Vitamins for Tinnitus

At this time there is no simple cure -all for tinnitus. Part of the reason is that we have no objective test for it. Another reason is that we don't really understand what it is.  Another reason is that we are not sure where tinnitus takes place.

Persons with hearing loss may develop tinnitus.  Yet, I see lots of patients with identical hearing loss and some have it and other do not. 

For example, if I perform an operation for otosclerosis (hardening of the stapes bone) on two identical twins who have hearing loss and tinnitus. I may get a perfect result with the hearing for both twins.  Yet, one may no longer have tinnitus and the other still has it. I have no way of predicting which one will clear their tinnitus. 

Another problem is the placebo effect.  You see these glowing adds for Bora Bora Root, plucked by virgins in a full moon. You see these glowing happy faces (with great teeth) that say how the Bora Bora cured their tinnitus with only one pill. Their testimonials  are written glowingly-the best that Madison Avenue can produce.  Some patients do say it helped.  But part of this is because they paid money for the pill and don't want to admit they were suckered. Part of it is that they are tired of complaining and have learned to not pay attention to their tinnitus. 

But in the scientific literature there are "legitimate" reports of patients benefitting from certain products such as magnesium or zinc or Alpha Lipoic Acid.  Unfortunately, in few of these studies  was the tinnitus actually measured by tinnitus matching or by questionnaire. 

What we believe happens is that some patients with tinnitus do have a B1 or B6 deficiency that improves when these are supplemented.  Problem though is, we don't know which supplement is needed and don't have a means of testing for it. 

On the other hand tests with animals have shown that presbycusis - hearing loss due to aging, can be reduced by various anti-oxidants. 

It may make sense to combine the known supplements that are significant in the hearing mechanism- the ear, the nerve, and the brain and try to get results that way. One such combination is described at http://www.EarAid.info

Recent studies have indicated that much of the tinnitus is originated from the brain. We know this because in cases where the ear is destroyed and the nerve to the ear is removed, that you still may get tinnitus. So, in tinnitus therapy that factors for the brain are included in such combinations.  Because you are treating ear, nerve and brain, as many as 16 products may be needed. 

So what should a patient actually take, since the science is so poor?  Trying B6 initially is always a good start, as is B12.  A trial of the combined sixteen elements may work because of the synergistic effect. You may be the person that is low in an element that Alpha Lipoic Acid supplies.

I don't recommend Gingko to my patients.  a. The science that it works isn't there. b. In our culture persons my take Motrin, aspirin, and dozens of other medication that increases bleeding time.  Gingko affects bleeding and clotting and the Gingko plus the other products that can cause bleeding may show up in my office with a nosebleed, or some other more serious bleeding problem. 

Remember, anxiety can reinforce any symptom so relaxation and distraction can help with tinnitus.