Tinnitus Reduction of 25-50% from Eliminating Caffeine (Completely!)

I have suffered from tinnitus for some years now—the cause is unknown. One day on a walk the noise popped into my ear, and only on the left side. Pretty annoying too—it is a high-pitched ring that I hear at all times, although sometimes it seems to be worse than others. I always thought it might be permanent since I suffered from a series of severe ear infections when I was a child, which were more severe on the left side, and that was the only connection that I could make. Despite this, my hearing test showed no hearing loss.

However, I don’t know exactly why, but I decided to drop coffee a couple of weeks ago. The main reason wasn’t even tinnitus related, I just felt like it didn’t make me feel good anymore. I have a desk job and would drink one to three cups of coffee a day, and I liked it strong. Before, I had stopped drinking coffee for a day or two to see if it affected my tinnitus, and I could never notice a difference.

Now that I am two weeks into my “coffee withdrawal,” my tinnitus has reduced by 25-50%! Sometimes in the early morning and late evening, it is almost imperceptible, which is a complete first for me since I started having tinnitus several years ago.

In any case, I’m not sure if it has to do with caffeine making the tinnitus actually worse or just gives it more of an edge, but I notice a huge difference!

The first week I didn’t quit caffeine cold turkey—I actually drank an early grey tea in the morning (which has a little less caffeine that coffee), which was my only caffeinated drink of the day. I got some pretty nasty headaches, but I took pain killers and that also seemed to help.

The second week I stopped drinking all caffeinated beverages completely.

I also stocked up on decaffeinated coffee to make the transition a little less painful (although I know even decaffeinated has a negligible amount of caffeine).

So, maybe I just wanted to throw this out there as one possible solution or means of relief for any fellow sufferers. I think this might especially be relevant for highly sensitive persons (like myself) or those who are prone to anxiety since coffee seems to just make things worse. But even maybe if you have stopped caffeine for a few days and didn’t notice a difference, stopping for longer periods of time (or completely) could be worth a try!

Good luck to everyone and wishing you all much relief in the near future

 

I have the jitters right now .

 

I was pretty happy when I realized coffee has zero effect on mine as well.

Fill me up with another cup.

 

Well, I also have another theory—from what I could research online it seems about 10% of the population has sensitivity to caffeine (they don’t process it well, or something like that). So, eliminating caffeine might only work for these people who are already sensitive? I’m thinking maybe I was one of those people without even realizing it.

In any case, I am ridiculously happy that something finally worked (even if not completely)!

 

If removing coffee from your diet helps your tinnitus that's fine @Allisonpenguin and I hope things continue to improve for you. I wrote a post some time ago about food, drink and tinnitus that might be of help to someone.

Food, drink and tinnitus

Many years ago when I first got tinnitus, I wanted to learn as much as possible about it. I believed acquiring the right knowledge and being proactive was the best way forward in finding a cure. Like many people new to the condition I was desperate and going through a very difficult time. My appointment to be seen at ENT for the first time was six months away and it couldn’t come soon enough. Whenever I could manage it, I read books on tinnitus and it wasn’t long before I learnt certain foods and drinks could make it worse.

The advice given was to keep a food diary and over a period of time, slowly omit certain foods and drink from one’s diet to see if there was a reduction of the tinnitus, and if there wasn’t reintroduce them. One of the main concerns was to avoid excessive salt and where possible reduce its intake. Cut down on red meat and avoid dairy products. Limit the use of sugar and refrain from drinking anything containing caffeine. It would mean missing my regular cup of coffee first thing in the morning but it would be worth it since I was on a mission and determined to succeed.

Alcohol was best avoided. I wasn’t a regular drinker but enjoyed a glass of wine or brandy occasionally. Surprisingly, with the onset of my tinnitus I found a glass of wine during the evening helped to relax me. Everywhere that I went I had my notebook and pen writing down everything I eat or drank. At first there was a lot of enthusiasm but as the days and weeks passed this began to wane.

Constantly reading the ingredience of every food item bought at the weekly shop can get tedious after a while, especially when there was no noticeable reduction in my tinnitus. I began to feel miserable and at times felt life wasn’t worth living. Having to cope with raging tinnitus and hyperacusis on one hand and monitoring every morsel of food and drink that passed my lips on the other. It just wasn’t a pleasant experience.

I missed my regular cup of coffee because the caffeine free substitutes weren’t doing it for me. After enduring this for five weeks I decided enough was enough. I put my notebook and pen away and returned to my normal eating and drinking. I now looked forward to having a sirloin or ribeye steak without thinking is this going to increase my tinnitus, or eating a sugar coated jam doughnut or having yoghurt. One can easily be drawn into a world of paranoia over such issues if they aren’t careful. I became less stressed and I was no longer plagued with headaches, which can be a symptom of caffeine withdrawal.

The result was no difference in my tinnitus or hyperacusis. Although they were still intrusive I felt life was more tolerable and I wasn’t constantly monitoring them to see if there was any reduction or increase as a result of what I eat or drank.

There are many books on food, drink and tinnitus and the Internet is awash with this information. My advice to anyone that is new to this condition and wants to pursue this route then please do so with caution. In the early stages tinnitus can be very stressful and emotionally draining. Do you really want to put more pressure on yourself considering what I’ve mentioned above?

It is true that some people are allergic to certain foods, drink and preservative within them. Therefore, it’s important they be aware of what they consume. I had taken no such precautions before the onset of my tinnitus other than to eat and drink in moderation.

Michael

 

Thank you, I really appreciate your input! I guess that is part of what is so frustrating about tinnitus, it seems that there could be multiple causes and not everyone responds to the same treatments or diets. I suppose one should really exercise caution, especially when eliminating food groups or different things from their diet, because it seems there isn’t one path that is right for everyone!

I identify with your feelings a lot in terms of the supplements I first started taking when I got tinnitus. I immediately did some research online and took gingko, bioflavonoids, a specific tinnitus supplement, garlic, zinc, Chinese herbs, B12, magnesium, etc. (and probably a few more I don’t remember right now). Buying all those supplements was getting expensive, and I couldn’t notice a perceptible difference after 3 or 4 months and just gave up. It seemed like I was researching everything under the sun and spending all this time fretting over it without getting any results!

Having said that, I suppose we have to cross off one solution/treatment at a time. My hope is now slightly renewed—I might be crazy enough to now go and try something like acupuncture!

In any case, Michael, I hope you continue your journey and find (or have found) some kind of relief--my best wishes. Have you found anything so far that has worked for you?

 

I have had tinnitus for 20 years Allison and habituated to it twice. The last time took four years from 2008-2012. I have had good treatment via my ENT doctor and Hearing Therapist. In addition to this I believe adopting a positive attitude to life and tinnitus is the way forward. Thinking what I’m able to do with tinnitus and not what it prevents me from doing.

My tinnitus varies in intensity from: complete silence, mild, moderate and severe. It no longer reaches the extreme levels of severity that could last for days. Occasionally I take clonazapam but this is usually for no longer than three days. I have been using a tinnitus therapy device for nearly 5 years and find it helpful. I mostly give advice and support to people who are having a difficult time coping with tinnitus, as I was once helped.

All the best
Michael

 

It has to be said though that if you suffer from tinnitus because of endolymphatic hydrops or Meniere Disease you should avoid salt and caffeine