[wiretwister]

I have lived with it for so long I take it for granted . . . but I was reading an article and it linked tinnitus with depression , do you think it could be part of the reason . . .

I have had it very severe ( very loud ) , since I was 16 , am now 62 . . . I knew I could not meditate as it was just too much too tune out . . . now that I am older it is really begining to affect what I can hear , especially noises in a crowd . . .

I really never even considered it as a possible mental health issue . . . but I guess it falls in the area like pain and such . . . I am not even sure I have mentioned it to my doctors . . . when you live with it ever second of your life you don't even think about it that much . . . . what do you think . . . .

wiretwister, I"m sorry you've been dealing with the tinnitus for so long. I have had very brief periods in the past with ringing in my ears, but luckily that would come and go. I hadn't heard of the link between that and depression, but it seems like it would make sense. Perhaps you should mention this to your psychiatrist. And have you ever consulted an ENT doctor? You deserve to get rid of the tinnitus, if you can.

One experience I did have, for much of a year, were musical hallucinations. I know it sounds like a slightly different animal, but I think there are some similarities in terms of psychological effect. I have even read that it can be a rare form of tinnitus. I don't know if mine were and/or if there was a relationship between them and my bipolar disorder. I will say that when I was started on Tegretol XR (carbamazepine ER) and reached therapeutic levels, my musical hallucinations went away, and they've never come back. I'm not sure that would be he case for typical tinnitus more related to hearing problems or other causes. It is still up in the air, to this day, but a theory was that my musical hallucinations may have been seizure activity. One psychiatrist/neurologist that I consulted said that bipolar disorder itself (at least some forms) could have a relationship with seizure activity. During most of the period of my musical hallucinations, I wasn't really in a clear bipolar episode, but I was disturbed. It had actually been a very confusing period for me. I don't know if you're interested in my account of these past musical hallucinations, but if so, find it A Story of Musical Hallucinations (When music mostly died for me) – Bird Flight

Here are some interesting articles I found, to ponder. I know that tinnitus is not necessarily related to seizure activity. Also, seizure activity does not have to include motor seizures (convulsions) or loss of consciousness. For example, if I have had seizure activity, it was likely sensory and psychic types of simple focal seizures.

Quiet that Ringing in the Brain - UConn Today

In the article at Psychopathology of Tinnitus: Page 4 of 5 | Psychiatric Times it says "Mood stabilizers and/or anticonvulsants have been investigated in the treatment of tinnitus. Carbamazepine, valproic acid, and gabapentin have shown some benefit.13 Mood stabilizers are mainly used when tinnitus is comorbid with bipolar disorder, seizure disorder, or migraine."

Out of curiosity, have you had issues with migraines in the past? Have you mostly taken Lithium as a moodstabilizer? If yes, that could be helpful information for doctors to know.

[Yaowen]

Hi Wiretwister,

I've heard of that link between depression and tinnitus too and I am also a sufferer of long long-term tinnitus.

[~Christina]

My husband has it awful he feels hopeless at times ,some people have found help taking niacin , didn’t help him tho..... and he deals with depression.

I truly belies there is a link.

Have you seen a ENT and a full hearing test ??

I’m sorry you suffer with this

[Rick7892]

Individuals can have different levels and responses to tinnitus.

I have had tinnitus for over 20 years and gave up on talking about it to my medical providers because they didn't have anything to help. Sounds like maybe there are more ways to deal with it now. Mine is usually an annoyance, but one sign for me of my being stressed out is that it increases and become more problematic to the point that it woke me up at night. It also increases with earwax.

What has helped me with my level of tinnitus (your level may be much greater) is learning to cope with it, and not make it more problematic by my reacting to it. By doing this, I don't even think about it much, though when I do, it is always present. I hear it and let it go. This may not work for you, but I am grateful that it has for me.

The American Tinnitus Association (ATA): "Tinnitus can trigger strong, negative emotions like anxiety, depression, and anger. Patients can learn to control their emotional reactions and thereby disassociate tinnitus from burdensome negative behavioral responses (Behavioral Therapies | American Tinnitus Association).

The ATA's web site also has links to support groups and other resources.

[wiretwister]

Originally Posted by ~Christina

My husband has it awful he feels hopeless at times ,some people have found help taking niacin , didn’t help him tho..... and he deals with depression.

I truly belies there is a link.

Have you seen a ENT and a full hearing test ??

I’m sorry you suffer with this

mine is due to severe trama ( gun blast ) at point blank range with perimant damage, it covers a large portion of the bell curve hearing and is very loud . . . I deal with it on a conscience level but not sure what it is doing to me unconsciencely . . . tell you how bad it was orginally , i cried myself to sleep for weeks after it first happened . . . I know nothing can be done to stop it but I never even thought about what it might be doing to my little brain . . . . .

[~Christina]

Awwww hun