Struggling with a Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Setback After Years of Recovery

[Mags]

I am looking for some advice from a place of despair. I developed tinnitus over the course of four and a half years. After the initial nightmare, which included reactivity and hyperacusis, I recovered and was left with mild to moderate tinnitus, which I got used to until last week.

While I was on holiday in a very windy location, my tinnitus spiked. It has now been one week with reactive, loud tinnitus and some hyperacusis. I am devastated that my brain has returned to that very dark place after four years. I have no idea why this happened or whether it is going to settle.

I am not sleeping and I have no energy to fight again. Has this happened to any of you, and have you recovered or gotten used to it again? I need some hope.

 

[Strife_84]

You have the tools. You did it once. It was tough, but you did it. You can do it again!

I am currently in the same situation. I had a pretty good life going, then I went to a club with earplugs on, and now I have a terrible spike that has lasted for a week already.

But we did it once! We went through the darkness and all those horrible thoughts. We survived, learned to enjoy life again, and faced setbacks along the way, but we kept moving forward! We can do this!

I've had some nasty spikes over the years. Sometimes they were my fault, like going to a club without earplugs, and other times they were caused by other factors, such as loud traffic, dental procedures, or similar situations. Usually, my spikes last about two to three weeks. I think my worst one lasted almost a month. But all those spikes eventually went away, so I believe you will be fine. Just protect your ears for now. Wind can be a nasty thing.

I usually get spikes when I start cycling.

 

[Maruashen]

How did it all work out for both of you, @Mags & @Strife_84? Did the tinnitus spike eventually subside?

 

[LisaLisa444]

I had a minor dental procedure last week. There was no drilling, and it wasn't even loud, but suddenly I developed a new tinnitus sound — a weird, static-like loud noise in one ear and a low siren in the other. I'm eight years into dealing with hyperacusis, TTTS, and MEM. I also have some kind of eustachian tube issue, which I think is PET at times, because when I pop my ears, I can hear way too much of my internal sounds. I also have a tender gland under my jaw in my neck.

I've had tinnitus in the past, and I also have pulsatile tinnitus. This whole mess is brutal, and I'm stunned to be having a flare like this. I didn't have anything like this particular tinnitus sound before, and I can't figure it out — unless it's something TMJ-related, since I do clench my teeth. I wear a mouthguard, but that only protects my teeth. It doesn't stop the clenching.

I'm just praying it calms down. I've already been through so much to get to a place where I could function, and now this shows up. I don't have the time or space to retreat right now either, because my daughter is due to have her first child in the next two weeks. She's a five-hour drive away.

I'm not even bothering to see a doctor, because I know from experience they are useless when it comes to actually helping with this. I was chatting with ChatGPT for a while, and it said it's most likely temporary — that inflammation can trigger flares and setbacks. It really seems to have been a rough week for a lot of us.

I've had setbacks with hyperacusis and tinnitus before, and they eventually calmed down, though the time frames really varied. I don't think I've ever had this particular strange air-static type of tinnitus before, though I've had a wide variety of other sounds. I don't know what's going on this time, but maybe tinnitus really is just that unpredictable. The sounds it makes are incredibly unstable.

Hyperacusis is a beast, but in these eight years, it has always eventually returned to its baseline. That baseline isn't great, but I was at least able to go out and function with some Bose headphones. I'm praying that things settle down — for me and for everyone else going through this. It's exhausting and overwhelming.

 

[Strife_84]

How did it all work out for both of you, @Mags & @Strife_84? Did the tinnitus spike eventually subside?

It's been a little over three weeks now. My situation has improved, but I still don't feel like I used to. Some days are better, some days are worse, but overall it's slowly getting better. I've definitely learned my lesson. This is not something to take lightly anymore.

 

[Mags]

I am almost two months into this proper relapse. My tinnitus is better, but hyperacusis has turned into a beast. The world is loud now, and I cannot seem to quiet it down. I have developed some sound distortions and reactivity to artificial sounds.

I have started CBT therapy, so hopefully I will make some progress. I cannot believe that I am going through this again, but it seems to happen to people, so I am not the only one.

I hope everyone is improving.