Can pills help my Tinnitus?
I have patients come in to the office every day asking about "XYZ" "Quiet Me" or "Tinnitus -be-gone" type pills. Surely there must be some great benefit to the pills for them to be on TV. Surely they've undergone rigorous testing to ensure their benefit, right?
Wrong! It really upsets me that people are making millions of dollars on useless "treatments" for tinnitus, whether in pill form or another. I've been asked why I don't formulate a pill and retire on the beach. The answer is simple. First, everything in those pills is available at your natural store in a better state and for less money, and second, my mother didn't raise me that way.
Unfortunately most of the pills are just a way to make money off of people who are really struggling and desperate enough to try anything. The science behind most of the pills is sketchy at best, and even made up in some cases. So if you want to try something for your tinnitus I have some suggestions.
1. Get a thorough evaluation from your audiologist. There are many causes of tinnitus and until you've determined the cause of yours, you won't be able to treat it appropriately or effectively. Popping a pill for tinnitus is not recommended unless you are fully educated about both your tinnitus, the pill, it's expected benefits and potential side effects.
2. To keep your ears healthy you need to keep your body healthy. There's no way around that. To do that eat right, exercise and use a good, natural, multivitamin. You can usually tell if they're natural because they're generally big and ugly. I have some that I use personally that I feel confident about, and hopefully your doctor will have some to recommend to you also.
3. A few of the fancy "Tinnitus" type pills are pretty good, but it's almost impossible for you to know which ones. The best way for you to know is to ask your audiologist or physician which ones they recommend. Some nutrients that have been shown specifically to keep the hearing system healthy.
4. Warn others and listen to others. Do your best to let others know what has worked and what hasn't worked, who has helped you with your tinnitus and where to go for help. This website is one of the best at disseminating accurate information. Remember, there are things you can do to help you with your tinnitus. The struggle is in finding the right audiologist or physician. Keep on looking. We're out there!
My best, as always,
Dr. Barbara Jenkins
www.AdvancedAudiology.info
Jul 25, 2010 at 3:53 PM After over 24 years in this industry, I have to comment on
Tinn. because so many of my Pts. had been to Dr.s, Aud. and received the same answer "there is nothing we can do about it--turn on the radio and see if that will help you sleep. I'm sorry!! I've had tinn. for over 40 years, and would like to simply state two hearing aids can help. I have a ski slope H.L. with Tinn. that sounds like WWII hand cranked air raid warning alarm. With my H.A.s it's gone. Without, that's about all I hear. I have two aids with a Vol.control that I place in every Pt.with Tinn. and ask: Gone? Yes! You are luck like myself. I would like to ask Mfgrs. to give every Dr. and Aud. a cheep aid to be able to get a quick reading if slight amplification will help.
My dear friend had the Dr. say sorry, there;s nothinng we can do until I took out my BTE, turned down the vol, slipped them in his ear and pop no Tinn.
Wow -- how eazy!!
I so glad to get some feedback on the pills....Thanks....Russ.
control
Jul 26, 2010 at 6:13 PM Dear Russ,
Most audiologists can have you try hearing aids in the office to see if they help or not. It all depends on what's causing the tinnitus. Since tinnitus is a symptom it can be caused by many things. Your tinnitus may be helped by hearing aids and someone else not so much.
There are hearing aids out there that cost very little that can help some people. Others need higher fidelity devices due to the configuration of their hearing loss, others will get no help whatsoever.
I'm glad you let others know to at least try the hearing aids if there is a hearing loss associated with the tinnitus, and I'm glad that they work well for you. Most ENTs and audiologists have some training in tinnitus but are admittedly not experts in the field. That said, everyone with tinnitus should be seen by an audiologist to rule out a clinical or organic cause to their ringing.
All my best,
Dr. Barbara Jenkins
www.AdvancedAudiology.info
Jan 28, 2011 at 5:16 PM Hi,
Ive been experiencing tinnitus for several months now and have tried a variety of different pills. The only positive effect they have for me is the feeling that I can do something to help or control the ringing even though I know they dont do anything. Any other suggestions? I'm worried that I might lose it.
Jan 31, 2011 at 10:58 AM Dear Steve,
I have patients i the office every day who state that they've don the same thing. It can be so frustrating trying to find someone who actually has ideas as to how to help you with your tinnitus. Let me tell you at the outset that there are ways to control and sometimes reduce tinnitus significantly, you just have to find the audiologist who has the experience to evaluate yours. Unfortunately they are difficult to find.
Most of the pills marketed today are glorified sugar pills. Please don't spend your money on them unless they've been suggested by a doctor. It really gets me angry that those marketing the pills have little to no tinnitus education whatsoever, but they are professionals at marketing.
Go to the academy of doctors of audiology or the American Board of Audiology to see if there is an audiologist who specializes in tinnitus in your area.
Let me know how things fair for you. I do care.
Regards,
Dr. Barbara Jenkins
www.AdvancedAudiology.info
Feb 1, 2011 at 2:17 AM Dr.Jenkins,
First of all, thank you for your thoughtful repsonse, it's very comforting to hear from a professional that there are solutions. I've found it a challange to sift through all of the misinformatin that is readily available on the internet. I'm now living in a small city in the north of Spain, and have a feeling it might mean a trip to the capital to find an audiologist that has any experience with tinnitus at all. I've been looking for the American Board of Audiology counterpart here in Spain, and may have found something useful.
In the mean time I've stopped looking for the silly pills, I've been trying to just take it easy and not take the ringing so personally. Also, I can't even hear it at all in the shower, so if it ever gets to unmanageable I just hop in the shower and get a little break.
Anyway, thanks again for your understanding and sound guidance.
Steve
Feb 1, 2011 at 9:05 AM Let me know what they find so I can help you further if needed.
Worst case would be that I have to go to Spain to help you. My daughter went to school in Santander (?) and loved it. I have a large photo she took of a small town in the north of Spain, maybe it's your town :-)
We help many patients every day with tinnitus. All of them benefit, many significantly. Remember that tinnitus is a symptom, not a disease, and once you find the cause of your tinnitus you are more likely to reduce it.
Blessings,
Dr. Barbara Jenkins
www.AdvancedAudiology.info
May 31, 2011 at 1:43 AM I have bilateral Meniere's disease. What works for some people with this condition doesn't work for other people. I'm allergic to medications with sulfa in them, and a lot of diuretics contain this substance. Even the ones that don't have it have not helped me. What has helped me is the patch for motion sickness you put behind your ear. I also wonder if now taking a vitamin D supplement besides the Caltrate is helping. Part of having Meniere's disease is having tinnitus. My tinnitus has ranged from loud roaring to the point of not being able to function to barely noticeable ringing. Once in awhile I'll get a break. Now I have a constant ringing which is like a background noise. My sound nature picture which has waterfalls in it with the sound of them and birds singing helps.
Jun 1, 2011 at 8:47 AM Hi Theresa,
Meniere's disease is more correctly called Meniere's Syndrom, because each person's symptoms are different and vary significantly. Consequently, your medication and nutrient protocol will differ from someone else's. It's best to talk to your primary care physician about what's best for you.
Whenever you hear your tinnitus, make sure not to "get angry or upset" with it. This is because whenever you do, it reinforces it as something important to your amygdala, the part of your brain that will determine how much you can ignore it.
Remember that tinnitus is a symptom, and so when you get upset with it, you are getting upset with the messenger. It does no good. What you are doing with visualization is very good. You can also try letting your tinnitus know that you hear it (don't try to hide from it) and also let your brain know that you don't blame it for anything.
Each time that you hear your tinnitus without reacting to it, you are conditioning your brain to ignore it more and more. Over time, you may still hear your tinnitus, but it will bother you less and less. I hope this helps.
All my best,
Dr. Barbara Jenkins
CEO - Advanced Audiology, Inc.
www.AdvanedAudiology.info
Jun 2, 2011 at 2:16 AM Dr. Jenkins,
Thank you so much for your quick reply and good advice. I'm very blessed to have a wonderful ENT and a fantastic primary care physician. My ENT encourages me to find out as much as I can online about this condition. I agree that negative reactions make it worse. There are times, though, it's hard not to react that way. Even though I know it doesn't do any good, I cover my ears and close my eyes when I get the very loud roaring instead of the ringing in my ears. For the past three weeks, I've been able to pretty much ignore my tinnitus. I know it's there, but it's way in the background. Sometimes it gets a bit louder to let me know it's there. I'm very happy to say I found a wonderful home on Facebook for those of us who have Meniere's Syndrome. There's a lot of compassionate support and very helpful advice there. The place is Living With Meniere's Disease. Oh, I have a question. I have fluctuating sensorineural hearing problems which range from mild to moderate. My ability to chat on the phone is getting worse. Would programmable hearing aids help?
Have A Very Wonderful Day,
Theresa
Jun 3, 2011 at 10:04 PM Happy to help Theresa.
Regarding your phone issues:
1. Make sure that your phone has a Mic 3 or Mic 4 rating. Those are the strongest available. Many of the new phones actually have weaker mics because they are focusing on graphics instead of sound quality. Sounds strange but it's true.
2. One of my patients (a recent Miss USA) has Meniere's also, and she uses hearing aids that she can control whenever her hearing changes. Hers are called Siemens Pure, but there are other manufacturers now that provide hearing aids with the same option. I strongly suggest that you speak with your audiologist and ask about a demonstration. You really should get hearing aids if you have problems hearing.
3. Keep up the good attitude. You may be an inspiration to someone else some day.
Enjoy your day,
Dr. Barbara Jenkins,
CEO - Advanced Audiology, Inc.
www.AdvancedAudiology.info
Dec 26, 2011 at 4:54 AM I had tinnitus for several years then I got a mild eye infection and the eye doctor prescribed a drop called Torbradex for my eye infection. Bingo
most of my tinnitus went away. My audiologist had never heard of this and I tried to contact the company (Alcon labs) that manufactures the Torbradex but they just ignored my inqueries. Have you ever heard of this?
After about 4 years some of my tinnitus has come back so I am thinking of trying the Torbradex treatment again. Thanks.
Dec 27, 2011 at 12:51 PM Dear R.T.,
As you know from reading the previous blogs, tinnitus is actually a symptom brought on my irritations or disruptions somewhere along the auditory pathway. These disruptions can be auditory, chemical or somatic (muscular or body pathway) in nature. Everyones tinnitus is unique to them, so the treatment will be as well also. We have hundred of patients stating that this or the other medication helps or hurts their tinnitus, and I believe that they can play a part.
So something that is exacerbating your tinnitus symptoms was relieved at or about the time you took the Torbradex four years ago. It could have been the infection or something in the medication or something else we are missing completely.
Here is what I suggest: Visit your eye doctor again. You may have a light infection again. She may give you more of the meds if she does, please let me know if it helps. If not, I do recommend that your audiologist do a full tinnitus evaluation, complete with a chemical, somatic and auditory work-up.
The tinnitus you are experiencing today may have been triggered by something completely different this time, and you need to discover what that is so that you can treat it appropriately.
Best of luck and please return to let us know how your tinnitus treatment went.
Merry Christmas,
Dr. Barbara Jenkins,
www.AdvancedAudiology.info
Tinnitus Treatment Center, LLC
Feb 24, 2012 at 8:45 PM Hi,
I have been deaf in one ear for 40 years. I am now 48. A few months ago after flying home from a vacation (where I caught a terrible cold/sinus congestion) I woke up to a horrible whooshing in my good ear. I ran to my ENT and he took a hearing test and said I had hearing loss in the "low frequency" range but still had hearing "where it counts" and sent me on my way. My life has been literally turned upside down with the tinnitus and hypercusis. I saw an audiologist here in Edina, MN who specializes in tinnitus and she said my type of hearing loss could not be helped with a hearing aid. I feel like I am under water most of the time and can't hear very well. If I'm deaf in one ear and can't get a hearing aid in the other.....what can I do? I thought technology has come so far yet no one has a hearing aid for reverse slope hearing loss? Please give me some hope. Thank you!
Feb 26, 2012 at 10:35 AM Dear Kim,
Don't give up hope my friend, as there are many hearing aids available for reverse slope hearing loss, but first things first.
If your audiologist specializes in tinnitus, then I'm sure she has done a tinnitus match as well as found out what sounds at what levels are needed to mask your tinnitus. With that information there may be other treatments that can help you alleviate your tinnitus other than just hearing aids or masking. I would go back and see what other options you have. That informatiotn will also help her to choose the appropriate hearing aid for you.
Also I hope that your ENT or family doctor has already done a full assessment of your medications and upper body neuromuscular system. These factors can exacerbate tinnitus to some degree.Ask your audiologist to assess these findings as well. Not all audiologists are tinnitus specialists, but since she is I'm sure that she can help you.
I am originally from North Dakota and have been to Edina in past years. Keep warm my friend, and don't give up hope.
Warmest Regards,
Dr. Barbara Jenkins
www.AdvancedAudiology.info