Suspecting My Tinnitus Is from Ciprofloxacin

My tinnitus started about 6 months ago. I suspect being on cipro twice this year for prostatitis could have caused this.

Currently have appointments set up with ENT and audiologist but looking hard at the alternative therapies of sound masking and supplements.

If anyone has a recommended protocol for sound masking I would appreciate hearing about it.

 

Welcome to the forum. Sound masking is a good idea if hearing the ringing dead on can cause us too much anxiety. It is also recommended as sound enrichment for TRT. They try to advise users to set the masking sound slightly lower than the tinnitus ringing so the brain can learn to accept the presence of the ringing gradually over time. It is not a good idea to overpower tinnitus too much as loud exposure to masking sound especially using headphones can create its own problem with aggravated tinnitus. Masking is also a good way to help a T sufferer to fall asleep easier and it is best to use an external speaker than headphones for sleep masking. Some people just use their smart phone apps connected to a bluetooth speaker and there are plenty of such tinnitus sounds therapy apps for selection in Google Playstore. Some use pillow speakers to minimize disturbance to the spouse/partner sleeping in the same room. There is no perfect setup. Try it out to find what's best for your body and tinnitus as what works for one doesn't mean the same for others. Good luck with masking. God bless.

 

The advice given above is very good and what is typically advised.

When I first got tinnitus, to find relief, I went on YouTube and searched through quite a few tinnitus sound videos. My T is very hard to mask because it is extremely high pitch and sound sensitive (reactive). I went through about 20 or 30 sound videos before I found a couple that work me.

As it relates to otoxic medications, not many causes permanent tinnitus even though they may have T as a side effect. Usually when you discontinue the medication the tinnitus goes away within a few days, if the medication caused it in the first place.

FYI you’ll probably have better luck at the audiologist as opposed to the ENT, like many of us on this forum. Typically the ENT will just tell you to get used to it.

There is a treatment out of Dublin that is the only one of its kind right now available to the public. The wait is pretty long but just something to keep in mind if tour T feels like it may be out of hand. I think the success rate is and the 70 to 80% range.

Hope this helps, I’m by no means a specialist, just someone that got very intrusive tinnitus almost a year ago and had to navigate the rough waters so to speak.

 

For supplements that may help with calming and mood swing, you need to really experiment what works for you and for what purpose. For helping to reduce tinnitus, members here often recommend using Magnesium, NAC, Zinc, vitamin D3, B12 etc.

Also, instead of sleep or anti-anxiety meds from the doctor, you can try natural alternatives such as Melatonin, Lemon Balm, Valerian, Hops, Catnips, Passion Flower, Chamomile, Lavender, Kava, etc. You can do google search or check Amazon.com for each of them to know how people review these products, and see if you can take them as a supplement. Check out this site on using natural herbs for helping to sleep or to calm the nerves.

http://www.christopherhobbs.com/lib...ealth/herbs-and-natural-remedies-for-insomnia /

 

Hi @ryanlrosscpa -- This is a very problematic antibiotic, which works on cellular DNA (yikes!) instead of cellular membranes like most other antiobiotics. It's in the class of "fluoroquinilone" antibiotics, and from everything I've read, they should all probably be banned. Many have already been discontinued because of the many debilitatiang "side effects". The good news is, there are many viable alternatives. You may want to check out the following thread, though I don't know whether it would be applicable to your situation. -- All the Best...

Sodium Thiosulfate — "May" Help w/ Hearing Loss and/or Tinnitus

 

Prostatitis is usually misdiagnosed and is pelvic pain instead. I had CPPS 8/10 pain and ED and cured it with stretching. Doctors have no clue when it comes to this desease. Did they find bacteria?