Suicidal

[serendipity1996]

Pain or loudness? Or both?

How long have they had it? Maybe it's the anti inflammatory effects helping.

Burning and fullness so pain hyperacusis and I'm guessing also loudness hyperacusis. Not sure exactly how long they have had it but they said they stayed in relative silence for a month or two then started gradually desensitising themselves to sounds and also experimenting with diet modifications. Think they said it took a week or two to notice positive effects.

My hyperacusis symptoms have calmed down today. I cherish these days lmao. Hoping it's a sign that things can still improve.

 

[FGG]

Burning and fullness so pain hyperacusis and I'm guessing also loudness hyperacusis. Not sure exactly how long they have had it but they said they stayed in relative silence for a month or two then started gradually desensitising themselves to sounds and also experimenting with diet modifications. Think they said it took a week or two to notice positive effects.

My hyperacusis symptoms have calmed down today. I cherish these days lmao. Hoping it's a sign that things can still improve.

That's interesting because keto reportedly helps with neuropathic pain and pain hyperacusis has some parallels. Probably worth a try.

 

[PeteJ]

My tinnitus has gotten so loud I'm ready to end it all...

Mine too. Except I also have hyperacusis or what might be some hyperacusis. Ear pain that lasts for days or weeks. A f' up left ear that never feels normal. Loud buzzing and ringing. 11/10 on a scale of severity.

 

[PeteJ]

I currently have a headache and LOUD tinnitus is making me wish I had a gun.

My left ear crackles sometimes although it's been a little better the last couple of days but still not normal.

I don't want to take NSAIDs.

 

[serendipity1996]

On the good days like today it's so easy to tell myself to stay strong and hang in there. But on the bad days it's like my will to do anything just plummets even though I *know* rationally that isolating myself and staying in bed are not helping me. I was already pretty neurotic and bad at dealing with stressful situations before this. Now I just feel totally overwhelmed.

 

[Orions Pain]

Burning and fullness so pain hyperacusis and I'm guessing also loudness hyperacusis. Not sure exactly how long they have had it but they said they stayed in relative silence for a month or two then started gradually desensitising themselves to sounds and also experimenting with diet modifications. Think they said it took a week or two to notice positive effects.

My hyperacusis symptoms have calmed down today. I cherish these days lmao. Hoping it's a sign that things can still improve.

Just want to point out that if we're speaking about the same person and I think we are this person got hyperacusis from watching a video that was going around on Twitter where you test for how high of a frequency you can hear back in December.

Not from loud concert noises or excessive headphone use.

 

[dan]

Yeah so basically things that feed off of traumatic memories and negative emotions. No argument there. I'm sure a psychologist will be able to help me deal with the trauma from having tinnitus/hyperacusis once we get legitimate treatments.

Agree with you on that... meanwhile hang in there.

 

[dan]

I currently have a headache and LOUD tinnitus is making me wish I had a gun.

My left ear crackles sometimes although it's been a little better the last couple of days but still not normal.

I don't want to take NSAIDs.

I had the worst fucking headache yesterday, barely made it to my car glove compartment for some Tylenol...
Is it the full moon or something?

 

[Orions Pain]

Does anyone else here feel incredibly guilty for the suffering you feel like you're bringing to your family? I feel like a terrible human being. I keep on thinking, why am I being punished like this, but then realize it's not only me that's suffering.

 

[Harley]

Does anyone else here feel incredibly guilty for the suffering you feel like you're bringing to your family? I feel like a terrible human being. I keep on thinking, why am I being punished like this, but then realize it's not only me that's suffering.

No reason to feel guilty.
You got hit by what is quite possibly one of the worst conditions (if not the worst condition), that a human being can ever be exposed to.
And it is unfortunately also invisible, which makes it even worse, when trying to explain it away to the clueless outside world.

Nobody can imagine this horrid nightmare, until they get it themselves.
Nobody.

 

[Kriszti]

Does anyone else here feel incredibly guilty for the suffering you feel like you're bringing to your family? I feel like a terrible human being. I keep on thinking, why am I being punished like this, but then realize it's not only me that's suffering.

Yes, really guilty because I screw up everyone's life. Tinnitus, health anxiety and depression is an awful combo. (Knock on wood, I don't have hyperacusis. ) I really don't have the ability and the strength to pretend that I'm hopeful and ok. But at the same time I get frustrated and defensive everytime they try to help, because I know that the methods they are suggesting are futile. And then they get mad at me for "not wanting to heal". This is torture on me and my family as well.

My father has chronic pain for 30 years, which I can imagine as a condition worse than tinnitus, and it makes me even more guilty and angry at myself, that I cant deal with tinnitus and my worries of tinnitus getting significantly worse in the future.

 

[serendipity1996]

Another good-ish day... however, when I try to listen to brown/pink noise on my laptop speakers I can feel niggling discomfort after just 1 min of it! Idk whether this is partly psychological. I have in the past 'pushed through' successfully but idk things feel different now. How on earth is it that my ears are pretty unaffected by a normal face-to-face conversation but tense up immediately when I listen to anything from a laptop/phone/radio/TV? Even at the lowest volumes.

 

[serendipity1996]

I'm so scared that I'll never be able to listen to music again.

 

[MrCrybaby]

I'm so scared that I'll never be able to listen to music again.

I find phone and laptop speakers are hardest on the ears. See if high fidelity speakers at a low volume work better for you. If a sound is leading to immediate pain discontinue it, the ear is not a muscle that can push through, it is a fragile and sensitive sensory organ.

 

[serendipity1996]

I find phone and laptop speakers are hardest on the ears. See if high fidelity speakers at a low volume work better for you. If a sound is leading to immediate pain discontinue it, the ear is not a muscle that can push through, it is a fragile and sensitive sensory organ.

Yeah going to try that. It's so peculiar - also been having issues with my bathroom fan, however, it seems to be most aggravating to my ears when I hear it in isolation. When I'm in the shower and the sound of the water blocks it out my ears don't feel irritated.

 

[MrCrybaby]

Yeah going to try that. It's so peculiar - also been having issues with my bathroom fan, however, it seems to be most aggravating to my ears when I hear it in isolation. When I'm in the shower and the sound of the water blocks it out my ears don't feel irritated.

Fans and mechanical noises were the worst for me. I think it's pretty common for droning noises to be especially unpleasant, I've noticed that complaint a lot here.

 

[Orions Pain]

I find phone and laptop speakers are hardest on the ears. See if high fidelity speakers at a low volume work better for you. If a sound is leading to immediate pain discontinue it, the ear is not a muscle that can push through, it is a fragile and sensitive sensory organ.

Agreed! Music/movies in my laptop irritate my ears, but if I'm in my car, have my TV on or my speaker (all at reasonable volumes) it doesn't irritate my ears at all.

 

[Orions Pain]

But at the same time I get frustrated and defensive everytime they try to help, because I know that the methods they are suggesting are futile. And then they get mad at me for "not wanting to heal".

This is exactly my problem as well I would absolutely love it if I could go to the hospital and they could give me a diagnosis and medication so I could feel better. But at the time this is not an option and my family doesn't understand.

 

[serendipity1996]

I received an email reply from Myriam Westcott today confirming that my symptoms align with TTTS symptoms. She attached an info sheet re TTTS/desensitisation and offered an 1.5 hour online consultation (video call I think) although the price is probably a bit too steep for me atm ($375). Was a pretty lengthy reply though and I would be keen to ask her more about what sort of treatment plan she formulates for patients whose primary issue is pain (esp. the burning delayed sort that I have).

I've got an appt with an ENT on Saturday (who, let's face it, probably won't be too familiar with hyperacusis...) so figured it might be a good idea to get in touch.

 

[serendipity1996]

Fans and mechanical noises were the worst for me. I think it's pretty common for droning noises to be especially unpleasant, I've noticed that complaint a lot here.

How do you get over the fear of causing yourself a setback? I really want to give noise therapy a shot on my speakers but tbh I feel I've built up a wall of fear around listening to any kind of electronic noise because I'm just so anxious about anticipating the dreaded burning/cooling reaction. On top of the physiological issue of hyperacusis I think I'm genuinely starting to develop phobic tendencies around certain types of noise. Hell, even the thought of walking to the pharmacy to pick up my antidepressants tomorrow is filling me with trepidation. I'm just struggling to deal with the drastic mood swings that accompany a pain spike so I've got to a state where I'm very hesitant to do anything that might even have a chance of precipitating a setback. Today's been a fairly calm day but it's like whenever the symptoms return I'm just consumed with the fear that the pain will never go away.

 

[GoatSheep]

She attached an info sheet re TTTS/desensitisation

What does it say about desensitization? From my understanding they she classifies TTTS as an anxiety based reflex. So is it CBT based or something?

 

[MrCrybaby]

How do you get over the fear of causing yourself a setback? I really want to give noise therapy a shot on my speakers but tbh I feel I've built up a wall of fear around listening to any kind of electronic noise because I'm just so anxious about anticipating the dreaded burning/cooling reaction. On top of the physiological issue of hyperacusis I think I'm genuinely starting to develop phobic tendencies around certain types of noise. Hell, even the thought of walking to the pharmacy to pick up my antidepressants tomorrow is filling me with trepidation. I'm just struggling to deal with the drastic mood swings that accompany a pain spike so I've got to a state where I'm very hesitant to do anything that might even have a chance of precipitating a setback. Today's been a fairly calm day but it's like whenever the symptoms return I'm just consumed with the fear that the pain will never go away.

I don't feel like I'm the best person to ask because my symptoms have mellowed out substantially and that plays a huge role in coping emotionally. I have a very strong sense of what sound level will set me back or trigger symptoms, and it is above what I experience in my quiet day to day life. I listen to music much quieter than before, same with tv and video games, so I know that when I am home my ears are safe. I avoid the sounds that do trigger a reaction (phone/laptop speaker, dishwasher, loud fan, etc). The one sound that does get an emotional response from me is bass heavy car speakers, the source of my woes, but that has slowly improved with time. I also wear hearing protection whenever I feel the need to. Loud-ish restaurant? Earplugs. Gathering with friends? Earplugs. Ear hurts and I don't know why? Earplugs (sometimes a sound you don't notice can be the trigger). I will point out that protection is easy for me because my problem is unilateral so I can still hear out the other ear ok. NSAID pain killers can help when the pain is at its worst. Being afraid is a natural response to scary symptoms!

 

[serendipity1996]

What does it say about desensitization? From my understanding they she classifies TTTS as an anxiety based reflex. So is it CBT based or something?

From the info sheet she sent me her treatment is based upon the neurophysiological model of tinnitus and also CBT so combining these two strategies - so a mixture of psychological strategies and also sound enrichment e.g. masking an intolerable sound with a neutral sound. This is kinda interesting to me as I have found that certain noises e.g my shower fan aggravate my ears way more in isolation versus when it's masked by the shower running.

The info was fairly general - she said she could offer me a substantive consultation although it's a bit $$$. I think it could be worth pursuing though since dealing with pain hyperacusis just seems all-round tricky. It would also give me the chance to ask her more specifically about whether the pain should be treated separately e.g. consulting pain management, possibly trialling pain (neuropathic) meds. I also know she had a case study recently of someone who was successfully treated with a stellate ganglion block and botox, which has been discussed in the hyperacusis section of the forum. Pretty experimental.

 

[ron hudson]

tinnitus is bent hairs in your inner ear. Caused over time by loud noise. No cure. My doctor examined my right ear and told me I have a few bent hairs. My hearing is fine, its the constant noise, for the lack of a better term..also aggravated by your emotions.

 

[Tweedleman]

tinnitus is bent hairs in your inner ear. Caused over time by loud noise. No cure. My doctor examined my right ear and told me I have a few bent hairs. My hearing is fine, its the constant noise, for the lack of a better term..also aggravated by your emotions.

Tinnitus isn't simply bent hairs in the inner ear, and there is no way your Dr. examined your inner ear.

 

[PeteJ]

I asked this question before but I am asking again: is there anything that has even a remote chance of reducing the tinnitus tones volume? Some drug or?

I am also wondering if percocet or oxycodone would help with ear pain. I can't get a prescription but I am wondering if that would help with pain because I am inclined to think it would.

I don't know how others here deal with excessively loud tinnitus - it's so loud that it seems like external noises - the ringing or buzzing sounds like it's coming from outside the head and ears, if that makes sense. 11/10 severity, it's bad! Words can't describe it.

But, few post about their volume being so bad. Some people here talk about listening to music. I can't enjoy music anymore because of this tinnitus volume. It is a ringing over anything. I watch tv but it's not enjoyable. I need to turn up the tv volume but then I risk something happening on the programme that is TOO loud - e.g. gun shots, explosions, high pitched sounds, sirens, whatever - this can happen in shows or movies. So, tv is just something that I can try to focus on but isn't a masker. Nothing is.

 

[PeteJ]

I feel like I am just waiting to die or until I can die. In other words, until I pick a method or don't care anymore what the method is. It will be either carefully planned or I will get to the point I am too desperate and can't go on anymore. People who have fluctuating tinnitus at least have some of 'break' or 'relief' - it's not loud all the time. I want someone to figure out how to repair ears or brain - whatever is causing it to be so loud. But, there's nothing and I have no desire to wait for anything.

 

[dan]

I feel like I am just waiting to die or until I can die. In other words, until I pick a method or don't care anymore what the method is. It will be either carefully planned or I will get to the point I am too desperate and can't go on anymore. People who have fluctuating tinnitus at least have some of 'break' or 'relief' - it's not loud all the time. I want someone to figure out how to repair ears or brain - whatever is causing it to be so loud. But, there's nothing and I have no desire to wait for anything.

Trobalt, but it turn your skin turns blue and might stop your heart.

 

[Tweedleman]

I asked this question before but I am asking again: is there anything that has even a remote chance of reducing the tinnitus tones volume? Some drug or?

I am also wondering if percocet or oxycodone would help with ear pain. I can't get a prescription but I am wondering if that would help with pain because I am inclined to think it would.

Have you tried Amitriptyline? Some people report it takes the edge off. Although others report it worsening their T or giving it to them in the first place. Yours is already off the charts though, so I can't see it hurting any more. I've been taking 25mg off and on mainly for the sedative calming effects. It hasn't effected my T in any way. At higher doses it's supposed to help with pain after a few weeks.

The opiates might help ear pain depending on dose, but ya, good luck ever getting a script for them.

 

[dan]

I don't know how others here deal with excessively loud tinnitus - it's so loud that it seems like external noises - the ringing or buzzing sounds like it's coming from outside the head and ears, if that makes sense. 11/10 severity, it's bad! Words can't describe it.

So you are 1/2 way there. You have already "externalized" the sound - this takes people a long time.

Now just think of it as a non-threatening external sound, i.e. a loud fridge or traffic noise, or imagine yourself on a flight. It gets easier over time and you might even tune it completely out some day (although I can't help you with how that feels like) it's been known to happen...