Tinnitus Began First Week of June 2020 After Wim Hof Breathing

[MrC6688]

I was recently doing a breathing exercise kind of similar to Wim Hof breathing. It was a "breathwork" exercise involving rapid deep breathing. I only did it for 10 minutes. Towards the end, my entire body was buzzing and my hands and feet felt like they were vibrating intensely. These side effects are considered normal for this kind of breathwork. When I stopped, my hands and feet were still tingling and my tinnitus had spiked.

I have been suffering from peripheral neuropathy, tingling/pins/needles in my hands and feet that started at the same time my tinnitus started, around one year ago. I don't know for sure what caused the tinnitus and neuropathy but I think it was either my second Pfizer shot or the high dose of vitamin B6 I was taking.

Regardless, doing this breathwork made my neuropathy and tinnitus flare up. It's been 2 days and I still haven't recovered, so I'm starting to get worried.

Does anyone else here have tinnitus that started around the same time that peripheral neuropathy started? And for people who got tinnitus from Wim Hof breathing or similar breathwork, has anyone found a cure?

Hi @Greg9840, I'm sorry to hear about your ordeal. I remember when I did the breath hold I felt pins and needles in my hands and extremities but it went away within seconds. What didn't go away unfortunately was the tinnitus. Like others have said, we suspect Wim Hof tinnitus could be a combination of things including obstruction within the Eustachian tubes, or possible damage to the tiny blood vessels leading to the middle ear, or possible hyperactivity to the auditory nerves. Some even speculate that tinnitus could be linked to damage to the kidneys (which could possibly happen from an overload to the sympathetic nervous system -- something that Wim himself claims his breathwork accomplishes).

Since June 2020 my ears have been sort of blocked, like when you're in a high altitude. But lately I've experienced some crackling here and there. I'm not out of the woods by any stretch but it leads me to believe that the body will eventually heal itself from this condition, or at least that's my hope. I read somewhere online that someone recovered from tinnitus caused by barotrauma but it took about 3 years. I'm honestly praying that we can all recover from this.

As far as the theory that tinnitus could be linked to a kidney deficiency, I'm taking a traditional Chinese herbal tonic aimed at healing impaired kidney function. It was given to me by my acupuncturist. I've tried literally everything up to this point, so I figure it can't hurt to try this. I know Chinese traditional medicine takes a very long time so that's the downside. We'll see how it goes...

 

[Anson]

Just a small update from my side. In my last post I said that I don't think Ginkobil/Tebonin helps but I'm not sure anymore. After 3 months of taking it, I decided to not take it anymore. But after about 1 week my tinnitus got worse, not sure if it was just a bad day or whatever but as I made good but slow progress since taking it, I decided to continue with it (in the beginning I was hoping for much faster results, but maybe it's just slow).

Also not sure if the HBOT helped either.

But my main point why I wanted to update all of you is that I made progress.

Not sure if it is habituation (after just a few months?), but overall I have had the impression that every few weeks it has got slightly better. I also hope it will go away after some more months or a few years...

I mainly stopped doing things where I had the impression they made my tinnitus worse, like running, showering (rather take a bath), back massage, etc. So, I first had the impression a high heart rate or blood flow might be an issue, but relaxed cycling, walking etc. which also increases the heart rate seems to be fine, so not sure what's going on...

How is it for you? Did any of you make progress or is it the same since the beginning?

 

[constant eee]

Mine is the same volume as last year. Sometimes it's milder and sometimes it's loud AF. and I can't figure out the patterns. In addition, my jaw started to feel really tense, as if it reacts to tinnitus, the louder it gets, the more tense it is. I can almost taste the tension, it's really weird. I can't sleep at night without drugs, currently on Trazodone, but it's not really working well tbh.

How are you dealing with sleep with tinnitus? Anyone here tried micro/macro dosing Psilocybin? I'm desperate to try anything to rewire the brain and to make this hell go away.

 

[MrC6688]

Mine is the same volume as last year. Sometimes it's milder and sometimes it's loud AF. and I can't figure out the patterns. In addition, my jaw started to feel really tense, as if it reacts to tinnitus, the louder it gets, the more tense it is. I can almost taste the tension, it's really weird. I can't sleep at night without drugs, currently on Trazodone, but it's not really working well tbh.

How are you dealing with sleep with tinnitus? Anyone here tried micro/macro dosing Psilocybin? I'm desperate to try anything to rewire the brain and to make this hell go away.

@constant eee, sorry to hear about your tinnitus. A lot of us, including myself, deal with this constant high-pitched "eeeee" tinnitus thanks to Wim Hof breathing. My only solace is I got two coworkers to quit before they wound up getting hurt from it.

In answer to your question, my jaw felt tense initially but it went away. I also experienced hyperacusis, dizziness, and an inner ear imbalance and that went on for a few months. The tinnitus has not yet subsided and neither has the feeling in my ears like I'm in a high altitude and can't fully pop my ears. I don't feel any pressure anymore (I did feel pressure constantly for 3 months) but I still can't successfully pop my ears fully open and I'm sure it's related to the tinnitus. What could have caused that? Possible barotrauma from the 15 second hold -> push to the head?

I am praying we can either find a cure or be healed naturally in time. As for sleeping, I need to play podcasts at night. I just pick a topic that's interesting and then I'm out in about 30 minutes - 1 hour. Not the best way to fall asleep but I suppose it works. Others have tried Ginkgo Biloba and Ashwagandha to help them fall asleep.

A lot of us have have been theorizing we're suffering from a combo of a few things: 1. overload of sympathetic response which hyperactivated our auditory nerves in the stem of the brain, 2. possible inflammation/damage to Eustachian tubes from 15 second breath hold and push to the head, 3. possible damage to tiny blood vessels in the inner ear.

I remember right after I got tinnitus, I went on Prednisone for 7 days (20 mg/day). I didn't like the feeling at all but it seemed to turn down the tinnitus volume. Once I cut it down to 10 mg/day and once I came off the cycle, the tinnitus didn't lower. I only experienced a lowering in volume during the first initial day when I was on 20 mg/day. So, that could point a finger to inflammation. But again, it's not sustainable. You can't be on Prednisone long-term.

I haven't heard of micro/macro dosing Psilocybin for tinnitus. In my own opinion, I think the cure to this hell will lie somewhere in between finding the root causes of the inner ear inflammation/barotrauma and possible auditory nerve damage and healing them. I'd love to hear ideas. I know we've been going on this for 2 years now but I won't give up.

 

[constant eee]

The tinnitus has not yet subsided and neither has the feeling in my ears like I'm in a high altitude and can't fully pop my ears

I've had it and mine went away either by itself or by me consciously yawning as much as possible (basically opened my mouth until I heard a clicking sound).

What could have caused that? Possible barotrauma from the 15 second hold -> push to the head?

Yeah I'm betting this as well.

 

[Joe Cuber]

How are you dealing with sleep with tinnitus?

Hi @constant eee - I also take Trazodone (100 mg/night) which has been working okay for me. Prior to that, I took Tylenol PM, which also worked okay for me.

In addition to the drugs, I've made a religion out of sleep. I'm a side sleeper, so I got a proper side-sleeper pillow (e.g., the thickness of the pillow ought to match the shoulder-to-ear width so that the neck stays in a neutral position). I run a fan to increase airflow and a humidifier to keep my nasal passages clear. I wear temperature-appropriate PJs so that I don't get too hot at night. I listen to nature sounds on a speaker near my bed; sometimes I use a pillow speaker to play the sounds in my pillow-facing ear. To prevent my head from rolling forward in the night (which I've learned increases my chance of a bad day), I tuck a small pillow under my chin. And I do that whole circadian rhythm thing--go outside in the morning to see the sunrise (it doesn't work to see the sunrise through a window) and also go outside to see the sunset.

 

[DebInAustralia]

On a diving forum, there are people experiencing the exact same symptoms. One person experienced this while performing a shallow dive for a longer period of time.

So the question is still, is this hypoxia or barotrauma? I don't see a similar mechanism for hypoxia in a diver who is diving at shallow depths with no contradictions, it doesn't make sense, but then again, neither does barotrauma though it much, much more likely.

Could it be micro clots from chronic inflammation?

Consider Nattokinase along with something to improve blood flow?

 

[MindgamesRMX]

Hey, I tried some microdosing with 1v-LSD, it's still legal in Germany. A few days after I think it made the tinnitus worse.

Same with THC, so all psychoactive substances unfortunately make it worse for me.

 

[NamelessGuest]

Hey everyone,

I'm back after last posting in December, when I came down with tinnitus. Thanks Mr C for replying to my survey questions!

My tinnitus has not gone away. In the beginning, I felt very unwell with the onset of the tinnitus, and would have some weird heart rate stuff going on. Some of that has subsided, but the tinnitus is still there. The feedback loop is definitely a real thing for me, as the more I concentrate on it, the worse it gets.

I still hope that we will find answers someday, but have had to accept that I might be dealing with this for a long time. Maybe with medical advancements, but I don't have much faith in that industry in its current form to be honest.

I do think a lawsuit is worth looking into. This has changed my life so much, and in ways I don't even feel like the same person anymore - and I had no idea this outcome was even remotely possible.

Some observations... Does anyone else feel like it has changed their sinuses? The right side of my nose and face (assuming the sinus cavities) seem clogged, or the breathing isn't as smooth on that side. It seems constant. And I have a feeling if I could get that cleared, it may help with the tinnitus.

I do believe I have some candida symptoms, so I'm very intrigued by that conversation. Regardless of the tinnitus, it would be good to get that eradicated if possible. It's tough though, as I have embarked on that before.

When I first got this, there wasn't much out there on the correlation between WHM and tinnitus. There is now, so I believe this must be happening to lots of people. The video below is proof that many more people are having this happen to them...

Try and stay positive, and try and not notice it (for whatever that's worth).

Does the Wim Hof Method Cause Tinnitus? - YouTube

 

[MrC6688]

Hey everyone,

I'm back after last posting in December, when I came down with tinnitus. Thanks Mr C for replying to my survey questions!

My tinnitus has not gone away. In the beginning, I felt very unwell with the onset of the tinnitus, and would have some weird heart rate stuff going on. Some of that has subsided, but the tinnitus is still there. The feedback loop is definitely a real thing for me, as the more I concentrate on it, the worse it gets.

I still hope that we will find answers someday, but have had to accept that I might be dealing with this for a long time. Maybe with medical advancements, but I don't have much faith in that industry in its current form to be honest.

I do think a lawsuit is worth looking into. This has changed my life so much, and in ways I don't even feel like the same person anymore - and I had no idea this outcome was even remotely possible.

Some observations... Does anyone else feel like it has changed their sinuses? The right side of my nose and face (assuming the sinus cavities) seem clogged, or the breathing isn't as smooth on that side. It seems constant. And I have a feeling if I could get that cleared, it may help with the tinnitus.

I do believe I have some candida symptoms, so I'm very intrigued by that conversation. Regardless of the tinnitus, it would be good to get that eradicated if possible. It's tough though, as I have embarked on that before.

When I first got this, there wasn't much out there on the correlation between WHM and tinnitus. There is now, so I believe this must be happening to lots of people. The video below is proof that many more people are having this happen to them...

Try and stay positive, and try and not notice it (for whatever that's worth).

Does the Wim Hof Method Cause Tinnitus? - YouTube

That's a great video! It clearly shows there's a connection between WHM and tinnitus. What angers me is how Wim puts the blame on the WHM participant when he never warns of tinnitus in any of his videos. I remember when I received the intro beginner videos two years ago, there was zero mention of tinnitus and he even suggested pushing air to the head! I only found out the danger of tinnitus after I came down with it and researched it on my own and discovered the connection after seeing one Reddit feed after another. Wim has ruined so many lives and takes no accountability for what he's done, and frankly not only doesn't he care, but he blames the participant for "overdoing it" when all they're doing is following his instructions.

A class action lawsuit would be a great course of action honestly if there's a personal injury lawyer willing to take this on and thinks there is a legitimate case.

It's been two years now for me and the high-pitched "eeee" is still there. To say it's had a negative impact on my life would be a gargantuan understatement.

As for the sinuses, yes it has had an effect. My ears still won't "pop". When I use nasal rinse and blow my nose I hear the loud squeaking indicating it's clearing out my Eustachian tubes. But my ears won't pop. It's the same feeling you get when you're up in a jet liner and can't pop your ears. To your symptoms, I did have that issue in the very beginning where one side felt more congested than the other but it went away. I was left with the "clogged ears" which still persists, along with the tinnitus.

 

[Renfrey]

I just want to say thanks for this forum and especially this thread and @MrC6688, @Lukee, and all the rest for all the help. I'm doing much better these days. I've been doing better since last March. I noticed that while on a trip to NYC, I didn't need any sound therapy to sleep for the first time since it started. And I haven't used any since. I consider that a big improvement. I'd say my level is around a 1-2, which is essentially unnoticeable for me. I think I was at that level even before tinnitus.

Even though I've had a rough time lately with my dad passing away in September, my tinnitus hasn't been affected. I've just been dealing with the emptiness, grief, and change that it's caused.

Some of the things I've been doing consistently are: exercise, eating raw vegetables, vitamins, herbal supplements, NAC, Niacin, ice baths, Wim Hof style breathing, and prayer.

I hope everyone is doing well. Thanks again. I pray for continued healing for all of us.

 

[Csani90]

I just want to say thanks for this forum and especially this thread and @MrC6688, @Lukee, and all the rest for all the help. I'm doing much better these days. I've been doing better since last March. I noticed that while on a trip to NYC, I didn't need any sound therapy to sleep for the first time since it started. And I haven't used any since. I consider that a big improvement. I'd say my level is around a 1-2, which is essentially unnoticeable for me. I think I was at that level even before tinnitus.

Even though I've had a rough time lately with my dad passing away in September, my tinnitus hasn't been affected. I've just been dealing with the emptiness, grief, and change that it's caused.

Some of the things I've been doing consistently are: exercise, eating raw vegetables, vitamins, herbal supplements, NAC, Niacin, ice baths, Wim Hof style breathing, and prayer.

I hope everyone is doing well. Thanks again. I pray for continued healing for all of us.

I'm very sorry about your dad. But it's good to hear that your tinnitus hasn't got worse because of that. I know stress amplifies it. It seems you have habituated. I'm the same. It is still there, but I don't notice it, only if for some reason I focus on it. But it doesn't bother me. I don't want to be negative but I don't think there is a cure for this. Our best option is to ignore it, until it fades to the background. Although, I would like to experience complete silence again.

I do a lot of Prana breathing exercises daily, to calm my anxious mind. And while they are good at relaxing me down, I still sometimes think about the times when I did the Wim Hof breathing and how it made me feel, during and after. I didn't dare to give it a try again, but now that I read you doing similar Wim Hof style breathing exercise, could you tell a little bit more about it?

 

[Renfrey]

I'm very sorry about your dad. But it's good to hear that your tinnitus hasn't got worse because of that. I know stress amplifies it. It seems you have habituated. I'm the same. It is still there, but I don't notice it, only if for some reason I focus on it. But it doesn't bother me. I don't want to be negative but I don't think there is a cure for this. Our best option is to ignore it, until it fades to the background. Although, I would like to experience complete silence again.

I do a lot of Prana breathing exercises daily, to calm my anxious mind. And while they are good at relaxing me down, I still sometimes think about the times when I did the Wim Hof breathing and how it made me feel, during and after. I didn't dare to give it a try again, but now that I read you doing similar Wim Hof style breathing exercise, could you tell a little bit more about it?

Csani, thanks so much for your condolences. I really appreciate it.

Yeah, I think it's part habituation and part healing. As I was saying, I think I've returned to the state I was in before tinnitus. Which is to say that I think I've had very low grade tinnitus for a long time, but was never really aware of it.

Knowing that Wim Hof breathing has caused auditory issues with so many people, I can't in good faith promote or recommend it. I just know that for me in this present time, I feel that it helps and is not making my tinnitus any worse. Like you and your Prana, I feel that Wim Hof breathing helps calm my anxiety and nerves.

I don't do the breathwork a lot either. Just a few rounds in the morning and sometimes before bed. And I never force any air into the head on the holds.

 

[MrC6688]

I just want to say thanks for this forum and especially this thread and @MrC6688, @Lukee, and all the rest for all the help. I'm doing much better these days. I've been doing better since last March. I noticed that while on a trip to NYC, I didn't need any sound therapy to sleep for the first time since it started. And I haven't used any since. I consider that a big improvement. I'd say my level is around a 1-2, which is essentially unnoticeable for me. I think I was at that level even before tinnitus.

Even though I've had a rough time lately with my dad passing away in September, my tinnitus hasn't been affected. I've just been dealing with the emptiness, grief, and change that it's caused.

Some of the things I've been doing consistently are: exercise, eating raw vegetables, vitamins, herbal supplements, NAC, Niacin, ice baths, Wim Hof style breathing, and prayer.

I hope everyone is doing well. Thanks again. I pray for continued healing for all of us.

@Renfrey, you're most welcome! I have been away for a while but just checking in to see how everyone is doing. If anyone has had progress in reducing their "stuffed ears" or high-pitched tinnitus, please do share. As many of you probably agree, I think we're fighting a two pronged battle here. Pressure issues caused by the breath retention and overly excited auditory nerves. Outside of habituation, I haven't come across anyone who's able to solve this. I pray we can get healed and won't lose hope.

@Renfrey, I'm very sorry to hear about your dad's passing. You have my deepest sympathy and prayers.

 

[OptimistWarrior]

@MrC6688, did your hyperacusis ease?

@TimNitus, how are you doing now?

 

[rymotechnik]

Hi guys.

This is my very first post on Tinnitus Talk. I would like to apologize for my poor English, I hope you can understand everything quite clearly, as I'm not using any translator or anything like that.

Like all of you fellas, I also developed tinnitus after Wim Hof Breathing. It happened 8 November 2023, the date I will probably remember for the rest of my life. I wish I had never found his videos on YouTube but unfortunately it is not possible to go back in time and fix that mistake. The irony is, I was searching for some stress reducing exercises in order to find relief for my other chronic pain issues, anxiety and insomnia but found something even worse instead. In the beginning I couldn't believe all this happened. Now after one month has passed, I'm a bit more used to this thought, but it's still super depressing.

My tinnitus began after my second or third breathing session. I felt very loud ringing in my head, in about a minute it decreased and I wasn't even bothered by it that much, until I realised, that after a while I still could hear high-pitched ringing in both of my ears, the sound that you all are so familiar with. I was sure it was only temporary, because no breathing exercises can cause any serious damage, right? But when a few hours later the ringing was still there, I did some research and was terrified when I found multiple stories about it being permanent.

My pre-existing anxiety went through the roof. For the next weeks I could barely sleep and eat. The idea of never experiencing silence again made me almost crazy and suicidal. I'm an introvert and silence has always been my comfort zone. After a few days I developed hyperacusis, mild ear fullness and sinus pain (mainly frontal sinus area, which is still present when I'm touching my forehead) and headaches. I need to wear earplugs all the time, because everyday sounds are hurting my ears. Some of them are OK, but some feel really bad, for example when washing the dishes.

I also feel some weird clicking/popping in my nose, I don't know if it is my Eustachian tube or my sinuses trying to release pressure. It's pretty hard to describe, even more as my English is very far from perfect.

I did not get an ENT or audiologist appointment yet, so I can't say if I have suffered hearing loss. I regret I didn't know right away that there were some success stories after taking Prednisone in the early days, but I also read some people actually got worse after taking it. Now it's too late anyways. I feel like my hearing may be OK, I don't notice any distortions or things like that, but everything feels loud and unpleasant. As I mentioned, I protect my hearing all the time. I of course don't use headphones anymore, probably never will (which sucks so bad, I loved listening to music and playing video games using a headset).

I have read this whole thread and feel for you guys. The fact that no one recovered from this feels really depressing. I checked Reddit, there are lots of similar stories and unfortunately very few of them are optimistic. I keep telling to myself that there are many more people who recovered from Wim Hof Breathing induced tinnitus but just didn't post their stories on the internet. I know I'm just naive trying to find some hope. I asked some Reddit users for an update and a few answered they actually recovered after a few months, but most of them unfortunately did not. It seems quite hard to find information about Wim Hof Breathing induced tinnitus and hyperacusis, in contrast to acoustic trauma induced tinnitus.

I don't even know why I'm writing this post. I would like to warn future Wim Hof Breathing practitioners to never try this technique, as it is far from safe. It's a crime there are no disclaimers in his videos. This problem is really common and he clearly knows about it but doesn't really care about ruining people's lives.

Take care guys and I hope we'll eventually get better.