This is a posting I made on a forum.
I have had tinnitus for about 7 years now. I also have increased hearing loss. I am not sure what caused my tinnitus…the doctor said it was caused most likely by exposure many years ago when I was in the service. I had one experience where half my face went numb after exposure to a very loud noise. I always had issues with hearing people in noisy environments but in 2008 I started to get tinnitus and my hearing became a daily issue. I think my hearing has declined since. I have learned to live with the ringing but my attitude is that I will cure myself.
One thing I have done is I started to blog about my journey. I have tried many things and also have learned a lot on the way. I also have studied things which I then thought may help with my tinnitus.
Here is a list of what I have tried or am still trying….. This is just what I have tried or am still using. I am not recommending any of them. I am just sharing my experiences.
- Taurine – I use taurine daily. I am testing the benefit it may have on my tinnitus. I take 1-3 grams per day. Currently, I usually take 1 gram. There is a surprising amount of information about taurine and its benefits. As with any treatment, talked to your physician to get their guidance.
- Alpha Lipoic Acid or ALA – I still take this. Learned that this is a good antioxidant and also helped mice in hearing experiments. I think also helps manage blood sugar.
Here is some information on the study from PubMed.gov
Lipoic acid rescues DBA mice from early-onset age-related hearing impairment.
Abstract
We fed DBA mice with alpha-lipoic acid (100 mg/kg body weight/day), beginning 2, 4, or 8 weeks after birth. Hearing thresholds were measured weekly. At 12 weeks after birth, control mice not fed with alpha-lipoic acid showed significant hearing decreases at all frequencies. In contrast, mice fed with alpha-lipoic acid beginning at 2 weeks after birth showed significantly better hearing at all frequencies. Mice fed with alpha-lipoic acid beginning at 4 and 8 weeks after birth also showed significantly better hearing than control mice after they were fed with alpha-lipoic acid. The stria vascularis of mice fed with alpha-lipoic acid showed reduced 8-oxoguanine residues in DNA and cytoplasm compared with that of control mice. Western blotting showed that the level of hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha was lower in mice fed with alpha-lipoic acid than in control mice. From these results, we suggest that alpha-lipoic acid prevented early-onset hearing impairment in DBA mice.
- Meditation – I try different techniques – sometimes I meditate and explore my Tinnitus and try to really locate it. Not sure this is a good idea for some people as it may make it more noticeable. For me, it is a good way to meditate.
Meditation – I try to relax around the Tinnitus area. In a way, opposite of the above. I also imagine my nerves calming down. - Alexander technique – I use the posture recommendations just because it is good way to take care of yourself in general. I use the inhibition thinking to let my body try to resolve this issue itself. I think our body and brain are pretty smart. I found the Alexander technique by happenstance. I was reading about an acting book I was interested in and it mentioned the Alexander technique and so I started to research it and then took a book out of the library. It is fascinating. By coincidence there was a piece on the Alexander Technique GMA about it. It does not go into the other important aspects about it like inhibition, but atleast it is being talked about. I actually would watch some YouTube videos on the topic.
- Gingko Biloba – I did not sense a benefit. I no longer takes this. Studies I have heard about seemed to say the same thing.
- Magnesium – I do not think low magnesium is my issue.
- Zinc piconilate -no noticeable effect – Some studies seemed to show this may be helpful if you are zinc deficient.
- Coenzyme Q10 – made me sleepy so I stopped. Read that helped mice in protecting their hearing though – Some studies seemed to show this may be helpful if you are Coenzyme Q10 deficient. .
- Cinnamon – I take this for blood sugar. I do not know if it impacts tinnitus.
- Vitamin D – 2000 mg – I take because I have low vitamin D levels not directly for my Tinnitus. Vitamin D is important so you may want to research the benefits it may have for you. I also read that Vitamin D utilization in your body uses up magnesium which may impact the need for more magnesium.
- B100 – I did not notice a significant effect.
I have also tried and continue to try Craniosacral Theray or CST. I went to a session with a CST practitioner then bought a book on how to apply this myself. I am not sure if it has helped but it is very relaxing. I am still evaluating it.
One of my theories it is I am hearing my nerves screaming. What I mean by this is I have a back injury and when I focus on the tinnitus (meditate), I feel twitching in my back.
Another theory (not really mine) is that the nerves are stuck in an agitated state due to ion channel issues in the nerves which causes the nerves to be firing all the time.
I am never going to give up trying to cure my tinnitus. My attitude on this is simply something is causing it even if no one can definitively explain the cause.
I would love to know what silence is like….I have micro moments of silence. On the other hand, the tinnitus does not overly bother me.
This journey is part of who I am. I started to blog about it for my own benefit and to help others along the way.
Never surrender.
