Supplements for Tinnitus
So… My girlfriend found something called “Lipo Flavinoid” which is supposed to work on (as a cure for) Tinnitus (yep, I’ve got it). So, has anyone else tried it? I’ve been using it for a week and I’m not sure if it’s working or not. Any input, even telling me it’s “snake oil” (with reasons why), would be welcome.
None of these supplements work. Tinnitus is permanent damage that no pill will “fix.” There’s some treatments that are still being researched but as of yet there’s no cure for it.
Continue, and do report back, mate!
My ENT recommends a NSAID before and after any loud noise exposure. That helps some.
In terms of the “actual” ringing…there is new evidence that it is being “generated” in the vestibulo-cochlear nerve (8th cranial nerve), and not in the ears. So, this is not an actual “sound” that is being heard, it is an effect of nerve damage. I have seen some research on nerve stimulation as a possible “treatment” for tinnitus.
NONE of the homeopathic, essential oil, dietary supplement, or other “treatments” have gotten past the laugh test for me. One thing to be wary of is that “tinnitus” and “hearing loss” are different things. One is nerve damage, and another can represent a range of possible damage to the structures in the ears. One cure for a range of possible damage is a red flag for me.
I have found that a mindfulness based meditation approach can be really helpful in managing the ringing. For the first year, I needed a “quite” space to actually meditate…which is handy because one of the most difficult times for me is when I am going to sleep. After about a year, I could effectively manage the ringing in (almost) any environment. But, when I am REALLY tired, or when I have had a few drinks (the more I drink, the louder the ringing “sounds” to me)…it is almost impossible to manage the ringing.
The mindfullness meditation world is filled with a LOT of “woo woo” so be prepared. It has really helped me…but it took several months to get good enough at it to be able to get relief in just a few minutes.
Finally, while “exposure” to loud noises is certainly one proximate cause, general stress on the body, bad sleeping habits, and similar things can make management of the ringing harder. When I am REALLY tired (“too tired to sleep”) or drunk (even a little) it is MUCH harder for me to manage the ringing. Keep that in mind as you look for ways to manage the ringing.
First of all: Earplugs
Second, I have tinnitus in my right ear from exposure. Your best bet is to learn to accept the issue and let it just turn into the background noise. It took me about a year to get to the point where it was no longer nerve wracking.
I put a fan in the bathroom connected to my bedroom and turn it on at night. Some kind of background noise really helps to keep your mind off of it. Now after two years I’m pretty much just accepting it and I don’t loose any sleep.
Thanks for the tips gentlemen! I have an appointment next week with an ENT, as I just got tinnitus in the last month.
I believe mine is due to age and running a paintball field more than DJing as I keep my headphone volume down when mixing (small bars), and don’t go clubbing much anymore.
I stopped gigging actively in 2006 and took a few more until 2009.
I woke up with Tinnitus in 2012 and it never left or changed. The audiologist will be able to confirm hearing loss. It literally hit me the day after my 40th birthday, not the birthday present I had in mind!
My audiologist and ENT both added insult to (hearing) injury when they “insisted” that most of my hearing loss was explained by “age” rather than by “exposure.” 
Yes, a million times yes. I have muscians ear plugs fitted by my audiologist. They were GREAT…and it was the same price as ordering the “home” kit for the same earplugs. My medical insurance even paid for the hearing screening.
I consider these “essential” equipment for any gig.
A big part of the mindfullness meditation approach is just this…learning to focus on the ringing so that it can be ignored. After the noise started for me, it was about 18 months of being annoyed (along with the other five stages of grief) before I was able to push through.
This is a common suggestion for ringing…just drown in out with other “white” noise (e.g. fans, noise machines, etc). This worked OK initially, but the ringing just kept getting louder in response. As I understand it, the “background noise” approach is effective for quite a few people, but it was not a good long-term solution for me.
I find that 1-2 hours a day in relative “silence” helps me more than any amount of background noise. I have some noise canceling headphones that I can wear at my desk at my “day job” and I will often have them on with nothing playing…just to get a bit more quite time.
I recommend these to everyone
^^ these downbeats are a good and more affordable alternative. I use DB blockers , they are custom molded for your ear.. My work pays for them so , why not right? Ear plugs of any kind are a musicans best friend.
I have to admit, I neglected to wear ear plugs & the last festival I attended and asked myself why I didn’t bring them.
Mine hit right around my recent 49th birthday. Getting old sucks
Wow, you just made me feel lucky there! I can see the point in learning to accept silence, at this point silence is the only thing that bothers me, the fact that I can no longer enjoy it gets me down.
I get this as well, although it basically doesn’t bother me. Or it didn’t until I read this thread and it reminded me of it! Haha 
``[quote=“Kwal, post:10, topic:67564, username:Kwal”]
I recommend these to everyone
[/quote]
I am currently using thunderplugs, which are ok, but can be annoying when I have them in a long time.
How do the downbeats compare against things like the etymotic ER 20 that everyone I’ve heard recommend?
I’ve never tried any other plug to be honest, but I think for the small price tag it is worth a shot to get and try. They worked well for me.
I have custom molded plugs with ER-20’s as backup. The ER-20 are good at reducing noise. I notice a lot more high frequency roll off with the ER-20 compared to the musicians plugs (no real surprise there). The ER-20s are VERY uncomfortable to have in while using headphones.
The Thunderplugs look MUCH more usable with headphones. I am going to order a set and try them out. I like the idea of storing plugs in a “pill case” on my keyring…so that’s already a win for the Thunderplugs.
When I first noticed the ringing not stopping after an event…it was annoying. When it started, I could only hear the noise in a “quiet” space…going to sleep, sitting in the car at a light (no music), sitting at my desk at work, etc. So…since I could easily add a “masking noise” it was not a big deal. In less than a year, even moderate noise was not enough…I was able to pick out the frequencies of the ringing in even moderate volume environments (e.g. machine room, car on the highway, restaurant with background music, etc).
Once that happened, I started to get REALLY down. I started wearing earbuds of headphones with music almost continuously. This was isolating from people, and made my mood worse. I am thankful that I have found something that is effective for my management of the ringing.
To sum up…wear hearing protection.
I think my headphones helped to contribute to the problem. I generally play in loud clubs and I had to turn up the headphones to properly cue up my next songs. I had considered whatever volume the headphones were set to as “safe” because “manufacturers wouldn’t make something that would be dangerous… right?” I’ve been addressing my problem by switching to IEMs (the Pioneer DJE-2000), cutting out salt in my diet, removing nicotine, and caffeine (that one sucks the most), and in general, trying to be more healthy. I really hope this works.
mine was really loud the day it started, it’s about the same now two years later. If I’m going slow I can hear it over the engine noise of my motorcycle.
White noise doesn’t droned the sound out for my by any means, it just gives my brain something to latch on instead of that ring. It only rings in the ear my HD-25s were blasting in for the sake of beat mixing.
If we could only add some kind of modulation and enveloping to it things would be better!