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  1. Karl

    The Thing About Finding a Cure...

    You're looking for a drug, but I think you, like so many people on this site, are searching in vain. Seems to me, reading these posts, that so many people with tinnitus are looking for that a drug. Tinnitus is typically due to hearing loss - destroyed cochlear hair cells. Are drugs going to...
  2. Karl

    How I Fixed It

    This is my success story: It was four years ago that I got tinnitus from an ototoxic medicine. At first, it wasn’t much of an “eeeee…eeee”, and I could tolerate it. But eventually it became a major issue when I got a sinus infection. Then it became much louder. I couldn’t bare it, finding it...
  3. Karl

    I Don't Want to Be Here Anymore

    derpytia - You may be stressing-out because you are trying too hard to make it go away. Also, this time of year can be especially stressful. I have not visited this website for a long time, but I used to write quite a bit. Tinnitus is much less a factor in my life now than it was 3 years...
  4. Karl

    Weird Out of Body Experience while on Sleep Paralysis last night!

    AnneG - What Fish describes is GERD, which is what I have. Off and on, I have had initial bad sleep due to acid reflux. A lot of times I wake up, gagging. This is due to stomach acid which climb up the esophagus and cause the larynx to constrict, causing a person to choke. You may want to...
  5. Karl

    Auditory Nerve or IHC/OHC Damage?

    There are threads on this website about cutting the auditory nerves. I believe that for most people with tinnitus, if their auditory nerve is cut, their tinnitus stops. But not always. Unfortunately, it can get worse. That's why it's important to avoid situations that can damage hearing. But...
  6. Karl

    Auditory Nerve or IHC/OHC Damage?

    My vote is In my opinion, that's how it starts. It's the IHC's that get "down/dead". Your auditory nervous system isn't damaged. After the IHC's go down, the brain starts listening really hard to the down/dead IHC. The brain sends a signal to the down/dead IHC and the OHC, to "crank up the...
  7. Karl

    Tinnitus May Not Originate In The Ear Study Finds

    Jake - Please read this thread by Dr. Chris Heddon: Why do we accept that HL and T are the 3rd most prevalent chronic diseases in the world? | Tinnitus Talk Support Forum That thread is the most promising news I have read about the steps toward finding tinnitus drugs. A lot is happening...
  8. Karl

    Tinnitus May Not Originate In The Ear Study Finds

    I disagree with the idea that tinnitus "does not originate in the ear". There is the "initiation" phase of tinnitus, when it starts, which is usually in the ear due to hearing loss. For some people, it initiates other ways (probably due to a mix-up of sensoral signals with auditory neural...
  9. Karl

    Alcohol Is Not an Approved Treatment

    Fortunately, alchohol has no effect on my T. I have a couple glasses of merlot every night. I really look forward to it. It's sort of my reward for getting home and time to relax.
  10. Karl

    Four Years of Constant Tinnitus

    Connie C - There is a new type of hearing aid that is surgically implanted, which may help you. See the following: http://www.wpbf.com/news/health/Boynton-Beach-man-touts-revolutionary-hearing-aid/-/8788734/21250678/-/a188jz/-/index.html It cost a lot: $30-$40K. You may want to ask if...
  11. Karl

    Antidepressants (SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOs, TCAs, TeCAs)

    ColorRed: I agree. Even on this website, now and then I've noticed suspicious postings, wondering if the poster has a hidden agenda to sell something. Cher69: I'm like you, I have no problems taking medicine. I take medicine for high cholesterol, acid reflux, allergies and Remeron for...
  12. Karl

    Why Do We Accept That HL and Tinnitus Are the 3rd Most Prevalent Chronic Diseases in the World?

    Chris - These links are MAJOR news. So much is happening, things appear to be coming together. Fnally, we may have effective medicines for hearing loss and tinnitus.
  13. Karl

    Cochlear Implants as a Treatment of Tinnitus

    Chris - This is major news! Have you contacted the Veterans Administration? I had read that they are developing ways to administer a drug through the cochlea.
  14. Karl

    A Question of Religion...

    I love discussions like this! Religion and science explain many of the same existential questions we think about. Where did all THIS LIFE and EXISTENCE come from? I remember, as a kid, thinking the world was flat, with oceans falling off the edge (complete with dragons on the other side of a...
  15. Karl

    New Sufferer and I Am a Physician!

    Dr. Ancill - Hang in there. We forget that even doctors are human beings. Seems like you are doing all the right things, especially getting the hearing aids, and the TRT. We are both about the same age, so it's likely your T is due to hearing loss. When I first got tinnitus, I went to my...
  16. Karl

    Ear Ringing Started 9 Days Ago...I Don't Know How to Cope

    Jennifer - Mine also got much worse when I got a sinus infection. I couldn't sleep. I stayed home from work. The lack of sleep was driving me nuts. Fortunately, a psychiatrist prescribed me Remeron (mirtazipan), a mild anti-depressant which is great for getting sleep. I was scared about...
  17. Karl

    Neuroscience May Offer Hope to Millions Robbed of Silence by Tinnitus

    Lady Di - Great article. Gives us hope. Not sure that I agree with the idea that depression may cause tinnitus. I believe the ATA has pursued this idea previously, trying to make a serotonin connection. Let's hope that the ATA isn't kicking a dead horse. The comments at the end are very...
  18. Karl

    A Question of Religion...

    Once again, I am lost. If I recall correctly, according to Luke, Jesus said, Rule No. 1: Love God, but equally, we must love our fellow man. I think that's about "being good". The Ten Commandments were also, essentially, about "not doing bad". I dare say, why is "no one good"? Was Man put on...
  19. Karl

    Gradually getting better!

    I think Lyrica is "pregabapentin". It's the "gaba" that calms the nerves, inhibiting nerve activity. Lyrica seems to be better than benzos. A benzo like clonazepam works good at first, but then its benefit tapers off. You're doing a great job monitoring your improvement. Reading your story...
  20. Karl

    Gradually getting better!

    Dr. object16 - There is a woman who visits this site who got tinnitus after receiving an epidural during child birth. The epidural needle seemed to have damaged her vagus nerve, causing her tinnitus. What's interesting is, her tinnitus temporarily disappeared when she went to the dentist for...
  21. Karl

    Tinnitus and Mobile Phone Use

    Adam - "Inner ear devices"? Not sure what you mean by that. Also, "there are many effective therapies", I'm unclear what you mean. Someone once told me that a lot of AT&T telephone operators have teveloped tinnitus. If so, I think that it may be due to listening to an earphone in one ear...
  22. Karl

    Fine or Prison?

    Gary - It's under investigation now. They determined from the old man's bruises that the policeman shot the old guy 4 times. It was completely uncalled for.
  23. Karl

    Fine or Prison?

    meeruf - Your story made my day, because I can relate to the old man. If I was the 90 years man, I'd spend the night in prison. It's about principles. In Chicago, a few months ago a 96 year old man was making a big fuss about something in a nursing home. The nursing home called the police. A...
  24. Karl

    Now That I Have Tinnitus I Feel...

    Ditto. "There is nothing they can do about it". My T is more of an annoyance, like buzzing flies that don't go away. Not too interesting to talk about with my family.
  25. Karl

    Has Anyone Ever Seen a TV Show, Read a Book etc, Where a Character Was Suffering from Tinnitus?

    "The Emmigrants" is a trilogy of books about Swedish immigrants going to America. One of the characters had tinnitus. These books are some of my favorites. My father gave these to me, saying it must have been similar to our Norwegian ancestors who came to America in 1836. (By the time I was...
  26. Karl

    Can Tinnitus Be Cured? What Is Going to End Up Being the Cure?

    Good point. Some people have tinnitus orginating from nerves, not from hearing loss. Some researchers postulate that in the Dorsal Nuclear Cochleus (back of neck at brain stem), non-auditory nerve signals can be mixed-up with auditory nerve signals, resulting in tinnitus. But for most us, we...
  27. Karl

    Can Tinnitus Be Cured? What Is Going to End Up Being the Cure?

    I think one of the problems doctors are faced with is the location of the source of tinnitus. Again, this is my opinion, but I think that tinnitus is caused by a nerve that is behind the cochlea. That's a hard place to get at, because of the skull. If tinnitus where simply inside the cochlear...
  28. Karl

    Can Tinnitus Be Cured? What Is Going to End Up Being the Cure?

    Hopeful - That's why a lot of people wearing hearing aids experience tinnitus suppression. I wear them, and they help me. But the aids tend to delay habituation, so a lot of times I take them out. There is a conundrum, that no aids can be "perfectly fitted". If there is hearing damage, the...
  29. Karl

    This Parkinson's Treatment Is Mind-Blowing (DBS - Deep Brain Stimulation)

    Very amazing stuff! I wonder if Michael J. Fox is aware of this treatment for Parkinson's?
  30. Karl

    A Question of Religion...

    I understand completely. There is a very good book, "Life the Movie", that gets into this topic. The book is about the entertainment industry and how it's changed our lives, but it also talks about religion - sort of a precursor to today's entertainment industry. Quoting: "Those who exhibited...
  31. Karl

    A Question of Religion...

    Religion has always been somewhat of an issue for me. My mother is from Oklahoma which is very much an evangelist Christian part of America. I was sort of force fed ideas, which I never quite understood. When I was 18, I became independent from my family, politically and religiously. If...
  32. Karl

    A Question of Religion...

    I have to admit that I'm baiting with a question like this. Tinnitus is a real test of faith - for those who rely on faith in their lives. I'm not one to resort to prayer. Only in my most desperate moments have I prayed. I usually tackle any problems rationally, determining what I can do and...
  33. Karl

    A Question of Religion...

    Many religions have written about miracles performed by prophets. In the old days, religious prophets could cure major illnesses. "Zap!" and people who were blind regained their sight. Miracles and stuff like that. But did any of these prophets cure tinnitus? Was tinnitus even around 2000...
  34. Karl

    Tinnitus Retraining Therapy

    Yes, this is a fine point: "No longer detect" versus "no longer react". I have also considered habituation to be the "no longer react" definition. If we read Jastreboff's nice little neuorphysiological diagrams, he shows a literal disconnect between conscious thoughts and the tinnitus loop...
  35. Karl

    Tinnitus Retraining Therapy

    I read something in Jastreboff and Hazell's book "Tinnitus Retraining Therapy", where they say that people who use hearing aids take longer to habituate. This has always confused me. I have been using hearing aids to suppress my tinnitus. Recently somebody on this website sent me a personal...
  36. Karl

    Hearing Aids

    Christine - I have the same hearing aids for the same price. Unfortunately, one of my hearing aids has static in it. I've been going back and forth for weeks with my audiologist trying to get it repaired.
  37. Karl

    New here

    Benley14- Several years ago, my wife lost a lot of blood, and she heard whooshing. Have you had abnormal bleeding? Has your doctor checked your hemoglobin levels? It's interesting that you say the MRI tech noted head trauma. That can be a potential cause of tinnitus. However, it doesn't quite...
  38. Karl

    Buzz Kill: Self-Dissolving Tinnitus Treatment Gives New Hope

    In the words of Robin, "Holy sh_t Batman!" Sound like progress.
  39. Karl

    Hearing Aids

    jazz - I think you are doing great. Based on what you've written, the Starkey's are doing what they need to do. The only thing I can add is, some of these hearing aids have very cool additional features. With the Widex, there is a special remote that allows a person to listen to other Bluetooth...
  40. Karl

    Brai2n Tinnitus Clinic in Belgium

    daedalus - I'm sure that you feel like a guinea pig after trying so many drugs! I'm sure the last thing you want to hear are more suggestions...but I actually had the same comment that Golly made: In certain situations (people with somatic tinnitus), gabapentin has worked. I read about...
  41. Karl

    Coursera - Amazing Website. Try It!

    Looks very interesting. I am always looking for "continuing education" courses to maintain a professional license. Speaking of courses, I've been learning German using the "Pimsleur Approach". This is by far the best language course I have come across. In the 1960's, a man by the name of...
  42. Karl

    Hi from Ireland

    I recall that gary has Menieres Disease. @gary ....? Tinnitus at low frequencies is unusual. High pitches are the first to go bad.
  43. Karl

    Hi from Ireland

    cocobean- What you describe does not fit well within the typical causes of tinnitus. You mention a lot of stress that your husband has been going through. I don't think that stress by itself can cause tinnitus. However, in your case, it almost sounds like your husband has pushed him beyond his...
  44. Karl

    What Is Tinnitus Habituation Really?

    Per - All I can say is what I have read in "Tinnitus Retraining Therapy" by Jastreboff and Hazell. They explain the logic of what they call the "Neurophysiolgical Model". If you haven't read it, I suggest you purchase this. It will demistify tinnitus so that you can come to grips with it...
  45. Karl

    What Is Tinnitus Habituation Really?

    A great question, which I have pondered. It's almost a philosophical question about what constitutes our thinking process and how much can we control our own thoughts. I think that habituation means that you no longer consciously listen to the sound. Instead of continually checking on it, you...
  46. Karl

    Thinking about How Cool the Future Is Going to Be

    Yes. I even wrote a short paper that I sent to the ATA, showing sketches. What I learned is, so far no researcher has been able to measure the voltage/current in the efferent nerve connected to the back of the cochlea. It is very difficult to setup an experiment with an animal and be able to...
  47. Karl

    Thinking about How Cool the Future Is Going to Be

    Here's my prediction: I think that tinnitus is due to a voltage/current on an efferent nerve that is connected behind the cochlear. This is a place that is "hard to get at". This little nerve is causing all our problems. It's the only explanation that makes sense to me. Eventually, doctors...
  48. Karl

    Children

    We dropped our daughters off at their colleges last week. This is the first time in 19 years my wife and I haven't had kids in our house. As a parent, I'm on the old end of the spectrum. We were married 7 years before our first daughter was born. We were fortunate to have kids with only a 16...
  49. Karl

    Hearing Aids

    just1morething- I'm sorry that I didn't read your post until tonight. You are asking an important question, 'What if the hearing aids don't help?" Then, return them. They may be the wrong type. You can always try them another time. I know that you are pushing pressure on yourself to fix this...
  50. Karl

    Dr. Robert Aaron Levine's Tinnitus Tutorial

    Thank you, Jazz. I will peruse through these. Last year I was reading a neurology book, and I remember reading about the DNC, and all the types of neurons that come together there. It's amazing how much knowledge brilliant medical researchers have amassed about the human brain. My gut...
  51. Karl

    Dr. Robert Aaron Levine's Tinnitus Tutorial

    I don't know about this theory: A decrease in stimulation from the cochlear nerves due to hearing loss, causes an increase in stimulus from other nerves connecting to the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN)? I'm not sure if I buy into this theory. I've also thought that the DCN plays a role in...
  52. Karl

    Hearing Aids

    jazz - Great advice. I am also happy that the your hearing aids are working out so well. Ditto on my experience. It's a bit tricky giving advice for something like this, since we all react so differently. About "recruitment", this is a new term for me. I'm looking at "Tinnitus Retraining...
  53. Karl

    Hearing Aids

    just1morething/Columbo - There's an adjustment period. Does it seem like things are quieter when you put the hearing aids on? If so, that's the objective, to get a duration of quiet time. Of course when you take them off, your tinnitus will be back (Remember those "Chucky " movies in the...
  54. Karl

    Hearing Aids

    just1morething - Great to hear that you are trying the aids. When I first got them, they really wiped me out, because I wasn't used to hearing normally. It took me a week or two to get used to them. Tinnitus is a lot like going bald. Instead of losing hair on your head, tinnitus is typically...
  55. Karl

    Lorazepam (Ativan) Experiment

    stillafloat - Dr. Jack Vernon was the founding member of the ATA. I believe that he took benzo's for his tinnitus. Find Erik's comment about Dr. Vernon on the following thread: https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/kevin-hogan-recovered-after-2-5-years.555/ Personally, I don't like benzo's...
  56. Karl

    Hearing Aids

    Hi Click. I remember based on what you've written, your tinnitus comes and goes - which is great for you! Mine is the ordinary variety of tinnitus that's due to hearing loss. I think hearing aids only work for those of us with hearing loss. They restore the balance. When I put the hearing aids...
  57. Karl

    Wondering What We All Do for Our Work/Job/Living

    I'm a structural engineer. I also write software for other structural engineers, which is a side business I've had for over 20 years. I prefer designing buildings with architects, but that type of work has slowed down. Bridges are what usually pays the bills. I've done this so long, designing...
  58. Karl

    Hearing Aids

    My vote: Get the hearing aids. I had maskers, for about year. Today, I have hearing aids. There is no comparison. I do two things to reduce my tinnitus: Hearing aids to balance my hearing. I listen to a sound therapy for a couple hours a day. The sound is approximately the same tone as my...
  59. Karl

    Success Stories?? Tell Me It Gets Better PLS!

    Jay - I got tinnitus from either Metoprolol or a blood thinner. I went to the hospital for atrial fibrilation. 5 hours after entering the hospital, my heart was back in rythmn, but I got tinnitus.