Where Are We with Tinnitus Research?

Hi

I first experienced tinnitus as a teenager after clubs that faded but would usually take around 4 days to disappear, then one day it did not. Not that I ever over did clubs because I never did, in fact I was always cautious taking regular breaks and avoiding them. I guess I got unlucky/have sensitive hearing. Anyway after tinnitus I had an ENT that ruled everything out but was unsure if I had hearing loss. they never told me I did so assumed I never.

Anyway now it's 2017, I have recently began to notice it a lot more after some noise exposure, I have now decided not to go anywhere loud for the rest of my life. I have also been suffering with anxiety:depression.

My questions to you are where we are with research.

Back in 08, I spent around 500 pound on 'treatments' that involved the TinniTool, T-Gone, supplements, stupid I know but I was desperate and vulnerable.

I have looked at the research in

LLLT
Ginkgo Biloba
rTMS
VNS
DBS
Stem/gene therapy
AM-101 (from what I know the new AM-102 is also going to be for ACUTE tinnitus, that's us chronic sufferers written off)
OTO-311
Trobalt (what's the latest on this new advanced, anything come about it?)

Would appreciate everyone's knowledge and support.

 

Yeah, I'm feeling desperate and vulnerable all the time. There's the Research tab on this forum that has up to date news on where various companies are with tinnitus research. After scouring the arse end of the web, and every tinnitus website and forum out there, I can safely say it's either "we're in a new, exciting technological age and a cure for all sorts of tinnitus is around the corner", or "not for another 100 years, if ever".

Frankly, I'm not getting my hopes and accepting I have to endure hell for the rest of my life. It's depressing, but I'd rather be pragmatic than cling to false hope. Three months has already gone by and my T has not changed one single bit. There's no cure or nothing out there. And it's all I obsess about. How can I not? After all it's all I hear and it refuses to let me sleep.

 

There isn't much awareness, and many people that have it may say "oh yeah I have that too but I just live with it" and just brush your suffering aside.

Personally, I foresee a huge healthcare crisis in the next 10-20 years. The millennial generation will start aging and getting more and more problems. HOWEVER, we grew up in an age where anything can be quickly looked up on the internet and solved/fixed. Need a new shower curtain, just order it an Amazon and it'll be here in a couple of days. Need to order food? Just order online. Need a book? Just purchase the eBook. Need to send a document or a payment? Just do it online in a matter of minutes. But this doesn't apply to medicine. Have tinnitus? Quickly... oh wait nothing can be done. Have migraines? Just... oh never mind. Have mysterious symptoms? Easy, just do a quick diagnostic... oh it seems we can't help you. There will be a huge backlash when these millennials confront the fact that medicine, unlike almost every other field, is stuck in the dark ages for many conditions.

 

Yup....This is the standard media/medical line for every disease there is, and has been for the past 30-40 years. Meanwhile the closer you get to those corners, the further away they seem to move. We do have a modified tinnitus/hyperacusis questionnaire about how upsetting it is though. That's been a big, expensive breakthrough, not to mention single-function White noise generators that only cost three times what an iphone costs (and of course you ideally need two).

Yup...just around the corner.

 

In the early 2000s I remember stem cells were all the rage. Almost 20 years later and guess what... nothing.

 

It is frustrating that there's still no cure for T. When I first got this 12 years ago people were saying that a cure was 10-15 years away and here we are. However, one thing I have noticed is that there is currently WAY more research being done than 15 years ago on both curing deafness and T so that at least makes me somewhat hopeful.