By Colette Doran
I would like to share my son Ethan’s story, the beginning and the middle—the part we’re living through, not yet knowing how it ends.
Although Ethan is 16, he is an old soul in a young man’s body and a talented guitarist with a deep love for blues music. Especially Eric Clapton. Music wasn’t just a hobby to him; it was who he was. He had plans to finish his General Certificate of Secondary Education and go on to study music. The world was his, way beyond Liverpool. England wouldn’t be able to contain him.
Then, suddenly, everything changed. What we thought was a simple ear infection in September 2025 proved to be anything but simple. We were in and out of doctors and he was prescribed different antibiotic ear drops, but his ears became increasingly itchy and worse. I took him to Accident and Emergency, where swabs confirmed it was actually otomycosis (an ear canal infection). He was then referred to an ENT and prescribed fungal ear drops along with fortnightly ear flushes, which were extremely painful for him.
At some point during this nightmare, perhaps from the ototoxic antibiotics or the ear infection itself, he had developed noise sensitivity. Everyday sounds—things most of us don’t even notice—caused him real, physical pain. Not discomfort—pain.
When exposing to sounds, he felt sharp, burning, stabbing sensations in his ears, often with intense pressure. There was no delayed pain—it was all immediate.
Sounds also seemed extremely loud to him (loudness hyperacusis). Even everyday, low-level ones were overwhelming. It was as if his system were amplifying everything: running water, a kettle boiling, cutlery on a plate, even the wind or rain against the window. These sounds also triggered severe headaches, dizziness, nausea, tinnitus, and his jaw locking in pain. The symptoms were constant, unpredictable, and completely life limiting.
But the fortnightly ear flushes made things deteriorate quickly. This went on for around seven weeks until the end of November. Once the infection cleared, we were told his ears were just “overwhelmed” and needed time to settle, but I could see he was getting worse. His noise sensitivity increased and the physical symptoms became more extreme, despite audiology tests coming back normal.
Since December, he has been seeing an audiologist. He was first prescribed propranolol for anxiety for six weeks, which had no effect. He was then switched to pizotifen for migraines, but after five weeks, this has also not helped and has made him more unsteady and increased his headaches.
At our latest review last Tuesday, the consultant advised stopping this medication and referring to psychology to determine the next course of treatment. We are being told that Ethan’s symptoms are nervous system based, that his brain is stuck in a heightened state of alert, misinterpreting (despite the physical pain that he suffers) that sounds pose a threat. Obviously we feel the medical system is not understanding how these conditions are physically rooted, only eliciting emotional distress because of the physical torture.
Where do I begin on how much these disabilities have affected my son’s life? He is now largely housebound. He cannot listen or play music—the very thing he loved most. He cannot attend school. He cannot socialise with friends. Even simple daily activities like showering or eating can make him unwell for hours, sometimes days. Hearing protection like earplugs and earmuffs only helps a little. Our home, once full of music, laughter, and normal family life, is quiet, controlled, and careful. Every sound is thought about, every movement planned. We live around his condition.
Even though we have people trying to help him, it doesn’t make it easier to watch your child suffer every single day. Especially when it’s all a mystery and draws in loneliness for the patient who feels the world does not understand. Ethan’s world has become very small, and as his mum, I am trying to hold everything together while fighting for answers, support, and hope. We are still in the middle of this. We don’t know how it ends yet. But I do know this: Ethan is still in there. Still brave. Still fighting. Still hoping for the day he can pick up his guitar and play without pain.
If sharing his story can raise awareness, help another family feel less alone, or push for better accomodations and understanding of these awful disabilities, then it is worth telling.
How you have put all that together is a credit to you & Ethan, going through this nobody can begin to understand. Keep strong and fight this awful beast that’s taken over lovely Ethan and your family. Well done Colette D
How you have put all that together is a credit to you & Ethan, going through this nobody can begin to understand. Keep strong and fight this awful beast that’s taken over lovely Ethan and your family. Well done Colette D
Thanks Colette
Hi Col.
I know how difficult this has been for you all. However thia story is full of courage and hope. You are both a credit and Ethan is a tower of courage. Praying always for you and I really think you are going to help families who go through this in the future. From Ethans Uncle Jay
Thank you for sharing, i feel your anguish and pain for your son. My son is 15, has pain and loudness hyperacusis since he was 11. He reached a peak the same as you are describing when he was 13-14 years and has come out the other side. Something I could not ever see happening. There is hope. My son still has days where his hearing is so sensitive and days where anxiety brings on pain H and it takes a few hours for his ears to calm. But compared to how it was, my son has greatly improved and he has learnt how to manage it. So don’t give up. I also pursued every option I could to get help, some suggestions more useful than others. My son misses out on a lot, cannot do many things but is no longer completely housebound. So I hope for your son his ears settle down. I don’t see this ever going away completely but I hope it will.
please go read about mind body syndrome, a lot of people heal thanks to this approach. there is online video on YouTube about it. you can also read UNLEARN YOUR PAIN and PAIN FREE YOU. hope it help !! love
Sounds like gaslighting to me.
Mind Body Syndrome (MBS)—also known as Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS) or Psychophysiologic Disorder—often fails to treat severe hyperacusis, noxacusis, and tinnitus because these conditions frequently involve physical, organic nerve or cochlear damage, rather than solely being a “mind-generated” pain signal designed to distract from emotions.
While reducing fear and anxiety (core components of MBS) can help manage the distress associated with these conditions, the underlying physiological damage requires different approaches.
Well, go tell all the people who healed because of MBS that it’s “just a gaslighting approach.” I’m not saying you shouldn’t care about physiological damage — actually, the first step of MBS is to check everything from a medical standpoint.
I’m sure you are trying to help but this is a classic case of pseudoscience being spread. It’s also extremely condescending for someone suffering to read this. This is a real condition that you cannot simply think your way out of. Hyperacusis is NOT a psychological issue it is a neurological issue. Please try not to confuse the two in the future, for your sake and for sufferers. Thanks.
damn, another one.
youre speaking like psychology has no influence on neurology.
you know I just wanted to give them a tool that might help. for some people its a lifesaver
If psychology has such a strong bearing on neurology maybe we should tell people with parkinsons, autism, dementia, and turrets to just think their way out of it! You are a genius! I hadn’t thought of that yet wow.
if Ethan needs to talk to another teenagers with noxacusis, I can be there for him. im 21 years old and im also a musician, homebound since December but im healing slowly but surely thanks to mind body syndrome. stay strong Ethan, you will heal.
also this success story is very interesting and based on the approach im talking about, there is the link :
https://www.reddit.com/r/hyperacusis/comments/1pc5hlx/my_pain_hyperacusis_success_story/?share_id=FwlTu5joWT-oReHmUecNc&utm_content=2&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1
Hi Jeremy, thank you so much for taking the time to reach out and for sharing the links — it really does mean a lot. Hearing from someone closer to Ethan’s age, especially another musician, makes it feel a little less lonely for him.
I did try following some of the Facebook hyperacusis groups, but I found them quite overwhelming and it actually increased my anxiety. There didn’t seem to be many positive endings, and when you’re in the middle of it, that can feel really heavy.
I’ll definitely look into the books and YouTube recommendations you’ve shared. It’s reassuring to hear that although recovery can take time, there is still a way forward.
If you’re open to it, it might really help Ethan at some point to hear from someone who understands this from his side — no pressure at all, but I just wanted to say thank you for offering that.
Thank you again
Most groups and forums are quite pessimistic and negative. Sometimes it’s necessary to go there to get certain information, but you have to stay grounded and not fall into their negative perceptions, which don’t represent reality. I can assure you that there are a huge number of success stories that you can easily find on Reddit or elsewhere, and they can be really inspiring and offer good advice.
I really encourage you to read the link I sent you and to look into mind-body syndrome. You can let me know if you’d like me to connect with Ethan, just tell me which platform works best for him to communicate on. im glad if we can support each other.
Hi Jeremy, thank you so much for taking the time to reach out and for sharing the links — it really does mean a lot. Hearing from someone closer to Ethan’s age, especially another musician, makes it feel a little less lonely for him.
I did try following some of the Facebook hyperacusis groups, but I found them quite overwhelming and it actually increased my anxiety. There didn’t seem to be many positive endings, and when you’re in the middle of it, that can feel really heavy.
I’ll definitely look into the books and YouTube recommendations you’ve shared. It’s reassuring to hear that although recovery can take time, there is still a way forward.
If you’re open to it, it might really help Ethan at some point to hear from someone who understands this from his side — no pressure at all, but I just wanted to say thank you for offering that.
Thank you again
Heyy there, I’m Kayla. I’m older than Ethan but younger than most people here seem to be (24) and I’ve been going through the same thing since getting a virus at the start of 2025. Not sure if it was Covid or what but that’s definitely what started it. Nobody really understands it, not even my own parents, so I’ve been pretty on my own when it comes to taking care of myself with this. But I’m doing a lot better compared to how I was a year ago at this time! Not at all 100% yet but I’ve done a lot of things in the last 6 months that a year ago I thought I would never do again. Feel free to reach out to me if you guys want to talk more!
Hey Coleen,
My husband suffered the same as Ethan has, but is now back to 100%. I want him to be able to reach out to Ethan & be an encouragement. I know it’s hard to watch your love one in pain but early on I was constantly searching for resources. Please message anytime. I am here for you.
Beautifully written colette, we have everything crossed for Ethans future. Sending love to you guys x
My son and i’m so proud of how you have dealt with such a life changing situation. A future in music is a certainty, that talent is and will come through. Time is on your side 💙💙
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Hi Col.
I know how difficult this has been for you all. However thia story is full of courage and hope. You are both a credit and Ethan is a tower of courage. Praying always for you and I really think you are going to help families who go through this in the future. From Ethans Uncle Jay
💛
Thanks for sharing.
Read Caspers story and Keep on fighting.
Caspers father Morgan.
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Man I totally feel his story. So sorry he got this at such a young age. I’ve played acoustic guitar all my life and was really getting into singing and song writing 2022 when my reactive tinnitus and hyperacusis hit.
Doctors really screwed me over too with ototoxic meds, loud pointless hearing tests, in ear noise makers/ TRT, CBT/ MBS stuff when it was everyday sound that was damaging me.
I hope somehow yall have caught it at a point it can bounce back to some normal life. He’s so lucky to have such a caring Mom. Time is so crucial with these conditions…had you been less caring he could of wouldn’t up much much worse.
Thank you for being you and believing him and trying to raise awareness for these afflictions. I’ve been homebound since April 2022 and unable to listen or play music since. I really shoulda been told Jan 2022 to stop all sound and rest. I feel had I done that and address co factors like jaw and neck and avoided all doctor and mild tinnitus and hyperacusis patient recommendations I’d still be able to speak and tolerate my own spit sound and take care of myself.
Unfortunately there is alot of misinformation out there that can really ruin someone who has bad symptoms. I am now 42 and have run outta hope long ago to have any improvement. Cannot tolerate a single sound and tinnitus is ringing beyond belief. I been hiding in a closet for over 2 years still worsening.
If you can sound proof his room to the max. Like go all out and protect him from all sound and hopefully that will give him some bounce back. He has to do his best to not aggravate symptoms at all. Especially in this first year’s of having it.
I hope yall can lower the inflammation and get him back to playing guitar. He reminds me of me at 16.
Much love to yall.
If you haven’t seen HG yet check it out. Some good info.
http://www.hyperacusisguide.org
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Hi Coleen, I’m so sorry that your son is going through this. I also had severe pain hyperacucis. Everything hurt my ears, everything was to loud. I also had burning pain 24/7
I was completely homebound for over a year. With zero sound tolerance.
I got what is called a SPG block and took the medication clomipramine.
The SPG block took away all my burning pain and the medication took all my sound sensitivity away.
I was on the medication for a little over a year.
I am now 100% better. I have now been off the medication for a little over a year. I am still fully recovered, Thank God!
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.
There are quite a few success stories about clomipramine from all over the world.
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I’m so sorry this happened, he is such a handsome young man that looks full of ambition. My Hyperacusis pain was triggered from long term sound trauma, this also turned my life upside down. It’s a condition that needs more awareness, but is hard to share when one of the requirements is isolation from the outside world. Once part of the community, you’ll see there’s a whole world of people with Hyperacusis that you never knew existed, we are here for each other. We all would have protected our ears from day one if we would have known this could happen to us, but we couldn’t have known.
You’ll find many resources here and on other partner websites such as:
https://hyperacusisresearch.org/
https://www.myriamwestcott.com/
I wish strength upon Ethan’s new journey and the supportive family who posted this.
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There has been various anecdotal reports of Clomipramine, a tricyclic antidepressant, helped people with pain hyperacusis and loudness hyperacusis. Please ask his physician about this and see what they think.
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I’ll be the third on to recommend giving clomipramine a try. It has had a significant benefit for my pain hyperacusis.
im so sorry Ethan Pellegrini