On My Way to Recovery from Tinnitus and Hyperacusis

Hello everyone!

My name is Vassili. I am new to this forum and I would like to share my story. I hope it encourages other noise-induced Tinnitus sufferers not to lose hope and stay positive on a long way to recovery.

...and please forgive me for my at some point broken English because it's not my mother tongue.

Well, here's my story short. It all started last October when my friends invited me to their rehearsal. They played for about 2 hours of really loud Progressive Heavy Metal and I actually had to sing one song with them in the end of the rehearsal. I wore my earplugs, so everything was fine. Time went quickly and when it was my turn to sing the guitarist said that he wanted to test his signal booster pedal so we agreed on that and started the song. Everything was fine, I was standing not far away from the guitar combo but when he started to play his really high-pitched solo my earplugs haven't unfortunately saved me and I felt sharp pain in my left ear for a second then turned around my head and felt the same pain for about 3 seconds in my right ear then immediately put my hands on the strings of the guitar so he stopped playing. I checked my hearing and it was fine, but I felt weird (after I understood that I had a shock). So I even finished the song and the rehearsal was over. The next day I felt dizzy, checked my hearing again an it was fine so I went and did a rehearsal with my band using professional musician's earplugs and everything seemed fine but not for long...

I returned home and went to sleep. That's when things got worse, really worse. Terrible tinnitus kicked in my right ear. It felt like I had a portal to another world in my ear, I had severe H also. Everyday noise drove me crazy. I had panic attacks, depression, couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, refused to communicate with people, I thought this was it and my life will never be the same again. I panicked, panicked real hard.

So I went to see my ENT Doctor. I did a really detailed hearing test and the results were good. Doctor told me that my hearing was absolutely fine so it gave me hope. She prescribed me Betaserc 24 mg for my dizziness, B-vitamin complex and D-vitamin for nerve recovery and Bromazepam 3 mg to control my anxiety levels. Also told me to protect my ears and avoid loud noises and environments, not to use headphones, to get as much sleep as possible, to forget about my heavy metal band frontmanship days and to stay positive, to be thankful that I haven't gone deaf and to return to normal life activities as soon as possible (easy to say, hard to do). All in all she as a doctor found really good words and gave me motivation to move on. She told me that I have to wait maybe for a year or so and all my symptoms will go away due to the fact that I'm only 32 years old and due to other patients' cases because 90% of people heal completely and continue to live normal happy lives. Also I did an MRI test and everything was absolutely fine. So I was stuck with this invisible condition that made me suffer but at the same time ''didn't exist''.

My Symptoms

First three months were the worst. First week my tinnitus was low-pitched and pulsatile or vibrating then it became high-pitched and stayed that way for three first months. After that I started to hear some sort of electrical sounds with buzzing (when I was at home) and high-pitched tinnitus when I was outside. Now 5 months have passed and I am feeling much better. My high-pitched tinnitus is gone, electrical sounds are also gone. What I hear is low hissing and some firecrackers now and then. When I'm outside I sometimes hear high-pitched tinnitus for a couple of minutes but it goes away and it isn't that loud to bother me much. So these are symptoms that I hear. But there are also other symptoms. More somatic ones. Like first two months I had dizziness, first three months I had severe hyperacusis that gave me pain in right shoulder, neck, upper back, back of my head, jaw, teeth, face, ears, nose etc. It was an awful time for me. I actually have all these somatic symptoms till this day but they are much more less severe. I still have hyperacusis but I feel it's getting better.

So this is my story of coping with my condition. I am sure that I will recover completely. It just takes time. I personally think that in 5 months I did really good improvement but it is not that much of a time passed. I am not loosing hope things will get better. I advise every tinnitus sufferer from day one to tell themselves that "I WILL RECOVER AND THERE IS NO OTHER OPTION". Things get better, they really do.

I hope this post will help other tinnitus sufferers who are in the beginning of their journey to recovery. Always stay positive, don't loose hope and remember You WILL have your normal life back and You will be living a happy and long life. I also think that if it had to happen with me well it just happened and it made me slow down and think about my life. I think doctor was right and it's time for me to quit Heavy Metal that I love so much and move on to other horizons of my life. Plus everything is fine with my hearing, brain, nerves etc. It just takes time and patience. In other words if life gives you lemons make lemonade.

Right now I'm sitting in the kitchen typing this with a TV on not really loud and my ears are hissing and popping, also my neck and forehead slightly hurt but compared to condition I suffered from 4 months ago it feels like a mild discomfort . Oh, buy the way, sometimes my tinnitus travels to my left ear.

Well this is not a complete success story but I'm sure it will become one and I hope it helps someone. I will post an update sometime. You can ask me questions if you like. Have a good day, don't focus much on you tinnitus and don't loose hope .

Vassili

 

lmao

 

Yes, hearing was fine. Audiogram revealed nothing. Maybe I should've written that I suffer from an acoustic shock rather than an acoustic trauma. I am not sure if these two conditions are equal.

 

Otologists (inner ear scientists) have shown the audiogram is not accurate. It's well known information on this forum. Scientist studying the inner ear are saying this.

https://www.communityhealthmagazine...cle_2958fd84-5063-11e7-9f50-dfc904dfe8cf.html

 

Unfortunately I couldn't open the link but I will continue reading the forum. I just hope that I will recover within 2 years. I am sure I will. The success stories that I've read so far on this forum are amazing.

 

I don't want to put you down, but be very careful with loud sounds from now on. It is relatively normal that one recovers after "strike one", the first noise shock, but then relapses after a few years due to other noise exposures. So be sensible, be careful, and try not to get caught off guard around loud sound.

 

So tired of my tinnitus. Hyperacusis also has a really strange behavior. Today tinnitus was really quiet but burning pain in the head and ears was pretty intensive. Soon it will be 8 months. So tired of it all. Good thing sleeping became much better. Also, it turned out that I have tinnitus and hyperacusis in both ears. It feels like both ears are slowly regaining their symmetrical status. What I mean is that the volume of tinnitus soon will be equal in both ears. I don't know if it's a good sign or not. Time will tell. Also I'm so happy that I don't hear my tinnitus while being outside anymore. Fuck you 2020. What a shitty year. Not only for silly me, but for humanity as well.

 

What do you do for the burning pain? I also have this. Progressed like yours

 

Hello!

I did nothing. Just waited for it to go away. Sometimes if I couldn't sleep I took Ibuprofen 600mg before going to bed. Also I was prescribed Bromazepam to control my anxiety. It helped a lot during first 4 months because I was such a nervous wreck that I constantly planned my suicide and wanted to phone a mental hospital. I can honestly say that first 6 months I lived in hell with constant pain 24/7. Right now it's almost 8 months and I feel much better. I have a very quiet tinnitus in both ears. Sometimes I have good days when I almost don't feel any pain (just a mild discomfort, mild burning sensation here and there). But sometimes I have bad days. Tinnitus remains quiet but pain levels increase and if I can't handle it I take Ibuprofen but usually I feel no need in it because pain is much more tolerable than it was, for example, 4-5 months ago. Right now I am planning to find a good neurologist. I think a consultation concerning all this head pain would do me good. Also I've noticed that after a "bad day" or a couple of them in a row things usually get better for me. It's like getting better through pain. So sometimes I even feel happy while being in the middle of my bad bay because I know that in a couple of days things will get better again. It's so weird, but this is how it works for me. for your question. I hope I could give you couple of ideas.

P.S.
Today is a good day for me. Almost no pain and a very quiet tinnitus. I actually think that I don't have hyperacusis anymore because I don't feel that everyday sounds are louder than they actually are but I still have increased sound sensibility that can make me feel mild pain or burning sensations.

 

Did your tinnitus get super loud before with the hyperacusis?

 

First tinnitus got super loud then came hyperacusis and after that they slowly decreased simultaneously. Tinnitus never got super loud again. They simultaneously go away with time but really slowly. Most of the time it feels like there's no progress but it is present. It's just really slow.

 

I too get intense burning ears/head days. Today is one of them. Finding it really hard to cope. Thank your Vassili for for sharing your improvements. Helping me get through the day.

 

Nine months in. Less tinnitus and more intensive hyperacusis. Is it typical? Is it a good sign?

 

3 weeks into my T. It has calmed down from a bout a 5-7 down to a 2-3 within the last 3 days. However, I am developing sensitivity to loud high pitch type noises. Plates on plates, spoon/works hitting ceramic type plates, shopping carts at grocery store, showers and other small things. Has anyone experienced this? My T was cause by fireworks. Has anyone recovered from this?

Thanks

 

That's a very good sign.

I think you are developing hyperacusis.

I have it too. Plus all sorts of pain in my jaw, face, head, neck, throat, even back.

Yes, most people recover but timing is very individual. It depends on how hard you've damaged your ears and have you got hearing loss or not. I would say recovery can take from couple of days to couple of years. If you don't have hearing loss and, at the same time, your tinnitus is pretty bad, it can take from 12 to 24 months. At least this what people wrote here on this forum. So it is a long ride because nerves take lots of time to recover. I am not out of the woods completely but I feel much better now after 9 months have passed and I continue to recover.

Give yourself time. Take it day by day and do not focus on it much. Don't stop living and try to gain a positive mindset. Read this forum (mostly success stories).

I wish you full recovery and lots of patience.

 

Has anyone done HBOT for acoustic induced tinnitus? I am about 23 days in with tinnitus and thinking about starting a few sessions this Monday. My audiogram showed no hearing loss and I can hear pretty well.

I am also developing some light occasional cracking in ears when talking?

How would I know if I have Eustachian Tube Dysfunction? I can hear my drums a bit when I yawn or swallow hard but it doesn't pop or open. More like I can just hear a light tap of my drum as if water lightly hits when I drink water or swallow.

Thanks everyone

 

@Vassili I'm 6 months in and I’m still not handling it well!!! I want silence again

 

Hi, Tara!

In my case only after 6 months I started to feel better. Now I can have 2-4 days of almost silence (very quiet tinnitus with mild hyperacusis) and then these days can be accompanied by 2-3 days of more intense hyperacusis and slightly louder tinnitus. I think it's a good sign. Psychologically it's still hard sometimes. When I'm in the middle of my good days I wish for pain in the head to go away but it continues to haunt me.

Hold on, I wish you all the best.

 

I haven't.

I didn't had any cracking when talking.

I think you should discuss these questions with your doctor.

 

@Vassili are we ever going to hear silence again? I’m questioning it.

 

I can't be 100% sure, but I prefer not to lose hope for the better.

 

HI @Tara Lyons

You are still in the early stages of noise induced tinnitus and noticed improvement over the last 6 months which is a good sign. This will continue and can take up to two years to reach full habituation. I have every confidence you will achieve this and the question of whether you will hear silence again will be of no importance I assure you.

Continue to socialise and engage in things you like to do. Try to keep away from negative thinking people that believe tinnitus and hyperacusis doesn't improve because this is often not the case. Sometimes specialist treatment is required by seeing an Audiologist but I don't think you will need to, so just give it time. Carry on using low level sound enrichment especially at night.

All the best
Michael

 

@Michael Leigh what about flying and traveling? I loved to go to the islands all of the time. I feel like none of that is possible anymore with this.

 

@Tara Lyons

I believe you'll have no problems flying and traveling and can probably do these things now if you want to. Have some noise reducing earplugs on your person just as a precaution but don't think you'll need them. I understand your scepticism but this will fade into insignificance with time. It is for this reason I have advised you to keep away from negative thinking people and not to read their posts, because it's this that can prevent you from making a good recovery. Please continue to read my articles as they will help to reinforce positive thinking. I will paste them below and advise you to print them and refer to them often.

You'll be just fine...
Take care

Michael

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/new-to-tinnitus-what-to-do.12558/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/the-habituation-process.20767/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/what-happens-in-trt-sessions.18195/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/acquiring-a-positive-mindset.23969/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-and-the-negative-mindset.23705/

 

@Vassili I need silence
I started using ear plugs for certain things during my day, and the ringing is definitely less in the ear plugs now than it was when I first started using them, I could barely keep the ear plugs in when I first started using them, so I don’t know if it’s fading or if I just have hyperacusis or reactive tinnitus, I hope it’s fading and goes away, but regardless of that my ears still always feel so fuck*ng weird. Do yours ever just feel WEIRD? They never feel normal regardless of the ringing. So tired of this nightmare!

@Greg Sacramento
@Bill Bauer @aot

 

Yes. My ears, especially the left one, always feel off. Sometimes it hurts, sometimes I feel like a slushie is being pushed under my skin in it (does it make sense?), it's wet, itchy. The right one feels very, very slightly clogged when the ringing is more significant in it.

I don't know whether the whole thing is because I obsess about my ears. Before tinnitus started, I barely had any problems with them. I can recall like one er infection and an ETD, both of them resolved in a really short time. So being aware of my ears is a very strange feeling for me and so tiresome.

I think, if it's getting quieter when earplugs in, that's a very good sign.

 

@Kriszti yea like I use the ear plugs and at first the ringing was so crazy. I was baffled by the noise seriously. I could barely keep them in for five minutes. Now I put them in and I can handle it for my entire work day... so I hope it’s fading?

 

Yes, they do feel weird 9 months already.

 

I agree.

 

Yes, it's fading. But really slowly.