67 replies to this topic

[tham]

Tinnitus induced by occupational and leisure noise.

http://www.noiseandh...aulast=Axelsson



Review of Pharmacological Therapy for Tinnitus.

http://www.tinnitusj...tigo.asp?id=103


Pharmacotherapy for Severe, Disabling, Subjective,
Idiopathic Tinnitus: 2005-2006

http://www.tinnitusj...tigo.asp?id=104


Benzodiazepines and GABAergics in Treating Severe
Disabling Tinnitus of Predominantly Cochlear Origin.

http://www.tinnitusj...tigo.asp?id=101


Long-Term and Frequent Cellular Phone Use
and Risk of Acoustic Neuroma.

http://www.tinnitusj...tigo.asp?id=102



" .... believed to originate as an initial dyssynchrony in
pre- or postsynaptic neuronal transmission within the
peripheral or central nervous system (cortical or
subcortical). "

" Hypotheses of mechanisms of tinnitus production in
the past included changes in temporal firing patterns
of neuronal activity; analogy to pain perception;
damage to the temporal dysfunction of the inner
or outer hair cells; imbalanced activity in the eighth
nerve, resulting in tinnitus; the efferent system; and
partial interruption of the eighth nerve."

http://www.tinnitusj...rtigo.asp?id=97

[tham]

These common supplements are worth trying :

Coenqyme Q10
Acetyl L-carnitine
Alpha lipoic acid
Taurine


Coenzyme Q10.

http://www.ncbi.nlm....t_uids=17210337


L-carnitine showed efficacy in this study.
Thus it is better to use the acetyl l-carnitine (ALCAR),
which you can find in any health food store.

" The potency of the drugs was linopirdine>l-carnitine >
pregabalin >gabapentin. "

http://www.ncbi.nlm....t_uids=21718695



ALCAR and ALA (alpha lipoic acid) have benefits
in age-related hearing loss.

http://www.ncbi.nlm....t_uids=10733178


"Thioctan" = thioctic acid = alpha lipoic acid.

http://www.ncbi.nlm....t_uids=14481264



" NICOS (noise-induced cochlear oxidative stress) is
in part related to defects in mitochondrial bioenergetics
and biogenesis. Therefore, NICOS can be reduced by
acetyl-L carnitine (ALCAR) .... "

http://www.ncbi.nlm....t_uids=12352659


Taurine.

http://www.ncbi.nlm....t_uids=20868734



The taurine derivate drug, acamprosate, normally
used for alcholism.

http://www.ncbi.nlm....t_uids=17956791

http://www.ncbi.nlm....t_uids=16612523

http://en.wikipedia....iki/Acamprosate

[Robert C]

Thanks tham for the great info! One thing I have found out is loud noises are poison for me. I'm 52 and it seems my ears get noise fatigue very easily. I now carry cotton in my pocket and don't hesitate to put a bit in when in loud restaurants, etc. I have a pair of "musician's earplugs" on order from a local hearing aid place that will attinuate noises up to 3000 Hz by 9 dBa, and over 3000 Hz by 15 dBa. They are custom molded and made of a clear rubber-type material. They are designed to just take the edge off loud places, probably about like a wad of cotton. I plan to carry them at all times in my pocket and use them as needed. If anyone notices them they will appear like discrete hearing aids and I will probably be just a bit hard of heariing wearing them.

I have been doing this with cotton for a few days and my tinnitus is much better.

[Robert C]

Has anyone on this board tried Ginkgo biloba for tinnitus?

[niner]

Has anyone on this board tried Ginkgo biloba for tinnitus?

Yes. No luck. It's only likely to work if the tinnitus is vascular in origin, which it usually isn't.

[tham]

Software masker.

http://bitsnoop.com/...-q24470283.html

[tham]

This is worth looking into.

http://www.microtransponder.com/


http://www.scienceda...10112132130.htm


http://www.ncbi.nlm....t_uids=21228773

http://www.utdallas....dNature2011.pdf

[tham]

The Japanese Kampo formula, TJ54, Yokukan-san,
their equivalent of the ancient Chinese formula,
Yi Gan San, also known as Bupleurum Formula.

Sedative action is mainly due to the herb
Uncaria rhynchophylla, synonymous with
Uncaria sinensis ( 鉤 藤, Gou Teng, Chinese Cat's Claw ).

http://alternativehe...rg/gou_teng.htm

http://www.raysaheli...om/uncaria.html

http://www.vaxa.com/...ynchophylla.cfm

http://www.asianscie...insons-disease/



" Yokukansan is used to treat insomnia and irritability ..... "

http://www.ncbi.nlm....t_uids=20812276


" Yokukansan (YKS, Yi-Gan San in Chinese), a traditional
Japanese medicine, has been widely utilized in the treatment
of neurosis, insomnia and anxiety especially in Asian countries. "

http://www.ncbi.nlm....t_uids=19647983


" When the effects of extracts of the seven constituent
herbs in yokukansan on the cell death were examined,
Uncaria thorn was found to have the highest potency
in the protection. "

http://www.ncbi.nlm....t_uids=21130853


Yi Gan San in tinnitus.

http://www.ncbi.nlm....t_uids=15642449

[tham]

" If we keep in mind that dopamine has an inhibitory
effect at the inner ear, but, according to many
authors, may be related to tinnitus perception
associated with the lymbic system,
eletrocochleography may help to choose the
best candidates for tinnitus treatment with a
dopamine agonist, instead of an antagonist.
This method could also be applied to other
drugs that acts at inner ear receptors, like
memantine and other NMDA blockers, GABA,
citicoline and baclofen. "

http://www.scitopics...with_drugs.html


Citicoline.

No studies on citicholine for tinnitus, but the
above study postulates that it may be worth trying.


" The main indications of Citicoline Sodium are
...... tinnitus and nerve deafness "

http://www.biotogeth...ProductList.asp

[tham]

I'm 19 and 2400mg piracetam + 300mg CDP
choline does wonders for me.

Ah, I had not noted your post earlier, but you
are a good example that citicholine does help.

[nupi]

Good to know about the CDP Choline, I will keep this in mind in my current Alpha GPC trial :P

[mpe]

I've found a bit of dark chocolate can give some relief, but only for a few hours,
Milk chocolate doesnt give any relief.
I dont know why.

[niner]

GlaxoSmithKline has spun off a firm, called Autifony Therapeutics, to develop their early stage hearing compounds. These are modulators of voltage-gated ion channels that might be used to treat hearing loss and tinnitus. They hope to put their first compound into Phase I by early 2013. This is early in the process, but Autifony will be something to keep an eye on.

http://www.drugdisco...ewsarticle=5263
http://www.bioportfo...o-Autifony.html

[TheFountain]

Head, Neck, and Eye Movements That Modulate Tinnitus
Richard Simmons, M.D.,¹ Christina Dambra,² Edward Lobarinas, Ph.D.,³ Christine Stocking, Au.D.,³ and Richard Salvi, Ph.D.^3
1Department of Neurology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
²Center for Hearing and Deafness, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
³Department of Communicative Disorders and Science, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
Address for correspondence and reprint requests: Richard Salvi, Ph.D., Center for Hearing & Deafness, 137 Cary Hall, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214, (e-mail: salvi@buffalo.edu)
Tinnitus: Part II; Guest Editors, Richard Salvi, Ph.D., Wei Sun, Ph.D., and Edward Lobarinas, Ph.D.

• Other Sections▼
  
• Abstract
• Multimodal Interactions
• Imaging Somatic Tinnitus
• Tinnitus Modulation by Eye Movement
• Tinnitus Modulation by Jaw Clench
• Clinical Characteristics of Somatic Tinnitus
• Somatic Modulation
• Force of Maneuvers
• SUMMARY
• REFERENCES

Abstract
Recent functional brain imaging studies in humans suggest that the neural generator(s) for tinnitus may reside in the central nervous system and involve both auditory as well as nonauditory centers. The contribution of nonauditory centers in the pathogenesis and regulation of tinnitus is reinforced by studies showing that many patients have somatic tinnitus whereby movements and manipulations of the eyes, head, neck, jaw, and shoulder can modulate the loudness and pitch of their tinnitus. In most cases, the maneuvers lead to increases in tinnitus loudness or pitch rather than decreases. Our results indicate that most tinnitus patients experience only a modest change in loudness or pitch when performing these maneuvers. However, some patients report that these maneuvers significantly modulate the loudness or pitch, sometimes by a factor of 2 to 3. The high prevalence of somatic tinnitus serves to illustrate the complex multimodal interactions that exist between the auditory pathway and other sensory-motor systems innervating the head, neck, shoulders, and eyes.

http://www.ncbi.nlm....les/PMC2633109/

[Luminosity]

Chinese medicine treats tinnitus with herbs and acupuncture. They believe that it is caused by an imbalance of energy and that it can be cured.

Edited by Luminosity, 27 November 2011 - 03:52 AM.

[niner]

They believe that it is caused by an imbalance of energy and that it can be cured.

And yet...

[Luminosity]

And Gingko can help you finish your thoughts.

[Lufega]

Try some Mullein flower oil. Seems to work for tinnitus.

http://www.iherb.com...30-ml/7970?at=1

[niner]

And Gingko can help you finish your thoughts.

It was left as an exercise for the reader, but I should add more data:

Probable size of market for tinnitus cure: tens of billions of dollars.

Number of Chinese herbalist billionaires: zero.

[Luminosity]

Data? That's not data.

Even the best herbalist can only treat so many people, and only those that go to him or her.

When you have a significant number of people who have been diagnosed with tinnitus go to a competent acupuncturist and complete a course of treatment, and said results are accurately reported by someone with no axe to grind, then you have data. Given the state of the medical profession, we may never see that happen. Drug companies influence medical education, regulatory agencies and medical publishing to an unhealthy degree. In the meantime, why no try something that might help you?

Edited by Luminosity, 27 November 2011 - 05:21 AM.

[niner]

Whether to call it data or not is a semantic choice, but I'm pretty sure that both of those statements are correct, or close in the case of the market size. I guess I just find it hard to believe that a malady that is both highly prevalent and highly annoying would exist for a long time in the modern world if there was a cure available that really worked. I'd be willing to part with a lot of money to silence my tinnitus. I don't buy the conspiracy theoretic argument that says Big Pharma is suppressing cures. I could believe that an acupuncture procedure might provide some amount of relief in some fraction of people, but for it to rise to the level of 'cure' is hard to swallow. Why not try something that might help me? Well, it would take time and money at the very least. Other downsides are unknown, but when people are sticking needles into your body it's never riskless. I would be willing to accept a fair amount of cost and risk if the odds of successful treatment were good, but I don't have any evidence that's the case, and I don't see how acupuncture could do anything about the damage to hair cells in my ears that are probably causing my tinnitus, along with high frequency hearing loss. Sadly, in my imprudent youth I was exposed to a lot of noise without hearing protection, and it has done some permanent damage, I'm afraid.

[nupi]

If acupuncture was a cure to tinnitus rest assured the pharmaceutical companies would find a way to make money of it... The fact that they do not even seem to try says a lot. As does the fact that there are few if any people who report having been cured.

[Luminosity]

You are only hurting yourself, Niner. I had hearing loss from the same cause and it's cured. I've had hundreds of acupuncture needles stuck in me and the minimal risk is well worth it. And that still wasn't data.

By your logic, MDs who treat people with hearing loss and deafness are not legitimate because they aren't billionaires. Medical practitioners do not have to be billionaires to have a legitimate treatment. Each speciality has a general income level, but none of them are billionaires, probably because they have to treat patients individually, not thousands at a time like a preacher at a revival meeting.

Nupi, how do you think acupuncture could be put into a pill? Even the Chinese herbs should be prescribed for each patient, and there is more that needs do be done for each patient individually.

Tinnitus is a painful, debilitating problem that Western medicine doesn't know how to cure. People with this ailment can live in misery, or risk trying something new.

[smithx]

I used to have distracting tinnitus and I started taking vinpocetine, 10mg twice a day.

The tinnitus pretty much cleared up after a month or so.

Here is an article with some references linked at the end:
http://patrickgilles...nitus-Treatment

[viridentity]

I used to have distracting tinnitus and I started taking vinpocetine, 10mg twice a day.

The tinnitus pretty much cleared up after a month or so.

Here is an article with some references linked at the end:
http://patrickgilles...nitus-Treatment

I second the vinpocetine recommendation. I took it at 10-15mg a day (divided doses) for about a week and noticed a significant reduction in the severity of my tinnitus that has continued long after cessation of the supplement (~8-9 months, at this point). I stopped taking the supplement, however, because I noticed that prolonged daily usage left me feeling somewhat emotionally disconnected/distant, though this cleared up within a few days after I stopped taking it.

[TheFountain]

I used to have distracting tinnitus and I started taking vinpocetine, 10mg twice a day.

The tinnitus pretty much cleared up after a month or so.

Here is an article with some references linked at the end:
http://patrickgilles...nitus-Treatment

I second the vinpocetine recommendation. I took it at 10-15mg a day (divided doses) for about a week and noticed a significant reduction in the severity of my tinnitus that has continued long after cessation of the supplement (~8-9 months, at this point). I stopped taking the supplement, however, because I noticed that prolonged daily usage left me feeling somewhat emotionally disconnected/distant, though this cleared up within a few days after I stopped taking it.

So is there any happy medium with vinpocetine? I was going to include this in my regimen some time ago but never did due to the negative reports here. But apparently thousands of other people take it with no such side effects.

[Artificiality]

Yeah alot of medications can cause it, especially psychoactives are pretty known to have tinnitus as a s/e. Taking an ssri actually caused the onset of tinnitus for me. I think for 9 out of 10 cases, the cause of tinnitus is in the brain; not in the ears. For me, most CNS stimulating substances = more tinnitus and some CND depressants (like benzo`s but also taurine in a certain degree) = less tinnitus.

Study results on ginkgo are varying. Some studies say its no better then placebo, but some say it has a significant effect on tinnitus. If you`re trying ginkgo for tinnitus, i think the only way to find out if it works is to take it for at least 6-8 weeks before judging.

But the thing that is by far the most important of all is try not to be bothered by it. When you keep on focussing on your tinnitus and get stressed about it, your brain will keep labeling the sound as a threat and thereby labeling it as "important". This is bad for two reasons;

* Worrying about your tinnitus causes stress. The response to stress = heightened senses (including hearing) causing more sound and more stress. I can tell by experience this is a nasty vicious circle that you want to get yourself out of.
* As long as there is a stress reaction to your tinnitus your brain will not learn that the sound is unimportant. Whenever your brain does learn the sound is unimportant however, it will "filter it out" just like people that move to the city and don`t hear the traffic anymore after a couple of weeks, unless they choose to.

Please beleive me on this. I know I didn`t when I first had tinnitus. But now that I do, i notice the volume has come down alot and i`m not bothered by it at all. I still hear it at night, and sometimes it gets a little louder but it doesn`t influence my life anymore in the slightest bit.

Interesting that you say that. I have had Tinnitus since I was 13, and have always been puzzled as to why I got it since I was so young and haven't really been exposed to loud noises throughout my life. Since I had it at such a young age I learned to cope with it fairly quickly and it doesn't bother me much at all now. However I know think I have some sort of hormonal imbalance that caused it. Along with tinnitus I started losing my hair at around 16, at first it was only the crown but it has progressed I am now thinning on my sides and top as well.

[Baten]

I made a thread on reddit where I reported my findings over the years. Those interested might want to check it out.
http://www.reddit.co...nnitus_regimen/

[TheFountain]

I made a thread on reddit where I reported my findings over the years. Those interested might want to check it out.
http://www.reddit.co...nnitus_regimen/

May I ask where your claims about L-lysine being anxiolytic come from? Please understand that you are on a forum where people would prefer to know these answers rather than just individuals claiming such things. It's okay if this is based solely on personal experience, but please indicate that, or if it's based on research please point us to the proper articles.

[TheFountain]

Anyway, I read several anecdotal reports about apple cider vinegar being effective in alleviating some of the symptoms of tinnitus. I have been taking 1-2 table spoons every day for almost 3 months now and it has definitely shown some improvement. I wonder what component it could be creating the effect.