My neighbor developed tinnitus, surfed the web and found something that works for her.
One antihistamine daily. She says it’s helped a lot, even though sometimes the ringing kicks in night and wakes her up.
So I tried it;bought the same stuff…
AllerClear (non-drowsy), with the active ingredient being 10 mg Loratadine. 300 tablets. Cheap: $6-7
at the same place…
COSTCO.
All it did for me was make my ears ring even more. So I stopped and went back to my normal on again off again noises. I am not a doctor but I Just thought I’d pass it on. It would be nice if proved efficacious for one of us.
As someone who’s had some very strange inner- and middle-ear problems, my only advice to you is to see a good ENT. Now.
Tinnitus has lots of different causes, so there are lots of different treatments. It’s better to have a doc figure out which one is most probably right for you than it is for you to find one by trial and error.
A small piece of advice for picking an ENT–find one who’s a surgeon. Those guys are quick at ruling out problems that can be solved surgically, which will cut down the time it takes to find the appropriate treatment for you.
I guess I too have to encourage you to see a specialist, or whoever it takes.
The first doctor I went to said, “Oh, it’s just a cold,” even though I hadn’t had cold symptoms in over a year. It wasn’t. Tinnitus can be the sign of things as severe as brain tumors. (Fortunately, not my case!) I can always tell when I’ve forgotten to take my prescription too much because the tinnitus comes right back, too.
My favorite moment in the doc’s office was when he told my then-SO that his brain was “unremarkable” in the scan. I should have listened to what he was saying more carefully…
On topic: The then SO said that laying in a bathtub with his head below the water helped ease the tinnitus some. Well, it made it less annoying.
I have found ear specialists generally to be little better than guys with wooden masks shaking gourds filled with beads. I don’t know if they’re incompetent or ignorant or what, but they really suck compared to most other medical specialists.
My husband just saw an ENT who diagnosed TMJ and told him to take ibuprofen at every meal for a week and see if that helped. He also sees an audiologist next week.
No, I don’t. I wish it were, rather plain vanilla tinnitus. But my problem isn’t so bad that I agonize over it. I started this thread just hoping someone might benefit from the antihistamine regimen.
Now and then, I see an ad claiming that flavinoids can cure some tinnitus. I haven’t tried it. Three doctors told me there’s nothing I can do. It helps me to have the radio on or go outside for a walk. Background noises distract me from the hiss.
That’s my situation too. I’ve known about the TMJ issues for years (clicking, joint pain, etc) but never thought that the mild tinnitus I sometimes experienced could be part of the same problem, until my doctor mentioned it. It’s not really bad enough to take any medication for, but I’m watching out for my hearing and trying to avoid anything that will make it worse.
I’ve suffered from it in varying degrees for years. Lately, it’s been more noticeable and annoying than ever.
Anyway, here’s a good resource: Tinnitus Today
I’m at about the same place as you Godfrey. I always thought it was pretty normal to have this ringing. But in the last year or two, it’s worse. To the point where I need to turn up the TV beyound what would be a normal volume for my Wife.
I don’t notice the ringing unless I think about it. And for the most part I can ignore it with no problem. But the noise is affecting my ability the hear others.
I’m curious… Any SCUBA divers here? I can clear my eustation tubes at will. I don’t need to hold my nose and blow. Though that works. Sitting here at the computer, I can equalize with no need to swallow, chew gum or anything. I just do it.
