WHAT HAS HELPED YOUR TINNITUS?

[GailL1]

We have a very long thread on who suffers from Tinnitus - now I would like to know WHAT, if anything, has helped you with the condition.  Medication, white noise, supplements, hearing aids  - ANYTHING !???

Mine started years and years ago, probably 20 - initially I had an MRI to rule out anything else, always the same ear and always constant.  I just learned to live with it.  But in the last 1 - 2 years it has gotten MUCH louder - thus far I just try to not think about it, use background noise - 

Funny thing, after I am asleep - I don't have it.  😉  It starts again when I awake - so is this something like does a falling tree make a noise in the woods if there is no one around to hear it.

I tell my "science-based" friends that they would become millionaires if they discovered a cure - outside of sleeping - that's not living.

Anybody got any advice here?  However, I do not drink!

[KeithB870990]

Hello Gail and everyone. I'm a brand new subscriber who just turned 65. I've had tinnitus the past 8 years due to being too close to a cannon exhibition in Rome. The shock wave was painful. My ears haven't stopped ringing since and I may have found a treatment that actually works. The problem is it's about $4500 and not covered by insurance. It's a device called Lenire and it consists of mild electrodes transmitted to the tongue, combined with audio signals through headphones. It was apparently discovered to effect tinnitus after a study at the U of Minnesota. It essentially trains the brain to stop making the phantom sound we call ringing. The company Lenire (dot com) has all the info, including clinics throughout the country that offer the treatments. They boast of an 83% improvement in participants. My goal is to see if I can convince my insurance and/or Medicare to cover at least some of the cost. It strikes me as a neurological treatment, more than hearing. I suspect it will take a bigger voice than mine though. I'm hoping AARP will assist. (Are you reading this AARP? Would love to hear from you.) Anyway, that's my insights for what they're worth. Here's hoping the treatment will become ubiquitous and affordable soon. Cheers!

[Mike7SoCal]

I have been able to ignore it much of the time.  On nights when it is 'louder', I have used a fan to generate some quiet white noise, and that helps enough to enable me to sleep.

[aruzinsky]

I've had tinnitus for 40 years and the only time it disappeared was when I had a cold and was heavily dosed on cold medicine (maybe, NyQuil).  I woke up in the middle of the night; the tinnitus was gone; I went back to sleep; it was back in the morning.

[WebWiseWoman]

Nothing has helped abate my tinnitus; nothing.

Some blame this on "rock concerts", etc...but think this was something my grandpa suffered from WWI, so if so, that couldn't be true.

I so want some smart, scientific person to discover how to end the cicadas in my ears 24/7, please?

#StaySafe

[Atlanta4now]

Hello, Gail. I’ve been a musician since I was 15 years old. I’m 69 now. I’ve had tinnitus for more than 25 years. I don’t remember when the noise came, but I remember the incident that probably caused it. The noise in my head is not the same every day, nor is the volume the same. Occasionally, there are multiple sounds simultaneously. Sometimes there is the sound of steam, along with the chirping of a group of angry parakeets in a pet shop, for lack of a better description. I’ve had it so long, it's become less intrusive.

I wonder if it’s the same noise for everyone? I’m guessing not. Certainly, the severity of damage to your ear drum will probably dictate how persistent the noise is, and how loud. More and more now, I’ve become less conscious of the noises, and therefore, they're less bothersome. I say all of this to say, your body will continue to try to heal itself. While the noise may never completely cease, there’s a part of you that helps you tolerate it. When I’m busy with various things, or even deep in thought, I’m less conscious of it. Take heart. Jerry

[WalterR3231]

Hello.  Just read your write up and concerns about your Tinnitus. So sorry to hear about this.  I have had it as well for some time.  As I am writing this, it seems my ear ringing has got louder.  I try as well to ignore it the best I can.  Staying busy, like going to the gym seems to take my mind off of it.  The best thing that works for me is the White noise, pink noise etc., I downloaded free White noises to my Ipad and listen to it in the background at night, by my pillow-not to loud, just enough to override the Tinnitus noise.  I also put the Ipad on my desk or on my desk while I am working. It Dose't stop the noise, but it helps a bit. My ENT doctor said the Tinnitus noise is not "fixable," and turned me over to the audiologist. I do take Lipoflavinoids for Ear ringing, not much more than a placebo but I think it helps a bit. I have weaned down on this. My PCP said it was ok to take. As with anything, pills, drops always check with your doctor before using them. You can get these from Walmart, Amazon. I am an old Military Vet and many of us have this crazy Tinnitus.  While in Walmart a few months ago I bumped into another old Vet and he asked me if those Lipoflavinoid really worked, I told him I thought they helped a bit. I did inquire how long he has had this terrible condition and he said my ears have been ringing for 30+ years.  As terrible as this condition is, he gave me encouragement to try my best to deal with this.  I know you can get hearing aids that bluetooth in white noise. But I have heard these can cost as much as $5K and they may not work at all-what a gamble.  I can tell you our Medicare does not cover this at all. The doctors I have talked with just seem to shrug their shoulders and say I'll see you in a year-not much help or encouragement there.  The old Vet I spoke with was more uplifting and encouraging. By the way, you can also buy ear drops that report they stop the ringing.  I have tried several bottles with no real success. My ENT said they are a waste of money. I still keep one in my medicine cabinet just for a stress reducer. I am trying to stay optimistic, and I am also looking for the magic cure.  If anyone else out there has things that work for them, please let us know.  Try the White noise. Hope it helps. Walter R