MemberHello again all 
can i anyone tell me what the connection is between iron deficiency anaemia and tinnitus??
thanks
deb
can i anyone tell me what the connection is between iron deficiency anaemia and tinnitus??
thanks
deb
The Connection Between Anaemia and Tinnitus?
- Thread starter DebInAustralia
- Start date
ManagerHi, @DebInAustralia,
I didn't realize there was a connection between the two, but I found this:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/81389-warning-signs-anemia/
It looks as if scientists don't exactly know what the link is, but there is a link.
I just had some blood tests at the doctor recently, and found that I am anemic, which I wasn't aware of until now. Since I try to take natural remedies instead of prescription drugs, my doctor said it was OK for me to take blackstrap molasses to see if it would help. I've been taking it for about 2 weeks now, and I believe I feel stronger. I've also noted that my tinnitus seems a bit quieter. I'll be going back for another blood test in April to see if the anemia has improved.
Has your doctor said anything about your having anemia? Do you think there is a connection with tinnitus? I'll be interested to hear what you think.
I didn't realize there was a connection between the two, but I found this:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/81389-warning-signs-anemia/
It looks as if scientists don't exactly know what the link is, but there is a link.
I just had some blood tests at the doctor recently, and found that I am anemic, which I wasn't aware of until now. Since I try to take natural remedies instead of prescription drugs, my doctor said it was OK for me to take blackstrap molasses to see if it would help. I've been taking it for about 2 weeks now, and I believe I feel stronger. I've also noted that my tinnitus seems a bit quieter. I'll be going back for another blood test in April to see if the anemia has improved.
Has your doctor said anything about your having anemia? Do you think there is a connection with tinnitus? I'll be interested to hear what you think.
hi Karen (and Neenie)
I wanted to share that I have copper toxicity. I know iron displaces iron. Copper is a stimulant, and affects the nervous system. I may be clutching at straws, but I am hoping that as I treat the copper toxicity with zinc (find it ironic that zinc has been referenced for the treatment of tinnitus: don't quote me!) The copper affects neurotransmitters: my gaba, serotonin, and dopamine are very low. I have also developed estrogen dominance as a result of copper retention.
Karen that is interesting that you have noted that your t is quieter since incorporating iron into your diet. I wonder if the above applies to you?
If you are interested in pursuing this, my doctor arranged for me to have a hair analysis through interclinical diagnostics (another company in the states is ARL). She believes that hair analysis are more accurate in diagnosing heavy metal toxicity. I have had urine and serum copper tests that have also confirmed that I have a problem with copper.
I believe the underlying reason for my copper retention is an underperforming liver and exhausted adrenals. I am a slow oxidiser, so I tend to hold on to copper.
Hi Neenie.. yes I had read that too .. im not putting my money on the iron.. but its so low at the moment, that I need to have an iron transfusion to get it back up.........but like I said, because I have a copper retaining problem, this might be what is interfering with my nervous system. Cant hurt to treat and compare notes. I am seeing my dr this week about it all.. so ill let you know when the iron replacement is about to happen and report back if any changes in my symptoms.
thanks girls
I wanted to share that I have copper toxicity. I know iron displaces iron. Copper is a stimulant, and affects the nervous system. I may be clutching at straws, but I am hoping that as I treat the copper toxicity with zinc (find it ironic that zinc has been referenced for the treatment of tinnitus: don't quote me!) The copper affects neurotransmitters: my gaba, serotonin, and dopamine are very low. I have also developed estrogen dominance as a result of copper retention.
Karen that is interesting that you have noted that your t is quieter since incorporating iron into your diet. I wonder if the above applies to you?
If you are interested in pursuing this, my doctor arranged for me to have a hair analysis through interclinical diagnostics (another company in the states is ARL). She believes that hair analysis are more accurate in diagnosing heavy metal toxicity. I have had urine and serum copper tests that have also confirmed that I have a problem with copper.
I believe the underlying reason for my copper retention is an underperforming liver and exhausted adrenals. I am a slow oxidiser, so I tend to hold on to copper.
Hi Neenie.. yes I had read that too .. im not putting my money on the iron.. but its so low at the moment, that I need to have an iron transfusion to get it back up.........but like I said, because I have a copper retaining problem, this might be what is interfering with my nervous system. Cant hurt to treat and compare notes. I am seeing my dr this week about it all.. so ill let you know when the iron replacement is about to happen and report back if any changes in my symptoms.
thanks girls
Hi, @DebInAustralia,
Thank you for explaining about the copper toxicity problem. Treating it with zinc makes sense, since I understand that there is a zinc/copper balance in the body, that may be easily upset. That would help to restore the balance. I didn't know that copper could displace iron in the body.
My condition is similar to yours, in that I also was found to have adrenal exhaustion. I'm feeling much better these days, so I believe it has improved, but I still have some symptoms, including the iron deficiency. The body is certainly a complicated mechanism, and it looks like things can be easily upset if something interferes with that balance.
And, yes, Neenie, I do have the whooshing type of tinnitus, so it is all beginning to make sense now.
Deb, I'd like to know more about the hair sample analysis.
I wish you well in correcting your copper imbalance and your anemia, and hope it helps with the tinnitus, as well. Is your tinnitus of the whooshing type, too?
Thank you for explaining about the copper toxicity problem. Treating it with zinc makes sense, since I understand that there is a zinc/copper balance in the body, that may be easily upset. That would help to restore the balance. I didn't know that copper could displace iron in the body.
My condition is similar to yours, in that I also was found to have adrenal exhaustion. I'm feeling much better these days, so I believe it has improved, but I still have some symptoms, including the iron deficiency. The body is certainly a complicated mechanism, and it looks like things can be easily upset if something interferes with that balance.
And, yes, Neenie, I do have the whooshing type of tinnitus, so it is all beginning to make sense now.
Deb, I'd like to know more about the hair sample analysis.
I wish you well in correcting your copper imbalance and your anemia, and hope it helps with the tinnitus, as well. Is your tinnitus of the whooshing type, too?
I am not sure what the connection is between pulsatile tinnitus and anaemia but I can say there is one. My PT had got steadily worse over the last two or three years to the point when I couldn't get to sleep with the noise and I regularly got woken up by it. Some days it was constant and quite frightening. My GP wasn't too concerned, nor was an ENT specialist.
However blood tests 3 weeks ago show that I am very anaemic - GP was concerned about that! Maybe long term use of NSAIDs, possible blood loss... anyway, he put me on iron tablets while we do some other tests and guess what??!! My pulsatile tinnitus has gone! It is brilliant! I can't believe how well I have been sleeping these last few days!
My regular two-tone tinnitus is still there but the scary one has gone. Yay!
However blood tests 3 weeks ago show that I am very anaemic - GP was concerned about that! Maybe long term use of NSAIDs, possible blood loss... anyway, he put me on iron tablets while we do some other tests and guess what??!! My pulsatile tinnitus has gone! It is brilliant! I can't believe how well I have been sleeping these last few days!
My regular two-tone tinnitus is still there but the scary one has gone. Yay!
- Jan 3, 2015
- 635
- Tinnitus Since
- 04/21/2014
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Sensorineural hearing loss right ear.
@DebInAustralia and @Karen.
You might want to Google, Himalaya, "stress care". Suppose to rejuvenate adrenal functions.
You might want to Google, Himalaya, "stress care". Suppose to rejuvenate adrenal functions.
ive returned to this thread because I have developed, along with my hissing noise/s, a whooshing sound, that at present, is only short lived when I stand up or change position (coupled with palpitations in my neck, and head pressure with dizziness). ive had a full work up (bloods), but I suspect its my low iron again causing this. Has anyone else experienced this, and responded well to iron supplementation? thanks
Owen
Member
- Dec 11, 2015
- 244
- Tinnitus Since
- 05/2014
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Unclear. Inflammatory allergic reaction/AIED
It is surprisingly common to be low on iron and it isn't until very low that most of the more serious symptoms of anemia appear.
It wasn't until I saw a dietician that told me I needed to get the actual number from my GP and not just "normal" that I started to look into it further. The range from memory for the ferritin test was around 12-300 for a male and I was measuring just 15, but it wasn't until I requested a copy of my own results that I found out that my iron was that low. The dietician suggested a level of over 80 to be truly "normal" - this I likely to be different for women.
Following supplementation, I am now in that range (87 most recently) and it has made no difference, either positive or negative to my particular case of hearing problems. I have had pulsatile tinnitus at times, but not that often, it is normally more of a ring/chirping that is unaffected by blood pressure. I do however think I have a little more energy than I did.
I took iron bisglycinate as it is easier on the digestive system that most alternatives.
It wasn't until I saw a dietician that told me I needed to get the actual number from my GP and not just "normal" that I started to look into it further. The range from memory for the ferritin test was around 12-300 for a male and I was measuring just 15, but it wasn't until I requested a copy of my own results that I found out that my iron was that low. The dietician suggested a level of over 80 to be truly "normal" - this I likely to be different for women.
Following supplementation, I am now in that range (87 most recently) and it has made no difference, either positive or negative to my particular case of hearing problems. I have had pulsatile tinnitus at times, but not that often, it is normally more of a ring/chirping that is unaffected by blood pressure. I do however think I have a little more energy than I did.
I took iron bisglycinate as it is easier on the digestive system that most alternatives.
I developed a case of tinnitus in my left ear after attending a brass band (25.11.16) and sat less than a metre from the speaker. Biggest mistake of my life. The tinnitus at that point was not disabling, a low hum I could only hear for a few seconds around 10 times a day. Around 5 weeks later I started taking iron supplements, ferrous fumerate, which I took at the dose on the packet- one three times a day. I'd been anaemic before so I suspected I was (blood tests a few weeks later proved I was indeed low in iron). I took the tablets unthinkingly. I just thought, oh these should help my sore mouth, tiredness etc, and maybe help my tinnitus. Within a week of taking the tablets my tinnitus became what I would describe as disabling. It was blasting out of my left ear. Classic eee. High pitches 24/7. I could no longer watch to or read or hold conversations easily. Concentration was hard. I stopped taking the tablets. The tinnitus got no better at that point. I stopped the iron tablets after 7 days but was confused bout why the tinnitus has worsened so severely. Then, around 6 weeks later for no reason I thought I'll try the iron tablets again. By the way, I hadn't made the connection it was the iron tablets that sent the tinnitus bananas before. Two days after restarting the tablets my hearing reduced in my right ear and t started in right ear. (I now realised the connection to the iron and stopped them). I now had reduced hearing in both ears. This became way more problematic for my hearing as I no longer had a good ear which made hearing so so much crisper, and listening to music was devasting. I got tested and was found to have hearing loss of 20db in both ears. Jeez those tablets did me so much harm! I'm now around 2 months since the last iron tablet and I my tinnitus is a bit better but still extremely bothersome (a 6 rather than an 8?) but hearing loss is still bad. Only this morning my son said Southampton and I thought he said badminton. I'm posting this as I fully agree with Karen that natural sources of iron may be helpful for some people whose ears are v vulnerable after noise exposure.
Apologies for adding to an old thread, but my tinnitus I believe relates to anaemia.
I encountered gallbladder problems and was not absorbing any fat. The lack of vitamin K resulted in slow development of anaemia (I did not know this at the time), and after three or four weeks where my haemoglobin count was falling, I suddenly developed really loud and severe tinnitus in both ears - pop, pop, literally overnight.
I resolved my fat absorption issues, and my tinnitus eased, and in my right ear it totally cleared. However my left ear has never cleared, and I still have low level tinnitus (kind of ringing type).
I'm now trying to research more in detail and see if I can completely resolve it. I've had it six years now - I can tune it out and most of the time don't notice it, but I really miss silence, which I can no longer enjoy.
I encountered gallbladder problems and was not absorbing any fat. The lack of vitamin K resulted in slow development of anaemia (I did not know this at the time), and after three or four weeks where my haemoglobin count was falling, I suddenly developed really loud and severe tinnitus in both ears - pop, pop, literally overnight.
I resolved my fat absorption issues, and my tinnitus eased, and in my right ear it totally cleared. However my left ear has never cleared, and I still have low level tinnitus (kind of ringing type).
I'm now trying to research more in detail and see if I can completely resolve it. I've had it six years now - I can tune it out and most of the time don't notice it, but I really miss silence, which I can no longer enjoy.
