Acoustic Trauma Caused by Friend's Car Stereo Resulted in Tinnitus

Hi there,

I've been searching through Tinnitus Talk for weeks and have found some optimism for my situation, especially with @jjflyman's remarkable recovery. I thought I'd post my own story in search of some insight and feedback. I apologize for the length, as several factors are at play here, and I wanted to present them all.

Roughly eight weeks ago, my friend and I went on an evening walk. We both took weed gummies during the walk to take the edge off a rough work week. On the drive back, my friend decided to crank up the music mid-song. Immediately, I knew and felt something was wrong; my ears hurt, and I put my hands over my ears. My friend didn't notice my distress, perhaps because he was driving. The total length of the exposure was 10-15 seconds. My friend was completely fine; I wasn't.

His side of the car (driver's side) had the window down at the time of the exposure, which led to the sound traveling outwards. My side of the car (passenger seat) had the window up, which could have led to the sound reverberating back, impacting my ears more intensely.

Later that night, my ears still rang, but I didn't think much of it.

More than a week later, I became concerned and visited urgent care, followed by two ENTs who were optimistic about recovery but couldn't offer any further answers, to "wait and see."

Since the doctors couldn't tell me much, I decided to research online. To my surprise, I wasn't offered Prednisone despite it being "the first line of defense" for ear-related trauma. It was roughly two weeks into the trauma when I called my ENT and asked her to prescribe Prednisone to me, which she reluctantly accepted. I know two weeks is far outside the window of usefulness, but I was desperate.

I still don't know if it helped; it didn't seem to. There may have been moments when it was quieter. I mostly remember feeling bad about the steroid.

I've also been to an audiologist, and my hearing came back "perfect." They could only measure up to 8 kHz, though, so I may have hidden hearing loss. My AOE test also came out perfectly good. I've been told having healthy/favorable results from the AOE test can be a very good sign in terms of recovery, and I'm curious if others find this to be true as well.

My audiologist was very kind. She also has tinnitus. She suggested asking my ENT to refer me to a tinnitus specialist. Unfortunately, she had nothing to add but to "wait and see."

I started feeling symptoms of burning in my ears about two weeks into the trauma. It generally happens when I'm asleep or waking up (I tried sleeping propped up, but it made no difference). Other times, the burning feels random. In the last few weeks, I've also experienced stabbing, aching pain in my ears, sometimes random and sometimes related to certain unwelcome sounds like machinery beeping, motorcycles, etc. I've been told these are symptoms of hyperacusis and noxacusis, so I wear earplugs whenever I leave the house and use protection whenever I can. I try to be in quiet as much as possible. It also seems somewhat reactive because it increases in volume for some forms of white noise (not all). For instance, it will react and intensify when I turn my air purifier on a higher setting or when I'm in a car on the freeway. In the shower, though, I can't hear it or over the faucet.

At first, the ringing was mostly in my left ear, but my right ear also rings, just less frequently and less intensely. It's a high-pitched electrical type sound with some unpleasant tones and Morse code, which I've been told is a very common type of sound for noise-induced cases.

My jawbone and cheekbones have also started to ache and are very tender, sometimes causing significant pain and distress. It feels like I had used my jaw excessively, even though I definitely hadn't. I generally have a clean diet consisting of soft foods. I've been told this may be TMJ and to consult a dentist or an orofacial pain specialist.

I had been taking Buspar for nine months when I first got the acoustic trauma. Due to the internet rabbit hole I was on at the time, I thought that the medication was the culprit. Because of its very short half-life, after getting my doctor's permission, I tapered and stopped Buspar after discussing its ototoxicity. After tapering and stopping, I felt no difference in the ringing whatsoever but a huge increase in anxiety (obviously). I ended up resuming my regular dose (10 mg three times a day) because, on top of feeling like I was losing my mind and sanity, I was also having surges of panic and anxiety. From what I've gathered, yes, Buspar is ototoxic, and others have developed tinnitus from it, but I had been taking it for nine months prior. The ringing started IMMEDIATELY after the noise exposure. I can't be 100% sure, but this is the cause I'm currently hedging my bets on. For all I know, the Buspar could have weakened my auditory system, though. I'm still unsure. I had been on Prozac and Lamictal for years throughout my 20s (I'm 31).

I'm taking Magnesium glycinate, NAC (I took NAC for years prior for anxiety and OCD), Curcumin, vitamin B Complex, Zinc, Ginkgo biloba, and L-theanine. I've heard some say that supplements don't do much for noise-induced tinnitus, but it can't hurt to try, as I've also talked to some who say it's helped.

As an aside, I had a severe systemic fungal infection that I went to the ER for (symptoms were black stool and loss of appetite) about a week after developing tinnitus, which I think is unrelated. I suspect the fungal infection was in my system for much longer, however, way before developing tinnitus.

This has definitely been the scariest thing I've ever experienced. While on Prednisone, I had very intense suicidal ideations. I'll never forget the sheer panic and utter despair of the first month or so—mentally beyond devastating, claustrophobic, maddening.

Eight weeks in, and I can't say I'm doing much better, but I'm a bit calmer. The ringing hasn't gotten worse, and sometimes it seems to be in one ear only or changes ears. I have been told that recovery could take months, years, or less possibly (if I'm lucky). There are, of course, also many permanent cases. Those I've talked to recommend being patient and taking it one day at a time. It's shocking how little the medical field can do for this condition currently, which is why I'm turning to online platforms for support.

For further background, I have always avoided noisy events and have been to only two concerts in my life (at a far distance) in my mid-teens, and I have never experienced ringing. I never liked drinking and have only been to a few bars as well.

Any insight, feedback, or recommendations are highly welcome and appreciated! Additionally (and I realize this may be speculation/opinion):

1. What exactly caused my tinnitus?
2. How likely is it for tinnitus (in my specific situation) to fade?
3. Any further recommendations for recovery?

I've been told my exposure was "mild" due to how short it was and how it was likely low decibels (can't confirm), and that recovery may be more likely for that reason. (I asked my friend to download a dB measuring app and measure the car stereo, but they said they have yet to find one that measures accurately).

Thank you for reading and for any help you can provide!

 

Your detailed story reflects a strong attention to detail, likely influenced by OCD, which I also experience.

To put it simply, you have noise-induced tinnitus. Concerns about decibels or whether a window was open are irrelevant. I urge you not to waste money on dentists or chiropractors; they won't help with noise-induced tinnitus. An extended hearing test is also unnecessary, as hearing aids do not work at higher frequencies.

If you’re not careful, you may get drawn into all sorts of misinformation from distressed patients, often with comorbid mental health issues. While I have sympathy, it does not benefit anyone. One common misconception is the use of the term "ototoxic." Ototoxic means damage to the ear, but very few substances are genuinely ototoxic. Notable culprits include aspirin, chemotherapy agents, and strong antibiotics. Buspar does not cause hearing damage. Some people might experience tinnitus when starting a medication and incorrectly label it as ototoxic. Certain medications can 'trigger' tinnitus, but usually, some preexisting hearing damage is required. A change in brain chemistry can disrupt the filtering system, making tinnitus more noticeable. Wellbutrin is particularly known for this.

Tinnitus that persists for a few months is typically chronic, although no one can give a definitive answer.

Once hearing damage occurs, it is permanent. However, over time, some people habituate to tinnitus. The good news is that hyperacusis and ear pain often subside over 6-24 months.

Currently, treatment options are limited to:

1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
2. Dr. Hamid Djalilian's migraine cocktail (search for more information online)
3. Dr. Dirk De Ridder's medication cocktail (Deanxit, Aripiprazole, Clonazepam, and possibly a few others)
4. Dr. Shulman's Clonazepam + Gabapentin
5. Hearing aids, if there is hearing loss
6. Cochlear implants for severe hearing loss
7. Lenire

Options 5 and 6 are not suitable for you.

Lenire is approved but rarely effective, can exacerbate the condition, and is expensive. The study on Lenire was designed to be misleading to patients.

For research, you could look for clinical trials to enroll in or consider experimental treatments that have shown some promise, including tDCS, Lidocaine patches on the neck, Lidocaine injections + Gabapentin, and a few others.

I would caution against alternative treatments, as they generally lack sufficient studies or have poor-quality research, and are rarely helpful. Examples include cannabis and Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT).

 

Hello,

I just wanted to reassure you that your tinnitus is very likely to fade. Most cases of tinnitus, especially those caused by acoustic trauma, tend to improve over time. It might just take a few months. Keep in mind that most people who visit this forum are just reading, and only a small fraction of those who recover actually share their success stories.

As for recommendations, try to ignore the tinnitus as much as possible and stay busy. Don’t sit around hoping it will go away; instead, give your ears a rest and avoid loud noises. Consider using musicians' earplugs, and if you have trouble sleeping at night, try using white noise. There are countless videos on YouTube—find one that is most relaxing for you.

Don’t worry, you will definitely get better!