Sound sensitivity?

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Feien

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Joined
Apr 4, 2016
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11
Reason
DX FIBRO
Diagnosis
04/2016
Country
CA
State
Qc
I've always been a bit sensitive to very loud noises (music especially).

But in the past few months it has really gotten worst and I've been wondering if it could have anything to do with fibro? For example, last night I was sitting with my partner and we were talking, and he wasn't talking especially loud, like no louder than usual. But I had to constantly ask him to lower the volume of his voice almost to a whisper because it made my ears ring and it physically hurt my ear and head... I had to control the volume of my own voice as well. We then watched a show together and it was just barely tolerable with the volume lower than usual...
Most times, it isn't an issue. I can be in a crowded mall, at the movies, surrounded by barking dogs, etc, and it doesn't affect me much. But sometimes, especially if I'm tired, sounds really hurt...
I also have misophonia, so it gets really hard to cope with.

Anyone else experience this?
 
I have noticed that over the years, as my overall chronic pain increases, and especially during my flares, loud and sudden noises startle and irritate me. I live in a pretty quiet neighborhood, but it seems everyone here has one or more dogs, and they seem to race around (supposed to be on leases, of course) unattended, making loud noises especially when my system is on alert. I think possibly the incoming storms trigger their activity, as well as my pain and neurological symptoms. Like you, I can sometimes be in a place such as a crowded mall without incident, but when my issues are flaring, I seem to go on system overload by the smallest thing.
 
It seems that fibromyalgia amplifies many environmental stimuli and a patient has to learn to adjust to the same. Many things ranging from light, loud noises and smells can exacerbate FM symptoms. This creates a maze of confusion especially when compounded with brain fog. FM patients report increased sensitivity to sounds, unpleasant smells, tactile pressure or temperature changes. These are caused by changes in brain chemistry of people with FM may be linked to sensitivity to stimuli like sound. Imaging studies have provided visual depictions of this altered response to sensations and hyperresponsiveness.
 
When my fibromyalgia symptoms are bad I am sensitive to sounds and light, almost identical to getting migraine sensitivities. Bright light and sharp sounds are downright painful when I'm like that.
 
It's funny, I'm having revelations while reading @remnant's post. I have always associated my issue with scents with my Migraines, but perhaps they're actually related to the Fibromyalgia. Incidentally, why is Fibromyalgia always underlined here, as if it's misspelled? It could be that I'm repeatedly misspelling it, and if that's the case, someone please let me know. I tend to type it a lot on this particular forum, being that it's one about Fibromyalgia, and perhaps if it's an oversight with spellcheck, that could be addressed.

Of course, back when I began having extreme reactions to smells, Fibromyalgia didn't exist as a diagnosis, so perhaps that would explain why I'd attribute the symptom to my Migraines, but I hadn't actually considered since then that it should be attributed to the Fibro. At the time, I was having issues with my blood sugar as well, and extreme Migraines.

I had a jerk for a boss, and he insisted on separating co-workers who were close friends, so moved me to another cubicle. At the new cubicle, I had some sort of open drain overhead that would drip something onto my desk. I probably wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't suddenly begun having disabling Migraines/sinus issues, and started noticing that the problem seemed to worsen when I was at work. It got to the point that my doctor wrote a note stating that I needed to be moved to a different area of the office, and once I was, the issues eased somewhat, although I think that entire building was a toxic environment.
 
Some of the most recent research on migraine indicates that the pathophysiology (the way it physically affects your body) is central nervous system sensitization. That is the same as fibromyalgia. Here are a few papers if you want to read more.

Central Sensitization Theory of Migraine: Clinical Implications
David Dodick MD andStephen Silberstein MD

Interictal Dysfunction of a Brainstem Descending Modulatory Center in Migraine Patients
Eric A. Moulton, Rami Burstein, Shannon Tully, Richard Hargreaves, Lino Becerra, David Borsook
Abstract

Interictal Dysfunction of a Brainstem Descending Modulatory Center in Migraine Patients
Eric A. Moulton, Rami Burstein, Shannon Tully, Richard Hargreaves, Lino Becerra, David Borsook
Abstract
 
This doesn't usually happen to me, not to that extent. I do seem to feel a bit more sensible to everything ranging from light to sound before a migraine, but only before a migraine. This is not something that happens often to me. I hope you feel better soon, and don't hesitate to consult your GP, sometimes those things we beleive to be little really aren't.
 
Re: Sound sensitivity?Yes Yes Yes

I AM SENSITIVE TO CERTAIN NOISES. EXSPECIALLY REPEATED NOISE SUCH AS , DRAIN DRIPPING, CERTAIN LAUGHS, WEIRD RIGHT? THERES A PROGRAM MY HUSBAND WATCHES, IN IT IS A FEMALE THAT LAUGHS LIKE A HIEANIA, I HAVE TO LEAVE THE ROOM. I DO T LISTEN TO COMERCIALS, THEY DON'T PAY ME ENOUGH. HIGH PITCH SCREAMING CHILDREN, NOT HAPPENING IN MY YARD. ANY LOUD ELECTRICAL NOISE, EXAMPLE, NOISY BATHROOM FAN. I USE TO PRIDE MYSELF IN THE FACT THAT I CAN NOT STAND STATIC ON A RADIO, MY MUSIC. MUST BE CLEAR. SO WITH THAT SAID, YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
SOMEONE ONCE TOLD ME I MAY HAVE ASPERGERS SYMDROM, WHO KNOWS. GREAT ANOTHER THING TO WORRY ABOUT RIGHt?
 
moe1959, what you are describing sounds a lot like misophonia! I'm the same, there are certain sounds that I absolutely cannot stand it drives me crazy... makes me so upset I have to leave the room, make the sound stop or I literally break down. It's stupid things like people whistling, certain laughs, someone shaking their leg, chewing sounds, people listening to music too loud with earphones... It's very frustrating because there is nothing rational about my reaction but I have no control over it.

What I meant by sound sensitivity though is different... It just happens occasionally, sounds that aren't usually too loud suddenly "feel" loud... Like my partner talking in a normal voice beside me, it felt like he was screaming. He had to almost whisper for me to feel comfortable and I had to lower my own voice as well... and lower the volume of the videos we were watching. It has happened a few times now it's very weird... I'm gonna try mentioning it to my doctor next time I see her I guess. I was just wondering if it could be linked with fibro!
 
Have you checked for black mold?
 
There has to be a good job out there for fibro's people, specialist sniffer. I've always been super sensitive to sight sound sence. As I get older putting the pieces together get easier.
 
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