Hi Barry,
How do you stop tinnitus spikes? I hardly eat salt, drink caffeine free soda once in a while, and eat some fast food but even food at home makes no difference. Any ideas? Food might not make difference. I ate salad with chicken and no difference. I believe I have self-induced tinnitus due to listening to music with my tablet. Can it go away? I have had it for 22 months.
Thank you,
Ron R.
Dear Ron,
If you have tinnitus due to listening to music, you have hearing loss. There is no cure for hearing loss-induced tinnitus but there are therapies that can reduce the sound level and the aggravation.
A proper diet is necessary to keep tinnitus from getting worse. Salt is the biggest culprit. Fast food contains a large amount of salt and should be avoided. Sodas are also bad for tinnitus because of sugar or sugar substitutes and should also be avoided. Here is our article on Diet and Tinnitus.
Arches Tinnitus Formula has been shown in scientific studies to reduce tinnitus sounds for the great majority of people who use it. It takes three months to become fully effective so we recommend Arches Starter Kit, a full three-month supply of four bottles.
Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate
Hi Barry,
Are you aware of any reduction of tinnitus symptoms with the use of cannabinoids?
Thanks,
Carla G.
Dear Carla,
This is a very good question. Cannabinoids are the non-psychoactive extract of marijuana and are used for many medical conditions. These compounds do not cause the “high” that many marijuana users experience. I think there is reason to believe cannabinoids should work to reduce tinnitus. Here’s my thinking: we know that tinnitus is an epileptic-like spasm of neurons in the auditory cortex. Twenty five hundred years ago Hippocrates (the father of medicine) stated, “tinnitus is the little brother of epilepsy.” We now know that some, but not all, anti-convulsant medications can help reduce tinnitus for many people. We also know that cannabinoids have anti-convulsant action and help many epileptics reduce their seizures. So, cannabinoids may help people with tinnitus.
I have not heard directly from anyone that cannabinoids helped them. So, I poked around research papers for some information. There is currently no research on cannabinoids and tinnitus in people. There is some laboratory testing the but results are not clear. One trial on laboratory rats found they possess cannabinoid receptors in the cochlear nucleus, part of the auditory pathway. After inducing tinnitus through the use of salicylate (a form of aspirin), these receptors were reduced. This shows reduction of cannabinoid receptors in the brain can influence the onset of tinnitus.
We don’t know for sure that cannabinoid will help people with tinnitus and will have to wait for more research. In the meantime, you can read our article “What are the effects of THC and CBD for Tinnitus?“, which goes into more depth.
Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate
Dear Barry,
I have type 2 diabetes and changed my diet. I allow one treat every couple of weeks (take-out – but apart from that mainly fresh fruit and salad). Yesterday I did over do the grapes and bananas (also just drink water and Pepsi Zero Sugar) and today my tinnitus is terrible. Could this be due to the natural sugars in the grapes or the three bananas I ate yesterday?
Thanks for your help,
Phillip R.
Dear Philip,
Fresh fruits and vegetables are very good for those with diabetes. Fruit juices should be avoided because juices concentrate the sugars. Whole fruit has enough fiber that it slows sugar metabolism and avoids the sugar spikes of juices and other sugary drinks.
Pepsi Zero Sugar on the other hand is not safe. Pepsi Zero is sweetened with Aspartame, a known neurotoxin. It overexcites brain neurons until the point where they become depleted and die. Because of this, it is known as an excitotoxin. Aspartame is known to trigger or worsen many neurological conditions such as MS, epilepsy, Alzheimers, diabetes and tinnitus.
I suggest limiting your fluid intake to water and green tea. These are very healthy and won’t aggravate your diabetes or tinnitus.
Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate
Hi Barry,
My Neurologist recommended Lipo-Flavonoid when I went to see her about the music I hear with my tinnitus… does that help?
Thank you,
Helen T.
Dear Helen,
I’m sorry but Lipo-Flavonoid will not be helpful. It was originally developed to help with dizziness caused by Meniere’s disease. It consists of low doses of B vitamins and some bioflavonoids that act like an antihistamine, which is why it helps dizziness. Sometime more recently the company decided to market it for tinnitus but clinical studies show it’s not helpful for that. They continue to market it strongly but I have never heard from anyone that it has helped.
I believe what you have in addition to your tinnitus is called Musical Ear Syndrome. This is not dangerous. It usually occurs in people with reduced hearing who do not have a rich sound environment. It is the brain filling up the silence by making its own sound. Many people find it enjoyable. There are a number of ways it can be reduced if it’s bothering you. Please read our article on Musical Ear Syndrome and Tinnitus.
Arches Tinnitus Formula may be helpful for your tinnitus. It has been shown in clinical trials to be effective for most people and is particularly effective for those who have tinnitus due to hearing loss. We have about a 75% to 80% success rate with those patients. It takes time and must be used for three months (four bottles) before you can determine how effective it will be for you. We recommend Arches Starter Kit, a full three-month supply.
Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate
Hello Barry,
Could Arches Tinnitus Formula help tinnitus which has been present for over a decade?
Ashley P.
Dear Ashley,
It certainly can. I had tinnitus for almost 20 years before I developed Arches Tinnitus Formula and it has reduced mine by about 2/3. It works especially well for those who have it due to hearing loss, which is the great majority of people with tinnitus. Other conditions can cause it in some people. Conditions such as hypothyroid dysfunction, TMJ or other medical conditions can cause tinnitus. In that case, treatment of the condition will generally reduce or resolve tinnitus.
You can view an article about my search for tinnitus relief and the development of ATF in our Tinnitus Libary.
Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate
Hi Barry,
Is the dietary supplement Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) okay to take in capsule form for my tinnitus and if so what milligram is acceptable to take? I am on the diabetic diet for months now but still have a lot of brain activity that my neurologist says comes from my multiple sclerosis (MS).
Thank you,
Joan F.
Dear Joan,
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is a brain neurotransmitter that inhibits electrical activity and reduces tinnitus and other conditions, such as anxiety, depression and epileptic seizure. And yes, GABA is safe to take for tinnitus and may be helpful.
Start at 500 mg twice daily and work up until you begin to feel drowsy, than back off a little. GABA works to calm the mind and opposes glutamate. GABA is a calming neurotransmitter while glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter. An overabundance of glutamate is one of the primary causes of tinnitus and other neurological conditions.
There is some discussion about how well GABA crosses the blood-brain barrier. Many people say the molecule is too large and its not very effective. I know a certain percentage does get into the brain because it slows me down. L-Theanine is a precursor to GABA and easily crosses the blood-brain barrier. Because of this you need less, perhaps 300mg two or three times daily. If that’s not effective, you might increase the dosage some.
I cannot recommend one over the other. You need more GABA but it is also less expensive than L-Theanine. You may want to experiment.
Arches Tinnitus Formula® has been proven helpful for people with tinnitus. The primary ingredient is Ginkgo biloba and one of its constituents is Bilobalide, which is a powerful glutamate antagonist. We have developed a special, and highly concentrated, Ginkgo biloba extract trademarked Ginkgo Max 26/7®. This extract contains a much higher dosage of all the ginkgo constituents, but especially Bilobalide. You can see an article on Arches Tinnitus Formula: the Science Behind the Product which explains exactly how it works.
Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate
Hi Barry,
I’ve read about all kinds of relief for tinnitus but in your opinion what is best solution? I’ve had my ears tested and they were normal.
Desperate,
Mike R.
Dear Mike,
There is no one best treatment for tinnitus. It depends on what caused the tinnitus in the first place. There are many direct or contributing causes to tinnitus. Hearing loss is the #1 cause with about 90% of tinnitus being associated with it.
You say your ears were tested and they were normal. That doesn’t tell us anything and sounds like something someone told you. If a hearing test was performed, there is an audiogram that was generated. These are very specific and detail how much hearing loss a person has and whether it is caused by sensorineural hearing loss (nerve damage) or conductive hearing loss (sinus, allergies, colds, etc). Everyone has some degree of hearing loss so normal doesn’t really say much. You can see much more about this in our article on Hearing Loss. Please review the audiogram portion.
For sensorineural hearing loss, the greatest cause of this, Arches Tinnitus Formula has been shown to have a 70-80% success rate in reducing the sound levels. We recommend Arches Tinnitus Starter Kit, a three-month supply because it takes that long to get the full benefit.
Other causes include prescription medications that are toxic to the ear (ototoxic), allergies and other sinus problems, insulin resistance and Diabetes, thyroid dysfunction. TMJ (temporo-mandibular joint) dysfunction occurs when the lower jaw is out of alignment with the skull and is a very frequent cause of tinnitus.
I suggest the first thing to do is to have a complete physical checkup to see if there is any condition that could cause or contribute to your tinnitus. Then, based on that information, find a treatment that works for you. I will be happy to discuss this with you when you have more information.
Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate
Hi Barry,
I’ve had tinnitus for years but it has flared up in the last couple months to a level that is sucking the joy out of life. Been to an ENT doctor that checked my ears, I have a high frequency hearing loss in one ear. basically she tells me to learn to live with it, trying acupuncture in about a month, taking Lipoflavonoids, not working… any suggestions?
Thank you,
Michael S.
Dear Michael,
Out of the options you mentioned I would try acupuncture. I’m told it can help about 40% of people with tinnitus. I doubt Lipoflavonoid will be helpful. While it is marketed now for tinnitus it was designed to help reduce dizziness in people with Meniere’s disease. It was never intended for ringing in the ears. If you look at the supplement facts on its label, it contains nothing more than small amounts of B vitamins and some bioflavonoids, which may be helpful for stress, but won’t reduce the noise.
Arches Tinnitus Formula (ATF) has been clinically proven to reduce tinnitus in the majority of people who have it. It is especially helpful for those who have tinnitus due to hearing loss, like you. Read the experience of a well-respected ENT doctor who uses ATF for his patients with hearing loss and tinnitus.
It takes up to three months to get the full benefit from Arches Tinnitus Formula. We recommend the Starter Kit, or a three-month supply. I would use this along with acupuncture to get the benefit of both.
Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate
Hi Barry,
How did you psychologically handle the really rough times when your tinnitus was really bad? How did you “short circuit” the negative, fear thoughts and get back on track?
I didn’t get much sleep last night and I spent the entire day today trying to stay even with my own emotions. I tried relaxation techniques, affirmations, even prayer, but I feel powerless to help myself today. I don’t want to spiral down into a worse state. I feel like even God has abandoned me today. I know this is just a big pity party, but I wanted to get your take on what you used to do.
Also, I started the Tinnitus Formula a couple of days ago. I know it takes a while, but I’m sure it will work well for me.
Thank you,
Mary K.
Dear Mary,
Like you right now, my coping strategies were not all that great during the worst of my tinnitus. I reverted to using the benzodiazepine medication Valium to keep my anxiety down. It is quite addicting and should not be used continuously but it helped me when I needed it most. Here is my story of recovery and how I coped with tinnitus before Arches Tinnitus Formula lowered the sound level.
These days there are better interim therapies which can also be combined with Arches Tinnitus Formula. You may want to consult a psychologist and learn about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, visit with a Biofeedback specialist, or get some acupuncture treatment.
I hope this is helpful for you and Arches Tinnitus Formula will help reduce your tinnitus to a more manageable level.
Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate