Can Wuling (Wu Ling Shen) Help Tinnitus? Here's a Promising Study

Hi everyone,

Has anyone tried Wuling capsules before or even heard of it? I couldn’t find any posts on Tinnitus Talk about it.

It’s a traditional Chinese medicine isolated from a rare medicinal fungi - Wuling mycelia of Xylaria nigripes, also known as Wu Ling Shen. Apparently it can regulate glutamate and GABA in the brain among other things.

I came across this study while researching glutamate, mushrooms and tinnitus (my microdosing experiment seems to have worsened my tinnitus).

In the study journal, it says that the group taking Wuling went from 86.97 to 46.04 and the control group went from 88.63 to 56.67. You need to swipe left on Table 1 to see the Wuling group results. Both groups were also taking Lidocaine and some other stuff for part of the study.

Study journal:

The therapeutic effect of Wuling capsule on tinnitus patients with anxiety and depression

So has anyone had any experience with this Chinese medicine for tinnitus, is it a waste of time?

The only places I can find to buy it is as a sleeping supplement from a couple of online stores in Singapore.

 

I found a Chinese pharmaceutical company that manufactures these wuling capsules. If you search “zuoli wuling” in eBay, you’ll find 5 listings for it. $20-$30 USD.

One of the packets is in English and mentions tinnitus.

Maybe if things gets worse down the track I’ll give it a shot.

 

If something is seemingly able to treat everything (going by the description on the package), it probably does the opposite (nothing at all).

It's also listed under "other antibiotics" while having no antibiotic function. Seems very fishy.

 

I’m going to give this stuff a go. I’m not expecting anything but I’ve tried every other vitamin, supplement and nootropic. One more won’t hurt. Plus the hope that comes with trying something new, usually helps me a little mentally.

If I see any improvement, I’ll report back.

I did not get the actual Wuling capsules posted above. I found Wu Ling Shen sold on Amazon as a sleeping/anxiety supplement, so I got that instead. They are both made from Xylaria Nigripes, so I’m guessing there’ll be no real difference.

https://www.amazon.com.au/Wulinshen-Anti-Anxiety-Supplement-Supports-Glutamic/dp/B076CTZGC6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3R7UPO3XM8EZ5&keywords=Wulinshen&qid=1655270550&sprefix=wulinshen,aps,325&sr=8-1

Oh, I also found this random study using Wuling capsules on tinnitus rats...

Changes of auditory function and mechanisms in tinnitus rats treated by Wuling Capsule

“These results indicate that Wuling Capsule significantly reduces the degree of neuronal damage in the auditory pathway of tinnitus rats, improves the ultrastructure of the auditory center, and lowers the auditory brainstem response threshold, thereby improving the auditory function of tinnitus rats and improving the anxiety and depression. The mechanism may be increasing the levels of γ-aminobutyric acid and 5-hydroxytryptamine in the hypothalamus and improving the expression of neuronal plasticity-related genes in the auditory pathway of tinnitus rats.”

 

Keep us up to date if anything happens, don't just run away

 

Any news here?

 

Hi, I haven’t tried the stuff I ordered yet. It took ages to arrive, I only just got it last week.

I’ll start taking it tomorrow for 4 weeks.

 

The Study of Wuling Capsule in Treatment Chronic Tinnitus

Trial completed as per yesterday. I don't expect much - 4 year trial of 59 patients without blinding/placebo.

 

I wasn’t able to take it long enough to see if it had any effect. I made two attempts to start taking it. Both times, I ended up with stomach cramps and some bloating after the 2nd day.

Here’s some side effects:

Cigarettes, alcohol, and spicy or greasy food should be avoided while taking this formula. Wuling capsules are a safe drug with mild side effects, including diarrhea, dry mouth, dizziness, fatigue, abdominal discomfort, elevated liver enzymes, constipation, increased saliva, anterior thoracic discomfort, skin rash, and sneezing

Nine traditional Chinese herbal formulas for the treatment of depression: an ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, and pharmacology review

 

Hi, I wanted to add my 2 cents. I’ve been taking the Wulinshen from Amazon for almost 3 weeks now and I can say I really like it, just bought my second bottle. It’s hard to say how much it has helped my tinnitus objectively, but I would say it’s not zero percent. There were a few days I woke up with a slight perceived reduction in tinnitus whether that was an actual reduction or not. But don’t expect anything miraculous.

However, I can definitively say without a doubt, that it’s helped with the quality of my sleep. It doesn’t put me to sleep faster (it’s not a strong sleep inducer like Melatonin) but it keeps me asleep longer and helps me feel more rested when I wake. I was having some stress induced sleep issues before this, so I’m stoked to find something natural that works and plan to keep taking it, and I would definitely recommend it for anyone with sleep issues like insomnia.

Oh and unlike the OP, I did not notice any side effects. It tastes like mushroom coffee crossed with Chinese medicine if that makes any sense and I kind of like that taste so I actually chew the capsule before swallowing it ‍

 

@lcj, can I ask what you take to sleep? Tinnitus disturbs my sleep and nothing helps me to sleep.

 

Hi @JPGL, I’ve taken a photo of all the supplements I use (I find it’s most effective to alternate them). They are all available on US Amazon.

Let me know if you try any how it works for you! I have no doubt it would help your insomnia btw because I’ve gone through a lot of trial and error to come to this point

Edit: I wanted to add a couple of other suggestions 1) enable Night shift if you have an iPhone 2) use an anti-blue light screen protector (this helps so much and also with eye strain) 3) use blue light blocking glasses before bed if you can - I find that the combination of 1) and 2) is enough for me but if you wanted to really make sure you sleep well I would use the glasses

 

@lcj, thank you for your kindness. I will make the purchase and inform the forum of my experience. Thank you.

 

Shit, I was hoping you could handle any side effects and stay the course... Maybe your stomach just needs to adjust or take it before sleep awhile after you had your last meal? When I take MSM it makes me nauseous nearly every time but it lasts 10-20 minutes at most and passes. That's just how it hits your stomach but you still get the benefits. Best wishes if you decide to try it again. Thank you for reporting on the trial!