This Worked for Me to Minimize the Noise of Tinnitus in My Head

[KRM]

Hi everyone,

I am new to tinnitus. After protecting my ears for 47 years, I made the mistake of attending a wedding reception with a DJ who is now in the running for biggest A-hole of the universe.
It only took 2 hours to ruin my ears and give me both high-frequency tinnitus and hyperacusis.

Although I am currently completing a PhD in science, the only real joy I get from life is playing my double-bass. I have (or had) perfect pitch and music is my life.

For the past 3 weeks, I have been following an emotional circus of horror, despair and panic. Not a day has gone by in the last three weeks when I haven't cried. All joy had drained out of my life to be replaced by the constant sound of a pressure-cooker releasing steam, with a high tone behind it, coming from inside my head. The idea of being stuck with tinnitus forever made me feel like lying down on the nearest road (or taking up extreme adventure sports!).

Although my hyperacusis was improving, the tinnitus wasn't. I finally saw an ENT doctor yesterday after he offered me a payment plan for his $250 fee.

He said that some of his patients had lessened their symptoms by taking SERC (Betahistine DiHCl) tablets and Blackmores Gingko 6000mg (Tebonin).

Being a forensic scientist with a PhD in being skeptical, I had already read that Ginkgo was no better than a placebo and told the Dr this to his face. He said that both medications he was recommending were supposed to increase blood-flow to the inner ear and promote healing. I had read in another tinnitus forum that some people found a few hours of relief from their tinnitus after lying on their stomachs over the edge of their bed with their head down near the ground. If these medications could replicate the apparent benefits of increased blood-flow to the head/ears, I decided to give it a go.

The pharmacist said it would take a few weeks for the SERC to start working and not to expect any sudden changes. I took 2 tablets of Ginkgo and 1 tablet of SERC yesterday.

Today when I started to wake up, I realised that instead of waking to the pressure-cooker tinnitus noise like an alarm inside my head, the tinnitus was just an echo of what it had been yesterday. If the pharmacist was correct in saying it would take a few weeks for the SERC to build up in my system, does this mean that the change I am hearing is due to the Gingko? I am a naturally pessimistic/cynical person and as a scientist, do not believe in unsubstantiated alternative medications used by hippies. However, I can't ignore this dramatic change I am hearing and wanted to let someone else know if they haven't tried this combo yet.

(Apparently, SERC can also be prescribed by a GP).

I live in country Tasmania and the only noise to distract me from tinnitus had been the occasional parrot. I have had the TV on ever since I got tinnitus and had seriously thought about moving near a busy highway to drown it out. Today, I turned the TV off. Maybe I won't need to move after all?

I have made a list of other external factors that may have effected how quickly this apparent change in the severity of my tinnitus was achieved:
I eat a vegan, sugar-free diet (I also eat free-range eggs from our chooks)
I don't smoke or drink and run approx. 4km at least 5 times a week.
I have a multi-vitamin with omega 3, vit. D and probiotic tablets once a day.
I drink fresh rainwater from our tank.
I live in a rural area near the sea, with good air quality and nowhere near power-lines or busy roads.

I really hope this info helps someone out there. Good luck everyone.

 

[Jomo]

too early to tell...keep updating us as time goes on. I may try this myself. My tinnitus has changed a lot since onset....it went from a low pitch high screaming "eeee" to now a light high pitch without the "eeeee." Im about 3 months in....what has helped me is the general fuzz acrn website. I suggest trying this especially if your tinnitus is tonal. Look up the research on it first so you understand what it is about. You need to listen to this for at least 4-6 hours a day. Hope this helps.

http://www.generalfuzz.net/acrn/

 

[Gosia]

Betaserc and ginko did absilutely nothing to my t, I even was under the impression that it worsened it.

 

[Anton Wongtrakun]

Hi KRM,

Im in Melbourne.
My circumstances are almost identical to yours, was careful my whole life with my ears and but one night put me int same position as you, but I am now 4 weeks in.

Im not sure if you are still on the forum but if you are would love to hear from you about your progress as you are about 7 months ahead now of your last post.

I am taking vitamins magnesium, NAC and about to try the Gingko and will ask my ENT about the SERC. I had a burst of steroids as well as prescribed by my doctor.

Would dearly love to hear from you. Also my T is moving around from my ears to my head.