Tinnitus Better on a Full Stomach

[Tacio Naja]

Hi Everyone,

I am new to the forum and hoping to pin point the bizarre trigger behind my tinnitus.

I suffer from Menieres disease and have been on medication (Serc) since 2010. The medication helps the vertigo and I rarely have them now.

My tinnitus, however, is rather annoying. When I am on a full stomach it gets better. A few hours after eating and even if I am not hungry it gets worse - forcing me to eat some more. And it needs to be a big meal - a snack such as fruit or nuts does not help.

There is no relationship with blood sugar levels - a low glycemic index/ load diet does not make any difference. And a 5-hour fasting blood sugar curve does not reveal any anomaly such as reactive hypoglycemia.

In short, the impression I have is that food requiring digestive effort for longer periods keep my tinnitus lower.

Carbohydrates such a bread or pasta seem to be quickly digested and before 3 hours my tinnitus is guaranteed to be loud. I repeat, there is no blood sugar relationship - a snack between meals does not help and neither does a low GI/ GL diet.

Chicken is great for me and typically allows me to go a full 4 hours without requiring another meal. But it can be challenging eating chicken 3-4 times daily! And I've had enough of chicken by now. I really need to find the trigger to adapt my diet accordingly.

Fish - despite containing more protein than chicken - is nowhere as good. Again my guess is that because it's soft and digested quickly before long my tinnitus is back.

Fruit, vegetables, etc. do not help my tinnitus.

I've observed this bizarre behavior for a few years now and have ran out of ideas on how to solve it. I have already tried a number of things namely - vitamin supplements, Ginko Biloba, Pycnogenol (pine bark extract), yoga, chiropractice, acupuncture and homeopathy. And by the way, I exercise 3-4 times a week.

I welcome any idea and would be much appreciated if someone can assist by providing theirs.

Many thanks,

Tacio

 

[Karen]

Hi, Tacio, and welcome!

I think it's really interesting that you would mention this, because I've been experiencing the same thing. I have both ringing/hissing tinnitus and pulsatile tinnitus, and I agree that I definitely feel better after eating a full meal.

I'm wondering if it has something to do with blood flow or blood pressure. My worsened tinnitus started after taking blood pressure meds for the first time, and for these past four years, I've been working hard to lower my blood pressure naturally, without any drugs.

Do you think yours is in any way influenced by your blood flow or blood pressure? I'd be interested to hear more about yours, and to see if there are any other people who experience this same phenomenon.

I exercise regularly, too, and it does help. But nothing seems to help as much as eating does! For me, food also has a calming effect, and that helps with the anxiety that is caused by tinnitus. Do you agree?

 

[Teri]

This is interesting. I have been diagnosed with Meneire's as well, but eating doesn't seem to have any effect on my T.

 

[uncle vikin]

I believe our brains use glucose as fuel mabe it has something to do with chemical changes during digestion that happen in the brain.I go back and forth on believing T is a physical or psychological problem .I am starting to think it is both.It is the hyperactivity of neurons inwhich for example are influenced by stimulates we get in our foods.MSG is one biggy,also caffiene,alcohol salt ect. but do these foods really affect T in everybody or is it psychological.Researchers don't have to monitor what they eat or do ect. we as sufferers have to deal with it realtime everyday.That is why we are so important to each other ,this site is a God send for people with T.I really do appreciate the staff and creator of TT.It should really get an award or some media recognition for the help it offers .

 

[Tacio Naja]

@Karen - you are the first person I have found with a similar trigger. I would really like for us to remain in touch and share any progress we have made with each other. Being a member of TT for longer than me, what do you believe we should do to find more people with this symptom? Please feel free to take my original post and post it elsewhere if need be.

@uncle vikin - thanks for your comments. Alcohol, caffeine and salt are not triggers for me.

 

[uncle vikin]

This is good Tacio It shows everybody is different with T.Me and someone on TT have been compairing notes on T because our T is somewhat alike.Tacio you and Karen should have a dialog on triggers and this will help you both.

 

[Catherine35]

Hello,
I just googled tinnitus better after meal and this forum came up. I just joined TT and am hoping it will help me. I've been suffering with T for almost 10 years, I think, and I still can't explain what triggers it. It is so awful one day and almost gone the next. However, lately it has been very bad and the only relief comes after a big meal. What can this mean??? I know this post was over a year ago, but I thought I would share.

 

[Dutchy]

Hello,
I just googled tinnitus better after meal and this forum came up. I just joined TT and am hoping it will help me. I've been suffering with T for almost 10 years, I think, and I still can't explain what triggers it. It is so awful one day and almost gone the next. However, lately it has been very bad and the only relief comes after a big meal. What can this mean??? I know this post was over a year ago, but I thought I would share.

I have noticed the same thing,i'm not sure why that would happen,probably related to blood pressure or something.

 

[Tacio Naja]

@Karen and @Dutchy - have you found any solution to increased tinnitus a few hours after eating? I haven't...

 

[Karen]

Well, for me, eating a large meal seems to help; I can't say exactly why, but I do know that it calms me down, and makes the tinnitus seem less irritating. Mine doesn't necessarily get worse a few hours after eating; there doesn't seem to be a correlation there.

Since I have both pulsatile and regular tinnitus, I feel that the pulsating is calmed after eating. It could be blood-pressure related because I have taken my BP after eating, and mine is much reduced after a meal.

I would be interested to hear what other people's experiences are with this phenomenon.

 

[Halsy]

I've only had T for a month but I've found something similar. My T seems to be related to by BP - seeing specialists over the next few weeks to see what's what - but so far when I'm hungry and stressed it seems worse and better after I eat and relax. Huh, weird.

 

[Dutchy]

@Karen and @Dutchy - have you found any solution to increased tinnitus a few hours after eating? I haven't...

Not really,as of late my ears are showing signs of pain surges.The sound is less of my concern right now.

 

[Fatih]

opposite for me,
my tinnitus better when my stomach and digestive system are completely empty.
you can comparison it.

 

[Tonyj]

Tacio Naja
Omg I had earing loss in my left ear since 2008 and Wear a earing aid. I do get a little ringing in my left ear but I can live with that.
Over the last 4/5 years my tinnitus (well what I thought was tinnitus) probably isn't... But I get exactly what you have described... When I'm hungry the ringing in my ears is so bad I can't really hear anything, but after I've eaten a good meal no matter what it is has long has I'm full my ears stop ringing. I have had 3 mri scans been to ENT, even seen a neurologist and they are stumped ‍..
I have suffered for about 15 years with bad circulation I get white fingers.. I'm now taking nifedipress for it which I for bad circulation.
I was told by my doctor about 3 years ago once you've eaten you bloody flows quicker to you stomach to brake down the food. So I thought I had bad circulation.. I've been on these tablets for 3 weeks now and my ears are no different tbh..
But like a few have said on here once they eaten there tinnitus is not so loud mine almost gone until I'm hungry..
Now this might sound strange (I go to the loo for a poo) about 1 hr later my ears get quite quiet bad until I've eaten and full up (strange I know)
I have searched for years to find out why I does this and nothing ‍ I can't believe there is other people out there with the same thing has me..
The only thing I have with eating I'm now getting a bit of a belly on me I'm 5.8ft and thin but now getting I pop belly which isn't good.. But eating a good meal stops the ringing in my ears


Any help would be much appreciated
Tony