Hyperacusis (and Tinnitus) Improved by 90%

[AnthonyMcDonald]

Hey everyone. For some of you that know me it might come as a surprise that I'm actually posting something about any improvement at all. I never thought I'd be making a post like this.

Nonetheless, I feel obliged to inform people of this forum that even catastrophic hellish cases like me (spiking tinnitus and hyperacusis from swallowing water, my own heartbeat being too loud and causing me pain) have a chance of getting better.

Right now due to overconfidence some of my symptoms have returned and gotten a bit worse (especially tinnitus), but overall I am in a much, much better place than I was before.

The pain aspect of my hyperacusis is completely gone, and I'm left with significant, yet much improved loudness hyperacusis.

I am not out of this hell hole just yet. I still have tinnitus and hyperacusis. Just much easier to deal with compared to the 9th circle of hell that I was living in.

The circumstances of my improvement are very odd, random and hard to understand, and go against much of what actually is well-known and understood in the community, but I will try to answer as many questions as possible.

I just want people to know that improvement can happen even in the worst cases.

 

[Stacken77]

We're so glad and relieved to hear this, @AnthonyMcDonald!

Do tell us more about your recovery. Was it silence and passage of time?

~ Stacken

 

[LilSass]

Hi @AnthonyMcDonald! Wow, that is great news! I've read a few of you posts and know what a tough time you have been having. Even if we still have to deal with these health issues, when there is an improvement it really does bring a lot of gratitude and hope that it can get better. So happy for you! Here's hoping it keeps improving.

 

[David S]

So happy to hear that! Did you end up healing with time?

 

[Athens]

Thank you for the positive post. How did you treat your conditions? Did you use sound therapy, take supplements, wear hearing protection, etc.? Also, how long have you had hyperacusis and tinnitus?

 

[lusiol]

I'm very happy for you. I'm curious about what you've done to improve!

 

[Adelaide14]

@AnthonyMcDonald, this is amazing news! I'm so pleased for you. Fingers crossed it continues to improve and you get more relief. And thank you for coming back and sharing some good news. We all need some success stories every now and then to get us through.

 

[AnthonyMcDonald]

I was hesitating to say what it was because of how unusual it was. I actually got better after a huge noise exposure for no particular reason at all (my extended family called the ambulance with EMTs that shouted and dragged me to the hospital) so by all logic I should have gotten worse but I didn't, and got better over time.

I think what happened to me was a freak accident and a stroke of luck because I don't recommend anyone to expose themselves to more noise in hopes of improvement.

Time and silence didn't do particularly much to help me because the quietest noise would set me off.

 

[xyz]

Congrats for your improvement. Especially after huge noise exposure.

 

[DimLeb]

@AnthonyMcDonald, that's actually amazing news dude! How is the tinnitus now in terms of volume/tones/reactivity?

 

[AnthonyMcDonald]

@AnthonyMcDonald, that's actually amazing news dude! How is the tinnitus now in terms of volume/tones/reactivity?

My tinnitus has unfortunately ramped up because of continuous noise exposure but it's still better than it was and resets in the morning after sleeping.

 

[Wrfortiscue]

Damn that's great news!

 

[Matchbox]

My tinnitus has unfortunately ramped up because of continuous noise exposure but it's still better than it was and resets in the morning after sleeping.

I hope you get even fleeting silence soon my friend.

 

[Stacken77]

My tinnitus has unfortunately ramped up because of continuous noise exposure but it's still better than it was and resets in the morning after sleeping.

Would you say that it's "spiking" less now, or at least not to these insanely low sounds?

 

[AnthonyMcDonald]

Would you say that it's "spiking" less now, or at least not to these insanely low sounds?

It does not spike to insanely low sounds anymore. But my reactivity has gone up unfortunately due to the continuous noise exposure of the loud hospital ward plus the multiple car rides. So a long conversation will make it spike.

It wouldn't react to anything at all in the first week of improvement (even occasional yelling nurse here and there). The other ward had constant screeching nurses and patients which is what made me get worse again in the end. I also didn't protect my ears enough and overexposed myself due to stupid confidence in that I was better, and being tired of constantly closing my ears. Also I couldn't eat in the very noisy mess room while covering my ears, so that exposure of clanking dishes, yelling nurses and patients was unavoidable.

At first, screaming people right next to my ear wouldn't cause too much discomfort, but repeated exposure and the inability to protect screwed me in the end.

Now I'm going through a fairly bad relapse, albeit still better than I was before, but still nowhere near as good as I was in the first week, before the loud hospital ward. I am disappointed that I have lost most of my improvements, and can't even understand why I got them in the first place. It defies all logic.

 

[Athens]

It does not spike to insanely low sounds anymore. But my reactivity has gone up unfortunately due to the continuous noise exposure of the loud hospital ward plus the multiple car rides. So a long conversation will make it spike.

It wouldn't react to anything at all in the first week of improvement (even occasional yelling nurse here and there). The other ward had constant screeching nurses and patients which is what made me get worse again in the end. I also didn't protect my ears enough and overexposed myself due to stupid confidence in that I was better, and being tired of constantly closing my ears. Also I couldn't eat in the very noisy mess room while covering my ears, so that exposure of clanking dishes, yelling nurses and patients was unavoidable.

At first, screaming people right next to my ear wouldn't cause too much discomfort, but repeated exposure and the inability to protect screwed me in the end.

Now I'm going through a fairly bad relapse, albeit still better than I was before, but still nowhere near as good as I was in the first week, before the loud hospital ward. I am disappointed that I have lost most of my improvements, and can't even understand why I got them in the first place. It defies all logic.

My therapist told me a story about one of her patients being hospitalized and being exposed to all kinds of annoying and loud sounds. Her hyperacusis improved as a result.

 

[WisconsinGuy]

Great to hear. Pun intended.

 

[AnthonyMcDonald]

Great to hear. Pun intended.

Didn't last unfortunately. Relapsed pretty hard.

 

[Marshall]

It does not spike to insanely low sounds anymore. But my reactivity has gone up unfortunately due to the continuous noise exposure of the loud hospital ward plus the multiple car rides. So a long conversation will make it spike.

It wouldn't react to anything at all in the first week of improvement (even occasional yelling nurse here and there). The other ward had constant screeching nurses and patients which is what made me get worse again in the end. I also didn't protect my ears enough and overexposed myself due to stupid confidence in that I was better, and being tired of constantly closing my ears. Also I couldn't eat in the very noisy mess room while covering my ears, so that exposure of clanking dishes, yelling nurses and patients was unavoidable.

At first, screaming people right next to my ear wouldn't cause too much discomfort, but repeated exposure and the inability to protect screwed me in the end.

Now I'm going through a fairly bad relapse, albeit still better than I was before, but still nowhere near as good as I was in the first week, before the loud hospital ward. I am disappointed that I have lost most of my improvements, and can't even understand why I got them in the first place. It defies all logic.

They should have allowed you earplugs. When I was in the psych ward, two different times, they provided me with hearing protection.

 

[Cory_]

Hyperacusis can be extremely volatile. Both downwards and thankfully, upwards. Keep hanging on.

 

[gameover]

It's been quite a while since your success story report. How are things for you now? From your other posts you seem to be able to travel, go more places and engage in life - please provide more complete details of your progression if you can.