My Experience with Oral Minoxidil for Tinnitus Management

Hi all,

It's been around three years since I last posted here, but I wanted to share something that might be helping me with my tinnitus.

To give you a quick overview of my journey without diving into too much detail: my tinnitus began in late 2018 from a hangover. It progressively worsened from a mild hiss to intense high-frequency complex noises alternating between ears. In early 2020, I experienced an extremely painful spike that left me afraid to leave my room. This pattern continued for four years, with occasional 2-4 day breaks where the tinnitus would reduce to a quiet hiss. Despite having hearing tests, no hearing loss was detected, as most people here have experienced. This severely impacted my ability to work, socialize, and be productive in any way.

A few months ago, I had an epiphany that perhaps a medication affecting my blood vessels might reduce my spikes. I discovered that Minoxidil is a potassium channel opener. Through telemedicine in the USA, I managed to get an oral Minoxidil prescription and have been taking it for nearly three months now.

I wanted to wait before sharing any potential benefits, but I can now say that it has significantly reduced the intensity of my spikes by around 50% or more. While the frequency of the spikes remains the same, the painful aspect has decreased considerably, allowing me to function normally even on those days. This has been a significant win for me, providing some relief as I wait for the Susan Shore device to become available.

However, PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THIS AS MEDICAL ADVICE. DO NOT TAKE ORAL MINOXIDIL. I am not a doctor, and I took this medication off-label. Oral Minoxidil can have heart-related side effects and may not be safe for everyone. Additionally, there is a concern that Minoxidil might worsen tinnitus for some people. My experience is personal and may not apply to everyone. Despite my hesitation in posting this, I felt it would be a disservice to the tinnitus community not to share my experience.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

Cheers.