Acoustic Trauma Hyperacusis — Years of Overexposure to Loud Noises

So,

I've been lurking here for quite a while. I've had hyperacusis in one of my ears since I was a teenager - partly because of my years of ear infections and also listening to loud music. In my 20s, I was a music editor and would repeatedly go to shows, sometimes I'd use ear protection and other times I wouldn't.

Now, 20 years later, I've had more incidences of hyperacusis, especially in both ears. I had a setback last year which got better about 4 months in and I learned I could live a fairly normal life. I can't really listen to anything over 100 dB without ear protection.

Unfortunately, I was exposed to loud noise about a week ago for a few minutes and ever since then, the burning and painful earache has returned. It's very disheartening as I was getting better and this setback is really throwing me off. I began taking Gabapentin again per the advice of a neuro-otologist I saw last year for the last acoustic shock. It seems to be helping but it's not something I want to stay on for a long time, though it does help with my chronic pancreatitis pain so I guess I'm going to be taking this for a long time, probably the foreseeable future.

Just wanted to drop by and introduce myself and hopefully get some sage advice that will help all of us.

 

Listening to anything over 100 dB without protection sounds insane to most of us here.

You mentioned burning and pain (this is usually called noxacusis now).

No perception of loudness hyperacusis? Sounds appearing louder than normal?

 

Well, I think I misworded what I meant as over 100 dB without ear protection. That was before this setback and it was mostly anything above 85-90 dB would require me to wear ear protection. Now my LDLs are lower, like I can't tolerate anything over 50 dB without ear protection, which is what happened last time. I also had burning ears last time, and I have it again this time but it's going away.

And I can tolerate running water and low noises but everything else sounds louder than before. That's how my hyperacusis actually started when I got it in my teens in only one ear. Now it's in both ears but it's definitely worse in my bad ear.

 

Thanks for the explanation @Redapple. It then looks like you have both: loudness hyperacusis and noxacusis. Amazing you were able to heal previously - what surely helped was your young age. Now you got worse, with worse prospects, but perhaps not hopeless - your body demonstrated the ability to heal before, it may do it again, even if to a more limited extent.

Good luck to you. I have really no advice to give. I have been suffering from deteriorating loudness hyperacusis (and severe tinnitus from acoustic trauma in January this year) with short and fleeting moments of burning pain that might be indicative of noxacusis slowly creeping in.

All I know is overprotecting made my hyperacusis symptoms instantly - but transiently - worse. Otherwise very moderate exposure to "normal sounds" seems to be slowly making me worse, month by month.

I avoided all meds (not even supplements, except B12, occasionally NAC and a few others). But one drug I am considering now is Clomipramine. But it seems it can help noxacusis more, not really sure about loudness hyperacusis. It is something you may want to read about and research. But this is not a medical advice, I have no idea if it can really help.