Tinnitus Talk Support Forum

Relationship of H to reactive T is not understood. A tinnitus researcher from Harvard told me H is not really understood, much less interaction with T. Don't listen to @Michael Leigh chatbot.

Yes the whole reactive tinnitus thing is a strange one, I must admit I hadn't even heard of it until my tinnitus worsening turned into it. Same as you I've read lots of comments about it being a subset of hyperacusis, I've searched these boards for stories of a recovery and there's those who have recovered and those that still seem to have it as bad 18 months later which fills me with utter dread.

I don't currently overprotect, I go for walks locally, I don't go anywhere like the cinema or noisier places. I'd always had single tone tinnitus for 20 years but this is just utterly awful, I get like shrill electrical pulses down the ear. Does your reactivity die down when going into a quiet room? I don't have hyperacusis but the tinnitus ramps up to compete with louder sounds.

I hope so too I'd trade this reactive tinnitus/sound distortion for my original tinnitus at double the volume! It is another kettle of fish altogether. Thank you for checking in on me btw, appreciate it a lot. I hope things start to improve for you too. Can I ask when you say do everything to avoid hyperacusis, do you just mean stay out of the way of loud noise?

@Cmspgran - I do. It's bad. I will make a bunch of sacrifices then one false move/noise trauma and it was all for nothing. I really don't know how I'm going to do this. I swear I am trending worse. I have to mask all day. Hearing protection makes T so loud I cannot bare it.

Sorry to hear @4Grace what coping mechanisms are working for you?

@Cmspgran - Sound masking all the time. I have reached some really down moments. I have had to take mirtazapine to cope. It helps a lot but can't stand the idea of it possibly making my T worse so I come off just as it starts working. So sad. I feel like long term this is impossible.
:(

So sorry @4Grace I know exactly how you are feeling. I asked for Mirtazapine too and have only used a couple of times for sleep but now considering staying on it, how long did it take to improve your mood?

@Cmspgran - it works very quickly for me. I'd say after a week I begin to feel just a little better. Then as I keep taking it I continue to improve. The longest I took it was 6 weeks. Felt like myself however the noise was still an annoyance. Zero flight or fight mode.

@Cmspgran - I keep getting off of it when I feel better. I don't feel like you can take this one for Years. I wish zoloft worked without impacting T. I know many that are on Zoloft with no T and it was a life saver.

@Cmspgran - I know some people that have been on Zoloft for years. No problems. During the day I stay at a place with a lot of masking sounds. The minute I leave that place I get super nervous. I am in extreme survival mode. Honest to God I am worse everyday.

Thanks, I might give it a proper go, I'm getting to the point where I may need to. Why do you think it would make your tinnitus worse? There's no evidence in the science is there? Only for SSRI's