Does any chemical help tinnitus?

Jamfer · Mar 29, 2011

Hi everybody. somebody get that phone. I've had T for 12 years. It started with 2 years of hyperacusis and the next 10 years the T faded slightly while I got used to constant ringing.
Now it's not as much of an issue, but I still don't play in the band any more.
A cure would let me go back to music, in fact I would pay a lot for something that actually worked.
Jamfer

Markku · Mar 29, 2011

Welcome on board!

What chemicals have made it worse for you?

One site I've found of help (in regards to specific information on t) is this: Tinnitus: Causes and Treatment

There are currently no drugs approved for treatment of tinnitus. The drugs listed below are in various stages of experimental testing.

Lidocaine The earliest treatment ever discovered was lidocaine (Xylocaine), which effectively suppresses tinnitus. Lidocaine is a local anesthetic which acts by blocking voltage-gated sodium channels in neurons, preventing neuronal transmission. Since it is only short-acting (hours) and must be injected by a physician, it is not considered to be useful as a treatment. High doses of lidocaine can also cause tinnitus. Intradermal lidocaine is a possibility, but it has not been studied thoroughly.

Glycine receptor agonists For tinnitus that is caused by overexcitation of the cochlear nucleus, it may be possible to develop glycine receptor agonists. These drugs would mimic the natural neurotransmitter glycine, and re-balance the excitation / inhibition pathways. Thus, the future for tinnitus sufferers is not as gloomy as is commonly believed. Research into glycine receptor agonists is underway.
An interesting fact is that the poisonous alkaloid strychnine is a glycine receptor antagonist, and acts by blocking the glycine receptor; thus, glycine receptor agonists might also be beneficial as a treatment for strychnine poisoning.

GABA-A receptor agonists GABA is another inhibitory neurotransmitter, similar to glycine. A class of drugs called benzodiazepines already exists. These drugs are GABA-A receptor agonists, and might be expected to work on tinnitus by activating the inhibitory limb of the neural network. Some researchers have reported moderate success in treating tinnitus with GABA agonists such as baclofen, clonazepam, and diazepam. However, these drugs are also tranquilizers, and cause undesirable CNS side effects. If the current theory about tinnitus being generated in the brainstem is correct, topical application of these drugs is not likely to work, because the drug would be unable to reach the brainstem. Thus, a systemic drug that is targeted to the brainstem is needed.
There is one report that a high dose of taurine, a partial agonist of glycine and GABA receptors, attenutates tinnitus in rats by decreasing noise in the auditory pathway [38].

Midazolam One report out of Germany reported partial protection by midazolam, another benzodiazepine with GABA(A) modulating properties that is used as a sedative and anticonvulsant. Midazolam was given to rats experiencing salicylate-induced tinnitus [39], which is a commonly used experimental model for tinnitus. Benzodiazepines can cause anterograde amnesia and long-lasting memory problems.

Anticonvulsants Because of the parallels between tinnitus and epilepsy (both of which result from overexcitation of neurons), low doses of anticonvulsants such as gabapentin and carbamazepine have been tried, but with little success so far. Although gabapentin acts on the GABA pathway, it is not a direct GABA agonist; it is believed to work by activating glutamic acid decarboxylase, the enzyme that converts glutamate to GABA. It therefore acts by causing the cell to produce more of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA.

Acamprosate Acamprosate, a drug used to treat alcoholism, acts as a glutamate antagonist and GABA agonist. It acts by increasing the number of GABA reuptake sites and increasing GABA transmission. One Brazilian group reported a modest but statistically significant benefit using acamprosate to treat tinnitus.

NMDA antagonists A class of drugs known as NMDA receptor antagonists has been shown to block salicylate-induced tinnitus in animals. These drugs interfere with the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate. However, salicylate may produce tinnitus by a different mechanism than normal tinnitus, so NMDA antagonists may not be effective in patients. Since glutamate is the predominant neurotransmitter in the brain, these drugs would also act as general tranquilizers or anesthetics. Also, some NMDA antagonists are potent neurotoxins. NMDA antagonists such as caroverine have had moderate success, but unfortunately this class of drugs has very significant side effects, such as psychosis. The anti-Alzheimer drug memantine, and neramexane, which are both NMDA receptor antagonists, are currently being tested.

Neuromuscular-blocking drugs The only neuromuscular blocking drug currently used for tinnitus is botulinum toxin, which has been used to paralyze specific muscles. Other drugs, such as dantrolene, a muscle relaxant used to treat muscle spasticity, and drugs similar to tubocurarine, a powerful quaternary ammonium muscle relaxant, have not been tested. Some antihistamines, such as orphenadrine, which is used to treat muscle spasms, might also be useful. However, there are few reports of these drugs being tested. Injection of botulinum toxin into a muscle will paralyze it for 4-6 months; therefore, injecting it into one of the large muscles needed for chewing or supporting the head would be a very bad idea.

Antidepressants Tricyclic antidepressants such as nortriptyline and serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as paroxetine and sertraline have been reported to reduce tinnitus. These drugs may work because of similarities between tinnitus and neuropathic pain. However, clinical studies have shown conflicting results, with tinnitus sometimes being reduced in depressed patients but not non-depressed patients.

Hyperbaric oxygen The outer hair cells in the organ of Corti facilitate the sensory response of the inner hair cells. The inner hair cells, which are connected to nerve fibers, are the primary sensors for sound. Inner and outer hair cells have no direct blood supply. When a loud sound is heard, they become very active and can deplete their limited supplies of oxygen and their energy molecule, ATP. Thus, it has been hypothesized that hyperbaric oxygen could be beneficial in cases of noise-induced hearing loss and acoustic trauma if it is administered soon enough. However, so far the research has been inconclusive. Beneficial results are sometimes seen if it is administered within the first few months [44]. A similar theory has been proposed for magnesium (see below). If these theories are correct, they would predict that oxygen and magnesium would be most effective within a few hours of a noise trauma, and become much less effective as time goes on.
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Alternative medicine treatments, including ginkgo biloba, zinc, magnesium, and magnets, in general are believed by the medical establishment to have little benefit, but saying even this is controversial, because little solid research has been done on many of these treatments. However, there is no doubt that good general nutrition is important for recovery from any type of injury, including injury that produces tinnitus.

Magnesium is a very promising new treatment for noise-induced hearing loss [13, 14], which often causes tinnitus, but in such cases therapy must start within a few hours of the noise trauma to be effective.

Ginkgo biloba is supposed to act as a vasodilator, and may improve blood circulation in regions near the cochlea that have been stressed by noise trauma, but so far there has been more enthusiasm than rigorous science in the field.

Dihuang 地黄 (Rehmannia glutinosa) is a Chinese herb traditionally used for tinnitus and to protect against noise-induced hearing loss. Some evidence suggests it may induce GDNF (glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor) or act as an antioxidant. It has not been rigorously tested.

Vinpocetine (Cavinton) Vinpocetine is an anti-inflammatory agent that inhibits the enzyme IKK. A recent report suggests it may be useful in treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. One Polish group in 1997 [29] reported improvement in hearing and tinnitus caused by acoustic trauma if given within the first week, when inflammation was presumably at a maximum. However, there have been no reports since then. There are anecdotal reports that it may also act as a vasodilator.

Zinc There is wide variability in the reported results with zinc. Some studies on the benefits of zinc have been hampered by researchers giving metallic elemental zinc instead of the active form, which is Zn2+. There is also wide variation in epidemiological results on the prevalence of zinc deficiency, with estimates ranging from 2 to 69% of the population. As we scientists say, more research is needed.

Acupuncture has produced dramatic success in cases of somatic tinnitus that were not accompanied by hearing loss [11]. Other researchers have had less positive results. Because many Westerners seriously underestimate the complexity of acupuncture and the amount of skill necessary to make it work, it is necessary to find an acupuncturist experienced in tinnitus treatment.

Magnets appear to be useless, but magnets should not be confused with transcranial magnetic stimulation, which is an accepted technique for inducing electrical currents in the brain noninvasively. Electrical stimulation of the scalp and auricle has produced beneficial results in a few people.
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From those I've only tried Zinc, Magnesium and Ginkgo biloba. No noticeable effect, for the better or worse.

Last year there was news of the possibility of Pycnogenol improving tinnitus, a preliminary evaluation: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20657537

CONCLUSION: These results suggest that in selected patients with tinnitus and altered perfusion, Pycnogenol is effective in a short period of time in relieving tinnitus symptoms by improving cochlear blood flow. The effect is more pronounced with higher Pycnogenol dosage. More studies should be planned to better evaluate the pathology and potential applications of Pycnogenol in a larger number of patients who are currently without a real therapeutic solution.
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Other drugs are being evaluated in clinical trials, like Neramexane and AM-101.

Some have found help from Xanax (but so addictive and tolerance builds up quickly)...

Sometimes Clonazepam is tried for tinnitus, I've heard...
Clonazepam in the pharmacological treatment of vertigo and tinnitus.

Tinnitus was improved in 32.0% of the tinnitus patients. Light or mild drowsiness, depression, nightmares, or lowering of libido, reported by 16.9% of the patients as adverse side effects, tended to subside with continued therapy. We concluded that clonazepam is a very useful and safe drug for the symptomatic treatment of patients suffering from cochleovestibular disorders.
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I'm not a doctor or a scientist though so consider these just as collected information from the internet.

Welcome again, hope you find TT of use

stickywicket · May 13, 2013

Markku said: ↑

Welcome on board!

Some have found help from Xanax (but so addictive and tolerance builds up quickly)...

Sometimes Clonazepam is tried for tinnitus, I've heard...
Clonazepam in the pharmacological treatment of vertigo and tinnitus.

Antidepressants Tricyclic antidepressants such as nortriptyline and serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as paroxetine and sertraline have been reported to reduce tinnitus. These drugs may work because of similarities between tinnitus and neuropathic pain. However, clinical studies have shown conflicting results, with tinnitus sometimes being reduced in depressed patients but not non-depressed patients.

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I just returned home from the office of a neurologist who told me that anti-depressants help tinnitus. BUT, rather than discuss neuro-pathways etc., he implied that the ringing was a symptom of my depression. I told him that I have had a bit of anxiety and depression in the past, and I am 99% sure that I do not have it now. He still offered to write me a prescription for Zoloft, which I declined.

jazz · Jun 9, 2013

Hi!

Antidepressants help some people; in others, the drugs do nothing but may help their mood--which indirectly helps with tinnitus annoyance.

A few people report a worsening of their tinnitus with antidepressant treatments. Zoloft is an SSRI, a group of antidepressants that increases tinnitus in some people, but not in others. (Zoloft, I believe, is preferred to other SSRI's, like Prozac. But there are always exceptions.) The tricyclics are reported to help more tinnitus sufferers with their volume and annoyance. But the tricyclics have some nasty side effects--of course, most antidepressants cause adverse events. It's a matter of trade offs.

Of the tricyclics, I believe nortriptyline and amitryptyline are popular--the former is a newer tricyclic. I've never taken any antidepressants, but I know some people do think they help. And they help many people with sleep difficulties.

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Does any chemical help tinnitus?

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Why Did My Tinnitus Start Out of the Blue? And Why Does It Change Multiple Times Throughout the Day?

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How Much Does (Lack of) Sleep Affect Tinnitus?

Does Anybody Else Have Hyperacusis That "Flips" from Ear to Ear?

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Jamfer Guest

Markku Founder Staff Podcast Patron Benefactor Hall of Fame Advocate

stickywicket Member

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Share This Page

Does Anyone Else Hate Scent-Chemicals?

Why Did My Tinnitus Start Out of the Blue? And Why Does It Change Multiple Times Throughout the Day?

Does Anyone Else Get a Tinnitus Spike When They Yawn?

How Much Does (Lack of) Sleep Affect Tinnitus?

Does Anybody Else Have Hyperacusis That "Flips" from Ear to Ear?