Hyperacusis at Certain Frequencies

Hi,

I'm new to this forum but found it comforting when dealing with this lonely condition. I was wondering if it is possible to have hyperacusis at distinct frequencies?

I have 5 tones:

• 160Hz - reacts to ambient sound and sounds in the lower frequency registers.
• 1180Hz - reacts to most sound.
• 1430Hz - this was my first tone which used to be continuous but now is reactive
• 1780Hz - this interchanges with the 1430Hz - like a piper in my ear
• 12khz > - this is the worst one as it can be heard over everything (if this one would disappear i would be ecstatic).

All in under 2 and a bit months

I have tried the following meds to help with coping and sleep:

• Promethazine (for about 3 days)
  
• Amitriptyline (only took 3 pills ever)
• Diazepam - (I probably had 1-2 weeks worth)
  
• Zopiclone - (about 2 weeks)
• Mirtazapine - (15mg to 7.5mg)

I'm wondering if these meds may have caused my tinnitus to get worse, with sensitivity?

Sorry for the long post.

 

yep

 

Thanks for that John.

Does it sound like I may have hyperacusis?

And have you known it to develop after the on set of tinnitus?

 

Yes have read lots of threads where people later developed hyperacusis. Mine developed simultaneously with my tinnitus though.

When they test your loudness discomfort levels (LDL’s) for hyperacusis they test different frequencies to see where your sensitivity is.

Serotonergic medications like those you mentioned above spike my tinnitus and exacerbate my hyperacusis. Ambien also spiked and exacerbated me. So in my experience those medications can have an effect on tinnitus. No experience with Promethazine. Benzos lower my tinnitus. Perhaps use the search function to check for your medications and spikes.

Also:
https://news.ohsu.edu/2017/08/22/study-suggests-serotonin-may-worsen-tinnitus

 

Definitely possible. Needless to say, hyperacusis varies from person to person, not to mention the different types of hyperacusis. Fortunately, hyperacusis tends to get better over time.

As for the meds, I've used mirtazapine, amitriptyline, and diazepam myself and neither of those had any influence on my H. Mirtazapine & amitriptyline did, however, spike my T for as long as I used it. Diazepam and other benzos can eliminate most of my H pain for a few hours, and make my T less intrusive. This effect is actually quite common among T & H sufferers so unlikely to be the cause of your spike.

To answer your question, those meds could've spiked your T (with additional sensitivity), but it is likely to be temporary. It has been speculated that mirtazapine is one of the safest ADs for people with T, but as you see, this is different for everyone. Research has shown that Amitriptyline can lessen T in some (unfortunately, it was a really small sample size), but to be honest it made my T horribly loud for a few weeks.

All the best.

 

Thank you for your response. It's really helpful. I have an ENT appointment booked for the end of the month to which im hoping that I can be tested.

In the meantime i going to try keep busy and sleep naturally.

 

Thank you for your response. Really helpful. I suspect it was all brought on with use of headphones, even though I used them for news and audiobooks.

 

Hi @Pink Noise

I wanted to ask if during that 2 month period when these symptoms started did you listen to pink noise frequently? I am having reactive / hyperacusis at certain times frequencies too. I listened to Pink Noise and wondering if that played a role in developing this issue.

Also - how are you doing with reactive tinnitus these days?

 

Hi Capstan,

Initially, I used violet noise via sleep phones at a lowish level though out the night. I don't recommend this as I think it has made my situation worse. I now listen to pink noise through pillow speakers which is better, smoother, not as harsh. Pink noise is more suited to the auditory system as it follows the contour of how we hear.

I have noticed a slight improvement with my tinnitus, but it's really small. It could even be an improvement in my reaction to it. I'm still sensitive to 1400Hz and 2200Hz. Its so annoying as I produce music and its affecting my mixes.

I'm banking on FX-322 at the moment.

I hope that info helps and I hope yours and my situation improves.

 

Thank you @Pink Noise. I'm sensitive to fans, running water, and motors. I also had some distortion in some higher frequencies in music. this however seems to be improving. I'm not exactly sure what frequencies are causing me sensitivity. I'm thinking it's lower frequencies but my hearing is decent there. It's all very strange. I hope we get some relief before FX-322 is available. I had loudness hyperacusis before, this type of hyperacusis seems to be worse!

Btw, when you hear these frequencies, does it spike your tinnitus or cause you pain? Mine causes the ringing to sharpen and become louder.

 

Sorry to hear about your sensitivity. There is no pain. My pain is not being able to make music as quickly as I have done. Always second guessing if distortion are in the audio or in my head. Its maddening.