New Tinnitus Sufferer? Please Help!

Hi I need some help regarding possible tinnitus. Last January a very loud firework exploded just 4 feets away from me, causing a total reboot to my system (bright light and a total hearing loss for few seconds) and my whole body flew 30 feets away. When I went to bed I heared a buzz in my left ear, at first I thought it would go away the next day, but now it has been with me 24/7. I only hear the buzz in quite places, like in my workspace and at night. But the weirdest thing is that I can make the noise almost go away by putting pressure with my finger in my ear at a particular area, but without covering my ear hole completely, if I do cover my ear hole completely I hear the buzz loudly. I had a hearing test after the accident and so far I have not had any hearing loss. I also had them checked out visually by the doctor and they looked fine. The doctor gave me Betaserc to help me getting rid of the buz, but still without any progress. Does this description sound familiar to anyone? If so have you had any luck getting rid of this buzz?

 

Hi Sonnie, Are you from Canada or UK ? I have not had any luck totally getting rid of buzz, but some drugs help.

I tried Betaserc, or Serc, or Betahistine,, but I found it gave me upset stomach ,so I quit. One of my many trials on T.
In the US, the FDA has not approved Betahistine. I had to get it compounded or get it from Canada.

 

Hi, I'm from Iceland and I don't know if Betahistine is allowed here or not.
I'm also very curious to know if someone else can put pressure with their finger on the ear without blocking the hole and get some buzz relief? That calmed my nerves down after I realized that this could be a permanent tinnitus.
I have never had any change of these buzz unless by putting pressure with my finger on the ear and while gasping, then the sound goes wild

 

Hello Sonnie,

I have tried putting pressure on many places around my ear and jaw and none of it had any effect on my T.

Regarding betahistine however, you need to know that it takes about 2-3 weeks to work and the recommended length of this therapy is 3 months. Truth be told I've been using it for over 4 months now and I keep going, I am afraid my T may go back to the old (loud) level once I stop taking it. Betahistine has been extensively tested in my country and it shows a perhaps unremarkable 34% effectiveness rate on alleviating tinnitus symptoms. It has a good safety profile with no lasting side effects.

 

Fish - has Bethistine worked for you to reduce the noise? Your T isnt noise-induced is it?

 

Hi Fish, Do you get upset stomach at all on betahistine ? I did not give it a long enough trial, I know that. I read that it is prescribed a lot in the UK. The FDA in the US isn't convinced it does anything vs a placebo thats why they dropped it over here.

 

Problem is I cannot say what helped me. My T has permanently gone down in volume to a much more acceptable level, but it was either one of the three therapies - AM101 treatment, betahistine or massages and physical exercise (I have a related spine problem). I do not know for 100% what was the cause of my tinnitus either.

I will always urge every tinnitus sufferer to give betahistine a try. As far as I know it is the only drug that has been shown to have SOME effectiveness. I have posted this before I believe, only an abstract and test results are in english: LINK 34% tinnitus reduction, 22% total elimination of tinnitus. Not much I guess but better than nothing.

I am lucky to have had no side effects so far!

 

Thanks Fish. Its great that something worked for you. What's the electrical stimulation of the cochlear? Where would you get that?

 

I didn't mention it to avoid further confusion, I do not want to hijack Sonnie's thread. I am sorry!

It is an experimental treatment worked on by a team of tinnitus researchers from hospital in my city. The procedure however is a bit scary and can make T worse in some cases so I've decided not to do it for now. Here is more information about it: https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/electical-stimulation-of-the-ear-and-cervical-spine-kinesitherapy.497

 

I'll just create a new one

 

Louise - didn't your GP offer you betahistamine when you first went with T? I thought it was the norm in the UK as a couple of people I've spoken to also had it at their first visit and I was given it as well. I took a few but I stopped pretty quickly because it completely took away my appetite and I wasn't sure if it was the betahistine causing 'foggy head' etc. In retrospect it was probably the anxiety! I do know that it's prescribed a lot in the UK and some people are given it to help them lose weight. Apparently it does increase blood flow to the ears so if T is caused by iffy arteries or something similar it does help.

 

No Click my GP didnt offer this drug. They wont prescribe anything 'off-label' there anyway. Dont you have to take this for about 3 weeks before knowing if itll help or not? I think I read that somewhere.

 

Yes, I think you're right. I didn't get past 4 days so it was no help to me. My GP told me that people take it 'long term'. I'm just surprised that it varies so much - what the GP does in the first instance.

 

I know, its a lottery on knowledge as well. So your GP said people take it for T long term and get benefit? Might be worth a try then I guess.

 

No - she just said people take it long term... not sure about them getting benefit! She may well have been talking about the weight loss aspect. I think she also said that it was something that was prescribed in the main for menieres disease - helped with the vertigo. She really was rubbish - I was searching for something, anything, that would explain why I'd got it and she said 'some people just do' - I wonder if she even knew about TMJ and loud music etc as causes for T - she didn't really say very much at all. To be fair though, I was in a right state so perhaps my memory of the whole thing is impaired

Although... I do distinctly remember that the first GP said that she could see that my ears had catarrh, the second GP said absolutely no catarrh but I had an ear infection and the third GP said no ear infection (and denied that the previous GP had thought it because he hadn't written it down) & no catarrh. These visits were all within days of each other. Talk about leaving the patient confused!

 

Its so disheartening isnt it? And then they wonder why we do our own research, take our health into our own hands.

I went for my hearing aids re-doing and we nearly came to blows when I asked a few questions and instead of giving me the answer she kept telling me I didnt need to know. They are my ears arent they? And arent we supposed to be working TOGETHER to make ME better? I have a good mind to write a complaint letter about her attitude. Its funny how if you're paying for a service you get treated a lot better and with some respect instead of like a low-life freeloader who should be grateful for any crumb thrown in their direction. I really could have bashed her in her seat.

 

PS. Did you see that other post where it mentioned one of the causes of T can be 'moving to a quieter environment'?

I've also just made a post of a long document that goes into why some peoples T comes and goes. There's a switch! Its a tough read but worth it I think.

 

I have used betahistina , and have a little experience , will work ok when circulatory problems are in the innear ear , but it has to be taken , at least 3 or 4 months and high doses , at least 24mg tid . It is known to be a good "constructor" for the inner ear problems , but imagine your ear are on fire now , because of the inflamation , so betametasone , to calm down like 2-3 weeks , then betahistine to construct . Some Otoneurolgist think betahistina at the begining is worst depending on each case . but almost all prescribe then after the acute event .

 

by the way ,betahistine is very , very secure . can take large doses no problem , but has to take minimum 24mg three times a days and like 4 months , this is better medicine for menieres desease . im my opinion infection or trauma must use steroids first . just my opinion .
We have betahistine here in Chile , its called microser . But cost like usd 50 for 15 days of treatment because of course one has to take tid .