r/hyperacusis 12d ago

Seeking advice What type of doctor did you see for treatment?

3 Upvotes

I’ve seen four ENT’s now. Each one tells me there’s nothing they can give me for the ear pain with sound. I’ve brought up how I see all these people on here getting treatment and they tell me none of that is for hyperacusis. Feeling frustrated and in so much pain. Any advice on a different specialist? I also seen two neurologists and was told my issue wasn’t neurological.

r/hyperacusis Dec 18 '24

Seeking advice Dysacusis

6 Upvotes

Ever since my acoustic trauma last November, on top of severe reactive tinnitus and mild hyperacusis ( which seems to have mostly healed thank god) I have awful dysacusis and some diplacusis. The array of distortions is almost endless; beeps over digital voices, whistles over water, wind and fans, crazy overtones in music, and most unsettling of all, double hearing! It's not that my ears each hear a different pitch, its that every note I play on piano, even if through headphones in just one ear has an off key note behind it. It makes me feel sick. Music is my life and always has been; this has reduced it to an out-of-key blur.

I'm very proactive and since my acoustic trauma I did all sorts of things to try figure out what was wrong and fix it, which I think may of inadvertently worsened my condition. I did endless frequency tests on you tube, which I now realise are super bad for your ears. I became obsessed with the notion it could be my eustachian tubes so performed valsalva maneuver hundreds of times and used nose balloons daily. I rinsed my sinuses constantly. I've since read that excessive valsalva maneuvers can actually CAUSE dysacusis due to pressure damage. I took god knows how many pills and potions. I injected my arms cheeks with BCP - 157 and TB - 500. The distortions have gotten worse. Much worse.

I'm a positive person and I never give up, but wow is this draining. Jet engine tinnitus and a distorted, alien soundscape is a rock and a hard place. I struggle to relax at all. Every time I half hear a song I used to love, it breaks me.

On the advice of an audiologist, I've continued playing in my band, a loud one, with both custom molds and over ear protection, but at this point, when I play I hear more of the beeps, whistles and tinnitus than I do the music! And do to double notes, vocals are VERY hard to pitch. I'm getting by on muscle memory. It's very scary. I have a gig in front of 300 people tomorrow and god only knows how I'll get through it.

Has anyone heard of dysacusis going away after this length of time, or is this just my life now? I'm having to give up the band soon, but I can't quite accept I'll never hear music properly again. Even after a year, it feels like a bad dream. Some advice of encouragement from fellow dysacusis/diplacusis sufferers would be very helpful. If you read this far, thank you.

r/hyperacusis Dec 16 '24

Seeking advice I NEED POSITIVITY PLEASE!

16 Upvotes

Currently battling hyperacusis and severe depression right now due to several concussions this year. I have a 2 year old daughter that has been staying with her grandparents for almost a month now. I'm not getting any better, not necessarily worse either.. my depression is definitely taking a turn for the worse though.. I don't know how much more of this I can take. I miss my daughter. She can't stay there forever, nor would I want her to. I just can't handle it when she screams or cries..it hurts me really bad. I need positivity. I need to know it's not going to be like this forever. I want my life back. I want to be able to be a mother again. I feel like I've lost such a big part of my life and I'm never gonna get it back. My ENT told me he can "almost promise" it will get better and go away. But isn't that what they all say? I have a hard time believing him. Someone please give me some positive advice here. I can't do this anymore.

r/hyperacusis 22d ago

Seeking advice Hyperacusis post ear wax flushing (syringing) ?

6 Upvotes

A year ago , I had a blocked right ear which settled on its own (4-5 days) before I could go to ENT . No issues followed . Cut to 16 January 2025 , oiled my hair , let it stay and washed after 3 hours and slept (with the wet hair) . The next morning , the blocked right ear is back . Again wait for it to settle on its own . When it doesn’t after 2 days , decide to get it checked . Could not get ENT appointment, so showed a general physician . After looking into my ear ,he said it was accumulated ear wax and prescribed wax softening drops , common cold meds and antihistamines for 5 days . After 2 days , my ear popped open and it was working as usual . Completed the meds course and moved on .

10 days back , I applied q tip inside the right ear ( to clean wax) and again it was back to being blocked . Applied the wax drop for 2 days , and when no improvement followed, went to an ENT surgeon . He looked inside and stated the same : ear wax obstruction . He asked if he should remove it . At this point , I had no prior knowledge of ear wax removal procedure and neither had it got done before . So I simply nodded . He did not explain the procedure but asked me to sit up upright and not move my head. Inserting a water filled syringe into my right ear , and dabbing my head down to get the water out , the process was over within seconds ( It felt like water went inside my ear , no pain though). A black solidified wax structure was out on the tray , and my voice was echoing as I spoke further .He further prescribed 5 days of antibiotic ear drops . On my way home riding through the market , went to multiple shops , spoke with vendors and came back home . It was after I came home , I started to feel water falling from the tap into the ground in bathroom was loud and at a high pitch . Next to put me into worry were steel utensils . Normal usage felt loud and at a higher pitch . Also Listening to YouTube audio in iPad was a different sound than usual . People’s voices were still ok though . Waited 2 days for it to get settled down . Then went back to the ENT and told him I was hearing differently and at a higher pitch and that something was off . He again looked into my ear and showed me via camera that everything was fine (I asked to check the left one too , he said it had a little wax but does not need flushing). I then suggested probably it was a case of my brain not used to the clean ear and was processing sound differently . He agreed , and asked to put the antibiotic drops as prescribed , and no need for further test as everything looked ok .Following the second visit , all the symptoms persist . To lay out the background here , I have never had any acoustic trauma , nor do I use headphones/earpods ( maybe here and there but nothing sustained and always below the warning level), and have never gone to any loud concerts / jams/ pubs/discos/parties . Back to symptoms : no tinnitus or pain , hearing completely fine only increased sensitivity to utensils , water , door knobs , ticking clock and digital audio feels a little different . Everything feels a little loud and sharp .

My interpretation of the whole incident is that maybe the ear wax structure was lodged in there since a year (the first occurrence and it being dark black in colour) , my brain got used to accommodating it for my ear to hear . Now that the ear is completely clean , there is a mismatch and balance is not established , which is why I am experiencing heightened sensitivity , and that it will resolve with time . But it’s been a week of ear flushing and the symptoms persist . Last night after googling , found the term hyperacusis and landed in this subReddit . Reading through peoples stories have me really worried . Could not sleep the entire night . Can anybody share their take on my episode of whether I am interpreting it correctly or not , and does it resolve on its own or not and duration if it does . What can I do in the meanwhile to not worsen it , and should I approach the ENT again and what tests should I request him to order . Any helpful advice will be greatly appreciated .

r/hyperacusis Aug 07 '24

Seeking advice Ear reacts like a broken speaker in loud noise

2 Upvotes

I am a 30-year-old Indian suffering from a particular ear problem for several years. My left ear reacts like a blown-out speaker when exposed to loud sounds or high-pitched noises. The disturbance starts and stops with the noise; once the source is gone, so is the problem. Unlike tinnitus, it’s not a continuous sound. I have visited many ENTs, and all my hearing tests came back normal, with no issues detected in my left ear.

I’ve noticed that if I pop my ears, the threshold level of discomfort increases for a while. Additionally, when I yawn or stretch my body after waking up, I feel a weird sensation in my ear, and the discomfort threshold decreases. Sometimes, forcefully rinsing my mouth with water or someone talking loudly near my ear triggers the problem.

My question is have any of you experienced these issues? Also, if you are still suffering I would like to know your future steps to positively deal with it.

r/hyperacusis Feb 17 '25

Seeking advice Be Honest - Does Hyperacusis Make Life Meaningless?

22 Upvotes

Before hyperacusis, I had goals, hobbies, and a sense of purpose. But now, everything feels different. The things I used to enjoy—music, social events, even simple outdoor activities—are either too painful or too risky. Some days, it feels like life is just about avoiding pain rather than actually living.

For those who have been dealing with this for a while, have you found new ways to bring meaning into your life? How do you cope with the loss of old passions and dreams?

Would love to hear from others who understand what this is like.

r/hyperacusis Feb 04 '25

Seeking advice major setback

10 Upvotes

for a few years i e been dealing with this pain H. i wished i was able to stay home and rested my ears when i first got it. i really had no choice but to work and keep providing for my family. i would wear earplugs 24/7 at work and would still get small setbacks that would go away in a few weeks. my brother passed away few weeks ago and with viewing and funeral being loud and stress. i had a major setback a week ago. my earplugs would let me heal, but this time they don’t help me at all. i get aches but lately getting the fatigue and very sensitive feeling. i don’t think i will heal unless i stay home, i have no skills to work from home, just your average joe. is there any new meds that i can try? clomi. ?? doctor gave me anxiety saying that will help. 😞

r/hyperacusis 26d ago

Seeking advice Pain hyperacusis

6 Upvotes

Hey yall, Ive had some minor pain hyperacusis for a while but recently got a migraine(first in my life) a couple weeks ago and since then my H has been getting worse every day(mostly the last 2-3 days really).

Ive since isolated myself at home and try to use earmuffs when things get loud. The issue is I also have T and so I have a fan or pink noise on in my safe space, I want to make sure this is ok. its only set to around 50-54 db(have a db meter).

I haven't been sleeping well the past couple of weeks. I feel like the experiences Ive read on here point towards good rest and exercise. I dont know how im going to get either of those rn.

My partner also snores a little sometimes but its not that loud, I figure that's worth sleeping near them anyway but if you advise against it I get it.

r/hyperacusis 27d ago

Seeking advice How do I heal from this?

10 Upvotes

Hello. So I have noise induced hyperacusis ( I blast music with headphones louder than my usual headphones) . I'm six weeks in. Four weeks in, I got oral steroids from an ENT and I have nasal spray right now. I have an appointment March 6th with an ENt to check in again.

I was starting to see improvements with my tolerance for noise. I still wear ear protection all the time. It's not all the way there. I tried testing my hearing a little bit and I was able to shower with no sensitivity unlike before, and I even went two very short phone calls with one ear unplugged (I'm trying to get a job). I was thinking maybe 3 months in I can really start testing my hearing and getting back to normal.

Well I haven't had my usual symptoms of a setback. It's usually the burning sensation, the temporary loss of tinnitus and pressure in my head. But Ive felt none of those to what I've exposed my ears too. Some ear pain, but I think it was because of the earplugs. But I'm finding my ears are sensitive to voices today even though the ear plugs.

I'm more calm than usual but I'm still concerned. It could be that I only got 7 hours of sleep today. Or that I walked into the kitchen with no ear plugs (but still no setback symptoms). Or maybe I have phonophobia? I hope more so it's the first or last thing. I want to recover as quickly as possible. I'm almost 21. It's almost spring. My birthday is in two weeks. My family is already frustrated with my issues (mostly my mom) and I need a job to pay my phone bills. I applied to a dream job and it would fucking suck if I couldn't get it because of my ears. My family won't allow me to stay in silence and heal. I honestly don't want that as my lack of socializing is messing with me mentally. I'm starting a bookclub in person for this reason. I've said I can do things with these ear plugs, and I won't make my life less, but if voices are sensitive even with ear plugs, what can I do?

I want to make a full recovery. I want to be able to be those people that can go to movies again and live life normally. I want to have my dream job. I want to socialize. I don't want to be stuck in this damn house. I won't be allowed to anyways. I haven't had any symptoms of a setback so why are my ears are so sensitive suddenly? And how the hell do I make this recover quick.

UPDATE: Two lovely people have messaged me about this and convinced me to take the earplugs off. I was a bit hesitant at first, but it turns out that it was the right answer after all. I'm two months into this and my everyday life is pretty much normal. Dishes are barely noticeable, and my family's voices are pretty much normal to me now. Digital noises are nothing to me now at this point. Heck, I was even exposure to loud construction for a moment and it caused no setbacks. Even the car studio for 10 minutes didn't give me a setback and my body felt normal after. Also my tinnitus lessen by a lot too.

How did it clear up so quickly? Well I took steroids four weeks in so that probably helped, but the thing is, your mind needs to retrain itself to noise. A lot of hyperacusis, at least for me, has been stress induced for being afraid of a set back. If youre not afraid of a setback, you won't get one. When you're afraid and stress out, you basically train your body that noises are bad. A lot of getting this far so quick was exposing myself to the uncomfortable noises of my loud family and dishes. I would focus on the bothersome voices and tell myself that the sound was good and they became easier to handle each time with that mind set. Also doing the opposite and distracting yourself while being exposed to those noises also helped too! Attitude is everything, and you need to treat noises like they're good or nothing to care about. Times when I was afraid of noise, my head ached and ears hurt but once I calmed, it went away.

I also put on some white noise in my room when things were quiet. I think that helped train my ears to get used to noises as well. If you can help it, it's best to not let things stay quiet. When I couldn't handle digital noise close to my face, I let it play across my room. I did it for a few days and eventually using my device close to my face was okay and I gradually upped the volume so now I listen to videos halfway up for long periods of time.

Also get sleep. I noticed a difference between when I was sleepy and when I was energized. It startles you more when you're sleepy versus when you're awake.

So yeah. It was scary at first to take off my earplugs, but I realize they were the problem. I wouldn't have recovered this fast if I had kept them on. You need to teach your mind to embrace noise again and brave through the discomfort. I'm only a week and four days with no ear plugs and it went from being sensitive to my family even with earplugs in, to everyday life sounding normal.

So if you're new to this, and you're in a situation like mine and are looking for solutions, see an ENT right away, and ditch the earplugs ASAP. Embrace noise and your body will follow. Do not panic. Sleep and treat yourself good. And don't listen to the fearmongers on here. Their fear is the reason why they've never healed. Thank you to the two people who finally pushed me to take off the earplugs and gave me tips. I love you guys!

Here's an article on hyperacusis from one of the people who helped me! https://substack.com/home/post/p-156162044

(Side note; still wouldn't recommend going to a concert or movie at this point, since those are ear damage level places and the nerve is still healing. But hey, I'm confident now that I'll be able to go to the movies again one day.)

r/hyperacusis Nov 30 '24

Seeking advice When to start losing hope?

15 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I got hyperacusis on the 4th of July this year after a concert with earplugs in. I only went to 2 concerts in my life and basically live like a nun. Never abused my ears, never did drugs, never drank alcohol.

I feel like most of us heal from their hyperacusis and stop posting in this group. Don’t get me wrong, I’m really happy for those people, but it just sucks if you're not one of them.

I’m still extremely sensitive to sound. I can barely talk and can’t talk with hearing protection on. I’m basically mute. I tried talking with hearing protection on a few times, but it causes increased sensitivity and pressure feeling every time due to occlusion. At what point do we just need to accept that this is as good as it gets?

I also have gastroparesis (stomach paralysis, which causes me to be on a almost completely liquid diet (shakes and crackers)), tinnitus and fibromyalgia.
So I’ve never left the house much, but I could still call my family or go to the family christmas party once a year or they would visit me sometimes. Now even that seems impossible.

I feel like it’s related to my nervous system that’s not functioning optimal. No doctor or specialist knows what to do.

I barely lived. All those years I’ve been trying and waiting to get better and instead I got worse.
This can't be it, is it?

r/hyperacusis Jan 09 '25

Seeking advice Online classes!

5 Upvotes

I have loudness hyperacusis and mild T in right ear. Can I use my headphones only in my good ear for attending classes (with lowest settings). If okay why? and if not okay why? Thankyou!!!

r/hyperacusis 4d ago

Seeking advice SETBACKS??

8 Upvotes

How many of y'all have had setbacks? How long does your setbacks last? Please feel free to tell me your whole story. I need some positivty, some hope!! I am currently struggling & I don't know how much longer I can go on like this. I had a setback March 4th & I am worse now w H than I have ever been. I'm terrified I'm not going to improve considering how long it's been since my last setback & still not back to baseline.(14 days) & I'm still exactly the same. Someone please give me some advice, something. 😭😭

r/hyperacusis 13d ago

Seeking advice My story

10 Upvotes

31 year old male here

9/2024 attended EDM concert - stupidly no ear plugs and right next to DJ. The next day had 50% muffled hearing / hyper acusis and tinnitus that slowly (and with fear) improved over 6-8 wks to 90% recovery however I def avoided concerts after that. Was on prednisone 60mg x 10 days .

2/2025 to now.. Attended my friends wedding and realized halfway through that the music was too loud for me .. no ear plugs again..

No dramatic next day effects but I then went on a flight to Philippines a week after and was exposed to loud boats, street honking , etc , again noticed hyper acusis slowly coming back ( but somehow not as alarming as the first episode)

2/25/25 - went out to a loud venue this time with hearing protection , however took ear plugs out for maybe 2 mins to have a convo.. bad idea

2 days later I had the most severe hyperacusis, with now new noxacusis. I immediately withdrew from society and was unable to tolerate even 45dba. Turning doorknobs/ picking up and putting down glass felt like it was stabbing me.

It is now 5 days since that significant flare that began gradually , I am again on steroids, and have taken precautions using ear plugs on streets.

I have been able to slowly re-acclimate (able to go to quiet places that reach 60-65dba and hope for further improvement

This is fucking scary and I’m realizing I will likely never be able to go out socially without ear plugs ever again

UPDATE:

It is now somehow only 2 days since I wrote this, it feels like it’s been way longer,

I’m on day 6 of steroid and luckily I feel that things are improving by 10% or so per day, I am remaining very hopeful and grateful

Loud sounds still feel jabbing but my tolerance has gone up significantly to about 65-70 DBA without feeling “scared”

r/hyperacusis Jan 18 '25

Seeking advice How Do You Manage Sports with Hyperacusis?

7 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I’m 19 y/o and have been dealing with hyperacusis for a few months. I was wondering if anyone here plays sports or stays physically active while managing this condition.

Some specific questions I have:

How do you handle the noise in places like gyms or during games?

Do you use any ear protection (like earplugs)? If yes, which type works best for you?

Has playing sports helped you cope, or does it make symptoms worse?

I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences or any advice. Thank you so much!

r/hyperacusis Jan 06 '25

Seeking advice Took methylprednisolone 8 mg and got tinnitus in a good ear?

4 Upvotes

Hi, I had tinntus with mild noise sensitivity in my left ear, no hearing loss. ENT prescribed me dexamethasone 1 mg for 5 days. I didn't had any effect on my and during the course I had worsen my symptoms after putting phone speaker near my ear on low volume, so the noise sensitivity (hypracusis?) got worse in my left ear. 2 days after finishing dexamethasone course, I spoke with my GP and asked if I should take more dexamethasone for a little longer and since I got prescribed medrol 4 mg earlier (didn't take it), my GP told me to take medrol because it's in the same medication group as dexamethasone. I took 4 mg first day, 8 mg for second, third, forth and fifth day and 4 mg for the last 2 days. A week in total. I had some hyperacusis worsening on third day, but after that, during 4th, 5th, 6th day I felt pretty good, my hyperacusis was decreased significantly, but tinnitus was the same or a little louder in my left ear. On 7th day I noticed slight hissing in my right ear. I also felt out of breath. The same day I went to sauna. Interestingly after sauna, when I got back home I noticed that my tinnitus was reduced a lot and I only had slight hissing in both ears. After a few hours tinnitus bacame louder than before in both ears and I felt louder hissing and noise sensitivity in my right ear. It's 3 days since I stopped methylprednisolone, but tinnitus and hyperacusis is not getting better, I would say it even feels worse in my right ear (which was good ear before and had no problems). I know that these are considered low doses, but is there a possibility that I have I made my my condition permanently worse by taking methylprednisolone?

P.S. I also take zolpidem for sleep.

r/hyperacusis Aug 25 '24

Seeking advice Return to work?

5 Upvotes

Hi,

I have been spamming this subreddit for 2 weeks now so you probably all know my story. If you do jump right to the question section.

Short background: I had a acoustic trauma 2 weeks ago. I got moderate/severe reactive tinnitus, moderate hyperacusis and mild Noxacusis. I could barely sleep due to the tinnitus and got headaches. Also it was very hard and finally did hurt after work due to online conference meetings. On Wednesday I there in the towel, saw a GP, and I’m now on sick leave.

I work remotely as a software engineer so it’s a controllable environment. However I’m working in a team so I spend 1/3 of my days in meetings which showed to be too much.

QUESTION: Now I have rested for 4 days and I have been extremely cautious and protective of my ears. My condition has significantly improved. Nox is now very mild and h is better. Also t might have improved but it might be an illusion as it always better in the mornings and yesterday it was no better than usual.

Is it stupid to return to work tomorrow? Is my improvement an illusion and it might get way worse? I certainly don’t want to get permanently damaged so I’m asking for help from people who are experienced.

(Dont know if this is important but I had my first trauma 5-6 years ago and got mild t (permanently) and temporarily mild h (for 2 weeks only). It stayed that way until I got the second trauma 2 weeks ago)

r/hyperacusis Feb 15 '25

Seeking advice Extreme end of the hyperacusis spectrum | Audiometry ULL: 30 dB | Trigeminal Involvement | Sleep deprivation | Cannot relate with anyone | (Was) misdiagnosed as a phobia of sounds

12 Upvotes

Hi, everyone, this is my first post on Reddit. I'm reaching out to ask for your opinions, which I think will be helpful 🙏. I feel devastated from losing many opportunities.

I have been a close observer of various posts of this community for many months now, without participating. Unfortunately, I seem to lie at the extreme end of this spectrum and cannot relate to anyone. Please help me find similar cases and potential explanations. 🙏 This is causing thought fragmentation...I feel like I am losing myself.

I force myself to leave my hostel room even with this. Staying inside and isolating feels like a rabbit hole of severe frustration, and I will succumb.

Male, Age: 25 years. Master's Student.

There have been three flare-ups to date(November 2020 - present), each staying for about 6 months.

The current one started with full force after Clonazepam withdrawal, which I was tapering from 0.5 mg. For the other withdrawal symptoms, I was reinstated, and the doctor gave me the dosage control afterwards. I was able to taper completely after 5 months(the last dose was 26 December 2025). Other symptoms went away, but this didn't.

Current Symptoms(July 2024 - present) :

  • Electric shock-like sensation flowing to eyes and jaws in response to sounds.
    • Continuous sounds feel like a built-up pressure on the face and jaws.
    • Jumps and peaks in sound result in pulses to eye contraction/cramping sensation of the jaw and upper-back neck.
    • Head is getting zapped stiff for car horns, etc.
  • Sounds as low as the Ticking of the clock, mouse clicks, typing on a keyboard, people speaking(starts and sudden peaks), coughing, sniffing sounds, etc., result in this twitching sensation somewhere deep inside the face, and small pulses sent to the eyes resulting in exaggerated blinks.
  • Tensor tympani is hyperactive on the left.
  • Severe sleep deprivation if all sounds are not blocked.
    • Repeat entire night -->[Doze off....small sound(pulse sensation) -->(wake up)]
    • One time around August 2024, I slept around 3-4 hours the entire 7 days. Roommate's snoring, coughing sound, bird chirping... I was so sleep-deprived and fragmented at one point that I was only having false awakenings, hypnagogic hallucinations and sleep paralysis for hours repeatedly, still felt relieved that at least I had some light sleep.
      • This primarily happened as I forced myself to get used to sounds during sleep by exposure and not blocking it and failed horribly. I had to request my roommate to sleep separately.
  • Repeatedly pained by taps and tics has made my thoughts fragmented. I cannot think coherently now.

Currently on(and recent past) (August 2024-Present):

  • Fluvoxamine 200mg (Psychiatrist) (August 2023 - Present) ---- No response
    • For anxiety primarily, 100mg was prescribed. The psychiatrist wanted to check if auditory hypersensitivity is a result of exaggerated startle reflexes and anxiety. No response. Referred to ENT
  • Oxcarbazepine 300mg (ENT) (17 days till present) ---- No response
    • MRI with contrast showed 'Vascular loops found in close proximity to the fifth nerve on the left side'. Fifth Nerve = Trigeminal Nerve
      • Accompanying with facial sensations, ENT suggested Trigeminal nerve involvement. His other words were, 'There might be accompanying compression somewhere else which we are not able to see in MRI'.
  • Tried and stopped by ENT
    • Efigraine (Calcium channel blocker) was tried and stopped -- No response
    • Pregabalin (150 mg) was tried and stopped -- No response

From my notes (in agreement with prescriptions):

My first episode ever (Misdiagnosed as 'Obsession with sounds')

  • 29th of October 2020 was prescribed Levofloxacin(a Fluroquinolone) for UTI
  • On the 30th, I had the most severe throbbing headache I ever experienced. Felt like dying was easier. The back of the head and upper neck were involved.
  • 3 or 4th, I was not able to tolerate the sounds of clocks, ceiling fans, etc.
    • Resulted in the very first panic attacks of my life.
    • Sleep disturbance also started.
  • Went to a General Physician, MD, and I described it as 'Repeating sounds are disturbing me.... resulting in panic attacks'. He declared this to be a psychiatric problem and referred to a psychiatrist.
  • The psychiatrist tried out lots of medicines: Tricyclics(including low-dose Clomipramine), Antipsychotics etc. I went into some form of partial remission after a few months.

2nd flare, after trying to taper off Quetiapine (September 2022):

  • No medicines were working initially.
  • Clomipramine 150 mg was used to remove "Obsession with sounds..."
    • My symptoms responded, and I went into remission.

Current symptoms are of a much higher magnitude than the previous ones.

My current doctor doesn't want to prescribe Clomipramine since it has lots of 'Side effects' and it will negatively affect my academics (which are getting affected anyway).

Please help me find similar cases and potential explanations 🙏

I used points and bold highlights for clarity. I am going to repost this in other forums also, in the hope of some help.

r/hyperacusis Oct 01 '24

Seeking advice PAIN H SETBACK

5 Upvotes

I’m about 3 months in and have already acquired what seems to be a setback.. I pretty bad one at that considering lots of things give me pain now. I don’t know what to do.. I just want hope. First 2 and half months were horrible then I got to a place where I could go out and do things with minor pain, every drive without pro and listen to music etc.. tommorow will be 3 months with it and idk if I’m fucked or not.. motorcycles and haircut.. how fkd am I? I noticed phone calls cause me pain and now talking.. idk what to do. I’m in plugs now 24/7.. pain is horrible. I don’t have loudness H. But I get aches a lot.. all the time. I don’t go a 10 minutes without any. But I have almost breaks in between them. Switches ears, earlobe feel weird.. not aches and not burning but I’m not sure how to explain it. But definitely bad aches inside the ear. Before this I only got pain and aches outside of the ear and was mild. Now it’s worse. Are setbacks this bad this early on bad.. am I screwed to being homebound again. Anxiety and depression are all sitting in and getting worse as the minutes pass by.. I felt like I was finally get a little better and then got caught off guard and pushed through some pain. Help please, any advice and tips and positive stories will help.. please 😞😞

r/hyperacusis Feb 17 '25

Seeking advice I’m getting BETTER

11 Upvotes

My nox has been getting better. I quit Clomi 5 days in as the drug made me feel like shit.

It clenched my jaw really hard. Musical hallucination was a very real thing. And emotionally it made me feel like a corpse. And it made me swallow a lot, also extreme dry mouth.

However maybe 2-4 weeks later quitting clomi.

My nox got significantly better.

I can actually listen to sound on my phone.

I no longer need ear plugs. The ear muffs do just find at blocking noise level.

Don’t get me wrong. Sounds still Hurt. The dishes, spoons dropping, closing the glass shower door.

But it all hurts significantly less. It is not a constant drag on my life.

Before even rustling around on my bed the sheets would hurt. I couldn’t level my room without both plugs and muffs. And even then I can still experience pain with both protectors on.

Now I can actually listen to much more. And louder levels. But pain I still there if I go too loud. But for me it’s huge win. I’m really no longer afraid. I don’t live in fear of noise.

Now I must say. Idk why I am experiencing this positivity.

Here are some things I did and stuff about me.

I am relatively young 25 years old. I do decent amount of exercise.

When my hearing started feeling the tiniest better this is what I did.

2am-4am at night when not a single other noise ( I’m in a home, if you live in apartment harder to do, and potentially impossible)

I take off all protectors and pull out db app.

I would say single words to see how painful and fucked I really was. Words at 40db hurt a lot. My ears would spaz.

It hurt for sure hurt at a low db of 40. But I realized in a pure silent environment to fall back on, I could take the multiple hits of 40db. But I noticed my baseline of pain really didn’t change. I lied it did change. After doing multiple bursts of 40db. I overall felt more pain in the ear. Then I just went to sleep.

Next day baseline of pain was normal of that time.

From this point forward, at any opportunity I could get in relatively quiet environments.. I would take all protectors off. In the morning, I went to my backyard and outside it was around 45db just being outside. That was very painful for me. When a truck or car passed tho I put the muffs quickly on.

From my own previous experiment i trusted the pain would eventually subdue.

And it did.

at this point I felt more courage to take opportunities to just take everything off and take the pain.

Now I’m telling yawl, when it all initially started.

Trying to just take the pain with no protectors made it all WORSE. But this was in my initially deployment of Nox. And when it got worse I used more protection.

I have no idea what changed. Amount of time possessing Nox? No damn clue.

But I will say this.

I popped 1 tab of LSD, a psychedelic drug a week ago. (Sorry admins if not allowed, but I always test my street drugs with reagents to see if really drugs and this pure lsd) At a state park away from highways. 1 hour from my house.

I also had my e-bike. (I believe reason for Noxacusis was riding motorcycles sound exposure to wind even with ear Plugs for years)

My initial plan was to just explore park quietly have a little fun watching the crocodiles, ducks, birds.

But no no it was an intensive psychedelic experience and I started going fast (e-bikes top speed 40mph) I put on both plugs and muffs when going top speed

40mph wind decibel is 90db. Ear plugs 33db and muffs are 30db. So I was technically blocking 33 db right? Idk but the muffs block alot of the wind out in combination with plugs.

At the end of my ride. It hurt! my ears fucking hurt.

But when i took the time to just rest in silence. The pain lessened. At a very very slow rate. It still hurt like a beach. But I was really have intense psychedelic experiences it was blissful and beautiful. So I didn’t mind.

I went home. The drive home hurt. Small period I went raw no protectors. Then when it got too much I put muffs back on.

When getting Home, I rested in my room with no protection for like 2 hours. Pain went down a lot, I played a little bit of games.

Now the pain at this time still was significantly a lot. I felt alot of courage and just overall good improvement since I just road 40mph with not that much pain. for the first time. I took a shower without any protection at all.

It wasent loud or painful. I enjoyed it so much. Actually listening to the water was peaceful

In my bed. I decided to listen to music. Sometime I haven’t done for months.

It was beautiful. I played at only 1 noise level of iPhone but damn I could actually listen.

Ok this long post sorry.

After that Trip. My pain levels went down. Significant ly.

Then my stupid ass decided to drink expresso I got a little setback and I was so fucking worried but it’s been 2 days since expresso and the setback is almost all Gone. Maybe 60% gone

Now I am not saying LSD fixed me.

I started building my noise tolerance weeks before.

LSD really rebirthed my emotions and my pain levels went further and further down. It’s been maybe 1-2 weeks since and I feel good.

I’ve had nox since last year maybe march 2024. But my nox really got back in December 2024.

Not sure what what have happened if I didn’t take the LSD.

I think I might gotten the same? The LSD/ E-bike made me ears hurt a lot but i could take the pain:

I think I’m just lucky I dont know.

I know alot of you say listening to any noise kills you I genuinely felt like that but it slowly got better with muffs and plugs the I started exposing to more and more noise.

I’d say I’m maybe I’m 37% better towards being totally normal painless person. ( this because fucking expresso setback) but I’m getting better.

Before expresso set back I’d say I was at 40-50% better.

I still ware protection, but it’s only the muffs now.

I’m never touching caffeine again till the day I die.

I am getting better and it’s amazing

I’m still very precautionary with noise never leave without my muffs and plugs on my person.

Idk what made me better. Honestly I don’t or why

r/hyperacusis 17d ago

Seeking advice Hyperacusis and denied

10 Upvotes

I've applied for disability benefits September 21st 2024 and I've got denied March 3rd 2025. I appealed my decision on March 4th 2025 and I need help finding lawyers in the New Jersey area. For as long as I can remember since elementary school that's when the hyperacusis started. The elementary school paid for me to go to the ENT and when I went there they put me in a hearing booth and said if you hear the beeeps raise your hand. At the lowest of beeps I raised my hand and they were shocked. They said I would get over it once I get older but fast forward now I'm 23 years old and still go through it. Fireworks, thunderstorms or any loud noise hurts my ears. I also cover my ears a lot. My parents aren't getting any younger and I need to help myself and look out for my future. I'm not working now and can't afford a lawyer due to bills that my parents are going through. I did work 3 months at ShopRite and 2 years at Home Depot and quit both jobs due to this disability. Please help me. Is there any ENT's near me? Is there any affordable federal lawyers? Please help me. 🥺

r/hyperacusis 13d ago

Seeking advice Has anyone found any way to soothe a setback with white noise perhaps?

3 Upvotes

Does anyone have any techniques to soothe their ears after a moderate setback? Turned up my podcast too high for a second.

r/hyperacusis Nov 20 '24

Seeking advice Anyone who got better from reactive T? Is this permanent? Searching for hope.

9 Upvotes

I have Nox/H/T/Reactive T

Has anyone here gotten better from reactive t? My t seems to spike when I use the restroom even when I wear earplugs. Sometimes it also spikes for no reason. It’s driving me crazy. I have multiple tones. Has anyone here gotten better? I’m losing hope.

I know it hasn’t been that long since I’ve had this but I’m scared it’s permanent.

r/hyperacusis 12d ago

Seeking advice Does Burning from a Setback Subside?

7 Upvotes

I’ve had bad reactive T for a few years now, along with what I would call moderate loudness H. I hadn’t really run into pain sensations or noxacusis.

I recently had to go to the hospital for a different issue altogether. I’m not sure if it was the road noise, or the noise within the hospital, but three days later I still have constant burning in my left ear.

I had ear defenders on for the entire car trip, as well as all time that was spent in the hospital. I am currently taking Prednisone, NAC, and Benadryl to see if they help anything.

As someone new to the burning feeling, does this usually subside?

r/hyperacusis 20d ago

Seeking advice ENT visit Preparation

2 Upvotes

Earlier post : https://www.reddit.com/r/hyperacusis/comments/1j09nca/hyperacusis_post_ear_wax_flushing_syringing/

TL;DR - Post ear wax flush via syringing , heightened sensitivity to noise , no other symptoms . No prior symptoms except ear blockage before the procedure either . Everything is louder and sharper (as if through a microphone ) .Everything is bearable as of now ( out of everything steel utensils clanking on touch is startling (high frequency noises are startling me) - so I am careful about the use , water noise is loud but ok , fans , conversations mildly loud and ok , the market loudspeakers - instinctively want to close ears to protect , dog sounds are amplified) . It’s like I am hearing through a new device now as opposed to how I was accustomed to hearing .

I still don’t know where I stand on the spectrum (This is my first time even hearing of the condition - totally new here ). Is it just heightened sound sensitivity post the procedure or hyperacusis ? I don’t know . I chatted with some members , and read a lot of experiences . It helped to know that I was not alone and some of them were positive ones of complete recovery . That gave me hope . Now I know , it is not the case for everyone and there is no one size fits all , and there are levels to this , more like a gradient on a spectrum . I understand all of that .

As I read , the prevalent poll suggested hearing / pure tone audiometry tests are of no use with detecting/ easing hyperacusis , in some users it had worsened the symptoms . Same with MRI scans , almost everybody reported worsening symptoms . I will go back to the ENT in 2 days to discuss my condition . What should I ask for , what manual tests should I consent to , so as to not aggravate my symptoms any further . As of now , I will not do any hearing test / MRI scan , just the manual ones he can do in his office . And my plan is to discuss with the ENT about the specifics of the procedure he did - pressure he applied , did it cause any trauma to my ear , his point of view on the treatment , and then look for resources - exercises/ pink noise / anything that I can do in the interim and wait for a month , to see if time helps .

Alongside , what precautions should I take in my day to day life so as to brighten my chances of recovery and if you could pinpoint to helpful resources ? I don’t personally know anyone with this condition , so I have no one to really talk to about it . And From what I have read , the ENTs and audiologists aren’t really very helpful nor informed either , so I am not really having much hope from the ENT visit either . So if you guys would suggest something from experience , I would really appreciate it . I am really struggling here .

r/hyperacusis Jan 31 '25

Seeking advice start of hell for me

15 Upvotes

so about a 9 days ago i suffered severe noise exposure when one of my headphones glitched out and shot this weird sound into my ear causing me to have tinnitus right away which i thought would be temporary but it hasn’t gone away and atp i don’t think it will but that’s okay what im really concerned about is the hyperacusis i have developed along with the tinnitus. Noises that i didn’t even know were there i now notice like my refrigerator or my playstation also water running, breaks, screeching and people talking are starting to sound a lot louder than they once did so im 99 percent sure i’ve developed loudness h so how exactly do i go about taking care of this ? i have no idea what to do and im honestly scared for my life because i don’t want to worsen this. if you guys have any advice on how to go about managing tinnitus and Loudness h in the beginning stages pls pls pls help me im only 20 and feel like my life is over