Dysacusis — Will It Subside?

Try Xanax.

Some people report it cuts the distortions by a lot.

Doesn't work as well for me as it used to. On my onset Clonazepam knocked it out by 90%.

So at the least, you'd be allowed moments of normal while hoping to improve.

I hear clinking and beeping in the wind, and I loved the wind / ocean waves... I very much understand, there's been a lot of tears when it comes to thinking that may never come back.

 

I have been taking Xanax and it doesn't seem to help much at all. I break down crying multiple times a day. Are there stories of this ever getting better or going away?

 

Yes there are.

I only said Xanax for some people. For me Xanax did nothing. Alcohol made it so much worse. They target GABA but to be honest different receptors have different subunit expressions... benzos DO differ in which subunits they bind most to.

Cyclobenzaprine helps me care less and my go to was Clonazepam and Zopiclone (one reduced volume and the other I call the tone zapper). Zopiclone is safer to try out. Both aren't for the long term.

Prednisone helped me too considerably... but it isn't worth it as I ALWAYS got much worse tapering off (yet to resolve).

 

Thank you for the response. I really can't imagine this life like this. The Xanax is simply for sleep which I'm hoping to get off of. I've stretched a month dose into 3 so I don't take it often. I don't want to be on it anymore. I'm seeing a psychiatrist to help me get on something more long term at the end of March.

I was on 2 different 6 day courses of a low dose of Prednisone. Didn't do anything for me. My ENT wants me on a water pill now which terrifies me. I haven't taken it yet. The tinnitus is pretty much non existent at this point. I hear it only in a completely silent room and if I search for it (it used to be so loud even the shower wouldn't mask it). I don't want to take the water pill to make the tinnitus worse. But his theory is I have a fluid imbalance in my ears causing the sound distortion.

 

Why does the water pill terrify you? I would try anything to kill the sound distortions.

 

Doctor said it would make my tinnitus worse. Which would indicate to me more haring damage. Not sure how it would even help my distortions if it would just make my hearing worse? I tried to ask him questions but he kept interrupting me saying "don't ask questions you don't know the answers to." What a fucking asshole. I think he just gave me a water pill to get me out of his office. I don't trust it.

 

I've seen a plethora of clueless ENTs, even clueless otoneurologists. Highly consider changing.

Have you been to Michigan Eye and Ear? Dr Borjab Sr is supposedly good.

 

No, it seems I've gotten the wrong doctor at the Michigan Ear Institute. I'll look into him. Thanks for the recommendation.

 

Distortions can be caused by hydrops which can literally be treated or even cured with a diuretic. Your doc is clueless.

 

I need some input guys. I have had tinnitus for years with no other problems. I have been working out for years and that never affected it. Every once in a while I wear earplugs when I deadlift because my ears are sensitive. I developed hyperacusis and dysacusis from wearing earplugs and deadlifting. I know for sure it was from that because I tried it again a month later and it got much worse. But when I work out without earplugs normally it stays the same.

I was put on prednisone it did nothing. I’m going to the chiropractor and he said my C1 and C2 are irritated and can be causing problems. I’m now on diuretics because I have a big feeling this has something to do with inner ear fluids.

All the ENTs are baffled and have nothing to say. They think it’s from my tinnitus from years ago but this is something else. I don’t have vertigo. I just have bad sound distortion that’s like a whistling sound around running water, fans, and much more. And a fluttering noise in my right ear that went to my head after the prednisone.

 

Try and ease off the weight lifting and any vigorous exercises for a while to see whether the tinnitus calms down.

 

You sound like me.

I believe it is pressure. You are increasing pressure on your inner ear with ear plugs in. The ear drum doesn't flex out as it normally would, hence middle ear pressure is going up.

This is likely why I got worse from HBO by wearing earplugs that are snug. Vented ones should be fine.

It may also have to do with increased intercranial pressure to your perilymph. But who knows, as you say it's fine earplugless.

 

Yes I have been trying to do that. Taking an easy jog going to the gym for a while.

 

How do you think I can get better if it’s pressure on the inner ear? I tried Prednisone and diuretics. What now?

 

You're making pressure in the middle ear by lifting heavy... which has nowhere to go but the inner ear membranes because of the earplugs as the eardrum won't flex (higher pressure in ear canal which isn't normal) if they are airtight and probably a blocked middle ear sinus tube too from the higher blood pressure. So it's putting air pressure on the perilymph via the windows... which puts pressure on the endolymph and starts bending the membrane on top and the hair cells and the vascular membrane below with the nerves etc.

If the middle ear can't equilize and the eardrum can't flex there's only one place for pressure to go...

Use vented earplugs and make sure they aren't crazy tight.

Medication can't fix a mechanical pneumatic problem. Diuretics... might help? But only if you had hydrops at rest. Pressure trauma may induce them however.

I'd give the gym a break for a month and then try again slowly ramping up with no plugs so the eardrum can flex away pressure changes. Exercise shouldn't hurt it unless it's a fistula.

I've heard some people use Moduretic with success. I tried Lasix. Can't say it's a good idea yet... seems risky if I don't have hydrops.

 

Thanks! I’ve been doing even more research, I’m trying to figure out some things too.

I have had mild hyperacusis, but I think it got severe a week after the Prednisone. What do you think? I was not exposed to more loud noise.

I am also thinking it could be stapedius or tensor tympani muscles. I found some articles with people who got hyperacusis, fluttering, and ear fullness from it.

But yeah I’m on diuretics now, and the ear sensitivity has gotten much better.

For the fluttering and distortions have not improved the same.

 

You should not do that with or without earplugs, especially not now, but you already know that.

You will have to do a lot of internet research before you can choose what you can do in the gym, but not now, and until you understand how all movements affect inner ear you should not do anything.

What do C1 and C2 have to do with the feeling of liquid moving deep inside your ear when you bend over and lift a bike? Or with any dizziness in the elevators? Of course it's more likely to be inner/middle ear.

If they are saying or implying a clear CT means inner ear membrane hasn't been injured, they are already saying enough for you to know they don't have much experience with inner ear membrane injuries.

So they are saying tinnitus from years ago is causing you tinnitus now? OK. They did not know what caused it then and they don't know what's causing it now.

Tinnitus, dizziness, and other symptoms you have mentioned are symptoms.

You should do your best to try to let your injury heal and to understand your limits by researching on the internet, not by trial and error. And you should not push to check how far you can go. Sure, avoid salt and take a mild diuretic, but no point lowering your ICP with diuretics if you're going to pump it back up and increase it with running around or lifting. Lower ICP means less explosive pressure on inner ear (via cochlear aqueduct). Avoiding loud noise etc means less implosive pressure (via middle ear). You need to avoid both, at least for some time, at least for a couple of months, especially until you understand all about how pressure affects inner ear, in order not to make it worse if you get better.

 

Hey guys, I'm experiencing the same thing ever since a couple weeks ago after a hard workout and using my noise cancelling headphones which I also learned are not a good idea.

The tone that goes over top of most noises is very unsettling.

Anyone made any progress?

It's been about 6 weeks since the last reply so just curious.

 

How has it been since? Did yours improve at all?

 

9 months in. It's subsided maybe 30% for me in terms of the range of noises that distort. Certain noises distort exactly the same though.

 

How the hell does a doctor make an illogical statement like that? I think you found a doctor with a degree bought on Alibaba...

That's literally the only reason questions exist.

 

I have come across so many arrogant POS doctors, I am not surprised by that statement at all. In his mind, it does not matter that the statement is illogical because he is God like, and us plebs are not.

 

Yes, you're right. Thanks for your response. I have taken about two weeks off the gym. No change yet.

 

Same. I had normal tinnitus until I was deadlifting with earplugs in... which caused my dysacusis and worsening of my hyperacusis.

 

I'd also be curious to know if dysacusis typically improves or resolves over time as I've come to experience it following the onset of mild-moderate hyperacusis four weeks ago. In my case, it often manifests as a high pitched whistle in my left ear and/or a metallic "sssss" in my right ear. The distortions in question aren't particularly loud, but are nevertheless discernible against the backdrop of certain noises (running water, air conditioners, leaf blowers, etc.).

 

I have the same kind of distortions. In my case I noticed that they tend to fade when I manage to rest my ears from noises. The problem is I need to fill my ears with masking noise all the time or I go crazy. I sleep with Bose Sleepbuds on low volume all night and I suspect this over stimulation of the ears causes distortions the next day. When I was lucky enough to fall asleep with no Bose Sleepbuds (Mirtazapine would knock me out), distortions were barely noticeable. Unfortunately no other masking tool works for me so I really need them to survive the night, despite knowing that I am damaging my ears even further. It’s a catch-22. I feel like I am moving within quicksand, whatever move I do to try to get out I end up sinking more.

 

I'd just like to contribute with my own experience.

After my acoustic trauma in October last year, I developed tinnitus, hyperacusis and some distortions. The distortions mainly were that, for instance, my computer fan would be interpreted as a pure tone. When showering, the water created a bunch of weird tones and beeps. This did resolve completely over the course of a month.

I'm still stuck with tinnitus and hyperacusis though.

 

I'm sorry to hear about your predicament. Have you tried Melatonin? I started taking it a week ago (two gummies before bed each night) and have found that it helps me fall asleep a lot quicker (although I still use a pedestal fan to mask my baseline tinnitus at night).

I'm glad to hear that your dysacusis has subsided. My distortions typically manifest as a faint yet discernible tone that accompanies certain noises. I'm only five weeks into my condition and am still hopeful that it may improve or subside with time.

 

Fuck dysacusis! I hate it more than anything on the planet! I had tinnitus and hyperacusis for years and had no idea about sound distortions! What a hell to be honest. Mine has a mind of its own. One minute I won’t notice it, the next all I hear is beeping and fluttering. I want to rip my ears out of my skull.

 

I wish I could fall asleep with just Melatonin. Unfortunately I am back on Mirtazapine, and still my sleep is poor.