Hi Barry,
I am 21 years old and am in my senior year of college. I’ve always had a low level of tinnitus I was able to manage since high school but recently my tinnitus has gotten louder and so bad that even masking doesn’t help anymore. I can’t really sleep but when I do, I wake up halfway through the night with the Tinnitus screaming (I have it in both ears).
I don’t know what caused my tinnitus but I’m so scared and in a bit of a crisis dealing with this so young and not being able to concentrate in school anymore I’m afraid of dropping out. I want to be able to sleep but i don’t want to take pharmaceutical drugs even my therapist says i might need to. How did you get out of a crisis and sleep?
Thank you for your time.
Yas
Dear Yas,
I know what you’re feeling. I was just a bit older than you (mid 20’s) when I came down with tinnitus. I was extremely distraught and wondered how I could live my life with this. Since then my tinnitus has been lowered by about 65%.
One of the major problems with tinnitus is the issue of anxiety. Stress and anxiety make tinnitus much worse than it would otherwise be. It’s a vicious cycle, tinnitus causes anxiety and the anxiety increases tinnitus. It is important though to try and reduce anxiety. Exercise, eat healthy, avoid salt and simple carbohydrates, and try to occupy yourself in something that will take your mind off it. All this will help.
There are several therapies available that are proven to reduce tinnitus sound levels. Biofeedback and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy are two of the most mainstream therapies. These take time and can be expensive but they are effective.
Arches Tinnitus Formula is the only scientifically validated dietary supplement treatment for tinnitus. It is completely natural and does not contain any sedatives which would inhibit active thought and learning. It has been shown in numerous clinical trials to alleviate tinnitus. It does take some time, three months, to get the full effect, but is not expensive. Three months (4 bottles) of Arches Tinnitus Formula costs about $130.00.
You can also take melatonin to get some better sleep. I recommend 20 mg about 90 minutes before bedtime. Melatonin is also natural, inexpensive and found in health food stores or online.
Here is an article about my struggle with tinnitus and what I eventually learned that has made it much more livable.
Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate
Hi Barry,
My question is regarding B vitamins, and how they can be toxic. I have had doctors tell me that taking to many much B vitamins can cause permanent nerve damage. What amount of B vitamins do you have to take and for how long before they become toxic?
Respectfully submitted,
Darrell
Hi Darrell,
Thanks for asking this question. It is a valid concern and not many people are aware of any toxic levels for B vitamins. B vitamins are essential in that they enable many of the basic functions of metabolism in the body.
Generally, B Vitamins are water soluble and flush through the body quickly. For this reason they need to be replenished on a daily basis. Most of the B vitamins are non-toxic at any level but there are some for which you should be careful.
Vitamin B3 (niacin) – At doses higher than 50 mg per day, skin flushing may occur with some forms of niacin. This is harmless and only lasts a few minutes. Arches uses niacinamide which generally does not cause flushing. Therapeutic doses of 1500 to 1600 mg per day can be used but with the risk of liver toxicity. Arches Tinnitus Stress Formula contains 100 mg.
Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) – Diarrhea can occur at doses of 10 – 20 grams per day. Arches Stress Formula contains 100 mg.
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) – An acute toxic dosage has not been established but B6 may cause neurotoxicity at a dose of 300 to 500 mg per day. Arches Stress Formula contains 100 mg.
Vitamin B9 (folic acid) – Doses above 1000 mcg (micrograms) could conceal the signs of vitamin B12 deficiency in older people. Arches Tinnitus B12 Formula contains 400 mcg of methylfolate, a superior form of folic acid which does not need to be metabolized for absorption. It also contains 1,000 mcg of vitamin B12.
The B vitamin your doctor was most likely referring to is B6, which can cause nerve damage. However, Arches Stress Formula and most other companies B-complex vitamins have dosages well below the threshold level for any damage.
Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate
Hi Barry,
I use in-the-ear hearing aids which I wear until bedtime. Do these have any impact on ringing in the ears, either good or bad? What are the best hearing aids for those who have tinnitus?
Thanks,
Rick T.
Dear Rick,
The answer really depends on the frequency of your hearing loss. If you, like most people with tinnitus, have a high frequency hearing loss, hearing aids won’t do anything for it. The reason being there is not enough high frequency sound in the environment to amplify and mask tinnitus. My tinnitus is at 4,000 Hz and I wear hearing aids which help me hear better but don’t mask my tinnitus at all.
If you have a low frequency hearing loss and tinnitus, hearing aids will be helpful.
Regardless of their effectiveness in masking tinnitus, hearing aids are very important in order to prevent cognitive decline as we age. Research has shown that uncompensated hearing loss leads to a loss of neurons in the brain. This eventually leads to brain shrinkage and cognitive decline.
Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate