Hello, everyone,
My tinnitus started around August 20th, and at first, it was really mild. I could only notice it if I blocked my ears or was in a very quiet room. It sounded like an air-blowing or whooshing noise in my head and was easily maskable with a running fan.
A week later, I visited an ENT, who checked my ears and performed a hearing test. Everything was normal, with no hearing loss detected. The ENT prescribed Methylprednisolone to address any potential inflammation in the ear, but it did not help.
Four days after that visit, my tinnitus increased, and I went into panic mode, unable to sleep for two days. I reached out to my PCP, who prescribed Belsomra to help me sleep. It worked the first night but stopped working after the second night. That same week, I went to a restaurant and noticed the noise from the speakers caused a humming sound audible only to me, not to the people around me. Later, I learned this was dysacusis.
On the same day, I took a train home and realized the sound inside the train triggered hyperacusis, making everything seem unusually loud. I decided to stay home for a few days to rest my ears, but things only worsened. I was barely getting one to two hours of sleep, even with sleeping aids.
A week later, I visited another ENT, who suggested getting an MRI to check for abnormalities. The MRI and MRV results came back normal. I then began taking supplements like Magnesium and Zinc to see if they would help.
Second Month
Since sleep was a major issue, I was prescribed Ambien (10 mg), which allowed me to sleep for five to six hours—a significant improvement compared to the one to two hours I had been getting. However, my dysacusis and hyperacusis continued to worsen, though my tinnitus was still manageable at this stage.
I took short-term disability leave from work because it became impossible to focus. By the end of the month, my tinnitus began increasing daily. I saw a tinnitus specialist who matched my frequency at 15 kHz, noting that it was very high but not something to worry about. They suggested using masking sounds and exercising daily for a month.
Third Month
New symptoms emerged—a very high-pitched, sharp hissing in both ears and a metallic humming in my right ear. These additional tones made everything much worse.
I tried acupuncture, Ayurvedic medicine, and homeopathic remedies, but none of them helped. I was also prescribed Amitriptyline and Gabapentin, but neither provided relief. During this time, I started feeling very depressed, and suicidal thoughts began to surface.
I am married, and my wife has been incredibly supportive, but this has been hard on her as well since she has struggled with depression in the past. I have always been a positive person and never dealt with depression before, although I have experienced anxiety in the past.
Fourth Month
Things took a turn for the worse when I took a flight. The tinnitus became unbearable, with 4–5 distinct tones constantly present: air-blowing, sharp hissing, loud metallic humming, and a high-pitched laser beam sound.
I can no longer handle sounds above 65 dB, and in early November, visual snow started appearing. Initially, it was very light static, but it has worsened significantly. Now I see more floaters, extreme blue-field entoptic phenomena, and my night vision has deteriorated with starbursts and static-like interference.
I reached out to Neuromed, as they seemed to be the only ones familiar with conditions like mine. They prescribed Nortriptyline (currently on 60 mg) and Ambien, as it is the only medication that helps me sleep.
Current Situation
I am not sure what caused this in the first place. It started suddenly on a Sunday afternoon. I do not smoke and only drink occasionally.
I cannot sleep naturally anymore because of the unbearable hissing in my head. I miss that natural feeling of sleepiness and the ability to rest. I have a passion for cars, but I cannot enjoy driving anymore because the reactivity of my condition makes it unbearable.
As this condition worsens, I feel like I am losing hope every day. The physical torment has become overwhelming, and I do not know how to survive this anymore. I cannot imagine leaving my wife and family behind, and I do not want my loved ones to suffer.
I truly feel the pain of everyone here who is also struggling with this dreadful condition. I am sorry for venting so much, but I am really hoping there will be a cure or treatment for us in the near future.
Take care, and know you are not alone.
My tinnitus started around August 20th, and at first, it was really mild. I could only notice it if I blocked my ears or was in a very quiet room. It sounded like an air-blowing or whooshing noise in my head and was easily maskable with a running fan.
A week later, I visited an ENT, who checked my ears and performed a hearing test. Everything was normal, with no hearing loss detected. The ENT prescribed Methylprednisolone to address any potential inflammation in the ear, but it did not help.
Four days after that visit, my tinnitus increased, and I went into panic mode, unable to sleep for two days. I reached out to my PCP, who prescribed Belsomra to help me sleep. It worked the first night but stopped working after the second night. That same week, I went to a restaurant and noticed the noise from the speakers caused a humming sound audible only to me, not to the people around me. Later, I learned this was dysacusis.
On the same day, I took a train home and realized the sound inside the train triggered hyperacusis, making everything seem unusually loud. I decided to stay home for a few days to rest my ears, but things only worsened. I was barely getting one to two hours of sleep, even with sleeping aids.
A week later, I visited another ENT, who suggested getting an MRI to check for abnormalities. The MRI and MRV results came back normal. I then began taking supplements like Magnesium and Zinc to see if they would help.
Second Month
Since sleep was a major issue, I was prescribed Ambien (10 mg), which allowed me to sleep for five to six hours—a significant improvement compared to the one to two hours I had been getting. However, my dysacusis and hyperacusis continued to worsen, though my tinnitus was still manageable at this stage.
I took short-term disability leave from work because it became impossible to focus. By the end of the month, my tinnitus began increasing daily. I saw a tinnitus specialist who matched my frequency at 15 kHz, noting that it was very high but not something to worry about. They suggested using masking sounds and exercising daily for a month.
Third Month
New symptoms emerged—a very high-pitched, sharp hissing in both ears and a metallic humming in my right ear. These additional tones made everything much worse.
I tried acupuncture, Ayurvedic medicine, and homeopathic remedies, but none of them helped. I was also prescribed Amitriptyline and Gabapentin, but neither provided relief. During this time, I started feeling very depressed, and suicidal thoughts began to surface.
I am married, and my wife has been incredibly supportive, but this has been hard on her as well since she has struggled with depression in the past. I have always been a positive person and never dealt with depression before, although I have experienced anxiety in the past.
Fourth Month
Things took a turn for the worse when I took a flight. The tinnitus became unbearable, with 4–5 distinct tones constantly present: air-blowing, sharp hissing, loud metallic humming, and a high-pitched laser beam sound.
I can no longer handle sounds above 65 dB, and in early November, visual snow started appearing. Initially, it was very light static, but it has worsened significantly. Now I see more floaters, extreme blue-field entoptic phenomena, and my night vision has deteriorated with starbursts and static-like interference.
I reached out to Neuromed, as they seemed to be the only ones familiar with conditions like mine. They prescribed Nortriptyline (currently on 60 mg) and Ambien, as it is the only medication that helps me sleep.
Current Situation
I am not sure what caused this in the first place. It started suddenly on a Sunday afternoon. I do not smoke and only drink occasionally.
I cannot sleep naturally anymore because of the unbearable hissing in my head. I miss that natural feeling of sleepiness and the ability to rest. I have a passion for cars, but I cannot enjoy driving anymore because the reactivity of my condition makes it unbearable.
As this condition worsens, I feel like I am losing hope every day. The physical torment has become overwhelming, and I do not know how to survive this anymore. I cannot imagine leaving my wife and family behind, and I do not want my loved ones to suffer.
I truly feel the pain of everyone here who is also struggling with this dreadful condition. I am sorry for venting so much, but I am really hoping there will be a cure or treatment for us in the near future.
Take care, and know you are not alone.
