I No Longer Leave the House — Things Got Worse Overnight: Ear Pain and More Intense Tinnitus

I'm hoping to get some help from the lovely members of Tinnitus Talk. I had recovered from tinnitus, which started in October 2019 and lived a relatively normal life (no bars, clubs, headphones, or gigs) until May 2023. My recovery took about 18 months, and I was fortunate to be home all the time due to COVID-19 in a very quiet environment. In May, I made the mistake of going out for a night, and things immediately started to get worse. However, looking back at my journal, I still had days or even weeks that were relatively okay.

Four and a half months ago, I had my second beautiful baby, and since then, I've been in a personal hell. I truly think the hospital stay made things worse, and my baby's colic, which lasted for months, added to it.

I was still managing day-to-day and even had some good days, but just over four weeks ago, things suddenly got worse overnight. I started experiencing ear pain and more intense tinnitus. Since then, I haven't left the house, watched TV, or listened to music. I’ve barely been able to be around my kids. All I want is to enjoy my maternity leave with my baby, take her to classes, and make memories—but I can't even do that. My husband had to take time off work because I couldn't look after the children alone.

I've been through so much in life—losing both parents at a young age, dealing with severe anxiety for years, and managing another chronic health issue that flares up from time to time. Today, I’m really feeling sorry for myself. Things seem to get worse, and I don't know what to do. I can't even be a useful parent—what good am I?

I recently had three good days in a row and felt really happy. I even started planning to go for a walk, but things got worse again, and I don't even know why. I know I need to pull myself out of this mentally, and I’m trying hard—using positive affirmations and exercises—but I don’t think I have the mental strength anymore. I'm so tired.

 

I'm sorry to hear about this.

When you went out in May, what noise were you exposed to? Did you wear earplugs at any point?

Do you wear hearing protection around the house now?

 

You have every right to feel sorry for yourself and grieve over what, for now, may feel like "a lost life."

You are good, no matter what. You're still here, still showing up as best as you can. You need time to recover. You've made it through once, or even several times, and you can do it again. With the support of your loved ones, patience, rest, and refocusing your mind, I'm certain you'll get there eventually.

Try to get out again, somewhere quiet, for easy walks. It can help recalibrate your mind and give you a little breather. Even though your ears and head feel disturbed and all over the place, it often does you good. I'm speaking from experience. Even on my worst days, I went out for those walks.

 

@Jupiterman, I was around a band playing for a few hours, followed by nightclub-level noise from about 11 PM to 2 AM. It was a foolish thing to do. I got complacent and was very drunk. I was still functioning, but ever since a hospital stay in April, it’s been really rough on a daily basis.

@MindOverMatter, thank you, I’ve read a lot of your posts. I actually had a good cry yesterday, then went out for a quiet, short walk and felt much better. I’ll try again tomorrow. It’s just mentally exhausting.

 

I'm sorry to hear about your struggles; it sounds truly awful. @MindOverMatter has offered great advice, as always, and I, too, have found comfort in many of his past posts. Getting out in nature, even with earplugs, is one of the best things you can do. Don't be hard on yourself—none of us asked for this or deserve it. Things will improve for you, I'm sure. Just take it one day at a time.

 

Hi all,

After a week or so of really focusing on my mental health, working on pain management with Curable, taking care of myself physically, improving my diet, and going for short daily walks, I was feeling much better mentally. However, on Thursday, out of nowhere, my right ear became sore. At first, I didn’t panic since I often experience pain that comes and goes, but this time it stayed and then spread to my left ear. It has been constant since then.

I've also been experiencing pain in my face and even down my arms. On top of that, I’ve developed this strange reactive echo noise to any tiny sound—even my own breathing—which sounds like an electrical “bong.” In short, everything is worse than it was just a week ago, despite my efforts.

Before trying these steps, I had been housebound for a month, avoiding my kids as much as possible, wearing ear protection all the time, and essentially trying to rest before reintroducing sound. Even before that, I hadn’t really been anywhere noisy.

Now, I’m absolutely terrified and in an extremely anxious state. My husband has been signed off work to help, and he and my in-laws are taking care of the kids almost all the time. I’m so depressed.

Is anyone able to offer any advice at all? Should I retreat back into silence? I’m on the verge of booking an Airbnb somewhere isolated and spending a month there, but I don’t know how my husband and kids would manage (my youngest is only 5 months old). I know I need to rest, but how is that doable with a family? The only vaguely similar story I can find is @Marin, who isn’t on here anymore. I tried Pulsatilla, but it hasn’t really helped.

I can work on the mental side of things if I can get a grip on the pain, but my world is becoming smaller and smaller, and sadder. I’m only in my 30s, with an amazing husband and two beautiful kids. I don’t want to die, but I can’t live like this either.

 

If you talk to your GP, they might prescribe Clonazepam (15 tablets, 0.5 mg each). However, it's important to note that Clonazepam is a benzodiazepine, which carries significant risks. A slightly less risky, though still cautionary, option is Nortriptyline, which your GP can also prescribe. It's advisable to ask for the liquid form of Nortriptyline (10 mg). Your GP will need to send the prescription to Amazon Pharmacy, as the liquid form is typically not available at CVS or Walgreens. The medication will be delivered to your home in a short time. However, since it's a long weekend, you may need to wait until Tuesday. If possible, send a message to your GP today.

Once you receive the medication, start by taking only 4 ml (8 mg) for the first five days and monitor if it improves your pain. If it doesn’t help, discontinue use.

Be aware of possible side effects of Nortriptyline, such as an increased heart rate (consider wearing a smartwatch to monitor this). Additionally, you may wake up multiple times during the night and find it difficult to fall back asleep. To help with this, consider taking timed-release Melatonin.

Wishing you all the best.

 

This sounds very familiar to my story. In my experience (every case is different), healing wasn't linear at all—especially during the first year after the trauma. It takes a lot of time and patience. You might have a few good days, and then, out of nowhere, you'll have days where you struggle.

The sensations you describe suggest that you are currently in a hypervigilant state, with your mind and body stuck in fight-or-flight mode. I experienced the same electrical feeling you mentioned for a long time, and I was hypersensitive to everything. This state can also trigger sensations in your nervous system, such as facial pain and other symptoms.

Do you have access to someone qualified in the field of hyperacusis for counseling where you live? For me, counseling, combined with time and mindfulness activities, was crucial. You will never get the support you need from someone who does not understand what you are going through at the moment. It's just not possible.

 

Thank you. I previously tried Nortriptyline, but it caused a significant spike in my tinnitus (at least, I believe that was the cause), so I didn't continue with it. I'm planning to speak to my GP tomorrow about getting some Gabapentin.

 

Good idea.

Always start with the lowest dose. To begin with, take one 100 mg Gabapentin once a day. Although, a doctor would probably prescribe you 100 mg thrice daily.

All the best!

 

Just remember that you've experienced acoustic trauma, @Zigs. To this day, there are no medications that can cure tinnitus or hyperacusis.

However, medications might help somewhat in your current state, but I believe that counseling, along with CBT and mindfulness, is crucial. Having support from someone who truly understands what you're going through is incredibly important.

Given what you've described, your auditory system will also need plenty of rest and breaks in the coming months. Ultimately, you need to find out what works best for you.

 

Hello, and thank you for your message. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how I could do counseling at the moment since I can't tolerate phone calls or digital audio, and I don't think I could manage driving anywhere. I would need to find someone who could come to my house.

I’ve read your story, and I don't think you ever suffered from pain hyperacusis? I could consider counseling if I could get a handle on the pain. Thank you.

 

What you describe is familiar to me, as you’ve detailed it. However, we all experience these things differently. No two people are the same, and no two people have identical experiences, making it a condition that is difficult to compare.

Hyperacusis and tinnitus manifest in many different ways. What kind of physical pain are you experiencing? Are we talking about deep, stabbing pain in the ears, or the pain sensations you’ve described in your other posts? If it’s the latter, I’m very familiar with it, including burning ear canals, ear pressure, and a feeling of fullness. I went through all of that and was in counseling for over 24 months.

 

My pain tends to flare up after hearing noise, so as long as I stay in complete silence, I’m not in pain. This morning, I finally showered (I hadn’t washed my hair in over a week) and briefly saw my kids. I’m this close to grabbing a bowl and cutting all my hair off—haha—but I don’t want to give my husband any more reasons to leave me! My left ear is very painful now, with a deep, burning sensation. I’m not sure if it’s my ear canal, and I don’t really know how I would be able to tell. But the pain is definitely inside my ear. None of these sounds are particularly loud, just normal, everyday noise.

I’ve reached out to a couple of therapists to see if they can offer online counseling using a text-based format, so fingers crossed.

Thank you for responding and being patient with me; I’m really in a bad place right now.

 

This doesn’t seem to be severe pain hyperacusis, but rather loudness hyperacusis with possibly reactive tinnitus. Ear burning, pressure/fullness, and TTTS (Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome) are not uncommon with this condition.

Even so, regardless of what you call it, this is a traumatic, life-changing condition for you at the moment. However, try not to make it worse by labeling it or comparing yourself to others on this forum too much—it might not help you at all. The more you focus on how bad it is, the worse it tends to get. Avoid threads that may put you in a negative loop.

Don’t be so hard on yourself, and try not to blame yourself for what has happened. What’s done is done. The sooner you can let go of that thought, the easier it will be to start your healing process. Remember that most people do get better with time, rest, and support.

Once you reach a point where you can tolerate some soundscapes at low levels, you can start exploring what I would refer to as positive sound enrichment. The auditory system needs input, but it should be adjusted to your situation and kept at low levels (just audible).

All of this takes a lot of time, effort, and willpower, and the journey is anything but linear. It will have its ups and downs. You need to keep the long-term perspective in mind, rather than focusing on day-to-day or even week-to-week progress. Trust the process.

I know you're not there yet, but with time and the right help, you will get there. Neuroplasticity is real.

 

Have you tried Gabapentin yet? Please keep us updated, thanks!

 

Are you sure that the pain is caused by noise? I’m not doubting you at all; I'm just making sure you’ve ruled out other causes like muscular issues or trapped nerves.

 

@Heal82, have you tried Gabapentin? If so, what was your experience like?

 

I haven't tried Gabapentin yet.

My experience with Nortriptyline hasn't been very good. I've experienced side effects like insomnia and a high heart rate, which haven't gone away even after six months. I started with 10 mg and, with great difficulty, have tapered down to 6.5 mg. I think it will take me another 6–10 months to completely stop taking it.

However, over the past two days, I've been reading about Gabapentin as a possible replacement for Nortriptyline. It seems, though, that Gabapentin may be an even more challenging medication to adjust to and taper off.