Are more Tinnitus Talk members going to attempt this protocol, after watching the Q&A with Dr. Djalilian?
My GP won't prescribe anything that hasn't made it into mainstream medicine, so I'll be talking to Dr. de Koning about it next month.
I saw Dr. Djalilian last week and immediately started following his dietary protocol, which involves eliminating all foods containing tyramine, glutamates, histamines, and caffeine. I took Gabapentin before bed, and the next morning, my tinnitus dropped from around a 9, where it usually is, to a 2. It stayed at that level for two days until I attended an outdoor party with noise levels between 75 and 85 dB. After that, my tinnitus spiked again. I took Gabapentin at night and again the following night, and, to my surprise, it dropped back to a 2 by the next morning, where it has remained for several days.
This improvement occurred before I even began taking his recommended nutraceuticals, such as Magnesium and CoQ10.
As the tinnitus started to increase slightly, I practiced a 30-minute Samatha meditation (a more focused form of mindfulness), and suddenly, I could not hear my tinnitus at all — the first time in a year. It has now remained between 0 and 2 for the past 48 hours.
I am still experimenting, but I believe this short-term success is primarily due to calming the central nervous system. Gabapentin seems to help with that, the anti-migraine diet supports it (as do the recommended vitamins), and meditation is clearly beneficial. Since last week, I have also been extremely cautious about avoiding excessive noise (using earplugs in busy areas, airports, etc.), have steered clear of overly stimulating TV programs, and have practiced meditation frequently.
I did make the mistake of watching the Warriors-Wolves game, which raised my tinnitus from 0 to 3. However, I meditated again afterward, and it returned to a lower level.
Honestly, I did not expect to experience this level of relief so quickly. Time will tell if it is sustainable.