Hello TTalk

Hello TTalk,

Kansei is the Japanese word for peaceful calmness, solitude.
A state that I try to achieve.

I am a 36yo guy from southern Germany/Switzerland.
I have several Tinnituses going on, 3 on the left ear in a range around 6 kHz
5 on the right in the range between 2 and 6 kHz
I have a strong hyperacusis, sonophobia
I my pain level is 55 to 60 db


my T/H story so far, Tinnitus relevant topics bold, rest can be skimmed.


WALL OF TEXT incoming.

I always was an anxious kid, that got bullied, i have adhd and am odd.
I had a mild Tinnitus since 1994, since i was 14.
Electronic music was a huge passion of mine that i grew up with.
I developed a light hyperacusis in 1999, at age 18, after a club visit with an cold and too much playing
with the Music software ReBirth on the day after.
I recovered from that and was also to go out with earplugs.
From 2001 to 2006 I did a few years of making music, organising parties with friends in my hometown, djing and playing in a band.

In 2007 shit hit the fan: I was in the second year of a stressful degree, was doing an internship in another city some guy who i rented out my apartment to, left me with debts, so i had to look for a new flat for the upcoming semester, while killing the debt with extra freelance work in the evenings, after "regular work". On the weekends i stressed myself with looking for a new flat in my hometown. On September 19th 2007, my friends visited my city for an "experimental media concert" on a weeknight. I was in a rush and didn't find my regular earplugs so i took a -15db pair i bought for trying out with me. Some guy at the concert did high frequency shit on a modular synthesizer on a p.a. far too big for the room while stressfull visuals overstimulated the people. The bad earplugs weren't enough for a extreme concert. I went home, went asleep. On the next day i had enormous T and earache on the left ear.

After some days of rest i tried to make music on my equipment. The ache returned after 5 minutes of music. Loud noises trigger the hyperacusis and the tinnitus immediately, but leave after 2 weeks of silence. I experienced the same with listening to normal music.

Music, the big source of energy, hope and distraction. The thing i was defining myself with, My Social Life was gone. My musicmaking friends were gone. Only work was left.
The isolation, loneliness and helplessness was killing me I am a peaceful guy. if you would give me the chance to kill this guy at the concert in exchange for taking this sensorious hell off me, i'd do it.

So i bit myself through another strenous semester and moved back in my mother. I payed of the debt, did 12 courses in the upcoming semester, After some time i was able to listen to music again: I discovered that i am sensitive against frequencies over 9000 hz, so i cut them out. i cut out all high frequencies and listened on small levels on my laptop speakers. The Band Boards of Canada became my Refuge. Calm, instrumental downbeat. I listened to them and some happyness came back into my life. There's one song characterised that time:

Gaslamp Killer & Gonjasufi - Kobwebs

I remember listening to it on the nights where were working at the university, to finish projects with allnighters,
doing power naps on tables at 4am.

Finally the Workload reduced, but i got RSI in BOTH of my arms. I also got my second Hearing Loss at the end of the semester, so i decided to get through the end by getting intravenous cortisol therapy. The results were extreme: My pains were gone, the Tinnitus were gone, even my arachnophobia was gone. All supressed by Cortisol.

After a week and after finishing a shitload of work, i had my THIRD Acute Hearing loss and a nervous breakdown in 2008. I had been working 2 years non-stop for university projects, as freelancer, with little to money. I reached an end point. It coudn't go on like this.

I took a semester off to finish 2 remaining Projects, went for a short trip to italy. it took me 6 months to clear out a psychosis i developed from the IV Cortisol therapy.

It went to become better from 2009 –to 2012 I stepped down and started saying "no" to Bullshit and stupid assignment, cut some bad clients loose from my life and moved.

I was in Luck: I had acquired the best grossing freelance job i ever had by writing a 2 sentence mail to a client and disposable money.

I did something that improved my condition the most:
I started a TCM Therapy in my hometown.
Diagnosis said weak kidney yang, problems with spleen and lungs full of slime, that caused statis of energy, plus the energy was stagnating in my head, boosting adhd and the tinnitus.
A herbal therapy to get rid of the slime, plus Acupuncture "grounded" me and removed the surplus energy from my head. This improved my situation and hyperacusis greatly.

I was able to take part in social life again, could listen to music and could dj at home on small levels.
At the end of 2012 i moved to another town, starting a masters degree.

In 2013 my condition had improved so well, that i tried making music once again, at home on a low level. I destroyed the progress of 5 years in one afternoon. Apparently, it's not a noise but a signal Processing problem. I can't focus on making music. It overloads my brain.


From 2013 on, i had several noise traumata, worsening my hyperacusis and t each time.
I tryed to compensate with more Chinese Medicine therapy, keeping the thing in check.

I started a new job 2 months ago, it's kinda stressful, and i had 3 stressy noise situations:
- I was forced to cut a 20 seconds video with music, alleviating the sensitivity levels once again
- I was on a loud old airplane for a flight, alleviating the sensitivity levels once again
- I had a noise trauma because my current boss can only sneeze if he yells, too. He does this at 90dB, 2 metres next to me. I told him we need to fix this or i'd be gone.

I'm pretty f***ed at the moment, because i need the money from the job, as my saving are dry from a long spell of unemployment. I had to cancel a holiday with two good friends, who are going to japan.

I'm also pretty baffeled and don't know how to fight my situation next. Depression hit me hard. I just want to be healthy. I could endure the T, but i need a solution for the Hyperacusis, so i can live. again.

I plan to try this next:

–Eating lean white meat again to improve my nutrition, i am a vegetarian since 17 years (2000).
–CDB Oil consumption as recommended in one the threads here

 

Hello @Kansei , and welcome to TT.

If you have not found them yet, one of our members @Michael Leigh has a number of interesting posts about tinnitus and hyperacusis. I, personally, do not have hyperacusis, but I have found his articles on tinnitus and headphones helpful so I have to assume that his writing on hyperacusis will also be helpful to someone suffering from it.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/answers-to-hyperacusis-and-habituation.12058/

That is a very common reaction to tinnitus. You are not alone. A large number of our members (including myself) suffer from depression. It will get better. Hang in there, you can learn to habituate, even after spikes.

 

I am so sorry...

 

Were you wearing any hearing protection (earplugs or muffs)?

 

Yes, both. 3M Earplugs that give -37db plus a pair of sennheiser hd25 on top which do isolate a bit of sound as well. Wasn't enough to get the level below my pain level

 

thank you.

in hindsight the stupidities that i did to myself are always easier to spot. :/

 

Thank you for your reply. Was it a plane similar to


I was going to fly in October and November (one of flight legs was going to be on an airplane similar to the above), but perhaps it is best for me to cancel my trips (losing close to $2,000 in unused value of plane plane tickets)...

 

@Bill Bauer I did a flight with a prop machine like you posted in 2015, that was more bearable in the back

Regarding my flight, i had a look: https://www.adria.si/de/destinationen-und-fluege/flotte/
It was a Bombardier CRJ700. On reservation, there were two left places: one in the back, one above the wing. I chose the place in the back to be as far away from the jet engine. I lost.

On my last flight, noise wasn't a problem: It was an 8hr intercontinental flight with an airbus a300 last year. the bigger the plane, the better the cabin sound insulation.

I read on the web that you should try to get a seat in front of the jets. Those place are more silent, because the sound of the jet radiates backwards.
I don't know whether that applies to props tho.

 

@Kansei

For flights you need to use the Peltor x5a those are the best so anywhere you sit you will be fine in any type of plane

For noise trauma you need to keep some predisnone at home - each time I have the slightest suspicion some unavoidable noise trauma happened I pop 80mg right away and for two more days then stop - no need to taper down if it's only a few days
Only works if taken a few hours or a day after damage

Feel a bit groggy on the first day off steroids but it does not last much for me as I am otherwise healthy and fit

LLLT has also strong scientific evidence for hair cells and nerve recovery but only in the acute stage so I have a few powerful light devices and again I do a few days asap after trauma

These 3 things are the only things that can help after trauma for damaged/weak ears.
Also NAC and magemesium may help as prevention
And vitamin b12 and b6

The energy /Chinese stuff has no scientific basis...basically a scam don't waste your money this stuff did not help you

 

Well… Some idiot at work had the great idea to whistle right next to me, in a moment where i wasnt wearing ear plugs.

It's back to last tuesday for me... Aching ear, Loud T on the right, Hyperacusis.
I sweared to myself that i would quit if it would happen again.
i am exhausted from the panic attack i got and don't know what i should do...

Should i go to the emergency once more for people that can't help me with that
should i pop three year old prednisolone that i have
should i take some herbal medicine i have around.

i am so fed up with this noise sensitivity… ( ._.)

 

My guess is that this will cause at most a three day spike that ought to go away by itself. But of course it is impossible to know for sure what the best thing to do is.

 

I have been in the er, the same Doctor as last week was talking with me. H is out of control. Even low sounds like paper ripping are giving me pain and spike the fear. I am a wreck, sobbing, She gave me the adress of a psychatric institution that can help.

This morning my boss was asking me to do work from home this morning, i tried but i am not able to work. He then asked me about my health, i answered him in detail, plus that i will go to this psychatric institution.

I got answer that they are no longer counting with me and that they wished me the best for my reconvalesence. So basically, i lost my job today.

i don't know what to do next. i am just scared.

 

@Kansei So sorry to hear what you are going through. Have you taken a look through the Hyperacusis & Ear Pain section here on TT ? There may be some approaches to your problem that you have not thought of. Some people take Lyrica or other nerve pain medications to help them deal with the discomfort. There is hope. You need to find some medication to help you with your panic attacks.

 

@Pomme Thanks for your words. I will have a look at the methods. I got help today and will enter the psychatric institution tommorow midday. in the morning i will see my Doctor again and i will begin taking the prednisolone plus i will get something against the panic in the clinic.