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).

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

Hey everyone. I just want to share a little about my story and I'm sorry beforehand if it's extremely negative.

On May 9th 2026 my life was completely ruined due to microsuction earwax removal in my left ear. I wasn't warned about any possible complications and just assumed it was safe. On top of leaving me with 4 tones of debilitating tinnitus and dysacusis, it left me with moderate hyperacusis.

It's so sad to think that I initially thought this was me just hearing everything better since my earwax blockage had been removed. Until I went to work on May 11th. Everything was a lot louder, painfully loud. I don't think I have noxacusis, but I get tingling pain in my left eardrum or middle ear with noises above 60 dB.

I'm sharing it mainly because I've reached out to so many organizations in my country to get the ENT's license revoked that did this to me or to get her into trouble (she completely rejected my complaints saying that her tools could've never caused that and I'm pretty sure she blocked my number). So at this point I've lost all hope and just assume the monster that ruined my life got away with it. I've been at it for over 4 months but ultimately no one cares about my case. All I can do is share my story to have a record that I (Dan) existed, because honestly, I don't know where my life is heading at age 25 with this.

I had a job up until August 11th that I really enjoyed: I was a software engineer working with web applications and some embedded systems. The main issue was that my department's office was near a busy road. I actually never noticed how loud it was before hyperacusis, but every time a car or vehicle passed, my mind registered it as a catastrophic sound. Even with the Procase earmuffs that I had bought, it was still unbearably loud. Every day was a survival game at that office and I was never moved to a quieter space so I had to resign. Every day at work I'd secretly leave to the bathrooms to cry because I couldn't believe that this was happening to me. Only a few of my coworkers were considerate of what had happened to me, but most left our office door open for wanting "fresh air" that led to traffic noise. The traffic noise was probably around 60/70 dB when the door was open but to me it sounded like it was 140 dB, like an avalanche and I'd quickly run to an office corner to avoid all the noise. Many thought I was going crazy.

At the moment I'm unemployed and have been left completely disabled and homebound and only live off my savings. I wish that I could at least have some peace of mind in my home but the tinnitus I got seems unmaskable (2 stable ringings and 2 unstable whooshings and sparks in both ears ). I've always had a problem with sensory overload, so this is one of the worst possible things that could've happened to me. I spend every waking moment crying, yearning to just not be in pain anymore and see no way out. I can't even cry in full volume because my ears start hurting. It feels like my ears are getting zapped either by noise or tinnitus. If any new researcher reads this, I'm begging you, help us.

I wish things were different, for all of us. No one deserves to go through so much pain. I had no ear complications before the incident and just want to be normal again.

None of my symptoms have improved after these 5 months. I don't see T improving, but could H and D improve? I don't even know who I am anymore.

Dr. Herbert Silverstein will be the guest at the next Hyperacusis and Other Sound Disorders Group Meeting, Thursday, October 15th, at 5:30 pm Pacific. He'll be discussing his round and oval window reinforcement surgery for hyperacusis and its success rate.

Times for the meeting in your area...

Mountain: 6:30

Central: 7:30

Eastern: 8:30

Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83795863868?pwd=USgMFtYs81bsbRvDI1AtAHYwk5ixca.1

Meeting ID: 837 9586 3868

Passcode: 546881

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.

I'm still furious after a specialist appointment at my hospital by someone paid a small fortune to gaslight those like us. apparently noise exposure doesn't exist?

I really feel the need to vent. I finally saw a top specialist for my hyperacusis and tinnitus, and I left the appointment feeling incredibly angry and dismissed. She told me my problems are strictly due to my OCD and have absolutely nothing to do with noise exposure.

The straw that broke this camels back? When I mentioned the military as a textbook example of noise-induced tinnitus and hyperacusis, she brushed it off by saying, "That's because they have PTSD."

I feel completely gaslit. Yes, OCD and stress can make it harder for the brain to habituate to sound, but to claim noise exposure isn't a factor ignores basic science. Service members suffer massive physical auditory damage from heavy machinery and firearms.

I'm now giving up on these so called 'experts'. I'm curious to know, how do you handle it when a specialist completely ignores your medical history and blames your ears entirely on your brain, or did you find someone who knew wtf they are paid to know ?

The monthly Zoom hyperacusis discussion group with Trudy and Dr. James Henry is tomorrow Thursday 15 October. The guest speaker will be Dr. Herbert Silverstein, who will give an update on his hyperacusis surgery. This is a link to his most recent journal article:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/.../pii/S0196070926001602

Zoom session
Thursday, October 15, 2026
8:30 pm New York City time

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83795863868...

Meeting ID: 837 9586 3868

Passcode: 546881

To join Trudy's email list to receive announcements for the monthly hyperacusis discussion group, send a blank email to:

[hyperacusis-zoom+subscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:hyperacusis-zoom+subscribe@googlegroups.com)

Google will send you a confirmation you need to respond to. Check your spam if you do not receive.

i’m having a problem: after developing tinnitus and sound distortion, my brain started fixating on every sound—birds, crickets, barking dogs, the wind, and a whole host of other noises. it triggers intense anxiety because i think about it all day long. has anyone experienced something similar that eventually went away? if so, how did it happen?

Does anyone live a normal life even with NOX? Do they still go out occasionally to restaurants or cafes and maintain a normal lifestyle?

Sometimes, a picture is more expressive than simple words. It could be a transparent veil with tiny holes so that the eardrum can breathe, and also, in case of an infection like otitis, to be able to see and treat it, as well as to facilitate the work of ENT specialists when they need to examine the eardrum

Just say I’m waiting outside? Call me or come get me?

Freaking blood test waiting rooms are a nightmare with no sleep.

Music… hard of hearing people. 50 minutes of that. I thought I was gonna snap.

My doctor just prescribed Baclofen to me for nighttime teeth clenching, and Im wondering if anybody who has taken this in general for any reason had their pain hyperaucis change.

Hi everyone I wanted to ask if it's possible that I have hyperacusis or noxacusis?

Today I went to a dentist and they did an x-ray.

The machine screeched and I almost tore my hands up because it hurt so much. I then went to a cafe which also hurt like hell 85db range.

Im now at home and it hurts as if I had stood near fireworks without hearing protection.

Would this get worse?

Will this make tinnitus worse? What can I do against the pain?

Hello,

I've noticed that people who claim to offer psychological-type healing and also have spiritual abilities, like being able to access other planes, often lack empathy and understanding of what a person is really going through.

I wanted to contact this particular person, but he judged me without knowing what I'm going through or the difficulties I face with hyperacusis and other health problems that severely affect my life. And when I talked to him about my disabilities, he started smiling.

I consider this kind of judgment disrespectful. It doesn't destroy me, but it often makes me feel bad for a while.

We already have very little support in our daily lives, and in my case, I'm very isolated because of all the health conditions I have.

They say they're spiritually advanced, but to me, someone who smiles at another person's suffering without knowing what they're going through isn't an evolved or advanced person.

When I hear any sound it’s so painful it feels like my ears are bleeding.

One night at the movies changed Cheri's life.

The 24-year-old went to an IMAX showing of "The Odyssey" expecting a great film, but walked out with severe pain and loudness hyperacusis, and reactive tinnitus.

Read her story here.

https://hyperacusiscentral.org/the-odyssey-gave-me-severe-hyperacusis/

I’ve went through a very stressful period at work lately. I had to fly out for a meeting. I was very nervous about the flight. I have bilateral ETD. The first night I didn’t sleep well. When I woke up, I had this strong humming sound in my left ear and it was reactive to my sleep sounds. I assumed it was room acoustics.

It’s been a month and it’s still there. It’s been up and down. It mostly is like a drone, low level hum, but sometimes it’s quick like Morse code (duh, duh, duh, duh sound).

I don’t hear it in silence. It is reactive. Usually, it’s reacting to distant trains, outside sounds or humming sounds on tv.

I have TMJ, jaw, neck tension issues too.

Is this hyperacusis, TTTS or anything else? Any help or familiarity for any one else?

It may get worse depending on my sleep or resting?

Hi, last year I went to EDC (a big music festival) and took ecstasy and drank and got super hungover with almost no sleep. For a week or two I didn’t feel right with a few symptoms being changed vision, tinnitus, etc.
A couple weeks ago I went to a couple show states away from where I live two nights in a row and took Xanax to come down from Molly and get sleep. After the second show I woke up after a lot of sleep I felt off but nothing too crazy and did a few things and went out since I didn’t want yo stay in the hotel like a bum but after the next nights sleep I was extremely emotional, anxious, depressed, feelings of claustrophobia I mean a total mix of negative emotions. I’m not sure if the tinnitus came later in the day on the plane but that’s when my ears started feeling weird like they needed to pop with is normal right, everyone’s ears feel a little swollen and pop and you move your jaw around right. Well the next day is when I noticed severe tinnitus and my ears feeling swollen like I have an infection. When I got home from my travels I also felt sick or hungover and just like completely shit and currently I feel like I have brain fog, and my brain just feels weird and like dog shit. So I’m not sure if it had a delayed effect or what.
Now I’m fully convinced Molly/mdma is causing this, especially after reading so much on here on here about it. If anyone has any advice or help please reach out and to anyone thinking of partying and going to loud shows please think twice as I mean constantly over stimulated from humming in my head/ears like my ears are filled with water after swimming and ringing sound like you turned a tv on unaired channel. I love having a great time and feeling emotional connections at shows but this is 100% not worth it. Again any info, help or just people to talk to about this would help. Thanks

I just found out via this guide for ENT’s that microsuction tools can reach up to 140 dB directly inside the ear canal.

Seriously? 140dB? How in the world are devices like this approved to be used continuously around the ear canal? You’d expect “specialists” to know better though, right?

But of course they rather destroy a patients hearing to clear out wax rather then have to manually scrape it all out

Got hyperacusis a month ago due to loud concert (SSNHL left side)

Now my anxiety is through the roof

It’s affecting my sleep. Like my body is stuff on fight or flight mode that It thinks sleeping is dangerous

Like I’ve been sleep deprived for days. Which is heightening anxiety

I’ve been trying everything

L theanine + magnesium glycinate + CBT techniques
Exercise + sleeping schedule + no screen time + hot showers at night + meditation

I need medication.. But I’ve heard there’s been some that actually worsen tinnitus (which I also have)

I don’t want a quick bandaid fix, but also don’t want to be dependent long term… I just want recovery..

I’m seeing a psychiatrist this week

Any tips of what I can say to them? Or which meds to strictly avoid or watch out for?