TMS-Induced Tinnitus and Hyperacusis — Struggling With Triggers

[SimplyIzzy]

Hi everyone,

My tinnitus started about a month ago after TMS treatment. Since then, I've noticed some patterns. Some days I think it might be getting better, and other days it feels like my ears are screaming all day. It seems to react to the sounds around me. Things like the car AC, a white noise machine, or even my own voice lately will make it squeal in a really high pitch. The calmer days are usually when I've spent most of my time inside in a quiet room, which honestly makes me feel trapped. I keep asking my wife if the environment we're in is loud, because it feels like everything is too loud now.

I spoke with an audiologist who told me I likely have hyperacusis along with tinnitus. That makes sense because everything feels overly sound sensitive. It's tough to know what the right approach is. I don't want to overprotect, but I also don't want to overexpose and risk making it worse. I've noticed that late at night or early the next morning is usually an indicator of how much I overdid it the day before. If I've been more active or around more sound, the tinnitus squeals all night and into the morning, along with ear fullness and discomfort.

Since it's only been a month, I'm hoping there's still room for improvement. The fact that it changes so much makes it really hard to habituate, and I feel stuck trying to figure out what I can safely do without setting it off. I've read that sound therapy can help with regular tinnitus, but I've also read it can be harmful when sound sensitivity is involved. There doesn't seem to be a clear answer.

Any helpful tips on managing this or working toward habituation would be greatly appreciated. I'm doing my best to stay hopeful, even though it's very easy for me to panic or feel despair, as I'm sure many of you can relate.

Thank you!

 

[KristianFI]

How is it for you in silence? And what do you notice after you've been in silence for a while? I'm trying to understand my own situation, which is why I ask.

I've been in this agony for one and a half years now. The sounds from air conditioning, cars, and so on feel so familiar. I don't know if this will ever get better. I feel lost.

 

[SimplyIzzy]

How is it for you in silence? And what do you notice after you've been in silence for a while? I'm trying to understand my own situation, which is why I ask.

I've been in this agony for one and a half years now. The sounds from air conditioning, cars, and so on feel so familiar. I don't know if this will ever get better. I feel lost.

In silence, the reactivity usually calms down. The crazy squealing I experience, which rises and falls, becomes a steady high-pitched tone. When sounds are introduced, it starts to warble, squeal, and increase in volume.

I'm sorry you're dealing with this too. I only recently realized what was happening. At first, I thought I just had a new tinnitus tone, but this is something entirely different. I hope things get better for all of us.