New Here but Not to Tinnitus & Hyperacusis — Did a Ketamine Trial

Hi...I'm new to this chat board, but unfortunately not new to tinnitus and hyperacusis.

I've had tinnitus (E flat ringing) for most of my life but it was vastly exacerbated by antibiotics and morphed into hyperacusis as well, in 2006 when I was treated with Neomycin and then Amphotericin. Talk about a double whammy of ototoxic drugs!!! Unfortunately I was so out of it at the time, (with a deep seated mystery illness no-one could figure out), that I just took the stuff.
Ever since it has limited my life severely, though have tried a lot of things for it of course, and read widely, etc., etc. Had also had pretty severe tinnitus from more noise exposure in the mid 90's so have been abreast of the field - and lack of success, for decades.

Anyway, my doc periodically suggests things (as in a way he was responsible for the problem via that cocktail of meds). The latest idea was to try KETAMINE...first as a nasal spray to see if I got totally weird, then if not, via IV application. (Yes, for you "House M.D." fans, that's what he had to re-boot his 'pain brain' after he was shot).

Research on Ketamine for tinnitus/hyperacusis is very, very thin on the ground. I turned up next to nothing on a Google search, though it is clear that it could have some risks...which was prepared to take at this point. (I have VERY loud tinnitus and it aggravates at very little noise excuse). The Ketamine potential to somewhat re-boot brain pathways was intriguing, as that seems to be where this tinnitus problem lies. However, re-boots could be a re-boot of what exactly and to where???!!!

Only one way to find out...so I went ahead.

So I started with a nasal spray equivalent of 50 mg pure medical IV grade Ketamine. I gathered from the nurse who was doing all the IV stuff that a "knock-out" dose runs more in the 150 to 250 mg range...but you are OUT for sure at that level. However, 50 mg is a no small potatoes dose and indeed it was not!

After a minute of "snorting" the stuff via atomizer nasal sprayer, I got pretty plastered and it's good that I had to be under medical observation for a minimum of two hours in the doctor's office. You do NOT want to go out and drive, or even walk around!

After about an hour an a half I started to 'come back' more and had some slight nausea and a mild headache...but no change in tinnitus or hyperacusis. We concluded that it had been a stronger dose than intended (as I used up all the fluid in the nasal spray - supposedly I was just to take one squirt per nostril) so that if I had no effect from that there would unlikely be any from an IV dose...except it would cost a bunch of $$$. I was driven home (thankfully) and said I would report back in a few days to say if anything had changed. Unfortunately...zip, nothing. All the same on the Western Front = the tinnitus/hearing war zone in my head that is.

Sorry, wish I could give better news as I was really a tad hopeful. If you want to replicate the experience without being in a doctor's office, you could drink about four glasses of Raki (a Greek alcoholic beverage) and you will get the idea. Probably cheaper too!

Sorry, kind of a long post for a first timer, but I was hoping to report a Christmas present of success and hope for anyone who had been intrigued by the "Ketamine idea".

To a "peaceful" Christmas...Best, zimichael

 

When i tried raki with 120db music my T expanded to extreme levels i was sleepy for 13 hours
with raki overdose and the other day i had 0db T no T (checked with earplugs) no H all day
and a strange sedative feeling from hangover and a bit of muffed hearing but very little.
Total brain rewiring but after 2 weeks from hangover from i developed H and HF T.
This maybe was from benzo use the after days and not raki...

Anyway i believe that ketamine will work temporary i don't know i it works permanently probably not
i say that because i have tried propofol (anesthetic) and when is in your blood stops the T and H completely
after that H and T become worse for a while.
So because ketamine has some similar action except it is not sedative for breath and heart i think that will work
but i have no tried.
In CRPS http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complex_regional_pain_syndrome#Ketamine seems to give very good results