Can Drugs or Supplements Help Sound Distortions/Dysacusis?

Anyone here managed to reduce or eliminate their sound distortions/dysacusis with medications or supplements?

I am now on Keppra so I hope this helps or even cures me.

I started taking Magnesium Citrate and drinking dark cacao as well but neither seem to have an effect yet (maybe it's too early to say though).

I cannot wait much longer for this to go away as that's not tenable due to life issues. I need to eliminate this AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.

 

What concentration of cacao are you taking? For BDNF benefits be sure to take the cacao for at least 12 weeks. I ordered mine today.

 

95%. I don't mind the taste at all.

 

Day 1 of Keppra:

I'm on an extremely low dose of 250mg, I was extremely dizzy and very itchy within an hour of taking it. After that subsided my pulsatile tinnitus went away COMPLETELY. I was able to sleep in peace for once. Unfortunately the pulsatile tinnitus was back when I woke up, so unsure if connected.

However, one of my reactive tones tinnitus is definitely gone, as I've tried so hard to search for it and it clearly does not exist anymore. Sound distortions haven't budged an inch though. Not sure if this is Keppra or natural healing, as 250mg is an extremely low dose. But it did make me really dizzy so maybe it's doing something. I took it in combination with 2x heavy duty Sudafed, Flonase, Ipratropium, 95% dark cacao and 4 grams Magnesium citrate.

Could this just be a sinus issue then? I haven't used most of these nasal medications in a while.

 

Why on earth would you take a boatload of stuff you haven't taken in a while, when you are testing a new drug (Keppra)? That's the most unscientific way of testing.

Impossible to say which improved your symptoms!

ALWAYS attempt one drug a time.

 

Desperation. It's either this or killing myself so I don't care.

 

Alcohol.

Not the best solution and a shit one long term. But when I’m 1 shot in, I notice it less. 3 or more shots in, and I don’t notice it nearly as much. This has led me to drink multiple shots everyday for weeks at a time. Yeah, not a good thing. I don’t do that anymore. Now like every other day I’ll have at most 3 and maybe a few more on the weekends. I’d like to limit even more though.

They say 1 drink a day can actually be healthy but just 1 doesn’t do all that much. I’d rather take a few shots after a day or two of taking none.

 

Keppra has pretty much eliminated TTTS and pain, and reactive tinnitus, but I still experience dysacusis. Dysacusis has been reduced but nowhere near satisfactorily. I.e. fans don't distort but music still does. When I get a refill on this script I will increase the dose.

 

You're the second one since Danny Boy then to have eliminated hyperacusis with Keppra? Or have there been more?

 

Unless the drug has multiple targets it might do nothing, or at best be temporary. Tinnitus is persistent and might involve a lot of changes at once to get back into a stable state without it. Any drug you take your body will eventually build tolerance to. GABA boosting works but not for long as you're just slowing everything down. The idea is to BLOCK the signal and get that to be a STABLE state, not just slow it down, so unfortunately if there are drugs for it, polypharmacy is likely the long-term solution (though complicated, and if "stable", you could in theory back off the drugs after and be left with silence).

 

I would say I still have hyperacusis because I have dysacusis to a severe degree and that's what I am most depressed about. Keppra has been a fucking disappointment thus far that's for sure. But too early to say, I have only been on it a few days.

 

Apparently there is a study showing that Levetiracetam has been used to treat people suffering from middle ear myoclonus. It makes sense to me that it eliminated my TTTS... this is my 3rd day or so with absolutely no spasms.

 

Tomorrow night I will start taking Krill Oil for inflammation.

 

I'm very sorry about that. I also have it pretty slightly when listening to music, sometimes the voices will treble way too hard or sound robotic. I've just gotten used to that.

But you said it eliminated your hyperacusis pain though?

 

Has the itchiness gone away or gotten better after a couple of days?

 

I still experience the sensation of acid being poured down my ear canals but it's been reduced. I'm not sure if it's Keppra or natural healing, but I just woke up one day to find most of that gone.

 

No more itchiness. Just drowsiness.

 

Yeah I had that acid thing too.

 

I didn't have it for very long though.

 

Today my dysacusis is suicidally bad. All I'm capable of today is wishing I'm dead.

 

Nico, I’m with you man. I’m having the same problem. Hang in there. It’s the worst thing ever. I’m miserable.

^

 

I am suicidal due to severe dysacusis and hyperacusis. The last month has been the hardest of my life. I don't think I can hold for much longer. It's impossible to live like this.

 

It’s crazy because I think back to a few months ago and I was doing just fine. I had tinnitus under control, now I developed a third sound along with sound distortion. Then a guy at work blew up a tire. I’m having a terrible time. Considering quitting my job at my own parents’ bike shop, I’ve been there ever since I was a little kid. I’m going to try ear protection and if it still hurts, I’m done. I’m going to be a hermit like some of these people here.

 

You also get pain?

Exactly. I was feeling the same. This new worsening has really knocked me off. I don't know what to say Brian. I really really understand what you are going through.

When is your ENT going to go through your scans? Did prednisone give you anxiety as a side effect or were you afraid of the risk not to make your situation worse? Steroids do have a specific time/therapeutic window during which carry the potential to be effective. Did you discuss that with the doctor?

It's hard to believe now, but there's still a chance for you to improve and continue doing your job with caution. Let me know about the CT scan news. Fingers crossed.

 

Yeah, I feel pain in my left ear. It's also full like I was shooting guns. A tire pop is about 140 dB. I was 30 feet away but it was indoors. That was two days ago and I have still not taken the Prednisone, that stuff scares me man. It’s so strong, it makes me feel like I’m dying.

 

Brian what you describe is an acoustic trauma, so aren't steroids the best shot to treat an acoustic trauma?

Of course I am not a doctor and this is your call. Your fear is reasonable. I'm not exactly aware what the risks are and whether the benefits outbalance those risks. That's why I asked you, whether you have discussed that with your physician and whether after 48 hours (2 days) a course of steroids can still mitigate any possible damage.

Could you call the doctor? I think he/she is the most appropriate person to consult in order to make that call.

Damn... I am very sad to hear that you are going through that. 140 dB is f....n LOUD.

 

Yeah, it’s so stressful because at work it happens randomly so I would have to wear earplugs all day while trying to talk to customers.

 

If that is the case, then TTTS isn't linked with the dysacusis.

I 'm saying that because if I recall correctly, on hyperacusis.net website there was an audiologist's theory in this regard.

@__nico__, keep us updated on your Keppra thing. If there's a chance to alleviate the pain/sensitivity with this drug, I would be more than eager to give it a go, but what @Matchbox says above seems to make sense, thus the drug's effect could be rendered just temporary.
Fingers crossed man! I hope you can get more benefit out of it further on.

EDIT:
Seems I was wrong about the dysacusis-TTTS link on hyperacusis.net. I mixed it up with probably another source. I can't recall.

"Following exposure to intolerable sounds, this contraction of the tensor tympani muscle tightens the ear drum, which can lead to the symptoms of ear pain/a fluttering sensation/a sensation of fullness in the ear (in the absence of any middle or inner ear pathology)."

 

Been there.

Trying to communicate with earplugs on, eventually becomes exhausting. In my case mostly because tinnitus is BLASTING and I have to put so much effort to listen.
Sucks big time!

 

I totally understand what you guys are dealing with.

I would be careful with steroids. I took them for my distortions, things were great while on them, quite minimal tinnitus and distortions were there but reduced. The DAY I finished my course I got a low humming sound that night, followed by high frequency hearing loss in the morning (nothing sounded right)...that eventually went away... but then the distortions became FAR worse than what I started with.

Today has been absolutely brutal for me, I just seem to keep getting worse as time progresses.

I did have "a shot" of scotch the night before, but certainly wasn't tipsy but low and behold woke up to low growling nonetheless.

I was trying to do a meeting at work and have this "new" humming (sounds like a sander being pressed firmly into wood while on) reactive tone which decides to randomly and rapidly go on, off, on, off, on, on, on, off, on, off... overlaid on fans/sounds in my head.

The meeting did not go well, I could barely fucking function much less make coherent sentences with it going off at random in my right ear/skull.

How doctors can simply say "have you tried mindfulness" makes me want to stab them in the face.