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Questions Asked by the Tinnitus Community - Answers Provided by Arches President, Barry Keate

Note: Ask Barry is pleased to be able to answer your questions based upon the information we have available. Our answers to inquiries are not substitutes for a physician’s advice nor are they reviewed by a physician. We encourage you to share any suggestions you have received from Ask Barry with your doctor.
Unanticipated Benefit from TRF & BLV

Good Morning Barry,

After two weeks use of the Arches Tinnitus Formulas and the antioxidant Body Language product I noticed a difference, but not with my ears. These seem to have an effect on significantly reducing chronic leg pain.

About 10 years ago, I started a job that required me to stand on a marble floor for long periods of time. This led to what my doctor thought was bursitis in my hips. He prescribed a high dose of ibuprofen which I took that for 8 years, effectively causing ulcers and other problems.The alternative to the NSAID was a medical supplement called Limbrel. That was beneficial but costly. I discontinued it, hoping to get relief from acetaminophen. In the mean time, I started the two products I bought and noticed right away that I did not have the intensity, duration or quality of the pain that I previously had. The only variable in my regimen was the Arches and the Body Language products.

I’m wondering if you have had any similar feedback from other people on this issue. It’s intriguing, and has potential to be life altering. I thank you for your commitment to answer mail and provide a wide variety of medical information both on your website and in your newsletters.

Leslie Macpherson

Dear Leslie,

I’m very pleased that you are experiencing such a wonderful reduction of this problem. I believe it may be the Ginkgo biloba in Arches Tinnitus Relief Formula that is helping your condition. Ginkgo has so many benefits, including cardiovascular protection, reduction of cholesterol, increased circulation and brain function, reduced tinnitus and many others.

The problem you refer to may be considered Intermittent Claudication. This is characterized by reduced circulation in the extremities which causes pain during standing or walking. It is primarily due to vascular problems, possibly including atherosclerosis. One of the earliest recognized properties of Ginkgo biloba was the increase in circulation and reduction of Intermittent Claudication.

The following link is to the German Commission E findings on Ginkgo biloba. In the monograph on ginkgo it clearly states that one of the uses is in the improvement in pain-free walking due to Intermittent Claudication.

It is obvious that you are responding well to the ginkgo therapy. Hopefully, in the next couple of months it will reduce your tinnitus as well. Please keep me informed.

Wishing you quiet times, Barry Keate

Shooting without ear plugs. Bang!

Hi Barry,

I have had tinnitus for about a month now, it was my own fault, I went shooting and being the genius I am, decided to not wear earplugs the first time I shot. I was just wondering if tinnitus gets any easier to deal with, because some days I feel like there’s no hope and that I’m going to go insane. Is there anything you can tell me about low level laser therapy, because if there’s a chance of a cure, I’ll take it.

Sincerely, Jake

Dear Jake,

I’m sorry this happened to you. We must all be very careful of our hearing. Sometimes it does get easier as time goes on. Approximately 30-35% of early onset tinnitus, like yours, will either significantly reduce or completely resolve within 2-3 months. I hope this is the case for you.

I do not recommend low level laser therapy, It is ineffective for the condition and most clinics that offer it have stopped treating tinnitus patients.

There are therapies that will increase the potential for reduction or resolution. I recommend the Arches Tinnitus Formulas Combo Pack and N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC). NAC is a powerful antioxidant and helps protect hearing. It is found in most health food stores and is pretty inexpensive. I recommend 1,000 mg twice daily. These should be started immediately. The earlier tinnitus is treated, the higher the probability of a good outcome.

If you try these and your tinnitus is not improved in 3 months, I can make further recommendations for long-term treatment.

Wishing you quiet times, Barry Keate

Dieting, Sleep and Tinnitus

Hi Barry,

I receive your tinnitus newsletters and they are very good to read. I have tinnitus 24/7 in both my ears and I have horrible non-stop pulsatile tinnitus in my left ear. I am taking Crestor 10 mg for high cholesterol and I am on a weight loss diet now. I just started that last week. Wish me luck.

However with tinnitus in both ears I don’t sleep well. I noticed you are taking Melatonin 6 mg at bedtime. I purchased a package of it today, 3 mg at bedtime. I have been reading about it on the Internet. Good and bad things. Does it help you and will it harm you over taking it for a long period of time? How long have you been taking it? I have been on many anti-depressants and I don’t like taking them as they are addictive. I am not on any now. Please get back to me.

Thank You Bev

Hi Bev,

Great good luck in your effort to lose weight. This will help with many problems. It will help reduce cholesterol and should also help the continuous tinnitus and pulsatile tinnitus. Statin drugs, like Crestor, have their own set of problems and you should combine Crestor with Co-Enzyme Q-10 (CoQ10). Statin drugs create a deficiency in CoQ10 which is an absolute necessity for good health. Click the link above to read an article in our Tinnitus Library on this important supplement

Melatonin may help you get to sleep easier. I have been using it for over 5 years. It will not harm you. It is a natural hormone and is also a great anti-oxidant, reducing oxidative damage to cells in the body. If you have 3 mg capsules, I recommend taking two each about an hour before bedtime. It will take a few days to become fully effective so don’t worry if nothing happens right away. After using it for a week, you may find you only need 1 capsule. The worst thing about taking too much is you wake up feeling groggy. There is no danger of an overdose.

Pulsatile tinnitus is usually connected with turbulent blood flow. As I mentioned, this should be helped by losing weight. There are also therapies available that can reduce or eliminate pulsatile tinnitus, which are discussed in an article in our Tinnitus Library.

Wishing you quiet times, Barry Keate


Ask Barry Your Questions on Tinnitus

Do you have a question on tinnitus or our products? Ask Barry. Tinnitus expert Barry Keate will research and answer your questions on tinnitus.
Due to the high volume of questions sent to us, we ask that only one question be sent at a time.