South Korean Clinic Treatment (Dr. Minbo Shim)

Surprisingly, Dr. Minbo Shim has trained doctors across North America how to use his intra-tympanic injection PRP/Stem Cell method, so it's not about just him anymore. I'm not even sure he makes money from the practice of other doctors after training.

It's become a rather weird situation. I didn't even expect for things to develop this much. I'm interested in PRP for the BDNF in it at small limited doses, but that's it. There's not enough for me to go by to be open to doing anything beyond that. The unsatisfied reports from several people on here have emphasized the necessity of caution. Based on the reports from Otonomy and Frequency Therapeutics that have shown their drugs failing at multiple doses within a short time, I cannot recommend doing anything beyond a small dosage every few months, because the evidence we do have from the other outlets suggests that any potential regenerative effect could be negated by doing too much within a short period of time. Based on that alone, a person should likely not invest in anything beyond minimum if they are truly serious about trying this, no matter who they go to for the treatment.

 

Sorry, my posts probably could have gone elsewhere, like under stem cells! No money is being handed over to Shim lol.

 

The money hasn't gone to him, only the doctors he trained in the USA.

 

I’ve just been through and had a look at what I’ve missed:

I sincerely hope you didn’t pay a lot for this sham treatment.

I’m sorry but that is disgrace. $18000 for a few injections of PRP is scandalous.

Training them based upon what? There still hasn’t been a single peer-reviewed study published of his method, and there is absolutely no evidence of its efficaciousness. The only doctors that would be interested in this would be those with low moral standards and an interest in money that supersedes their interest in medicine. No one with an ounce of integrity would charge people $18000 for what is effectively a trial without controls.

I spoke with Dr. Shim personally and posted my interaction with him on here. He was not at all interested in questions about the procedure, its validity, or anything else that went along this line of questioning. He was only interested in taking money from me. To say he was as shady as hell would be an understatement. He has also repeatedly said that he had conducted a clinical trial and was ready to publish his results, and yet a decade or so later the medical world is still waiting.

To anyone reading this thread, do yourselves a favour and stay away from Dr. Shim and any doctor associated with him. Do not allow your desperation to play with your emotions and cloud your judgement.

We are still waiting for a treatment that works, and when that day comes, the whole world will know about it.

I'm really sorry to hear this and I hope you have a good support network around you other than this site. Life can be so cruel at times.

 

I wonder if the Dr. Shim gets a percentage of the fees charged by the doctors he trained? Until proven otherwise I pretty much agree with what @Ed209 said. My fat graft to my left TMJ was covered by insurance, except for about $200. I was hopeful it would help my tinnitus in my left ear, but it didn’t seem to. The doctor that did the surgery told me it wouldn’t help my tinnitus.

There really should me more testimonials from Advanced Rejuvenation on this forum or people to contact to discuss the long term results of Dr. Lieurance’s procedures. They will probably say HIPAA rules restricts others from talking about their experiences, which seems a bogus reason to me. From what I remember they brought up HIPAA to me in 2019.

 

Make sure you wear ear protection when you are on site. That's how I got my worst ear damage.

They sound just as bad, if not worse, in my opinion. The doctor who gave you the injections seems like a pure chancer. He would inject anything into anyone if they paid him. Crazy stuff.

Just go to StemCells21 if you want stem cells.

 

I wouldn't recommend that outlet so carelessly. If you look what they did to @attheedgeofscience, can you take them seriously at all?

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/posts/16430/

IV Laser Therapy (is there a more ludicrous and quackery thing in existence?) before giving you probably some saline concoction as "stem cells".

 

This is the exact same treatment being discussed in this thread and it's probably for the most part with actual scientific evidence behind it, although in other parts of the body and not the ear. Personally, I'd almost rather leave that part out and just get the stem cells because there are too many stories of people getting much worse after using those lasers.

I'm not saying StemCells21 is going to 100% work for everyone, or anyone, what do I know anyway. It's just the best of a bad lot if someone was adamant about going down the stem cell route and has money to burn.

 

Laser therapy in the IV? Seriously?

I have never seen any concrete evidence that it regenerates hearing. However, in my own experience, I think that the LLLT probably helps with inflammation, but that's about it.

There's actually some evidence that PRP is effective in a short window for fresh damage, much like steroids, but nothing documented beyond that as far as I have seen, and I've been reading about this for years. As much I'd like to believe that PRP is effective for chronic damage, the only results that supposedly show that are Shim's, and with the people here that have been treated not reporting good results, I've grown skeptical. I'm still hopeful that it could treat synaptic ribbons damage, but I recently saw that PRP doesn't have BDNF, which makes it difficult.

It's really unfortunate when something that sounds scientifically plausible on paper doesn't seem to work in real world attempts. Then again, NT-3 was discovered to only be effective within 24 hours, and there's no telling if other growth factors will work outside of that window.

 

Hi @ErikaS -- I was looking into methylene blue a couple weeks ago, did a search here on Tinnitus Talk, and came across your reference to it. I was wondering if you ever followed up on trying it, and what your experience was.

I bought my own 100 ml bottle on Amazon for $26.95, and started taking it this week. Even though I'm starting slowly and taking very small doses, I'm pretty astonished so far how well it's calming down my brain and nervous system--and seems to be making my tinnitus a bit easier to tolerate. Could be because I'm sleeping better, and just able to relax better, but I'm really happy to have made this discovery.

There's a book on Amazon entitled, "The Ultimate Guide to Methylene Blue: Remarkable Hope for Depression, COVID, AIDS & other Viruses, Alzheimer’s, Autism, Cancer, Heart Disease, ... Targeting Mitochondrial Dysfunction. A person can read the review at the link, and can also read the introduction in the book at the left side of the page, where it says, "look inside".

 

Hey @Lane! Glad you asked, I actually just started methylene blue bars through Dr. John after reading so much about it and its possible benefits. He might be methylene blue’s biggest advocate. Anyway, I am sure you’ve read this, but it’s around 2 mg per kg of your weight. I am also doing low dose, 43 mg a day. I have only taken it 4 times so I cannot speak on its effects at this point, but I am positive/hopeful about it! It does amazing things for the brain, mitochondria, inflammation, etc. All areas that could be linked to someone’s tinnitus.

 

So Erika, you did go see Dr. John after you were thinking about not going to see him?

 

I didn’t see him yet, @scotty03874! But I have had quite a few follow up/detailed discussions that made me dive into my own research, especially into exosome use (cell free) and the benefits with growth factors from that, VSEL stem cells, methylene blue, etc. And, FOR ME, his approach is not invalid. I have worked with functional medicine doctors my whole life, so his eccentric ways and other aspects that scare people off don’t do that to me, because the fact of the matter is functional medicine doctors have had much greater impact on my health and quality of life over traditional medicine doctors. A traditional ENT who said “it’s not bad enough for an antibiotic” (my ear infection that went into my inner ear) is who got me here. Dr. John himself had/has Lyme and has done many of his own treatments to greatly improve his symptoms.

Also, some say he just wants your money and it’s all/only cash upfront. That’s not true, they have a relationship with CareCredit of 18 months no interest. Also, Dana White apparently flies him privately to work on him and UFC fighters. And no, he didn’t tell me this, I saw this through searching and creeping on the internet lol.

Long story short, I will most likely be seeing him. Just haven’t yet And anyone who wants to hate/object can save their thumbs a workout and just breeze past this post.

 

Am I missing something here?

@attheedgeofscience reported an improvement in his tinnitus.

3.5 months post treatment he posted in the aforementioned thread:

"The volume [in left ear] is reduced by about 30-35%. The tinnitus volume in my right ear has been reduced by about 50%."

 

I strangely haven't researched exosomes separately. I probably should look into that. My first objective is to see if I can get IGF-1 IT-injected independently as a legal off-label use. Considering the cost, I'd rather do that before stepping into anything else. If able, I'd do a few injections of that first before trying out PRP and/or stem cells.

...Considering what studies show about IGF-1 independently, I wish I tried pursuing this years ago.

 

Yes, he did have improvements. Even more so months later. You’re not missing anything, it’s not you.

 

Are you saying Dana White was treated by Dr. John? If yes, I wonder if he's done SunaVae yet? Where did you read that on the internet? I've also done thousands of hours researching treatments and spent over $50,000 getting treatments. I know Dana White was treated for his Meniere's disease in Germany, for vertigo issues mainly and he said it really helped him. It's called Orthokine, it's a PRP based treatment. A-Rod referred him. Dana also has a nerve cut in his neck trying to treat his inner ear issues. That I read was not a success...

 

Dana White had him do the cranial release on himself and UFC Fighters. It was on Dr. John’s Instagram. Dana did not get SunaVae done, as you stated the PRP treatment in Germany treated his Ménière’s very well (wish we were all that lucky with one PRP shot!). But, I do wonder what else Dana has had done with him if he’s flying him to UFC Fighters to do cranial release.

I know you have tried many things which I give you SO much credit, it’s not easy when you have to try something that doesn’t hold an absolute guarantee and isn’t tried by a great amount of people that can give you a ton of feedback.

And yes. When Dana took traditional medicine route to treat his Ménière’s, including that surgery, it didn’t help/made him worse.

 

I saw the video of the FCR's on the UFC Fighters but it definitely wasn't Dr. John that did the treatments, FYI.

I've been involved in MMA and Thai kickboxing since I was 20 years old, I'm 47 now. I'm surprised he flew him private because there are tons of other chiropractors that do that cranial release.

I'm a huge fan of the UFC. I've been to Thailand to train and spent a whole month there at Camp Sityodtong. My instructor is great friends with Dana. He actually works for the UFC. He (Mark DellaGrotte) tells Joe Rogan what to say from an inserted earpiece when he needs to add material to his commentating.

Here's the video:

Cody Garbrandt introduces his team to a unique...

 

Hi @Lane - I have no idea how you came across this, but can you let us know if it does anything in relation to energy levels. I am not sure where you are with the chronic fatigue syndrome, but this stuff is supposed to help with deficient transport of oxygen around the body, which some are hypothesising to be the cause of CFS/ME. I wonder if this really does help with that (and/or better functioning of mitochondria, as mentioned here).

 

If you go to Dr. John L’s Instagram and scroll down to April 16-20 2022 you will see the posts. I read “getting on a private to go treat UFC crew” and just assumed it was provided by Dana White with what he was doing but I could be wrong. Anyway, he did treat them lol.

 

Hi @Uklawyer -- I get regular emails from Orthomolecular Medicine, and one of their important contributors is Thomas Levy, MD, whose innovative and intriguing work I've been familiar with for many years (he's done tons of research on Vit. C therapy). He wrote an article on Methylene Blue which sparked my interest in it. I wrote the following post below the dotted line. The link below that starts with "Jane's tip..." is by a woman who says Methylene Blue has significantly increased her energy levels.

..................................................

Thomas Levy, M.D. just published a lengthy 8-page article on Methylene Blue at Orthomolecular Medicine, which I think has potential implications for ME/CFS. It is quite long (and dry), and has voluminous references at the end. But I found it so intriguing, I just purchased a 100 ml. (3.5 oz) bottle of it at Amazon for $26.50, and anticipate starting it next week when it arrives.

Resolving Colds to Advanced COVID with Methylene Blue

Reading this prompted me to do some research on Methylene Blue, and I came across some interesting references, many of which I feel could easily connect to ME/CFS, such as:

1. Methylene Blue supports apoptosis (cell death) in cancer cells.
2. Methylene Blue is highly supportive of mitochondrial function.
3. Cancer is largely (or primarily) a mitochondrial disease.
4. Methylene Blue supports ATP production.
5. Methylene Blue is similar in structure to Vit. C, and is a powerful antioxidant.
6. Methylene Blue easily crosses the blood brain barrier, and has been helpful for all kinds of brain disorders.
7. Methylene Blue was first discovered (or formulated) in 1876, and is purported to be the first pharmaceutical drug.
8. Methylene Blue is helpful for a broad array of neurological disorders.
9. Methylene Blue is a broad ranging anti-fungal medication.
10. There are indications Parkinson's Disease is caused by fungal infections.
11. Parkinson's Disease is being diagnosed at a faster rate than Alzheimer's.
12. Dosages of Methylene Blue are fairly low, and highly individualized. Taking more than a minimal maintenance dose normally doesn't increase efficacy.

The woman in the following 9-minute video claims Methylene Blue gave her so much more energy, she would only take it in the morning, otherwise it could affect her sleep:

Jane's Tip - Why Supplement with Methylene Blue and How to Mix It

The guy in the following 12-minute video gives a nice synopsis on Methylene Blue:

METHYLENE BLUE I The Common Sense MD | Dr. Tom Rogers

This 4-minute video talks about using Methylene Blue to treat Lyme:

Lyme, Bartonella, and Methylene Blue

Just to mention, I used to have this done about 2x/year prior to getting tinnitus 5 years ago. I stopped doing it after getting tinnitus for fear of making my tinnitus worse. But I'm seriously considering getting it done again. Unfortunately, I'd have to find a new practitioner since I've recently moved. I've noticed there are a few YouTube videos on it, with some mentioning it helped their tinnitus. I could share more on my experiences if anybody is interested. It really shifted things for me in a major way.

I first ran across this therapy when a friend suffered a concussion, and over the ensuing months, began to show more and more signs of ME/CFS. She heard about this therapy from a friend who had had a serious head injury as a child, and suffered seizures ever since. Once her friend had the cranial release done, his seizures stopped. Once my friend had it done, her ME/CFS symptoms reversed, and she is completely healthy today. Most people don't realize how structural issues can lead to significant health problems. Unfortunately, conventional medicine normally pays little attention to potential structural issues.

 

Thank you for sharing about the functional cranial release! He recommended it. I'm still deciding on it.

 

My first time I visited there in September 2020 I think that was one of the major reasons for my tinnitus relief because I have intracranial head pressure. Diagnosed by a doctor here in Boston.

 

And your tinnitus at that time was mainly due to SSHL?

 

Yes, from a slap to my right ear. I had mild to moderate losses then along with tinnitus.

 

That’s right, thanks for clarifying.

I had SSHL in my right ear at 12,000 Hz to 18,000 Hz from ear infection. I am very well aware those frequencies are not needed for speech hearing ability, but tinnitus/my brain doesn’t care about that. All it recognized is that all of a sudden, there was a loss and a huge difference in hearing those frequencies between my right and left ear. Now I deal with such high-frequency tones in those ranges that are reactive and constantly changing, and I also have lower beeping/crazy tones. If I could get the reactivity and ultra high-pitched tones to calm down, I would cry tears of joy, because these super high frequencies make me feel like I have some type of electrical current in my ears and brain. When you hear a sound, and also feel it, and it’s in and out with intensity, habituation is minimal.

Hoping I can find relief from Florida.

 

I think you might.

 

I took Methylene Blue for a few months for Bartonella infection, this was before I developed tinnitus though. I stopped because I couldn't continue to afford treatment due to inflation. =S

 

I've had ear issues since I was in high school, which started from two really bad ear infections and a firecracker to the ear (my mistake). Not only does my hear have a 20 dB notch at 4 kHz, but there's also one obvious notch at the extreme frequencies that I never paid any mind until a few years ago. I think those ear infections and the firecracker probably made my ear really vulnerable. My issues are really annoying. I also had really low Vitamin D levels.

If IGF-1, PRP, or stem cells aren't the solution, I will be disappointed. I will keep trying. First, IGF-1, because it is much more cheaper and off-label treatments are legal as long as it's not for sports. If I can't do that, or if it doesn't work, I will move on to the others.

Never heard of Methylene Blue. Might try that too.

Before I do anything, my first objective is to naturally increase my current IGF-1 levels. I need to take Vitamin D anyway lol.