I had it from Oct 2015 until April 2017, increasing in volume I would say from Oct 15 until November 2016. I think after that I got used to it / I had other symptoms that were more bothersome, so the PT faded behind the other stuff.
I would say the more you focus on it, the louder it gets – like regular tinnitus. So, much better to distract yourself, keep busy, think about other things if you can. Obviously, it seems much louder at night so less easy to just ignore. At one point, I fancied to myself it was like being back in the womb and was the sound of a parental heartbeat, so tricked myself into taking it as a positive thing. Not 100% successful but worth a try – just a different mind set. For info, mine sounded like the washing machine on pump out, not very soothing.
In later months, it changed and became more like an actual heartbeat, less rough sounding, less like a whoosh. I could hear the proper thump-thump of a pulse rather than a single whoosh. I don’t know why and I didn’t take it as a positive sign, necessarily, but with everything else going on, it became the least intrusive thing when sleeping.
I had an embolisation at the beginning of April. I can still hear a heartbeat, not a whoosh post op. The neuroradiology consultant says I can just hear normal flows in parts of my head that used to be quiet and I’ll get used to it, which I have, but I’ve still got quite a few symptoms, so I think there will be more to do, once I have my check-up angiogram.
Do your best to focus on something else. It’s there. Let’s assume we can get it fixed at some point. And if it is the reason you went to the doc to say something is wrong (as was the case for me) we can look upon it as a potential lifesaver. Annoying, noisy lifesaver but perhaps a lifesaver nonetheless.
Good luck! It’s an interesting journey we are on!
Richard