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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 16 of 16. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by KayeBaby on July 5, 2007, at 15:45:21
I have had a awful tinnitus for over 20 years.
At times it is worse. Loud noise, certain medications, for example Wellbutrin makes my ears ring off the hook!
My tiinitus sounds like 20 teakettles whistling from another room.
Right now it is as low as it has ever been. I have to listen for it. Usually I am doing all I can to ignore it.
I have been on Emsam for 10 weeks and Namenda for 6 weeks. It has a few weeks that I have begun to notice less tinnitus. My blood pressure has been much lower since starting the EMSAM patch (also quite smoking and taking stims around the same time)
I am just expressing a curiosity and wondering about others' experience with this condition.
Thanks!
Kaye
Posted by Phillipa on July 5, 2007, at 17:00:12
In reply to Tinnitus, posted by KayeBaby on July 5, 2007, at 15:45:21
Kaye although I've never had it I learned in school that there really is not treatment for it. Of course that was years ago. What a pleasant surprise for you!!!!!Love Phillipa
Posted by FredPotter on July 5, 2007, at 18:49:39
In reply to Tinnitus, posted by KayeBaby on July 5, 2007, at 15:45:21
Yes I have a cicada in each ear too. I'm on Nardil. Nothing seems to help except ignoring it
Posted by KayeBaby on July 5, 2007, at 21:09:57
In reply to Re: Tinnitus, posted by FredPotter on July 5, 2007, at 18:49:39
Bless you!
It is the pits, huh?
I am greatful for the relief and believe the Namenda responsible since glutamate toxicity is implicated in tinnitus.
Kaye
Posted by chiron on July 5, 2007, at 23:00:23
In reply to Re: Tinnitus, posted by KayeBaby on July 5, 2007, at 21:09:57
I only had it when I was on Serzone. Weird though, sorry you've had it that long.
Posted by Sigismund on July 6, 2007, at 2:34:41
In reply to Re: Tinnitus, posted by chiron on July 5, 2007, at 23:00:23
So you reckon it's the Namenda rather than the Emsam?
I've had some tinnitus for years, but it seems to have got a little better in the last 10, meaning for example that I don't wake at night listening to the cicadas.
I wondered if that could be from the ginkgo/Hydergine/vinpocetine?
Posted by KayeBaby on July 6, 2007, at 8:01:27
In reply to Re: Tinnitus, posted by Sigismund on July 6, 2007, at 2:34:41
Yeah, the Namenda. Because of the glutamate toxicity reduction. Also, stims increase the tinnitus so does alcohol and any of the other ususal toxic suspects.
I am not currently taking any ginko,vinpo or hydergine. I did see a small improvement from ginko ba ck when it first started. That would be incresed blood flow to the brain helping probably.
Ginko, at that time, also made my hearing so acute I could hear the electric hummimg through the house! I swear I could. Bionic hearing.
Peace,
Kaye
Posted by Compucat on July 6, 2007, at 13:08:54
In reply to Tinnitus, posted by KayeBaby on July 5, 2007, at 15:45:21
Great. I thought all this time the tinnitus I have was because I've had 2 cockatoos for about 25 years. Now I can chalk it up to the build-up all the meds I've been taking for about that long. :(
Posted by DharmaBum on July 6, 2007, at 17:37:32
In reply to Tinnitus, posted by KayeBaby on July 5, 2007, at 15:45:21
To reiterate a post of mine from long ago, what got me back on meds was a Blue Flame panic attack occurring in the middle of the night in the midst of being asleep. I sprang awake and my ears were howling! Never experienced anything like it, never had tinnitus previously. It was "instant on." The tinnitus was accompanied from that point on by major insomnia. It was like a switch was thrown on in my brain - ugh, catastrophic brain chemistry change. I saw my GP doc and an EENT doc, neither of whom had a clue about the tinnitus or the insomnia, though we tried to treat it like maybe it was an infection. After six weeks, I was so wasted, my sister got me back to our pdoc, who put me on Effexor. I was sleeping within two days.
The tinnitus comes and goes, may be stress-related, I dunno. When I am biking a lot, it disappears almost completely. I read that it can be caused by insulin sensitivity or some such thing. It's nothing like it was prior to the meds. I was a wreck.
I've tried to learn more about "non-traditional" tinnitus. It's a bit of a mystery.
Posted by brooke484 on July 6, 2007, at 21:06:35
In reply to Tinnitus, posted by KayeBaby on July 5, 2007, at 15:45:21
Mine started about 10 years ago when I took Imipramine. I've been stuck with it ever since and it's not pleasant. Wellbutrin made it 5 times worse.
brooke
Posted by Phillipa on July 6, 2007, at 21:14:36
In reply to Re: Tinnitus, posted by brooke484 on July 6, 2007, at 21:06:35
I can't believe people get tinnitus from meds . Thats a new one to me. I wonder what google says. Bye for now. Love Phillipa
Posted by Phillipa on July 6, 2007, at 21:24:09
In reply to Re: Tinnitus, posted by Phillipa on July 6, 2007, at 21:14:36
Found this love Phillipa
What causes tinnitus?
Hearing loss. Doctors and scientists have discovered that people with different kinds of hearing loss also have tinnitus.
Loud noise. Too much exposure to loud noise can cause noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus.
Medicine. More than 200 medicines can cause tinnitus. If you have tinnitus and you take medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist whether your medicine could be involved.
Other health problems. Allergies, tumors, and problems in the heart and blood vessels, jaws, and neck can cause tinnitus.
Posted by Phillipa on July 6, 2007, at 21:25:00
In reply to Re: Tinnitus, posted by Phillipa on July 6, 2007, at 21:24:09
Wow over 200meds? Love Phillipa
Posted by Jedi on July 7, 2007, at 3:30:05
In reply to Re: Tinnitus, posted by Phillipa on July 6, 2007, at 21:25:00
Hi Guys,
My tinnitus, only in my left ear, was triggered by a sudden and complete hearing loss in that ear more than twenty years ago. With high doses of steroids, my hearing recovered about 70 percent. The tinnitus has been there ever since. At first it was almost unbearable. Later, the effect lessened, or I just got used to it. Any stimulants or aspirin make it worse, along with loud noises. In the grand scheme of things, it is one of the more tolerable ailments I live with. I sympathize with the people that have it bad. At one time mine was so bad it about drove me nuts.
Take care,
Jedi
Posted by FredPotter on July 8, 2007, at 16:20:54
In reply to Re: Tinnitus, posted by Compucat on July 6, 2007, at 13:08:54
I think the commonest cause of tinnitus is exposure to loud noise, eg standing too close to Jimi Hendrix, wife screaming in ear etc. I've been told there's nothing I can do about it as it's caused by nerve damage. But if that's so, why does it vary in intensity?
Posted by marshall26 on July 8, 2007, at 17:58:44
In reply to Re: Tinnitus, posted by FredPotter on July 8, 2007, at 16:20:54
For what it’s worth, tinnitus from excessive noise always had more of a pure tone quality for me, like having a high pitched tuning fork embedded in my ear.
I also got tinnitus after discontinuation of antidepressants and benzos. This type of tinnitus was qualitatively different. It sometimes sounded like cicadas going off inside my ear, other times like a humming fridge in the middle of my brain. The medication induced tinnitus also had more of an “electric” feel to it, like there was an electric motor humming and vibrating inside my brain. Weird, I know.
I don’t think it’s always caused by nerve damage. The source could be within the region of the brain that processes hearing. This is probably especially true of the type caused by medications. I just can’t see how psych meds could physically damage nerves in the ear.
Here’s my theory:
I notice there’s always some subtle sounds going on inside my head if it’s very quit and I listen very closely. Most times these sounds are so faint that they are almost impossible to pick up. When there is a dysfunction in the area of the brain that processes sound these internal “head noises” can be amplified to the point where they start to overcrowd normal sounds. That’s my best guess.
I don’t know if this helps anyone.
This is the end of the thread.
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