came real close to ordering. The medical sites all said there is still no cure, no way to relieve symptoms, just take the anti-depressant, the anti-anxiety meds, use noise machines, headphones, cognitive therapy, learn to live with it. Over the last ten years, I've tried them all. And I saw these reassuring phrases - you are not a hypochondriac, your condition is real. Yes, it is all in your head, but it is not your imagination. You are not neurotic. Tinnitus is not fatal.

Some people have had limited success with bio-feedback, some with hypnosis. I tried using the headphones with music playing, but that was even more annoying. Who can sleep with headphones and wires wrapped around their head? I did my deep breathing exercises and finally relaxed (or wore myself out).

Today I feel very tired. My husband, my dogs, everything is getting on my nerves. Even my favorite Sky.fm radio station is playing something with nature sounds in the background, including crickets, really annoying. I need to buy another noise machine, not one of the cheap models like I bought before. Or find a giant waterfall to sit under all day.

1 comment:

Zoilus said...

Or get yourself an iPod and download some heavy metal music.

And you're neurotic, but we love you anyway.