52 yr old with T & Hyp bad

[MAC0811]

Hi I’m a Tinnitus Sufferer, 52, had it for 15 yrs since 2009, (37 when I started with it!) I have what I believe is the severest form plus suffer with Hyperacusis, first few years okay as was on Prozac which really helped and then after a few years it wore off and has gradually got worse, tried other pills, cbt, headspace but other than playing a white noise in bkgrnd or else being properly distracted life is pretty miserable, obv I’ve had to duck out of loads of stuff and activities where loudish noise present like parties, concerts, football matches, weddings, some gatherings etc plus I can’t even enjoy my children all of the time due to the noise they can make! This is a pure evil this condition, wouldn’t be so bad if I was struck down with it in my later life, but no, I often think about ending it but don’t think I’m brave enough plus I’d leave my wife and two little boys behind. But yes I just think they’re not doing enough about sorting this out, it should be sorted by now this condition surely? Well anyway we are where we unfortunately are, but to try to end on a positive note I came across this earlier on - see image below … If you type in “New Scientist” into Google you will learn a bit more, again I’m not holding my breath as it could lead to nothing, but you never know?? I do think though Tinnitus is wayyyyy down the pecking order for horrible conditions to find a cure for. I mean you never hear it get mentioned anywhere enough in the media - well it’s not as well known and talked about as Cancer, MND, Dementia etc, someone once said to me it will also be a poor cousin to the big hitting conditions as their wouldn’t be as much kudos in finding a cure for Tinnitus!? Maybe we need to change that?

[Detroi17]

hi, my name is Paul , very sorry to read your story, I have had tinnitus for some time now, it was brought on by vestibular neuronitis, my first tinnitus was a electrical whooshing noise which was nasty but bearable, in the last few months it has advanced to a heartbeat in my head which is twenty four hours a day , it has killed my lifestyle with the pounding, I’ve had a brain scan and heart scan which both was ok , I am really struggling with this, anyway I’m praying for a solution, good luck with your outcome, it’s no fun this illness 🙏

[Enort in reply to Detroi17]

Heartbeat is called Pulsatile Tinnitus. Had it and was gone after medically cleaned my ears.

[Graham-E]

Hi and thanks for sharing this. I fully understand your points here and it’s something I’ve said for years. I was told by my audiologist that T does not directly cause death itself and it only hits about 10% of the population so does not attract the funding for big research.

My own T started 10 years ago as a scream like a jet engine after a virus . I also had Hyperacusis where someone opening a crinkly crisp packet would physically hurt. With all that suddenly starting one morning walking up after being in bed for 2 weeks I didn’t initially notice that I lost my smell and taste. Walking by a coffee shop, bakery or even a lawn mower where you know there is a smell is harsh. I have also tried all the usual pills and CBT and even HA. My thoughts are also of ending it but like yourself having children and a wife makes that opinion not an opinion. I feel for you because this ‘silent’ (to others!) condition needs more publicity.

Do take care and thank you for sharing the article.

Best G

[AussieHeart]

It’s truly hideous and like everyone commenting here when the hypercussis hit I truly thought I couldn’t live a life of such low quality. After two years of hell, my life changed when I was put on Bisoprosolol short term. For me they found out I had an arrhythmia and assumed that aggravated tinnitus. I still have it. Some days hypercussis but nowhere near as bad as onset. The New Scientist article is encouraging.