Sorry to hear how crummy you're feeling, I remember it well.  Welcome to
a club that no one wants to join.

I didn't sleep, eat or do much of anything til I found out that the
sound of driving in my car masked my T perfectly, but I couldn't live in
a Volvo.  :-)

Some folks find that antidepressants help, some have had good luck with
self hypnosis, others with Xanax (not recommended as an early
intervention, it can be habituating), some use masking, some of us find
that high salicylate foods make our T louder, some of us have found a
low carbohydrate diet quiets T, and some have found no effect.

The best thing I can offer is this brilliant piece written by a long
time poster who rarely posts here but often lurks <*waves*>:

From:        Bill - view profile
Date:        Thurs, Mar 22 2001 10:39 pm
Email:         "Bill" <b...@nowhere.add>
Groups:         alt.support.tinnitus
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Hi Guys and Dolls!

I came to ast a few years ago when my T first started.  Hung around here for
a couple of years and acquired some valuable insight into T.    Dropped in
today and, after spending a couple of hours reading, was disappointed to see
that contention still reigns supreme.

I still hear my T when I want to but most of the time I simply ignore it.
Some claim that I have "spontaneously habituated" however I prefer to
believe that my proactive approach to habituation was key.  Here goes:

When your ears start to ring:

1.  See an ENT and an audiologist to rule-out an acoustic neuroma.  You
should find some peace in knowing that the incessant noise isn't going to
kill you.

2.  Learn about things that can make the ringing worse like, for example,
repeated insults (acoustical, not the kind you read here) and medicines like
quinine and aspirin.

3.  Share your experience with your friends and co-workers.  You will most
likely find them supportive and helpful.

4.  Get as much sleep as you can.   Nothing, in my experience, helps reduce
T more than a good night's sleep.

5.  Avoid silence.  Waterfalls and white noise work for some however I found
noise with intelligent, compelling content to work far better.  In my
vicinity Minnesota Public Radio and the BBC were most helpful.  The BBC is
especially effective at bed time.  (Hi Tony!)  The sound will mask your T
somewhat and the intelligence will keep you from focusing on it.

6.  Stay active.  If you isolate yourself you will find yourself alone with
your T.  You don't really want that, do you?

7.  Don't dwell on it.  Hanging around this newsgroup seems to be one way to
bring T to the forefront.  Get what you need and get out.

8.  Protect your hearing.  Carry some cheap foam plugs wherever you go and
use them anytime you would have to raise your voice to be heard above the
ambient noise level.

Best wishes,

Bill

Your tinnitus may not have anything to do with  "(pot and cigarettes)
coffee and salt" and perhaps the latter are your life savers at this
moment when you are going through a depression caused by the t sound.
Has your tinnitus topped since you quit all that?  If not, put at least
some of them back!  Have a beer.

Good luck with your audiology appointment but I  don't think it is
going to help. By the way, why does it take so long to see a
specialist?

Try this:
(1)Talk to a pharmacist and take one tablet of gingko biloba before
bedtime.  You can always drop it if it does not produce any tangible
effect.  Gingo is a blood thinner.  Make sure you are not taking any
other blood thinner at the same time.  Try to observe if the improved
blood circulation in your head will help you sleep better.  I would
also talk to a physician about betahistine.  I used it and it helped me
sleep; i experienced NO side effects at all. But take this pill AFTER
dinner with a full stomach and do no driving while you are on it.  I
used to take one tablet of gingo in the morning and one betahistine
AFTER dinner.  The combination worked pretty well.  Betahistine is a
OTC med in Hong Kong.  Thus you can see how safe it is viewed to be
from the perspective of the British medical authority.  Both of these
helped my sleep.
(2)Are you using a high pillow?  Try to support your neck with a
wrapped towel at night.
I think the high pitch i experienced during the onset had something to
do with a compressed spine.

After visiting that audiologist, come back and tell us what he says.

FP