Fun time, I’m sure! 
WOW, Luthier! That is a long time to listen to the awful ringing! Do you think yours happened from hearing loud noise—possibly loud music? I don’t think I was exposed to extra loud noise very often, so I can’t pinpoint what has caused my tinnitus. It does seem to be getting louder lately, but I’m not having a PsA flare. However, now that I’m thinking about it, it started around 5 years ago and that was also when my untreated PsA was becoming very severe. I even remember hoping once I started Enbrel the tinnitus would go away!
Did you try lipoflavinoids? Do you also think the noise comes from inside your brain and not directly from your ears?
No doubt those of us with tinnitus will need hearing aids someday. My mom is hearing impaired and her hearing aids were very expensive…
I’ll let you know if the lipoflavinoids work for me. I’m keeping my fingers crossed!
Hi Grandma_J…unfortunately, my ringing did start way back but can’t relate it to loud noise or loud music (also worked in a print shop for 21 years). I was diagnosed with some hearing loss and tinnitus when I was seventeen but wasn’t anything like I have now. Yes, it would get louder if I had a lot of noise going on around me during the day but would eventually settle down (never go away though). Some say chocolate (caffeine) can aggravate it.
Can’t say it’s in my ears or my head. Mine is a high pitched frequency that stays on permanently. I can, at times, have a slightly lower pitch kick in on the right side along with the higher frequency but that goes away after a short while and only happens every now and then. This has been going on for so long, I don’t remember what silence is like.
As far as lipoflavinoids go, I haven’t tried that at all. My thinking is that if there was anything else, outside of mechanically (hearing aids), the audiologist would have mentioned it to me. This is my thinking on it, though. She didn’t mention the possibilities of trying anything else at that time when I saw her this past September. I have read of different things, through the years, that work for others but never did for me. After a while, you get complacent about trying things and just accept it. Hopefully, you get relief when you try it.
Hmmm, maybe I’ll cut back on the caffeine and see if that makes a difference.
Mine is also a very high frequency and has been “flaring” the past few days—right now I have the TV on near me and I’m hearing the ringing just as loud as the TV, whereas sometimes with other noises around I can ignore the ringing because it’s only a background noise. I can see where the constant shrill noise could cause brain fog, confusion, depression and even drive a person crazy…if this noise on my ears or head gets much worse, I will go mad!!! 
I’ve never had anything but the high frequency noise.
That’s interesting your audiologist didn’t mention lipoflavinoids. My internist wanted me to see an ENT and said they’ll most likely tell me to take them. But, my brother’s ENT put him on lipoflavinoids and he said they didn’t help. (I didn’t bother to see the ENT because it’s just another wasted doctor appointment.) But, I’m thinking he didn’t give them enough time, so, if they don’t cause me any SEs I’ll try to stay on them for at least 3 months.
How do you handle the noise? I think it’s what’s waking me up at night!
Can’t say cutting caffeine did anything for me. I, also, went to decaffeinated tea (never got in to the habit of drinking coffee), no help.
I notice it gets real bad when I try to go to sleep after a busy (noisy) day. There are nights that are so loud that it keeps me awake. Can’t say I ever woke up in the middle of the night because of it, though. Waking up in the middle of the night because of the pain, that has happened too many times in the past few years.
Unfortunately, mine is in the fore front of everything now. When it used to be in the background, I could start doing something (a task) and that would take my mind off of it. That was my relief for many years. Not so now.
OMG Luthier! How horrible! I hope we or someone comes up with something that can soften the noise or completely cure it. IDK how you could handle that for so many years, because I’m sure it’ll drive me nuts if this keeps up so loud!
I went through and read my medication information as I’m on 2 BP pills, a cholesterol med, a blood thinner, daily aspirin, and a stomach acid reducer (plus Enbrel). I was hoping I’d read that one of those meds could be the culprit, but I doubt if it is.
I guess we just need to figure out a way to tolerate it like we’ve tolerated a lot of other health problems!
I’ve had to look at it as something I have to deal with and I’m not going to let it beat me. I accepted it many years ago and just moved on. It’s a part of my life. I can’t get rid of it so why let it drive me crazy. You’re always keeping an eye out for something that may get rid of it but nothing yet.
I was on just a baby aspirin up until two years ago. Now, nine different meds (2 are 2x/day). For as long as I’ve had it, I don’t believe meds are the cause.
I am suffering from tinnitus too, I never connected the two of them until I read this topic! Makes sense that inflammation could cause it. It comes and goes in intensity. It does drive you mad!
I wish they were the cause, because then we could stop taking them and take something else instead. I don’t like not knowing why!!! I do know that’s the case with a lot of diseases and ailments–if only somebody could figure out “why”!!!
Hi
I googled psa and tinnitus and here I am
Newly diagnosed with psa and I suppose I am looking for a boogeyman for all my ills now, but I’ve had tinnitus in varying levels for a few years now.
Mine is of the metal tapping on glass sound variety, usually just on my left side.
I don’t know if we are all coincidental with tinnitus and psa or not, but I do know, as of now, I have never taken a psa med. so in my one specific case, meds are not the culprit.
I’ll keep my tinnitus updated here if things get better or worse with a med
I started this discussion several years ago, and reading back through it I was reminded that my constant tinnitus started before I went on any PsA meds. But, it did start several years after I was diagnosed with PsA. So, whether tinnitus is a PsA symptom or not is TBD, I guess! So many of us here have it—it seems like it very well could be!
Please do let us know if your tinnitus improves and if you talk with your doctor about it and he has any good suggestions.
My internist told me to see an ENT specialist, but I never bothered. I figured just another pointless doctor appointment. She also said to take Lipoflavinoids, which I haven’t done yet either because I can’t afford to waste my money on pills that don’t work—and I definitely have my doubts about Lipoflavinoids. If they work so well, why aren’t there success stories on here?
Anyway, you’ve probably figured out by now I’m a negative Nancy. I can’t help it—I hate to get my hopes up about things just to be let down when they don’t turn out as promised. For me, it’s better to be a little pessimistic and then pleasantly surprised with the outcome.
I definitely get it
Hey y’all.
After reading This whole discussion, I have a name for the “noise” humming, buzzing sound I’ve heard most of my adult life. Lately it’s gotten worse and I believe what had been causing my headache. Turning the t.v. up seems to make it louder. Any thing loud makes it louder. My hearing had always been sensitive to loud noises, but more so lately because the crickets get louder like they’re trying to “sing” to be heard. My head feels like it will explode! It literally hurts! I’m make a point to include it in my list I take with me to the rheumatologist. Although there may not be anything he can do. 
Hi Angie. If there is something he CAN do, please let us know. I don’t have the “crickets”, but instead a shrill ringing. And, yes, when it gets louder at times, you do feel like your head could explode. So annoying!
Hey Grandma_J.
I’ll definitely let everyone know what my rheumatologist says about tinnitus. Praying for good news in August. Woke up with a mild headache today. Ugh.
Hope and prayers every one has a good pain free day.