Hi rainman,
Hi rainman,This is a useful warning! The lasers do seem to have an effect, for good or for ill. Lasers are certainly not flashlights... they are coherent light sources which deliver high doses of visible spectra radiation to the parts of the body which the coherent light comes into contact with. Our bodies did not evolve to handle such radiation - only the skin and eyes normally come into contact with it and they then block it from entering the interior of the body.
I sometimes wonder about the safety of the treatment as the lasers are a lot stronger now than they were a few years ago when the FDA declared them as 'safe'. I realise that we are probably irradiating our brain stems with this laser radiation as well as our inner ears and I have no idea what the effects of that might be, particularly in the longer term.
I do 30 minutes of exposure in both ears a night for three, four or five days in a row and then I take a 'break' for two or three days (sometimes longer, because I forget!) so as not to overdo things (or 'habituate' the ears to the radiation too much), this was the recommendation I received. I have no idea if this is safe or not. No vertigo spells so far, but I am aware of Dan's awful experience and I hope I don't suffer similar at any point.
Unfortuantely we all need to try to balance the risks vs. benefits of these treatment options, and in the absence of any trusted medical advice 'guess' what the best course of action is
PS. I thought the window of opportunity for HBOT was three weeks? I started my course at exactly the three week point (the doctors at Geneva said this was the limit) - maybe that is why it didn't work for me?
Sorry - that 2nd reply should have read @OwchHi rainman,
Just a quick one here. I've been reading all the posts on LLLT and willing to give it a go. What model do you recommend?
MLS
Luci
Konftec
Thanks,
-Steve
I have just been speaking on the phone with Dr Wilden. His clinic has relocated to Ibiza and it's possible to be treated there as he used to do in Germany, but rather than going to the clinic, he says the best approach is to buy a laser machine from him, which would be 2,660 euros. My audiologist had told me my audiogram showed normal hearing, but having now got a copy of my audiogram from her, it shows a definitive dip at 6000hz of 20 decibels, so it may be within the normal range, but at that frequency I have clearly lost hearing, albeit mild, and that is where my tinnitus frequency was measured to be.
Am really torn as to whether to try this. I know it hasn't worked for lots of people, having read through this thread, but there's always that feeling that if you don't try, you won't know but it would be an expensive 'experiment'.
If ATEOS happens to read this I was just wondering how your continued use of laser at home was going and whether you have experienced any improvement in the tinnitus?
(ps am still waiting for my medical friend to give a view, but he is travelling at the moment)
Not sure how to alert people on the forum but am trying this! @attheedgeofscience , @SteveToHeal
I have just been speaking on the phone with Dr Wilden. His clinic has relocated to Ibiza and it's possible to be treated there as he used to do in Germany, but rather than going to the clinic, he says the best approach is to buy a laser machine from him, which would be 2,660 euros. My audiologist had told me my audiogram showed normal hearing, but having now got a copy of my audiogram from her, it shows a definitive dip at 6000hz of 20 decibels, so it may be within the normal range, but at that frequency I have clearly lost hearing, albeit mild, and that is where my tinnitus frequency was measured to be.
Am really torn as to whether to try this. I know it hasn't worked for lots of people, having read through this thread, but there's always that feeling that if you don't try, you won't know but it would be an expensive 'experiment'.
If ATEOS happens to read this I was just wondering how your continued use of laser at home was going and whether you have experienced any improvement in the tinnitus?
(ps am still waiting for my medical friend to give a view, but he is travelling at the moment)
Hi rainman,
Just a quick one here. I've been reading all the posts on LLLT and willing to give it a go. What model do you recommend?
MLS
Luci
Konftec
Thanks,
-Steve
Many thanks @attheedgeofscience , I just worked out the @ thing as you were replying
Interesting about the audiogram patterns. I wonder if I showed a dip at 6000khz because my tinnitus at that frequency was preventing me from hearing the quieter sounds.
Like you, I have no agenda, just want to get better ...
Not sure how to alert people on the forum but am trying this! @attheedgeofscience , @SteveToHeal
Am really torn as to whether to try this. I know it hasn't worked for lots of people, having read through this thread, but there's always that feeling that if you don't try, you won't know but it would be an expensive 'experiment'.
Hi ATEOS,Steve, one piece of advice if you do decide to go for it: get an audiogram done prior to commencing the therapy and get audiograms done thereafter at two weeks intervals. The audiograms serve two purposes: as a reference point in terms of the physiological effect of the therapy and as a "psychological aid" in keeping up the therapy. By psychological aid, I mean the following: When you get involved in regenerative medicine, you will have to keep at it for quite some time. Undoubtedly, there will probably come a period where you say to yourself - why am I not experiencing any effect from the many hours of therapy? In these situations it is good to have the audiograms handy - because they will almost certainly show progress (even if your tinnitus volume and pitch may not - to begin with, at least). I managed to do 7 audiograms during the two month period that I did LLLT for. And these remain my probably most "treasured assets".
EDIT:
The audiograms should be at least up to 12,5 kHz. 16 kHz is best, but 8 kHz will not do.
Well at least you have started with LLLT again! I saw in your last posts that you had upped the mw rating and length of time exposure. I hope you see results and that your T comes down or better still disappears completely.I am not really here as an LLLT advocate (at least not when it comes to tinnius - I am an LLLT advocate for other areas of medicine, definitely yes). But, I will say the following: I met Dr. Wilden four times last summer. I was at his clinic 11 times in total. During the four consultations I had with Dr. Wilden I learnt some insights about the success rate and the types of patients he treats. One of Dr. Wilden's "complaints" about some of his patients was that they walk into his clinic expecting him to cure them in two-three weeks after years and years of having abused their own ears with noise. He would compare it to the work of a dentist: if you haven't brushed your teeth for your whole life - and with the consequences that follow from that - then don't expect your dentist to be able to turn the situation around in "no-time". I agree with him. And that's probably one reason why there are a number of bad reviews of LLLT: because people have unrealistic expectations! And because they quit too soon (myself included in this statistic). If people want to try regenerative medicine, they have to be willing to try it and stay the course (= finish the job). The good thing about nerve healing is that - unlike teeth - you can actually repair nerves and bring them back to almost the same state they were originally in.
Ditto. No agenda. Just want to get better like the both of you.Many thanks @attheedgeofscience , I just worked out the @ thing as you were replying
Interesting about the audiogram patterns. I wonder if I showed a dip at 6000khz because my tinnitus at that frequency was preventing me from hearing the quieter sounds.
Like you, I have no agenda, just want to get better ...
Hey LondonGirl,Not sure how to alert people on the forum but am trying this! @attheedgeofscience , @SteveToHeal
I have just been speaking on the phone with Dr Wilden. His clinic has relocated to Ibiza and it's possible to be treated there as he used to do in Germany, but rather than going to the clinic, he says the best approach is to buy a laser machine from him, which would be 2,660 euros. My audiologist had told me my audiogram showed normal hearing, but having now got a copy of my audiogram from her, it shows a definitive dip at 6000hz of 20 decibels, so it may be within the normal range, but at that frequency I have clearly lost hearing, albeit mild, and that is where my tinnitus frequency was measured to be.
Am really torn as to whether to try this. I know it hasn't worked for lots of people, having read through this thread, but there's always that feeling that if you don't try, you won't know but it would be an expensive 'experiment'.
If ATEOS happens to read this I was just wondering how your continued use of laser at home was going and whether you have experienced any improvement in the tinnitus?
(ps am still waiting for my medical friend to give a view, but he is travelling at the moment)
Thanks Steve, if you do go ahead, maybe you could give it 3 months and if it's not showing any improvement for you, then I'll buy it from you! Then at least we will have a research study of 2! In the meantime I could shine a torch in my ears for 3 months and then I can claim to be the control group Best of luck whatever you decide.Hey LondonGirl,
Thanks for the tag. Yes. It sounds like you are in the same place as me. Should I, shouldn't I? An expensive experiment for sure. I got some good advice from people here on the forums, who give first hand experience as tinnitus sufferers, with or without using LLLT. Varied opinions. Some say placebo, others say LLLT works. I think the best advice was "Will you regret not trying it?" Even if it is placebo and you get well, do you really care what got you well?
So that's where I am at right now.
All the best with your recovery and thanks for the response.
-Steve
Good idea! A time share on LLLT laser. If anyone else is based in London and wants to give it a try, let me know, as seriously a joint purchase could work.@LondonGirl
That's funny. Maybe your torch will work better than anything as part of the control group!! If it is not better in 3 months, I plan to stay the course. Up to 3 years !!! So maybe don't wait so long to decide. Thanks for the offer though. That would seriously reduce costs. Maybe that's an idea for the new T site going up. "Apply here to be part of the LLLT share". Dotted around the world. At the end of the day, its the community that will help push a cure for T. I'm pretty convinced of it. ENT's are overpaid and ineffective with T.
-Steve
That's not a bad idea. Pinging also @SteveMaybe that's an idea for the new T site going up. "Apply here to be part of the LLLT share". Dotted around the world. At the end of the day, its the community that will help push a cure for T.
-Steve
Thanks Tom, please do keep us updated. It is invaluable to hear about real experience, rather than conjecture.Hi,
I recently bought a Konftec Laser with 3 wavelengthes.
660nm/50mW per side (red Light Laser)
780nm/90mW per side (infrared Laser)
808nm/90mW per side (infrared Laser)
90 days Money Return Guarantee (excl. shipping costs)
http://www.konftec.com/html/EN/MoneyBack.htm
There is also a comparisson chart:
http://www.konftec.com/html/EN/Auricular_Laser_Comparison.htm
They also write:
Normally, the laser therapy needs 3~6 months to see the effectiveness. But, the user can easily feel the improvement after 10 ~ 30 treatments.
If the laser therapy has no effectiveness for treating tinnitus or hearing loss in 3 months (90 days), it is the waste of user's time and effort to have more laser therapy.
I read many articles about LLLT and there no clinical trial which says it's effective for T or Hearing Loss or Hyperacusis.
But there are some trials which comes to better results as the control group and some with no effectivness.
I use this device for 4 days now...
After the first session, I had a horrible night with much more T-level and a new T in the very low frequencies.
After 2. session, T-level went down and it's lower until today.
NOW: I don't claim the Laser for that! It could be coincidence, because 1 day before I started with LLLT, I stoped taking benzos and sleeping pills. Maybe this pills made also some noises or irritations.
I will see the following weeks, if there is an improvement, which also could be analog to improvement of time.
But if there should be an enhancement in the audiogram, so I would rate this for the LLLT.
I will update und progress.
Greets Tom
Hi ATEOS,
I know you have had disputes with some members on here-- but speaking for myself, and I suspect a majority of other routine posters--- I really hope that you keep posting to this board a normal basis. A lot of us don't have the monetary means or time to do what you are doing-- and I really am grateful that you are sharing your experiences with us. Thank you.
-Matt
I'm afraid I don't understand enough of the lingo to know what that means. I just don't want to waste my money but neither do I want to miss out on a potential solution.
I haven't seen the paper, only the abstract you posted. I've never heard of the journal.I'm afraid I don't understand enough of the lingo to know what that means. I just don't want to waste my money but neither do I want to miss out on a potential solution.