Posted by bleauberry on November 16, 2007, at 16:17:47
In reply to RINGING in my EARS?? anyone else feel this?, posted by sometimesblue on November 16, 2007, at 15:42:22
I've tried everything to cure ringing in the ears and nothing works. The best relief I got was probably xanax or klonopin or a GABA+glycine supplement. But no cure. Most things that affect the brain seem to make it louder, especially noradrenergic things like wellbutrin.
Ringing in the ears can be caused by loud noises. But in my experience most people who have ringing have something going on in the brain not the ears.
I've gotten used to it over the years. I deal with it by having a radio or TV on very low just enough to drown it out, workplace is loud enough to do that, and in bed I leave a box fan running on low all night. A bedtime hummer machine also works with a choice of sounds such as waves, wind, hissing, or whatever.
For people with intolerable ringing what they do is wear special hearing aids that produce a background white noise to cover up the ringing.
Mine was probably caused by playing guitar with loud amplifiers at a young age. But later in life it was worsened by psychiatric drugs, beginning with Paxil, but that was also the time my low level chronic exposure to mercury was gaining steam (from amalgam fillings), and ringing in the ears is a very common symptom of a heavy metal burden of lead and/or mercury. Wellbutrin was the worst, and tinnitus (ringing in the ears) is a listed side effect. With me it seems like anything that is inhibitory to the brain helps quiet the sound, while anything excitatory loudens it.
I don't know if yours is temporary or permanent. Probably the best thing to do at this point is to avoid known common neurotoxins such as aspartame and MSG. And of course stay away from things that you know make it worse, such as wellbutrin. Look at the labels of things before you buy them. There are many herbs, supplements, and drugs (mood stabilizers, other antidepressants, benzos, antipsychotics) that can help, but it is quite a chore to try them all. None helped me much, and most actually made it worse. I must admit though that approaching one year of not taking any drugs the noise is quieter than it used to be.
poster:bleauberry
thread:795482
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20071115/msgs/795489.html