Hello Barry,
Given the recent research that indicates higher blood level concentrations of serotonin in tinnitus sufferers, and that serotonin actually heightens neuronal activity in tinnitus sufferers, wouldn’t this suggest that 5-HTP, GABA, and other precursors to serotonin be avoided by tinnitus sufferers. SSRIs spike my tinnitus considerably.
If serotonin is bad for tinnitus sufferers, what will help calm the brain. it would seem l-tryptophan, GABA, and 5-HTP should be avoided by tinnitus sufferers. Or am I off base here?
Best wishes,
Prof. Peter M.
Dear Professor M.,
I looked into this issue and found a study on mice that stated they saw increased hyperactivity in the dorsal cochlear nucleus when exposed to serotonin. But they also made the false claim that SSRI antidepressants increase serotonin in the brain. This is not true. SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) medications do not increase serotonin. They inhibit the uptake of serotonin when it is used and keep it in the synapse longer. There is one way, and one way only, to increase serotonin. That is through the use of l-tryptophan or 5-HTP which l-tryptophan converts to on its chemical pathway to creating serotonin in the brain.
SSRI antidepressants cause tinnitus not because they create serotonin but because they are synthetic drugs that are foreign to our bodies. As synthetics, they have numerous side effects and one of those is ototoxicity. They are toxic to the neurons in the auditory system.
This fundamental misunderstanding of SSRI medications makes me wonder if that’s what they gave the mice, thinking it was increasing serotonin when really it was hyperactivating the neurons.
Anyway, I don’t believe this. It is a preliminary study in mice, which very rarely convert to similar studies in people. Until there is a lot more corroborating research, I remain very skeptical of this study.
Also, I have never heard of anyone increasing their tinnitus through taking l-tryptophan or 5-HTP, and certainly not with GABA either, which inhibits hyperactivity.
Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate
Hi Barry,
I hear either like singing men or jazz bands going off with my tinnitus. Is this normal? It will wake me up at night usually if I am stressed over something. It’s 5 AM and I am awake.
Thank you,
Beverly H.
Dear Beverly,
This is called Musical Ear Syndrome and is nothing to be afraid of. It occurs usually in people who are hard of hearing and who don’t get enough auditory input. The brain needs input and when it doesn’t have enough it can make it up or remember input from the past. Stress can also make it much worse.
The solution is to provide more auditory input. You could try hearing aids or play music in the house. Here’s an article on Musical Ear Syndrome from out Tinnitus Research Library.
Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate
Hi Barry,
I have been living with pulsatile tinnitus for 9 years now. When it is particularly bad, I must sit up at night to make the pounding stop, but it can take hours and hours to calm it down.
Can you shed some light on this for me? Just this year I read that pulsatile synchronous tinnitus is not the same as tinnitus. What can you teach me about this?
Thank you,
Mary Alice S.
Dear Mary Alice,
Thank you for your question. You are correct, pulsatile tinnitus in not the same as regular tinnitus. Regular tinnitus is usually the result of hearing loss and damaged hearing cells in the inner ear. Pulsatile tinnitus is due to turbulent blood flow in a vessel close to the ear. The turbulence is in synch with the heartbeat and what you are hearing is the heart beating in your ears. You can read more about pulsatile tinnitus in our Tinnitus Library.
There are many possible causes for pulsatile tinnitus. If the cause can be determined, quite often there are effective treatments for the condition. Causes include twisted arteries, atherosclerosis, benign cranial hypertension and regular hypertension.
The correct physician to see about this condition is a vascular surgeon. This specialist should be able to determine the cause and recommend treatment.
Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate