Finally After Nearly 3 Years, a Possible Answer on Why I Have Tinnitus

[ring a ding]

My tinnitus comes and goes in my left ear. I usually have one day tinnitus free and then two days with it.

I am 68 years old and quite active. I walk at least ten miles every day. I have gotten so use to walking long distances that if I don't walk I feel like I've been short changed. My day just isn't complete.

My tinnitus started one day over three years ago and never left. I've been to ENT's and none of them could tell me that anything was wrong. Their answer was just get use to it. I recently didn't feel well and went to my family doctor. I was dragging and always tired. I figured I was just walking too much.

He administered a blood test and the results came back that I had anemia. My red blood cell count was way to low. He prescribed iron supplements and lectured me on having a better well balanced diet.

Within a week after taking a single iron supplement pill a day my tinnitus started to get less and less intense.

Normally when the tinnitus came in it stayed in constantly for two or three days. Now it would come in go several time a day and a lot less intense.

After two weeks I am going 4 and 5 days tinnitus free and the days that I do have it it's a lot less intense. Seems that the red blood cells need iron to do their job of carrying oxygen in your blood. I only found out that something was wrong when the oximeter that I had just bought showed a blood saturation in the low 90 percentile. I thought the meter was broken but everyone else I tested it on was in the high 90's. That's when I went to the doctor.

I think I have really stumbled on to something here and feel more positive about the future. Hope this helps.

 

[Bill Bauer]

I think I have really stumbled on to something here and feel more positive about the future. Hope this helps.

Try to minimize the iron you take (do take it to get rid of T, but stop taking it as soon as you can). Search the net - our bodies can't get rid of iron and it can be toxic. Iron might be the reason people who eat red meat are less healthy than those who don't. It might also explain why women tend to live longer than men (when women lose blood during menstruation, they are able to get rid of iron).

 

[Tinker Bell]

Try to minimize the iron you take (do take it to get rid of T, but stop taking it as soon as you can). Search the net - our bodies can't get rid of iron and it can be toxic. Iron might be the reason people who eat red meat are less healthy than those who don't. It might also explain why women tend to live longer than men (when women lose blood during menstruation, they are able to get rid of iron).

If he is anemic, his body is not getting enough iron. That can be unhealthy. But I absolutely agree with you that it's important to be careful how much iron you take. Too much is also unhealthy. @ring a ding maybe your doctor can test your levels and make sure you're getting exactly the right amount and not too much. I wish you good luck and good health!

 

[Bill Bauer]

If he is anemic, his body is not getting enough iron. That can be unhealthy.

Of course.

If that were me, and I didn't know that there are possible issues with iron, and iron would appear to have a positive impact on my T, I would take tons of iron and keep taking it long after I would begin hearing silence. I just wanted to make the author aware of the possible downside of taking too much iron.

 

[Tinker Bell]

Of course.

If that were me, and I didn't know that there are possible issues with iron, and iron would appear to have a positive impact on my T, I would take tons of iron and keep taking it long after I would begin hearing silence. I just wanted to make the author aware of the possible downside of taking too much iron.

Great advice, especially on a forum like this! The author might already know this but someone else could read the thread and start taking iron without consulting their doctor.

Maybe that's a good tip for all of us: be careful taking vitamins and supplements. Don't hesitate to check with your doctor. Sometimes a simple blood test can check to make sure we're getting the right amounts.

 

[Luman]

This is very interesting, and I'm very glad you found the cause.

I had anemia with very low iron about 15 years ago, and my ferritin level was zero, which is very dangerous. I went to two hematologists and had a colonoscopy, endoscopy, and middle bowel exam to check for bleeding, tumors, etc. They found nothing wrong internally put me on iron pills. I got sicker and sicker, in several other ways, so my wife did some research and discovered that people who are deficient for iron, with no apparent cause, should be checked for Celiac Disease. I had a doctor take some blood for a Celiac test, and it came back positive. I then went on a gluten free diet and got better. I will ask for an iron test at my doctor's next week. I doubt that's what is causing my T but my diet isn't that great so maybe I'm deficient again, but the chances are this is not the case.

I would suggest, @ring a ding that you get tested for Celiac Disease, because, like my case, this could be the reason for your deficiency. If your doctor doesn't want to give you the Celiac blood test, then go to another one, preferably a gastroenterologist. You have to consume some gluten every day, such as wheat bread, for a couple of months in order for the test(s) to give an accurate result.

 

[ofaisalo]

I have nothing to loss
going to do a blood test

 

[ofaisalo]

just checked and found T is a common Symptoms for anemia

 

[ring a ding]

Off the iron supplements. I was only taking one per day for a week. Starting to eat all the things rich in iron that my mother told me as a child that I should eat but avoided. Beans, peas, leafy vegetables, broccoli, spinach etc. All the stuff that I didn't care for as a child. In my case the tinnitus was the symptom of another problem that could easily be treated once the problem was identified. Don't self treat yourself with iron supplements without the consent and care of a physician. To much iron is toxic and accumulates in your body and can lead to all sorts of health problems even death.
I am now over 7 days totally tinnitus free and this nearly three year nightmare and misery is hopefully behind me. Hopefully Mr. T is gone for good and to that I say good riddance. It has cost me nights of not being able to sleep, high anxiety that it would become worse, inability to concentrate, depression, frustration, and at times intense anger.

For everyone else I can only say keep your spirits up and keep fighting. I wish I had the ability to banish this terrible ailment back to the depths of hell where it belongs but I can't.

 

[raybaudi]

Interesting. In my case, Hemoglobin is above the max healthy range, just for a little bit, maybe 0.1 units of whatever it is measured in (I'm only recalling from my last blood test).

It's been like this since forever I believe.

Could the excess of hemoglobin cause Tinnitus at some point?

A very prestigious cardiologist told me it could cause sluggish blood circulation and maybe that gave birth to Tinnitus.

 

[DebInAustralia]

Great advice, especially on a forum like this! The author might already know this but someone else could read the thread and start taking iron without consulting their doctor.

Maybe that's a good tip for all of us: be careful taking vitamins and supplements. Don't hesitate to check with your doctor. Sometimes a simple blood test can check to make sure we're getting the right amounts.

In my experience, doctors are generally clueless regarding naturopathy/supplements.

I'd opt for a naturopath or nutritional specialist.

 

[Yep]

Just wanted to chime in here because I'm knee-deep in a breakthrough right now. I've had tinnitus pretty much all my life. I've had it for so long, that I didn't even know that I had it until some aspect of my consciousness became aware of it a few years ago (at age 33). This means that I've likely had it since I could first claim self-awareness as a 3 or 4 year-old, because I can't remember ever being without it—not as a kid, and not as an adult. I've also experienced hearing loss not attributable to loud noise exposure.

Two words: iron deficiency. If you have tinnitus that you're confident isn't due to noise exposure, this should be one of your primary suspects. Look up some of the common symptoms for iron deficiency: heart palpitations, exercise intolerance (for me, I've always gotten nausea or thrown up when running long distances at a brisk pace), cold fingers and toes, hypothyroidism, fatigue, frequent infections (as a kid growing up, it was a cold or bronchitis every 6-8 months, and as an infant, it was so bad that doctors suspected I had Cystic Fibrosis).

I've been on an iron supplement for a little less than a week now, and my tinnitus has started to go away. It still goes in and out, but I tell ya, I feel like Dr. House without leg pain when it's goes out. It almost brings me to tears. I've been alive for over 36 years, and until recently, never known what real silence sounds like.

Get your serum ferritin checked. Iron deficiency is apparently a very common condition. In my case though, I'm pretty sure there's a genetic component involved. There's mutations that can cause or significantly contribute to low iron levels. With full genome sequencing in the sub-$500 range now, I'm going to find out soon.

Cheers

 

[Renee W]

@ring a ding

Hi there. Just curious how you're doing now. Did the tinnitus fade even further with iron supplements? I'm thinking about trying the same. I just looked at my bloodwork and my hemoglobin is in the higher range. Does this mean I"m not anemic? What blood tests did you take to prove that you were anemic?

Thank you,
Renee

 

[ASilverLight]

Just wanted to chime in here because I'm knee-deep in a breakthrough right now. I've had tinnitus pretty much all my life. I've had it for so long, that I didn't even know that I had it until some aspect of my consciousness became aware of it a few years ago (at age 33). This means that I've likely had it since I could first claim self-awareness as a 3 or 4 year-old, because I can't remember ever being without it—not as a kid, and not as an adult. I've also experienced hearing loss not attributable to loud noise exposure.

Two words: iron deficiency. If you have tinnitus that you're confident isn't due to noise exposure, this should be one of your primary suspects. Look up some of the common symptoms for iron deficiency: heart palpitations, exercise intolerance (for me, I've always gotten nausea or thrown up when running long distances at a brisk pace), cold fingers and toes, hypothyroidism, fatigue, frequent infections (as a kid growing up, it was a cold or bronchitis every 6-8 months, and as an infant, it was so bad that doctors suspected I had Cystic Fibrosis).

I've been on an iron supplement for a little less than a week now, and my tinnitus has started to go away. It still goes in and out, but I tell ya, I feel like Dr. House without leg pain when it's goes out. It almost brings me to tears. I've been alive for over 36 years, and until recently, never known what real silence sounds like.

Get your serum ferritin checked. Iron deficiency is apparently a very common condition. In my case though, I'm pretty sure there's a genetic component involved. There's mutations that can cause or significantly contribute to low iron levels. With full genome sequencing in the sub-$500 range now, I'm going to find out soon.

Cheers

This actually made me look into iron deficiency because I'm showing many signs of thyroid issues as well as occasional heart palpitations, feeling very faint, muscle weakness and general exhaustion I just can't blame on anything specific. Also my hands and feet are ALWAYS cold + I seem to have some chronic congestion/cold issue.

I can't get anything checked easily right now but I wonder I've been suspecting something within my hormone/vitamin and the like is completely off due to the persisting vague symptoms I've been experiencing.

Out of interest though, how did your tinnitus present itself? Types of noise etc and one ears, both ears or more central?

I don't think it's my real cause as I have many possible ones but it doesn't hurt to get checked.

 

[Yep]

Out of interest though, how did your tinnitus present itself? Types of noise etc and one ears, both ears or more central?

For me, it's always been in both ears. The sensation doesn't really feel centralized to me. It's definitely in, or just slightly medial of the ear regions. As far as the type, it's pretty much a sine wave. I'd say the frequency is somewhere around 14,000Hz, maybe a little lower sometimes when it was really loud.

Another tell-tale sign may be your reaction to certain herbs that you've probably seen recommended for tinnitus, like Ginkgo Biloba. Ginkgo Biloba supposedly increases blood flow to the middle ear, and for me, herbs and drugs like this have always made my tinnitus worse, like significantly worse. I don't take ibuprofen very often, but I think I remember it making it worse too. Anything that systemically increases blood flow or dilates blood vessels, it consistently made my tinnitus worse.

Now that I know what was causing my tinnitus, this relationship makes a lot of sense. There's clearly something profound about reduced iron in the blood that can cause tinnitus. Increasing blood flow under such conditions can apparently make it worse.

 

[Yep]

I just looked at my bloodwork and my hemoglobin is in the higher range. Does this mean I"m not anemic? What blood tests did you take to prove that you were anemic?

Renee, my hemoglobin, hematocrit, erythrocytes, and mean corpuscular volume have always been on the low side of "normal". My mean corpuscular volume did dip just below the reference range several years ago, but the stupid RN I was seeing at the time brushed it off and told me it was nothing.

My understanding is that you can certainly be iron deficient without anemia.

I cannot remember the last time any medical professional was conscientious enough to check my serum ferritin. Going through my medical records, I can't find a single instance of it ever being checked, which makes me really mad, honestly.

I've been drudging through the medical system for damn-near 20 years for all sorts of suspected issues: Cystic Fibrosis (my sweat chloride has always been on the cusp of a typical CF diagnosis), which I pretty much went to the ends of the Earth to rule out; when that proved to be negative, I went after hypothyroid issues because my body temperature is consistently lower than it should be, and my hormones are all lower than normal as well; my FEF25-75 and FEV1/FVC levels are like 5 percentage points away from a COPD diagnosis, despite multiple negative methacholine challenges, and the fact that I've never smoked a cigarette in my life. I've had more than one doctor essentially brand me a hypochondriac, which is always fun. Conservatively, I've seen more than 25 different specialists during that period of time: wholistic RNs, pulmonologists, gastroenterologists, ENTs, endocrinologists, internal medicine, allergists, and not ONE of them apparently thought it might be a good idea to have my serum ferritin checked.

I need a drink..... or something to temporarily fill this gaping hole in my faith for modern medicine.

 

[Tony Phylactou]

My tinnitus comes and goes in my left ear. I usually have one day tinnitus free and then two days with it.

I am 68 years old and quite active. I walk at least ten miles every day. I have gotten so use to walking long distances that if I don't walk I feel like I've been short changed. My day just isn't complete.

My tinnitus started one day over three years ago and never left. I've been to ENT's and none of them could tell me that anything was wrong. Their answer was just get use to it. I recently didn't feel well and went to my family doctor. I was dragging and always tired. I figured I was just walking too much.

He administered a blood test and the results came back that I had anemia. My red blood cell count was way to low. He prescribed iron supplements and lectured me on having a better well balanced diet.

Within a week after taking a single iron supplement pill a day my tinnitus started to get less and less intense.

Normally when the tinnitus came in it stayed in constantly for two or three days. Now it would come in go several time a day and a lot less intense.

After two weeks I am going 4 and 5 days tinnitus free and the days that I do have it it's a lot less intense. Seems that the red blood cells need iron to do their job of carrying oxygen in your blood. I only found out that something was wrong when the oximeter that I had just bought showed a blood saturation in the low 90 percentile. I thought the meter was broken but everyone else I tested it on was in the high 90's. That's when I went to the doctor.

I think I have really stumbled on to something here and feel more positive about the future. Hope this helps.

I find it hard to believe that someone with anemia can walk for 10 miles. If you did well done.

 

[twa]

Just wanted to chime in here because I'm knee-deep in a breakthrough right now. I've had tinnitus pretty much all my life. I've had it for so long, that I didn't even know that I had it until some aspect of my consciousness became aware of it a few years ago (at age 33). This means that I've likely had it since I could first claim self-awareness as a 3 or 4 year-old, because I can't remember ever being without it—not as a kid, and not as an adult. I've also experienced hearing loss not attributable to loud noise exposure.

Two words: iron deficiency. If you have tinnitus that you're confident isn't due to noise exposure, this should be one of your primary suspects. Look up some of the common symptoms for iron deficiency: heart palpitations, exercise intolerance (for me, I've always gotten nausea or thrown up when running long distances at a brisk pace), cold fingers and toes, hypothyroidism, fatigue, frequent infections (as a kid growing up, it was a cold or bronchitis every 6-8 months, and as an infant, it was so bad that doctors suspected I had Cystic Fibrosis).

I've been on an iron supplement for a little less than a week now, and my tinnitus has started to go away. It still goes in and out, but I tell ya, I feel like Dr. House without leg pain when it's goes out. It almost brings me to tears. I've been alive for over 36 years, and until recently, never known what real silence sounds like.

Get your serum ferritin checked. Iron deficiency is apparently a very common condition. In my case though, I'm pretty sure there's a genetic component involved. There's mutations that can cause or significantly contribute to low iron levels. With full genome sequencing in the sub-$500 range now, I'm going to find out soon.

Cheers

That's amazing! What an absolute blessing! I wish you many, many happy quiet times!