Tinnitus Treatment

[sugarhead]

I am suffering from heavy tinnitus since years. It's only getting worse and I would like to do something about it. Does anyone know if there is a cure for tinnitus and where I should address my problem in Bangkok ?

I've been told to live with it by doctors in other countries, but I still want to try over here.

Thanks

[Naam]

I am suffering from heavy tinnitus since years. It's only getting worse and I would like to do something about it. Does anyone know if there is a cure for tinnitus and where I should address my problem in Bangkok ?

I've been told to live with it by doctors in other countries, but I still want to try over here.

Thanks

the only treatment known (not in all cases) is taking betahistamine available in different brand names also in Thailand. it helped in my case.

[farangene]

I was at a Bkk health show recently where a doctor (PHD) from Singapore was doing ear candling for about 900 baht. His advertising signs claimed it helped resolve various problems including tinnitus. He had been in the US for the last 20 years doing this kind of thing and selling herbal stuff and homeopathic medicine. I know some of that homeopathic stuff works for me but I don't have tinnitus. I tried the ear candling for a lark and didn't note much difference before vs after.

You should google ear candling and do some research before you try it. My sympathies to you as I have friends who had tinnitus and it is a difficult problem to deal with. I remember one person in the US took antihistamines which were supposed to help fend off the attacks.

[ZZZ]

There are a lot of different causes for tinnitus and like you say most doctors say you just have to live with it.

Some places worth a try:

http://www.emofree.com/articles/tinnitus-concept.htm

http://www.saananda.com/eft.htm

[Naam]

There are a lot of different causes for tinnitus and like you say most doctors say you just have to live with it.

i believed that rubbish till somebody recommended betahistamine. from 8mg twice a day i am down to 8mg once a week and my tinnitus is gone since years.

[jetjock]

There are a lot of different causes for tinnitus and like you say most doctors say you just have to live with it.

i believed that rubbish till somebody recommended betahistamine. from 8mg twice a day i am down to 8mg once a week and my tinnitus is gone since years.

One of my best friends just developed tinnitus a few months ago . He went to a Doctor a few weeks ago here in the US and was told no cure so just learn to live with it. He just bought a house in Pattaya but is not on TV as he is not a computer guy so I will pass this info about your betahistamine protocol on to him. I am sure he will be very grateful to you Dr Nam if it works for him because he has told me the tinnitus is now driving him nuts. Just shows that TV contains a wealth of information on all kinds of subjects. Thanks

[skipvice]

There are a lot of different causes for tinnitus and like you say most doctors say you just have to live with it.

i believed that rubbish till somebody recommended betahistamine. from 8mg twice a day i am down to 8mg once a week and my tinnitus is gone since years.

Iam going to repeat what my Doctor has told me, If your tinnitus is due to long time exposure to loud noise betahistamine will not work unless you have dizziness with the ringing. I have tinnitus since viet nam war and have had tried just about everything, once the hairs in your inter ear are damaged, ther is not much you can do to stop the ringing. at least in my case. Good luck, hope it works for you.

[Dakhar]

I am a Doctorate Level Audiologist, in Thailand and truthfully the only doctorate level audiologist in the country.

Ear candelling is a farce, and in fact the FDA has instructed customs to stop allowing ear candles into the US. http://www.fda.gov/ora/fiars/ora_import_ia7701.html

Despite this, there are still suckers born every day.

Betahistamine is usually used to treat miniere's disease. Tinnitus is one of the symptoms of miniere's disease, but I have not heard of betahistamines being used to treat tinnitus specifically. Betahistamines are used to try to decrease the amount of fluid with in the inner ear, which is what miniere's is all about. The issue with miniere's is that there is too much fluid within the inner/cochlea, the betahistamine helps to reduce the fluid, thus helping to decrease the symptoms of miniere's such as vertigo, tinnitus etc.

Even then betahistamine is no cure, (there is no cure) and there are other options used to treat miniere's.

Pretty much the only clinically proven method for treating tinnitus is hearing aids. Most people with tinnitus have hearing loss. But even through the use of hearing aids, we are only treating the symptom and offering a cure. The reality is, we/science at this time, honestly does not know the cause of tinnitus. It used to be broadly accepted that tinnitus was a cochlear/inner ear phenomenon. We thought that because most people with tinnitus have a hearing loss based within the cochlea.

Well we have had many surgeries that involved severing the nerve that leads from the cochlea to the brain.... people still complained of tinnitus. Well if you sever the nerve, there is no longer input from the cochlea to the brain. That would indicate that the cochlea is in reality, not the culprit.

So now there is a popular theory that tinnitus is a result of a hearing loss, and that the brain through plasticity has responded to the hearing loss. This response causes the tinnitus, and at this time there is no cure for tinnitus. There are treatments, lots of treatments, a lot of them are a hoax. But again, for now, the one treatment that has been the most succesful is the use of hearing aid.

That said, there are gobs of dietary & biological & medicinal causes of tinnitus, such as a high caffeine intake, stress, medications, tumors etc. In fact, if you have just started taking a new medication, I suggest you google it, and find out if it has been linked to tinnitus. There are tons of meds that cause tinnitus, even aspirin can cause tinnitus. Tinnitus is also a symptom of a benign tumor.

http://www.med.umn.edu/otol/library/aneuroma/symptom.htm

If you have further questions just PM me.

Edited April 15, 2007 by Dakhar

[Dakhar]

There are a lot of different causes for tinnitus and like you say most doctors say you just have to live with it.

i believed that rubbish till somebody recommended betahistamine. from 8mg twice a day i am down to 8mg once a week and my tinnitus is gone since years.

Iam going to repeat what my Doctor has told me, If your tinnitus is due to long time exposure to loud noise betahistamine will not work unless you have dizziness with the ringing. I have tinnitus since viet nam war and have had tried just about everything, once the hairs in your inter ear are damaged, ther is not much you can do to stop the ringing. at least in my case. Good luck, hope it works for you.

You may want to do a little more research, that is if you want some relief from you tinnitus.

http://www.deafnessresearch.org.uk/Hearing...tients+3080.twl

A lot of folks just live with it. It kind of depends on the person I guess. Some folks it bothers them tremedously, and some just blow it off. It think severity of the reaction is partially determined by the onset. If it is a rapid onset, I think folks will not want to learn to tolerate it. Where as those with a slow onset of tinnitus along with a hearing loss, they usually just "learn to live with it."

Edited April 15, 2007 by Dakhar

[Lickey]

Having suffered with tinnitus for 20 plus years and had the full course of betahistamines, which didnt help 1 iota, again, i dont like filling my body with chemicals, we unknowingly eat enough of those everyday, I really do believe there is no cure, for temporary relief, i fill my lungs, pinch my nose and push hard till my ears pop, and when im reading/posting on thai forum whatever, i always have a little background music, its better than the whistling/ringing ect, try it, you never know!!

[Ollie]

I suffer from hearing loss and tinnitus, first in one ear and then the other. One coincided with the other. I wear an aide in one ear - since 1995 - now digital.

You learn to live with it and hardly notice after a while, unless in extreme circumstances. Mines a hissing sound.

Shortly after the hearing in my "good" ear started going (from a viral infection), I recall waking up one night and hearing the car alarm going off. I shot down the stairs and out the door. It then dawned on me that it was the noise in my ear, not the car. That was upsetting. Now, I hardly notice it but occassionally have "loud" spells. There's normally a reason for this and as said above, a pinch of the nose when breathing out, clears a lot.

It's a part of my life and mostly I don't notice it. There are times I walk out the door without my aide, as without it, the senses pick up, and I forget I haven't got it on. Other times, I forget I have it on (not advised if about to take a shower).

Songkran is to be avoided.

[Naam]

I will pass this info about your betahistamine protocol on to him. I am sure he will be very grateful to you Dr Nam if it works for him because he has told me the tinnitus is now driving him nuts.

i am sure that the psychological component plays a role too. it might well be that in various cases even a simple placebo would work. it's all about "faith can move mountains". based on that assumption, i recommend that you tell your friend nothing about "cannot be cured". just let him give it a try.

[skipvice]

There are a lot of different causes for tinnitus and like you say most doctors say you just have to live with it.

i believed that rubbish till somebody recommended betahistamine. from 8mg twice a day i am down to 8mg once a week and my tinnitus is gone since years.

Iam going to repeat what my Doctor has told me, If your tinnitus is due to long time exposure to loud noise betahistamine will not work unless you have dizziness with the ringing. I have tinnitus since viet nam war and have had tried just about everything, once the hairs in your inter ear are damaged, ther is not much you can do to stop the ringing. at least in my case. Good luck, hope it works for you.

You may want to do a little more research, that is if you want some relief from you tinnitus.

http://www.deafnessresearch.org.uk/Hearing...tients+3080.twl

A lot of folks just live with it. It kind of depends on the person I guess. Some folks it bothers them tremedously, and some just blow it off. It think severity of the reaction is partially determined by the onset. If it is a rapid onset, I think folks will not want to learn to tolerate it. Where as those with a slow onset of tinnitus along with a hearing loss, they usually just "learn to live with it."

I also ware hearing aids and have for years, they help some but it is not a cure. And yes I have seen ENT Doctors and Audiologist,I am no doctor so I belive what they tell me is true.

Edited April 15, 2007 by skipvice

[Dakhar]

Having suffered with tinnitus for 20 plus years and had the full course of betahistamines, which didnt help 1 iota, again, i dont like filling my body with chemicals, we unknowingly eat enough of those everyday, I really do believe there is no cure, for temporary relief, i fill my lungs, pinch my nose and push hard till my ears pop, and when im reading/posting on thai forum whatever, i always have a little background music, its better than the whistling/ringing ect, try it, you never know!!

The listenening to back ground noise suggestion is bassically the whole premises of hearing aids. Those with a hearing loss can not hear as much back ground noise as those with normal hearing ability. So you place some hearing aids on a person, pump up some back ground noise and Presto.... Tinnitus is gone.

It is a little more complicated than that, but that is the basics behind hearing aids and tinnitus.

Folks just to let you know, hearing aids are so much more advanced than they used to be. At this day an age, there really is no reason to shy away from them. That is, if the person dispensing the hearing aids know what they are doing. Unfortunatley, there are only 20 employed audiologist in Thailand today. Then you have to consider market exposure. In other words, a mechanic that has done nothing but work on Ford Fiestas, will not know what to do with a Mercedes. The same is true with audilogists and hearing aids.

[skipvice]

Having suffered with tinnitus for 20 plus years and had the full course of betahistamines, which didnt help 1 iota, again, i dont like filling my body with chemicals, we unknowingly eat enough of those everyday, I really do believe there is no cure, for temporary relief, i fill my lungs, pinch my nose and push hard till my ears pop, and when im reading/posting on thai forum whatever, i always have a little background music, its better than the whistling/ringing ect, try it, you never know!!

The listenening to back ground noise suggestion is bassically the whole premises of hearing aids. Those with a hearing loss can not hear as much back ground noise as those with normal hearing ability. So you place some hearing aids on a person, pump up some back ground noise and Presto.... Tinnitus is gone.

It is a little more complicated than that, but that is the basics behind hearing aids and tinnitus.

Folks just to let you know, hearing aids are so much more advanced than they used to be. At this day an age, there really is no reason to shy away from them. That is, if the person dispensing the hearing aids know what they are doing. Unfortunatley, there are only 20 employed audiologist in Thailand today. Then you have to consider market exposure. In other words, a mechanic that has done nothing but work on Ford Fiestas, will not know what to do with a Mercedes. The same is true with audilogists and hearing aids.

I would not be suprised, sounds like you are selling them. I was just fitted with the best aids Siemens has and still hear the ringing.

[Dakhar]

You need to approach your fitter. If say you did buy the best that Siemens currently offers, (which I doubt you did) you may have purchased the best the dealer had to offer, and there would be a difference. Why I doubt you did buy the best that Siemens carries is because in order to import the hearing aids into Thailand you would have to fill out a lot of FDA (Thai FDA) paper work. Most vendors would be unwilling to:

A) Fill out a lot of paper work on a product that is rarely sold

Puchase and stock a product that is rarely sold. (Much like a jewelery stores do not carry 3 carat diamonds in stock)

Any how, if you did have the best, they would be designed to filter out as much back ground noise and circuit noise as possible. The better hearing aids out there allow you to adjust how much filtration is done. Most hearing aid fitters think that filtering out as much back ground noise is the appropriate thing to do. Which is correct in a lot of cases, but if a person is trying to compensate for a hearing loss and tinnitus issues, you have to have both issues addressed.

Like I said it can get complicated.

Selling them, not really, but I have sold them in the past. That is part of what audiologist do. An audiologist working in America would be exposed to higher technology due to market demands/affordablility.

[Luckydog]

I am suffering from heavy tinnitus since years. It's only getting worse and I would like to do something about it. Does anyone know if there is a cure for tinnitus and where I should address my problem in Bangkok ?

I've been told to live with it by doctors in other countries, but I still want to try over here.

Thanks

I know it's awful. Try taking lots of Ginkho Biloba Tablets. But don't expect a quick result.....

[sugarhead]

Dear Skipvice,

You mind if I ask you how much you paid for your device ?

thanks

Sugarhead

[skipvice]

Dear Skipvice,

You mind if I ask you how much you paid for your device ?

thanks

Sugarhead

Sorry I did not pay for my hearing aids as Iam a disabled veteran and the VA paid for them, The va audioloigst told me that they are about $700.00 an aid. If you have tinnitus and have not seen a ear nose and throat Doctor you need to do so as Tinnitus could be caused by other problems that can be cured. Only need to see a audioloigst after the Doctor recemends it.

Dakhar you asume that I am in thailand and Iam not. My hearing aids do filter the background noise but not all, I have lost tha ability to hear all high freq. also you can not wear your hearing 24 hours a day, you still have to sleep without them, try doing that with your tinnitus acting up. Some time the only way I can get to sleep is to turn on the radio or the tv for back ground noise.

http://www.hearingloss-wa.org/

or just Google Tinnitus you will get all the facts you need.

[Dakhar]

The best high end hearing aids will run around 4K-7K USD a set in the US. So maybe your audi said 7K?

It is just a guess. The VA has had a history of fitting low end and high end hearing aid technology without any rhyme or reason for it. I am guessing you got high end, or at least I hope you did.

As far as Tinnitus at night:

I recommend turning on the ceiling fan on high, window AC etc. Just get some white noise you find tolerable. I too have tinnitus, so don't think I can't understand the issues at hand. My tinnitus is worse at higher elevations. I assume it has something to do with blood pressure etc.

Back to hearing aid prices, in Thailand, for the best technology out there, be prepared to spend over 80K Baht each. Which is a lot but on average you can expect to spend half in Thailand of what you would pay in the states. But that is a generalized statement!

[sugarhead]

anyone ever tried acupuncture in this case ?

[bdenner]

I've been a sufferer for years after exposure to jet aircraft and gas turbines most of my working life. I went to a hearing specialist in Perth last year and he told me there is NO medical cure. In some cases an implant can be placed in the ear to mask the tinnitus, I believe it is some sort of small oscillator that's tuned to your ringing frequency. I gave that option a miss and just grin and bear it for now.

[John K]

A friend and colleague of mine Kevin Hogan has been doing some work in that area. I just glanced at a page on his website at http://kevinhogan.com/FAQ.htm and it does answer a lot of questions. As for myself I have not been trained in this very specific area so therefor I am not qualified in Tinnitus therapy.

On the bright side I have been chatting with Kevin about visiting Bangkok, but I get the feeling he wants to wait until the political situation has stabilize before his first visit to Thailand.

[skipvice]

A friend and colleague of mine Kevin Hogan has been doing some work in that area. I just glanced at a page on his website at http://kevinhogan.com/FAQ.htm and it does answer a lot of questions. As for myself I have not been trained in this very specific area so therefor I am not qualified in Tinnitus therapy.

On the bright side I have been chatting with Kevin about visiting Bangkok, but I get the feeling he wants to wait until the political situation has stabilize before his first visit to Thailand.

A lot of good information from Kevin Hogan,But In my case and opinon, a waste of time and money and in the end he is trying to make money selling somthing that my not work for everbody specialiy in noise induced tinnitus. (Hearing loss)

Edited April 22, 2007 by skipvice

[skipvice]

Treatment

Treatment of tinnitus depends on the cause.

If the ringing in your ears is due to age-related hearing loss or damage to your ears by exposure to excessive noise, no treatment can reduce the noise. Treatment consists mostly of managing the problem. Your doctor can discuss with you steps you can take every day to reduce the severity of the noise or to better cope with the noise.

If the ringing in your ears is due to another health condition, your doctor may be able to take steps that could reduce the noise, such as removing impacted earwax. Tinnitus resulting from a vascular condition often can be corrected by fixing the underlying problem. If a medication you're taking appears to be the cause of tinnitus, your doctor may recommend discontinuing the drug or switching to a different medication.

Varying success for medications

Many medications have been tried to relieve tinnitus with varying degrees of success. Tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline and nortriptyline, have been used with some success, but these medications have troublesome side effects, such as dry mouth, blurred vision and constipation.

Two recent clinical trials found that the migraine medications gabapentin (Neurontin) and acamprosate (Campral), a drug used to treat alcoholism, are effective in relieving tinnitus for some people.

Treatments with limited results

Some other treatments that have been tried, but which have had inconsistent results, are:

Acupuncture

Hypnosis

The herb ginkgo

Cochlear implant, an electronic hearing device

Electrical stimulation

Medications, such as benzodiazepines (nervous system depressants) and baclofen (a muscle relaxant)

Hyperbaric oxygen chamber, a therapy to get a high level of oxygen in your blood

Zinc

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tinnitus/DS00365/DSECTION=6

[Lickey]

You are right Skip, although i havent looked at the web-site, i know there is no cure, ive done the betahistamine thing with no result, strange it may seem, but yesterday i twisted my right ankle badly and its giving me some right jip, since then,tinnitus hasnt really been a problem, hearing nice and clear, perhaps the anoying anti-bodies in my body have gone to clear up a painful area? and when there is nothing else to do, they come back to the ears?? this has happened many times after an accident, perhaps a bit of medical research in this area could help sufferes?

rgds, Lickey.

[ZZZ]

A friend and colleague of mine Kevin Hogan has been doing some work in that area. I just glanced at a page on his website at http://kevinhogan.com/FAQ.htm and it does answer a lot of questions. As for myself I have not been trained in this very specific area so therefor I am not qualified in Tinnitus therapy.

On the bright side I have been chatting with Kevin about visiting Bangkok, but I get the feeling he wants to wait until the political situation has stabilize before his first visit to Thailand.

A lot of good information from Kevin Hogan,But In my case and opinon, a waste of time and money and in the end he is trying to make money selling somthing that my not work for everbody specialiy in noise induced tinnitus. (Hearing loss)

So what's the problem with trying to make some money with something that might not work for everybody?

I never heard about any doctor curing everybody and they are definitely not free!

I don't have a problem with tinnitus and I'm not a doctor but from what I understand I would probably try just about anything to get rid of it. There is a lot of things doctors don't know.

I know of people who have been cured of different ailments using hypnosis and EFT. You can easily use EFT on yourself, an instruction DVD cost less than a bottle of multivitamins, or check with someone like saananda.

All I know is that even a placebo is many times as powerful as a real medicine and as most functions are controlled from the brain, hypnosis, EFT and similar treatment is often useful.

http://www.emofree.com/articles/tinnitus-concept.htm

http://www.saananda.com/eft.htm

[skipvice]

A friend and colleague of mine Kevin Hogan has been doing some work in that area. I just glanced at a page on his website at http://kevinhogan.com/FAQ.htm and it does answer a lot of questions. As for myself I have not been trained in this very specific area so therefor I am not qualified in Tinnitus therapy.

On the bright side I have been chatting with Kevin about visiting Bangkok, but I get the feeling he wants to wait until the political situation has stabilize before his first visit to Thailand.

A lot of good information from Kevin Hogan,But In my case and opinon, a waste of time and money and in the end he is trying to make money selling somthing that my not work for everbody specialiy in noise induced tinnitus. (Hearing loss)

So what's the problem with trying to make some money with something that might not work for everybody?

I never heard about any doctor curing everybody and they are definitely not free!

I don't have a problem with tinnitus and I'm not a doctor but from what I understand I would probably try just about anything to get rid of it. There is a lot of things doctors don't know.

I know of people who have been cured of different ailments using hypnosis and EFT. You can easily use EFT on yourself, an instruction DVD cost less than a bottle of multivitamins, or check with someone like saananda.

All I know is that even a placebo is many times as powerful as a real medicine and as most functions are controlled from the brain, hypnosis, EFT and similar treatment is often useful.

http://www.emofree.com/articles/tinnitus-concept.htm

http://www.saananda.com/eft.htm

I am sorry but I rather spen my money, what little I have on something thats works for sure, otherwise it would be like pissing in the wind. Most claimed cures have not been aproved or acepted by the Medical profession.

[ZZZ]

Up to you as they say here in LOS

Just trying to give a possible alternative as I know this can be an extremely uncomfortable condition.

Personally I believe many doctors don't know more than the pharmaceutical companies tell them and what they tell them is to use their pills to remove symptoms not to cure illnesses, that would be bad for business. I know it's a cynical way of thinking but there has been to many cases of this.

Anyway, hope you and all others can find a cure for this one way or another.

[skipvice]

If the ringing in your ears is due to age-related hearing loss or damage to your ears by exposure to excessive noise, no treatment can reduce the noise. Treatment consists mostly of managing the problem.

nobody that I have talk to or have heard about have found anything that works for this type of tinnitus. (Hearing loss)

Hope you never get it ZZZ. protect them ears when you go to the Disco's or Bars.