by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.
A man asked,
For those of us with tinnitus (20+ years in my case) who need anti-inflammatory medications to address back pain, nerve pain/weakness/impairment etc, and would like to take NSAIDs/Ibuprofen, is there anything out there that would do the trick without adverse tinnitus impact?
I just looked at all the NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and in all the sub-classes of NSAIDs that are listed in “Ototoxic Drugs Exposed“. Guess what? Every one of them has tinnitus listed as a side effect! That really makes it difficult to recommend anything, doesn’t it?
To be sure, not everyone that takes one of these drugs will get tinnitus or have their existing tinnitus made worse, but it does happen to numbers of people.
For some people, the tinnitus is temporary while they are on the drug, but for numbers of others, the tinnitus can start with the very first dose and proves to be permanent.
Since there is no way to know in advance whether you will get tinnitus or not, or whether your tinnitus will be temporary or permanent if you do get it, you need to decide whether you want to take the risk or not.
Personally, I’ve chosen not to take drugs. What I do is look for natural alternatives. For example, a couple of things I have done in the past few years (as I found I was getting aches and pains associated with aging) was to fundamentally change my diet. I drastically cut down or stopped eating many foods that cause inflammation and consistently added to my diet many anti-inflammatory foods. It’s amazing how doing just those two things keeps aches and pains under control and all without ever taking any drugs!
You would do well to read my article “Reducing Inflammation Without Taking Ototoxic Drugs“.
In addition, if you don’t know how to get started on such a program, I suggest you work with a good Naturopathic doctor (N.D.) and also start following the principles of good health as laid out by Dr. Joseph Mercola. He has an extensive website packed with information on good health.
I’ve been reading that tumeric (if taken in the correct form) can have a great anti-inflammatory effect. this might be worth looking into.
Hi Reg:
You are totally correct. Tumeric (curcumin) is indeed a powerful anti-inflammatory. Here is one good article on the subject. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/04/26/the-spice-that-actually-doubles-as-a-powerful-antiinflammatory.aspx
If you need to take anti-inflammatories, I’d opt for herbals over drugs all the time. They don’t have any ototoxic side effects either.
Cordially,
Neil
I have 2 herniated disks in my neck, thoracic pain and mild scoliosis in lumbar region. Click in neck and tinnitus ring is about to drive me over the edge. Obviously, not even addressing pain. Just turned 50. I fear what is in store for me.
Hi Heather:
Have you ever tried chiropractic? For your condition, I’d suggest a Blair upper cervical spine chiropractor as they are very gentle and see if that will help with your pain and tinnitus.
Read my comprehensive article on Meniere’s disease for information on this special kind of chiropractic and where to find one that practices the Blair method. Just gloss over the parts of this article that deal specifically with Meniere’s and carefully read the parts that may apply to your situation. You can read it at http://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/atlas-adjustments-alleviate-menieres-disease/
Cordially,
Neil
Tumeric may however have reverse effects and cause tinnitus in some. http://whyaremyearsringing411.com/can-turmeric-help-tinnitus-or-make-it-worse/
Hi Zack:
In all my years of researching tinnitus, I have not come across anyone that said their tinnitus was caused by taking tumeric. Thus, if it happens, I think it will be very rare.
The author of the above article doesn’t cite even one example–just says it may cause tinnitus in some people. Furthermore, he uses the ridiculous argument that because NSAIDs are anti-inflammatory drugs and they cause tinnitus (which they most assuredly do), therefore, since tumeric has anti-inflammatory properties, it also must cause tinnitus.
I think this is nonsense. Eating a healthy, anti-inflammatory diet does NOT cause tinnitus–or else every healthy person would have tinnitus. It is the drugs themselves, not the fact that they happen to have anti-inflammatory effects that cause the tinnitus. Natural foods, unless they are taken to excess, do not normally cause tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Turmeric hasmost definitely has caused tinnitus in my case.
I have tinnitus without taking anything. Yes NSAIDS increase the noise of tinnitus and just make it worse. But so does turmeric. A teaspoon a day, enough to make golden milk, will do it.
I also tried taking curcumin capsules; that was even worse than the turmeric; I will not take curcumin tablets again.
Why does turmeric enhance the tinnitus?
Hi Lucy:
Some people find that certain spices make their tinnitus worse–particularly hot spices. There have been a few reports of turmeric causing tinnitus reported to the FDA’s database.
Most of these reports are from older (60+ year olds comprise 45%) women (76%).
I don’t know why some people react negatively to turmeric since it is an anti-inflammatory among other things, and calms tinnitus in numbers of people. It helps more people’s tinnitus than it causes. Just the way things are. Obviously, turmeric/curcumin is not for you.
Cordially,
Neil
What about tinnitus with Turmeric?
Hi Penny:
Since some people find that turmeric causes them tinnitus or causes their existing tinnitus to get worse, if you fit that class, then quit taking/don’t take turmeric. Or you may find that taking a lower dose flies under the tinnitus radar. Do what works for you.
Cordially,
Neil
I took turmeric for 5 days and it worked as well as ibuprofen, but it DID cause very loud ringing in my ears, and I had to stop taking it.
I have Tinnitus and Tumeric absolutely increases the volume on mine every time I take it
I can’t take any anti-inflammatory drugs without the that nasty sound in my ears. I really hurt my toe and the doc had me take turmeric. Worked really well for the inflammation but my ears nasty sound became horrible. Was a real bummer as the inflammation factor worked way better than anything I had taken. When I told her she was surprised. I could never t stand a quiet room because it was so bad. Needed music or a tv on or it drove me crazy. Hate to say it but glad someone else had the same experience. Thought maybe it was because I have Graves’ disease but I seem to react oddly to many medications.
Hi Lynne:
It is thought that if you get tinnitus from taking anti-inflammatory drugs such as Ibuprofen and Naproxen, then you also likely may get tinnitus from taking turmeric. However, if you do not get tinnitus from anti-inflammatory drugs, then probably you won’t get tinnitus from taking turmeric either.
I’m not aware that Graves’ disease is a factor.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
What exactly is your training in audiology? Are you licensed/registered with the board of hearing aid dispensers or audiology? That information seems to be missing from your “about the director” section. Do you sell hearing aids? Thanks.
Hi Heather:
For the record, I am not an audiologist, nor am I a hearing aid dispenser, nor do I pretend to be. I do not have any formal training in these fields. My role is helping hard of hearing people by answering their numerous questions and providing them with education and often-hard-to-find information so they can make wise decisions, and thus can successfully live with their hearing losses and related ear conditions. To this end, I have devoted the past 25 years of my life to intensive study and research in these areas.
Cordially,
Neil
I got tinnitus after taking NSAIDs when I had a shoulder injury. It has been with me for 4 years now. I do notice that the tinnitus is more bearable after a neck adjustment by my chiropractor. I just do my best not to be in a silent room.
Hello, while there is no cure for this condition, I am so distraught. It seems my tinnitus goes low all of sudden for three days and starts roaring for weeks. My tinnitus was caused my Losartan. They lie and say hearing loss. My question is what do you recommend to calm the nervous system down during the day and night? Also, what supplements can you recommend?
Hi Micki:
Losartan causes both hearing loss and tinnitus–but there are more reports of hearing loss than tinnitus by a factor of 1.3:1.
To calm down, I’d try the herbal Valerian to help calm you down so you can sleep better at night.
5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is another good supplement. It is converted to serotonin, thereby giving your mood a boost and enhancing your sleep.
Take magnesium malate or glycinate before bed to increase body relaxation.
GABA is a calming neurotransmitter. So that might also be a good thing to try. GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid) GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that reduces feelings of fear and anxiety. It is thought to have a natural calming effect and is believed to reduce feelings of anxiety and fear by decreasing neuronal excitability. It is often used as a natural supplement to promote sleep and improve mood.
So there are a few supplements that you might want to try and see how they work for you.
Also, make sure your vitamin D3 is up to snuff. It should be in the range of 50 to 70 ng/ml to really help you.
Cordially,
Neil
I have tinnitus in one ear. Was in both, but right ear seems to have stopped. Became noticeable on and off couple of months back. Had 2 bouts of bad “allergy” symptoms. Was put on different nasal sprays and allergy meds. Right after this tinnitus seemed more prevalent. Went to ENT… no hearing loss in either ear, in fact hearing above avg for my age which is 67. Started taking turmeric and Move Free for some arthritis but have now stopped trying to see if anything changes. Sometimes I have to listen really hard to see if it is there, other times it gets louder in a loud room. I tumeric and Move Free were definitely helping with the arthritis in my knees. Now i don’t know whether to go back on them or not
Hi A:
Both nasal sprays and allergy meds can cause tinnitus in some people, so that could have been why your tinnitus flared up then.
Turmeric is an excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, but unfortunately, for some people it causes bad tinnitus. You may be one of them. So maybe drop the turmeric and keep using the Move Free and see if that gets your tinnitus back under control.
Incidentally, listening hard to try to hear your tinnitus is a bad idea. This just tells your brain that your tinnitus is important to you and your brain will then crank up it’s internal volume so you can hear it better. Better to just ignore your tinnitus and be happy you don’t hear it all the time.
Cordially,
Neil