613 replies to this topic

[Newbegining]

Thanks once again.

 

i have read the main part and am a bit concerned about dizziness headaches and heartbeat as they are my main symptoms anyway and was taking the ginko as it was recommended for the tinnitus , and i thought if i could have something to help with that then the ear, head pressure feeling spaced out wouldnt seem so bad

 

. is there anything else from your experience that  has helped any one with tinnitus, im happy to try anything or do you think i should stay on the ginko but ive only taken it for 4 days so might give it a bit of time?

 

im sorry to trouble you when i know there are lots of people having worse probs.

[fishinghat]

No trouble. That is what I am here for.
 
Here is what I found....

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/23543524
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013 Mar 28;(3):CD003852. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD003852.pub3.
Ginkgo biloba for tinnitus.
OBJECTIVES:
To assess the effect of Ginkgo biloba in patients who are troubled by tinnitus.
SELECTION CRITERIA:
Adults (18 years and over) complaining of tinnitus or adults with a primary complaint of cerebral insufficiency, where tinnitus forms part of the syndrome.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS:
Both original authors independently extracted data and assessed trials for quality. For the 2012 update two authors determined trial eligibility, extracted data, analysed data and updated the contents of the review.
MAIN RESULTS:
Four trials with a total of 1543 participants were included in the review; we assessed all the included studies as having a low risk of bias. Three trials (1143 participants) included patients with a primary complaint of tinnitus and one (400 participants) included patients with mild to moderate dementia, some of whom had tinnitus.There was no evidence that Gingko biloba was effective in patients with a primary complaint of tinnitus. In the study of patients with dementia, mean baseline levels of tinnitus were low (1.7 to 2.5 on a 10-point subjective symptom rating scale). A small but statistically significant reduction of 1.5 and 0.7 points was seen in patients taking Gingko biloba with vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease respectively. The practical clinical significance of this is unclear. The incidence of side effects was low.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS:
The limited evidence does not demonstrate that Ginkgo biloba is effective for tinnitus when this is the primary complaint.

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/23682937
Kulak Burun Bogaz Ihtis Derg. 2013 May-Jun;23(3):143-7. doi: 10.5606/kbbihtisas.2013.03064.
[An efficacy comparison of betahistin, trimetazidine and ginkgo biloba extract in patients with tinnitus].
OBJECTIVES:
This study aims to investigate the efficacy of trimetazidine, betahistine and ginkgo biloba extract in the treatment of tinnitus.
PATIENTS AND METHODS:
Complete clinical data of 90 patients (48 males, 42 females; mean age 52.3±15.1 years; range 20 to 61 years) who received betahistine, trimetazidine and ginkgo biloba extract for three months were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into three groups including 30 in each group according to treatments received. Pre-treatment and post-treatment scores of tinnitus disability questionnaire were compared statistically.
RESULTS:
There was no statistically significant difference between pre-treatment scores of tinnitus disability questionnaire among all three groups (p>0.05), while there was a statistically significant difference among the groups following treatment (p=0.019, p<0.05). After a-three-month treatment, a decrease of 19.7±15.5 units in trimetazidine group, 12.2±12.7 units in betahistine group, and 3.80±5.9 units in ginkgo biloba extract group were found to be statistically significant, compared to the mean pretreatment tinnitus disability questionnaire scores (p=0.002, p<0.01).
CONCLUSION:
Our study results suggest that trimetazidine, betahistin and ginkgo biloba extract reduce tinnitus symptoms. However, symptomatic relief can be mostly achieved with trimetazidine treatment.

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/27681261
Am J Audiol. 2016 Sep 1;25(3):184-205. doi: 10.1044/2016_AJA-16-0021.
Survey on the Effectiveness of Dietary Supplements to Treat Tinnitus.
PURPOSE:
We surveyed the benefit of dietary supplements to treat tinnitus and reported adverse effects.
METHOD:
A website was created for people with tinnitus to complete a variety of questions.
RESULTS:
The 1,788 subjects who responded to questionnaires came from 53 different countries; 413 (23.1%) reported taking supplements. No effect on tinnitus was reported in 70.7%, improvement in 19.0%, and worsening in 10.3%. Adverse effects were reported in 6% (n = 36), including bleeding, diarrhea, headache, and others. Supplements were reported to be helpful for sleep: melatonin (effect size, d = 1.228) and lipoflavonoid (d = 0.5244); emotional reactions: melatonin (d = 0.6138) and lipoflavonoid (d = 0.457); hearing: Ginkgo biloba (d = 0.3758); and concentration Ginkgo biloba (d = 0.3611). The positive, subjective reports should be interpreted cautiously; many might have reported a positive effect because they were committed to treatment and expected a benefit. Users of supplements were more likely to have loudness hyperacusis and to have a louder tinnitus.
CONCLUSIONS:
The use of dietary supplements to treat tinnitus is common, particularly with Ginkgo biloba, lipoflavonoids, magnesium, melatonin, vitamin B12, and zinc. It is likely that some supplements will help with sleep for some patients. However, they are generally not effective, and many produced adverse effects. We concluded that dietary supplements should not be recommended to treat tinnitus but could have a positive outcome on tinnitus reactions in some people.

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/11143781
MMW Fortschr Med. 2000 Nov 23;142(47):46.
[Ginkgo extract helps patients suffering from tinnitus. Review of the literature shows: tinnitus decreases].

https://www.ncbi.nlm.../pubmed/8179518
Audiology. 1994 Mar-Apr;33(2):85-92.
Ginkgo biloba extract for the treatment of tinnitus.
Previous studies have shown contradictory results of Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) treatment of tinnitus. The present study was divided into two parts: first an open part, without placebo control (n = 80), followed by a double-blind placebo-controlled study (n = 20). The patients included in the open study were patients who had been referred to the Department of Audiology, Sahlgren's Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden, due to persistent severe tinnitus. Patients reporting a positive effect on tinnitus in the open study were included in the double-blind placebo-controlled study (20 out of 21 patients participated). 7 patients preferred GBE to placebo, 7 placebo to GBE and 6 patients had no preference. Statistical group analysis gives no support to the hypothesis that GBE has any effect on tinnitus, although it is possible that GBE has an effect on some patients due to several reasons, e.g. the diverse etiology of tinnitus. Since there is no objective method to measure the symptom, the search for an effective drug can only be made on an individual basis.

Note - While there are several other studies on Ginkgo Biloba and tinnitus I found this study to basically sum up the results. It really depends on the cause of the tinnitus and the person. Only trying can one see if it helps. There was really no information given on the time before patients noticed an improvemeent in Tinnitus.

 

Not a lot of encouragement there. Basically maybe and who knows when, Sorry

[fishinghat]

Are we having fun yet??!!  OH YEA.
 
Just incase you have trouble falling to sleep tonight.

Partial list of entries on this site referring to tinnitus.
You will see a pattern, the greater the withdrawal the worse the tinnitus and the longer lasting the occurance. It also seems to be more common in those on the generic form.

My website search showed 4 more pages of entries but my patience and time gave out on me. LOL
Medical journal info to follow.

Bee 11/29/11
I have been on Cymbalta for 6+ years, also taking 60mg 2x day. I have constant tinnitus.

Marcia 1/24/12
On my journey I am a few days off cymbalta and have the brain zaps, inc tinnitus, aches and pains, chills.

Marcia 1/26/12
Not 10 minutes go by without brain zaps of varying degrees as well as severe tinnitus. At times its just the usual ocean sound, but at times it is a whooshing, pulsating pressure feeling/sound that is very disconcerting.

Jenni 1/26/12 (during withdrawal)
My osteopath found that my neck was very seized up which doesn't help with neck/head/sinus/ear pain and tinnitus. All my symptoms felt better after my appt including the whooshing noise. Maybe a back massage or even just lying in a hot, shallow bath.

BuzzBuzz 3/23/13 (during withdrawal)
The brain zaps and tinnitus are pretty bad,...

SusanMoore 3/28/13 (during withdrawal)
I have also developed what I now know as Tinnitus and this I am told, does not go away.

Answer from lady Nancy
Don't worry Susan the Tinnitus does go away, it takes awhile but it will go away

THP 3/30/13 (during withdrawal)
I started at 60 mg per day and tried to go to every other day which was a nightmare. Severe tinnitus, nausea, emotions, etc.

Lady Nancy 4/16/13 and many many other times. An excert from section 5.7 of the drug insert for Cymbalta.
"During marketing of other SSRIs and SNRIs (serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors), there have been
spontaneous reports of adverse events occurring upon discontinuation of these drugs, particularly when abrupt, including
the following: dysphoric mood, irritability, agitation, dizziness, sensory disturbances (e.g., paresthesias such as electric
shock sensations), anxiety, confusion, headache, lethargy, emotional lability, insomnia, hypomania, tinnitus, and seizures.
Although these events are generally self-limiting, some have been reported to be severe."

Fishinghat 4/17/13 Posted full excert.
5.7 Discontinuation of Treatment with Cymbalta
Discontinuation symptoms have been systematically evaluated in patients taking duloxetine. Following abrupt or tapered discontinuation in placebo-controlled clinical trials, the following symptoms occurred at 1% or greater and at a significantly higher rate in duloxetine-treated patients compared to those discontinuing from placebo: dizziness, headache, nausea, diarrhea, paresthesia, irritability, vomiting, insomnia, anxiety, hyperhidrosis, and fatigue. During marketing of other SSRIs and SNRIs (serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors), there have been spontaneous reports of adverse events occurring upon discontinuation of these drugs, particularly when abrupt, including the following: dysphoric mood, irritability, agitation, dizziness, sensory disturbances (e.g., paresthesias such as electric shock sensations), anxiety, confusion, headache, lethargy, emotional lability, insomnia, hypomania, tinnitus, and seizures.
Although these events are generally self-limiting, some have been reported to be severe.
Patients should be monitored for these symptoms when discontinuing treatment with Cymbalta. A gradual reduction in the dose rather than abrupt cessation is recommended whenever possible. If intolerable symptoms occur following a decrease in the dose or upon discontinuation of treatment, then resuming the previously prescribed dose maybe considered. Subsequently, the physician may continue decreasing the dose but at a more gradual rate [see Dosage and Administration (2.4)].

Zappinist 5/19/13 during withdrawal
No tinnitus right now, which has been bad recently, but zaps are still there.

Tomitsu 6/11/13 dw
I do have tinnitus and I get the odd brain zap here and there.

Dogs Rule 7/2/13 7 weeks off
This withdrawal will not stop. The really hideous days of zaps and sweating and nausea are over, but lingering symptoms remain: dizziness, tinnitus, and milder zaps.

Irish Eyes 3/21/13
I quit taking Cymbalta in June 2012. I had brain zaps, impaired mental processing, the swishing sound when you move your eyes side to side and tinnitus.
By the end of August I felt almost normal. Then my left foot started tingling. Then in October I got tinnitus.
Last week I start having the swishing sound when I move my eyes back and forth but just when I first wake up.
It's been 9 months and I'm having some of the same symptoms I had in July. Anybody else out there experiencing this?

Afg1202 10/4/13
And this tuning-fork-in-my-head feeling is horrible. And there is so little literature on what helps tinnitus

Thismoment 1/5/14
I might describe my own withdrawal experience like this- bead counting from 30 mg over 6 weeks @ 2.3%.
Difficult// weeks 1-2 smooth/ weeks 3-6 coarse/ weeks 7-12 medium/ weeks 13-24 fine + some medium/ weeks 25-48 fine/ weeks 49-52 smooth/ weeks 53-68 smooth and still improving subtly. I still have two symptoms that are probably permanent- a continuous tension-type headache and tinnitus in my right ear.

Thismoment 1/7/14
My last Cymbalta bead was the end of July 2012, which is getting close to a year and a half now. I still have two symptoms I didn't have before I started the drug. I have a constant headache, and tinnitus in my right ear. Both are tolerable, and I consider myself lucky because after 2 years on the drug I was fried...

FiveNotions 2/18/14
I've had severe tinnitus thanks to cymbalta....it had been so bad that I cldnt hear people talking directly to me...now it's faded a bit, and I have periods of time where it's almost gone...last week I was able to hear my kitchen clock tick! Today, it's bad, like a jet engine in my head...I've had it so long, years, that I've trained myself not to notice it....

Clara 2/26/14
I wish I had a cure for this constant tinnitus. It drives me nuts at times. Just another Cymbalta gift that refuses to go away!

BelaLugosisDad 3/5/14
Tinnitus. - non stop in both ears.

ThisMoment 3/14/14

I've been off Cymbalta for nearly 20 months, and I think I'm probably 95% back; I'm still a little achy in my muscles, I have tinnitus in my right ear, and I have a constant (24/7) tension-type headache that no NSAID will touch. These items are probably chronic, but I'll report back when I hit the 2 year mark this summer.

ThisMoment 3/23/14

Currently at 95%+ function with a few residual withdrawal artifacts: tinnitus, chronic headache, low dopamine. I am back to "normal", but I have a palpable 'different' feeling of myself compared to before I started this adventure, but that was 4 years ago and certainly the passage of time alone has an effect

ThisMoment 4/3/14

I have a constant headache, tinnitus, and fatigue. My level of depression is about the same as when I started Cymbalta.

Phillyguy1 4/24/14
....being off in that 8-10 week window. I pretty much went off cold turkey. I've experienced similar with good and bad days. My biggest issue has been acute vertigo and tinnitus in my right ear. Some days it's been better than others for sure.

Sodone61 4/24/14 Off 5 weeks
No more paresthesia and headaches and the tinnitus (both ears, bad) is gone.

FiveNotions 4/24/14
Tinnitus...I hadn't thought about it in weeks....which meant I haven't had much of it (cymbalta gave it to me big time)....then, just this afternoon, kaboom....it's back, and with a vengeance....sounds like I've got a toilet flushing, sink running, and crickets chirping simultaneously inside my head....when I had it all the time I learned to ignore it....then, when it went away, I was astonished at being able to hear clocks tick and birds sing....now it's driving me nuts because Ive forgotten how to ignore it....it's gonna keep me awake tonight for sure....

Xman 4/25/14
Mine is much better, although I still have it in my right ear intermittently. I am intrigued that there is a pattern forming regarding the right ear tinnitus...
My tinnitus started during crapalta. Never had it before and have no inner ear problems whatsoever. My right ears--
Hickupp 5/8/14
Sorry Clara but at least for me it has never gone away and I've been off for several years. It doesn't happen every day but it still happens.
Clara 6/18/14 6 to 8 months off.
FINALLY coming alive again! And the tinnitus seems to have mostly GONE AWAY!!!!! So grateful about that!!!!
Xman 5/25/14
Thankfully. Also the buzzing in my ears and tinnitus like noise is less in severity. I am a little over 3 months post crapalta.

ThisMoment 5/5/14
After 42 days of tapering off by bead-counting, I swallowed my last bead on July 31, 2012. That was 22 months ago (approximately 660 days)!
I have two lingering side-effects that are probably permanent-- tinnitus in my right ear, and a constant (24/7) tension-type headache that I've had since i began the withdrawal more than two years ago

Must read...
https://www.cymbalta...om/?hl=tinnitus

Downtongirl 6/29/14 dw
Lots of ear pressure, pain, and the already existing tinnitus that I have developed from benzo tolerance/withdrawal was worse.
Downtongirl 7/3/14 dw
I developed tinnitus/hyperacusis last summer from what I believe to be tolerance withdrawals from klonopin but this Cymbalta makes it much worse. Anyone else experience this?
Answer by FiveNotions
As for the tinnitus, oh yeah, that was one of my long lasting effects....it got much much worse during the first weeks of withdrawal...then it almost disappeared, and I got all excited because I could hear my kitchen clock ticking....never knew it did that!....but then it came back.....it's faded a bit, and comes and goes....
MichB 7/7/14 dw
Oh yes! I have tinnitus too. If there is other noise around me it's not so bad but I can still hear it. Anytime it's quiet it sounds like an attack of locusts!! It's irritating but sadly I'm used to it. If its one of the few lasting permanent effects from getting off this poison I'll be fine.
Gail 7/21/14 5 months off
Tinnitus, which I can tolerate and on and off headaches that I can handle.

brzghoff 7/30/14 11 weeks off
For me getting off C has been rough, for the first month and a half or so it was a lot of physical stuff, joint and muscle pain - lots - serious gastro issues, nausea, the runs, etc, confusion, tinnitus.

Guest_Notsureaboutit_* 8/2/14 1 week off
Ears Whirring, Like A I Have A Helicopter In Them.

Response by Donewithcrap 8/2/14 Off
I have ringing in both ears and have had this for years now. I gets worse at tines but never goes away. I have tried "Ring Stop" but it didn't help me.

Response by ShadyLady 8/3/14 Off
I had the 'whirring swooshies' (great description!) for about 3 weeks after stopping the C-dope!

Pheobster 8/3/14 dw
Tinnitus has set in. Not super loud but enough to be another irritant.

tomitsu 9/2/14 off
I have anxiety and depression I didn't have before taking cymbalta. I have tinnitus and suicidal ideation is a reality. I have memory loss. I believe my symptoms are permanent as they have not gone away. I'm deeply disturbed by the symptoms.

Gail 10/7/14 off
tinnitus here also

nerdluvin 10/13/14 3 days off
For the past couple of weeks, I get intense migraine-level headaches (no brain zaps) and tinnitus in my ears.

FiveNotions 10/13/14 Off 10 months
I had tinnitus ... actually, after 10 months off, I still have it ... think it's permanent, due to the cold turkey

Thread Titile - Off Crapalta 6 Mos. Or More - What Symptoms Do You Still Have? 10/15/14
FiveNotions - 8 months off - The tinnitus returned several months ago, and is even louder and more constant than ever.
Clara - Tinnitus comes and goes, much less intense.
Gail - 8 mths - Tinnitus

ThisBetterPass 10/17/14
Looking back, I did start having problems with tinnitus when they switched me over to generic probably about two years ago.

Downtongirl 11/20/14 Off
I have developed tinnitus about 1 1/2 years ago and don't want to take anything to make that worse and nsaids are listing as being ototoxic...

FiveNotions 12/6/14 1 yr off
I am (so far) left with some apparently long-lasting after effects ... severe tinnitus,....

Shouldclean 3/31/15 3 mths off
Over a years time I weaned from 60 mg to 0. I was due to finish the end of January and was weighing the microscopic beads of 20 mg pills. I was in so much muscle pain that my husband suggested I go cold turkey, which I did on Christmas Day. My pain almost immediately was cut by 75%. I also had dizziness and tinnitus.

Sfava987 6/18/15
But after stopping the 20mg, I had the full blown discontinuation syndrome and could not drive or function. So, I went back on the 20mg and stayed there for a couple months, but the Tinnitus and some brain fog remained along with burning pain in my heels and the bottom of my feet.

ThisMoment 8/1/15 3 years off
I still have short-lived events that feel like ripples of withdrawal, and I still have a few symptoms that continue to fade: tinnitus, headache, unsteady balance, and GI instability

Things that list tinnitus as a common symptom during dicontinuation;
Benzos
Coffee
Alcohol
Opium
SSRI
SNRI
Bath Salts
Dilantin and more...

Seven complete articles on treating tinnitus.
Each link is followed by the title of the article in bold.
Articles concerning rTMS have the word "note" in front of the title.

https://www.ncbi.nlm...les/PMC4637057/
Note - Efficacy and Safety of Repeated Courses of rTMS Treatment in Patients with Chronic Subjective Tinnitus.
"Repeated application of rTMS seems to be useful in tinnitus management and should preferentially be offered to patients who experience a worsening of their tinnitus during the intertreatment interval, irrespective of their response to the first treatment course."

https://www.ncbi.nlm...les/PMC4678896/
Note - Combined rTMS treatment targeting the Anterior Cingulate and the Temporal Cortex for the Treatment of Chronic Tinnitus.
"This pilot study demonstrated the feasibility of combined mediofrontal/temporoparietal-rTMS-stimulation with double cone coil in tinnitus patients but failed to show better outcome compared to an actively rTMS treated control group."

https://www.ncbi.nlm...les/PMC4772792/
Noten- Triple-site rTMS for the treatment of chronic tinnitus: a randomized controlled trial.
"We report a tendency towards a modest, sustained long-term effect of the triple-site stimulation protocol in comparison to the single-site protocol."
Table 2
Adverse events for both treatment groups.
single-site rTMS triple-site rTMS
transient adverse events
muscular tension 1 -
headache 6 3
blurred vision 1 -
increase in tinnitus loudness 3 -
mood swings 1 -
dizziness - 1
feeling of heaviness in the legs - 1
ongoing adverse events
increase in tinnitus loudness 3* -
broadening of the frequency range of the tinnitus - 1
/pmc/articles/PMC4772792/table/t2/?report=object only
*One of those three patients dropped out after two days of treatment.

https://www.ncbi.nlm...les/PMC2832848/
Emerging pharmacotherapy of tinnitus
Summary of medicines used for tinnitus.

https://www.ncbi.nlm...les/PMC3563643/
Note - rTMS Induced Tinnitus Relief Is Related to an Increase in Auditory Cortical Alpha Activity
"Several studies indeed show tinnitus relief after rTMS, however effects are moderate and vary strongly across patients."

https://www.ncbi.nlm...les/PMC3227628/
Treatment options for subjective tinnitus: Self reports from a sample of general practitioners and ENT physicians within Europe and the USA
"A structured online questionnaire was conducted with 712 physicians who reported seeing at least one tinnitus patients in the previous three months. They were 370 general practitioners (GPs) and 365 ear-nose-throat specialists (ENTs) from the US, Germany, UK, France, Italy and Spain."
"Despite a large variety of treatment options, the low success rates of tinnitus therapy lead to frustration of physicians and patients alike. For subjective tinnitus in particular, effective therapeutic options with guidelines about key diagnostic criteria are urgently needed."


https://www.ncbi.nlm...les/PMC4761664/
Sensorineural Tinnitus: Its Pathology and Probable Therapies
"The most common form of treatment of tinnitus is pharmacological agents and behavioral treatment combined with sound therapy. Less common treatments are hypnosis and acupuncture. Various forms of neuromodulation are becoming in use in an attempt to reverse maladaptive plastic changes in the brain."

Summaries of articles on treating tinnitis.

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/26960786
Therapeutic role of Vitamin B12 in patients of chronic tinnitus: A pilot study.
"This pilot study highlights the significant prevalence of Vitamin B12 deficiency in North Indian population and improvement in tinnitus severity scores and VAS in cobalamin-deficient patients receiving intramuscular Vitamin B12 weekly for 6 weeks further provides a link between cobalamin deficiency and tinnitus thereby suggestive of a therapeutic role of B12 in cobalamin-deficient patients of tinnitus. "

http://www.ncbi.nlm..../pubmed/8484483
Vitamin B12 deficiency in patients with chronic-tinnitus and noise-induced hearing loss.
"These observations suggest a relationship between vitamin B12 deficiency and dysfunction of the auditory pathway. Some improvement in tinnitus and associated complaints were observed in 12 patients following vitamin B12 replacement therapy. The authors recommend that routine vitamin B12 serum levels be determined when evaluating patients for chronic tinnitus."

https://www.ncbi.nlm...les/PMC3645155/
The Role of Plasma Melatonin and Vitamins C and B12 in the Development of Idiopathic Tinnitus in the Elderly
"Comparing the plasma levels of the markers between elderly with and those without tinnitus, the plasma levels of melatonin (p=0.01) and vitamin B12 (p=0.03) were significantly lower among the elderly with tinnitus compared to those without, while the difference in the plasma level of vitamin C (p=0.6) was not.)

https://www.ncbi.nlm...les/PMC4765244/
Tinnitus: Is there a place for brain stimulation?
Nothing "to support or discourage the application of brain stimulation in tinnitus."

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/26938213
Electroacupuncture for Tinnitus: A Systematic Review.
"Due to the poor methodological quality of the primary studies and the small sample sizes, no convincing evidence that electroacupuncture is beneficial for treating tinnitus could be found. "

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/26910854
Randomized Controlled Trial of a Perceptual Training Game for Tinnitus Therapy
"The results suggest that the attention training game may have reduced focus on the tinnitus, potentially through improved selective attention. "Terrain" was superior to "Tetris" in the population tested and therefore shows promise as a management option for tinnitus. Further testing in a larger, more general, population would be enabled through improving the game's accessibility."

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/26901425
Cortical Reorganisation during a 30-Week Tinnitus Treatment Program.

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/26890094
Neuronavigated left temporal continuous theta burst stimulation in chronic tinnitus.
"In our study, verum cTBS was not superior to sham which highlights the persistent need for improving non-invasive brain stimulation techniques for the treatment of tinnitus."

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/26868680
Maladaptive plasticity in tinnitus - triggers, mechanisms and treatment
"Maladaptive neural plasticity seems to underlie these changes: it results in increased spontaneous firing rates and synchrony among neurons in central auditory structures, possibly generating the phantom percept. This Review highlights the links between animal and human studies, and discusses several therapeutic approaches that have been developed to target the neuroplastic changes underlying tinnitus."

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/26867083
Internet-Delivered Cognitive-Behavior Therapy for Tinnitus: A Randomized Controlled Trial
"Using a randomized controlled trial design, we replicated prior findings regarding positive effects of Internet-delivered CBT on tinnitus-related distress and associated symptoms."

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/26817797
Note -Long-Term Distributed Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Tinnitus: A Feasibility Study.
"Our study demonstrated that rTMS can be delivered in a distributed schedule that is well-tolerated, feasible and may prove to be clinically beneficial. A long-term distributed rTMS schedule for tinnitus may warrant investigation as an alternative to the short-term aggregated treatment schedules more frequently used previously. For the many varied therapeutic uses of rTMS (established and investigational), treatment schedules are relatively unexplored, and deserve further attention."

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/26790209
[Deep needling and shallow needling at three acupoints around ear for subjective tinnitus: a randomized controlled trial].
"Acupuncture at the three acupoints around ear deeply could apparently improve tinnitus, and reduce tinnitus sound levels for subjective tinnitus. The effect is better than that by shallow needling at the three acupoints."

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/26773752
Auditory and visual 3D virtual reality therapy as a new treatment for chronic subjective tinnitus: Results of a randomized controlled trial.
"Virtual Reality appears to be at least as effective as CBT in unilateral subjective tinitus patients."

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/26771015
Feasibility and Safety of Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation Paired with Notched Music Therapy for the Treatment of Chronic Tinnitus.
"After 10 treatment sessions, 15/30 patients (50%) reported symptom relief."
"This study has demonstrated the feasibility and safety of tVNS paired with notched music therapy in patients with chronic tinnitus, with the use of a pad-type electrode attached to the auricular concha."

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/26747828
Tinnitus and its current treatment-Still an enigma in medicine.
"As yet, there are no Food and Drug Administration approved drugs available and the quest for a new treatment option for tinnitus focus on important challenges in tinnitus management. A number of options have been used to treat patients with tinnitus, but outcomes have been limited."

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/26649534
Clinician-Supported Internet-Delivered Psychological Treatment of Tinnitus
"For the 6 studies comparing Internet treatment against a no-treatment control condition, a moderate effect size was found (Hedges's g = 0.58). The 3 studies comparing Internet treatment against face-to-face group treatments showed a small difference."

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/26632254
The efficacy of individual treatment of subjective tinnitus with cognitive behavioural therapy.

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/26619701
[Therapeutic perspectives in the treatment of chronic subjective tinnitus].
"There are no effective therapies for the treatment of chronic subjective tinnitus. The present study aims to compare two therapeutic approaches: Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) and a Biopsychosocial Approach (BPS). Results show no difference in evolution of tinnitus' perception between the beginning of the study and after 12 months of treatment in both treatment groups."
https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/26609769
Potassium channels as promising new targets for pharmacologic treatment of tinnitus: Can Internet-based 'crowd sensing' initiated by patients speed up the transition from bench to bedside?

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/26557055
Note - Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation induces oscillatory power changes in chronic tinnitus.
"This is the first study to show tinnitus-related alterations of neuroplasticity that were specific to stimulation site and oscillatory frequency."
"Moreover our findings confirm the role of the left temporal and the right frontal areas as relevant hubs in tinnitus related neuronal network. Our results underscore the value of combined TMS-EEG measurements for investigating disease related changes in neuroplasticity."

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/26547700
Antioxidant therapy in the elderly with tinnitus.
Prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial. The sample consisted of 58 subjects aged 60 years or older, with a complaint of tinnitus associated with sensorineural hearing loss. The treatment regimens were: Ginkgo biloba dry extract (120mg/day), α-lipoic acid (60mg/day)+vitamin C (600mg/day), papaverine hydrochloride (100mg/day)+vitamin E (400mg/day), and placebo.There was no benefit from the use of antioxidant agents for tinnitus in this sample.
https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/26541232
Effectiveness of sound therapy in patients with tinnitus resistant to previous treatments: importance of adjustments.
"There was improvement in quality of life (Tinnitus Handicap Inventory), with good response to sound therapy using customized settings in patients who did not respond to previous treatments for tinnitus."

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/26498289
Repeated sessions of transcranial direct current stimulation for treatment of chronic subjective tinnitus: a pilot randomized controlled trial.
"No statistically significant difference was found between anodal and sham stimulation regarding either immediate or long-lasting effects over the 2 weeks follow-up period. Deterioration of symptoms and alteration in tinnitus characteristics were reported by a few patients. There were no significant long-term beneficial effects following tDCS of the left temporoparietal area. "

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/26467416
The Management and Outcomes of Pharmacological Treatments for Tinnitus.
Table 1.
Pharmaceutical treatment effects on tinnitus.
Drugs Authors Subjects Placebo Controlled Dosage Results Side Effects
Lidocaine Melding,
et al. (1978) 78 Open-label 1-2 mg per kg of body weight intravenously for 3-4 minutes Highly effective in patients with Organ of Corti damage None
Nortriptyline Sullivan
et al. (1989) 19 Placebo-washout Maximum 50 to 150 mg per day Tinnitus loudness and severity decreased Dry mouth, dyspepsia, constipation, orthostatic hypotension
Sullivan
et al. (1993) 92 Placebo controlled 50 to 150 mg/mL for six weeks Depression and tinnitus loudness decreased Anticholinergic side effects, sedation
Amitriptyline Podoshin
et al. (1995) 218 Placebo controlled 10 mg 3x/day for 10 weeks Improvement in more than 40% Sedation
Bayar et al. (2001) 37 Placebo controlled 50 to 100 mg daily for six weeks Decreased tinnitus intensity and subjective relief Sedation, dryness of mouth
Mendis
et al. (2008) 1 Case study 10 mg for three days Neurologic foot pain resolved Tinnitus
Imipramine Tandon
et al. (1987) 475 Chart review 150 to 250 mg per day Depression improved Tinnitus
Evans et al. (1981) 1 Case study 15 to 45 mg per day No improvement in depression Tinnitus
Sertraline Zoger et al. (2006) 76 Placebo controlled 25 to 50 mg daily for 16 weeks Improved loudness, severity Sexual side effects
Paroxetine Robinson
et al. (2005) 115 Placebo controlled Maximum of 50 mg per day for 100 days No better than placebo Sexual dysfunction, drowsiness,
dry mouth, sweating,
insomnia, gastrointestinal distress, tremor, headache
Alprazolam Johnson
et al. (1993) 36 Placebo controlled 0.25 or 0.5 mg for one week, increased to maximum of 1.0 mg for some for 56 days Reduction in loudness Excessive drowsiness; more dreams
Jalali et al. (2009) 36 Placebo controlled 0.5 mg 1-3 times per day for 8 weeks No improvement None
Clonazepam
Ginkgo biloba Han et al. 2012) 38 Open-label 0.5 mg Clonazepam; 4.0 mg GB increased from 1 to 4 doses per day for 5 weeks Clonazepam more effective than GB; tinnitus annoyance, duration, and loudness decreased Drowsiness
Gabapentin Bauer et al. (2006) 39 Placebo controlled Maximum 2,400 mg for 20 weeks Decrease in annoyance Dizziness, fatigue
Witsell et al. (2006) 76 Placebo controlled 1800 mg daily for five weeks No significant difference Mouth sores, decreased libido
Amino-oxyacetic Acid Reed et al. (1985) 10 Placebo controlled 50 to 75 mg four times a day for one week Subjective lessening of tinnitus in 3/10 Worsening of tinnitus upon withdrawal; dizziness, lightheadedness, disequilibrium, nausea, and headache at higher doses (400 mg/day)
Lamotrigine Simpson
et al. (1999) 31 Placebo controlled 25 to 100 mg daily for 8 weeks No significant difference Nausea, vomiting, headache
Carbamazepine Donalson I (1981) 62 Placebo controlled 100 mg No significant difference Tinnitus returned rapidly post-injection
Memantine Figueiredo
et al. (2008) 43 Placebo controlled 5 to 10 mg 1-2 times per day for 90 days No significant difference Dizziness, high blood pressure, insomnia, stomachache
Flupirtine Salembier
et al. (2006) 24 Open-label 100 mg twice a day for three weeks No significant difference Amnesia and concentration disorders
Neremexane Suckfull et al (2011) 320 Placebo controlled 25 to 75 mg daily for 16 weeks Decreased annoyance and impact on life at higher dosage Dizziness, headache, vertigo, fatigue, hypertension
Acamprosate Azevedo et al. (2007)
Sharma et al. (2012) 50
40 Placebo controlled
Placebo controlled 333 mg 3x daily for
three months
333 mg TDS 3x daily
for 45 days Improvement
over placebo
Significant improvement over placebo Epigastralgia, choking
Worsening intensity
(2 participants)
Cyclobenzaprine Coelho at al. (2011) 49 open-label max high dose: 30 mg; max low dose: 10 mg high dosage saw a reduction in THI dry mouth, sleepiness, constipation
Vanneste et al. (2013) 95 open-label 10 mg 2x/day for 4 weeks reduction in distress and intensity worsening intensity
Naltrexone Vanneste et al. (2013) 106 open-label up to 50 mg for four weeks tinnitus distress reduced in some none
Deanxit Meeus et al. (2011) 28 placebo-controlled 1 mg per day for three weeks 3/28 report tinnitus improvement none
Betahistine Sonmez et al. (2013) 68 placebo-controlled 48 mg per day for three months slight improvement in loudness and on THI pyrosis, nausea
Pramipexole Sziklai et al. (2011) 40 placebo-controlled maximum dosage: 0.7 mg 3x/day for 4 weeks 35% of pramipexole group improved dizziness, allergic reactions
Piribedil De Azevedo
et al. (2009) 56 Placebo-controlled 50mg daily No difference from placebo Nausea, dizziness
Simvastatin Canis et al. (2011) 94 placebo-controlled 40 mg/day for 4 months reported improvement but not significant worsening tinnitus
Vitamin B12 Berkiten et al. (2013) 83 placebo-controlled 1 g/mL injected daily for 5 days, then once a month for 12 months no significant change N/A
Zinc Coelho et al. (2013) 89 placebo-controlled 220 mg zinc sulphate daily for 4 months no significant change indigestion

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/26459345
Slow Cortical Potential Neurofeedback in Chronic Tinnitus Therapy: A Case Report.

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/26433054
Cannabinoids, cannabinoid receptors and tinnitus.

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/26430749
Note - A Pilot Study of EEG Source Analysis Based Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for the Treatment of Tinnitus.
"Low-frequency rTMS decreased tinnitus significantly after active, but not sham, treatment. Responders in the EEG source analysis-based rTMS group, 71.4% (5/7) patients, experienced a significant reduction in tinnitus loudness, as evidenced by VAS scores. The target site of neuronal generators most consistently associated with a positive response was the frontal lobe in the right hemisphere, sourced using high-density EEG equipment, in the tinnitus patients. After left temporoparietal rTMS stimulation, 42.8% (3/7) patients experienced a decrease in tinnitus loudness."

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/26422238
The effect of noninvasive brain stimulation on neural connectivity in Tinnitus: A randomized trial.
"Sixteen patients received active rTMS treatment; 14 patients received sham treatment. There were no differences between the active and sham groups in baseline functional connectivity. Neither treatment with rTMS nor sham therapy resulted in statistically significant functional connectivity changes in the examined brain networks."

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/26413574
The Effect of Korean Red Ginseng on Symptoms and Quality of Life in Chronic Tinnitus: A Randomized, Open-Label Pilot Study.
"Fifty-nine patients completed the planned protocol. Significant improvements were observed between initial and post-treatment THI scores in patients receiving 3000 mg/day KRG. Treatment with 3000 mg/day KRG for 4 weeks significantly improved role emotional and mental health scores in the SF-36 survey.These results suggest that KRG may improve tinnitus symptoms and mental wellbeing in chronic tinnitus patients."

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/26406286
An evaluation of the Reltus ear massager for short-term tinnitus relief.
'Supression of tinitus loadmess to auditory stimulation was found in 87% of participants and to tactile stimulation in 83%. No significant differences were found in the effectiveness between the four vibration stimulation points, or between the left and right ear of the participants. The Reltus produced a sound that resulted supression of tinitus.'
"It is the auditory artifact of the Reltus that was responsible for short-term tinnitus suppression."
This device rates a 2.5 out od 5 stars on Amazon.

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/26388055
The Development of Acceptance of Chronic Tinnitus in the Course of a Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy.
"CBT is considered an effective treatment for tinnitus distress in patients with chronic tinnitus. Acceptance of chronic tinnitus clearly improved within a CBT group therapy."

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/26261868
Treatment of tinnitus.

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/26248783
The effectiveness of psychological interventions among tinnitus sufferers: A review.
"Psychological interventions were more effective in reducing psychological impacts of tinnitus than non-psychological interventions such as the use of tinnitus maskers. Nevertheless, the combination of the treatments yielded more superior outcomes."



 

[Newbegining]

WOW, thank you.

Have done a bit of reading, will continue tomorrow as brain overload

Can i ask what you mean by greater the withdrawal? Do you mean the quicker coming off of C or the longer you are on it ie 4yrs for me.

would my withdrawal be seen as too fast?

i feel a lot of my worries is not knowing whats withdrawal, whats possible symptoms of starting a new AD, whats depression?? To be honest i find  the sudden attacks of anxiety and that terrible fear being worse than the depression i was originally signed off for. i think because ive no get up and go and a feeling of cant be bothered which of the 3 does that come from.

 

sorry will stop know as waffling and will need to calm down. 

 

I cant thank you enough for replying today, i feel as though ive hope again. God bless

[fishinghat]

By the greater the withdrawal can be restated as the greater the withdrawal symptoms.
 
It would be considered normal or a little slow for most people but considering that you have an addictive personality it may actually be a little fast.

"I feel a lot of my worries is not knowing whats withdrawal, whats possible symptoms of starting a new AD, whats depression??"

 

That is a very common feeling during withdrawal and is caused by the neurotransmitter control in the Amygdala of the brain (the center of worry, fear and anxiety). As your withdrawal subsides that will fade. I remember when I went through withdrawal I would feel great one day and feel like the withdrawal was all over and would NEVER return but the next day I might feel horrible and I thought life was going to be like this forever. Talk about a rollercoaster.

 

When I couldn't decide whether it was withdrawal, side effects or my reoccurrance of anxiety my dr said to keep a daily journal of how I felt. It didn't have to be detailed. He said go back each month and look at how you were doing one month earlier. As long as you could see improvement then it was primarily withdrawal. when you go 2 months or more with no significant change in symptoms then you should be concerned about the residual symptoms being side effects or reoccurance of anxiety.

 

He was right.

[Newbegining]

THANK YOU THANK YOU!!

 

just another question, sorry, if i go by what ive read, will my symptoms get worse when i stop?? then have to wait 8 weeks before seeing the light at the end of the tunnel?

 

Also with you saying my addictive personality, whats that? I never thought myself that way, does it mean overthinking? sorry perhaps me being a bit dim

(there again perhaps me scanning all this info, perhaps i do get addictive )

 

Thanks for your patience and understanding.

[fishinghat]

Normally the symptoms really get bad when you get down to around 3 to 5 mg. At that time you really need to proceed slowly. I mean ssllooooowwllyy. Yes the first 2 to 3 months after coming off is the worst (typically) and there usually begin to have periods of diminished symptoms after that. Those periods of feeling better tend to come and go and by the end of 8 months one feels much better. Having said that, it does vary a lot.

 

I have corrected the statement on the addictive personality. Sorry about that. Not my day I guess.

 

Hang in there and be patient.

[Newbegining]

Hello

just wanted to drop a line to say thank you Fishinghat for your support on Sunday.

It was the boost i needed, from yesterday i have started writting how i feel day by day so i can look back as you suggested.

That alone has made me feel as though im in control a bit  and doing something that will help when i look back, rather than feeling im in a "limbo Land" doing nothing. 

Started lowering by 3 beads per day yesterday too,so down to 91 today, ill keep you posted.

Thank you once again, youve given me direction and hope.

 

Warm wishes x

[fishinghat]

Your welcome NB. Hang in there.

[tfaff]

I have started bullet journaling to track symptoms like sleep, emotions, good days vs. how many beads I'm at, etc. It really helps me to see the whole picture and watch for progress. You can view the simple version at bulletjournal.com, but look up bullet journal on Facebook, Pinterest, etc to get more ideas.

[Howtostoppropperly]

Hi guys, today I took my last bead of Cymbalta! As from tomorrow I'm cymbalta free.          
 

[fishinghat]

Party, party, party. And folks we have a winner. You did so well once you started to go really slow. I know it is a long trip but you made it. Proud of you.

[Newbegining]

Congratulations!

 

 I am down to 76 beads. 

 

How is your tinnitus? it was that, that, kept me reading this thread and also how you were taking zoltoft which both apply to me.

Be good to hear how you are doing once off of this poison.

 

well done

 

ps Thanks tfaff for advice on bulletjournal.com , very helpfull

[gail]

Bravo Mon Ami!

Des pas de tortue, you made it!

You have inspired a lot of people. don't be a stranger now.

Newbeginning, you may be the next one. Please update when you can.

[Newbegining]

Hello Gail

 

yes i will keep updating. This site has been a life saver for me, im so grateful to people like you that offer encouragement , support and help , not just to the people who you are responding to, but for all comments that we all read on the many different threads, your name comes up very often. 

 

Coming down the 3 beads per day for just over a week now , and seem ok. The tinnitus , pressure headache and dizziness is still there , but to a certain extent i am beginning to cope with that as the acute anxiety and fear attacks have calmed down. Hoping thats the zoltoft ive now been on 150mg for 6 weeks is kicking in. 

 

I have to say i do admire people who carry on working through this as i dont think i would be able to, Having said that i wouldnt fit into my uniform at the moment as have put on over 35ibs in the 3 months ive been off work. Up until now ive not worried too much about it, but been considering going back to Slimming World, which is the first time in ages ive thought about anything other than getting through the day as quickly as possible. Sorry been typing as ive been thinking and gone on a bit!!

 

Thanks for commenting Gail, when i see familiar names i feel as though i know you personally, from reading all your posts, its just like a family and a comforting one at that.

 

Lots of warm wishes x

[gail]

Hello NB,

The fact that anxiety and panic attacks are subsiding is a big and massive improvement. That is hell to live with.

Thank you for your kind words. I have a great mentor in the name of Fishinghat, he taught us a lot.

Yes, the continual thought of just getting through the day takes away all clear thinking. And boy, do I ever know what you are talking about. Isn't a blessing to be able to focus on something else than that? It's like breathing again and more.

Looking forward to your updates! xxx

[Newbegining]

Hiya Gail

 

I totally agree, Fishinghat is wonderful, i was really chuffed that he responded to my first post , and having his approval on how i was tapering gave me a positive boost at a time when i needed it!

 

Take care and well wishes x 

[Howtostoppropperly]

My first day without C... My focus isn't  there all day yet but I'm able to create some wonderfull thing in my job and that gives me energy!
I still have tinnitus (less then 6 months ago) but during the evenings it's there. When I lay down it's even stronger. I still have a lot of floaters and my mind sometimes Boils off... 

 

But I feel confident that I've done it and all thanks to the support of Fishinghat and Gail. 

I will support the site and I even want to give anti lectures if I can when I'm back on top of the world to inspire people to get off this crap!

 

Take care and allways remember, after some bad days, there are good days!

 

cheers guys!

[fishinghat]

Thank you both for the kind words and Gail just in case you didn't know...

adjective, British Informal.
1. delighted; pleased; satisfied.

(lol)
Learn something new each day.

I would say you are right about the Zoloft kicking in as 6 weeks is about right. If at some time you get ready to wean off it let us know but I would wait a while.

[Newbegining]

Evening FH

 

as with weaning off zoltoft, do not think that would be an option as since ive suffered depression since i was 18, i have always been on an AD. i have to say being on them has never bothered me before because they have allowed me to get on with life, however, since C had stopped working and having a hellish time stopping and researching , i would think carefully when being introduced to another AD. I felt ok with going on zoltoft as read many use that to wean off C and also 2 close friends are on it so it didnt seem too scary. 

 

I know where to come for good advice if the time arises, for now need to get to the end of this chapter.

 

as always thank you , goodnight and God Bless 

[fishinghat]

Good night and God bless NB.

[Howtostoppropperly]

My tinnitus and floaters and mindfocus aren't getting better this first week but I have to follow through...  I presume it is normal after quitting?

I do take 0,25mg alprozolam 3x a week... 

[fishinghat]

It may take a few weeks to see an improvement. It is usually a slow fade.

[Newbegining]

Are you still taking the zoltoft HTSP?

[Howtostoppropperly]

yes I am NB on 100mg. I will start to lower as from July I think.

[Newbegining]

Thanks for replying HTSP,

 

i ll be interested in how that goes, mainly if you think that the zoltoft did cover up some of the symptoms and how the symptoms are when off zoltoft, as in the C symptoms. By the way has the tinnitus got any better

 

Goodevening FH , I am down to 55beads now, the last 3 days my tinnitus has got a bit worse , my neck has got stiff again and today i had a couple of dizzy spells. I know its about what we can tolerate and i dont expect it to be easy, i would like your opinion whether i should stay at 55 beads for a few days or carry on with reducing by 3 beads a day? The reason i ask is i remember reading on here somewhere that as soon as the side effects come on a bit stronger you should hold off reducing for a bit. Wasnt sure if that applies to the fact i am on 150mg of zoltoft for 7 weeks.  Or should i see how i am tomorrow? 

 

Any advice would as always be appreciated .

 

Wishing everyone Good Health Wishes 

[fishinghat]

I would hold steady for a couple days. Let your body tell you when it is ready.

[Newbegining]

Thank you, ill stay at 55beads , then see how i feel.

 

Hope you are having a good day 

[fishinghat]

Not bad thank you.  Here is wishing the best for all who are suffering through this.

[Howtostoppropperly]

NB, my tinnitus and floaters aren't better yet and my mind is, I don't know how to explain this, shady, sleepy and sometimes somewhat headache... 
FH, is it normal man like this after stopping really slow?