Finding Relief: My Journey with Tinnitus, Hearing Aids, and Zinc

[mingo1223]

My tinnitus started in December 2024 after I took Ambien for a few weeks. Insomnia has always been a problem for me. An ENT I trust said the Ambien may have "unmasked" the tinnitus. I stopped taking it, but the tinnitus continues. It is a high-pitched, nonstop ringing, and I would not wish it on my worst enemy.

An audiogram showed high frequency hearing loss, although I do not notice it in my daily life. I live in Los Angeles and work at a hospital, so I have seen every specialist available and tried everything without success.

A couple of weeks ago, I finally gave in and bought Oticon hearing aids with a tinnitus masker. They were extremely expensive (7,600 dollars), and I am not wealthy. I had to pay with a home equity loan, but they were absolutely worth it. They helped me forget the tinnitus and feel like a normal person again, even though I feel much too young to be wearing hearing aids. I only use the masker function, not the amplification. After a while, you stop noticing the sound, and in any case, the masking sound is much more pleasant.

If you are desperate, these hearing aids are a wonderful option. At night, I wear Soundcore sleep buds and play rain sounds.

That said, I have tried many supplements, but recently I added Zinc. I take 30 milligram pills twice a day, and this has helped tremendously. It has reduced the tinnitus to the point where I sometimes forget about it, even without the hearing aids. That was never the case before. I am still using the hearing aids to help retrain my brain to ignore the sounds.

Anyway, that is my story so far. This is a terrible thing for anyone to go through.

 

[Saba]

I also purchased hearing aids for relief through sound therapy, not for amplification. If this has brought you relief, it is well worth it. Mentally, I felt stronger and had a sense of control. I also take a product called Sound Bites, a supplement that contains Magnesium and vitamins A, C, and E.

Eventually, I stopped using the hearing aids. I am 62 and also rely on Zoloft and Klonopin.

I am happy to hear about your progress. It seems that finding the right approach takes time and patience, often through trial and error. Wishing you all the best on your healing path.

 

[SueX]

I'm in the UK and about to get hearing aids to use as sound generators. I'm not getting my hopes up too much, but if the pulsatile tinnitus could decrease by even 10 or 20 percent, I think that would make a huge difference.

I have had a lot of scans, and while some findings did show up, they were on the opposite side from where I hear the tinnitus. So, I figure that if there's anything I can try in the meantime to help, it's worth exploring. But wow, they are expensive.

Can you wear your hearing aids or sound generators at night? You mentioned using Soundcore sleep buds. Why did you choose those, if you don't mind me asking? I haven't decided what to use at night yet. I was thinking about a pillow speaker, but I'm still new to all of this and eager to learn from others.

 

[Saba]

In the US, most audiologists will allow you to take home demo hearing aids to try out before deciding whether to purchase them.

I purchased Widex hearing aids for about $3,800. I was told they are highly rated for tinnitus relief and considered expensive because they feature some of the best available technology.

I used to wear mine at night when my tinnitus was at its loudest, but I eventually weaned off because I did not want sound therapy playing in my ear around the clock. Instead, I switched to using fans.

 

[mingo1223]

I also purchased hearing aids for relief through sound therapy, not for amplification. If this has brought you relief, it is well worth it. Mentally, I felt stronger and had a sense of control. I also take a product called Sound Bites, a supplement that contains Magnesium and vitamins A, C, and E.

Eventually, I stopped using the hearing aids. I am 62 and also rely on Zoloft and Klonopin.

I am happy to hear about your progress. It seems that finding the right approach takes time and patience, often through trial and error. Wishing you all the best on your healing path.

Thank you for the info! I find magnesium makes me nutso though, I don't know why. I've had good success with the zinc (and a xanax here and there when I'm losing my mind!)

 

[mingo1223]

I'm in the UK and about to get hearing aids to use as sound generators. I'm not getting my hopes up too much, but if the pulsatile tinnitus could decrease by even 10 or 20 percent, I think that would make a huge difference.

I have had a lot of scans, and while some findings did show up, they were on the opposite side from where I hear the tinnitus. So, I figure that if there's anything I can try in the meantime to help, it's worth exploring. But wow, they are expensive.

Can you wear your hearing aids or sound generators at night? You mentioned using Soundcore sleep buds. Why did you choose those, if you don't mind me asking? I haven't decided what to use at night yet. I was thinking about a pillow speaker, but I'm still new to all of this and eager to learn from others.

I really hope they help you, let me know! I've found them to be amazing. Yes, they are so expensive but should help. I found the amplification annoying and unnecessary, so I just use the masking (I had to have her adjust the volume so it was louder, and then I could turn it down as needed). But she did say some people experience T relief with slight amplification alone. It took me about 3 appts to get the masking right. They don't recommend wearing hearing aids at night for various reasons. The soundcore sleepbuds have a lower profile for side sleeps (like me) so supposed to be more comfortable. i don't love them, they still cause a little discomfort, but give good relief. I just bought a headband/eye mask with speaker to try out also (snooze band) for when my ears get sore. I find I really need the noise to go right into my ears to be effective (vs a fan, white noise machine, etc).