Botox 70% Success Rate as a Tinnitus Treatment!?

[Dana]

I had Botox injections in my masseters because I was having a tinnitus sound whenever I was clenching my teeth. The Botox did fix the problem. I'm serious.

 

[soundmachine]

I had Botox injections in my masseters because I was having a tinnitus sound whenever I was clenching my teeth. The Botox did fix the problem. I'm serious.

Happy for you. But I would not be injecting that toxin in my body... especially around my ears or in it.

 

[linearb]

Botox clearly doesn't have a "70% success rate" "curing" tinnitus.

Botox clearly has some serious risks associated with it, and there are all sorts of reasons that even for the conditions it's indicated for, it wears off over a period of months, and you can't just keep doing it indefinitely.

Let's not overlook the absolutely insane nonsense on the webpage of the place that offers this:

After his psychoanalytical studies and during his education in ENT, Dr Hans Greuel developed a psychosomatic therapy against tinnitus (sudden deafness, Menière's desease). After more than 20,000 successful treatments and a scientific research report for the German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Issues, it became apparent that the highly effective Biomental Therapy was not feasible for more than 80% of patients due to the great deal of time needed.

Biomental Therapy, you say? What's that?
http://www.tinnitus-hilfe.org/eta.html

Healing Reflexation (healing codes) used in deconditioning tinnitus, sudden deafness, Menière's disease and migraines. Biomental deconditioning training is the conditioning of long lasting disruptive reflexes known as tinnitus, sudden deafness, Menière's disease, migraines, etc.. Hearing disorders, dizziness, ringing in the ear and migraines can be cured by deconditioning!
These clinical pictures are not incurable illnesses, as they were once thought to be, and are not expressions of neurotic personality either. Sudden deafness, dizziness, ringing in the ear and migraines are simply natural protection reflexes fighting against too many burdens. Psycho-neuro-immunbiological tension reflexation caused by burdens, very often sets off disruptive reflexes that hinder the circulation of blood in the ear as well as in the body itself. These reflexes finally become a noticeable functioning disturbance of the ear or rather manifested in the brain.

Well, that certainly doesn't sound like total bullshit, does it? I mean, what's next, does the guy have a book he's trying to hock.... oh....

Step No. 1: Getting started: In order to become informed and realize that tinnitus and other similar illnesses such as sudden deafness, Menière's disease and migraines, are curable we recommend tv-interviews, articles and the book, "Tinnitus ist heilbar!" ("Tinnitus is curable!"»). This book is written by former patients and shows their way to recovery by using the Biomental Therapy (foreword of Prof. Dr. Karl-Josef Frey, em. professor in ordinary of cognitive psychology at University of Heidelberg, visiting professor at Berkeley University of California). Another book written by a former patient is called, "Tinnitus the Secret Way to Recovery-Biomental Therapy uncovering the blind Dogma of conventional medicine and gave me a cure" (only in German language). It should as well give courage and hope enabling a strong recovery.

He goes on to suggest waterbeds and thermal blankets, which I assume he also sells.

Come on, folks. This is loony-tunes.

 

[Dana]

@soundmachine

I called them and asked about the injections, and they told me that one of them is in the ear, through the eardrum, information that made me changed my mind, I was determined to go.

That shows that I considered the injection in the ear too dangerous, so I am not in favor of injecting Botox everywhere. In some spots, in the proper dosages, it helps with some problems. Before it began to be used in cosmetics, Botox was used (and still is) in treating conditions like torticollis and blepharospasm.

 

[soundmachine]

@soundmachine

That shows that I considered the injection in the ear too dangerous, so I am not in favor of injecting Botox everywhere. In some spots, in the proper dosages, it helps with some problems. Before it began to be used in cosmetics, Botox was used (and still is) in treating conditions like torticollis and blepharospasm.

I'm not saying that a toxin in low doses administered by qualified medical professionals can't be a treatment. But I think for tinnitus, that is a risk not worth taking. Yes, you almost did the wrong thing. Thank goodness your senses kicked in or you might be on another board (one for deaf people).

 

[Dana]

@soundmachine

Thank goodness your senses kicked in or you might be on another board (one for deaf people).

That is exactly that changed my mind about going for this "treatment". I was afraid that the Botox injection will paralyse the muscles in the middle ear and damage the hearing. Not exactly "my senses kicked in", but this basic knowledge about the ear and Botox changed my mind.
But I was only told about the injection through the ear drum on the phone, this information is not on their web page, that's why I was asking @eman for more data.
The injections behind the ear are not complete nonsense to me, as there is a spot behind the ear where the SCM muscles in inserted, and many people have T because of contracted SCM (somatic T). But of course Botox injections would not work in T of all etiologies.
Another weird thing on the site: they don't mention anywhere that this attempt of treatment is for somatic T only, as if it would work for acoustic trauma, for example, which is absurd.

 

[soundmachine]

@soundmachine

That is exactly that changed my mind about going for this "treatment". I was afraid that the Botox injection will paralyse the muscles in the middle ear and damage the hearing. But I was only told about the injection through the ear drum on the phone, this information is not on their web page, that's why I was asking @eman for more data.
The injections behind the ear are not complete nonsense to me, as there is a spot behind the ear where the SCM muscles in inserted, and many people have T because of contracted SCM (somatic T). But of course Botox injections would not work in T of all etiologies. Another weird thing on the site: they don't mention anywhere that this attempt of treatment is for somatic T only, as if it would work for acoustic trauma, for example, which is insane.

Yes, maybe I could see somatic etiology but acoustic..not possible. But in behind the ear can be risky as there are nerves that can be damaged. Since this is not a standard, approved procedure, I would be a bit worried about the medical staff doing that injection (even behind the ear).

 

[Brianna]

What is it exactly that people don't understand about things that are toxic and obvious.
Aspartame (yeah, you've seen this from me before) - neuro-toxin and no arguments against this fact. Fluoride ... it has to be dumped and recycled somewhere - in us it appears acceptable. Botox is another ludicrous argument to say it's safe. It's poison/toxic and you wait for it to wear off and see what's left of where it was injected. I spent enough time learning about the idiotic stuff the FDA allows on the market that no one can argue I randomly look at websites and believe what they say. Add 30 years of working in the computer field and the other things I can do to explore truths further than most (like looking at code behind all the typing for some smaller truths). Arbitrarily accepting all information from websites would be ridiculous and while I know little about soundmachine, he/she is also stating the truth.

This is being blunt because people get amazingly defensive against harmful things and I'm just pretty tired of it.

 

[eman]

Okiedokie then I'd like to understand what happens months or a year or so from the injection. I see what was said but I don't trust it.

I have had the injection last April and no improvement so far and I really don't know what did you mean by saying " I don't trust it" I just wanted to share my experience !

 

[eman]

also an ENT doctor who I visited in Helsinki told me that the Botox treatment was done at (Helsinki ear institute) and so I decided to ask them about the treatment and that was there reply
Hello,

Sorry to inform you but we are not using Botox treatment for tinnitus (or to any other illnesses)

There is one reliable study reporting Botox as treatment of tinnitus (if I remember right it was published in Laryngoscope a couple of year ago) and that study clearly showed that botox injections are not useful in tinnitus.
best regards

jukka ylikoski
MD, PhD
Professor of ENT

as I said before I just wanted to share my experience so that you wont waste your time or money or maybe you could try it and become one of the 70% may be it was just my bad luck
I was kinda hoping it was going to work since they used Botox to treat migraines too

 

[eman]

@eman You didn't have a transtympanic injection? Weird. I called them and asked about the injections, and they told me that one of them is in the ear, through the eardrum, information that made me changed my mind, I was determined to go.
So no injection through the ear drum? Really? I don't want to sound like I don't believe you, but I am just stunned by the difference between what they told me and what you told us.
What did you feel after the injections?

no I had the injections behind my ears only no transtympanic injection , I can give you the doctor's email to ask him about he method of injection yourself , about the results as I mentioned before , I had it in April and up till now nothing changed at all

 

[Sailboardman]

Anybody hear of "Photoshop"? I can make anybody look bad, or good with it. In fact, pick up a copy of the "Enquirer", it's a Photoshop playground! };-)

 

[soundmachine]

Anybody hear of "Photoshop"? I can make anybody look bad, or good with it. In fact, pick up a copy of the "Enquirer", it's a Photoshop playground! };-)

I know..those pics were just a gag..for laugh...not to be taken seriously. The serious part was the threads following those photos.

 

[linearb]

I had Botox injections in my masseters because I was having a T sound whenever I was clenching my teeth. The Botox did fix the problem. I'm serious.

Something that just clicked with me, is that I often periodically get big T spikes when I bite down, and what seems to help, is doing manual trigger point release on these muscles inside my mouth. It's sort of hard to describe, but, basically, I put my index finger in my mouth, find the rear end of the back of my upper jaw, and then push up into the crevice under my cheekbone and do "typical" myofascial trigger point release there. It's uncomfortable as fuck (though less so when I do it myself then when I've had this done professionally), but it really does seem to release a lot of tension. This doesn't do much for my constant T, but it might knock it back a tiny bit, and definitely helps with jaw popping, pain and increased T when biting down.

I imagine that what I'm doing is mechanically having a similar effect to botox, just shorter lived and without the botox downsides.

 

[lambos]

Is anyone aware of if Botox is being used for tinnitus?...i have tried the phone number to a clinic in Germany but haven't been able to get any answer and i am wondering has it moved or is it still open?

Thanks

 

[lambos]

Is anyone aware of if Botox is being used for tinnitus?...i have tried the phone number to a clinic in Germany but haven't been able to get any answer and i am wondering has it moved or is it still open?

Thanks

 

[Leon909]

A doctor from the clinic in Regensburg, Germany, also told me that they do Botox shots off-label on their colleagues who have t and apparently it helps in some cases. But probably it only works when your t is related to jaw and neck.

 

[Ricardo1991]

Maybe if you try hard enough with botox, you cure your T but look like this!! Happy injections.
View attachment 6687

pfft! I wouldn't even mind! hahaha

 

[ruben ruiz]

Excuse my knowledge. Does botox have a chance with somatic tinnitus?

 

[lito]

@ruben ruiz

It's definitely possible that botox can treat the Somatic type tinnitus, specifically TMD.

The reason why is I've heard many people with TMD who have been completely cured of their TMD symptoms with botox injections directly into the masseter muscle (these people did not have tinnitus though). So if your tinnitus is caused by TMJ only then I suppose it will work over time. As for the non-somatic TMD I highly doubt it would help.

I've had T for 4 months now and I've finally come to the conclusion that my T is caused from TMD and is 100% somatic. I'll be getting Botox injections into my masseter muscle soon and I'll keep you in the loop!

 

[jacob21]

Interesting article from a well-known hospital in France
Pls use Google Translate

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0028377018300778

 

[jacob21]

in english https://www.jscimedcentral.com/EarNose/earnose-3-1035.pdf

 

[Quiet please]

As part of my TMJD treatment, my dental specialist gave me Botox shots in my jaw, face, temporalis & masseter muscles every 3 months for 18 months. While it helped the TMJD quite a bit, they did nothing for the Tinnitus. After treatment, I continued with the Botox shots with a Board Certified plastic surgeon for another 3 treatments & again, no Tinnitus relief.
My face looked great though!

 

[Lane]

I would be very hesitant to use botox. The following snippet is from THIS SITE

Some victims, many who have had the jabs for medical reasons as well as to smooth out wrinkles, are left with serious and seemingly incurable health conditions. -- As the controversial treatment hits the high street, JACQUI DEEVOY speaks to the victims who are set to sue two of its biggest manufacturers.

TWENTY FOUR people who claim botulin injections have destroyed their lives are aiming to sue two prominent manufacturers. -- According to the evidence gathered the use of Botox, owned and marketed by Allergan and French company Ipsen, has resulted in life-changing side effects for thousands worldwide.
-
"I have done five years of research and have found plenty of evidence to prove that the various symptoms, illnesses and conditions that Botox-damaged people are suffering from have been caused by the products supplied by these companies.

"We also have evidence that the toxin and ingredients from the injections stay in the blood for many years, circulating around the body, affecting the brain and organ function, causing neurological and other damage," says Maria, who intends to present this in court.

 

[jacob21]

Hello,

I come back to you on this thread because I finally had an injection of Botox in the muscles of my jaws and temples a month ago (as per the articles I posted above).

The intervention was not painful at all. To tell the truth, I did not feel anything.

I do not know if this helped with my tinnitus that continues to fluctuate day by day, but one thing about it is that it helps for Bruxism. I clench my teeth much less, day and night.

I think I will get an injection again in 3/4 months.

I will keep you informed if I feel a benefit on my tinnitus.

All the best.

 

[lis]

Tinnitus Sedation with Botox, 82% success

I've been suffering from tinnitus from acoustic trauma. In addition, I experience jaw pain from clenching teeth due to the stress of tinnitus.

The very morning after I received masseter botox injections, I woke up with relief, wondering why it was so quiet! Shocking reduction in suicidal intrusive multi-tone tinnitus that's been resistant to treatment! Even silent moments without ambient noise during the day. Full effect is after 10 days. I had the lowest dose of 30-35 units, whereas the paper goes up to 100 units.

A 2018 paper with impressive outcomes after temporalis and masseter injections. 14 out off 17 with disabling tinnitus improved, of which 11 it completely disappeared, whatever the cause! That's 82% improved and 65% cured!

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0028377018300778

This is stronger than the previous 2005 paper with 3 injections to the ear... 7 out of 26 improved or 27%:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15944559/

According to Ca Ear Institute:

Q: How can BOTOX affect tinnitus? A: BOTOX is thought to decrease response in a neural pathway known as the autonomic nerve pathway. Stimulation of this pathway is what is thought to cause significant tinnitus irritation. Decreased activity in this pathway may subsequently decrease the tinnitus.

Sani Aesthetics in Los Gatos offers the temple and mandible injections for TMJ, but usually you'd go to a dentist, TMJ doctor or neurologist.

2018 PAPER:

Tinnitus sedation after botulinum toxin injection into the manducator muscles

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuchi.2018.05.010

Introduction
The treatment of bruxism by injection of the manducator muscles aims to reduce the tone of the temporals and masseters, requiring non-negligible amounts of botulinum toxin, accompanied by inevitable diffusion of the product. In a retrospective study carried out on a cohort of patients treated for bruxism, we observed remarkable efficacy of botulinum toxin in some of them with tinnitus, whatever the origin.

Material and methods
This is a retrospective study of 288 patients treated for bruxism in the same institution. All the patients were injected into the masseter and temporal muscles with botulinum toxin (Botox *: Allergan Pharmaceuticals, Westport, Ireland), the injected doses varying according to the intensity of the contractions observed between 30 and 100 U at the level of the masseter and between 10 and 50 U in the temporal muscle. The files were reviewed over a period of 2 years, between 2015 and 2016.

Results
Out of 288 files reviewed, 17 patients suffered from disabling tinnitus, resistant to any form of drug therapy. Fourteen saw their symptoms decrease (in 3 cases) or disappear completely (11 cases), with an effectiveness persisting at least until the following session (3 months).

Discussion
By their common innervation by the trigeminal nerve, neuromuscular dysfunction of the masticatory muscles could induce reflex hypertonicity of the muscles of the middle ear, as well as myoclonus of the palate resulting in tinnitus. Some of them could have a toxic origin, by excessive release of glutamate in the ear. N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA-Rs) receptors are located at each synapse of the auditory pathways, and are characterized by a slow response, with a long refractory period, after excitation by glutamate, allowing protection of the system in the event of a sound attack. An over-excitation beyond the possibilities of repair would be involved in the occurrence of hearing loss related to noise, presbycusis and the occurrence of tinnitus.

Conclusion
Our series is the first to demonstrate a possible effect, probably by inhibiting the release of glutamate, at the receptors of the inner ear. An open and prospective study, ideally multicenter, will be necessary to confirm the validity and the reproductive character of our results.

 

[lis]

Complete version of the 2018 study with extensive causative explanation of tinnitus and why Botox works:

https://www.jscimedcentral.com/EarNose/earnose-3-1035.pdf

"Furthermore, it is known that, due to a joint innervation by the trigeminal nerve, neuromuscular dysfunction in the masticatory muscles can bring about reflex hypertonia in the middle ear muscles, along with myoclonia of the palate which can cause tinnitus. [It has currently been well established that the afferences of the head and neck muscles, particularly conveyed by the second cervical nerve and the trigeminal nerve (fifth cranial nerve) interact with the auditory afferences at the level of the dorsal cochlear nucleus (1st relay of the auditory pathways). The latter, located in the brain stem, has a decisive role in tinnitus. Through these anatomical connections, somatosensory influences regulate the sensitivity of the central auditory pathways; bring about an anomaly in neuronal activity which, in turn, may result in the perception of tinnitus. Thus, according to the theory of neuroplasticity, tinnitus may be the result of an abnormal interaction between the different sensorial modalities, the sensory-motor systems and the cognitive and emotional networks.

The uncovering of "latent" synapses, the reduction in inhibition and the creation of new connections thanks to new axon growth are early manifestations of this neuroplasticity. Even if we do not yet know the origins of tinnitus, it seems that tinnitus results from altered or cross-modal synaptic activity. Some cases of tinnitus had a toxic origin, like excessive release of glutamate in the ear. Severe noise can cause damage to the inner ear with "changes in glutamatergic or GABAergic neurotransmission or neuroinflammation". N-methyl-Daspartate receptors (NMDA-Rs) are located at each synapse in the lower auditory pathway. They are characterized by a slow and long-lasting excitatory response upon glutamate activation, promoting protective and neurotrophic roles following acute insult by regulating AMPA-R expression and assisting in the restoration of synaptic inputs. This contrasts with chronic damage where overactivation of NMDA-Rs is implicated in neuronal death. These functions are thought to be involved in auditory diseases, including noise-induced hearing loss, neural presbycusis, and tinnitus via aberrant excitation. This explanation is coherent with Aoki's publication, explaining the antinociceptive action of BoNTA: as stated, more than an inhibition of acetylcholine release, BoNTA "inhibited several of the neurophysiological and neurochemical effects…, including glutamate release". It is also stated by other, later, publications."

 

[Gordon Steinberg]

Might give this a shot. I also fiend my teeth because of tinnitus.

 

[GBB]

Complete version of the 2018 study with extensive causative explanation of tinnitus and why Botox works

Hi, is the effect still working for you? Thanks!

 

[danielthor]

Has anyone tried this recently? I'm adding it to my list.