Tinnitus sufferer shot himself dead 'to stop the screaming in his ears'

Daily Mail UK ^ | 10:28 AM on 14th April 2011 | By Daily Mail Reporter

[Red Badger]

A grandfather who was tormented by the 'screaming in his ears' as a result of chronic tinnitus shot himself in the head, an inquest heard.

Roy Sullivan's medical condition, where sufferers hear a constant ringing in their ear, had been getting progressively worse.

The quiet 74-year-old was found with gunshot wounds by his wife at their home in Essex when she returned from her grandson's 14th birthday visit in January.

Eileen Sullivan told the hearing: 'Roy was such a peaceful, quiet man. He just couldn't stand the noise. He liked to be quiet. If I had the radio on and I went out, he would turn it off because he just wanted to be quiet.'

On the morning of his death, Mr Sullivan had looked pale and had complained to his wife that his tinnitus had been really bad during the night.

'When he woke up he just held his head and said it was screaming in his ears.'

He said he didn't want to go out so she travelled without him to Suffolk with the 14th birthday cake she had baked.

When she returned home Mrs Sullivan found a note from her husband in the kitchen.

She went to the chicken shed at the bottom of the garden and found him with head injuries and a gun by his side, Chelmsford Coroner's Court heard.

Essex coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray was told that Mr Sullivan had a history of hypertension and tinnitus which had become worse prior to his death.

A postmortem stated that Mr Sullivan died from severe head injuries due to gunshot wounds.

The coroner recorded a verdict that he killed himself while the balance of his mind was disturbed.

She said he was clearly suffering distress due to the tinnitus and that it was 'clearly getting him down.'

[Red Badger]

Neither do I, FRiend.....................

[I cannot think of a name]

Strangely enough, aspirin REALLY makes mine worse. Sometimes it's a choice between you head hurting or your ears ringing.

Oh and for those that may be reading this that don't have tinnitus, remember it is typically a delayed curse. I don't expose my ears to really loud noises, and haven't for over 30 years. But in my youth - hot-rods with open headers, firing guns without hearing protection, all manner of aircraft, sometimes without hearing protection. Or as my doctor says, “yes, you may be kind to your ears now, but sooner or later the sins must be paid for - and that is now.”

[Red Badger]

Done!.....

[Red Badger]

It works ONLY if the source of the tinnitus is in the middle ear. If it’s in the brain side, it will still be there..........

[Red Badger]

Aspirin and other NSAIDS have been know for years to cause or exacerbate tinnitus and if taken in large doses over a prolonged period will be permanent........

[ConservaTexan]

Unless he was wearing ear plugs, the report from the gun to his head would (briefly) cause ‘screaming in his ears’.

[DigitalVideoDude]

If I had only stayed home and not gone to that Oingo Boingo Halloween concert. We were too close to the stage.

[DonkeyBonker]

“I thought guns were banned in formerly-Great Britain.”

Shotguns are not banned, handguns yes.

[LonePalm]

Evidently Lipoflavonoids is a proprietary name.

Citrus bioflavonoid complex is the same thing and much cheaper.

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

[null and void]

My daughter asked me if I could get rid of my tinnitus by cutting the auditory nerve in my bad ear. I told her if I thought it would work I would do it. IMO, being stone deaf in one ear would be a good trade.

I wonder if a shot of Botox to the nerve would have the same effect, but allow hearing to recover over time? (Or even Novocaine?)

[thefactor]

A couple months ago there was a thread regarding a possible ‘cure’ for this condition. Something about reseting part of the brain/spine. Maybe posting it here would give hope to some of the sufferers? At least they could stay on top of the progress of the testing.

[Nashvegas]

There was a thread yesterday,about Pycnogenol and its possible cure to Tinnitus.

I’ve ordered a bottle hoping it helps.

[Dacula]

I remember reading that article as well. IIRC, it was presented in San Antonio. I can not find the article though

A couple months ago there was a thread regarding a possible ‘cure’ for this condition. Something about reseting part of the brain/spine. Maybe posting it here would give hope to some of the sufferers? At least they could stay on top of the progress of the testing.

[Portcall24]

Here's another case from Jan 2010: In suicide note, Morris blames tinnitus Former Greene County Sheriff William L. “Willie” Morris shot himself Thursday because of a constant roar in his ears, he wrote in a final letter. “I hope that my death will help bring about some cure for those that suffer with tinnitus, by bringing attention to it,” he wrote. “It is important that my life will not be wasted.” Morris had suffered from the condition since September, and by the end of his life heard a constant noise in both ears. “He described it as like a buzz saw constantly,” his daughter Lisa Morris said. Morris developed the condition after a weightlifting mishap, his daughter said. He had lifted for many years, winning several championships. Here's link to Virginia newspaper: In suicide note, Morris blames tinnitus

[atc23]

http://www.homeopathy.com.pk/boericke/j-k/kali-carbonicum.php

This has helped mine quite a bit but relief is temporary.

[Red Badger]

Steroids are also know to cause tinnitus in some people. Perhaps the Sheriff may have been using them..................

[ladyvet]

Can you add me please. I have to keep other noise such as a tv or radio on all the time so I don't go nuts.

[Iscool]

Add me too, please...

[Capt. Independence]

I’ve heard that some people have had success in alleviating this condition through the use of hypnosis.

[Slicksadick]

Please add me to your list, I've suffered this for decades. Shame about the suicide. My wife has us all beat though, google “suicide disease”, to read of the most obscure, terrible malady I’ve ever heard of.