Tinnitus Began First Week of June 2020 After Wim Hof Breathing

Hey Prawnsauce!

Thanks for the bee breathing tip. I hadn't heard of that one. Looks like a good and simple variation to deep slow breathing. I'm gonna try that.

I think there was someone in the beginning of this thread who said he was pushing through with the WHM. But I think he only posted once about it. Other than that, and from hearing about some people on another forum pushing through also, I haven't heard anyone else in favor of it.

If you're referring to the quote in Wim's book, I think there are so many variables that aren't addressed. He makes a rather general and haphazard statement to push through the breathing, and then says if you don't get better, then you may have a serious condition.

Well Wim, what if the breathing has caused the serious condition the whole time, and you have just made it worse by pushing through with it?!

 

Naturopathic Doctor. Still regulated but they can’t prescribe like MDs can.

I’m pretty sure it’s available OTC just hard to find and it needs to be refrigerated so I would try to buy online. Liposomal Glutathione is easy to find and definitely OTC but I don’t know if I believe it works as well as NAC.

 

Thanks for the reply Renfrey. Yeah, I’m going off the intro video on the WHM website where Wim talks about things getting worse before they get better. I interpreted this to mean that perhaps everyone with tinnitus may have had an underlying condition/weakness of some kind that the WHM method brought to the fore and that if they push on through, it will be cured.

Sounds incredible (as in, hard to believe!). That’s why I was wondering if anyone who had got tinnitus from WHM had been brave enough (daft enough?) to keep going to see if it did rectify itself.

It would be good to hear from the earlier poster!

 

Do you have a link to that video? I looked for it, but there seems to be many and I'm not sure which one it is. I've never heard him talk about tinnitus on video - only in his book. I'd like to hear/see what else he has to say about it.

 

Hi again.

So he’s not talking about tinnitus specifically. Sorry if I gave that impression. It’s a general response in the FAQs re a generic question around feeling worse before feeling better... https://www.wimhofmethod.com/

 

You don’t want to push through. Damage has been caused.

 

Hi back.

Ah, thanks for clarifying that. So I watched it. I sort of agree with him that certain aspects of the method will "get worse before they get better". But I don't think that chronic tinnitus that has been caused by the method, falls into that same category.

I think you're the only person I've heard of so far who has heeded the tinnitus warnings of the WHM before actually chronically getting it. That's very commendable of you!

Just curious, where did you first hear about the tinnitus/WHM connection? Did you look it up before or after your first buzzing episode?

 

Hey Mr. C,

I just want to add that according to Dr. Nagler, listening to neuromodulation tracks should not cause any long term damage, as long as the volume is kept low enough.

Listening to Acoustic Neuromodulation Tones: Can It Worsen Tinnitus?

Is Masking Tinnitus Harmful to Ears?

 

Thanks @Renfrey and hey @Lukee! Guys, I have my second meeting with my doctor tomorrow and will give you an update along with information on the regime I'm on with her. I know I've been AWOL the past several days (work has been kicking my butt) but I'll be back more regularly and I hope to have some updates on my end. I'm looking forward to reading everyone's posts lately. Thanks.

 

I haven't done them in a while but I will actually start doing them again because they helped my ears and ET feel better. I definitely recommend doing them if you have ear pain!

 

I used to play in a band 20 years ago and had a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier in back of me at all times. I did use ear plugs but I'm sure the noise didn't help. I've always been to my fair share of rock concerts and would get ear ringing lasting 1-2 days. But, WHM was what did it for me. I've nearly had this high-pitched tinnitus for nearly a year now. Not going to stop looking for a cure though. We're going to beat this thing.

 

I personally wouldn't listen to ANYTHING Wim has to say. I got hoodwinked because I was receiving his stupid email blasts around the height of COVID-19 last year and thought I'd have to commute back into NYC, so I was freaking out about having to take the bus back to work. I wish I had a time machine because I'd go back then and never do the WHM period. But what's done is done. I would say to anyone thinking about trying WHM, don't do it! Not unless you want to pay hundreds of dollars on ENT bills and join the rest of us in a search for a cure

 

Hi Renfrey,

It was via this forum that I discovered there was a link to tinnitus. I was actually looking for information around how long the WHM would take to help my allergies and ended up finding all of these stories about people getting tinnitus.

I put it together with the initial buzzing I heard and got scared! Also I was interested in what people were saying about being in the sympathetic nervous system as this is where I mainly reside. I’d separately looked into bee breathing to help me regulate to the parasympathetic system. Just wanted to share about this breathing method in case it helps anyone on here.

Thank you very much for explaining everything you have to me. I will certainly heed your advice and swerve any more WHM.

I wish everyone success in finding a way through this. If I come across anything I think might help, I will certainly come back and post!

Good luck x

 

Thanks for explaining, Prawnsauce. Again, I think that's a very admirable, wise, and cautious approach that you're taking. Thanks for the bee breathing tip too.

All the best to you also.

 

That's alright, Mr. C. We know you have your hands tied with Mrs. C, Richie, and Joanie. If you need an extra hand, just let us know and we'll send Potsie over to help.

 

For those interested in neck/head/jaw exercising and stretching, I want to say that I've been looking to upgrade my gear for it. So I just ordered what appears to be a very well-made neck harness. The padding, construction, design, and functionality seem very good. The overall versatility and comfort also appears to be very good.

https://www.theneckflex.com/mmb-pro-series

I also have my eye on another more expensive one. This one looks very top-of-the-line with a very different and smooth style of action. This one has pretty solid reviews across the board, even from Joe Rogan.

https://www.iron-neck.com/

Joe Rogan talks Iron Neck

 

@MrC6688, hey any update for us? Have you gotten your new Ayurvedic supplements?

 

Hi guys!

I've got something to share. Lately I have noticed the sound of my heartbeat in my ears when falling asleep, which is also a bit hard lately... I sleep with earplugs and I think it makes it even louder. What I noticed is that the position of my jaw affects it. If I loosen it, drop it, then it gets very quite. Have you guys experienced this too?

I'm a bit scared because it is one of the symptoms of Meniere's, along with tinnitus and the low humming, which I still have coming up randomly...

I will get my second Pfizer shot this week and next week I will start to do the steroid spray for the ETD. I have high hopes about it.

 

Hey @Csani90. I think I have a similar issue. I have, in the past before this, noticed the heartbeat feeling in my ear(s). Without a doubt, it is much more pronounced and noticeable now. It doesn’t always bother me and it depends on my position and usually just affects one ear at a time.

It is funny you mention the low humming as well because I seem to have that in my right ear only. I can only hear/feel it at certain times and in certain positions. For the most part, I don’t notice it through the day just when waking up or falling asleep or sometimes in the middle of the night.

I still have a feeling of fluid in my ears when I swallow and slight pressure that comes and goes along with minor headaches and the odd ear ache. When yawning, I can feel my ETs open up and almost feels sticky inside and I hear crackling as they open up. Overall, my ears feel “stiff” and moving them manually or by flexing them feels odd, like they are injured. My jaw is more stiff and I often wake up feeling like I have been clenching at night. I’m wondering if the stress from the tinnitus has caused us to grind our teeth causing further ear issues?

You mention Meniere’s and I agree the symptoms are similar but I don’t have vertigo or dizziness, which I think would make it hydrops instead. I have been thinking that we might have developed hydrops or perilymph fistula because I am now sensitive to the Valsalva maneuver and the rest of the symptoms fit.

@Csani90, did you ever take steroids after getting tinnitus? Mr. C and Renfrey did and they seem to have less of these other issues than us. I’m wondering if the steroids helped them avoid further damage by curbing inflammation.

@JONabes, how have you been? Any update from you?

 

Hey Csani!

No, I haven't experience that particular issue. But I'm wondering why you're wearing earplugs when you sleep. Personally, I couldn't imagine wearing earplugs while sleeping, as I'm sure it would cancel out any ambient sound and make the tinnitus sound more prominent and overbearing.

Maybe it's because you're wearing earplugs that you're experiencing this. Have you tried listening to any type of sound therapy or neuromodulation tracks while awake or asleep?

I would humbly suggest taking the earplugs out while sleeping and listening to sound therapy instead.

 

Hey Lukster,

When I do the yawn effect (I wouldn't really call it yawning, but rather 'jaw movement'), I feel a sticky crackling too. But it only lasts for the split second that it takes to yawn, and then the ears are 'cleared' and 'equalized'. I also do this frequently and intentionally throughout the day, and have been doing it like this for many years. Sort of a habit.

I've always wondered how common this is. For me, this is normal SOP.

Has this practice of clearing your ears been normal for you too, even prior to these WHM issues?

 

Nope. Never had the issue before WHM. It actually started happening about 2 months after the onset of tinnitus. To equalize my ears I need to get a really big, gnarly yawn in and then I’ll hear the little bit of crackle and feel better. What that does is alleviate crackling when I’m swallowing which is very bothersome.

Funny you mention you had it before… maybe we all had some form of underlying ear condition that has been exacerbated by WHM. I haven’t ever really had any issues with my ears except for the odd ear infection every few years but nothing severe. Used to scuba dive and fly no problem.

 

For me, it's usually a more short, quick jaw movement that does the trick. I don't have any noticeable issues while swallowing though. But right after I get out of the shower and blow my nose, I'll hear a little extra crackling. But it's very short-lived and subsides after fully drying. I chalk that up to all the steam and moisture from the shower.

Yeah maybe. But if feelings or instinct counts for anything, I've never felt it being much of an issue or a big deal.

 

No I didn't get Prednisone, just some anti-inflammatory nose sprays which I took for 2-3 weeks. I felt a bit better after that. The pressure and the occasional earache went away although the ringing was not much affected. But shortly after I tried WHM again, just to see if I could carry on with it, but after 2-3 rounds it worsened the ringing and the next day the pressure was back. That was back in December.

Your description of the sticky ETs definitely match mine. The crackling, fullness, slight pressure is all there, but comes and goes. Luckily I don't have the headaches and earaches. Sometime I really feel like there is fluid in my ears, and that is what is causing the crackling. It is strange but I can inhale in a way that I feel my earache get blocked, and then I can pop them.

One of the cause of tinnitus can be the stiffness of the jaw muscles, so I might go back to the ETD exercises to loosen it up. I think this must be the cause of the heartbeat in my ears. As I said, if I open up my jaw, change position then I can't hear it. Anyway it is annoying...

Well I have slept with earplugs for about 8 years now. It all started with working night shift and sleeping in the morning when my roommates were making noise, so I started to use them. Unfortunately now I can only sleep with them, because I'm sensitive to noises at night. Funny thing is the ringing does not bother me at falling asleep I'm grateful for this. I don't know why. I guess I just accepted having it. I try not to give it an importance. The ringing doesn't really bother me much, maybe only when it gets super loud. To not care was a conscious choice, since it is very rare for the tinnitus to go away, so I have to accept it and maybe then habituation will happen. Of course I still have hope, and this forum keeps it alive!

I haven't tried the neuromodulation tracks but I know should. I'll give them a try this week!

I think this could be the key of why we got tinnitus from WHM and others not. When I was child I used to have ear and sinus infections when going to swimming. When I got older, I had chronic sinusitis from cold weather and wind for years. It was awful. Now it is better, but still if I'm not careful, the sinuses get stuffed up. I've noticed this affects the ringing and the ear fullness. When I have a problem with my sinuses then I also have much more of our mutual symptoms.

 

Sounds like we really have similar symptoms. I would say that the steroids might’ve helped others and without them we got worse from the inflammation. Like you, I’ve somewhat learned to live with the noise, it doesn’t bother me going to sleep. I’m usually tired/depressed enough that sleeping gives me the escape from all these issues. Of course, it would be great to have no ringing but the other issues are what bother me more. I also can’t do anything that causes head or sinus pressure like bending over, exercising or even the Valsalva. @Backpacker has suggested to lay off anything that raises pressure and I have been following her recommendation for a couple weeks now.

In regards to fluid in the ears, I have tried almost everything. A 4-5 day course of Sudafed (the real one, not PE) might help clear that up, even if only temporarily. I notice it’s much better when I’m on it but I get a general pressure throughout my entire head, it just feels off but not painful. As per @FGG advice I have also taken Ambroxol for the past 4 days. Honestly, this might be the most effective in terms of reducing pressure and getting rid of the fluid feeling. It seems to work the best out of anything. I take it twice a day and at some point in the late afternoon I can feel my symptoms returning as I wears off. I think it might help to take it 3x a day but I don’t know for how long I can be on it. I’m also taking Montelukast which seems to help, but I also have asthma so I figured it might helps both issues; I’ve been on it for a couple weeks now.

I guess it comes down to what is actually wrong with us. If we have a perilymph fistula (bilateral, which is apparently as rare as unicorn crap) then at least there is treatment for it and bed rest will help. If we have hydrops (basically Meniere’s without the vertigo) then we can follow a diet and some supplements might actually help us.

There’s a thread about LDN (low-dose naltrexone) and @Samantha R had similar symptoms to us, including hissing and low pitched droning. She believes she got hydrops from a hormonal cycle. Within days of taking LDN her symptoms resolved. I would say because LDN has a benefit of reducing inflammation among other things. I wouldn’t be surprised if we shocked our system too hard and gave ourselves hydrops, possibly from an autoimmune or hormonal origin. I am trying to get a script for LDN but there aren’t many doctors here that are familiar with it.

 

@MrC6688, what’s the update?

 

Hey guys. I'm 18 y/o and I tried Wim Hof Breathing something like 5 months ago. I still have the buzzing in my ear before/after sleep and when it's really quiet. I also hear crackling when I open my mouth or swallow. If I press somewhere in my inner ear, I can hear it popping/unpopping.

Kinda sucks to see so many people having the same problem. Makes me really angry that this was never mentioned before we all tried the Wim Hof Breathing.

Anyways, I hope it gets better for everyone.

 

Hey all,

My heart goes out to everyone dealing with this issue. I started having tinnitus around 4 years ago after getting Lyme disease. I got interested in WHM to help with the chronic illness that Lyme has brought. A lot of grief around losing silence.

I just did one session of WH breathing, 3 rounds, and my tinnitus was screaming. It backed down pretty shortly but the next morning I woke up with a new, higher pitch, it's louder, and my left ear feels blocked/I have significantly less hearing in that ear. I did a quick search and sure enough, this is a serious issue that many people have experienced :/

I'm pretty bummed out about it. I thought about the whole pushing through and keeping up with it to maybe reduce the issue but I don't know. There are so many people who talk about how they've been doing the method for years and it's only gotten worse.

Wishing everyone the best on here and I'll be following along to see if anyone makes any progress in the right direction.

Much love,
Zap

 

This makes me disgusted that Wim is ruining lives for the sake of money. As I’ve mentioned before he claimed that he is trying to help people and uses his wife’s suicide as a reason for getting better, especially mentally. This guy is a snake and a fraud and has ruined my life and what seems to be 100s if not thousands of others. I have really been trying to keep positivity in this thread as are most of the other members, but as time passes I just can’t seem to let go what a piece of crap he is.

A friend of mine suggested a class action against him. Maybe it’s something we should consider...

 

Do you feel it was the intense breathing or breath holds that did it? How long were your retentions? If we can figure out why this is happening, we might be able to at least find a solution for a way forward.