Hi Barry,
I was wondering if you can comment on the possible ototoxicity of the COVID vaccine or is it too soon to tell? If those of us have had problems with hearing loss and increase in tinnitus from the flu shot in the past, would you recommend that we did NOT get the COVID vaccine? Are there similarities?
I realize COVID itself can possibly cause hearing loss, tinnitus and dizziness as can the medicine used to treat it. It’s a real dilemma.
Thank you,
Jory
Dear Jory,
I cannot comment on this because I don’t know. There has not been any research I’m aware of that indicates whether or not the vaccine causes tinnitus. I believe it acts a lot like the flu vaccine. I’m surprised you have had a problem with the flu vaccine. It’s the first I’ve heard.
I would not advise you to avoid the COVID vaccine(s). You can prepare yourself by taking antioxidants before and after the vaccine. I recommend 1,000 mg NAC, taken twice daily. Magnesium is also been shown to prevent hearing loss and tinnitus. Take a good quality product, not magnesium oxide but one chelated for easier absorption. Magnesium aspartate or magnesium citrate are good products. Take about 400 mg twice daily. Start two weeks before the vaccination and continue for a month afterward.
Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate
Barry,
We have tried many things over the last 7-8 months (including Arches and Lipoflavonoid) and unfortunately my son’s tinnitus has reached a point where he has been suicidal on occasion. He has other ailments but tinnitus is the driver that gets him to hopelessness.
He also suffers from OCD and anxiety and you had a good article about reducing stress and anxiety I shared with him. He knows he will probably feel better if he can reduce anxiety but, unfortunately, it’s not an on-off button. He can’t seem to get results from therapy and meditation. He’s even in a three-hour-per-day intensive program now.
His psychiatrist wants to prescribe Prozac (and his ENT said he’s not worried about that) but I remember reading that you cited it and other SSRIs as a potential cause of increased ringing but that article is kind of old now. Have you seen new research about drugs that can reduce anxiety without boosting the tinnitus? He takes mertazapine but he needs something else.
Sorry for this long note but I know you read all the studies carefully so I wonder if you have advice for us.
Best,
Matthew
Dear Matthew,
I’m so sorry your son is suffering so much. Tinnitus can be multifaceted and many things play into it. I know his anxiety is making it much worse but, you’re right, it’s not an on-off button and his tinnitus is also worsening his anxiety.
I’m not totally down on SSRI antidepressants but they can worsen a number of things. There are a couple of hundred potential side effects. They cause or worsen tinnitus in about 10% of people so your son may not be affected. If he starts getting worse tinnitus, stop immediately. I hope he is helped by it. He could also take NAC along with the Prozac. NAC helps protect the ears. It’s cheap and easily found. I recommend 1,000 mg twice daily.
There is another way to increase serotonin in the brain. L-Tryptophan and 5-HTP are dietary supplements that actually create serotonin, where SSRI antidepressants only keep existing serotonin active for a longer time. As they are supplements, they’re not as strong as prescription medications and may not help. But they may.
Do not combine these supplements with Prozac! There is a potentially deadly side effect, called Serotonin Syndrome, which can occur. If you want to try the supplements, try them first, then the Prozac if they don’t help.
There is also a medical treatment called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy that’s used in many advanced clinics. This trains the brain to stop reacting negatively to the tinnitus sound. It is effective on many people and your son may be doing some of it in his therapy sessions.
Acupuncture can help the anxiety. If the anxiety goes down, the tinnitus does too. My wife had an acupuncture treatment and came home so relaxed she could barely walk. It lasted a few days. Don’t discount acupuncture. It can be combined with any other therapy.
Biofeedback is used in several major tinnitus clinics. Its a computer-based therapy that allows people to learn how to control various body functions like, blood pressure, heart rate, skin temperature and stress. It takes some time but can be astoundingly effective. The patient slowly learns the trick of going into a state where these can be accomplished. People can actually increase the heat in one hand while leaving the other normal. They can decrease heart rate and blood pressure.
This is a lot but I hope something in here will work. A last thought; people typically find that over the years they habituate to their tinnitus and it becomes more bearable. The brain cannot continue to exist in a state of panic. It will eventually relent and become used to the sound. When they do, tinnitus typically becomes less of a problem.
I hope your son improves greatly,
Barry Keate
Hi Barry,
I just read that Ginkgo has alkylphenols in it, and the article said that people who are highly allergic to poison ivy should avoid taking Ginkgo. Is this true?
Thanks,
Jane L.
Dear Jane,
This is partially true. Ginkgo biloba does contain alkyphenols, the primary one being ginkgolic acid, which is an allergen and “can” produce allergic reactions like poison ivy. However, most reputable manufacturers remove this during the extraction process. The German Commission E standard for ginkgo extracts requires there be less than 5 ppm (parts per million) ginkgolic acid. Some less than reputable manufacturers don’t remove it.
Arches Tinnitus Formula uses our proprietary ginkgo extract Ginkgo Max 26/7, which contains less than 1 ppm ginkgolic acid. This means it is non-detectable. For greater detail you can view our entire Certificate of Analysis.
Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate