Dairy Free Diet to Alleviate Hyperacusis

I started a dairy free diet about 15 days ago, to see if it could have a positive effect on my hyperacusis. I have chronic sinus issues also, that could contribute to my hyperacusis severity, and dairy can be the cause of sinus problems... and eye problems (I have floaters and several other eye issues), so there's also that.

About 5-6 days ago I was starting to see an effect on my hyperacusis, where it was noticeably better... Today I have a small spike though, but my period has also just started, and I have a period related headache, so that might be he cause of the spiking... I'm hoping it will go down again.

I am planning on giving it at least 4 week on the dairy free diet, maybe more, and I'll report my results in this thread. Hopefully somebody will find it useful.

 

Good luck, keep us posted!

Slightly off-topic question: does your period have any positive or negative effects on your T and/or H?

 

Thanks, and I sure will do that.

To answer your questions: My hyperacusis is spiking a bit during this period, but in the past I haven't found any noticeable effect on my hyperacusis during a period. Sometimes a very slight negative effect, but only intermittent and not 24/7 all through my period.

My usual tinnitus doesn't spike around the start of my period, BUT I do get an extra very-low frequency buzzing in my left ear, every month at the start of my period. It is intermittent and lasts about 2 weeks, and then it fades away...until the start of my next period. Very weird.

 

Question - what all things are you avoiding in dairy, in particular?

 

All kind of dairy products including yoghurt, cheese, milk chocolate, ice cream, butter etc. I do eat some products which are marked with "This product could contain traces of milk" though. I figure that potentially tiny bit, won't make a difference (and so says a family member of mine, who is vegan and actually encouraged me to try a dairy free diet)

 

Hi @TheDanishGirl , thanks for the interesting post, let us know how it goes, I consume a lot of dairy and have somewhat tolerable but unpleasant and annoying Hyperacusis

 

I'll sure keep you posted. I'm still spiking a bit, although I think it's gone down a tiny bit.

I do have to add that I have pain hyperacusis where sounds hurt in my ears, not loudness hyperacusis. Just want to make that clear. I'm not sure if a no-dairy diet could have effect on loudness hyperacusis.

 

For me there are some food items that help to feel better, but there aren't many items that make me feel worse.

There is some literature saying that dairy products are inflammatory, or that one should avoid chocolate and things like that.

So the conclusion I draw from personal evidence is that some anti-inflammatory food and food that contains antioxidants can make people feel better. But that the food items that in theory make ringing or H worse do not really affect me that much.

There are 2 exceptions, 2 things that sometimes (not always) make the ringing spike just a bit, and temporarily, and this are alcohol (the odd beer) and, very rarely, coffee. Other than that I didn't find any connection between food and ringing spikes.

 

In terms of tinnitus spiking from food the only thing I have found that affects mine negatively is caffeine - but I never tolerated caffeine well. Even before tinnitus/hyperacusis, I got racing heartbeat and increased anxiety from it (I suffer from generalized anxiety disorder). Luckily I don't like the taste of coffee. Sometimes excessive amounts of salty food has also spiked it a bit, but that doesn't happen always. I very rarely drink alcohol these days, but the few times I did drink a bit, it either decreased my tinnitus a bit or made no difference to it.

But yes dairy is inflammatory and can be the cause quite a number of problems in the body actually. Hyperacusis with pain (which is what I have) I read could have something to do with inflammation in the inner ear. Not that that's the only problem, but bringing down the inflammation in the body, could potentially make it a lot better, and that's what I am experimenting with going dairy free. Anyways it's still early days and I plan on giving it more than a month.

 

Do you have an update, did going non-dairy help?

@TheDanishGirl

 

No, it didn't help my hyperacusis. It's been pretty bad lately. But I feel dairy free diet does help a bit with my anxiety levels and general well being, so I'm sticking with it.

 

I use dairy products and they do not alter my hyperacusis and tinnitus.

 

Just for the benefit of having another data point, I went vegan a few months ago for about 4-5 weeks to see if it would do anything for my hyperacusis. It didn't.

 

No doubt in my mind there's a dairy, casein protein or gluten correlation with Inflammation causing in increased tinnitus pitch and volume. I've been 3 days off dairy, gluten, and red wine. My tinnitus is now about 4/10 vs 8/10.

I start the process of testing for caseine at 3pm today.

I'm so encouraged that my next step is going to lower salicylates big time.

Salicylate toxicity model of tinnitus