Psilocybin Stopped the Ringing in My Ears

This is copied from an article of mine. I own it, I wrote it, it is MY story.

Neurological Issues Caused My Tinnitus
This is a personal story. Dosing with Psilocybin for tinnitus worked wonders for me. The ringing in my ear was related to my headache condition, hemicrania continua. This type of headache is continuous and causes swelling and tearing in the eye on one side of the head. In my case, it also caused a clogged feeling and loud ringing in one ear. It made balance a bit difficult, and I had trouble with spatial awareness.

Tinnitus is caused by malfunctioning or damaged auditory nerves. The ringing was irritating, but it did not even top of my list of problems. My head pain was my number one priority. It was just a lucky bonus that the tinnitus also cleared up when I started taking Psilocybin for the headache.

Psilocybin Made The Ringing Louder - Then Silence
During my first couple of doses, the ringing became very loud. I imagine that this would probably distress someone looking to rid themselves of sound and would probably provoke a lot of anxiety. But for me, I was simply happy to have a few hours without the head pain. That sound became quite loud, melodic, and changed in tone and pitch. It started to harmonize with whatever music I chose for the session. It would get extremely overwhelming, like a roaring waterfall, and then turn soothing like those meditation music bowls. I focused on that sound almost like it was a meditation aid.

And then, just like that, it was gone after several sessions. I can only hear it now when I put on a pair of exceptionally good noise canceling headphones and try to concentrate to recall it. I use it as one of my favorite meditation cues now. But I cannot keep the sound going without absolute concentration, it falls below my perception as soon as I lose concentration.

I cannot tell you exactly what happened here. How Psilocybin helps with headaches and nerve pain is still not well understood by the medical community. I still have a strange sensation on the affected side of my head, it feels different, just not painful. It is not a permanent “cure” since I still have to take maintenance doses every few weeks to keep the pain away. My head pain creeps back if I go too long in between doses, but the tinnitus has not been so quick to return. I imagine it would if I let the situation get bad.

Researchers Don’t Bother With Microdosing Trials
Researchers have chosen not to use microdosing in any of clinical trials involving Psilocybin for headache or other medical issues. It is probably because the amounts used in microdosing do not affect the receptors enough to achieve significant changes. I can say with confidence that microdosing does not work for my headache, and it does not work for most people I know with headache conditions. Is this an indicator for how effective it would be for tinnitus? That is anyone’s guess. I just do not think that microdosing is the best idea here since it just does not have enough of an impact.

Psilocybin For Tinnitus - The Whole Process Was Counterintuitive
This whole process was counterintuitive. I would have never figured this out on my own, and without the positive impact on my head pain I probably would not have stuck with the program long enough to see an impact on the tinnitus. Using Psilocybin for tinnitus is effective, but it is not an easy regimen to follow. I would have never guessed that the sound would have to get louder, turn into something beautiful, and I would have to learn to control it and even love it before it would fade away. The experience of synesthesia produced by the sounds during a psychedelic experience is truly unique.

Auditory hallucination is quite common with psychedelics. It can be a ringing in the ears, clicks, echoes, a roaring sound, whispering, rustling, beeps, even indescribable sounds. Tripping is funky. Sometimes it complements the music you are listening to and sometimes it is like a music all on its own. I practice a type of meditation during my psychedelic sessions where I focus on the sensations and direct them. I found that I can use certain techniques to hear more of the sounds that I like, and to amplify what generates the most pleasant sensations. The louder the auditory hallucinations in my tripping experience got, the more silent my “real life” experience became.

What Really Happened?
What actually happened? Did I develop magical psychedelic powers to control the quantum power of sound? Highly unlikely. My best guess is that the repetitive dosing stimulated some plasticity, and I became desensitized to the sound. Psilocybin does stimulate neuroplasticity, and it is also a strong anti-inflammatory agent. I am happy with my newfound silence and I’m grateful that one solution unwittingly brought me to another.

 

So how much Psilocybin did you take? I see other people here saying it made their tinnitus worse.

 

Thank you for your story.

Hopefully we are able to get some additional data points to understand if this is a one-off occurrence or if it can be repeated by others.

Also, for the sake of transparency, I think you should disclose your affiliation with your retreat right off the bat.

 

@G H, the doses were quite high. 5 grams each, 5 days apart.

@Lukee, I did make it very clear that the text was from an article I wrote for my site.

Most of the stories here about Psilocybin are in line with my experience. It causes other auditory hallucinations and exacerbates tinnitus. But like Ketamine, it is a strong anti-inflammatory agent and it stimulates neuroplasticity.

It is interesting reading about TRT. It is basically a long process of training the threshold of your perception to not include the tinnitus. It’s tough, since you are relying on neuroplasticity, and not everyone “has it in them”.

Have you heard of mirror therapy? It is a type of physical therapy done for phantom limb pain for amputees. The person puts a mirror in between their arms or legs to create an illusion of the missing limb still being there. They flex and stretch the remaining limb look in the mirror to relieve the sensations of itching/cramping/etc in the limb that is no longer there.

Mirror therapy doesn’t work for everyone. Some people only experience relief while staring in that mirror and the pain comes back right after.

But combining mirror therapy with Psilocybin is a game changer. The plasticity caused by the Psilocybin makes the therapy much more effective.

How Albert Lin Treated His Phantom Limb Pain With Psychedelics

Do you see the connection? Psilocybin seems to supercharge any type of therapy that relies on plasticity for results.

Almost all of the people I come into contact with through the retreat are in a similar situation to what I was in. Their priority is making the pain stop. Several have had tinnitus, it is pretty common after concussions and some types of headache conditions. Like me, the tinnitus isn’t even on their radar, it’s barely even a mild annoyance. When you are in extreme pain, it takes most of your bandwidth.

Like I said in the article, the whole process was counterintuitive. I’m sure some people will have results from single doses or microdosing, just like some people get results for their pain that way. But for most people, the pain comes right back after a single dose. I think the whole process would be pretty anxiety inducing for someone focused on tinnitus since it causes similar effects.

The people seeking out the retreat often have some of the most painful conditions a human can have. Tinnitus isn’t their priority. The fact that repeated dosing and meditation clears it up is more like a pleasant side effect.

 

You said you experienced a clogged feeling along with tinnitus. Did that resolve as well?

 

Yes, the "full of water feeling" resolved. That side of my head still feels different from the other in a way that is difficult to explain, but it is not really painful anymore at all.

 

You never had sound distortions, right? Or reactive tinnitus?

 

I thought all tinnitus was reactive? Loud places or certain sounds make it worse. Especially if you transition to complete silence after.

 

Most people's tinnitus is NOT reactive.

@Matchbox has a very specific case, with all the distortions and reactivity.

 

I stand corrected. I assumed that the term just meant reacted to sound in general.

 

Control The Experience.

I suggest you focus on learning cues and techniques for managing the trip. Learn some “rescue” techniques on what to do if you become uncomfortable.

Don’t forget that there are “rescue techniques”. With the use of VR headsets as one of the redirecting tools, the experience is quite pleasant for most. I highly recommend that everyone trying it get a headset for home. It is a great option to have.


The Mechanisms In Play: Reduce Inflammation, Enhance Plasticity

It is important that everyone with tinnitus planning to use psilocybin understand that this is not a medication with the single mechanistic factor of “turning off” tinnitus. There are two mechanisms in play, each of which could potentially resolve the issue alone if given time and repetition. Psilocybin has some powerful anti-inflammatory properties that have been shown to last at least a week after administration in animal studies. The mind-bending effects of a trip stimulate neuroplastic change, which may accelerate habituation.


Neuroinflammation

Neuroinflammation is thought to play a big part in tinnitus. Whether it is caused by external factors like trauma or internal factors like autoimmune, addressing the inflammation could play a big role in recovery. Psilocybin and other psychedelics can reduce neuroinflammation by suppressing TNFa production. They have a big advantage over other TNF blockers because they can work across the blood brain barrier. Some researchers are even convinced that psychedelics are the future of preventing Alzheimer’s and other inflammation related dementias.


Neuroplasticity And Habituation

A psychedelic experience is quite chaotic and destabilizing. While this chaos can make the experience challenging to manage, it is also what can make it so effective. During the experience and in the aftermath, your brain becomes more flexible and capable of change. Neuroplasticity plays a big part in the habituation process and using psychedelics could be compared to using PEDs to speed up this process.


Psilocybin Often Causes Auditory Hallucinations

The effects of a psychedelic trip are a bit unpredictable. Sometimes, the effects are almost all visual while other times the experience is very emotional with physical sensations. Sometimes it includes auditory hallucinations like tinnitus, even for people that usually don’t have it. There could be ringing, thumping, chiming, beeps, or even sounds that I lack the words to describe. It does not depend on the type of mushroom; it just depends on what kind of weird and strange connections your brain will come up with at any given time. I have had vastly different experiences on the same dose and mushroom type, even from the same batch.

The auditory hallucinations can be distressing for someone with tinnitus because this is what they are trying to silence, not enhance. On the other hand, sometimes the trip is completely silent for them.

Anyone taking psilocybin while struggling with tinnitus should be prepared for this. You should also know that in the week following a strong psychedelic experience, the effects have not completely faded. Though you may not feel like you are under the influence, it is easier to slip into a meditative trance during this time. If you close your eyes and do some rhythmic breathing, you can often even summon a light show to your field of vision. This effect could include changed or heightened tinnitus and it is important to not get anxious about it. It does fade away.


My Technique: Control The Tone

I recommend that you focus on the sound of auditory hallucinations during the trip and let it become your meditation cue. Try to use it like many meditators use Tibetan singing bowls to aid in their meditation. Let it resonate and concentrate your attention on it. You may find that it will change in tone and texture, and that you can alter its nature with just the power of your attention. In my case, after kneading the sound repeatedly like putty by focusing my attention, it eventually faded away at any point my attention wavered. You can read more about my experience here.


What If The Trip Is Silent?

It happens. You cannot control the nature of each trip. Unfortunately, if the trip is silent, there is nothing available to work on directly. You will still benefit from the experience, but not as much as if you had the opportunity to take an active role in the process. There is something empowering about taking your agency back and seizing control of something that has caused you so much difficulty. Some trips will be silent, some will be visual, some will have bodily sensations, and some will be more emotional. If your tinnitus did not show up to be massaged into oblivion this time, then just try again.


Additional Therapies

I encourage you to take advantage of the “afterglow” period after the session to engage in whatever therapy you find most beneficial. Tuning forks, white noise, etc. Any of these therapies may work better for you while you are in this flexible mental state.

 

Nope. If loud environments mask your tinnitus, you do not have reactive tinnitus.

I'm unsure if Psilocybin would help me out but it could be worth a shot.

Something is helping make it quieter and I'm trying to pinpoint what. It could be the shot of cortisol I had helping, brought on naturally by the epic wildfire I had to escape yesterday.

 

Reactive tinnitus often can still be masked if the environment is loud enough. But as soon as you go somewhere quieter the tinnitus will be very loud for some time.

Another question: Where do I get these mushrooms? I think here in Germany they are illegal, but truffles are legal. Do I get the same from truffles or should I grow my own mushrooms?

Thanks a lot!

 

Truffles are very weak in comparison to mushrooms, so you would have to eat a lot more each time to get the same effect. Per gram, mushrooms contain roughly 10 times more Psilocybin than truffles.

It will be cheaper to grow it for yourself in these quantities.

I wouldn’t start the process until you are prepared to do at least 3-4 sessions in short succession. 4 to 5 days apart. Otherwise, you might be just exacerbating the sound without making significant progress.

 

Maybe you’re healing.

 

@Lukee, have you read @JK888's article? Can you point me towards it?

 

Would you consider this a distortion or reactive tinnitus:

In one ear, when I go above 75 dB at a certain harsh 2 kHz frequency, there’s an additional squeak on top of the sound. This only happens as the ear peaks out at that frequency. My normal at is insanely quieter compared to the squeak.

Sometimes I can be in louder environments i.e. 90 dB and it doesn’t happen if the harsh frequencies aren’t there.

It almost sounds like the middle ear bones vibrating or rattling (resonating at that frequency).

 

I just googled the first paragraph from the text and it was the first result.

 

@JFred - got it. Thank you. What do you make of it?

 

All of @JK888's 6th message here is also copy-pasted. Hmmmm...

 

Do you think you'd get the same results with synthetic Psilocybin (4-ACO-DMT)?

 

What's your point?

 

A little manufactured. A link would have been easier. Reading on here, I did not realise these were copy-paste messages. I'm not massively convinced.

 

The more I learn about tinnitus, the more it feels like a Breaking Bad episode. All of a sudden I’m buying benzo drugs from Mother Russia while looking for a psychedelics microdosing regimen. This is really such a scary place Susan, please come through. Or LDN, at least.

 

It's weird, isn't it? Trial and error, and risk/reward - but like playing Russian Roulette. We are either patient or we jump in and try something. I have never done hard drugs. I barely smoked weed. But if I thought that taking psychedelics like MDMA or LSD or mushrooms would have a good chance of getting rid of the tinnitus, I would be very open to trying them.

At some point, you just want a better quality of life.

 

I see. Well, after having looked at the site and with my extensive knowledge about the subject, not many alarm bells go off. Still, since his cause of tinnitus is very rare I don't think it's a good idea to recommend mushrooms to people with tinnitus.

I'd have to try his technique to really know, but I don't think it's possible to cure tinnitus with mushrooms in 99% of cases. I do however think they have the potential to both cause and worsen tinnitus.

That said, I believe these compounds are extremely beneficial and transformative for most people. On a personal note they cured my alcoholism and depression among other things. One of my biggest sources of sadness in life is that I feel deprived of them since I wouldn't dare to use them with tinnitus.

I also have strong reason to believe they contributed to the development of my tinnitus in the first place. They could be the sole cause in fact, along with some bad luck.

 

Absolutely @Uklawyer, you are a braver soul than I, I had a stroke taking that Clonazepam lol.

Are you seriously considering MDMA or LSD at this point?

 

@IntotheBlue03, I am not considering it, no. There seems to be evidence that this stuff can help with rewiring, but there is nothing much specifically on tinnitus. Had I tried this before, I would probably have done it again to measure the effect, like some others on here, but I am not in that boat. I don't think I could be the guinea pig for MDMA or LSD at this point in time - plus, I am taking ADs and a bit of Valium.

I'll probably wait for the results of Susan Shore's device, with, if necessary, some playing with my medication. I am, however, trying to follow someone who has ME and is looking at Psilocybin. She tried truffles (Dutch I think) in a microdose, and nothing happened.

 

I am sure they do have many benefits.The annoying thing with tinnitus is that, for some reason, it does not seem to respond like other neurological issues, and it seems like whatever can help you can harm you just as much.

Why do you think they caused or contributed to your tinnitus @HeavyMantra? Did you try other psychedelics?

 

It's a bit of a long story. I had very mild tinnitus at first, it either went away or was so silent I forgot about it. During a very strong mushroom experience I was meditating towards the end of it and noticed my tinnitus again. It went very fast from there: it ramped up in volume during the following weeks and months and has gradually gotten worse ever since then. I suspect it might have been this meditation session that awoke the beast, because:

Leading scientist in the field have proposed that the act of paying attention to tinnitus (which everyone has to some extent in a very quiet environment) reinforces pathways in the brain that makes it both louder and permanent. Once the brain has "learned" to hear tinnitus, it cannot "unhear" it.

I suspect this is why some people report persistent tinnitus after psychedelic use: it could be the deciding factor between a person who exposes themselves to a lot of noise and doesn't get tinnitus, and a person who does get it with a similar history of noise exposure. For others the deciding factor could perhaps be stress, or other things.

I'm trying to keep this brief but my main point is that I think the increased neuroplasticity from psychedelics can have both good and bad outcomes. I doubt the mushrooms caused tinnitus on their own, but I think they may have been responsible for amplifying my very mild tinnitus probably caused by hidden hearing loss/synaptopathy I may have built up during years of listening to music through headphones.

Another reason I suspect them is because I got visual snow from psychedelics, and there is a link between that and tinnitus. The visual snow came years before the tinnitus though.

No, I have not tried any other psychedelics and unfortunately, probably never will. I used mushrooms many times after my initial tinnitus debut, and they didn't make it worse immediately afterwards from what I could tell.