Masking Reactive Tinnitus / Hyperacusis

Karen do you take two capsules at once or 1 twice daily?
Thanks!

 

I know this post is old, but I also have reactive form of tinnitus. Just wondering how @valeri is doing now? My T reacts to all sorts of other sounds, loud group of people, television (especially), the car radio, road noise when driving, my heater or ac in the car, faucets, keyboards etc. I do not necessarily feel pain in my ears though, just the hissing T gets louder as it attempts to compete with the exterior sounds. Mine is newer onset- 9 weeks and already I've noticed some improvement. Some days it does not react or if I'm busy I don't notice the reaction and most of the time I can watch TV still for an hour or so and I just deal with the reacting which is an improvement since it started because I was unable to do this for the first month. I have also been able to tune out my T occasionally while watching TV if I'm very interested in the show although usually it's always there and more high pitched then the tv. I really hope it continues to improve for me and am grateful so far I'm not having any difficulty sleeping.

 

First round of retigabine helped me a lot with reactive hissing.

 

Hi, @valeri. I know this is an old thread, but I am massively struggling with reactive tinnitus. I’m having a similar experience to what you described. Did this ever improve for you?

 

I’m very sorry you suffer with reactive tinnitus. I understand how difficult it is.
Mine has been on/off, starts with burning pain and my ears feel as if acid has been poured in them.

The only thing that helps me, in the lack of Trobalt, is benzo Rivotril. It doesn’t go away but takes the edge off.

I’m expecting my next round of reactivity to start soon.
It’s impossible to mask.

Did you find anything that gives some relief at least?

 

Unfortunately, I haven’t found anything that provides relief. It is not maskable and reacts to all external noise. I am holding out for a cure at this point.

 

@Emgee and @valeri I also have reactive tinnitus. The hissing gets louder and sounds electrical with external noises. Not maskable. My ear also feels raw a lot of the time. 21 days since acoustic trauma. How do you cope?

 

Initially, I was prescribed anti-anxiety meds to help alleviate the burden. It worked for a little while (didn’t reduce the volume but made me care less), but mine has worsened severely over the last four months. Now, I’m not sure if the worsening was attributed to the meds or if it was going to happen regardless. I try to spend as much time in silent rooms as possible now because of how bad the reactivity is.

I’m sorry you’re going through this. For many here, tinnitus and/or reactive tinnitus tend to improve over time. Odds are that you will see progress. If you really need hope, scroll over to the treatment threads. From FX-322 to OTO-413, much progress is being made in hearing regeneration. It is believed that these medicines will help tinnitus as a result of treating the underlying hearing loss.

Please reach out if you need to vent. I understand how bad this can be. Wishing you all the best.

 

Thanks Emgee. It hasn’t improved at all in 3 weeks which is scary.

 

Do you know what caused it? Have you tested your hearing via an extended audiogram?

 

Yes, three LOUD M80 fireworks set off by a neighbor on 4th of July. Started immediately after. And I’ve always been so careful with my ears. No significant hearing loss detected.

 

Reactive Tinnitus is one of the worst sub-types to have, as it is virtually non-maskable (ask me how I know)
The louder the ambient sound, the louder the tinnitus volume and the higher/sharper the pitch.

It literally feels like a sharp knife cutting into back of the brain, as that is where the sound seems to be coming from (at least in my case)
I also get the bonus of the "hot ears", which I attribute to the fact, that the sound is travelling backwards (originates inside the head, clashes with sounds coming from outside and pushes through all the way out).

When someone says that they can mask their tinnitus by just "turning on the fan", it makes me realize that we have two separate conditions under the same name (which is part of the reason why the outside world still thinks that tinnitus is the same for everyone).

Not being able to mask is a huge game changer psychologically, as the sufferer is unable to get away from the sound.
Throw in the destroyed sleep and you have a 24/7 hell on earth with no way to escape except for one.

 

What did we do to deserve this hell?

 

It’s possible you have a loss in the upper frequencies which is often untested for. Or, you may have synapse damage which would also go undetected.

Either way, you’re still in early days. Have hope that it can improve. Give it time and protect your ears. Reach out if you have any questions.

 

@Emgee

I sure hope it improves. Sounds like loud electrical buzzing right now. My ear feels angry/raw. Hard to describe. I have wondered about hearing loss in upper frequencies and also in other parts of the auditory system. If I’ve seen zero improvement in three weeks, does that mean there is still a chance for improvement? Thanks so much for the support.

 

Mine is also electrical. It’s awful.

That’s not uncommon at all. You’re in the acute phase, and ears take forever to heal. Some users I’ve spoken with that have/had reactive tinnitus saw improvement around a year in. Unfortunately, it takes a while in many instances. Hang in there. Worst case scenario, there are treatments in the pipeline to fix hearing damage. In turn, this should alleviate tinnitus as a result. There is hope on the horizon.

 

@Emgee thank you.

 

@Harley I agree. I’ve had maskable tinnitus for 15 years. This new piercing hiss is hell on earth.

 

@Emgee can tinnitus go away 100%? I’m 6 months in and just getting quieter days but I do think my ears are reactive.
I’m just missing silence like crazy and this thing is so maddening, I don’t see how it just stops. It’s ruthless.

 

Sorry to hear that, Tara. This can be a terrible condition indeed. Can tinnitus go away completely? Sure, but generally that is not the case. Most often, it does improve over time though. It is a great sign that you are experiencing quieter days, especially considering you have only had it for six months. Six months is actually not long at all with tinnitus. You are still on the fringe of being in the acute phase. The most likely outcome is that it will continue to improve as time goes on. Wishing you quieter days.

 

@Emgee I’m only 32. I can’t imagine living with this forever! I just can’t

 

I’m only 23. I know the feeling.

Odds are you won’t have to live with this forever, especially considering the advancements being made in the hearing regeneration space.

 

Consider:

. HBOT
. Laser therapy
. LDN
. Nicotinamide riboside/ NAD?

 

@Emgee it’s terrible. I never imagined I’d have this. But who does I guess?

 

That is a very good question.
Maybe in our past lives, we were ruthless dictators, killers, rapists... etc.
Assuming there is such thing of course.

But even then, why go after someone who does not remember any of it, as it would completely defeat the purpose of any punishment.
Kind of like one of the Black Mirror episodes (I think it was called White Bear)

This level of torture without death should not exist in nature.
Tinnitus should be a terminal condition on its own, without having to do the dirty work ourselves.

 

Hi @DebInAustralia, hope you are doing well this week. Curious what else you may know about laser therapy? Is this practiced in clinics or are there home devices users have talked about on Tinnitus Talk?

 

Hi there,

I bought the Lucky Laser back in 2017.

Never ended up using it tbh.

 

You can read the experience of @GBB.

He bought one with a return policy.

Didn’t do much for him.