I've had sound sensitivity for 20 years. My doctor has never seen somebody with as much dysfunction in this area who is not autistic. As he said when he reviewed the results of an AEP, "You hear everything ! How do you handle that?" My wife responded, "That is why we are here."

There is a part of the brain that can malfunction. It receives all of our sensory input and filters out everything that is not important. 80% or more of our environment is just ambient and not important to functioning.

When that function is damaged, for some it recovers, for some it improves and for others, it never changes. For those who struggle with this, the best solution is to learn to accept it as real and find ways to accommodate it or work around it. Ear plugs are often the best solution. Having them available is important. We also need to learn how to recognize when we are hitting our limit.

For me, I can tolerate most sounds for a few minutes. Beyond that, my brain fatigues and starts trying to process all of the sound. As soon as I realize my brain is tracking these sounds, I need to remove myself from the environment or get my ear plugs in.

Cymbalta does not help nor does gabapentin. Cymbalta may reduce the reaction but the brain is still being overwhelmed. Gabapentin has negatives that somebody with PCS needs to avoid if possible. The safe dose would not be of much help.

Some things that help:
If you are going to be in a room with lots of sounds, especially voices, try to stay near a corner so the sound is coming from one direction. 360 degree sound is the worst. I always ask for a perimeter table at restaurants.
Look at each sound source so you recognize it. This can help the brain accept the sound and ignore it.
Avoid voices that you are not looking at. If somebody is talking behind you, move to a different location.
If there is background music or sounds while you are trying to listen to somebody talk, ask if that sound can be turned off.
Learn to find the sweet spot in buildings. There are echoes that we hear that others don't hear. Ear plugs help with echoes. Church auditoriums are some of the worst places for sound.

And, plan on the probablility of needing to get away and have an escape route and don't feel embarrassed to leave. "I need to find some place quiet." or just stepping away to the restroom, if it is quiet.

A big help is knowing how to explain to others what happens with your brain.

"Most people can filter out all of these sounds. I suffered a brain injury and my brain is no longer able to filter out all of these background and other sounds."

When they understand, most are very willing to accommodate. Some are just jerks.

If somebody needs convincing, you can ask "Can you concentrate when there are kids screaming ?" "Can you drive confidently when there are bright headlights coming at you?" "For me, this is my daily life. Every sound is like kids running around and screaming."

The clinical term is hyperacusis. Some respond to a clinical term. "I suffer from hyperacusis and these sounds and voices are a problem."

I hope this helps.

My best to you.