How to Reduce Your Tinnitus

Hi gang,
I'm back! I still have tinnitus but in the last week it's gone down so I am so happy that I could jump up and down all day. I can sit in a silent room again, ALMOST! It's still there but only in complete silence. Here are some of the things I've been trialing for about the last 3 months:
Unfortunately I have been a bad scientist and introduced thousands of different variables all at the same time but maybe you can pick and choose and see what helps you, so:
Neuromonics Music Therapy (2 months in)
Arches Tinnitus Formula
GABA 500mg (pointless because it doesnt pass into the brain so i wouldnt worry about this one)
L-Theanine 200mg
Fish Oil (2 tabs 3 times daily)
Zinc (in liquid form equal to 15mg elemental zinc)
Ceased calcium supplements and stopped all dietary intake of calcium
Taurine 4000mg
L-Tyrosine 1000mg
Stopped talking about tinnitus
Tried to stop monitoring it
Not be overly protective of ears
Souvenaid drink (intended for Alzheimers, only just started this)

Yep, that's about it. All the things I'm taken have at least been mentioned in connection with tinnitus but there have not been any further studies (perhaps due to lack of funding or even credibility).
I wish you all the best of luck. These last 8 months for me have been an absolute nightmare and I really do hope that you can can one day find some peace again. Love, Nina

 

I'm very happy for you. I saw some of your other posts where you were struggling. It will be great for people who are currently in a tough situation to see this congrats!

 

Re: GABA, use Picamilon instead: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picamilon

It's GABA with Niacin so it crosses blood brain barrier. GABA by itself doesn't do this as far as I understand so it's ineffective. Been using Picamilon for a month and I like it.

This is a local bulk supplier: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Picamilo...94?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item417c0de86e

 

Hi yonkapin,

Have you experienced any reduction in you tinnitus since taking picamilan?

 

The GABA I take has 2mg B6 in it. Is this is the same thing? If so how much do you take?

 

Nope, Niacin is B3. Niacin is what allows the GABA to cross the BBB. Typical dose for Picamilon is 50-150mg, 2-3 times per day according to the brand I linked, there's more information on dosing on google/reddit but I haven't looked into it too much yet. I've just stuck to 150mg once a day for myself.

 

Not sure, have only started taking it recently. I take a whole bunch of supplements and vitamins so it would be hard to pinpoint any changes to one thing. I don't expect anything significant though, I'm taking it more for overall anxiety and stress.

Edit: Actually, since adding Niacin/NAC/L-Theanine/Picamilon to my little vitamin/supplement regimen, my hyperacusis/pain in my left ear has become significantly less bothersome. Whether or not it's because of that though, I'd really have no idea.

 

Im so happy to hear that you are doing better!!

 

So glad for you Hun!
If you get a chance can you send me a orivate message with the brands you take?

 

Cool, just ordered it from Ebay. Are you sure it crosses the BBB because I read that nutritional GABA molecules are too large to permeate into the brain so how would B3 help that?

 

Yes Neenie! That's great your tinnitus has gone down! Keep doing what your doing, so pleased for you!

 

I would have no idea about the science behind it to be honest, I just go by the stuff I read on forums and reddit, haha. However, phenibut (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenibut) is a very similar GABAergic nootropic that also readily crosses the BBB though. I've also tried it and it's surprising a very effective anxiolytic and sedative (for something legal), only problem is that tolerance and withdrawal symptoms develop within days of it's use, so it's a no go.

 

Great news Neenie, hope your school is well at taking your mind off and healing too
As for supplements, when it states 'recommended daily dose', does anyone know exactly who it's recommended for?

 

I've never tried taurine but it sounds good.

 

Hi Neenie,
I am glad for you! I remember one of your posts where I felt so sorry for you.
This looks good! And with your knowledge because of your study etc. please keep updating us of your findings!

All best
Rob

 

Hi, well done you!
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being loud, what was it before and what is it now?

 

picamilon was bad for me....tried it for 60 days with no effect the side effects are brutal tho....seemed like my friggen head was going to explode!!!!!! bad bad bad

 

I am so happy for you. I know you suffered terribly and to return with this
good news is inspiring for those of us still suffering. Do you have any sleep issues currently??

 

Congrats Neenie!

 

Just sitting in a quiet room listening to it at the moment when I realise, actually, it hasnt gone down at all. Its exactly the same as before. What's changed? I dont know. My reaction? I'm still super annoyed that I can even hear it at all, and long for the days that I had silence and was stupid enough not to enjoy it. But I'm sick of tired of thinking that I want to kill myself because I have a ringing in my ear. I'm tired of thinking im "sick" because the ringing in my ear wont let me cope with life. I'm tired of listening to it all day. (I still listen to it all day except for when I wear my Neuromonics). But I think the time is fast approaching where I decide I'm not going to listen to it all day long. I sleep ok. I play rain sounds very loudly in my room. I've never seen the point in not masking it out while you try to sleep. At least give yourself that! Still on sleep medications but I've been on them for years and with them get around 9 solid hours each night. Audiology is the most boring thing I've ever studied in my life. If I see the word "hearing aid" one more time I'm going to scream! haha, sigh

 

Read your first post where you said:
Hi gang,
I'm back! I still have tinnitus but in the last week it's gone down so I am so happy that I could jump up and down all day. I can sit in a silent room again, ALMOST! It's still there but only in complete silence.

It's obvious that it's all your reaction, your emotions, it's not the volume/intensity of your tinnitus because you need to be in complete silence to actually hear your tinnitus. The Heller and Bergman experiment showed that everybody hears tinnitus like noises in silence so the cure for you is obvious. Stop the negative thoughts, stop obsessing about it and if you can't do either seek out a psychologist who knows something about cognitive distortions. I would also stay away from this forum or any other tinnitus forum because you don't need them and I'm not saying that to be unkind I'm saying that because it's the truth and being here is counterproductive. Hope my honesty isn't taken the wrong way.

 

It seems then that the supplements etc are prob just a placebo as if the volumes not changed then they have made no difference. It does however sound like you've naturally habituated ( got used to it) over time and therefore it's not perceived as threatening as before. Well done though!

 

I think you can drop all of the thing you ingest, and stick with Neuromonics, (Sound Therapy) ... I did it, and my reaction change, since we don't hear a sound, I don't believe to say the volume dropped is accurate, but to say my reaction to the sound has changed is a better descriptor..... IMO

 

So does this mean that Neuromonics actually doesn't work? I thought Neuromonics was supposed to actually lower the volume of the tinnitus... is that not true? If all Neuromonics does is change your reaction to it, or just makes it so that you don't think about it, then how is it different from TRT/habituation?

I feel for you; even though I think I am habituated for the most part, I would still rather not be habituated, but instead cured.

 

thanks, this is exactly what I needed to hear. I'll check in on you guys later again but for now, goodbye and goodluck!

 

MattK wrote:
So does this mean that Neuromonics actually doesn't work? I thought Neuromonics was supposed to actually lower the volume of the tinnitus... is that not true? If all Neuromonics does is change your reaction to it, or just makes it so that you don't think about it, then how is it different from TRT/habituation?

Neuromonics facilitates habituation at best it does nothing to lower the volume of tinnitus. Ditto with TRT or any other therapy that I can think of unless there is a somatic or physiological component that is causing your tinnitus. I would never spend 5k on a treatment that doesn't lower the volume unless I was so desperate which at one point I was but I was wary of any claims of a reduction in symptoms because it was either false, misleading or based on a few anecdotal reports. Lets also not forget Neuromonics is a business and profits is what they are interested in.

 

There is no volume in Tinnitus.... just perception, and I agree Neuromonics is a business, but so are all the hospitals I have even been to, I really don't think anyone is willing to spend any of there hard earned money finding a treatment they don't need when you won't spend any money on the treatment..? Besides how would you know if Neuromonics doesn't lower the volume of Tinnitus if you never tried it...?

 

Piper the great wrote:
There is no volume in Tinnitus.... just perception,

Tinnitus does have volume and it's real it isn't just perception.

Besides how would you know if Neuromonics doesn't lower the volume of Tinnitus if you never tried it...?

I've never heard anybody who used Neuromonics say it lowered the volume and I don't believe I read on the Neuromonics website that it does lower the volume. What it and TRT might facilitate is a faster road to habituation.

 

I agree it is suppose to help you habituate which may cause your perception of how loud your t is to decrease. I would be very leery of anything that claims to decrease the actual volume of t.

 

I can see how reducing the volume of one’s tinnitus would be a goal.

Another goal would be to spend no time figuring out how to reduce the volume, but to use that time to reduce its importance so that no matter how loud it is tinnitus has no or very little impact on us. That is a very realistic and doable goal.

Neenie, I’m glad you wrote what you did a little later in the thread because for most folks with tinnitus, its volume remains about the same but its impact diminishes. I think this is what you may be describing about your experience. I am glad to read that you can imagine a time when you will no longer listen to tinnitus all day long, because if you can imagine it you are on the way to doing just that.

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