Tinnitus Treatments

Read about a variety of tinnitus treatments from alternative medicine and from regular MDs. This condition is also known as tintinitus or tinntinitus? As always, consult your medical professional before making changes to your health care.

Vibration
Looking for tinnitus treatments, I saw an article in the April 2005 issue of Health & Healing newsletter. The newsletter is written by Julian Whittaker, M.D. who practices alternative medicine in a big alternative health clinic in Newport Beach, California.

In this issue, a reader writes that he is getting some tinnitus relief by using a pencil eraser (the kind you slip on over the end of a pencil to replace the worn down eraser) over his Sonicare toothbrush for tinnitus treatment. Each morning, he used it around his ear (NOT in his ear) until he could feel the vibration inside his ear. He says this tinnitus remedy made the problem pretty much go away. Now he goes four or five days before he has to use this tinnitus treatment again, and he is hopeful it will eventually go away completely.

The professional researcher/reporter who writes this site has no medical training. Always check with your doctor before trying anything you read here. Everyone is different, and what might be good for some people might be bad for you, considering your medical history and medications.

Dr. Whittaker liked this idea so much he’s started to use this alternative tinnitus treatment it at his clinic. Quick, easy, inexpensive--it’s worth a try. Find out more about Dr. Whittaker at drwhittaker.com.

Personal note: Some time after I put up this page, I developed a thumping sound in my right ear. It wasn't my heartbeat, because the thumping was irregular, and my pulse is regular

I read somewhere that it's not tinnitus if the sound goes away when you put your fingers in your ears, and it did go away when I did that, so maybe it wasn't tinnitus.

After I had it for three days, however, it was driving me crazy, and I was having trouble sleeping, so I was ready to try anything. I decided to try the Sonicare method, but I didn't have an eraser, so I just used the smooth side, opposite the bristles. I did a single two-minute cycle, and it worked. About 24 hours later, it started coming back, so I did it again. It didn't work; in fact, it got a little worse. So I did another cycle, and it went away and hasn't come back at all. Update: It's been over a year now, and it hasn't come back.

Melatonin
Here's an easy tinnitus treatment to try: Take 3 milligrams of melatonin before bed. Melatonin is cheap as mud and has a variety of good effects. At Washington University of St. Louis, 24 patients with tinnitus and sleep disturbances participated in a study where they were given 3 mg of melatonin a day as a tinnitus treatment and also for better sleep. All of those studied, with both mild and severe tinnitus, showed improvment in both the tinnitus and in their quality of sleep. The most common use for melatonin is to improve sleep, especially for older people whose ability to produce it decreases with age. This is the first I've heard of it being used as a tinnitus treatment.

Source: Dr. Rowen's Health Dispatches and Late Breaking Cures, by Robert Rowen, M.D

Supplements, Accupuncture, White Noise Tinnitus Treatments
Jonathan Wright, M.D. practices alternative medicine, specializing in healing through diet and nutrition. He suggests some supplements as a possible tinnitus remedy, but says that although thay "have shown promise," they are "not a cure for the problem." He suggests 80 milligrams standardized gingko biloba three times a day, 30 mg of zinc picolinate twice a day and 2 mg copper twice a day.

He also says that accupuncture has helped some people as a tinnitus treatment, and that using a white noise machine can help with tinnitus relief.

Although I don't have this condition, I have used accupuncture very successfully for other conditions, and I couldn't sleep without my white noise machine to mask the sound of my heavy breathing and snoring. If you shop for a white noise machine, be sure to get a good one. The sounds emanating from many of the cheaper (under $20) digital sound machines are annoying, not soothing. You can get a good digital one from Sharper Image, or you can get a mechanical one, like mine. The brand name on mine is Marpac. It has only one noise, like heavy wind, with adjustable volume. Just do a search on Marpac sound white noise machine, and you'll find it all over the Internet.

The advantage of the digital ones is that they can produce all kinds of sounds--waterfall, rain, birds, railroad train, etc.

This is from Health E-Tips, Jonathan Wright's newsletter. To subscribe, go here: http://www.wrightnewsletter.com/etips/freecopy.html

Food Allergies
Tinnitus treatments can include changes to your diet. The foods most often mentioned in connections with tinnitus treatment, foods to avoid, are those containing caffeine, those with saturated fats, alcohol, salt and sugar. Common allergens, such as nuts, soy, wheat and milk may be associated with susceptibility to ear infections, which may, in turn, be associated with tinnitus.

Drugs that May Aggravate Tinnitus
Aspirin. I actually got tinnitus one time only when I was taking high doses of aspirin for dental pain, so I can vouch for the aspirin (in high doses) to tinnitus connection. Also ibuprofen, antidepressants, antibiotics, antidepressants, quinine, diuretics, and marijuana. Your doctor can fill you in on the details.

Hearing Aids
Since tinnitus is often associated with hearing loss, some tinnitus sufferers may be helped by a hearing aid. See your doctor for details.

Camouflage Sound
Many tinnitus patients find that just having some music playing helps mask the noise of tinnitus. Special audiotapes for tinnitus sufferers are available. These are simple, nontoxic tinnitus treatments.

For tinnitus treatment, others use a white noise machine, as I described above. There are also electronic devices you can wear right at your ear to perform the same function--presenting a not unpleasant, constant noise to mask the noises of tinnitus. It takes a little while to get used to the new noise, but this can work.

A white band noise generator is an advanced kind of camouflage noise generator that contains all frequencies. This kind of stimulation resets the nerves so they become unaware of the tinnitus noise.

A Simple Test
Turn on the water full force in your shower, tub or sink. If the sound masks some or all of your tinnitus noise, then camouflage noise may work for you.

Herbal Ear Drops
Tinnitus treatments can include herbs. A product called Bio Ear has been found to help some people, and there are testimonials at pennherb.com, which sells the product.

Ginkgo Biloba
In Germany, ginkgo biloba is endorsed as a tinnitus treatment. Over 40 clinical trials have indicated that the herb does help tinnitus. Be sure to double check with your doctor if you are on blood thinners, as this herb is also a blood thinner.

Morning Roar
Some tinnitus sufferers report that the noise is worst first thing in the morning. If that's you, two tinnitus treatments you can try are: 1) elevating your head slightly, with an extra pillow, while you sleep. 2) have something that's high in sugar when you wake up, like a glass of orange juice, or just take a tablespoon of sugar (needless to say, this tinnitus remedy is not for diabetics...always check with your doctor...) The reasons behind these tinnitus remedies are speculative, not scientific, but some people find that they work.

If Nothing Works
If you've been diagnosed with tinnitus by your doctor, and no tinnitus treatments you've tried have worked, you can learn ways to deal with the stress of the condition while you keep trying to find a successful tinnitus remedy. Tinnitus can cause stress, and the stress can then make the tinnitus worse, or at least seem worse.

You can try commonly available relaxation techniques, which may be taught locally in adult education classes or hospitals. There are also lots of books on the subject. Check out biofeedback, which many people have found effective for stress relief. There are even specialized tinnitus retraining techniques, which stress mind over matter. Homeopathy, hypnosis, accupuncture, yoga and naturopathy have worked for some tinnitus patients. Get a referral from your doctor.

My main source for the information above is a book titled Tinnitus: The Complete Self-Help Guide. Last time I looked, you could buy it used for under six dollars, plus shipping at amazon.com. The book is 197 pages long, and as you can see, I haven't written nearly that much, so there is a lot more. I got my copy on an interlibrary loan from my local library. You probably can, too.

Rx Acamprosate
Although this does not fall within tinnitus treatments from alternative medicine, the success rate appears to be so high that it may be worth looking into. In a three-month study of 50 people with tinnitus, researchers found general improvement of symptoms in 87% of those taking the drug acamprosate, which is actually designed to reduce cravings for alcohol. You must go to your doctor for this, and for goodness sake, ask about side effects, the downside of almost all prescription drugs.

Source: Bottom Line Health, January 2007. Their source: Andreia Aparecida de Azevedo, M.D., otolaryngologist, South Fluminense Otolaryngology, Volta Redonda, Brazil.

Rx Alprazolam and Lidocaine
When you're really suffering, you're ready to consider any and all tinnitus treatments. One study showed that a combination of the anesthetic licocaine and the drug alprazolam (Xanax) produced at least partial relief of tintinitus. Lidocaine was injected in the middle ear and on the arm for three days straight. The improvement appears to be permanent. This treatment worked for both high-tone and low-tone tintinitus. Good people, be careful. As a subscriber to a myriad of alternative health newsletters, I have read so many bad things about Xanax. You'll need to go to your MD for this, and when you do, please be sure to research the side effects. However, if I were really suffering, I would try just about anything for awhile, after consulting my MD and checking things out thoroughly.

Source: Bottom Line Health, January 2007. Their source: John J. Shea, Jr., MD, chief otologic surgeon, Shea Ear Clinic, Memphis, Tennessee.

Update: April 2008

I just saw an ad in the May 2008 issue of Readers Digest for a tinnitus product called Lipo-Flavonoid. You might want to ask your doctor about it. It's a "non-drug supplement that improves circulation in the inner ear, to help relieve the ringing. No prescription is needed." There's a Web site for more information on Lipo-Flavonoid for tinnitus

Whether you're looking for tinnitus treatments, tintinitus treatments or tinntinitus treatments, however you spell it, I hope one of these works for you. As always, check with your doctor. Only you and your doctor know your medical conditions and how any of these tinnitus treatments might interact with them.

And you might be interested in this book:

The content of Alternative Medicine Digest is presented for general informational purposes only, and you should review it with your doctor before taking any action with regard to your health care. The information on alternative medicine at this site is not presented as advice or recommendation, nor is it intended to treat or cure any disease or disorder, nor to substitute for consultation, diagnosis or treatment by your M.D. or other medical professional. See our Medical Disclaimer.

Copyright 2006 Joanna Fuchs Tinnitus Treatments