From 10/10 “Suicide Tinnitus” to Periods of Almost Silence — Possible, But Not Without Some Effort

[SoundB0und]

when you say certain supplements helped, are you referring to addressing your tinnitus directly, or just your perception of it relative to other health benefits they offered?

I mean they did seem to help my tinnitus, but I never got a good knack at N-Acetyl-Cysteine, Nicotinamide Riboside or Curcumin because I had to quit because of side effects very soon. I can't decipher also how strong the placebo effect was because of this. Didn't even have time to experience other health benefits.

At the time of me trying them, my tinnitus was really bad also and much closer to the acute phase. I doubt they or any other supplements would do much for me anymore even if I were to dodge side effects. Mostly I just added the supplements to the list to show what I tried.

Nicotinamide Riboside, NAC, and Lion's Mane specifically I thought might help my case but I'm becoming conscious of just throwing money away on too many cheap fixes.

I also have a bottle of Turmeric/Curcumin next to me and was wondering how long I'd need to take it before I see an improvement or decline.

The thing is, since those supplements are a very hit or miss there's no way to predict what will work because of our individual biologies, you have to try and play the guinea pig if you decide those things are worth the risk to your health and the financial cost.

I'm not an expert on Curcumin, so I don't know, and it's somewhat contingent on the person as well. I couldn't even take it for more than a couple of doses. You could read the Curcumin thread or search the forum for Curcumin and see how long it took for people to work, if it indeed did work for them.

It's good that you're at least open to trying out some supplements. Overall the message of this thread that I wanted to convey was, that one doesn't need to accept his circumstance, tinnitus or other health issues, and do his own thorough research and testing out stuff on himself, within reason considering the cost and the health risks etc.

It's the difference between trusting the doctors and almost everybody on this forum, taking the beaten path, or going to the Jungle with a machete to make your own path. I know now that the last option might not be for everybody, but for me, I realized that was the only way to get out of this mess, since I was not offered a good conventional option, which I would have preferred had there been anything at all.

Good luck with the Curcumin if you try it.

 

[scotty03874]

Where did you go for your laser treatments, and how did you get your tinnitus?

Sarasota FL. Slapped in the ear.

 

[Aquaticon]

I mean they did seem to help my tinnitus, but I never got a good knack at N-Acetyl-Cysteine, Nicotinamide Riboside or Curcumin because I had to quit because of side effects very soon. I can't decipher also how strong the placebo effect was because of this. Didn't even have time to experience other health benefits.

At the time of me trying them, my tinnitus was really bad also and much closer to the acute phase. I doubt they or any other supplements would do much for me anymore even if I were to dodge side effects. Mostly I just added the supplements to the list to show what I tried.

The thing is, since those supplements are a very hit or miss there's no way to predict what will work because of our individual biologies, you have to try and play the guinea pig if you decide those things are worth the risk to your health and the financial cost.

I'm not an expert on Curcumin, so I don't know, and it's somewhat contingent on the person as well. I couldn't even take it for more than a couple of doses. You could read the Curcumin thread or search the forum for Curcumin and see how long it took for people to work, if it indeed did work for them.

It's good that you're at least open to trying out some supplements. Overall the message of this thread that I wanted to convey was, that one doesn't need to accept his circumstance, tinnitus or other health issues, and do his own thorough research and testing out stuff on himself, within reason considering the cost and the health risks etc.

It's the difference between trusting the doctors and almost everybody on this forum, taking the beaten path, or going to the Jungle with a machete to make your own path. I know now that the last option might not be for everybody, but for me, I realized that was the only way to get out of this mess, since I was not offered a good conventional option, which I would have preferred had there been anything at all.

Good luck with the Curcumin if you try it.

I have indeed read the thread on Curcumin but noticed many of the proponents there no longer post on this forum. I started taking it just to see if clearing up inflammation might help, and I doubt it'll really hurt given its general innocuous nature. I suspect it won't achieve much though since what I have now feels more cerebral in cause.

I suppose a better question would be at what point should I be concerned natural healing won't suffice? I'm a little over a month in, and while improving, I'm worried I'll bottom-out after a few months and have consequently squandered the golden hours I had to address the root of the problem.

 

[SoundB0und]

a better question would be at what point should I be concerned natural healing won't suffice? I'm a little over a month in, and while improving, I'm worried I'll bottom-out after a few months and have consequently squandered the golden hours I had to address the root of the problem.

That's the thing, you won't know if natural healing will suffice until it's too late. People say give it 6 months of waiting at minimum, more like a year and by then you're way out of the acute phase.

That was my biggest fear actually, I knew myself well enough to realize that if I didn't buy the laser, I'd be thinking "what if" or "what if I had started sooner" forever -- not something I wanted to live with.

It's a bit different for different things you can try as well. Prednisolone you need to do within a week or 2, really ideally within days. HBOT within a couple of weeks.

Laser within 3 months(I started before 3 months had passed, which seems to be the final limit where you can still get a good recovery from what I've read). But it seems to pretty much always be true that the sooner you take action the better. Getting out of the acute phase is not like a lightswitch, more like a volume knob imo.

Also, in my opinion, the dangers of the alternative treatments are mostly overblown and the potential benefits undervalued. I'd not try something like BPC-157 unless I really had to and it's probably rather dangerous, but Nicotinamide Riboside, NAC and especially Curcumin are pretty innocuous in my estimation.

 

[innergflow]

Sarasota FL. Slapped in the ear.

May I ask you what the name of the place was? I live less than 2 hours from Sarasota. Thanks.

 

[SoundB0und]

It's now been around 3 years of lasering, right around mid June 2018 is when I started. I'm now pretty sure that neither ear is improving tinnitus wise, but I'm not quitting because maybe it helps somewhat to protect against further damage if I were to get it, meaning it might keep my ears more resilient. Probably not true but it's worth the on average 17 minutes daily investment for me.

So where am I at right now? It's very hard to say how much exactly I have improved in those 3 years, because the effects have been so gradual. It can't really even be measured in months. The first year, much improvements, especially in the right ear (only because of my mistake), the second year significantly less improvements than the first, and the third year very little improvements.

The left ear is still 4x worse or so than the right and it's not improving anymore. Need to be careful with it and not make mistakes going outside. I can walk in the city without hearing protection now but a loud motorcycle or a speeding firetruck with sirens going by close to me would probably still make the left ear worse. If I do that I have my Peltors in hand, the X4As that look smaller and most people confuse them with headphones. Still, this was absolutely impossible 2 years ago, with how bad my hyperacusis and reactivity were.

There's not much left to try anymore and I've had awful luck with tolerating supplements. If money wasn't an issue I could consider stem cells, at the moment they're out of my price range. I've said this before but I didn't have much faith in the laser treatment, it was a desperate effort to buy me some time before official treatments that I was interested in came out, namely FX-322, which flopped, so I'm really glad I went for it. My life at the moment is tolerable, even good. It definitely wasn't when I started lasering.

One more thing, I'm going to get vaccinated with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, and I'm kind of worried about interactions with the ear laser(something which nobody has studied, but if anybody here has any theories I'd be glad to read them) or it just making tinnitus worse on its own. I'll probably quit the laser a couple of weeks before the shot and after also, then pick it up again, starting with slow durations at first.

 

[Brian Newman]

Sarasota FL. Slapped in the ear.

Forgot to ask, what place did you go to in Sarasota Florida?

 

[scotty03874]

Forgot to ask, what place did you go to in Sarasota Florida?

Broward ENT, Fort Lauderdale. Don't waste your money. I spent $8000.00. No hearing or tinnitus improvement.

Two weeks of laser treatments. I think 15 total treatments...

https://advancedrejuvenation.us/

Sarasota, FL...

 

[Brian Newman]

Broward ENT, Fort Lauderdale. Don't waste your money. I spent $8000.00. No hearing or tinnitus improvement.

Two weeks of laser treatments. I think 15 total treatments...

https://advancedrejuvenation.us/

Sarasota, FL...

Damn, thanks anyways. What happened? I read somewhere you said it brought you from a 7 to like a 2?

 

[scotty03874]

What happened? I read somewhere you said it brought you from a 7 to like a 2?

It did. I thought you meant the stem cell treatment I did in Fort Lauderdale in May 2021.

This actually did help me in September of 2020.

 

[Freerunner]

Hi @scotty03874, did the reduction in your tinnitus level stay the same after using the laser or was it a temporary relief?

 

[Freerunner]

Hi again, @scotty03874, I hope you are doing good. Can you please let me know if the effect from the laser was long lasting? If not, for how long did the effect last?

Thanks.

 

[Hottopic29]

Broward ENT, Fort Lauderdale. Don't waste your money. I spent $8000.00. No hearing or tinnitus improvement.

Two weeks of laser treatments. I think 15 total treatments...

https://advancedrejuvenation.us/

Sarasota, FL...

I'm thinking of using Broward for stem cells. Which ones did you get from them? I'm thinking bone marrow.

 

[scotty03874]

I'm thinking of using Broward for stem cells. Which ones did you get from them? I'm thinking bone marrow.

Fat cells & blood, I did liposuction for the fat (lower stomach) and withdrew blood from my arm. Don't waste your money. I got nothing from it.

 

[MrChips13]

I have been taking Nicotinamide Riboside, two capsules per day of Thorne Supplements' 'ResveraCel,' which contains Nicotinamide Riboside as well as Resveratrol and Quercetin. However, I am not aware of any side effects. What might they be?

 

[ellees]

@SoundB0und, I see that you developed tinnitus from ototoxicity, and I was wondering if you've tried Gabapentin or Lyrica since then. Did either have any positive or negative effects? Have you tried any other medications?

 

[SoundB0und]

I've never tried Gabapentin or Lyrica. After my experience with ototoxicity, I've been very cautious about using any medications or substances that aren't vitamins or minerals. Since my injury, I've rarely tried anything that isn't natural. For example, I haven't taken a paracetamol pill in six years.

Each time I've tried new medications, it almost always ends with me experiencing major side effects. Not necessarily tinnitus; mostly other side effects. I think the only medication I've ever tried in hopes of easing tinnitus was Betaserc. I've never even tried Prednisolone.

I hope this answers your question. I'm not against medications in principle, but I doubt this path would work for me.

 

[Dizzyhead888]

I've never tried Gabapentin or Lyrica. After my experience with ototoxicity, I've been very cautious about using any medications or substances that aren't vitamins or minerals. Since my injury, I've rarely tried anything that isn't natural. For example, I haven't taken a paracetamol pill in six years.

Each time I've tried new medications, it almost always ends with me experiencing major side effects. Not necessarily tinnitus; mostly other side effects. I think the only medication I've ever tried in hopes of easing tinnitus was Betaserc. I've never even tried Prednisolone.

I hope this answers your question. I'm not against medications in principle, but I doubt this path would work for me.

@SoundB0und, following your story, I got more motivated to try LLLT.

I bough this LLLT Device. It's like those cheap ones imported from China. I think it is the same company as Sonopro.

I purchased this device to begin with 5mW power before advancing to a 50mW model (Wilden or Konftec) and to observe how my ears would react. However, after just three minutes of use, I experience significant brain fog lasting from days to weeks. Additionally, my tinnitus worsens by 10–15%, though it eventually returns to baseline. I understand that a tinnitus spike can be expected with Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT).

Could the device be causing these issues? What steps should I take? Are there reputable 5mW devices available on the market? I am having difficulty finding any.

 

[SoundB0und]

Sorry to hear about the brain fog. The only 5 mW laser I can recall as reputable was the old Tinnitool (not the updated newer version). However, finding a secondhand one that is 5 mW is probably nearly impossible.

I have never experienced brain fog from using lasers. I did a quick search on Reddit about lasers used to treat the brain. Interestingly, they often use wavelengths very similar to those used for tinnitus. Most posts I found mentioned lasers helping with brain fog, along with studies on their benefits.

If I were you, I would not bother with a 5 mW laser. Either give up because of the brain issue, or get a Konftec laser and start with the red wavelengths very carefully. Which option you choose is up to you. As for the idea that a cheap, weak laser might be faulty and cause brain fog, I honestly have no idea.

The Konftec controller's minimum timer setting is one minute, but you can turn it off before the timer runs out. To do this, hold the power button for about four or five seconds, which works the same as letting the timer run down to zero. Alternatively, you can press the down arrow and power button at the same time to turn it off immediately. However, I am not sure if doing this repeatedly could damage the controller long term, as I have only tried it once.

If you want to be really precise and consistent, you can use a separate timer. For example, you could set it to turn the laser off after five or ten seconds, or whatever duration you choose to start with. If you experience the same brain fog with the Konftec laser, I would suggest abandoning the idea altogether. Better safe than sorry.

Those are my thoughts. I hope this helps.

 

[ccpjc]

@SoundB0und, I feel like you're probably one of the most knowledgeable people about LLLT still posting here.

Two weeks ago, I suffered acoustic trauma during an MRI when the hearing protection failed. I've measured hearing loss in my right ear above 14 kHz. Do you think getting the same model you have would be effective with the 808 nm laser, or would the 660 nm be sufficient?

 

[SoundB0und]

@SoundB0und, I feel like you're probably one of the most knowledgeable people about LLLT still posting here.

Two weeks ago, I suffered acoustic trauma during an MRI when the hearing protection failed. I've measured hearing loss in my right ear above 14 kHz. Do you think getting the same model you have would be effective with the 808 nm laser, or would the 660 nm be sufficient?

The Short Answer:
It's impossible to say whether only the 660 nm probes or the laser itself will be "effective."

The Long Answer:
What does "effective" mean to you? Effectiveness varies greatly from person to person. While I empathize with the distress of having severe tinnitus, neither I nor anyone else can promise results.

The success of laser treatment depends on many factors, including but not limited to:

• Your individual physiology and how the laser might affect your cochlea.
• Your resilience and ability to commit to the long term.
• Your general health habits.
• Your capacity to manage spikes, which many people on forums report experiencing.
• Your age.
• And, most importantly, plain luck.

Personally, I've realized that I "won the lottery," not just in how the laser impacted me but also in my mindset, which was critical for properly undertaking this experimental treatment.

Nobody can tell you with certainty if the laser will work. There isn't even a test to determine this, let alone a reliable prediction based on a short description of your situation.

You need to ask yourself:

• What level of risk are you willing to accept (e.g., getting worse, wasting money, experiencing side effects, or the time cost)?

Some people claim the laser worsened their condition, others report no effect, and a few seem to improve. Even in mainstream medicine, which has far more safeguards, things often go wrong. For instance, medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the USA.

From your message, it seems you're seeking confirmation on what to do and feeling unsure or distressed. This is natural when looking for a remedy. However, this might suggest you're not an ideal candidate—not because of your physical condition, which I can't predict, but because of your mindset.

If things go wrong, you might end up blaming yourself or regretting the money spent. The approach of asking others for guidance may not align well with the responsibility required for pursuing experimental treatments.

If you choose this path, you need to take full responsibility. This includes conducting your own thorough research. There is no doctor to blame and no special information I have that isn't already available in forums.

This might not be the answer you were hoping for, but I believe it is the honest one. There is no simple, silver bullet here. It's a gamble. I got lucky, but bodies are incredibly complex, and nobody fully understands them.

 

[ccpjc]

The Short Answer:
It's impossible to say whether only the 660 nm probes or the laser itself will be "effective."

The Long Answer:
What does "effective" mean to you? Effectiveness varies greatly from person to person. While I empathize with the distress of having severe tinnitus, neither I nor anyone else can promise results.

The success of laser treatment depends on many factors, including but not limited to:

• Your individual physiology and how the laser might affect your cochlea.
• Your resilience and ability to commit to the long term.
• Your general health habits.
• Your capacity to manage spikes, which many people on forums report experiencing.
• Your age.
• And, most importantly, plain luck.

Personally, I've realized that I "won the lottery," not just in how the laser impacted me but also in my mindset, which was critical for properly undertaking this experimental treatment.

Nobody can tell you with certainty if the laser will work. There isn't even a test to determine this, let alone a reliable prediction based on a short description of your situation.

You need to ask yourself:

• What level of risk are you willing to accept (e.g., getting worse, wasting money, experiencing side effects, or the time cost)?

Some people claim the laser worsened their condition, others report no effect, and a few seem to improve. Even in mainstream medicine, which has far more safeguards, things often go wrong. For instance, medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the USA.

From your message, it seems you're seeking confirmation on what to do and feeling unsure or distressed. This is natural when looking for a remedy. However, this might suggest you're not an ideal candidate—not because of your physical condition, which I can't predict, but because of your mindset.

If things go wrong, you might end up blaming yourself or regretting the money spent. The approach of asking others for guidance may not align well with the responsibility required for pursuing experimental treatments.

If you choose this path, you need to take full responsibility. This includes conducting your own thorough research. There is no doctor to blame and no special information I have that isn't already available in forums.

This might not be the answer you were hoping for, but I believe it is the honest one. There is no simple, silver bullet here. It's a gamble. I got lucky, but bodies are incredibly complex, and nobody fully understands them.

I appreciate the candor of your reply. I'm already deeply regretting the cause of my affliction. If you're curious, you can read my introduction story. Unfortunately, since posting it, my condition has worsened, with hyperacusis and noxacusis recently developing.

What would be effective for me is a reduction in tinnitus, hyperacusis, and noxacusis. My life has basically come to a standstill, and I'm facing a dark mental future.

I wish I could wake up and find that this is all just a bad dream, but I know it's not.

 

[SoundB0und]

I read your introduction thread and saw that you're nine months in. From what I understand, laser treatment is most effective during the acute phase, ideally as soon as possible but definitely within the first three months. While it might still offer some help, the remarkable results often come from early intervention, in my opinion.

I'm sorry you're going through this. It seems like you'll need to prepare for the long haul now. I'd suggest considering magnesium supplements, as many people report they help calm the body and aid in healing tinnitus. Plus, they're generally safe. Adjusting to the new normal is challenging—some things become harder, and some may no longer be possible.

When it comes to hyperacusis and noxacusis, it's crucial to protect your ears from loud noise, but not to the point of avoiding all sound entirely. Striking the right balance is important because the ears can adapt significantly within the first few years. If someone with hyperacusis and noxacusis decides to pursue laser treatment, even stricter protection from sound might be necessary, in my view.

Personally, I didn't leave the house during the first few years unless it was absolutely essential, and even then, I always wore protection. At most, I went out once a month. I avoided leaving my room altogether and spent my first summer almost entirely indoors. This level of sacrifice is difficult for many people, but it was necessary for me.

Are you using ear protection right now? You mentioned being nine months in but only recently developing hyperacusis and noxacusis. In my opinion, protecting your ears and being vigilant about avoiding loud noise should take priority over treatments like laser therapy. Maintaining or improving your current levels depends much more on consistent protection than on any treatment.

Lastly, you mentioned in your thread that a 16 kHz tone seemed to quiet your tinnitus. While I understand it was just a test, I'd urge caution. I know of a case where someone significantly worsened their condition using a tone generator like that. It's important to be careful.

 

[ccpjc]

I read your introduction thread and saw that you're nine months in. From what I understand, laser treatment is most effective during the acute phase, ideally as soon as possible but definitely within the first three months. While it might still offer some help, the remarkable results often come from early intervention, in my opinion.

I'm sorry you're going through this. It seems like you'll need to prepare for the long haul now. I'd suggest considering magnesium supplements, as many people report they help calm the body and aid in healing tinnitus. Plus, they're generally safe. Adjusting to the new normal is challenging—some things become harder, and some may no longer be possible.

When it comes to hyperacusis and noxacusis, it's crucial to protect your ears from loud noise, but not to the point of avoiding all sound entirely. Striking the right balance is important because the ears can adapt significantly within the first few years. If someone with hyperacusis and noxacusis decides to pursue laser treatment, even stricter protection from sound might be necessary, in my view.

Personally, I didn't leave the house during the first few years unless it was absolutely essential, and even then, I always wore protection. At most, I went out once a month. I avoided leaving my room altogether and spent my first summer almost entirely indoors. This level of sacrifice is difficult for many people, but it was necessary for me.

Are you using ear protection right now? You mentioned being nine months in but only recently developing hyperacusis and noxacusis. In my opinion, protecting your ears and being vigilant about avoiding loud noise should take priority over treatments like laser therapy. Maintaining or improving your current levels depends much more on consistent protection than on any treatment.

Lastly, you mentioned in your thread that a 16 kHz tone seemed to quiet your tinnitus. While I understand it was just a test, I'd urge caution. I know of a case where someone significantly worsened their condition using a tone generator like that. It's important to be careful.

I'm less than one month in—my acoustic trauma happened on December 18. The hyperacusis and noxacusis only started developing last week.

I've been protecting my ear, but I didn't do it as much as I should have last week. I believe I developed hyperacusis and tinnitus because of bad information from my doctor.

 

[SoundB0und]

I'm less than one month in—my acoustic trauma happened on December 18. The hyperacusis and noxacusis only started developing last week.

I've been protecting my ear, but I didn't do it as much as I should have last week. I believe I developed hyperacusis and tinnitus because of bad information from my doctor.

I'm sorry; I misinterpreted your comment about the Vegas trip. You mentioned how you were nine months ago, and for some reason, that stuck in my mind. My mistake.

Regardless of what you decide about the laser, it definitely seems like your ear(s) need some rest to allow things to settle.

 

[ccpjc]

I'm sorry; I misinterpreted your comment about the Vegas trip. You mentioned how you were nine months ago, and for some reason, that stuck in my mind. My mistake.

Regardless of what you decide about the laser, it definitely seems like your ear(s) need some rest to allow things to settle.

No worries. I guess I'm still very in tune with being in the acute phase and holding onto hope that, by some miracle, I can come out on the other side feeling better. However, I feel like my days are quickly slipping away.