Tinnitus, Deafness and Ear Problems Support Group
This group is for those coping with Tinnitus (ringing ears or ear noise), hearing loss, and all ear issues. Join to find support and get advice from others.
I've been reading here comments about how difficult it can be sleeping with T. Here's my short story.
I always was a champion sleeper (even while having mild to moderate T for 25 years). When I got severe T about 9 months ago, I went about two months averaging about 1 to 2 hours of sleep a night. I think I forgot or somehow was affraid to go to sleep and if I would catch myself drifting off, a minute later I'd find myself bug-eyed and even more awake than I was before. True confessions - I was contemplating driving my car into a tree at this time. I don't know how I functioned at work, but I did. I layed down at night with a fan behing my head, a table top waterfall next to the fan, and a wind up ticking clock under my pillow. When I turned the TV on it seemed to make the T louder. Depression set in and I had to force myself to eat. I lost about 25 pounds which brought me to what a doctor would say was my ideal weight - so there's the silver lining.
Anyway, two months into this my wife found some expired sleep medication that my most wonderful Mother-in-Law (may she rest in peace)had left at our house when she passed on. Sorry, I do not remember what it was. What was there to lose? I took two tablets and I slept for over 12 hours that night and I can still remember some of the most pleasant dreams I had that night. I did go to the family doctor shortly after this and I asked him about xannax. I was reading about a guy named Kevin Hogan who claimed xannax help reduce the volume of his T. The doctor agreed to giving me a script for this. Xannax did nothing to help my T, but it re-trained me to sleep again. One tablet .5 mg was worth 6-8 hours of sound sleep. I still kept the fan on and the xannax did make me feel unpleasantly weird.
When I discovered the Homedics Sound Machine (Walmart for 20.00) I learned to sleep with the crickets and the fan is no longer necessary. The doctor refused to refill the script for xannax and gave me clonazepam instead. This also worked for sleep.
Since early September I haven't been taking any meds to sleep and I sleep fine. I sleep with the crickets, I have no desire to drive my car into a tree, I've gained back over 10 pounds, and my T rages all the same.
If you're new to this, hang in there. The first days are the hardest days. By the fear and love of God, I had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday though my sister talks way too much even though she has hardly anything to say. I still have some clonazepam in case of an emergency.
I always was a champion sleeper (even while having mild to moderate T for 25 years). When I got severe T about 9 months ago, I went about two months averaging about 1 to 2 hours of sleep a night. I think I forgot or somehow was affraid to go to sleep and if I would catch myself drifting off, a minute later I'd find myself bug-eyed and even more awake than I was before. True confessions - I was contemplating driving my car into a tree at this time. I don't know how I functioned at work, but I did. I layed down at night with a fan behing my head, a table top waterfall next to the fan, and a wind up ticking clock under my pillow. When I turned the TV on it seemed to make the T louder. Depression set in and I had to force myself to eat. I lost about 25 pounds which brought me to what a doctor would say was my ideal weight - so there's the silver lining.
Anyway, two months into this my wife found some expired sleep medication that my most wonderful Mother-in-Law (may she rest in peace)had left at our house when she passed on. Sorry, I do not remember what it was. What was there to lose? I took two tablets and I slept for over 12 hours that night and I can still remember some of the most pleasant dreams I had that night. I did go to the family doctor shortly after this and I asked him about xannax. I was reading about a guy named Kevin Hogan who claimed xannax help reduce the volume of his T. The doctor agreed to giving me a script for this. Xannax did nothing to help my T, but it re-trained me to sleep again. One tablet .5 mg was worth 6-8 hours of sound sleep. I still kept the fan on and the xannax did make me feel unpleasantly weird.
When I discovered the Homedics Sound Machine (Walmart for 20.00) I learned to sleep with the crickets and the fan is no longer necessary. The doctor refused to refill the script for xannax and gave me clonazepam instead. This also worked for sleep.
Since early September I haven't been taking any meds to sleep and I sleep fine. I sleep with the crickets, I have no desire to drive my car into a tree, I've gained back over 10 pounds, and my T rages all the same.
If you're new to this, hang in there. The first days are the hardest days. By the fear and love of God, I had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday though my sister talks way too much even though she has hardly anything to say. I still have some clonazepam in case of an emergency.
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My 6mo twin DD's are EBF and just started rice cereal on the first. Everything has been going fine except this morning one of them had a diaper rash (lots of redness around her anus). I read this as one of the signs of an allergy. BUT I did just buy a different brand diaper yesterday (which they have used randomly before w/no issues). Do you think its the cereal or the diaper? Im ready to start...
I got both and sleep with my white noise machine on and if the electric goes off anytime in the night i wake up to that loud ass noise in my ear and can't sleep no more...
The Homedics Sound Machine runs on electric and batteries. If you have high pitch T, you'll love the crickets and birds in December...
I figured if I have to have the ring-a-ling, a sound generator would be a most exceptionally worthwhile investment. I mean, hey, this thing could help me sleep for the next 50 or 60 years, right! No price was too high in my mind when i set out to buy mine.
On a mission, I hit the mall. Hung out in Sharper Image messing with every sound machine they had. They were all too tiney and faint sounding. Then in a moment of enlightenment.. I saw it..
Behold.. The Sharper Image Sound Soother 50! (chorus of angels sing)
I had it taken down; this thing was like the THX Dolby Digital 7.1 of all tinnitus maskers. Only problem: $200 bucks. I found out why..
Aside from amazing sound, it comes with a back lit LCD remote control that scrolls through it's 50 sounds, mutes, set's an off-timer, controls an iPod, all without getting out of bed. It's awesome. Basically, the remote does everything short of sticking it's arms out proclaiming "Save me Will Robinson!".
The audio is literally transportive, it honest to God feels like your in the depths of the jungle sleeping by a trickling stream as various amphibians sound off. I'm single, no dependents, so I grit my teeth, felt a sharp gut pain and tossed the Sound Soother 70 on the counter. If I had a family I probably would have just rounded up some real crickets.
Here's the punch line: I paid through the nose for this thing, right, but now, having adapted to my tinnitus (once I got past the hard days) I haven't touched the thing since March! *eye roll*
Oh well, it's there if I need it.. or, if George Lucas ever needs a remote controlled, portable, back lit, surround sound audio system for the premier of Star Wars IV.
I remember the first time it happened to me was at the dentist. I mentioned my T to him for medical precaution, next thing I know his receptionist was telling me about hers.
Hers began after a lengthy case of walking pneumonia -- and there again, hers could have been the pneumonia, could have been the high dosage of antibiotics she was on, could have been listening to a dentist drill for 15 years, but the walking pneumonia set it off.