A Supplement That Resolved My Tinnitus

[nills]

From what I have been told Ginkgo helps with buzzing and tinnitus in lower frequencies because these are more related to blood pressure .. don`t know if it's true but seems like this product might help more with tinnitus in lower freq. I`m happy to read someone is being helped.

 

[Manuel Tissm]

I'm taking from 24 February. So far I do not feel any difference in tinnitus.

 

[Kaelon]

Just thought that I'd close the loop here and say that vinpocetine did help me, but like any anti-inflammatory, the benefit was short-lived and gradual. It wasn't a complete cure, but because my case of Tinnitus is caused by neuromuscular inflammation, after several days of taking vinpocetine, I reached a critical mass or it must have started working because I enjoyed lower volumes of Tinnitus and almost complete resolution in one of my two ears.

I suspect that people who aren't dealing with neuromuscular inflammation (namely, TMJ, neck/back/head spasms, etc.) are not going to benefit at all from vinpocetine. And as for @karine, I am really guessing that there was arterial compression as a result of inflammation somewhere and the vinpocetine, once it reached a 2 week critical mass, caused a reduction in this inflammation and resolved the pulsatile tinnitus.

So, be hopeful! Vinpocetine really does seem to work, but at least for me, it's not a cure.

 

[SleeplessSoul]

Where did you buy it Kaelon and what is the dose? Any side effects ? And you said it's good for neuromuscular inflammation caused tinnitus?
Worth a try!

 

[Karen]

Karine's original post was for this supplement, called Hearing Rescue:
http://www.amazon.com/Hearing-Rescue-60-Capsules-Brand/dp/B00MBLZBJQ/

It's available on Amazon.com. It's one of those combination supplements containing mainly ginkgoo biloba and vinpocetine. For some people, it might really work!

I've tried both ginkgo biloba and vinpocetine separately, and neither one worked for me. It depends on what type of tinnitus you have, as Kaelon mentioned.

 

[marqualler]

@Kaelon Maybe I will give this a shot. I kind of gave up in a couple days when I started about a month ago but I also suspect that having a bit of a cold didn't help things. Now that I am free and clear of any upper respiratory viruses for the first time in months (hooray!) maybe I will give it a shot again. For the record I started taking a daily Claritan (generic) this week and have noticed less intrusive tinnitus. I suspect it has something to do with better middle ear function and so perhaps if the vinpocetine also has an anti-inflammatory affect, I may get some added benefit. We'll see.

 

[Kaelon]

Hi @marqualler - I'm so glad that you are doing better, my friend. I am also feeling remarkably better, as I have narrowed in on neuromuscular inflammation (probably derived from a TMJ-related disorder) being the cause of my problem. Vinpocetine is a very strong anti-inflammatory, but it doesn't work for everyone. There are a few things to note:

1. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including vinpocetine, need to reach a "critical mass" in the bloodstream in order to work. For some drugs, like ibuprofen, this critical mass is the total amount of drug active in the blood -- and ibuprofen only has an analgesic effect for pain and fever at sub-400 mg. It takes doses of 600-800 mg to create an anti-inflammatory effect on tissues, which is why most doctors for severe pain and swelling will prescribe 600-800 mg of ibuprofen, taken 3x a day (always with meals, because it erodes the lining of the stomach). For Vinpocetine, the level is >20mg a day, built-up cumulative for two weeks. Hearing Rescue recommends you take their cocktail twice a day with meals, which gives you an effective 40mg of Vinpocetine every day.
   
   
2. Vinpocetine has on a sizable plurality of people who take it adverse neurological effects, including dizziness, nausea, and possible visual and auditory hallucinations. I didn't have any of these, but enough people report that vinpocetine makes them feel uneasy, that they are recommended to stop taking them. If you have any adverse reactions (other than gastrointestinal), consider stopping vinpocetine. If your only adverse reaction was a stomach ache and possible nausea, you may have not had enough food or nourishment while taking the vinpocetine. I find having at least 2 glasses of water with a complete meal prevents an upset stomach for me. Your body becomes more resistant to these (and all) side effects within a few days of adjusting to the vinpocetine.
   
   
3. Finally, and this is serious, vinpocetine has blood-thinning qualities and people who take some beta-blockers or calcium channel inhibitors for their blood pressure should consult with their doctors before starting this regimen. There is a known interaction here.

At any rate, here's hoping you have good results with vinpocetine. I'll say that I had some decent results, as I reported above, but it didn't cure me. It definitely took the edge off, however, and helped keep my volume nice and low -- though, to be fair, I can get the same results, usually within a single day, of taking 600mg+ of ibuprofen three times a day.

How are you doing otherwise?

 

[marqualler]

Hi @marqualler - I'm so glad that you are doing better, my friend. I am also feeling remarkably better, as I have narrowed in on neuromuscular inflammation (probably derived from a TMJ-related disorder) being the cause of my problem. Vinpocetine is a very strong anti-inflammatory, but it doesn't work for everyone. There are a few things to note:

1. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including vinpocetine, need to reach a "critical mass" in the bloodstream in order to work. For some drugs, like ibuprofen, this critical mass is the total amount of drug active in the blood -- and ibuprofen only has an analgesic effect for pain and fever at sub-400 mg. It takes doses of 600-800 mg to create an anti-inflammatory effect on tissues, which is why most doctors for severe pain and swelling will prescribe 600-800 mg of ibuprofen, taken 3x a day (always with meals, because it erodes the lining of the stomach). For Vinpocetine, the level is >20mg a day, built-up cumulative for two weeks. Hearing Rescue recommends you take their cocktail twice a day with meals, which gives you an effective 40mg of Vinpocetine every day.
   
   
2. Vinpocetine has on a sizable plurality of people who take it adverse neurological effects, including dizziness, nausea, and possible visual and auditory hallucinations. I didn't have any of these, but enough people report that vinpocetine makes them feel uneasy, that they are recommended to stop taking them. If you have any adverse reactions (other than gastrointestinal), consider stopping vinpocetine. If your only adverse reaction was a stomach ache and possible nausea, you may have not had enough food or nourishment while taking the vinpocetine. I find having at least 2 glasses of water with a complete meal prevents an upset stomach for me. Your body becomes more resistant to these (and all) side effects within a few days of adjusting to the vinpocetine.
   
   
3. Finally, and this is serious, vinpocetine has blood-thinning qualities and people who take some beta-blockers or calcium channel inhibitors for their blood pressure should consult with their doctors before starting this regimen. There is a known interaction here.

At any rate, here's hoping you have good results with vinpocetine. I'll say that I had some decent results, as I reported above, but it didn't cure me. It definitely took the edge off, however, and helped keep my volume nice and low -- though, to be fair, I can get the same results, usually within a single day, of taking 600mg+ of ibuprofen three times a day.

How are you doing otherwise?

Great info--thanks Kaelon! I've now been taking Hearing Rescue for 4 days (started Thursday evening and taken 2x / day -- with one more supplement this morning.) All in all, I have had much lower tinnitus in "day-to-day" type situations (i.e. going to the store, going outside) in the past week. I have also been taking a daily Claritan (generic) since last Monday which I suspect has also contributed to lower tinnitus. I do feel that a contributor to the strength of my tinnitus is some problem / weakness with my left middle ear & eustachian tube which is helped a little bit by the Claritan. I've yet to really determine if the Hearing Rescue is contributing to this or just acting as a placebo. I still have an "increase" in tinnitus volume when I sit in a quiet room, like last night when I went to sleep. But this morning I woke up with even lower volume (which could possibly be because we had no type of sound enrichment going when we went to sleep last night?) And I suspect further "habituation" has helped me.

All in all--I would still say that it's too early to say whether the Hearing Rescue is helping or not, especially given what you have learned about the key ingredient needing 2 weeks to reach a critical mass. I haven't experienced any of those other side effects so far since starting it again and I am not on any other medications so I think I will keep it going for the next couple weeks and see where it takes me.

 

[Manuel Tissm]

Unfortunately don't work for me. Nothing works for me.

@karine, thank you for your support

 

[marqualler]

Update here for me:

I used Hearing Rescue for about a week and a half before a sinus infection knocked me off the dosage. No real side effects--I sort of noticed more sensitivity to light when I was taking it but nothing major. I also think it lowered my T a touch, to a point where I hardly notice my T all day long. I stopped taking it last week when I got a sinus infection and decided to stop so I could take Vitamin C supplements. (I'm not big into taking any kind of drugs or supplements in general so I don't want to be taking a whole bunch of different pills every day.)

Overall, so far it hasn't hurt and maybe has helped a little bit. I'll be going back on after this weekend--my sinus infection is mostly gone (and a relief because the last time I had a sinus infection was when I got the ear infection that led me here in the first place!) and let you know what I find.

 

[bictors]

Hi @marqualler -
At any rate, here's hoping you have good results with vinpocetine. I'll say that I had some decent results, as I reported above, but it didn't cure me. It definitely took the edge off, however, and helped keep my volume nice and low -- though, to be fair, I can get the same results, usually within a single day, of taking 600mg+ of ibuprofen three times a day.

@Kaelon

Hi, I have tinnitus (6 months) after one acoustic trauma and Ibuprofen.
But my acoustic trauma happened two months before tinnitus started, first I had hyperacusis for two months and no tinnitus, then I started with ibuprofen for a injury in my hand and the hyperacusis went away but tinnitus started.

So my question is, is Vinpocetine ototoxic like ibuprofen or is it safe?

Thanks.

 

[escorpion]

Hello @karine!
Nowadays, How are you about your "ex-tinnitus"? Greetings dear!

 

[Kaelon]

@Kaelon

Hi, I have tinnitus (6 months) after one acoustic trauma and Ibuprofen.
But my acoustic trauma happened two months before tinnitus started, first I had hyperacusis for two months and no tinnitus, then I started with ibuprofen for a injury in my hand and the hyperacusis went away but tinnitus started.

So my question is, is Vinpocetine ototoxic like ibuprofen or is it safe?

Thanks.

Neither ibuprofen nor vinpocetine are permanently ototoxic. Anyone who has told you that ibuprofen is permanently ototoxic is ignorant of how ototoxicity works.

If taking ibuprofen causes tinnitus, discontinuing ibuprofen will stop it. If taking vinpocetine causes you tinnitus, then discontinuing vinpocetine will stop it. Aspirin probably will have a similar effect upon you -- because in your case, your Tinnitus (if it is temporarily reactive to taking ibuprofen) is caused by a circulatory disorder.

If your tinnitus is permanent, however, then ibuprofen or vinpocetine are essentially unheard of as the cause. They are common causes in temporary tinnitus, but - like all common temporary causes - they can also be cured by just stopping them. If you're not cured, then, it's something else.

That said, there are ototoxic medicines that when taken consistently above therapeutic levels for sustained periods of time, can cause permanent, multifactorial damage to your auditory organs, and tinnitus is one of the side effects. Antibiotics like vancomycin are "notoriously" ototoxic, only because they have historically been poorly monitored. Most reputable medical practitioners today know how to test frequently for therapeutic levels and how to combat ototoxicity for these regimens. Ibuprofen isn't even remotely in the universe of drugs that can cause you permanent damage.

Another rare case of ototoxicity, but very real, would be misformulated drugs (essentially, dirty labs), that cause major damage to your endocrine organs which, ultimately, may be manifest through auditory damage. Again, ibuprofen doesn't do t his unless if you take more than 3,200 mg of ibuprofen in any 24 hour period.

 

[sakrt]

@bictors ATA- "American Tinnitus Association" states:
Tinnitus is a potential side-effect of many prescription medications. However, in most cases and for most drugs, tinnitus is an acute, short-lived side-effect; if the patient stops taking the medication, the tinnitus symptoms typically receed. However, there are some ototoxic drugs known to cause more permanent tinnitus symptoms. These include:

• Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
• Certain antibiotics
• Certain cancer medications
• Water pills and diuretics
• Quinine-based medications

A good source to to ask is a qualified pharmacist, who has the knowledge of drugs to discuss the side-effects of your medication. You can then discuss with your doctor, as many prescribe without checking and every patient reacts differently. It's easier to get this info. from a pharmacist than a physician.

 

[Kaelon]

@bictors ATA- "American Tinnitus Association" states:
Tinnitus is a potential side-effect of many prescription medications. However, in most cases and for most drugs, tinnitus is an acute, short-lived side-effect; if the patient stops taking the medication, the tinnitus symptoms typically receed. However, there are some ototoxic drugs known to cause more permanent tinnitus symptoms. These include:

• Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
• Certain antibiotics
• Certain cancer medications
• Water pills and diuretics
• Quinine-based medications

A good source to to ask is a qualified pharmacist, who has the knowledge of drugs to discuss the side-effects of your medication. You can then discuss with your doctor, as many prescribe without checking and every patient reacts differently. It's easier to get this info. from a pharmacist than a physician.

I totally agree with the above. However, I want to be clear: general research showing that ibuprofen is "ototoxic" indicates that permanent ototoxicity generally only happens in cases of severe overdose, or a misformulation. Taking ibuprofen properly, where there is no misformulation, overdose, or drug interaction, cannot cause a permanent damage through ototoxicity.

 

[Eric T since 77]

Thanks for the info. I just ordered 1 bottle to try. I have had tinnitus for almost 40 years & I have tried just about everything including acupuncture, electric stimulation (Scenar device) & almost everything else. I haven't heard of this one so I'll give it a go.

 

[sakrt]

... I've now been taking Hearing Rescue for 4 days (started Thursday evening and taken 2x / day -- with one more supplement this morning.) All in all, I have had much lower tinnitus in "day-to-day" type situations (i.e. going to the store, going outside) in the past week....

Are you able to write down the ingredients of "Hearing Rescue" (supplement) off the bottle?
Often, it's not posted online. Curious to know what the mixture is. Thx!

 

[Eric T since 77]

I started taking Hearing Rescue today. I'll keep you posted.

 

[marqualler]

For what it's worth:

I tried taking this a few different times. Ultimately no noticeable difference but it did seem to give me more light sensitivity than I wanted. I threw the bottle away.

My recommendation is don't bother spending the money on it.

 

[Eric T since 77]

I have been taking this for 1 week now with no noticeable difference.

 

[James White]

I've taken this supplement for 5 weeks and I didn't notice any change.

 

[Cheza]

I'll post updates

You mentioned in a February 15 thread that you were going to take the supplement Hearing Rescue? Can you share your results? Did it do any good at all?

 

[just1morething]

I tried a bottle or 2 of Hearing Rescue. The website sounded encouraging, but I think I only got a placebo affect
of 1 or 2 days. I believe karine said it quit working for her also, so I would avoid IMO.

 

[Champ]

You mentioned in a February 15 thread that you were going to take the supplement Hearing Rescue? Can you share your results? Did it do any good at all?

Didn't do much but I didn't commit to it very hard in fairness. I don't expect much at this point from it.

 

[Cheza]

I don't expect much at this point from it.

I think that's the way it usually goes with these tinnitus crammed-full-of-ingredients remedies. Thanks for letting us know.

 

[Cheza]

The website sounded encouraging, but I think I only got a placebo affect
of 1 or 2 days. I believe karine said it quit working for her also, so I would avoid IMO.

Thanks. I just looked at their website. $49.95 for a one-month supply! Expensive, but it would be so worth it if it worked. Haven't heard of anything that works for tinnitus yet, except time and a few supplements that seem to soften it a bit.

 

[Joao Rio]

@Cheza, would you care to elaborate on which supplements you found can "soften it a bit"? Thanks

 

[Cheza]

would you care to elaborate on which supplements you found can "soften it a bit"? Thanks

Bioflavonoids helped me. I also take melatonin, which I think over the course of time has helped. Also at night I take GABA and niacin. They don't affect tinnitus per se, but they do help me to sleep better and that in turn helps me to deal with my tinnitus a bit better. Another supplement is Thyroid Energy from the supplement company Now, in case maybe my thyroid is sluggish. Not sure if it's helping or not, but I do feel a bit better physically as far as energy.

For a couple of months I've been taking biotin (vitamin B7) to promote stronger nails and hair. Definitely works for that, and it may be just a coincidence but lately I've noticed that the tinnitus isn't as loud as often. B complex vitamins are supposed to be good for tinnitus, so maybe there's a connection.

I was talking with someone today whose father was an orthodontist. She said he had TMJ-related tinnitus, and when it would flare up he'd take a cloth, get it damp with very warm water, then place it against the joint where the jaw meets the ear.

This is the brand of bioflavonoids I buy, 1000mg from Nature's Life. Don't know if you have it in your country or not, but probably you do, or something very similar.

 

[Jahhsoul]

Bioflavonoids helped me. I also take melatonin, which I think over the course of time has helped. Also at night I take GABA and niacin. They don't affect tinnitus per se, but they do help me to sleep better and that in turn helps me to deal with my tinnitus a bit better. Another supplement is Thyroid Energy from the supplement company Now, in case maybe my thyroid is sluggish. Not sure if it's helping or not, but I do feel a bit better physically as far as energy.

For a couple of months I've been taking biotin (vitamin B7) to promote stronger nails and hair. Definitely works for that, and it may be just a coincidence but lately I've noticed that the tinnitus isn't as loud as often. B complex vitamins are supposed to be good for tinnitus, so maybe there's a connection.

I was talking with someone today whose father was an orthodontist. She said he had TMJ-related tinnitus, and when it would flare up he'd take a cloth, get it damp with very warm water, then place it against the joint where the jaw meets the ear.

This is the brand of bioflavonoids I buy, 1000mg from Nature's Life. Don't know if you have it in your country or not, but probably you do, or something very similar.

View attachment 9460

I take them too with no results =( My tinnitus is high-pitched, and yours Cheza?

 

[Cheza]

I take them too with no results =( My tinnitus is high-pitched, and yours Cheza?

I'm sorry the bioflavonoids don't help you. It's one of those things that helps some but not others. I'm just thankful to have gotten even a little bit of relief.

My T is around 6400 hz. At least that's where it is today by checking it on the general fuzz website. http://generalfuzz.net/acrn/