My husband has it, sometimes it really bothers him. He has tried a couple medications (I think niaspan was one). Honestly, nothing has really helped a lot, so if we can get some new suggestions here, I'll be glad to hear them to share with my DH.

I'm glad someone started a new thread on this to see if the medical community has come up with anything new. I've suffered with it for years....probably about 5 years ago, my internest suggested I go to an ENT specialist and, at that time, he did a hearing check (which was fine) and suggested I give up caffeine for a month to see if that helped. Hard as it was, I gave up caffeine, and it didn't help at all. It is such a nuisance, isn't it? There are times when I can ignore it, and times when it drives me crazy. It helps me to always have music or some noise in the house.

Also wondering if anyone has tried any alternative medical procedures, such as chiropractic or acupuncture. I have never done either for any reason but would be willing to try if any have had relief from their tinnitus.

It's driving me nuts, too! Seems worse at night. Does anybody know what causes it?

I've had tinnitus for about 13 years, mostly in one ear. Some credible studies a few years ago suggested at least 1mg a day of alprazolam (Xanax), taken 2 or 3x/day, reduces the apparent ringing sound, so my doctor gave it a try. It seems to help, albeit erratically. Although several medical guides now note that alprazolam can be effective for tinnitus, the off-label use of Xanax remains controversal, especially long-term. Some people get side effects - I find large doses make me tired, not always a bad thing. Its approved use is for anxiety disorders. It failed to have any effect on my general recklessness though, nor has it turned me into a really calm guy.

I started getting tinnitis just after starting the blood pressure drug lisinopril. The mfg's said that was not one of the side effects but when I stopped the drug the tinnitis went away! I started the drug again later, the symtoms returned & even when I switched drugs the tinnitis remained & has gotten worse; I have had it always in both ears .... I think?! How can one tell? I have found nothing that helps & no help from any Dr. That & a slight hearing loss is SO annoying! Hope someone here has some good ideas/results!

Hi - I developed tinnitus after an ear infection 2 years ago. It faded away after about 3 months, but promptly returns every time I get even the sniffles.

It came back very bad at Christmas this year, but I tried to ignore it (as the ENT recommended) and after 2 weeks I completely lost my balance - turned out it was an inner ear infection. Anyhow, I have started the allergy diet for ear infections, which exludes wheat, corn, dairy (including eggs), peanuts, oranges, and excess sweets. NOT fun, but I hope it works.

I haven't found any research on tinnitus and diet. I don't know if this is helpful because I'm not sure whether I have "simple" tinnitus or if I have really been having a series of ear infections.

In any case, I have found that keeping cotton in the affected ear is helpful (I become very sensitive to noise) and herbal ear drops containing mullein oil, garlic, and St. John's Wort provide some relief.

My husband has suffered from Tinnitus for over seven years and has the most severe form of it. It isn't just a buzzing or a ringing, it is a loud screeching, metal on metal. It is non stop 24 hours a day and it is debilitating. There have been times when he hasn't been able to get out of bed. He has seen many doctors and specialists, including ENTs, Dentists, and a neurologist. He has had all kinds of tests including a brain scan. They all tell him the same thing. There is no cure for Tinnitus. The lucky people find out that their tinnitus is triggered by a drug and sometimes stopping that drug will make the tinnitus stop. Moe tried acupuncture for six months which was basically just a waste of money. It didn't provide any relief for him at all. The Chiropractor wasn't helpful either. At one point he was on anti-depressants. He wakes up with it and he goes to sleep with it. We have a white noise machine turned on at night.

A friend recently sent me some information on Wobenzyme, a Systemic Enzyme Supplement. A lot of people get relief from arthritic symptoms using this supplement and some from Tinnitus. Since Moe was also suffering from arthritis in a number of joints including his knee and his shoulders we decided to give it a try. He checked with his doctor first. He started taking it the first week of January and within a week was getting relief from the joint pain. He could barely walk around the block and now we are walking three miles a day. Because the joint pain is now gone, it has made the tinnitus easier to deal with. The Tinnitus is still there, but because he isn't hurting as much, he is finding the tinnitus easier to live with. We are hoping that if he continues to take this supplement that he might get further relief from the Tinnitus. Time will tell.

Ann

I appreciate all the feedback. To annt my doc put me on Wobenzyme for Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I would be curious to know what dosage your DH is taking.

Vannie, He is taking 6 pills a day.

Ann

Ann, thanks. I can't imagine how he stands that. I think mine got worse in Nov. when we flew to Victoria. Upon descending my ear never "popped" like it usually does. I go to bed at night and think I'll never go to sleep w/ this noise, but eventually I do. I hope he continues to receive more relief. We're flying to San Francisco in May, so I'm hoping they'll pop BIG.