Dear Barry,
I have severe tinnitus. It is not just annoying but it has reduced quality of life with depression and anxiety attacks. I think I am going insane at times. I take anti-depression meds my doctor prescribed (Xanax) but all they do is chill me out a little. I have tried every tinnitus pill on the market. No help. My doctor told me to take 15 mg of zinc.
Thanks for any help.
Steve T.
Dear Steve,
I’m sorry your condition is so disturbing to you. You say you have tried every tinnitus pill on the market and are coming to us last. I find this somewhat disconcerting as we are the only company on the market that has clinical, scientific evidence of our product’s effectiveness. Thousands of Ear, Nose & Throat physicians also recommend Arches to their tinnitus patients.
A quick perusal of our website will reveal many of the 35 clinical studies that have been conducted on the ingredients used in Arches Tinnitus Formula and their effect on tinnitus. These clinical studies are included in our Tinnitus Library under Clinical Studies. Of specific interest is a scientific review of 19 clinical studies conducted on ginkgo biloba and tinnitus. This study concluded with, “The investigations showed a clinical efficacy of EGb 761(ginkgo biloba) in case of acute and chronic tinnitus auris.”
Another clinical study shows the efficacy of zinc on tinnitus. In this case, researchers used 50 mg of zinc per day and “the severity of subjective tinnitus decreased in 82% of the patients receiving zinc.” Your doctor was correct to recommend it however his dosage is low. Arches Tinnitus Formula contains 30 mg of zinc in a daily dose. We reduced this from the 50 mg used in the study because many people already take a multivitamin with 15 mg of zinc. If you are not taking any extra zinc, you can add 20 mg from a health food store to the dosage in Arches Tinnitus Formula. The zinc we use in our product is zinc picolinate, which has the highest absorbability of all zinc formulations
I recommend the Arches Tinnitus Combo Pack which is a 100 day supply of Arches Tinnitus Formula and includes Arches Tinnitus Stress Formula and Arches Tinnitus B12 Formula, both of which will help stabilize the nervous system.
I hope our products are very helpful for you.
Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate
Dear Barry,
My arthritis has increased as I’ve gotten older and I could use an anti-inflammatory but information indicates that NSAIDS can increase tinnitus. Are there any pain meds that do not or are there good alternatives? I take fish oil but it does not seem to have a significant effect on the arthritis pain.
Thank you,
Jim C.
Dear Jim,
Most anti-inflammatories (e.g. ibuprofen) can worsen tinnitus. The one that doesn’t is acetaminophen, found in Tylenol. This medication has its own problems, however, in that it can harm the liver if taken in excess. The majority of emergency room visits for poisoning in the US is due to acetaminophen overdose. You must follow the directions on the label closely and not take too much.
Fish oil (omega 3’s) can be very helpful for arthritis pain but you may not be taking enough of it. The required dose is 3 – 10 grams daily of combine EPA and DHA for the control of inflammation.
Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate
Dear Barry,
I have tinnitus and also have insomnia. I recently bought GABA it helps me sleep better. Do you think it will help with tinnitus also since it is calming?
Thank you,
Phyllis H.
Dear Phyllis,
Yes, GABA can be very helpful for tinnitus. It is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. That is why it calms the brain and helps you sleep. Tinnitus is caused by too much glutamate, an excitatory transmitter. GABA tends to reduce the effect of glutamate.
L-Theanine is another supplement that can also be helpful. This is the substance found in green tea that has a calming effect. L-Theanine is a precursor to GABA and produces GABA in the brain. L-Theanine crosses the blood-brain barrier easily while GABA has a hard time crossing the barrier. For this reason, you can use a lower dosage of L-Theanine than you would with GABA. However, L-Theanine is more expensive than GABA so it seems to be a trade-off.
Melatonin is also very helpful for promoting sleep. Studies show that people with tinnitus and insomnia are helped, both in sleeping and in reducing tinnitus, by using melatonin. You can use GABA or L-Theanine during the day to keep you tinnitus lower and use L-Theanine at night.
Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate
Hi Barry,
I have had a Teflon piston in my right ear since the late 1980’s. I have always had tinnitus but have noted in the past few weeks it is constant throughout the day. I have found it interferes with receiving sounds such as when people are talking.
Some of the changes recently in my life… increased stress emotionally and I am on sick leave for depression from overload of various personal and work pressures. I feel like this stress may be contributing to the orchestra present in my ears. I am not sleeping well either. I am on medication Citalopram daily. What do you advise please?
Fay M.
Dear Fay,
You have had otosclerosis and a stapedectomy was performed to correct it. Otosclerosis can sometimes spread to the cochlea and cause further hearing loss and tinnitus. In your case, I believe your high stress levels have contributed to the increase in tinnitus. Stress is the #1 aggravator of tinnitus and once your stress reduces, the tinnitus should likely also go down.
There are a number of different ways to learn to control stress. My favorite is biofeedback. This is a therapy where electrodes are connected to your skin and stress levels are recorded. You can watch your stress go down as you think more relaxing thoughts. After practicing this for a few weeks, you gradually learn to lower your stress levels without use of the measuring equipment. People adept at this find they can reduce blood pressure, lower heart beat and slow breathing while increasing breath volume. It is very effective in reducing stress. You can read an article about my experience with biofeedback.
Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate
Hi Barry,
How many people who take your product benefit and how many do not? How much and how often does one have to take your product if they have had tinnitus for 3 years and have a high pitch ringing sound? Thank you for answering these questions.
Best wishes,
Scarlett R.
Dear Scarlett,
We opened our doors for business in 1998. Since that time, we’ve helped thousands of individuals reduce their tinnitus noise. Sadly there is no “cure” for tinnitus but statistically we know that 80% of tinnitus comes from hearing loss usually due to noise exposure; whether in one dramatic event or exposure overtime.
Fortunately the ingredients in our Arches Tinnitus Formula have been shown in numerous clinical studies to be effective in reducing the intensity for this type of tinnitus by approximately 65 – 75%.
Your high pitched ringing sound is associated with hearing loss-induced tinnitus, for which Arches Tinnitus Formula with our proprietary Ginkgo Max 26/7® is most effective. Two capsules must be taken in the morning and evening for three months (four bottles) before you can determine how effective it will be for you. We offer four bottles of the product in our Tinnitus Starter Kit, which has reduced pricing from $20 below retail. Buying all 4 also saves on shipping costs, and you don’t have to worry about running out during the critical three month period.
Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate
Hi Barry,
I am age 62. On Jan 9th I had a fall on ice where my feet went out from under me in front causing me to strike the back of my head on the steps of the semi-truck tractor I had been driving. I hurt my neck and upper back.
I am taking up to 2400 mg of Motrin a day while doing PT at a clinic. I’ve had tinnitus as a result of the concussion. Is the use of Motrin going to make it permanent? I have trouble sleeping because of this.
Thanks,
James L.
Dear James,
Unfortunately, Motrin (ibuprofen) can cause tinnitus. It also causes hearing loss, which leads to tinnitus. My own personal experience is even a low dose Motrin causes my tinnitus to spike. I use Tylenol when I need pain relief. That also presents a problem because Tylenol is essentially liver poison and too much of it can be life threatening. Tylenol must be used at a dosage that is no higher than that listed on the label. This is an upper limit of 3,000 mg per day.
Most NSAID pain relievers have the possibility of causing tinnitus. This does not mean everyone who uses them will get tinnitus but the potential is there. Other methods of pain relief include acupuncture, biofeedback, yoga and topical capsaicin. You may want to read our article on safe and effective pain management for people living with tinnitus.
An upper cervical chiropractor may be helpful for your tinnitus. During injuries like whiplash, hearing nerves can become pinched by the upper vertebrae. An upper cervical chiropractor can relieve this pressure and reduce tinnitus. Upper cervical chiropractors are a specialist in the chiropractic field and should not be confused with regular chiropractors.
Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate
Dear Barry,
One of my many doctors thinks the cause of my tinnitus is anxiety and is treating it with Ativan and Seroquel to promote sleep. Are these the right meds? If not what meds might help? When the sound progresses, I get headaches and it is difficult to sleep and to stay in one place. What solutions are there if any?
Thanks for your help.
Jim
Dear Jim,
Your tinnitus may very well be aggravated by anxiety. Stress and worry (anxiety) are often a cause of increased tinnitus. I don’t think they actually cause tinnitus but, if you already have it, stress will definitely make it worse.
Consult with your doctor, but literature indicates that long term or regular use of Ativan can cause dependence. Ativan (lorazepam) is a benzodiazepine tranquilizer. These drugs are highly addicting and breaking the addiction can be very difficult.
Seroquel (quetiapine) comes with many issues as well. It is also a powerful drug. There have been over 10,000 lawsuits against the manufacturer for problems caused by this medication.
GABA is an inexpensive supplement that can be purchased in health food stores. It is a natural tranquilizer and slows the brain thereby helping to reduce tinnitus. L-Tryptophan, another inexpensive supplement, builds up serotonin in the brain and fights depression. Neither of these should be taken while on the medications as there could be interactions. However, when you’re off the medications, these supplements should be very helpful.
Regular exercise is also helpful as is hypnotherapy, acupuncture and biofeedback. All of these are therapeutic for tinnitus with no side effects. Arches Tinnitus Formulas should also be helpful in lowering the sound level.
Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate
Dear Barry,
How do you stop music in your ear? Ever since I had ear surgery in 2007, it becomes extremely loud at bed time. In the daytime I drown it out by turning up the television.
Thanks,
Larry H.
Dear Larry,
Musical Ear Syndrome is a very interesting subject. Many people enjoy it and it does not indicate any psychological problem. Others find it annoying and distracting. The theory is that when a person’s world becomes too quiet, the brain manufactures its own sound. The occurrence of Musical Ear Syndrome is very high among the hearing impaired.
Solutions can be the use of a hearing aid to amplify outside sounds. In this case the brain will stop manufacturing its own. You can also begin using Arches Tinnitus Formula, which has been shown in clinical trials to help restore some degree of lost hearing in the hearing impaired.
Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate
Dear Barry,
Four years ago I had hernia surgery under a general anesthetic. The surgery was successful but a side effect was a dramatic increase in my tinnitus (when indirectly lead me to your website and products). I spoke to the surgeon and anesthesiologist, neither one could explain the reason for the increase.
The tinnitus over a period of many months decreased to where it was tolerable. But after the surgery I was sensitive to loud noises and wore earplugs in church for the music. Now I am looking at surgery again, and the doctor wants me to stop the Arches Tinnitus Formula two weeks before the procedure, as ginkgo can act as a blood thinner. Have you heard of this condition before and do you have suggestions to minimize my distress after surgery?
Tom B.
Dear Tom,
Increased tinnitus after a general anesthetic is a common problem. I think it is important for those of us who have tinnitus to specifically ask our surgeons about the potential for any drug to cause tinnitus.
A while back, I had a routine endoscopy, where the doctor looks down my throat, esophagus and stomach with a scope. He said he would use Propofol as the anesthetic. He said it was faster acting than the older drugs, I would wake up faster, and there were fewer side effects. I didn’t ask and, sure enough, one of the side effects was an increase in my tinnitus. It lasted for several months before returning to it’s previous level.
Recently, I had minor dental surgery. It was an out-patient procedure but one that required a general anesthetic. This time I made sure to ask the surgeon about tinnitus and he elected to give me Brevital, another drug in the same class but does not cause tinnitus. It did not increase mine. I would ask your doctor for their opinion about Brevital versus Propofol. If your doctor thinks this is not an appropriate drug for your surgery, make sure you both investigate the potential for tinnitus for any drug used. A simple Internet search by drug name will show you a list of all possible side effects.
Your doctor is correct that you should stop Arches Tinnitus Formula before surgery as ginkgo can increase circulation. I also recommend you begin taking N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) before, during and after the surgery. NAC is not a blood thinner so it is perfectly safe to use. It is a powerful antioxidant and has been shown to reduce damage to the cochlea from loud sound and ototoxic drugs. NAC is an inexpensive supplement found online or in all better health food stores. You can also start taking the Tinnitus Formula again after you’re certain all bleeding has stopped. Arches Tinnitus Formula is also a strong antioxidant and helps protect against ototoxic medications.
Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate
"*" indicates required fields