Tinnitus? Am I the only one?

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  • sollyn
    sollyn Posts: 179
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    Hi, I have been diagnosed with Tinnitus, I went thinking I was going deaf and was told like you that I have perfect hearing. I take quinine every day and have been warned that it is toxic to the ears. (whatever that means)
  • californiansun
    californiansun Posts: 392 Member
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    Someone asked me about what symptoms I have, I have vertigo (I haven't had it in about 6 months), when I have vertigo I throw up. I was told I could have a brain tumor (really freaked me out) so I had an MRI done, which came out fine. (Thank you God!)

    I also have VERY bad TMJ, which I am getting a night guard for this afternoon from my dentist. TMJ can cause tinnitus and vertigo.

    I have allergies, which I take allergy pills for. I live in central CA, and the air quality is very bad.

    I stopped taking vitamins, I just started taking a multivitamin and I'm going to see if that helps me.

    If I go to movies (without ear plugs... I haven't tried it with ear plugs, I'm too afraid.) my ears ring SO loud that I can't ignore it. Not even my fan at night will help. This is why I do not go to movies or concerts anymore, I am afraid I'm going to go deaf.

    I'm going to try to have my sugar and sodium intake down. I drink tea everyday, I'm going to try to cut it down to one or two cups a day, not 3 or 4 since I've hear caffeine doesnt help you.

    I'm really glad I am not alone with this, I feel way to young to deal with tinnitus.
  • emalbright
    emalbright Posts: 46 Member
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    I work for an ENT and he found a regimen that the Shea Clinic in Memphis, TN says reduces greatly or completely resolves the tinnitus.
    3 month treatment
    1. Ginkgo biloba 60mg twice daily
    2. Lipoflavonoid 1 tablet 3x daily with meals
    3. Take these for 90 days then stop the medicinies
    4. If the noises in your ear(s) are still present 14 days after completing
    the medications, you may start another 90 day cycle of the medicines

    The Shea Ear clinic reports that 89% of patients who strictly comply with
    this program report zero ringing or significant reduction of symptoms after
    90 days...hope this can help!
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
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    I have it but I've become pretty good at tuning it out - except at night when it's really quiet. It's my own fault - too many loud gigs as a teenage metalhead.

    Wish I could be more positive for you but the ear is an astonishingly mysterious and complex thing. My wife's ear specialist (she has loss of hearing in one ear) called it one of the last great frontiers of medicine. Tinnitus is very often idiopathic (no discernable cause)... or even if it's structural there's not a lot in there they can repair with much success. Sometimes steroids or surgery can help, sometimes not. Sometimes a hearing aid helps cancel it out, sometimes not. Sometimes it even just recovers spontaneously, but not often. I can tell you it gets easier to live with as time goes by though.
  • californiansun
    californiansun Posts: 392 Member
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    I work for an ENT and he found a regimen that the Shea Clinic in Memphis, TN says reduces greatly or completely resolves the tinnitus.
    3 month treatment
    1. Ginkgo biloba 60mg twice daily
    2. Lipoflavonoid 1 tablet 3x daily with meals
    3. Take these for 90 days then stop the medicinies
    4. If the noises in your ear(s) are still present 14 days after completing
    the medications, you may start another 90 day cycle of the medicines

    The Shea Ear clinic reports that 89% of patients who strictly comply with
    this program report zero ringing or significant reduction of symptoms after
    90 days...hope this can help!

    I've heard that, but I am worried of the side effects. Do you know if there is any?
  • njmp
    njmp Posts: 277 Member
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    I have tinnitus...so annoying yes? But if anything, I find being in an environment where there is some noise is most helpful. I noticed the onset earlier this year, and at first no matter what I did, there was ringing. I now sleep with a white noise machine, and find that if I am nto concentrating on it I don't even notice it. Right now, for example, because I am thinking about it, it's very noticeable. Or if it's very quiet.
    I had a hearing test done in December. I was told that I have lost the upper frequencies of my hearing, but I can't say I notice it.
    My best helpful tip is to always have some light music playing, or any kind of background noise, it helped me a lot!
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    I had it, with a host of other problems, from my jaw being misaligned with a slipped disc. Google TMJ and see if you have any of the symptoms. Lots of docs missed it. I was misdiagnosed for months until by a freak chance a friend mentioned it. Then it took another 6 months or so before I got the RIGHT treatment for it.
  • njmp
    njmp Posts: 277 Member
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    If I go to movies (without ear plugs... I haven't tried it with ear plugs, I'm too afraid.) my ears ring SO loud that I can't ignore it. Not even my fan at night will help. This is why I do not go to movies or concerts anymore, I am afraid I'm going to go deaf.

    Man that really sucks...I guess my above advice is of no use to you??? I have never heard of the ringing getting worse in presence of noise...
  • firesoforion
    firesoforion Posts: 1,017 Member
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    My mom has it and says apple cider vinegar makes it better. Evidently there are some studies linking it to your liver.
  • Deka61
    Deka61 Posts: 74
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    I have mild tinnitus, and find that zinc supplements help to reduce it.
  • InstantSunshine
    InstantSunshine Posts: 355 Member
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    EeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

    sorry, that probably didn't help.
  • BarnDogBob
    BarnDogBob Posts: 104 Member
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    I don't even notice it anymore. Actually, until I read your post and thought about it, I did not realize the high pitched ringing. I sleep with a fan going in the room. The noise from the fan washes it out and I sleep fine. It makes the voices harder to hear anyway so that is good. The voices are more distracting anyway. :-D
  • smantha32
    smantha32 Posts: 6,990 Member
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    I have it too. Bad. When I'm really tired my ears ring.

    And my ENT also tested my hearing as perfect.

    I barely even listen to music anymore because at the end of the day I just want quiet.

    mine was from gunshot noise. It's some kind of loud noise trauma. I don't have any actual physical damage that they can tell.
  • manderson27
    manderson27 Posts: 3,510 Member
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    You are certainly not alone. Many people suffer from this to some degree or another. I it can be brought on by a variety of things and there are specialists that can help you cope with it.

    Make sure there is no build up of wax in your ears as this causes a feedback effect and can make it worse.

    Use background or ambient noise when you are relaxing, a radio or television set on in the background can distract you from it
    .
    There are various kinds of ambient noise gadgets you can get for when you are trying to sleep, some produce white noise others have discs of sounds of nature like whale song, water trickling or the wind in the trees. These noises again can distract from the Tinnitus and have the added advantage of helping you relax.

    Stress and anxiety can make it worse so it is worth trying some relaxation techniques as well.

    I don't know that diet can help but eating healthily is a good idea anyway as it certainly will make you feel better physically and you will be better able to deal with it.

    Do go and see a Tinnitus specialist as they will understand and be able to give you good advice on how to cope with it better.

    Do not allow this to rule your life, try and do all the things you have always done, the more you focus on it the more intrusive it becomes so do try and distract yourself as much as possible with things you enjoy doing.

    I sympathise so much with your problem and wish you luck with getting some help for it.
  • manderson27
    manderson27 Posts: 3,510 Member
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    EeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

    sorry, that probably didn't help.

    LOL but that is exactly what I can hear in my right ear now. :laugh:
  • californiansun
    californiansun Posts: 392 Member
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    If I go to movies (without ear plugs... I haven't tried it with ear plugs, I'm too afraid.) my ears ring SO loud that I can't ignore it. Not even my fan at night will help. This is why I do not go to movies or concerts anymore, I am afraid I'm going to go deaf.

    Man that really sucks...I guess my above advice is of no use to you??? I have never heard of the ringing getting worse in presence of noise...

    My point I was trying to make when I have loud things going on, like in a theater or a concert, the ringing is louder once I'm in a quieter environment. Right now with the TV on, I don't hear it as much. But if I go to a movie right now, the ringing becomes VERY VERY loud.
  • californiansun
    californiansun Posts: 392 Member
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    I had it, with a host of other problems, from my jaw being misaligned with a slipped disc. Google TMJ and see if you have any of the symptoms. Lots of docs missed it. I was misdiagnosed for months until by a freak chance a friend mentioned it. Then it took another 6 months or so before I got the RIGHT treatment for it.

    I have TMJ very badly, as stated in my previous posts. I just got a mouth guard from my dentist to try and help with it. I do not have a lot of money, since I am in college to pay for all of these specialists. The specialists in town was over 200 dollars just to see her, which is freaking ridiculous and I need to pay rent. lol
  • mattdm6969
    mattdm6969 Posts: 9
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    I had it, with a host of other problems, from my jaw being misaligned with a slipped disc. Google TMJ and see if you have any of the symptoms. Lots of docs missed it. I was misdiagnosed for months until by a freak chance a friend mentioned it. Then it took another 6 months or so before I got the RIGHT treatment for it.

    I have TMJ very badly, as stated in my previous posts. I just got a mouth guard from my dentist to try and help with it. I do not have a lot of money, since I am in college to pay for all of these specialists. The specialists in town was over 200 dollars just to see her, which is freaking ridiculous and I need to pay rent. lol

    I hope the mouth gaurd helps you. I had one and it didn't do much. My next stop is a neuromuscular dentist. I've heard treatment can range from $1k-$45k depending on hour bad the bite is and how much reconstruction is needed. But, I've heard too many horror stories about the surgery for TMJ and many say it makes the pain worse.
  • californiansun
    californiansun Posts: 392 Member
    Options
    I had it, with a host of other problems, from my jaw being misaligned with a slipped disc. Google TMJ and see if you have any of the symptoms. Lots of docs missed it. I was misdiagnosed for months until by a freak chance a friend mentioned it. Then it took another 6 months or so before I got the RIGHT treatment for it.

    I have TMJ very badly, as stated in my previous posts. I just got a mouth guard from my dentist to try and help with it. I do not have a lot of money, since I am in college to pay for all of these specialists. The specialists in town was over 200 dollars just to see her, which is freaking ridiculous and I need to pay rent. lol

    I hope the mouth gaurd helps you. I had one and it didn't do much. My next stop is a neuromuscular dentist. I've heard treatment can range from $1k-$45k depending on hour bad the bite is and how much reconstruction is needed. But, I've heard too many horror stories about the surgery for TMJ and many say it makes the pain worse.

    Yeah, I'm way too scared to do the surgery. My teeth are a tad bit crooked, so maybe braces will help. i have no idea at this point. I just miss being normal.
  • emalbright
    emalbright Posts: 46 Member
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    I have not heard of any side effects, we have given the trial info to many patients and have not heard one way or the other. I know that is not much help for you, sorry!!

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