Tinnitus Keeps Worsening on Its Own: Why?

Me too, man. It's frickin' rancid.

Re the more herbal approach above. After a bit of research I decided to add quite a bit of spinach and ginger to my diet. With the spinach, I wilt a big bag of the baby leaf stuff then divide it into 3 x portions (these portions can be frozen for later use). With the ginger, I steep 3 x big thumb sized peeled chunks in hot water for 15 minutes. I cool the water then divide it into 3 x cups that I store in the fridge.

The regime has been, one day, gobble a portion of spinach (defrosted of course) and the next day, neck a glass of cold ginger juice. I don't know whether it's a placebo effect or not, but it has helped me take the edge off, especially when this bugger is really howling.

 

Could be stress, anxiety, depression, lack of sleep or water, too much caffeine, sugar etc. It happens to most of us from time to time. Its important you relax (I know it's easier said than done) and let your system calm down, and you will find your tinnitus will calm down as well.

 

My own thought on this is that with a lot of GABA receptor agonist drugs, the tinnitus doesn't happen for months to years because receptor tolerance (which takes time to occur) is what is driving the problem.

This is why benzos often help people at first or if taken sparingly but over a long enough time (or especially if using more short acting or inappropriate withdrawal), they can make tinnitus much worse.

Your doctor assumes since you didn't have an immediate reaction, it's not ototoxicity. This is wrong. Even with more "classic" ototoxins damage accumulates over time (e.g.. Cisplatin damage sometimes doesn't show up for months, too).

It is possible that your tinnitus is unrelated (e.g.. Started with the upper respiratory virus) but even if that were the case, the GABA/glutamate system still has large effects on severity. If it definitely started with a "cold" though, it might be worth getting EBV titers, etc. There is a doctor who studied anti viral therapy in Meniere's and found if treated early, patients were even getting hearing function back (look up Dr. Gacek on PubMed or I can try to find you the reference). I think viruses might play a role in some of the idiopathic (even non Meniere's) cases. I have no idea if that applies to you personally or not.

As far as the Pregabalin, why were you put on it?

I would defer to people who have had to get off Benzos for advice. Something like the Ashton Manual for Pregabalin doesn't exist but maybe a neurologist might know. Part of the problem is that Pregabalin has a shorter half life and unlike with benzos, you don't have the option of switching to a longer acting one while you start to withdrawal your receptors. @Star64, any advice? You seem to know a lot about this process from other posts.

I think the first step is going to be a second opinion. Maybe even see a neurologist if you haven't.

Your idea of trying to take a larger dose to test it seems logical but you would be essentially giving your receptors a quick withdrawal again afterward. It might be useful to know but also could make it worse.

I don't have much more to add but there is a ton of literature on GABA/Glutamate and tinnitus that maybe you could bring your doctor. At least get him/her to look into those possibilities and incorporate that into a plan, if needed.

Sorry you are going through this.

 

Hang in there. Lots and lots of stories on here of people managing to habituate to highly intrusive tinnitus.

 

Does Fluoxetine/Prozac upset this ratio? Would trying to come off of it be good, i.e. for my tinnitus?

Sorry to hijack the thread, i should put it in the AS thread really.

 

It appears to:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31480244/

Trying to come off of it may make it worse if not done properly. It can also make psychiatric symptoms way worse than baseline if not done properly. Don't try to do this without a specialist if you do.

 

If robots ate electronic bacon for breakfast, the amplified sound of it frying in the electro-microwave pan... that's what that shit sounds like.

 

Specialists in this are few and far between. Certainly wouldn't go to any GP or/and most psychiatrists. I was thinking of taking 2 years to do it. Very slowly; especially when it gets down to 5 and below per day.

Most sources say ADs make tinnitus worse (as well as causing tinnitus in the first place).

It's an effed if I do, effed if I don't situation.

 

I was given it for nerve pain and anxiety

I can relax my body very effectively but this horror keeps worsening regardless. It does not fluctuate at all. It is steady, worsening torture 24/7 and it does not respond to anything I tried. Frankly, I don't buy the stress explanation. There is something else at play here.

Good point. This is a serious possibility

I had antiviral medication in the early stage but it did nothing. I'll look into this more

I corresponded with a few prominent psychopharmacologists and saw a couple of specialists but they said that unfortunately there is not enough data to help me. Nobody seems to know this. We have a loose similarity to benzos to guide us and nothing more.

Yes, it's so tough to withdraw from this drug. I have been in contact with Star64, she has been helping a lot

Believe me I saw so many doctors. No one knows, that is where part of my desperation stems from.

Sounds very optimistic. My GP does not know anything. I consulted many specialists, mentioning the glutamate issue, and they don't have a clue. I'm desperate.

 

I can believe that, maybe , if it stops worsening. I struggle now, a lot, and the deteriorating trend continues.

Psychiatrists are quick to put you on these drugs but then when you have a problem most of them deny withdrawal and attribute your problem to returning anxiety/depression etc and want you to up your dose again. If I could time travel and talk to my past self I would tell him to stay away from psychiatric and neuro drugs as much as possible.

 

Are there any foods that upset the GABA/Glutamate????

 

@Momme Yes, lots of...

https://nutritionforseizures.com/low-glutamate-foods-can-reduce-the-excitotoxicity-in-the-brain/