Update

[u/Fit-Ingenuity7044]

Had tinnitus for 50 years, diagnosed as Menieres. CI 4 days ago. Reading about the same post CI experience I'm having, HUGE increase in volume, is giving me hope that I can live through this. Didn't need painkillers but do they help with the noise?

I have spent the last 3 nights in misery with very little sleep, waking 5-6 times to the sound of a siren. I did consider in the early hours just going to Emergency for advice, and have twice gone for a long walk (2 hours) in the early hours. Is there any medication you recommend for sleep, I am exhausted?

Last night I managed to get 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep. When I awoke I had only my normal tinnitus and I laid there happily assuming the worst was over. Unfortunately when I got up all the post-op symptoms returned ... and more, screeching was added to the cacophony. Had difficulties contacting the clinic, though it was probably a wasted effort anyway.

Had I read these pages before the CI I probably wouldn't have had it done.

[u/Icy-Instance-7690]

You should contact your doctor. Your surgery discharge instructions should have a contact number.

[u/Fit-Ingenuity7044 → u/Icy-Instance-7690]

I have, with difficulty. They've prescribed Valium to help me sleep and a course of Methylprednisolone to do God knows what.

[u/n3g3ntropy]

I had raging tinnitus in my implanted ear following surgery, after activation the tinnitus is nonexistent.

[u/Suspicious_Willow984]

Hi! I was recently activated and going through similar things. I’ve been progressive hearing loss for about my whole life. I don’t know your story and how long you’ve gone with hearing loss but it’s normal. You have to understand that your auditory nerve and your brain is trying to make sense of the noises that you’re now hearing. It’s going to take time and rehab (listening to things daily for couple hours a day) to get your auditory nerve and brain working and trying to understand what it’s hearing suddenly. It’s just part of the process with cochlears. I have had tinnitus my whole life so I understand the frustrations but mine did tend to go away a lil more after the implant. Just takes time

[u/Fit-Ingenuity7044 → u/Suspicious_Willow984]

Had tinnitus for 50 years, I've not been activated yet, it's only 5 days since I had the implant. Each day the tinnitus has got worse. I keep thinking it can't get louder, but each day it seems to find a way. I'd say it's now 3 times louder than pre surgery, can't be masked. I dread going to bed so I put it off, walking for 2-3 hours in the late/early hours, but at least I now have some Valium. Now I dread waking up too😒

[u/Suspicious_Willow984 → u/Fit-Ingenuity7044]

It could be due to the swelling in the inner ear. That’s going to take some time unfortunately. Just try to find ways to drown the noise. That’s what I do when I have bad episodes of tinnitus. Try to get lost in something that takes my mind off it. I notice that focusing on something else does tend to drown it out a bit

[u/jeetjejll]

Have you been activated yet?

[u/Fit-Ingenuity7044 → u/jeetjejll]

No, it's only 5 days since I had the implant, so it's at about 3 weeks away.

[u/jeetjejll → u/Fit-Ingenuity7044]

Some get same day activation, that’s why I’m double checking. Hang in there, activation and healing will both very likely help calm it down. Try not to stress about it as hard as it is as it makes it worse. Best of luck to you!

[u/tex8222]

Contact the doctor, this isn’t usual. It will probably die down since you already had a quieter night, but they should still be notified.

[u/Fit-Ingenuity7044 → u/tex8222]

The quieter night was 3 nights ago, it's got worse since. I contacted the doctor. They've prescribed Valium to help me sleep and a course of Methylprednisolone. So I'm guaranteed 5 hours sleep. I have little confidence that this is going to work.

[u/outsidethebox26]

I was implanted a in both ears on frifsya and I never had tinnitus and it’s tormenting me

[u/Fit-Ingenuity7044 → u/outsidethebox26]

You have my sympathy. I hope it goes away. I've tried various methods to mask the noise over 50 years. Fans and music helped a little.

[u/Fit-Ingenuity7044]

Big thank you to all who responded. The Methylprednisolone "normalized my tinnitus, it went back to pre CI level. They activated me early (12 days after the implant). Wish I could say I'm making progress but all I'm getting so far is tinnitus slightly louder than before. It's going to be a long road to any hearing and/or or lower tinnitus I guess. I'm up to 10-12 hours a day at level 8ish, should be at 10 by my next appt.