Anyone successful in dealing with Tinnitus?

First off, my heart goes out to those who have struggled with severe tinnitus, even those of us who ( dumbly ) stood in front of the speaker columns at a rock event years ago, deserve some sympathy. My symptoms are intermittent, aggravated by long drives in my noisy truck (probably because I turned up the radio to hear it over the road noise? I no longer do that.) I always wear ear protection when using the chain saw or log splitter and any other loud equipment. I notice the ringing when sitting up in bed while listening to music, but only when the music has very quiet passages. Loud music causes increased symptoms for several days. Modest listening levels are best ( for me ) and and I find it helpful to go to sleep while listening to quiet music which masks the ringing. As Jdoris mentioned, I think there may be some merit in having non-fatiguing speakers that are designed for extended critical listening at modest sound levels. I think that my Harbeth m30 monitors do this. I have had other speakers with metallic tweeters that were difficult to listen to for more than a half hour. I also think that listening to music with lots of energy at high frequencies may aggravate one's symptoms. Cymbals, triangle, high electric guitar solos, and other electronically synthesized high energy music. From what I've read here and elsewhere, there are multiple kinds and causes of tinnitus, so seeking a specialist seems to make sense if one has the resources. As for the kids and their car subwoofers, I am afraid that no amount of warning will dissuade them, BUT if you are a parent of preteens, you are obligated to have that conversation, and hear what they think about preserving their own hearing. If the culture continues as it has, hearing loss in younger people will continue, and I'm thinking that a long term investment in impaired hearing services and hearing aid companies will pay off handsomely.

I haven't been successful but have noticed that too much coffee will certainly exacerbate the problem. If I wasn't addicted, I would eleminate my coffee consumption completely. The other day, after only a couple of cups in the a.m., I thought the ringing had disappeared, only to hear it while in a quiet environment. No beans for me past lunch.

Eh? What was the question?

One bout 4 years ago, recovered after an 8 month period(hell on Earth) of being very careful about exposing my ears to loud sounds (all types). Re-emergence 2 months ago after stupidly playing music too loudly for extended periods of time. One night just pushed it too far.......result tinnitus & hyperacusis. Now following the same regiment to try and recover. Protect ears from loud noises. Listen to music as infrequently as possible. When I do listen, its at much lower levels, limiting the amount of time and not listening acutely. I've seen some steady back and forth "improvement"- reduction of tinnitus and cured from hyperacusis. If my "life" were not tied up in this hobby, I'd give up listening to music permanently. Seriously, I'm thinking about packing it in. Just not worth the trade off. As it appears, I'm one of the few that in the past recovered from this. That does not mean I'll make a full recovery this time. Even if I do, the recent events support that it will may re-emerge in the future. Having the stereo set-up is very tempting. I fear one day I will become complacent (thinking I'm cured) turn it up too loudly - yet again emerging back into hell on Earth.

Interesting post I read on another forum:

This is not medical advice. It is anecdotal information.

When I was a licensed massage therapist, I found that many of my patients who were suffering from tinnitus also had muscle spasms in their sternocleidomastoid muscles (SCM), By gently working these muscles, many of them experienced some degree of relief. For some, the relief was long lasting. For others merely palliative, but when it's your palliation, even an hour can seem like a Godsend.

The SCM makes a long, narrow triangle shape from the corner of the top of the sternum near the notch, out along the upper edge of the clavicle, and then sweeps up to the mastoid process, the round, lumpy bone behind the ear. If a person lies down, face up, placing the opposite hand on the neck below the jaw area, and begins to lift their head toward the ceiling, the SCM will contract like a cord under the fingers.

This is one of the muscles that keeps your head hooked on! So if you are often about to lose your head, you may have SCM troubles. Seriously, if you spend a lot of time with the phone cradled to your ear by one shoulder or any other similar activities, your SCM can develop problems. If you strain and lift heavy loads improperly, pulling with your neck and shoulders, you could also have SCM trouble. Carrying heavy loads, purses, or children can also cause SCM strain.

This muscle is often very tender in most people. Gentle massage, rolling, or squeezing between the fingers can help relieve the spasms. Patients often felt relief when gentle pressure massage was applied to the SCM attachment sites along the notch in the "breast bone", along the top edge of the clavicle, and on the mastoid process behind the ear. It is critical to apply the pressure very gently as a chronically spastic or inflamed SCM can be incredibly sensitive to pressure. Both sides should be treated equally.

During treatment, some patients reported an increase in the loudness of the ringing, but this was immediately lessened when treatment stopped. Be careful if you have long fingernails! This is a job for the stubbynailed among us. Many of my patients learned to do the procedure themselves and would do it at home 2 - 3 times per day for about 10 minutes per session. Some got long term relief, others got some short term help, but if it is driving you crazy, then short term is better than no term! HTH

Please consult a physician or other appropriate professional before taking advice from some person you have never met from the internet. I could be a real bean head!