A Cure for Tinnitus Is Inevitable

[Shaun0TD]

Hey guys,

My tinnitus started around 2017 from loud headphone use and clubbing. I tried oral Prednisolone, but apart from leaving me on edge, I noticed it distorted my hearing in certain frequencies. I could scale up a piano and find the exact note/pitch that would give me a "feedback" effect in my hearing. I stopped the steroids immediately. Thankfully, everything mostly died down to very manageable levels. The distortion disappeared, too.

I would describe my tinnitus volume at only 1-2 now. Sometimes goes up to a 3 or 4 with a spike. Interestingly, if there's an environmental noise present such as a fan or fridge, moving or turning my head in a certain direction can influence the loudness. Fortunately, I can still wear foam earplugs to sleep and the level goes right down to a 1. I'm lucky, and I don't take take it for granted.

This brings me to my point. I've been researching this for a few years, and I'm absolutely certain tinnitus will be "cured" at some point in future. The likes of Dr. Shore's device will hopefully alleviate and lessen the noise for some people, but I think brain implants like Neuralink will be the fix eventually. There's already plenty of information and research supporting this theory, a lot of which you already know.

Consider the following: brain implants (and by extension "transhumanism") are controversial subjects. There's many conspiracy theories about it being a slippery slope, particularly in regards to humans eventually merging with AI. Therefore, they'll want and need successful use cases of this technology for "easier" ailments and diseases at first, before more sophisticated applications are considered by the wider public. Tinnitus is absolutely something I would consider to fall into such a category. I believe Elon Musk even said "100%" when asked about Neuralink curing tinnitus.

I know there was a joke post here before about Neuralink ending up a "subscription service", where one would have to keep up monthly payments to keep their tinnitus switched off. It's funny, but I honestly wouldn't rule out such a business model, lol. Ultimately though, I consider the solution to this an inevitability with Neuralink and similar in future. Hopefully most can find relief with other devices that come before.

Best wishes to all suffering with tinnitus; I know how disturbing and depressing this sh*t can be.

Shaun

 

[Nick47]

@Shaun0TD, I agree, yes, it will be cured at some point. I would switch off from Neuralink though. Miles away and tinnitus is clearly not a priority for Neuralink, just based on a throwaway Tweet comment from Elon.

In terms of brain interfaces, the focus should be on Neurosoft, who will start human clinical trials at the end of next year.

Personally I think we may as well delete the Neuralink thread.

 

[Jupiterman]

The first thread on the research section of Tinnitus Talk was a posting on 1st April 2011 (April fools day ironically) entitled "Here's a List of Current Clinical Trials! (US/International)" by @rogerg. There is talk of a 'new drug' called "BGG492A". Hmm, whatever happened to that?

I am quite concerned over the hope, hype, and even obsession that some have with the research. It's now a sizable chunk of postings on the Tinnitus Talk forum.

So, I ask you; what good has discussing research ever done for anyone's mental health, or their tinnitus for that matter?

From what I see; it has only led to one thing - disappointment! That is an emotion that few of us can ill-afford, given the levels of our suffering.

I used to read all the research postings and posted as well. However, I realised they weren't helping me feel better. In fact, with the failure of Otonomy and Frequency Therapeutics drugs, I realised it was downright destructive to my mental health. I decided to give myself a break of a few days, then a week, and then a month. Now, I wouldn't even think about reading them as they instil that dangerous emotion of 'expectation-hope' in this incredibly futile environment.

And what good does hope serve you might ask? Doesn't hope act as a suicide prevention you could argue? But what happens with that hope you have emotionally invested into some drug when the news inevitably comes around that the drug has failed? Do your suicide idealisations return, and are they worse than ever?

We are all swimming in these dangerous waters and one must be careful not to swim too far from the shore.

I am by no means saying we should give up on hope or that there is no chance of an effective treatment/cure in the future. I just think that constantly updating yourself with every scrap of research news will not help your mental health in the medium or long term. It merely satisfies your short term curiosity and gives you a temporary emotional boost (assuming it's a snippet of good news); effectively acting as a narcotic.

One of my former work colleagues did research into curing hearing loss in their young academic years and got a PhD for it. I asked him, "Did you find a cure?" He laughed and said "No, but I narrowed it down for them." I wonder how many more young doctoral students have fancied their chances at being able to put "Carried out research for cure on tinnitus/hearing loss" on their resume/CV?

I do get the impression it's a big favourite? And who can blame them?

If a breakthrough is made in this field then the researchers will be billionaires almost overnight. I can understand the motivation for anyone with qualifications in Biology to make an attempt.

Am I being too negative? Am I a negative person? I believe I am a realist and having had this condition for a while, I understand we need to play and manage our emotions more carefully than the average tinnitus-free person.

Do I believe a cure is possible - yes! Someone will eventually figure out how to trigger the body to carry out cell repair and replacement in the auditory system (as it naturally occurs with fish, reptiles and birds). Probably by use of an infusion or injection.

Do I think an effective treatment is possible - yes! That will likely come long before the cure. Likewise; someone will eventually figure out how to 'close' the tinnitus signal to the brain, as what naturally occurs with people who don't get tinnitus. Probably by use of a pill that gives relief for several hours.

Last two paragraphs are just my opinions of course, gained from reading just about every post in the research section.

So here is my hearty advice:

Why not just let yourself get the surprise when it hopefully happens? I can assure you there will be nowhere to hide if it does. It will be plastered over every news and media outlet for a good few days. You will know about it and will likely be contacted by your family doctor in due course to receive the treatment.

It's okay to hope and want this to happen but leave the research news to the researchers.

We should concentrate on helping ourselves NOW and supporting each other; sharing experiences in the hope of minimising our suffering day-to-day.

 

[Jammer]

I believe a cure for cancer will predate a tinnitus cure.

 

[Joey72]

I believe a cure for cancer will predate a tinnitus cure.

Nah, the medical industrial complex are making money hand over fist. IMHO.

 

[Cmspgran]

The first thread on the research section of Tinnitus Talk was a posting on 1st April 2011 (April fools day ironically) entitled "Here's a List of Current Clinical Trials! (US/International)" by @rogerg. There is talk of a 'new drug' called "BGG492A". Hmm, whatever happened to that?

I am quite concerned over the hope, hype, and even obsession that some have with the research. It's now a sizable chunk of postings on the Tinnitus Talk forum.

So, I ask you; what good has discussing research ever done for anyone's mental health, or their tinnitus for that matter?

From what I see; it has only led to one thing - disappointment! That is an emotion that few of us can ill-afford, given the levels of our suffering.

I used to read all the research postings and posted as well. However, I realised they weren't helping me feel better. In fact, with the failure of Otonomy and Frequency Therapeutics drugs, I realised it was downright destructive to my mental health. I decided to give myself a break of a few days, then a week, and then a month. Now, I wouldn't even think about reading them as they instil that dangerous emotion of 'expectation-hope' in this incredibly futile environment.

And what good does hope serve you might ask? Doesn't hope act as a suicide prevention you could argue? But what happens with that hope you have emotionally invested into some drug when the news inevitably comes around that the drug has failed? Do your suicide idealisations return, and are they worse than ever?

We are all swimming in these dangerous waters and one must be careful not to swim too far from the shore.

I am by no means saying we should give up on hope or that there is no chance of an effective treatment/cure in the future. I just think that constantly updating yourself with every scrap of research news will not help your mental health in the medium or long term. It merely satisfies your short term curiosity and gives you a temporary emotional boost (assuming it's a snippet of good news); effectively acting as a narcotic.

One of my former work colleagues did research into curing hearing loss in their young academic years and got a PhD for it. I asked him, "Did you find a cure?" He laughed and said "No, but I narrowed it down for them." I wonder how many more young doctoral students have fancied their chances at being able to put "Carried out research for cure on tinnitus/hearing loss" on their resume/CV?

I do get the impression it's a big favourite? And who can blame them?

If a breakthrough is made in this field then the researchers will be billionaires almost overnight. I can understand the motivation for anyone with qualifications in Biology to make an attempt.

Am I being too negative? Am I a negative person? I believe I am a realist and having had this condition for a while, I understand we need to play and manage our emotions more carefully than the average tinnitus-free person.

Do I believe a cure is possible - yes! Someone will eventually figure out how to trigger the body to carry out cell repair and replacement in the auditory system (as it naturally occurs with fish, reptiles and birds). Probably by use of an infusion or injection.

Do I think an effective treatment is possible - yes! That will likely come long before the cure. Likewise; someone will eventually figure out how to 'close' the tinnitus signal to the brain, as what naturally occurs with people who don't get tinnitus. Probably by use of a pill that gives relief for several hours.

Last two paragraphs are just my opinions of course, gained from reading just about every post in the research section.

So here is my hearty advice:

Why not just let yourself get the surprise when it hopefully happens? I can assure you there will be nowhere to hide if it does. It will be plastered over every news and media outlet for a good few days. You will know about it and will likely be contacted by your family doctor in due course to receive the treatment.

It's okay to hope and want this to happen but leave the research news to the researchers.

We should concentrate on helping ourselves NOW and supporting each other; sharing experiences in the hope of minimising our suffering day-to-day.

Good post @Jupiterman and a lot of sense spoken.

What would be really good would be an encyclopaedia thread of what's worked as coping mechanisms for people struggling, what got them through the dark times etc. That would be far more helpful than the hope instilled by the Research News thread.

As we've conversed before, I'm suffering from terrible real time reactive tinnitus in the left ear and I've been reading lots of the threads on the hyperacusis sub-forum of how people deal with having to isolate more and it's been a great help just knowing there's other people out there having to isolate and listening to what they're up to. That has helped me far more than clinging onto hope of distant cures nowhere near the horizon.

 

[Shaun0TD]

The first thread on the research section of Tinnitus Talk was a posting on 1st April 2011 (April fools day ironically) entitled "Here's a List of Current Clinical Trials! (US/International)" by @rogerg. There is talk of a 'new drug' called "BGG492A". Hmm, whatever happened to that?

I am quite concerned over the hope, hype, and even obsession that some have with the research. It's now a sizable chunk of postings on the Tinnitus Talk forum.

So, I ask you; what good has discussing research ever done for anyone's mental health, or their tinnitus for that matter?

From what I see; it has only led to one thing - disappointment! That is an emotion that few of us can ill-afford, given the levels of our suffering.

I used to read all the research postings and posted as well. However, I realised they weren't helping me feel better. In fact, with the failure of Otonomy and Frequency Therapeutics drugs, I realised it was downright destructive to my mental health. I decided to give myself a break of a few days, then a week, and then a month. Now, I wouldn't even think about reading them as they instil that dangerous emotion of 'expectation-hope' in this incredibly futile environment.

And what good does hope serve you might ask? Doesn't hope act as a suicide prevention you could argue? But what happens with that hope you have emotionally invested into some drug when the news inevitably comes around that the drug has failed? Do your suicide idealisations return, and are they worse than ever?

We are all swimming in these dangerous waters and one must be careful not to swim too far from the shore.

I am by no means saying we should give up on hope or that there is no chance of an effective treatment/cure in the future. I just think that constantly updating yourself with every scrap of research news will not help your mental health in the medium or long term. It merely satisfies your short term curiosity and gives you a temporary emotional boost (assuming it's a snippet of good news); effectively acting as a narcotic.

One of my former work colleagues did research into curing hearing loss in their young academic years and got a PhD for it. I asked him, "Did you find a cure?" He laughed and said "No, but I narrowed it down for them." I wonder how many more young doctoral students have fancied their chances at being able to put "Carried out research for cure on tinnitus/hearing loss" on their resume/CV?

I do get the impression it's a big favourite? And who can blame them?

If a breakthrough is made in this field then the researchers will be billionaires almost overnight. I can understand the motivation for anyone with qualifications in Biology to make an attempt.

Am I being too negative? Am I a negative person? I believe I am a realist and having had this condition for a while, I understand we need to play and manage our emotions more carefully than the average tinnitus-free person.

Do I believe a cure is possible - yes! Someone will eventually figure out how to trigger the body to carry out cell repair and replacement in the auditory system (as it naturally occurs with fish, reptiles and birds). Probably by use of an infusion or injection.

Do I think an effective treatment is possible - yes! That will likely come long before the cure. Likewise; someone will eventually figure out how to 'close' the tinnitus signal to the brain, as what naturally occurs with people who don't get tinnitus. Probably by use of a pill that gives relief for several hours.

Last two paragraphs are just my opinions of course, gained from reading just about every post in the research section.

So here is my hearty advice:

Why not just let yourself get the surprise when it hopefully happens? I can assure you there will be nowhere to hide if it does. It will be plastered over every news and media outlet for a good few days. You will know about it and will likely be contacted by your family doctor in due course to receive the treatment.

It's okay to hope and want this to happen but leave the research news to the researchers.

We should concentrate on helping ourselves NOW and supporting each other; sharing experiences in the hope of minimising our suffering day-to-day.

I agree with a lot of your points. That said, I never had much hope in any of these drugs to regenerate hair cells and cure tinnitus. I always felt chronic tinnitus would need to be "shut off" through some sort of brain implant.

I believe a cure for cancer will predate a tinnitus cure.

In theory, yes, it's possible they already have a cure for cancer. In reality, it's unlikely you'll ever see it. United Nations studies connected to their 'Sustainable Development Goals' propose carrying capacity of the planet is 1-2 billion people. We're already WAY over-capacity, according to those who drive macro policy. Cancer assists them with population control, whether we like it or not. It's not in their interests to ever have it "cured". Also, there's much more money in selling treatment than cures. For example, do you think Big Pharma and their buddies at the FDA would ever approve a single, one-off pill that could cure depression forever? Of course not. Better to keep you on SSRIs for the rest of your life. It's just business.

Tinnitus cure will come. Cancer... don't count on it.

 

[Utdmad89]

@Shaun0TD, I agree, yes, it will be cured at some point. I would switch off from Neuralink though. Miles away and tinnitus is clearly not a priority for Neuralink, just based on a throwaway Tweet comment from Elon.

In terms of brain interfaces, the focus should be on Neurosoft, who will start human clinical trials at the end of next year.

Personally I think we may as well delete the Neuralink thread.

Is the Neurosoft trial specifically for tinnitus or something else?

 

[Juliane]

The first thread on the research section of Tinnitus Talk was a posting on 1st April 2011 (April fools day ironically) entitled "Here's a List of Current Clinical Trials! (US/International)" by @rogerg. There is talk of a 'new drug' called "BGG492A". Hmm, whatever happened to that?

I am quite concerned over the hope, hype, and even obsession that some have with the research. It's now a sizable chunk of postings on the Tinnitus Talk forum.

So, I ask you; what good has discussing research ever done for anyone's mental health, or their tinnitus for that matter?

From what I see; it has only led to one thing - disappointment! That is an emotion that few of us can ill-afford, given the levels of our suffering.

I used to read all the research postings and posted as well. However, I realised they weren't helping me feel better. In fact, with the failure of Otonomy and Frequency Therapeutics drugs, I realised it was downright destructive to my mental health. I decided to give myself a break of a few days, then a week, and then a month. Now, I wouldn't even think about reading them as they instil that dangerous emotion of 'expectation-hope' in this incredibly futile environment.

And what good does hope serve you might ask? Doesn't hope act as a suicide prevention you could argue? But what happens with that hope you have emotionally invested into some drug when the news inevitably comes around that the drug has failed? Do your suicide idealisations return, and are they worse than ever?

We are all swimming in these dangerous waters and one must be careful not to swim too far from the shore.

I am by no means saying we should give up on hope or that there is no chance of an effective treatment/cure in the future. I just think that constantly updating yourself with every scrap of research news will not help your mental health in the medium or long term. It merely satisfies your short term curiosity and gives you a temporary emotional boost (assuming it's a snippet of good news); effectively acting as a narcotic.

One of my former work colleagues did research into curing hearing loss in their young academic years and got a PhD for it. I asked him, "Did you find a cure?" He laughed and said "No, but I narrowed it down for them." I wonder how many more young doctoral students have fancied their chances at being able to put "Carried out research for cure on tinnitus/hearing loss" on their resume/CV?

I do get the impression it's a big favourite? And who can blame them?

If a breakthrough is made in this field then the researchers will be billionaires almost overnight. I can understand the motivation for anyone with qualifications in Biology to make an attempt.

Am I being too negative? Am I a negative person? I believe I am a realist and having had this condition for a while, I understand we need to play and manage our emotions more carefully than the average tinnitus-free person.

Do I believe a cure is possible - yes! Someone will eventually figure out how to trigger the body to carry out cell repair and replacement in the auditory system (as it naturally occurs with fish, reptiles and birds). Probably by use of an infusion or injection.

Do I think an effective treatment is possible - yes! That will likely come long before the cure. Likewise; someone will eventually figure out how to 'close' the tinnitus signal to the brain, as what naturally occurs with people who don't get tinnitus. Probably by use of a pill that gives relief for several hours.

Last two paragraphs are just my opinions of course, gained from reading just about every post in the research section.

So here is my hearty advice:

Why not just let yourself get the surprise when it hopefully happens? I can assure you there will be nowhere to hide if it does. It will be plastered over every news and media outlet for a good few days. You will know about it and will likely be contacted by your family doctor in due course to receive the treatment.

It's okay to hope and want this to happen but leave the research news to the researchers.

We should concentrate on helping ourselves NOW and supporting each other; sharing experiences in the hope of minimising our suffering day-to-day.

I completely agree with everything you say. Waiting for tinnitus to be cured is like waiting for the return of Christ. Might happen but might take a while too! And if you attach a lot of hope to a potential cure, you spend your life waiting for something that may or may not ever come. Even if a real cure eventually comes, it could be in 2223 or later... Good for people living at that time, but how does it help us.

When I first got tinnitus in 2003 (and back then it was mild but I did not know and still despaired a lot), there was also talk about potential cures. Fast forward 20 years, and we are not even close. I went from being a young woman to middle-aged and still nothing...

That is why I decided to never wait for, or even expect a cure in my lifetime. As far as I'm concerned, I am basically fucked. Does that make me depressed? Of course, but it does not make me harbour any illusions that would definitely add to my depression.

My philosophy is this: tinnitus sucks more than most things in this world, but don't expect any doctors to help you. They are not able to, and in many cases, they may even harm you further. The sooner one realizes this fact, the better.

If a miracle cure should someday be ready and available at your local pharmacy - trust me, you will know. Until then, try and live what's left of your life in the best way possible and minimize the suffering that comes from unmet expectations. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Jammer]

I agree with a lot of your points. That said, I never had much hope in any of these drugs to regenerate hair cells and cure tinnitus. I always felt chronic tinnitus would need to be "shut off" through some sort of brain implant.

In theory, yes, it's possible they already have a cure for cancer. In reality, it's unlikely you'll ever see it. United Nations studies connected to their 'Sustainable Development Goals' propose carrying capacity of the planet is 1-2 billion people. We're already WAY over-capacity, according to those who drive macro policy. Cancer assists them with population control, whether we like it or not. It's not in their interests to ever have it "cured". Also, there's much more money in selling treatment than cures. For example, do you think Big Pharma and their buddies at the FDA would ever approve a single, one-off pill that could cure depression forever? Of course not. Better to keep you on SSRIs for the rest of your life. It's just business.

Tinnitus cure will come. Cancer... don't count on it.

I agree with a lot of your points too. Really, I believe that humanity will likely be gone due to our own bad behavior.

 

[Quintus]

The main reason why we still don't have a cure for tinnitus is because there is simply too little research. It is no exaggeration to say that human hearing is the most neglected and overlooked organ in medical research. Audiology and otology are the few areas of medicine that have made zero progress in the last decades. Really zero progress. The statements made by today's ENT doctors are the same as they were fifty years ago!

"Learn to live with it". "There's nothing we can do for you". "It's incurable, we're sorry, have a nice day". ENT doctors were already using these phrases fifty years ago.

Completely complacent and self-satisfied, the medical profession thinks that hearing aids, habitutation and cognitive behavioural therapy are sufficient for the treatment of tinnitus. It is therefore no wonder that we still have no cure.

Anyone who believes that research into a cure for tinnitus is being carried out day and night and around the clock is completely wrong. That is not the case. One can count the number of research institutes that are researching a cure on both hands. Only very few universities are involved. The big pharmaceutical companies are not involved at all.

As long as human hearing remains the most neglected organ in medical research, circumstances will not change. It is incurable because too little research is being done and not because the problem is too complex!

 

[Nick47]

Is the Neurosoft trial specifically for tinnitus or something else?

There has been a feasibility trial in humans with Epilepsy to check for safety and feasibility. They are specifically carrying out a trial at the end of next year for tinnitus. It will be a small pilot trial. The company also plan to use the technology for other disorders.

 

[Jupiterman]

It is incurable because too little research is being done and not because the problem is too complex!

If the problem wasn't complex, it would have been solved A LONG time ago.

I won't repeat the complexities of tinnitus from one of my previous postings (post 109) but feel free to read it if you like.

I agree it could do with more funding and motivation from the big pharmas. However, I think the reason why they don't research tinnitus is they understand the difficulties only too well. There has to be some 'reasonable' chance of success from their research.

This is why it tends to be students, universities or smaller companies with BIG ambitions that tend to research this impossible condition.

As I said, I believe it's entirely possible that a cure may not be possible due to the complexity and uncertainty of what actually causes tinnitus. I hope I am wrong though and I like to believe that it is possible.

 

[Muggumbo]

I honestly think if the Susan Shore device proves successful (and profitable), you will see more of these companies tossing their hats in the ring to cure/treat tinnitus. Right now there's almost no real treatments, so there's lots of money to be made. These companies just need a wiff of the cash and they'll be piling in.

 

[ZFire]

the main reason why we still don't have a cure for tinnitus is because there is simply too little research. It is no exaggeration to say that human hearing is the most neglected and overlooked organ in medical research.

There's some solid data to support this as well.

TABLE 1. A list of trials registered on the clinicaltrials.gov website, showing both total number of trials and those trials investigating drug interventions for the relevant condition (such conducted on).

Figure 1:

FIGURE 1. Publications listed on the United States National Library of Medicine PubMed database for the conditions tinnitus, deafness, anxiety or depression in the period from 1940 to 2017.

Figure 2:

FIGURE 2. Publications listed on the United States National Library of Medicine PubMed database for the search [(pharmacological treatment) OR (drug treatment)] AND condition (conditions: tinnitus, deafness, anxiety or depression) in the time period from 1940 to 2017.

The results demonstrate the large difference in research output between the various conditions, with depression having 30.5 times more scientific publications in 2017 compared to tinnitus. When attention is turned to drug therapies, the comparison is even more stark: there were 49.0 times more drug treatment related publications for depression in 2017 compared to the output for tinnitus.

Source (bear in mind, the article is from 2019, but still holds true to this day).

 

[Jupiterman]

So we've had 694 trials into hearing loss and tinnitus (as @ZFire states, it's 2019 data so this number will be larger now).

And how many successful drugs from these trials?

Zero!

As I keep saying, tinnitus is a hard cookie to crack!

You can certainly understand why pharmaceutical companies would rather research pain and depression/anxiety drugs. It's a hell of a lot easier to achieve success.

 

[Barry17]

Tinnitus cure will come. Cancer... don't count on it.

Nope. Twenty years have passed, and I'm still suffering. I'm not talking about a simple peep in my ear but a symphony of terrible sounds that you can't escape. These noises have completely destroyed my quality of life.

The cause is hearing damage, and tinnitus has received almost no research, no cure, and no real priority. It's just too complex. In comparison, cancer research has made remarkable progress over the past twenty years.