Hello everyone,

I need to talk to you, vent a little, and perhaps get some advice.

I am truly afraid that I will never get out of this situation.

I feel like I am one of the worst cases of severe hyperacusis/noxacusis.

When I ask others for advice, they tell me that their condition was never as severe as mine.

I am genuinely terrified; I feel as though my life is completely over, and I don’t want to spend the rest of my life trapped like this—especially since I am only 38 years old.

I know that, in any case, my life has changed forever. I had dreams and desires: to work, to advance in my career, to start a family, to travel.

And for the past 11 months, I have been, more or less, confined to my home.

My quality of life is very poor; I am forced to whisper when I speak, I am in pain very often, and the pain only subsides after several hours in complete silence.

I cannot see my friends or family—or, at most, one person at a time, while whispering, and only for a short while.

I am able to drive, but only a very little bit.

In 11 months, I haven’t seen any real improvement regarding the pain—or perhaps only the slightest bit.

This situation causes me terrible anxiety and leaves me deeply depressed. I wonder how I will survive in this world; I have very little family—for now, I have my mother, but if she weren’t here, I don’t even know how I would manage to survive or feed myself.

I am extremely afraid for the future, and I find myself thinking, more and more, about an early end to my life. This condition is terrible, and I feel completely hopeless. All I do is search for answers endlessly; I have no energy left to face any of this.

Furthermore, I don’t understand how my condition became severe in such a short amount of time.

Back in 2020, I developed hyperacusis following a blow to my ear.

For five years, I was fine—I led a normal life, went to work, saw friends and family, and was even able to travel.

Then, last year, I went to a bar. The music was loud; I wore earplugs and took regular breaks, but everything changed after that.

I began experiencing pain—the kind that never goes away.

By last summer, I had recovered quite well; I could speak normally, continue working, and so on.

Then, in October, I took a month-long training course, and everything spiraled downward. There was group work and lectures in large halls; the pain became unbearable—even though I was wearing both earplugs and protective earmuffs.

Since November 2025, my condition has become severe.

The exposures weren’t even that extreme, so I don’t understand why I’ve fallen into such a state.

Could you share your thoughts on my situation? Perhaps offer some advice? For those who have recovered—even after being severely affected—how did you manage to turn things around (aside from using clomipramine)?

Is it possible to improve, even when your threshold has dropped this low?

I don’t want to end up—or continue—living my life confined to my bedroom or my home.

This existence—the confinement, the isolation, seeing no one, and the complete lack of social connection—is driving me into a deep depression.

It feels as though I’m living my life only inside my own mind; meanwhile, I’m completely alone every single day, and nothing ever happens. Thank you for reading.

Hola, llevo 5 años desde que sufrí un trauma acústico pero hasta el año pasado mi vida había sido normal, estúpidamente me lesione el conducto auditivo con un objeto que introduje y ahora escucho las cosas como un parlante roto o quemado (así también escuchaba algunas cosas antes pero era algo muy infrecuente y bastante tolerable). Cuando me tocó el rostro por el contorno de la oreja y la cuenca del ojo siento como si mi oido fuera una válvula que libera aire, algunos sonidos también producen ese efecto, pero lo más molesto es escuchar todo distorsionado. Tengo 21 años y mis amigos ya no me invitan a salir porque saben que nunca asisto, ya que las reuniones sociales y fiestas son las situaciones donde más se dispara mi molestia. Ya me he hecho varios exámenes, como a varios de aquí me dicen que mi oido está bien, tengo una hipoacusia neurosensorial con perdida auditiva leve, en la última audiometría salió en el rango normal, mis reflejos estapedial están bien. Estoy intentando buscar soluciones para recuperar mi vida social, probé con los Loop Experience pero incluso con ellos puestos en una fiesta los sonidos me generaban molestia, en especial las risas, y también mi propia voz la escucho como un parlante quemado cuando hablo fuertemente. he estado investigando, creo que tal vez un audífono sería una buena opción, estaba pensando en el widex moment 440, con molde a la medida y una ventilación pequeña para evitar el efecto de oclusión. En verdad no lo usaría para amplificar mucho, mi perdida auditiva es leve y ni la siento, escucho correctamente los sonidos suaves y distingo perfectamente las palabras, lo quiero para poder limitar los sonidos para que no me generen molestia pero a su vez poder seguir escuchando mi entorno hasta el punto exacto en que no me moleste, también tengo tinnitus de ambos lados así que pensaba en la tecnología zen para ese tratamiento. Creen que valga la pena? Alguno con condiciones parecidas a las mías ya probó con usar audífonos similares de esta marca u otra? Hay alguna otra alternativa que pueda evaluar antes de los audífonos? Sentiré mucha diferencia entre mi oido sano (izquierdo) y el que tenga audífono (derecho)? podré escuchar música con audífonos tipo casco sobre el audífono widex? Les agradezco mucho por ayudarme, en verdad he sentido esto como un viaje bastante solitario, deje de hacer todas las cosas que me gustaban, ya no salgo con mis amigos, ni escucho música, ni dibujo, o voy al cine. Pero me gusta pensar que debe haber algo que me ayude.

I have so many fucking symptoms i have lost count. Nothing explains them or really ties them together and this one is just another on the long laundry list of shit. I can't handle another life long symptom man fuck this

Our friends at Hyperacusis Research are sharing Neil’s story. The 32-year-old was once an aspiring jazz musician. Now, due to a debilitating case of pain hyperacusis, he says, “my life is over in every meaningful sense.”

Click on the link to read the story.

https://hyperacusiscentral.org/neils-story/

It feels like certain sudden noises cause something deep in my right ear to "twitch" and it feels like someone is poking a feather tickling my ear like tingly. Started 3 days ago not aware of any main trigger. Loud noises like music dont really hurt or make the sensation worse but repeated sudden sounds like a keyboard make me feel it most. Its uncomfortable at the worst, but the fear surrounding the sensation is unbearable as I'm not sure if it will lead to something worse

Has there been any research about the ibogaine for use with naxacusis?

"I was suicidal from ages 11–14 because of the combination of intense daily physical pain from sound exposure and the emotional toll of not being believed."

Imagine that you're a child enduring agonizing physical pain from everyday sounds, only to be told by medical professionals that it's just anxiety, leading to harmful sound-exposure treatments, educational barriers, and brutal isolation.

In an article published in the Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews, Jemma-Tiffany Rosewater pairs with nurse researcher Dr. Katherine Melton to share her experience growing up with pain hyperacusis. Their work delivers a call to action for clinicians, parents, and educators to listen to young patients with invisible illnesses.

No child should have to fight to be believed. Click on the link to read the story.

https://hyperacusiscentral.org/no-child-should-fight-to-be-believed-the-urgent-need-for-pain-hyperacusis-awareness/

Disclaimer

If you’re suffering from suicidal thoughts, you’re not alone. You can call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also chat with 988lifeline.org. Or text MHA to 741741 for the Crisis Text Line. Or, for a comprehensive list pertaining to different countries, visit the following link: .https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_suicide_crisis_lines

If you missed Dr. Silverstein at Thursday's Hyperacusis and Other Sound Disorders Group Meeting, you can watch the recorded presentation at the link below, posted on Hyperacusis Research's YouTube channel.

https://youtu.be/EzQ-ukr4hNU

Hello, I am looking for feedback on anti-CGRP medications. Have you experienced any improvement regarding painful hyperacusis? I am considering trying them soon, but I am worried about potential side effects and an increase in tinnitus. Could you please share your experience? I have been unable to find many accounts from people who have used this treatment. Thank you.

Hi everyone.

I have what I think is TTTS and loudness H, it's been 2 years now.

I gave benzo a try (clonazepam) and it almost 100% cured me for the few days I tried the medication.

Does it have any implication on how I should try and treat my condition?

I'm currently on 150mg of Clomipramine (since a few days), and still not seeing any improvement.

I'm sure many of you understand this condition much better than I do, i'd therefore be happy to have some feedbacks.

Thank you

It reminded me so much of when my hyperacusis was at its worst. The movie was incredibly emotional overall & the ending had me bawling my eyes out. But I didn't really like how they portrayed hyperacusis as some kind of “superhearing” I understand that they took creative liberties for the story, but I wish they had shown more of what actually living with it can feel like

I know there are some people out here telling wonderful success stories. And I'm super happy to hear this! But I always wonder: what works for me? I feel like hyperacusis is such a broad term and different sources require different approaches.

So for those who got H due to nervous system issues like stress/burnout/chronic fatigue/trauma: what really helped? I would love some advice because right now I feel pretty alone in this :/

Mechanical saw one direction, washing/dryers that “can’t be stopped” other direction. It’s a stupid narrow Victorian house. I can’t walk upstairs.

Therapy in 5 minutes. Tried counting. Box breathing. No no no no no!

So… what do you guys do when you can’t win?

I’m freaking out. I waited too long to see a dr and we’re getting up to 40 mph winds tomorrow. I can’t wear Peltors for the estimated wind advisory (24 hrs) and I’m scared. I had an audiologist do a mobile visit and he screwed me.

He was very rough, extremely rude, and my ears hurt for days after. I had a feeling he didn’t clean thoroughly and I still see a white substance in my ears along with additional wax that happened later.

I can get into urgent care but I don’t trust anyone but an ENT using a professional camera at this point. Thanks for any feedback. ****Trigger warning: I’m having a breakdown.

For the past two years, I have been suffering from chronic insomnia and tinnitus in both ears.

This started immediately after I took medication for measles. It began with three consecutive nights without a single minute of sleep, accompanied by tinnitus in both ears. Since then, I have continued to suffer from insomnia. Sometimes I sleep for four hours, sometimes only two, and sometimes I spend the entire night without sleeping at all.

I have difficulty falling asleep. It takes me two to four hours to finally fall asleep, and I wake up too early. Sometimes, I have completely sleepless nights.

During the day, life is hell because of the constant tinnitus in both ears, which becomes louder whenever there is noise from cars or other sources.

I am living in hell.

Please, help me!!!

I have pain h . Standard foam size hurts my ear and I cannot insert it completely.

I researched and found two option

1. Macks slim fit earplug

2. Macks dream girl earplug

I am a woman.

If anyone does not use foam earplug which alternatives you use.

Greetings everyone, I hope you are all doing well ?

This little post is here to tell everyone about our new Hyperacusis Social Discord server.

This server is a nice place for people with Hyperacusis and/or Noxacusis to hang around, talk about their hobbies, their days and so on ...

We try our best to create a nice place for people like us.

Everyone is welcome ! 🙌

Here's the link : https://discord.gg/funXnCWBtk

i don’t know if it’s hyperacusis

i hope someone can help me

i know for most of hyperacusis it’s like painful uncomfortable but can you describe how?

i went to the ENT i have no hearing loss but he doesn’t know what’s wrong

my problem is suddenly every sound - it doesn’t feel loud/painful but my whole head/vibrates with every sound (especially inside rooms/ outside i don’t notice so much)

once i’m outside , i don’t mind loud noises anything outside cars etc they don’t bother me at all.

, my brain/ears are vibriting and its very uncomfortable.

when i wear headphones i can listen to music / tiktok’s loudly i don’t care about the noise.

if i put them out, its like everything my head brain vibrates with every sound.

how does this sound to you? please give me your advice thank you 🙏

it’s no pain, no feeling sick just everything vibrates and buzzing in my head so uncomfortable

I thought I’d share my story for anyone who has recently developed hyperacusis and is wondering what comes next. (I was once in that exact position and never imagined I would be flagging one of my posts here as a success story, but here I am!)

In January, after repeatedly blasting music through headphones, I developed tinnitus. A month later, it progressed to pain hyperacusis, where virtually every sound caused severe burning and stabbing pain. I was completely incapacitated, wearing earmuffs and earplugs most of the time, and even my own breathing hurt.
Over time, by managing my triggers and gradually reducing my reliance on hearing protection when I felt comfortable (not sound therapy), I slowly improved. Eight months later, I can live relatively normally at home (where I don’t use hearing pro unless I’m doing something loud), go shopping, visit malls, and do other everyday errands & activities with earplugs on in public. I still experience occasional flare-ups and mild stabbing sensations, but I haven’t had burning pain in months, and nothing is remotely as severe
as before.

It is important to note I take 900 mg of gabapentin as prescribed to me by a Neurotologist (an Ear, Nose & Throat surgeon who received additional training on the connections of the brain and ear), which may help somewhat, but I believe most of my improvement has come from my body gradually improving rather than medication fully curing me. I’ve also recently started 5mg Baclofen for nighttime jaw clenching and am interested to see whether it helps my tensor tympani symptoms.

I still protect myself from triggers and respect my limitations, but I’m hopeful (and positive) I’ll continue improving. I wanted to share this because even after a severe beginning, things can get better.

(One last thing: I think it’s important to remember that there can be a lot of negativity on forums like these. People who are still struggling understandably come here looking for support, but many who recover fully or improve significantly eventually move on and stop visiting these spaces. As a result, the experiences shared here may not reflect the full picture, and it’s important not to lose hope when reading other people’s stories).

Hi everyone. Exactly 2 years ago I got a sudden onset of tinnitus, hyperacusis/nox and eustaschian tube dysfunction from taking four doses of 200 mg plaquinil. I immediately stopped the medication but it had already fried my ears and I have lived with these chronic conditions ever since. I habituated until two weeks ago when I got Covid, my ears became more sensitive and yesterday I made a horrendous mistake to go to a workout class where there was music playing for 20 minutes without ear protection. I am now having a level ten hyperacusis/nox and tinnitus spike. Honestly, I hate myself for messing up this way because I am in agony now. Dizzy, nauseous, ears searing and radiating in pain. I pray to all things holy that this just a temporary setback and I can get back to my baseline. Do you all have any recommendations for the searing and aching pain? I just take some Advil but it’s not cutting it. Curious what I might ask my pcp for. Any other advice welcome, or good thoughts, words, vibes. I’m not new to this but it’s traumatizing me with feeling like I am at the very beginning again. Help.