My Life Is Falling Apart Due to Worsening Hyperacusis/Tinnitus Over 2 Months

Hello all,

This is my first time on the forum but have been reading for a while. I know many of you are also suffering but I hope that you can spare a thought or a prayer for me tonight. Not to put too fine a point on it but I am going through the worst suffering of my life with this. Tonight has been particularly challenging due to worsening sound sensitivity and ear thumping (probably TTTS). This has strained my relationships and my career. I hope that I can wake up tomorrow without being even worse.

I will check in periodically to respond and clarify my situation as necessary. I'm not in the state of mind to provide the whole story and gory details at this time.

Thank you.

 

Sorry to hear about your situation @Taqq. I am going through a similar situation right now that started 2 months ago - tinnitus ramped-up and hyperacusis. It’s been a very trying time and I’m just taking each day one at a time. A positive future may seem out of reach and overwhelming right now, but in all my struggles with life, I’ve found that time can be one of the greatest healers — both physically and mentally. It enables acceptance and paves the way for clarity. With these conditions, we often blame ourselves for falling into their grasp, but that’s just human nature. We can’t always foresee or know what’s in store for us. That’s one of the things I’m trying to reiterate to myself. The guilt of feeling like bad decisions led to my current circumstances. But at the time, when those decisions were made, I thought they were the right ones. I think time will provide healing in this area. These conditions are just as much mental as physical.

My tinnitus has been hell lately and I’m scared, but I’m hoping and praying for improvement. I know I’ll eventually improve mentally, but I’m hoping to physically, too. Hope you feel better soon and share more of your story.

 

I had to leave my home and stay with my folks, partially out of compassion for my wife who has been driven to the brink by my symptoms and general anxiety over them. I wish I could be there for her but I am barely there for myself.

The hyperacusis is not doing well but no ear thumping at least. I hope for a better day tomorrow.

 

Welcome to the forum. It is always tough at the initial months, especially with both tinnitus and hyperacusis.

I have had both those conditions so I have true empathy for your struggle and suffering. One saving grace is that hyperacusis often fade over time and tinnitus can either fade in intensity or we can get more used to it if slowly. Habituation can happen at some point. It happens to me and I had both ultra high pitched tinnitus and severe hyperacusis.

The hyperacusis faded within the year. Thank goodness. So don't get too depressed nor desperate and give it some time. Take care. God bless.

 

Thanks for your kind words. I hope we can get through our similar situations as that guilt you mentioned is often too difficult for me to bear.

I've read your story when I was lurking, billie. God bless you as well. Your attitude toward everything is a hell of a lot better than mine. I wish I could take from your example more easily.

 

Thank you for the kind words. Believe me, I wasn't in any good shape nor good attitude at the first few months. I was depending on prescribed meds to survive initially, benzo for anxiety, antidepressants for depression, and sleeping pills to get some sleep. Dark thoughts were with me often as the future seemed so bleak with so much suffering. It was through getting support, learning some good strategies and most importantly giving the body enough time to habituate that slowly gave me some confidence that I can survive this. No one is a super human. I had suffered decades of anxiety and panic disorder and that was due to bad attitude and not knowing how to cope with difficulties in life. Now I have learned to have more positive outlook despite the suffering at the present moment, which is due to the nasty symptoms of SSHL I suffered late last year losing hearing on my left ear. I have learned to be more patient and to make compromise with my imperfect life instead of getting panic over challenges. Lol.

 

Don’t worry about the thumping. It goes away/reduces for almost everyone

 

Bad day so far. Anxiety through the roof. Arrangements are being made for a psych, have to hold out in the meantime.

 

@Taqq, I have bad tinnitus. It is going on 30 plus years. I have major spikes. I am lucky I have a good support system. I have been institutionalized several times. I've been taking medications for 25 years. I managed a career in the tech field. Sorry to say but my experience is a spike takes about 12-18 months to habituate. It can be done. I hope your psychologist understands your dire situation. God bless and ride this out please!

 

Hearing what are probably low-frequency traffic sounds from far away as I tried to sleep, noticeable and uncomfortable. I'm pretty scared, don't know what to do.

 

I will be on Remeron and BuSpar per my otoneurologist's recommendations and was prescribed by a psych nurse. He doesn't want me on benzos at this time due to their addictive nature and complicated withdrawal process and I would probably agree with that, though I understand they can and have gotten people through very rough times.

 

How did Buspar go? I just got prescribed it.