Marijuana / Cannabis and Tinnitus

[Per]

Yes, I think alcohol is actually a lot better for you than marijuana, even tobacco is.

Just have to jump in here cause the stats are against you on this. Alcohol is a very destructive poison killing more people than weed would ever do. The damages from alcohol are irreversible, more so than with heroin even. Ask any medical doctor. I know people thats been smoking weed and joints of different sorts for twenty years four times a week, those who get drunk on alcohol as frequent don't last long. I know cause I have people in my close family that has died from alcohol - and no, they didn't drink extreme amounts. Time is a killer and alcohol is clearly the worst substance in regards to damage.

Just to clarify, I don't smoke weed or drink alcohol. I'm not an advocate for drugs, tobacco or anything that could harm you, but we need to be able to separate oranges from apples here. The thing with alcohol is that its more accepted by tradition, but not in all cultures and societies. I believe a sober and factual approach to these matters are in order.

 

[yonkapin]

Yes, I think alcohol is actually a lot better for you than marijuana, even tobacco is.

Really? Wow.

You should try to re-read my original response and maybe take a minute or two to do some quick research on the subject. I really hope you're either a troll, or very old and out of touch.

 

[mintblue]

Hey folks! I made an account JUST for this topic. I am a bit of a canna-connoisseur, smoked medical grade, dispensary cannabis regularly for 4 years up until I started having issues with my ears (over-exposure to sound and tons of stress). I haven't smoked regularly in over 7 months now, specifically because of tinnitus and depression (caused by tinnitus) which became an issue a year ago for me. Here's some answers to the questions you've been asking:

I have high-CBD strains because my aunt has brain cancer. I registered as a patient with her specifically to find that kind of cannabis to help treat her nausea and loss of appetite. Before I go any further--it works so well, she hasn't felt this good in weeks and is finally eating again. Never a weed smoker in her life before this. Fuck you FDA, federal government, and prescription drug lobbyists.

What I have (and she uses) is an 18% CBD strain that I recall reading has 1% THC. Regular weed has between 1 and 3% CBD, and roughly 10 to 15% THC. I had two puffs of the high-CBD strain off her vaporizer yesterday and yowzers it was a kick in the face after a 7 month break. Not a freakout high like with a high THC strain, just medicinal feeling like I took too much Nyquil or a painkiller.

The ringing actually was unchanged at first but by the end of the high it actually felt a bit worse than before. It's important to note I drove nearly 200 miles that day, dealing with my chemo'd aunt was emotionally stressful (seriously folks, cancer is a bummer), and I haven't been sleeping regularly this week. The CBD strain's effect could be completely unrelated! I am going to try catching up on my sleep and then taking another hit of the CBD strain to see if it makes a difference in my T. I can tell you I haven't laughed for no reason like that in a long time (which was great) and I slept like a log when I took a nap that afternoon. I even found myself emotionally relaxed and forgiving of some personal issues I've been holding onto over the past month or so.

Quick background: I have always had some level of tinnitus since I was a child, always in silence. After living in San Francisco for a year I found my hearing levels kind of fucked up and moved back to the suburbs to try and find some peace. It was really bad for about 6 months following a weird spike on a flight, and a death metal concert that was way too loud (despite foam earplugs, they were shitty). Since then I've been tested all the way up to 20,000 hz--don't have any significant hearing loss that would cause tinnitus. My ENT is confident it will go away after a few years, he even encouraged me to go back to concerts with musician's plugs. Thank God, they work great and I have my life back Just can't overload my hearing threshold anymore.

Update Jan 15, 2014: I've tested a few different types/strains since I started vaporizing cannabis again. If I use only a small amount, say a bowl's worth (less than 0.5 G) it can have an unbelievably relaxing effect. If I have more, the ringing often becomes louder. Specifically, it seems quieter with Sativa strains and slightly louder with Indica/CBD strains. The next day I always feel less affected by my Tinnitus and in some cases seem to observe a reduction, though I'm not an every day smoker. Maybe once a week at most right now. I'd say if it helps you relax take a chance I don't drink very much and I definitely prefer this to alcohol.

 

[yonkapin]

Update Jan 15, 2014: I've tested a few different types/strains since I started vaporizing cannabis again. If I use only a small amount, say a bowl's worth (less than 0.5 G) it can have an unbelievably relaxing effect. If I have more, the ringing often becomes louder. Specifically, it seems quieter with Sativa strains and slightly louder with Indica/CBD strains. The next day I always feel less affected by my Tinnitus and in some cases seem to observe a reduction, though I'm not an every day smoker. Maybe once a week at most right now. I'd say if it helps you relax take a chance I don't drink very much and I definitely prefer this to alcohol.

Thanks for the update! That's pretty interesting, I would've guessed that an Indica would be more calming in regards to tinnitus volume. Have you messed around with edibles/oils or high CBD to THC (like Charlotte's Web) strains yet?

 

[mintblue]

Thanks for the update! That's pretty interesting, I would've guessed that an Indica would be more calming in regards to tinnitus volume. Have you messed around with edibles/oils or high CBD to THC (like Charlotte's Web) strains yet?

I can't handle edibles or oils. They're way too potent for me. One of the strains I have is 18% CBD (the highest I've ever heard of in existence) and it's pretty awesome because there's very little high but I felt like my tinnitus was usually worse after. The Sativa seems to be the only thing that makes it better after, though it may seem louder during at times. Particularly because I only smoke at night when I know there's nothing else to do but veg out and go to bed. So my T is usually louder then anyhow because it's night and I'm tired. I have a feeling if I smoked during the day it would seem quieter than usual. Still, my tinnitus is mild by most people's standards. I think most people wouldn't even hear it unless you pointed it out. But I'm super sensitive.

 

[kellyluu]

Hey! So im new to this.. so nice to see some people who know the annoyance of tinnitus! Iv o ly had it since november, and im slowly starting to deal with it!
I just have one queation for some of you guys out there.... iv been a massive cannabis smoker for years and years, but ever since the day I realized I had tinnitus.. I gave it up! I noticed it made my t a hell of alot worse!!
Iv seen some of you talking about vaporisers ...
Id like to know a little more! Does it afftect your t less than smoking actual spliffs? Is it worth going out splashing out on a vaporiser ??
Id love to hear more! Kelly x

 

[Sen]

Earthless appears to be a very sheltered and ignorant person. Alcohol and tobacco are worse for you by literally every quantifiable standard. There is a mountain of evidence to support this.

One example is that you cannot overdose on marijuana, nor has it been scientifically linked to lung cancer.

 

[Per]

I've been tested all the way up to 20,000 hz--don't have any significant hearing loss that would cause tinnitus.My ENT is confident it will go away after a few years, he even encouraged me to go back to concerts with musician's plugs. Thank God, they work great and I have my life back Just can't overload my hearing threshold anymore.

Hi mintblue, sorry to wander a little off thread topic here but what type of high frequency test did you do? I'm reading about them at the moment and over here they seem to be customized for small children that are not able to use physical response by hand gestures. Was it one of them electronic tests that measured response mechanisms from you inner ear? In comparison to the traditional ones were you respond manually by clicking a trigger. Was it an audiologist at the ENTs office that performed the test and do you know the name of the test type? Perhaps it says on the audiogram.

Also I thinks it's cool that your ENT told you it would go away "after a few years" cause VERY few ENTs understand the mechanisms of T on a level where they actually think in years like this. Did he elaborate further? 99% of all ENTs have normally nothing sensible to say about T. Do you think it perhaps was a friendly brush off - or?

 

[baddream]

I've had T for 2 years. I've been smoking almost daily for 2 years. I first noticed my T around when I was smoking quite a lot. I still, to this day, have never really stopped smoking weed for more than a week or more.. when I smoke, my T gets louder, but I get relaxed, and anxiety levels drop.. so its worth it..

but lately I can't hear as well in my right ear, maybe this has something to do with me smoking?
is it a bad idea to smoke weed as a tinnitus sufferer? it just really helps me not so much take my mind off the T ( cus its louder ) but it helps me accept it and just move on and do other things because I feel happier inside... anyone in a similar situation?

 

[pef]

Why don't you see a specialist with the proper medical training and he or she can address that question.

Did your onset of T begin when you started smoking weed? You've said you have had T for 2 years, and you have been smoking weed for two years.

If you don't know the answer, why don't you stay off the weed for six months or so and see what happens.

 

[yonkapin]

I don't think smoking marijuana has done any damage. The only thing that I could think the *smoke* might aggravate is the eustachian tubes. Look into getting a vaporizer (arizer solo is good value), I've been vaporizing for 2 or 3 years now and haven't looked back, my lungs were dying from all the ciggarette and marijuana smoking I was doing.

If I were you, maybe just take a big break for a few weeks and see how you feel, check out some vaporizers and then do what you feel comfortable with. I'm all for marijuana and it definitely helps to take the mind off the tinnitus, even though I too experience temporarily spikes - I've noticed that this mostly happens at the beginning of a sesh and then calms down as I go deeper.

 

[rainman]

In some time in the future people will look back and laugh "how goddamn stupid must have those people in the past been to inhale toxic smoke" it is for sure not working for the health for ears, e.g increasing inflammation. Vaporize all the way! It should be safe when you drink a lot of non alcohol liquid, at the beginning it raises heart rate and blood pressure, so you could get dehydrated. After the "high", it lowers them for a long time, this is when you get sleepy. Infact, if you had trauma of any kind, then cannabinoid system lets you forget it, much quicker. So it might come handy with phonophobia. http://cannabisnews.com/news/13/thread13601.shtml

Try to make canna butter- very medical, numb, coma"high" lol

 

[Sen]

I really really doubt it. There is no evidence that marijuana can harm your hearing or cause/worsen tinnitus. Tinnitus can often change, and naturally, this makes us try to figure out why, but 90% of the time there is no real reason for the change. Tinnitus is just like that. It messes with your head.

Do you take any other medications?
Are you ever exposed to noisy environments?

 

[pef]

"I've had T for 2 years. I've been smoking almost daily for 2 years. I first noticed my T around when I was smoking quite a lot."

Dude, think. Try an experiment. Lay off the weed for six months and see if your T goes away. Maybe it was a coincidence your T started when you started smoking weed. Maybe not.

 

[mintblue]

Hey! So im new to this.. so nice to see some people who know the annoyance of tinnitus! Iv o ly had it since november, and im slowly starting to deal with it!
I just have one queation for some of you guys out there.... iv been a massive cannabis smoker for years and years, but ever since the day I realized I had tinnitus.. I gave it up! I noticed it made my t a hell of alot worse!!
Iv seen some of you talking about vaporisers ...
Id like to know a little more! Does it afftect your t less than smoking actual spliffs? Is it worth going out splashing out on a vaporiser ??
Id love to hear more! Kelly x

Kelly, smoking absolutely makes my tinnitus worse than vaporizing. Though cannabis can still make it louder, vaporizing significantly reduces the loudness level because there's no inhalation of fumes.

 

[mintblue]

Hi mintblue, sorry to wander a little off thread topic here but what type of high frequency test did you do? I'm reading about them at the moment and over here they seem to be customized for small children that are not able to use physical response by hand gestures. Was it one of them electronic tests that measured response mechanisms from you inner ear? In comparison to the traditional ones were you respond manually by clicking a trigger. Was it an audiologist at the ENTs office that performed the test and do you know the name of the test type? Perhaps it says on the audiogram.

Also I thinks it's cool that your ENT told you it would go away "after a few years" cause VERY few ENTs understand the mechanisms of T on a level where they actually think in years like this. Did he elaborate further? 99% of all ENTs have normally nothing sensible to say about T. Do you think it perhaps was a friendly brush off - or?

It was an audiologist at an ENTs office, yes. They told me they don't normally do the HF test because it can be inaccurate and isn't necessary for a normal range of hearing. The ENT whom I go to is an old family friend and was more than happy to speak to me multiple times regarding my ears and tinnitus. He told me several stories of other miraculous recoveries to emphasize that there is so little we can know about how the ear works, specifically when damaged by an outside force. One patient lost hearing in one ear for a whole year before it randomly came back.

He says a lot of people who have tinnitus from elevated hearing thresholds typically recover even if it's in the time frame of years, just most people are not as sensitive to it as I am because I am such an audiophile. As you get older the ability to recover from that stuff takes longer and longer, and considering I've been to so many concerts (though most with earplugs) I'm not surprised mine is even longer. I still go to concerts with musician's plugs and have no problems whatsoever so my life hasn't really changed except I've got a tiny bit of static noise in my ears that changes from day to day.

 

[CrazyTactics]

If you only want the CBD:

1- Set the vaporize at 157C to Evaporate THC but don't inhale the vapor. You are then left with pot without much THC and all the CBD
2- Set the vaporize to 180C to evaporate de CBD and inhale that vapor which will containt the CBD. You are then left with pot without much CBD or THC.


Volcano Vaporizer by storz and bickels is the best in my humble opinion. Clean and fresh vapor (low temp). VOLCANO Vaporizer | Official Website of vaporizers made by Storz & Bickel



That said, I my case, pot does not make Tinnitus any better. But really, I don't mind my Tinnitus. It is only a noise. since it is part of me, the only way is to accept it fully and to not wish it would go away. If I notice it (and it is easy to notice since it is all I can hear in my left ear (see my profile for the sound of my T (information tab)), I just acknowledge it is there and go on with my life. Your Tinnitus is torture to you only because you make it so. You don't have much control over it so it is futile to center your life over controlling it. Instead of wishing it would go away, integrate it. Make it part of yourself, make it your companion, make peace with it because it is part of you. If you cannot be at peace with yourself, you will suffer.

-Eric

Ive had a roller coaster of emotions since ive noticed the T. I eventually came to a similar conclusion as far as not torturing my self with pointless anxiety and embracing it. It was a powerful realization and i even cried a little from the relief of acceptance i guess...And then...i got on this whole research kick and have kinda slipped back into stress and anxiety. Basically i just wanted to share that and to thank you for reminding me and reaffirming my thoughts. Comforting to hear your thoughts(and everyone on here as well.)

 

[George Brady]

Yes, I think alcohol is actually a lot better for you than marijuana, even tobacco is. If marijuana is so bad for us, why do you think it's illegal? There's a reason behind that but rebels like yourselves refuse to accept that, you blame the government for everything and yet you refuse to listen to them when they're trying to help. yonkapin, now the mainstream is liberals who think marijuana is good for you and not reasonable people who know it's awful for you, which is clear proof of why the society is just getting dumber and dumber.

How many people die from drunk driving a year millions and how many from smoking a little pot.

 

[Ryan W]

I've had tinnitus for roughly 3 years and have smoked weed none stop for about 10 years but at the end of last year I decided that new start, new year no more weed, redbull etc because my tinnitus has been getting worse, (scary) I was off the weed for about a month and it didn't help my tinnitus, so I decided to smoke it again and my tinnitus is worse now when I smoke but it's only temporary. It helps to relax me more for coping with it, i think more than likely noise exposure caused mine, but lately I've been reading jaw misalignment can also be a cause and my jaw clicks really loudly, and when I was younger my bottom jaw was infront of my top jaw, so possibly could be a reason I was more prone to get it...

 

[Earthless]

How many people die from drunk driving a year millions and how many from smoking a little pot.

Did you know that a baby can grow another head in the wound due to mother smoking marijuana? How can that POSSIBLY be good for you? If you don't care about yourself, please care about our children and our future.

 

[George Brady]

Did you know that a baby can grow another head in the wound due to mother smoking marijuana? How can that POSSIBLY be good for you? If you don't care about yourself, please care about our children and our future.

I think your high!

 

[Alcurb]

My tinnitus gets worse when I focus on it, but the beauty of MJ is that when I turn my attention away, the T goes away. When no MJ is consumed, the loud T takes my attention from other important tasks.

 

[Street Spirit]

Did you know that a baby can grow another head in the wound due to mother smoking marijuana? How can that POSSIBLY be good for you? If you don't care about yourself, please care about our children and our future

You are terribly misinformed my friend though, thanks for the laugh (peace out)

 

[FrankTheTank]

I dont smoke anymore i always been a fan of the chewin tobaccy. I aint no left wingin hippy

 

[Grace]

Arggg pot has always made me extremely paranoid and gives me the most worse panic/anxiety attacks ever... Will never take another hit again... Would probably make my T a 1 outta 10 to a 6 or 7... Dont understand how it relaxs so many people yet i hear people that react like me where it enhances and increases your anxiety to the maxxxx!

 

[Simon..]

Ehm hello im simon im 18 and i live in belgium
i think loud music caused my tinnitus

at start it was not too loud but i got depressed over the fact id woud stay for the rest of my life, i swore not to go to any parties anymore ( i smoked pot daily then and much and had not really problems with it)

after i started living with the tinnitus i decided to go to a party.. i only went in for 30 minutes cuze i felt it was really bad for my ears so i went home.. my T was really loud and i just prayed it be better the day after and so it was .. then i smoked some weed and i really felt the T above evrything even when there is music or whatever sound i just felt it in my ear, since then whenever i smoke it really gets like 10x louder idk what to do some of my friends also have T but they dont really feel a diffrence and it bothers me alot (now i still smoke pot daily) but like only 3 tokes and i reallt feel it getting worse the more i toke

i just want to be able so smoke and relax again :c
Does anybody feels the same way? or had the same thing

all my friends are still smoking way too much pot and its bad yeah i know but i wish i coud just join them again ( to be honest i loved my stoners life and its totaly destroyed)

if anyone knows how to help or why it becomes so unbearable please let me know thankyou..

(ohh and i think i have tinnitus for 6 months now well somthing around that)

 

[Snake Plissken]

Some people report that weed makes it better, or eliminates it. Some report that it makes it worse, and some even think weed started their tinnitus.

I was occasional smoker before T but afterwards I had to give it up. Tried it once and it was 10x louder for like a week.

 

[citigirl13]

@Simon.. I think you know the answer to your question. Pot clearly causes your T to spike. It probably has not caused it, especially if you think loud music caused it - but if you have any thought that your T might have been caused by smoking pot I would definitely stop. Even now if it is making your T worse I would stop. It's difficult to give up something you love, especially because it feels like the T is controlling your life, but it could be making it worse.

 

[ralph j begley]

It's different for different people. I smoke every day. It elevates my mood, makes music, food, and sex better. It does not make the Tinnitus worse and it certainly didn't cause my Tinnitus. Chain saws and a virus caused and worsened it.

 

[Simon..]

Yea it gets really much louder but when i sleep and i wake up its back to normal.. i always has been the loudest in my left ear but right now its rlly loud in my right ear :/ i just dont get it i like never go to parties anymore i dont think there is anything that coud make it worse..