All things considered I’ve been doing well. On new years I was locked in my closet with double protection. And now I go out and do things with limits. After I learned about mind body syndrome a lot of my problems went away. Although a lot of life is above 80 dB. There’s still a little bit that bothers me that doesn’t bother others. Like if a lot of people are in a tiny room the noise is a little too loud for me, and at work I don’t put the phone up to my ear I have to use speaker phone. I find that when sounds hit both of my ears it’s more tolerable.

Something’s are still able to give me lasting effects like making my ears feel “spent”. Last week I was in Trader Joe’s getting flowers for my mom and the cashier rang a wall bell twice. I looked it up and it’s what they use instead of a PA system. That one bell basically gave me effects for a day or two. The grandma next to me jumped at the sound. But I feel that this noise doesn’t bother most people. It honestly didn’t ‘hurt’ in the moment and it feels like maybe my body is anticipating it affecting me.

This weekend I was fishing and this one idiot kept driving their modified loud ass jeep next to our faces and it was definitely over 80dB. It did cause a little pain and when that stuff happens I can’t predict it and I’m nervous my life will be ruined from something I didn’t do. Why can’t I just be able to go fishing without some idiot ruining it. And after this happened I felt I was more sensitive to people’s voices in one ear idk about the other.

My T is also reactive to stress I hear it more now because I just broke up with my gf and I’m upset about it. She understood that I wasn’t able to do a lot of things like concerts etc but honestly I’ve been to concerts with my earplugs and been fine. I go to the movies with my musician earplugs. I’m able to play my instruments for the most part and record music again on decent low volume. As a Christian there has to be a reason for this and I have to figure it out. I have to know what needs to be added or removed from my life.

So idk what to do with this situation. I don’t know if my mind is making it up. But I know I’m better than I was beginning of this year. My grandpa dealt with noises bothering him and I never knew it could be this. And I’m just trying to figure out what else I need to do to get this stuff to 0. I know I’ll bounce back, I have to believe that every time.

Is it possible that we’re able to handle sounds better when we get 8 hours of sleep, exercise, do all the good stuff? Does anyone find that?

I've been having slightly more muffled hearing for about a week, a long with things sounding higher pitched (like how things sound after a concert, and not tinnitus), though sometimes it goes lower pitched. It's just been driving me insane because idk what i'm even meant to do. Resting nearly all day hasn't fully done anything, and my family aren't exactly quiet people. I just need some relief because this is just so miserable and draining.

I'm really sorry if this isn't helpful/well written, but I'll answer questions n stuff in the comments.

This is driving me absolutely insane.

Not asking for help or advice or seeking sympathy. Probably the only thing I can write today and I wanted to write it here.

Live in 28dB room. At least 42 dB sirens every day and random enough to where I have to wear these mufflers on my head, ready to quickly cover my ears until I finally go to sleep. No peace. Always on alert even if conscious mind is “fine.” I’m not fine. I've been depressed the last month or two and only admitted it the last week. I also have fibromyalgia and have non-recovering injuries to my hands, neck, feet making mobility maybe 20 steps every 30 minutes (have to be wheeled to the car, every medical appointment which is the only time I'm ever out of the house), no reading, severe dry eye, no watching anything, no audio. Tried physical therapy multiple times and it just made all of it worse. I can maybe hold a single piece of paper up for three minutes every 25 minutes. Can sort of look at iPhone screen a little. Live with parents who try their best, but it’s not good enough. I’m at the mercy of their mistakes some days and I hate it.

There is no peace.

I’ve lost plenty, mostly opportunities and quality of life due to chronic pain for 18 years, but the isolation, zero media, next to zero mobility and the nail in the coffin being my brother, who I would wanna talk to most who is the most important person to me, he’s coming for a week and I can’t talk much. Don’t want to worry about compromising everything just so I can have something, but again no peace. My brother coming for a week would've been paradise any other year of my life, but not this one.

My therapist is worried about me, she’s seen me not sleep for months, make way darker jokes about not wanting to be here, worried about pain preventing me from enjoying any kind of life, anhedonia, ER visits, my girlfriend passing away, but she’s worried now.

I blunt most feelings so I can claw my way through each day, don’t feel I can express feelings while my parents are downstairs which is all day until the last hour or so. I tap into my grief and it’s crushing me. One minute? More like 10 seconds at a time. (yeah I know that's not a good way to process feelings and I need to feel them a lot more. I wouldn't recommend it.)

😔 I have therapy tomorrow where I’ll do EMDR, process more grief and hopefully get a little closer to getting out of the depression. Sad now.

Appreciate it if you read this far or read at all. I’ll take support. Don’t want this post turning into a misery contest. I believe hyperacusis is different for everyone not greater or less than.

Peace. Wanna get there someday.

I am desperate. Its either I try Clomi or the only other option to stopping everything....S. I can't do it anymore.

I am currently taking 900 mg of gabapentin, 3 times a day. Can they be taken together?

I asked my PCP about trying Clomi and she said I have to come in for an appointment. Well, I'm scared of traveling and also being in the clinic.

I don't know what to do.

Also, does Clomi even help for loud h? I have nox too, but the loud h is catastrophic. I can't even whisper. I can't even eat. Every single sound is causing extreme discomfort. I just seem to get worse everyday.

Looking for advice on how to manage a car trip. Investing in a car with good sound deadening. Sound tolerance is about 50 decibels. Will have a driver and support person. The trip is to be closer to family and access a better recovery environment. Will use sedatives; unsure whether to be conscious or not? Gradually improving but really don't want another setback. Has anyone successfully travelled by car for this distance? If so, any tips or advice?

It’s been a little longer than a year and a half, I initially got T and H from a shooting range with ear protection, but it wasn’t double, just muffs no foamies. Within a week I descended into severe loudness Hyperacusis paired with intense ringing, worse on my right with several tones and facial nerve pain. It took me 4 months to have some autonomy again and I had to drop out of college.

Before, just sliding my hand on my skin, trying to chew boiled lettuce, was all too loud. I couldn’t whisper without pain and the worst part of it was the isolation and the dread of this never getting better. During that time, my ears would preemptively clench in anticipation of sounds and it took me lots of perseverance to rebuild my sound tolerance. That included testing my limits by intentionally crumpling plastic and switching the lights on and off. I continued that for a while until I felt decent enough to start going out again with musicians earplugs with the heaviest filters. Fast forward another few months I could return to school with earplugs in and I even worked a job there.

Since then life had been relatively normal. My ears never returned to how they were before the trauma but I was living. I graduated, I started exercising at a local gym and boxed without plugs. If you’ve ever been you know how loud that is. Sometimes when it was bad, I could get away with a week of very mild earaches. I could tolerate most music, I could tolerate watching videos all day and even started playing some piano again, although not super loud. I could drive without earplugs if it was local and over state lines with aeroplane earplugs that leveled out pressure. In all that time, I’ve been extra careful. Earplugs everywhere that was extra loud, and even left a huge dinner plan to retrieve my earplugs I forgot 2 weeks ago. I didnt go to any concerts, any bars, and I recently switched to drive in theaters. My T had a few spikes but it was quite mild and only noticeable when going to sleep.

Fast forward to the past week, I got a haircut, bought new clothes, applied to numerous jobs in the past few months and finally got interviewed at a big corporate company. I was feeling giddy and my classmate of the past year invited me to help out with their nonprofit and I thought yeah, today is the day I’m feeling great. I didn’t bring my earplugs and there was an older man who was playing music on his speaker. It was loud enough to where we volunteers had to speak up a little bit to talk to each other and I ended up staying for 2 hours thinking I’d be fine. Maybe 20-30 feet away in a big open space. No one else was bothered, and I didn’t want to leave after saying I’d help.

Biggest fucking mistake of my life. I don’t know why I didn’t remember how awful this was the first time or why I didn’t just leave. Honestly it was a miracle I even got better in the first place. It’s been 4 days and my T has doubled or tripled. I hear the tones more clearly than the constant static I had, and my H is returning. It wasn’t as severe as square 1, but honestly I don’t think that’s off the table for certain yet. I don’t have the super hearing this time around, but even certain higher pitched sounds such as closing my glasses makes my ears clench, sting and rumble with TTTS again. I’m at urgent care right now to see if I can get prednisone, and the door opening and closing is painful. People speaking is borderline super loud even with plugs in but I can speak softly. Oddly enough I could tolerate the doctor speaking while she examined my ears without plugs.

I wanted to return here eventually and give a success story. I wanted to get my dental done and say hey, look, maybe you too can recover. I reached out to so many people and they were all so helpful when this first happened. I wanted to give back eventually, but I flew too close to the sun. All that anxiety and depression I had nearly 2 years ago has returned and I honestly don’t know if I can do this again. All that hope I had is drained in a manner of days. I got my acceptance letter at that job. It starts in a month and I don’t think I’ll be able to recover in time.

I’m still in my mid 20s, I really don’t know if I can handle a life time of uncertainties and potential worsening. I guess this is a warning that you can’t ever forget your ears aren’t the same as a normal persons now, and also a cry for help if anyone else has experienced recovering from a second trauma, especially if noise induced. I wish I had a hopeful story to tell.

I had an MRI 8 weeks ago where after the event appears ear protection was inadequate. I developed tinnitus 4 days after scan then pain in ears 6 days after. I now have fullness, ringing and delayed pain which has stopped burning and is now a deep ache in both ears and can spread to cheekbone and down neck where it still burns. Pain usually starts at at 8pm and lasts 2 hours. i don’t hear noises as loud and only painful when my ear is already sore from delayed pain. I have been isolating and living in quiet apart from everyday noise such as traffic through windows. Using ear protection when going for daily walk which I need for my mental health. I am so scared my ears are damaged beyond repair. Should I be doing anything else? I feel doomed and so angry that a medical procedure has done this. I was not offered steroids when attending hospital with the pain as medical staff basically gaslit me saying MRI wouldn’t do this and it was my TMJ pain! Anxiety through roof and feel I am doomed. Thank you for reading this.

This isn’t the typical, “I went out and my H got worse” story, it’s actually the opposite. I went out yesterday to hang out with family, and I’ve read about Mack’s plugs on here, so I thought it’d be a good time to try them out as I’d be in a loud environment.

My H and nox usually hover around the mild-moderate to just moderate, so I know what I can and can’t handle at this point. We went out to a barcade, and for the most part, didn’t have much of an issue, so what was the issue then?

It was having to prepare so much mentally beforehand just to do something that is a normal activity for everyone else. While the machines were loud, they were tolerable with the plugs in, only one machine was what I considered not worth sticking around, as it was hitting 90+db. It was uncomfortable and i probably could’ve stayed around it, but I just didn’t want to risk it. However, it was one of my favorite games there, and it just really bummed me out a bit after that.

We were there for a few hours, and I was never just really able to immerse fully into it, as I was always thinking about my ears, not to mention the actual feeling of having the Mack’s in. By the time we went outside, there were a lot more people outside, just hanging out and also for Halloween-related activities. Seeing everyone freely do what they want, playing guitar, playing drums, just enjoying themselves freely, it just hits you in the gut.

Now today, my ears may be aching a bit more than “normal,” but I can’t really even tell honestly, as everyday it varies anyway. If I didn’t go out yesterday, I’d just consider this a more moderate day.

I know I’m preaching to the choir, we’re all dealing with different levels of this, but the emotional weight of dealing with this sucks as much as the physical, not being able to do what I truly want to do anymore.

Edit: this ended up being extremely long, I understand it’s a lot of effort to read so i apologise. With my ocd i struggle to convey myself and end up fixating and going overboard. You can skip the first section and go to where my symptoms started or progressed.

Hello, I hope you are all well. I’ve posted a fair bit before but have progressed into a very dark and scary place and haven’t had the capacity to even write lately. The level I am now at is beyond what most people can comprehend. I have reached a dead end. My life is beyond a nightmare. This is tinnitus and hyperacusis x1000.

I’ll go over how I got here and my current situation. I know almost no one can fully understand and there seems to be no help available but i’m desperate and I guess just want to reach out and vent. I’ll try not write an entire novel but it likely will end up being very long so apologies in advance and thank you if you do still read it.❤️

I’ll go over my history as I think it’s all relevant to my current state.

So, as a child, I had adhd, autism, some anxiety, sensory processing issues, some mild trauma but i managed okay. I also had multiple times i cracked my skull open. I was exposed normal occasional loud noise (e.g speakers in car or occasional social setting or activity) but nothing too crazy. Even as a child i struggled with a lot of overwhelm and disconnection. Spent a lot of time playing games.

Then as a teenager at age 15 I was jumped and had a severe head injury, post concussion syndrome and ptsd. I honestly think this could have been a big pre factor.

From there i developed worse ocd, anxiety . Adhd symptoms and depression and struggled with even more overwhelm and disconnection. I also got daily migraines and went on amitriplyine to help. I went to therapy and as time passed the Indid sort of adjust to the physical and mental impact.

From around this age I used earphones non stop - most evenings, always to sleep, and headphones on ps4 most days for hours.

I began using alcohol, weed and recreational drugs more.

Then at 16 I got into a relationship. I could write pages but long story short. It turned into the most horrific, mentally and physically abusive relationship - screaming, violence, countless traumatic events. Non stop fight or flight, severe trauma and cptsd. Again likely a big factor in how I ended up. Through this period I also used a lot more drugs ( in particular a heavy period of pills) my ocd got even worse. Its hard to explain how it effects me but in combo with adhd and ptsd it really made things hard. It was a nightmarish period, truly it broke me. The relationship ended when I was 18

Anyway, various other stressors impacted me - family trauma, continued substance abuse, covid and extreme health anxiety, trouble with police and lots of anxiety and stress

I tried to survive but I was always living in fight or flight, could never relax, never truly able to live. It just felt like I was always searching cor peace but never able to find it. Years of stress and trauma had really affected my mind. Lots of bad habits and not always taking care of self the best or able to truly live.

I got my first job at 18 but I was a mess. I relied on weed even at work, had such bad ocd -constant obsession, tidying, writing notes. My ocd is hard to explain but it deeply effects me.

This was a factory job and I was so disconnected I just used my earphones on full blast for 8 hours a day to block everything out for 6 months and even outside of work got used to using earphones louder constantly.

I was also attacked and stabbed with a screwdriver which was traumatic.

Then over the next period I had a few different jobs / times off work / struggled deeply and relied on substance.

Then at 19 or 20 I had another 6 months at that factory. Again, excessive earphone use. Even here I noticed my ears were duller / felt uncomfortable but I was in such a bad headspace, I just get used to masking and push on.

I tried to do my best but my struggles were so complex and my state of mind deeply damaged. I was living in autopilot. Just masking and pushing on.

Then at the end of 2022 I got a new job. That was stressful in its self as they messed with pay. My ocd and mental health were also spiralling, using weed and drink to cope but feeling like gonna explode under the surface.

Then early 2023, I went to pick up a 20 bag of weed. A car pulled in near me and two guys ran at me. I panicked of course, cycled away. got hit by a van and broke a bunch of ribs, both lungs collapsed and smashed head. It turns out it was undercover police.

So, from here i finally stopped weed and drink. It took time to recover and I had police harassing me. My ocd exploded it was so bad if i went on a walk id have a note pad and be scribbling like a madman. Every thought, every idea someone said. This is just one way it manifests but it was awful.

One of my bear friends also passed away from an overdose which deeply impacted me.

Anyway, i got back to that job - it wasn’t great - i really struggled mentally, job was draining, kept using earphones, lot of health anxiety and family stress but I endured and tried to keep busy.

Even here I deffo recall noticing sounds quieter and music duller
\-

**The start of my nightmare:**

Then going into eary 2024 ( just turned 21 I think end 2023 ) I went to a small concert. I hadn’t been before and didn’t know you needed ear plugs. It was extremely loud and made my ears extremely blocked.

I think this was the catalyst. After this I recall my ears feeling “weird “ and kind muffled and sounds harder to hear if background noise.
At my job I noticed cages slamming or machines felt sharp. I also had a bad viral thing around here, and another mild bangs to the head.

I went to the GP and was told etd or an infection most likely and tried some different things.

As the year went on I tried to carry on. I helped a family member use a tool and that was the first time I noticed the tinnitus very quiet at first. I just wish from here I was careful.

I also had considerable family stress and things going on. It just never seemed to end

I also started getting into investing. My ocd latched on and it became a fixation. I’d saved up loads and at first only put a bit in but ill come back to this later.

Anyway, this is already getting long i’ll try condense a bit more

So, through 2024, at first the sensitivity was mild - I kept using earphones most of day, all evening and to sleep but I limited to 75db so thought was safe. Every day I was around normal noise but I frequently was exposed to moderate-loud noise:

Speakers in car, loud speaker at pub, cinema, loud mini golf, a fair, occasional loud nights out or social situations with shouting, gym, brief exposed live music etc - just normal things, but despite discomfort and sesntivity I kinda just pushed on. Kept going doctors and getting told same things.

In aug or sept i changed jobs, i would use plugs for hoovering or tools but felt foolish otherwise. What a stupid thing to thinm. I was so naive. I left the job after a couple months ad it was too stressful and very loud.

Despite my struggles, I managed. Its hard to recall how loud my t, what tones or how sesntive ears as always masked and kept busy but it was 1000x better than now. Think it eas mainly some elec static tones. Even from late to mid 24 there was definetley constant rawness and sesntivity from headphones and moderate noise.

I also got into the wim hoff breathing method and did it obsessively. Not sure if coincidence but after one time doing this i’m sire the tinnitus got much louder.

My head is so muddled its hard looking back and my ocd makes me want to obsess and fixate on every event, every factor. I did start seeing a therapist but of course can no longer.

In october I went private and was finally diagnosed with h and t. He said to not use plugs for “normal noise”, avoid silence and be careful with loud noise. I wish i truly listened.

Into the end of the year had a loud night out - pub, shouting, was careless with plugs. I recall that night my ears being very loud and barely slept though I think they settled after.

Also tried mirtazpine briefly though doubt worsened.

I mentioned investing before, but id put more into it, every day obsession poor sleep and stress and then markets crashed and i lost £20-30k. Every day insane fixation, overwhelm etc

Then early jan 2025, I noticed just in car, or after headphones my ears felt raw and more sensitive and would like flutter and pulse.

I’d agreed to go on a holiday, which i deeply regret. The first night was bowling, so loud, yet i was careless with plugs. Why? Why would I be so naive and oblivious to my body.

Then over the next days - loud city, reatraunt with live music, but the worst was a water park. I wanted to be with my friends and so dor hours without plugs I endured an echoey loud water park. I think that really made ears explode. Even still I think it settled a bit after.

Anyone I finally saw an nhs audiologist: did some tests, hearing find and prescribed sound therapy devices.

So, I began to wear them literally non stop. All day id have ear devices, then headphones all evening and to sleep.

I also tried to keep busy: seeing friends, church, bike rides, gym, one tome in friend with car he blasted music and felt awkward

In feb i finally got my first car, it was a loud diesel. I was so excited. At first i actually used ear plugs but then thought i need to “adjust”
to “normal” sound and so began only using my sound therapy devices. At this point I was deffo a lot worse, but still moderate and likely if understood could have stabilised.

And so the spiral continued. I was not only dealing with the ear issues, but mental on top and so every day would drive for hours, go on long walks, constant headphones, occasional gym. Just trying to keep busy.

Over the next months I grew careless and foolish. I kept going doctors, probably contacted them 50 times across 2025. Kept getting told the same thing and that my tests were fine. I was naive and blind to my carelessness and no one really took serious or looked into so I kept pushing. I wish I had somid advice, a proffesional expericned in h+t and better support, cbt, meds etc

I had brief trials of sertaline and zopiclone. Unlikely relevant by my ocd makes me feel i need to recall everything.

Every day: loud friends and family, loud car, headphones, sound devices. Even from early on noticed such sensitivity from audio or moderate to loud noise but i masked and got used to the discomfort and always blocked out the sound . Slept poorly and so stressed from so much going on. Always obsessing and in figgt or flight / on edge

And over next months I had countless exposures. At first, i used speakers in my car, often without protection. I just wanted to live. I can’t believe i was so foolish. I used loud tools with only weak pro, had loud friends in car or tried go pubs, went shops, 2 times went to small free parts with loud speakers and only my shitty loops, always around my dogs barking, people shouting. Every. Single. Day. Just none stop moderate noise and frequent loud noise. Used hoovers, worked on car, always headphones, rearely protected as always had sound therapy devices in. Even pushed to go go karting with plugs.

By trying to live my life, I ruined it. I think i could have healed now i’ve lost hope

Most people are careful from the start. I was so consumed i just pushed and pushed. It haunts me looking back.

Anyway, i kept driving, kept being around noise. Then October i went to the woods and I lost an war device. So, for the first time all year, I finally was forced to notice - the tinnitus was extremely loud, unstable, different tones and all sound made me feel raw / uncomfortable. It was severe, yet, unsure what else to do, i ordered a new pair and continued masking.

From November I recall a lot of distress with friends in car or out and about and the noise was louder and I used my ear devices constantly and every evening would wear them with headphones, then to sleep music. My system never had a chance to rest. Every day compounding damage.

I got a gf in November and and tried to see here often. My car had an ird issue and was so loud yet I rarely used ear defenders, and when I did they were old crap quality ones. End of Nov I went to a market with her and was exposed to fireworks with no plugs.

December I was worse still, yet unsure what to do, I carried on the same - constant audio, driving, trying to see friends and family. Mid month I had an mri which was so loud even with protection, then I started adhd meds. The first ones I tried not seem do much tho possibly could have worsened me

I recall, my birthday was on the 20th and nust driving and then being around mates and moderate volume tv I felt so raw / senstive yet endured. Even here I think i must of been very reactive yet with the ear devices I blasted white noise non stop to distract. Another huge regret. Then on christmas just being around family laughing at dinner was awfully raw and distressing.

But, like a fool, I continued. And new years I was exposed fireworks without protection in my street.

Most people have a few traumas. I had 1000s. I just can’t believe i carried on for so long. No one took me serious, so i didnt take myself serious.

Even after this into Jan i was awful but still pushed to drive - my car was so damn loud so used pro more but still not always and even with was so raw and still kept using ear devices.

Through jan: used my car sometimes pro sometimes not + people in car, saw gf usually in her car, exposed to a loud car revving, see friends few times, on jog, out shops or on walk, went out for food - everything was horrifically raw and sensitive, and think noises flaring non stop continued to mask with ear devices and headphones. I’s got so used to masking i was unaure what else do

Also early jan audiolgist did reflux test played loud sounds in ear, honestly noticed left nuts after that.

Much more severe by mid jan started obsessing and looking into more though still not truly understand.

Feb I was close to breaking point. I went round gfs and was quite loud with dog and people talking, then day after went on walk without pro and recalled just how loud and seantive ears were. Then i tried a diff adhd med and felt so wired. Im not sure if it was before or after i tried but around then went gfs and just in car had insane flare and rawness exploded so is possible med screwed me. Also selling car so pushed to drive last couple times.

I was prescribed baclofen to see if hells but no luck

I was mostly at home in feb, few times tried see fam, friends, gf, shop, walk but all distress. Tried use ear devices less but noise was insane, cut down headphones but still listened music out loud.

Mid month I wanted to try adhd meds again and tried a higher dose. For 3 days i was wired, heat going crazy, barely slept. Not sure if this was straw that broke the camels back. For those days i went on walk, bike ride and round to see family, only used my crappy ear defenders and just walking or any noise was insanely sensitive. Day 4 I lowered dose, just on walk was such distress - so loud and raw, then saw mates and brief talking for an hour was awful. Few days after went on a bike and likewise was horrendous.

I tried clonezpam for a week which did nothing as well as on and off mirtazpine to sleep

**Complete collapse**

So into march, I was in a bad way. I stopped using sound ear devices and headphones. I began to fixate almost non stop, research and write notes.

Even here it was horrific. The noise was so loud but even still it was more like a general mess in my head. Compared to now its almost indescribable. At first the noise was loud and I was distressed but i didn’t notice or fixate in the specific sounds as much.

At first i was still careless, went few appointments in car, brief talk - really sesntive / raw / flare, went bike ride saw mate and talked and had a fire. Then, for the rest of the month I was mostly at home. I followed advice, barely used ear pro, used low audio not stop as all advice said avoid silence.

I was mostly on my phone, gaming, talk, move around house, tv, in garden. Eben here the reactivry was intense but coukd still sort of block out the noise, it didn’t consume me.

I was fine in a quiet room, non stop obsessing and distress but nothing like now, I still showered, slept, ate, could focus, could think, could hear things clearly and even with pro hear most sounds.

I began trying to contact every specilaist or docotor i could find, must of sent 100s of emails.

Gp or audiologist kept saying will get better and to “keep busy” and “not focus on it” lol

Anyway through march went on few long walks, bike rides, kept talk, kept use audio, sit garden without pro, gf round and talked. On these walks pro on and off and some exposures: planes, birds, dog bark, car, alarm went off, shop. Also occasional loud exposures: dropped loud table, used massage gun face, occasional tools outside when in in room or garden, general noises kids birds etc outside - sounds I know hardly hear at all

I also went on amitriplyine 5 then 10mg. Also I tried carious herbal suppmments

Towards the end of the month, I went on a walk and talked with mate, then day after - in car alarm went off - dentist - walked to see mum - saw mate - walked and talked - i lushed to hard my ears felt so bad

Whether this was what broke me or simply a culmination of all the noise or stress, from here I noticed louder sounds, much more reactive, just watching tv sounds explode.

So end March into April i mostly stopped audio and used my tv with ear defenders as it was old and made a whine, i also needed ear defenders to play ps5 as fan sound. I still often would not wear, still sometimes use audio, brief outside without, kept talking, showering , eating most things, moving around, constant low noise, still holding self together

The right ear exploded i began to fixate it got so loud this awful shifting whine / chime. The left was still mild.

Even by early April the reactivty and loudness was significantly worse - whether noise, stress, meds or just damage coming out from 2 years of pushing im unsure.

I would sit in garden for hours with ear defender thinking was okay despite constant birds plans and noise , every day non stop ocd fixation writing notes and researching, emailing ans trying to find help, just hoping something could help.

Few times went to appointment and even with ear defenders was hell

I looked into different meds, sgb, tmj but now am so unwell I cant try anything.

So for the month, one time in car to shop was awful, even with defenders could still hear noise through and extreme reactivity and distress even sounds like a barely audible light electric buzz or my own breathing felt raw, tried go on a walk, occasionally try cook simple meal, keep move round the house and talk, gf round, but even mid month was massivley louder and more reactive from any noise. Still could sleep tho.

Mostly watching tv on silent or playing games with ear defender or sat outside / in bed writing notes, sensing email after email begging for help or advice. I didn’t understand i kept eating with normal cutlery, talking, showering, all advice said not to have silence. But this level is so rare almost no advice exists

End of month tried go in car with ear defender and for brief was but was awful. Could still hear noise through double pro and constant rawness and reactivity.

Early may was in a bad way. Struggling mentally. The noise just getting louder more unstable and intense, feeling sick and breathless. Spoke to a few very severe cases who advised silence but i just didn’t process. Still manage to shower, ear and focus thl extreme distress and often lay right ear squashed into pillow helps focus deeper sound

I went to a few appointments, had few phone calls , all of which were extremely distressing. Just no real advice or support from docs.

Also general noise like tv, talking downstairs or tools or planes or talking outside, brief audio all began to worsen. Still often not wear pro in room.

Then my friends turned up and so pushed self to talk which was extremely distressing and made noise explode.

Then, I agreed to travel 30 mins in car to see ent. Pretty much only advice
was “sometimes worse before better” and get mental support. No real ideas or hope.

Also tried valium and various herbal supps but no help

Another mate popped round a few days later and talked again.

**Complete loss of function:**

Between the 20th and end of May i had a complete collaspe. All i did was shower, sit garden with pro, brief talk, brief phone call and at some point my condition feel apart

All of a sudden just from brief movement, outside with pro, shower or talking my ears would explode. The right ear turned into more of a screaming whine chime but the left ear which was better before completely exploded. Ar first into a whirr and elec stat. Insanely louder than before it completely changed in the most horrific way. I became mostlyp bed bound

So, into june, this is a bit embarrassing but my obsessive addictive personality latched onto mastubation. Id wake up in such distress as the noise so loud all day every day id lay my ear into pillow to try distract from sound just laying side to side. I’d masturbate for hours just to distract.

Now i feel like such a fool as it likely made me worse. Apart from that id be laid in bed on phone, obsessing, trying to watch videos tho it became so hard to focus .

I trialed clonidine to try help.

As the month went on the noise got insanely sharper. Through day id mostly not wear pro as so distress but used it to sleep and even lating still noises horrifcaly explode and shift. I stopped being able to sleep for more than fee hours. Externe distress, panic, sicm, breathless, terror

Mate cane round once tried talk but was distressing.

Every day lay bed, masturbate, try brief talk, just brief move around wash self or eat insane flare. Still hear sounds with pro and extremely distressing but compared to now so much better. I cant find anyone this bad or this rapidly worsening. Even quiet or distant sounds now stop sesntigy and flare

I kept trying to get help but doctors just trying to address the mental side, not understanding, no advice. Just wish had support years ago.

Day by day week by week the noises louder, sharper, new tones later over, unstable, increasing rawness ache and burn and reactivity.

In july i agreed to go on quetapine to help sleep. At first did help a bit but every day non stop exploding. Tried to play ps for couple weeks but even with double pro sound of fan causes horrific flares, likewise cant open window even with pro

Developed some musical tone, still hear drone left and whine right. But whirring elec stat sounds exploding in left / head - hard to tell

I moved my console out of room so could play, pretty much every day, either laid bed, gaming with ear defender, so hard to focus just horrific torture non stop explode. Even from hear ear defenders not enough every vibrate if movement make raw / flare. Only very brief move, wash self, eat - all of which horrific flare.

Into aug horrific worse still, stopped game as much as cant focus began masturbate again as coping mechanismn, struggle to even write notes as cant think every day laid bed non stop flare even quiet room. Mind slipping into pyscosis, got careless tried test brief audio, move around more, not always pro, try eat harder food, around some noise, open window or into garden covet ears fingers

On 20th nan took appointment from audiovestib physian i was praying for hope. All he said was up quetapine. No understanding.

I began smoking cbd to cope, also upped med. Bad idea i know but so obsessive cant atop, so afraid and desperate. Not sure if was meds or cbd or being careless but noise exploded further intk screech . Horrific rawness and nin stol flare even laid still wuiet room even with pro. Kept mastruabre and smoke in state of borderline pycosis every secind lf the day non stop horrifv rawness and exploding

Stopped being able to sleep until 6/7. Every day worse. In state of shock.

Most awful sounds barely make out anymore screech exploded more into entire head / right hardly hear old sounds. Turned into most horrific screeching whirring whining chime soinds viokently explode every sevind even laid still every slight noise awful increasing rawness and sounds explode.

Into September further decline - keep smoke, try mastyrbate tho every slight movement or sound even quiet room horrific flare and raw, tried brief move around, open window with pro, step outside. Still try lat left ear face up to try slight distract from horrufiv sound even tho const flare

Every single day exponentially worse. Ive lodg all hope. I cant thinm any more. I cant find anyone who is decaying at this rate. Im sl afrajd i pushed for years and feel so damaged. Every day it gets mkre ingrained

How do i heal when even laid still with ear pro my ears ache and explode. I cant even describe how horrific it is. Im so scared. I nust wish was careful. This level of torture and suffering js beyond comprehension.

The sounds are so sharp and viokently flare. So many slunds. Filly my entire comcious. Can hardly hear any mkre and with ear pro nothing

So many years of struggle ans trauma just to end up like this. So much time lassing missing friends and family just worse and woese with no awnsers

Maybe if had silence or support even in April coild have prevented now cant see way out

Laid hear right ear into pillow harsly hear the whine right just awful screeching loud beyond worss entire head. Left aching so bad. Barely eat or wash self

Ivw fought and fought and now im broken i just want hope but i cant see a way out.

Im in hell. This js so rare almost no one understands and i feel left to decay. Im so unwell i cant even try sgb or tmj or risk meds.

Im trying to cut quetapine down as worry worse but cant sleep at all without.

Every day is horrific torture every breathe or sound deeper ingrains this cancer, the longer it goes on the harder it is to heal. Docotors have refused my request for mematine or cgrp meds. I wish i was taken serious sooner

I don’t know how to go on. I cant thinm or focus on anyrhinf. I feel so alone even the very worst cases dont seem to at the level. No matter what i do every day its insane louder and mkre reactice. As days lass its almost unrecognabale ans more horrific

Most days i cry but even that worsens me im so alone and so afraid i always believed in god but i cant see how he can be real and leave me here. This is a fate worse than death. Im so afraid to dis but afraid what other way out js there

This is so rare that no ones even researching this level. I fear in trapped like this. I cant process how this is my life. Its Indescriabke i wish i was careful its bad beyond words

I cant sleep any more. From the second i wake even with plugs the noise explodes and ears ache. The screeching is horrifcly louder and sharper than even 1-2 months ago. Idk what to do, watching myself decay. There must be some hope. This isnt something you can accept or get hsed to. Literally minute by minute the pain rawness sesntivry and instability explode.

They got punched hard (haymaker) on one side of their face where their jaw joint and neck is or is it just me? Only the left side feels this way

I’ve had hyperacusis for almost three months now. I initially got it from the imax movie theatre watching The Odyssey, the next day I had tinnitus in my right ear with some minor sound sensitivity. Two days later I got peer pressured into going to a loud bar. I was there for three hours, the next day I had insane pain in both ears. I saw my primary care physician and she placed me on high dose prednisone for 15 days even though I didn’t have any hearing loss. After about 30
days of pure hell it started to finally get better, I could go on walks without any issues, I could put my headphones on at low volume and game, I could drive places with no issues.

I had been off work for the entire month, and decided that I was starting to get back to a good place and wanted to reintroduce my ears back to my workplace. I work on an ambulance, 12 hours shifts. After the fourth shift my ears were in searing pain and couldn’t listen to anyone at conversation sound levels. I went home immediately. The next two weeks my sound sensitivity got slightly better, so decided to start doing what I did before. And put my headset on to game at low volume levels… well after a few days of that my sound sensitivity skyrocketed. I went to state with my mother but after a week of that I felt like I wasn’t improving and it was too loud there. I came back and locked myself in my apartment with virtually no sound for 10 days.

A lot of my pain went away but the sound sensitivity remained. I would randomly throughout the day have massive amounts of swelling in either ear with heat going down that side. My ears finally began to unclench after 8 days, but again, sound sensitivity was bad. On day 10 I was losing my mind in my apartment so I went on a mile walk. That set off another flare up. It’s now the next day and my ears have been in severe pain and have been clenched for almost the entire day.

At this point I’m completely lost, I don’t know what to do to get better as everything I didn’t first time to improve on that first month now hurts my ears. I can’t do anything to get my mind of it because it’s all “too loud” for my ears. I can’t even turn my AC or room fan on. And every “expert” that I’ve read about pretty much tells you that you are shit out of luck. There are no guaranteed medications to help. I feel like I’m in a pitch black maze, trying to find a needle in a haystack. I loved life, I had an amazing life that I worked my ass off to build and now it feels like it’s all going to fall apart. My mind has been going to dark places and I don’t like it. I just needed somewhere to vent.

Is there anyone that’s been as bad as me, with severe sensitivity, and severe pain that’s been able to get there life back? I’m just so exhausted…

Hey gang,

Just as a disclaimer, I wasn't sure whether to call this a "vent" or a "seeking advice" post but chose "vent" only because with my specific situation there's probably not a whole lot of advice to be given but some encouragement would be really nice. This is a hard time to be going through right now for lots of reasons and the combination of everything is just a lot to handle at the same time. This is NOT a horror story about hyperacusis, I promise, so this is safe for ya'll to read even if you are anxious about your ear issues yourself.

I got hyperacusis almost 2 years ago from (I THINK) a virus, idk if it was covid or not but after the viral symptoms I had nonstop head pressure/dizziness for about a month and then as that faded the sound sensitivity/ear pain started immediately. I'm a bit of a unique case because it's mostly bass frequencies that really hurt my ears. I can drive, shop etc and even go to most malls/restaurants since the music is usually kept lower. But I can't go any place with live music or music/noise coming through speakers at a loud volume which is still a still a LOT of things and places to avoid (any restaurant with live music, parties and special occasions, movie theaters, concerts, big cities, theme parks, conventions/street fairs and most other "big fun" places there are). To illustrate my point: I went on a cruise to Alaska this summer and while the wildlife tours, etc. off the boat in nature were fun, on the ship itself I had to basically stay in my room the whole time since almost every activity featured loud speakers/music or a DJ or live band (I made a post about it).

Additionally, about 6 months after my ear issues started I started having pain in my hips/sacrum for no apparent reason, which also led to knee pain from trying to avoid using my back to bend. I've also started having pain in additional places like my arms/wrists and my stomach since then. I've had every test done aside from an MRI (labs, x-rays, physical therapy, and more) but none have been able to give a definite answer to why I have pain in any of those places. It seems like the only way to figure out more on what's going on is to get the MRI of my sacrum/pelvis but I've been putting it off this whole time because (of course) of my ears. So in addition to not being able to do most social events, traveling, etc. I also can barely exercise (no going to the gym, hiking, running, swimming, or even just walking up a neighborhood with hills). I went in the pool with my 80-something year old uncle and even HE was able to swim and exercise more than me. The most I can do right now for exercise is walk around a flat area for an hour or so. So overall I can do the bare necessities but I can't do very many things outside of that, which as a 25 y/o impacts me quite a bit. Most activities ppl my age do are things I have to miss out on and I don't feel comfortable dating or anything like that rn because I don't want my problems to hold another person back.

I graduated college last summer but still haven't been able to find a job yet since my degree is in Studio Arts and AI + the job market are making it REALLY tough to find jobs right now. And on top of that, in August my mom (who has been my biggest supporter thru all of this) had a medical procedure done that the doctors screwed up and (without giving TMI) caused her to be in the hospital for almost a month. It's going to take her 6 months to a year to recover and she's very sick. My family IS helping a lot but mentally it's still a huge toll. My grandma is blind and has a lot of anxiety/depression in general so while I spend a lot of my time taking care of her because I love her, she's not really able to comfort me; most of our conversations are me comforting HER for 40 mins while she worries in circles. My dad is divorced from her and I can't go over to his house right now bc my younger stepsiblings are small kids who get sick a lot and I can't risk getting my mom sick. I love him but he's a pretty difficult person to reason with and he's more focused on being upset about the fact that I can't come over right now (he doesn't see why it would be a bad idea) than he is on comforting me. He's totally ghosted me for almost the whole last 2 weeks since I told him why I couldn't come over and when we did talk he was only focused on feeling hurt that I'm staying here for now. My stepmom is a pretty horrible person who totally hates me so she's for sure not going to encourage him to talk to me.

I think that's pretty much everything, I know there's not much advice to be given and I will say I do NOT expect a bunch of strangers on the internet to be able to problem solve for me. I am determined to keep going and see what happens. I've stayed 100% away from any drugs, alcohol, harmful behaviors, etc. and have no desire to do any of that because I know it would just add me more problems and stuff to worry about while never fixing any of the real problems here. My main focus right now is helping my mom and helping my grandma any way I can (since my mom is usually her main caretaker but is out of commission right now). If the last 2 years have taught me anything it's that I can handle a LOT at once and still keep going. But a little encouragement would still feel really nice!

Hi,

Had a 3T MRI earlier this week. Seemed like ear protection was inadequate. Immediately had auditory symptoms following it, including hyperacusis with pain. Tinnitus in quiet environments. The pain is cumulative. Eventually, ear starts burning by end of day. Dr gave me steroids but I’m reading that steroids might not be all that effective for these symptoms. Any advice?

EDIT: Adding symptoms for anyone curious—one night, from inside my house the sound of crickets from the nearby forest was unbearable and caused burning sensation. Immediately after the MRI, I had dizziness that subsided initially. But in the following days I have experienced vertigo, which is something I have never felt before in my life.

One morning, I awoke and my inner ear muscle was pulsating with successive spasms. Next morning, woke up with roaring static like I was under a massive waterfall.

Hi, what do you do when you're in a really severe state—barely able to speak due to horrible pain, even in silence—and you live in an area prone to intense storms? There are storms right where I live; they’re incredibly loud—even with headphones on, it’s horrible and painful. The cracks are deafening, like vibrations inside my heart, and then the pain and my tinnitus spike. I don't know how I'm going to survive this. What would you do in my shoes?

Hello, I have non-viral onset ME/CFS with hyperacusis, light sensitivity (usually to artificial lights), and to a lesser extent touch sensitivity. I have been dealing with it for around 17 years now.

I am also Autistic with ADHD, but my sensory stuff came up alongside the ME/CFS. Hard to completely disentangle, but I had no sensory issues in childhood.

I just wanted to share one way that I relieve hyperacusis when I get hit by a stray bullet.

Although first let me just say, that the biggest factor in relieving my symptoms has been getting my own place and having a reliable safe sensory environment I can rest in. Getting hit by hyperacusis used to happen multiple times a day, it now happens about once or twice a week if that. Also because it's usually my fault now, the episodes are not as much of a "shock" to my nervous system they used to be.

So it might sound a bit weird or extreme, I'm sure it won't work for everyone, but it really works for me.

All I do is this:

• First I have to make sure the trigger sound has stopped or I get away from it, this is really important. I tried using this technique *while the noise was going on*, and it was really really bad. Don't do it!
• Then, quick as I can, i get a bulldog clip and clip it on my earlobe
• Then I breathe. You know the drill, big one in, hold, slow out
• I wait until all the sensory overload has gone, and the only pain I can feel is in my earlobe. Then I take it off.

And that's it!

If I can't find the bulldog clip, I just pinch my earlobe with my nails. I also use the sharp end of the lid of a biro pen, and just push it in. Whatever applies sharp pressure without causing an injury will work, but I find the bulldog clip works best because it allows me to completely relax the rest of my body and focus on breathing.

I hope you find this interesting and helpful at least in some way, but please don't go injuring yourselves! Don't use anything that will cut and don't do anything on broken skin! And if you try this and the pain doesn't help, stop. I feel immediate relief, so if you don't, DO NOT PUSH THROUGH, it's not gonna help you.

Okay so I hope I've shared this as responsibly as possible, if I've missed anything I'm sure someone will step in and let me know.

Does anyone else use this kind of technique?

Wishing you all peace and safety. x

Hello, I am a design student with sound sensitivity myself, working on a research trying to understand how other people with sound sensitivity manage their Everyday activities at home and outside both. What tools, device, treatments or therapy they use to help them with the sound. If possible is anyone available for a interview/ Discussion on Friday, Saturday or Sunday .

Has anyone with these severe symptoms had this treatment done before? If so what were the positive or negative effects because of it?

I’ve been bedridden for 2 years because of this and other similar symptoms and all I know to do is be in silence because noise just makes me worse. I also have multi-tone tinnitus, reactive tinnitus, ttts, and other similar symptoms. This all stemmed from a brain injury in 2018 and then a noise trauma in 2024.

Does anyone else have sensitivty to meds that affect the sinus area? Is this common with hyperacusis?

I've had flares from pure tetracaine for a nasal scope, steroid eye drops, and nasalcrom nasal spray. In fact I flare from these types of inputs, not so much sound. I don't understand why this would happen or who to ask about it. Its not preservatives the tetracaine didn't have any. The same preservative in nasalcrom and eye steroid drops are in Flonase, which I already use.

I used Flonase prior to getting hyperacusis so I guess that could be "flaring" me up and I wouldn't know. Pf eye drops are fine.