He said it sounds like there is an alarm clock placed against his ear. He’s never had tinnitus before, but does that sound like what this is?
If so, I realize there might not be anything to do about it, but because it’s so loud, are there any tips and tricks on what to do that might help calm this incident down?
For me it’s more like listening to the frogs or insects in the summer. Just a far off screaching.
I took a few weeks vacation from colchicine and it noticeably increased. Just went back on a week ago and I can notice again that it’s quieting down. Not a cure, it just makes a difference after being on for a while.
Interesting, and it makes sense that inflammation might contribute.
I take colchicine, so I’ll find out if that is safe for him to try. My brother, who has heart disease, also has tinnitus, so maybe this will be encouragement for him to try it as well.
I can tell you how much I take, but not how much he should take. Note it is a cytochrome P-450 enzyme inhibitor, so you gotta think about when you take it and what with.
Me, I take 3-6g/day, and I’m about 130lbs. Given that it’s gone from plasma in 6-8hrs, I might even do well to take two doses a day.
Tinnitus is a problematic area. Lots of home remedies with little evidence. It is a nerve dysfunction issue, and I usually trial alpha lipoic acid for nerve dysfunction.
Alpha-lipoic acid has been investigated for its potential effects on chronic subjective tinnitus (CST), particularly in patients with metabolic syndrome and likely cochlear dysfunction. A study by Sacchetto et al. evaluated the impact of alpha-lipoic acid (600 mg per day for two months) on tinnitus severity using the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) scores
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In this study, two groups were assessed: Group A, with tinnitus associated with cochlear dysfunction and metabolic syndrome, and Group B, with tinnitus linked to acoustic nerve lesions. The results showed that in Group A, there were statistically significant improvements in the functional and emotional subscales of the THI, as well as a reduction in the total THI score and tinnitus loudness. These findings suggest that alpha-lipoic acid may have a beneficial effect on tinnitus in patients with metabolic syndrome, potentially due to its antioxidant properties and its effect on the organ of Corti. However, no significant changes were observed in Group B, indicating that the effectiveness of alpha-lipoic acid may be limited to specific subgroups of tinnitus patients
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The mechanism of action of alpha-lipoic acid involves its role as an antioxidant, which may help in reducing oxidative stress in the cochlea, potentially improving symptoms in certain tinnitus patients (ASHP) _*.
In summary, while alpha-lipoic acid shows promise for improving tinnitus symptoms in patients with metabolic syndrome and cochlear dysfunction, its effectiveness may not extend to all tinnitus patients, such as those with acoustic nerve lesions. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and to better understand the specific patient populations that may benefit from this treatment.
References
The Effect of Alpha-Lipoic Acid in the Treatment of Chronic Subjective Tinnitus through the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory Scores
Audiology Research
Sacchetto et al.
0 citations
2023
Findings suggest a possible contribution of the antioxidant effect to the organ of Corti in subjects with metabolic syndrome and CST, and suggest an effective option for chronic subjective tinnitus is still lacking.
PSA:
As I mentioned earlier, our PT worked on the inside of my husband’s mouth and he reduced the noise by around 50%. It was gone the next day.
Someone else then told me their PT worked on their neck etc, and theirs went away as well.
My PT said if the tinnitus is a result of damage that appeared after a known event, like a concert, it probably can’t be fixed by manual work. If it just came about with no known source, there is a decent chance the right person can help.
I’m that someone else @Beth mentions. At my regular PT appointment last week, I asked my excellent PT, “hey, can you fix tinnitus?”
He cautioned me not to expect too much, said sometimes yeah, but sometimes no. Then he worked my neck, gave me an at-home exercise, and that night…
That night it was gone. The annoying warbling sound was gone. Years of it – well over a decade. It had gotten better and worse, and the taurine had helped a lot a few months prior. I thought the taurine had solved it, but then it came back.
I hope my tinnitus is gone for good. Don’t know. But it’s for sure gone for now. Completely. I had no idea it was possible that it was biomechanical.
Huzzah! Silence is golden.
H/t to Beth for putting it in my thoughts, and H/t to my amazing PT.