by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.
A man wrote:
Several years ago at a hearing clinic, I told the young lady that I had ringing in my ears. She asked me if I had ever taken Niacin, and I hadn’t. She said it helps some people. I took Niacin pills for a good while, and it seemed to rid me of the ringing in the ears. I did get a flushing from taking Niacin. She suggested Niacinamide, and that seemed to help the flushing.
For one reason or another, I have not had ringing in my ears for a lot of years, so I no longer take Niacin or Niacinamide.
I would like your thoughts about taking Niacin or Niacinamide for ringing in the ears. Do you know of a connection here, or was it helping me a fluke?
Niacin (also called Nicotinic Acid) is the form of Vitamin B3, that helps some people with tinnitus because it increases blood flow to the peripherals which includes the inner ears (hence the flushing—it shows it is doing its job).
Note: The niacinamide form of Vitamin B3 does not cause flushing so won’t help tinnitus caused by reduced blood flow.
If your tinnitus is caused by a lack of blood to your inner ears, then taking Niacin really can work—its not a fluke. However, Niacin does not work for everyone with tinnitus—only for those with circulation problems to their inner ears that result in tinnitus. For example, nothing I’ve tried has helped my tinnitus because mine is probably the result of my severe hearing loss, not lack of blood flow to my inner ears.
I have ringing in the ears. I went to the doctor and he prescribed Niacin as well.
But after looking on the internet, I see some sites say Niacin can cause Tinnitus.
I am all for using Niacin, but sure do not want to
make it worse than it is.
Can you answer this?
I could only find 2 anecdotal reports of people whose tinnitus got worse from taking niacin. So it does appear that in some people taking niacin can increase their tinnitus. That’s the bad news.
The good news is that it seems in both cases when they stopped the niacin, their tinnitus went back to its usual level. Thus the increased tinnitus is temporary.
Therefore, if you try niacin and your tinnitus gets worse, just stop it and your tinnitus should return to its old level in a few hours or days. However, I think the vast majority of people that take niacin do not have any increase in their tinnitus, and for some it does reduce their tinnitus.
Neil
Niacin unfortunately increased my noise level.
What now?
Did you ever hear about T-Gone. Some swear by it?
I am in UK
NIACIN CAN make ear pros Much worse
May apply cony to some people
and not just tinnitus but pain and throbbing
Keep off it
I have a closed head injury and have had tinnitus every since (a month ago). I read niacin can help with tinnitus will this help from the result of a closed head injury?
I went to a doctor at the VETERANS ADMIN AND HE SAID THAT NIACIN CAUSED TENNITUS. SO I do not know, there seems to be pros and cons about it.
I do not like going to dentist but I soon will go, question is. If I have 2 or 3 bad teeth, upper right (ringing in right ear only) one embedded in gum, WILL THAT STOP THE RINGING?
THANK YOU
kennn945@hotmail.com
Hi Ken:
Your doctor is correct. Too much Niacin can cause tinnitus, but as far as I know, the effect is only temporary–fortunately. So if Niacin makes your tinnitus worse, stop taking it.
As to your bad teeth causing tinnitus, that could be very possible. You’ll know when you get them all fixed. If your tinnitus goes away or reduces in volume, then you can blame your bad teeth. If there is no change, then likely something else is causing your tinnitus.
Regards
Neil
I had tinnitus over 25 years ago as a teen went to the doctor she prescribe niacin ant it went away now I have it again I tried neuromonics for a year spent $ 5,250,and a year has gone by and it’s not helping me much, after the first few months it was helping me fall asleep but it’s been a year now and this neuromonics stuff supposed to have been the best thing out, it’s FDA approved and everything but it has not really done the job. Maybe because I like to drink on weekends and I was told to only have 1 or 2 drinks and would Go over that on fridays, might be the difference but I still feel a little cheated I just started taking lipo flavonoid it’s been a week only I have gotten a good few nights of sleep with it but I think I’m going to my doctor for they can prescribe me niacin!
Niacin is over the counter.The one thing is dosage.Start with 50mgs. 2×aday.Then increase as needed.Do not go over 200mgs.
I am 75 and doctor at the veterans administration told me that niacin caused ringing in ears. I still take niacin for cholestrol, but I still have ringing in ears but it does not bother me unless I concentrate on it. so nician does not work for me for ringing in ears.
I do this and it works for falling asleep fast.
1. I inhale 1/2 breath thru nose, I continue to inhale thru nose (take short breath for each count (mine is 30 short breaths) but take in until lungs are full.
2. I x hale slowly thru the mouth,
3. when u think u have x haled all of the breath, try to push out more. (I try to push out breath thru mouth counting to 5 for each short x hale.
____
this works for me, I usually fall asleep within 5 to 10 minutes.
__
I am not a doctor, ask your physician. it may be like taking nician for tinnitus, maybe it will work for some and not work for others.
I got this info on http://www.drweil.com
hope it works for you
ken
cc
Oh my God I really don’t know what to do. My father is 69 years old and he have been experience tinnitus since 7 years already… I was reading about Niacin but i’m not sure if this medication is gonna help or is gonna make the problem worst.
I had tinnitus after a car accident and after a while my doctor suggested that take niacin. I took it for a short time and then my ringing in my ears went away. 4 years later (now) my ringing is back. I started taking niacin and hoping once again it will go away.
I am working if it will work again.
I have had this ringing for as long as i can remember. my dad had it and said it was caused from the air conditioning or store alarms, i had a motorcycle accident when i was 17
i didn’t know there actually was a name for this condition, i thought it was normal,
i also have found that at night to help me sleep i turn on the T.V. and that makes the ringing quieter
now my brother is complaining about this condition
could this be genetic?
Hi Snoozer:
Tinnitus may be common, but it certainly isn’t normal. Like you, I’ve had tinnitus all my life so don’t know what it would be like not to hear it.
Turning on a real sound at night is a good strategy to help mask your tinnitus as your tinnitus often seems louder at night (it’s not) when there are no other sounds around to help mask it. The other sounds don’t make your tinnitus quieter, but you don’t notice it so much with the other sounds to listen to.
As far as I know, tinnitus is not genetic. Common causes of tinnitus are exposing your ears to loud sounds, taking any of the more than 500 drugs that can cause tinnitus, having a hearing loss, or having any trauma to your ears.
Probably one of the above fits your brother’s situation. If not, there are many other causes of tinnitus.
Regards
Neil
hi
i use finasteride for 12 years
now i have tinnitus
can taking finasterode for so long period cause tinnitus?
and if i stop it how often after stoping i can see its go away or maybe dident go away?
Hi David:
Only a few people have reported Finasteride as causing tinnitus. Therefore, your tinnitus is most likely from another cause, perhaps another drug, or loud noise, etc., but there is still the chance that Finasteride is the culprit in your case.
Regards
Neil
My age is 19 I have ear flow(fluid) from my childhood and nw m getting tinnitus more rapidly at night times and it trouble me in my hearing as i hear less at night .i want to get rid off both.
I copied this from another website. Don’t know if it workd, but will tryThere is no accepted standard niacin dosing for tinnitus. Typically, though, I recommend:
beginning at 50 mg twice per day.
If there is no improvement after two weeks, the dose is increased by 50 mg at each interval to a maximum dose of 500 mg twice per day.
If there is no appreciable response in 3-4 months,
then it is not likely that niacin will be of benefit.
Higher doses can be used, but the patient is advised to have liver function tests.
(Doses exceeding 1,000 mg per day can cause liver toxicity.)
High amounts should be used with caution by those who are pregnant or have other medical problems
I got tinnitus after taking Lyrica for a period of 3 weeks. First, my left ear started ringing very loud every now and then, but it always stopped after a few minutes. Then the same thing happened to my right ear. Now I just have a pretty loud buzzing noise all the time. Do you think niacin could improve my tinnitus?
Hi Minna:
Taking Pregabalin (Lyrica) causes sudden hearing loss and tinnitus in numbers of people taking it. The good news is that some of those people get their hearing back (and reduced tinnitus) when they stop taking the Pregabalin, others don’t.
Your tinnitus may go away on its own now that your are no longer taking the Lyrica if you give it some time. I have no information indicating whether taking Niacin will help or not. You can try it. It shouldn’t harm your ears or make your tinnitus worse, so it could be worth a try.
Regards
Neil
Hi, I am suffering ringing in my both ears due to Kanamycin injection from last 6 year can i use Naicin it can help me to to reduce my hearing loss ? Please suggest me via mail.
Thanks in advance.
Hi Vijay:
From what I know, hearing loss due to Kanamycin (and the rest of the aminoglycoside antibiotics) is permanent. Thus using Naicin six years later is almost certainly a waste of time and money. If you had taken certain things while you were on the Kanamycin, you might have been able to keep your hearing or not lose as much, but that only works within two or three days of taking the drug.
Cordially,
Neil
Cordially,
Neil
I have had the ringing in my ears for about 4 years. I have had “New Daily Persistent Headaches” for 5 years. Do you think the headaches could be causing the ringing. I also have had rheumatoid arthritis for 26 years. My docto rjust told me to try Claritin, but never mentioned Niacin. Curious. Kathy
Hi Kathy:
Probably not, but the same underlying cause may be causing both. What happened 4 years ago in the days or weeks preceding the tinnitus appearing? It could have been medications, stress, anxiety, depression or a multitude of other causes. Does anything stand out?
Niacin would be a good choice IF your tinnitus is the result of poor blood flow to your inner ears. It probably won’t help much if your tinnitus is from other causes. You could always try it and see.
Cordially,
Neil
I’ve never talked loud and now I am. I have tinnitus. Why am I talking loud
Hi Emery:
One reason might be that since tinnitus very often accompanies hearing loss, and since you now have tinnitus, you may well have a significant hearing loss, and thus you talk louder in order to hear yourself at the same volume you always used to hear yourself.
Cordially,
Neil
Will the hearing loss go away if I get the tinnitus problem fixed
Hi Emery:
You have it backwards. You could expect the tinnitus to go away if your hearing returned to normal. Tinnitus is often a result of hearing loss. Tinnitus does not cause hearing loss.
Cordially,
Neil
Surely, any reputable doctor will leave their full ID? Could you post it please, thank you.
I am suffering from hearing loss in left ear because nerves in left ear is 78% week. I couldn’t hear from 2003 when I was in 6th class and now from 3 year I am suffering from tinnitus in right ear. Cause of hearing loss I don’t know. Tinnitus really making my life worst and I never experience silent world. Doctor are helpless in my case they said hearing loss is cause of your tinnitus. Please help me. Is there any method or medication or any diet which can cure my hearing loss and tinnitus or any one.
Hi Vikash:
It’s not that your auditory nerves are weak. Rather, it typically is that a number of your hair cells in your inner ears have died and so the signals they are supposed to send to your brain never are sent. Thus you have a hearing loss. Once they are dead, there is nothing anyone can do. Thus the hearing loss is permanent. Therefore, you should get hearing aids to amplify sounds so you can hear them better. The results won’t be perfect, but typically are much better than not wearing hearing aids.
Your tinnitus may be from your hearing loss, or it may be from taking one of any number of drugs and medications, or from exposing your ears to loud sounds, or all three. There are a good number of other causes of tinnitus as well.
There are a number of things you can do to help you get control over your tinnitus. The 7th edition of my book on tinnitus explains them in detail. There is no way I can cover all that information here. You can get the eBook version and read it for yourself at http://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/take-control-of-your-tinnitus-heres-how/ .
Cordially,
Neil
Hello, I have tinnitus for 4 months. Started in astressful time. I tried vitamin b complex. It was better for a while, but didn’t stop. I also tried zync and vitamin A. I noticed that after exercise, I don’t hear it for 20-30 minutes. Any ideas?
I had no hear loss.
Hi Jezebel:
Tinnitus can certainly be related to stress. Furthermore, B vitamins are good for helping you deal with stress. interesting about your tinnitus going away after exercise. Offhand, I can’t think of why this happens, but it’s a good sign that your tinnitus doesn’t have to be permanent.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi ,i am using niacin powder for about 2 weeks or so,i am not sure gow much i tooked every morning becouse i put it in a small spoon.Anyway,i am experiencing this noise in my ears from few a days ago and i looked on the internet to find an explination,i found this forum and now i understand that is possible from niacine.Any idea if i stop takin niacine can stop also nhe noise.I am 36.Thanx
Hi Laurel:
If your tinnitus is from taking too much Niacin, I think you have a good change of your tinnitus going away if you stop taking it. It may take a week or so to go away, or it could be much quicker.
Then, if it goes away, you could start taking Niacin again, but this time take a lesser dose. Reduce the dose such that it does not cause tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
My tinnitus spiked after a concert. When I do fall asleep it fades considerably then rages when I wake. Is there hope it might fade a bit
Hi Dave:
There’s always hope. I’ll bet this wasn’t the first concert you went to. The more you assault your ears with loud sounds, the more likely you are to have tinnitus and the more likely the tinnitus will become permanent.
You need to protect your ears from loud sounds in the future and hopefully in time, your ears will “heal” and your tinnitus tone down. It likely won’t go away, but if it fades into the background more and more, it won’t bother you. You can help this process by not worrying that your tinnitus is a threat to your well-being in any way–hard to do, but critical to do. When you do this, you give your brain permission to let it fade into the background. So totally ignore your tinnitus by focusing on other things, and don’t get upset with it.
Cordially,
Neil
I have had tinnitus since July. I fell and hit the left side of my head in June on the same side as the ear that is ringing. I had hearing test and it is slightly lost on that side so I tried a hearing aid for a month. No help. Any thoughts? It does make me very anxious. I use Zquill to help me sleep.
Hi Sherry:
How long after you fell and hit your head did you first notice your tinnitus? Was it hours or days or weeks later?
Any head trauma such as you experienced can result in tinnitus. You do not have to have a hearing loss to get tinnitus from head trauma, although you may.
Does your tinnitus vary if you press on your head where you hit your head, or indeed anywhere on your head or face? if it does, such tinnitus could be caused by tight muscles or the vertebrae in your upper neck being out of proper alignment.
That’s one thing you should check out.
Cordially,
Neil
I started taking an alpha-blocker called Tamsulosin about 6 weeks ago for BPH. Within 3 weeks, I noticed a shrill ringing in my ears. I’m now taking Lipo Flavoniod for a month, but am I wasting my money. Can Tamsulosin cause tinnitus?
Hi Greg:
Tamsulosin is indeed ototoxic and can, and does, cause tinnitus in numbers of people. So I wouldn’t be surprised that you are one of them. It also causes hearing loss in hundreds of people, plus lots of other ototoxic side effects.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you. I had no idea Tamsulosin was ototoxic. I will be speaking to my doctor about it.
Hi Greg:
It’s definitely ototoxic, but not everyone who takes it has ototoxic side effects. I’ve been on it for a couple of years without any obvious ototoxic side effects. Perhaps a lot depends on the dose. Keep the dose low and you may “fly under the ototoxic radar”.
Cordially,
Neil
I have rheumatoid arthritis 14 years and tinnitus 11 years. My tinnitus is ultra shrill in the 12KHZ-14KHZ range 24/7. A friend has told me about a therapy called NAD (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) for the arthritis but I am worried it will make the tinnitus worse. Any thoughts?
Hi Sue:
As near as I can tell, NAD should not make your tinnitus worse.
One of the cool things about NAD is that it can help prevent hearing loss from exposing your ears to loud sounds–not that you are doing that.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi. i have been taking niacin for detoxification. https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/06/is-niacin-flush-dangerous.aspx
but apparently i got tinnitus in the middle of the program, and i still got it. – any advice is appreciated
(i have not been taking niacin in 14 days – FYI)
Hi Jeppe:
Since you have been off the Niacin, has there been any changes in your tinnitus? It seems that although Niacin can help tinnitus in numbers of people, for some people taking too much niacin can cause tinnitus. You may be one of them.
Then again, your tinnitus may be from an unrelated factor, so don’t be too quick to blame the niacin unless you have some good reasons. Anything else you can think of that might have caused the tinnitus?
Cordially,
Neil
Hi,
So Tinnitus is caused by heavy metals.
Detox…green drinks and raw vegetables for week or two depending on how long you have it. no cheating, no meats or cooked foods. also to help you can add chelating protocols (Alph Lipoic Acid) and NO SUGAR!
Hi Mike:
Correction, tinnitus MAY be caused by heavy metals, but most tinnitus is not. Most tinnitus is caused from the results of hearing loss, taking ototoxic drugs or exposing your ears to loud sounds.
But detoxifying your body and eating healthy is a great idea for everyone whether you have tinnitus or not.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi, can niacin cause permanent tinnitus?
Hi Striveon:
Surprisingly, a number of people have reported hearing loss and tinnitus to the FDA as side effects of their having taken Niacin. I don’t know whether the hearing loss was permanent or not, but I suspect any hearing loss might be temporary since the tinnitus from taking Niacin seems to be temporary.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil
You wouldn’t have a link to the FDA reports about niacin induced hearing loss would you?
Hi John:
No. Sorry. But I can tell you that Niacin, the synthetic form of Vitamin B3 (Nicotinic acid) has been reported to cause hearing loss in a good number of cases.
Cordially,
Neil
Alarming.
I haven’t been able to find anything on the matter.
In fact, I only research to prove the opposite. That niacin protects the hearing by raising sirt3 levels in mammals. On tinnitus forums people are even reporting restoration of hearing. Ever so slowly by taking niacin.
I would be very interesting I learning more about b3 giving hearing loss and if the effect is permanent.
Hi John:
If your hearing loss is due to lack of good blood flow to your ears, then taking vitamin B3 can be helpful because it is a vasodilator and lets more blood through. By so doing, you may find your hearing improves and tinnitus goes away or lessens.
But the devil is in the details. There are at least 3 forms of Vitamin B3. Nicotinic acid is the natural form. Niacin is the synthetic form. Both of these forms cause flushing–thus they increase blood flow. In contrast, a third form–Niacinamide–does not cause flushing so it obviously doesn’t increase blood flow.
That’s one side of the coin. The other side of the coin is that Niacin is reported to cause hearing loss and tinnitus.
It’s interesting that more people report getting tinnitus from taking Niacin (Niaspan) than report getting hearing loss. The good news is that it seems the tinnitus is likely to be temporary. So I also suspect that hearing loss may also be temporary while you are taking it.
Again, the devil is in the details. First, taking Niacin (the synthetic form) is different from taking naturally occurring Vitamin B3 (Nicotinic acid). In nature, B3 does not occur alone, but is part of the Vitamin B complex where you get the right proportion of all the B vitamins–not just one taken out of context so to speak. Thus, the complex balances/complements the effects of all the other members of the B complex. When taking Niacin, you don’t get this happening.
Furthermore, when you take a pill such as Niacin, you can take a very high dose. I suspect that the higher the dose, the more likely you are to experience negative side effects such as tinnitus and hearing loss. So taking a lower dose is probably a good idea if these side effects show up.
Cordially,
Neil
I can say that Niagen NR and NMN which are also a form of B3 make your tinnitus worse. I am currently experimenting to add another supplement to balance it out as there are other benefits from Niacin
Hi James:
Try the natural form of B3 which is Nicotinic acid. Niacin is the synthetic form. Does nicotinic acid increase your tinnitus? or is it just the synthetic form?
Cordially,
Neil
I was rx’d buproprion for depression and 3 weeks in the ringing in my ears started. I stopped 6 days later as it took me 3 different professionals to find out that this was a bad side effect. Psychiatrist said tinnitus not a side effect of this drug!!!
I do not have hearing loss but am 4 weeks down the road now and still have tinnitus in both ears. I also had a concussion in April this year and not sure if this could be a compounding factor. With no hearing loss and no more exposure to the medication, do you think my chances of the tinnitus going away might be good? Thanks for your great work in this area.
Hi Cynthia:
Choose who you want to believe–your psychiatrist who obviously knows little about drug side effects, or the hundreds upon hundreds upon hundreds of people that have reported to the FDA about getting tinnitus from taking Bupropion. The preponderance of evidence is that Bupropion does indeed cause tinnitus (and a whole host of other ototoxic side effects). For example, hundreds and hundreds of people have also reported getting hearing loss from taking Bupropion.
For some people, I’m sure the tinnitus fades away, but they don’t tell me their stories. Of those that do, some tell me that in time their tinnitus reduces in volume, while others tell me that their tinnitus never goes away. Let’s hope yours fades away in time.
Cordially,
Neil
Can high doses of Niacinamide cause tinnitus ?
Hi Danny:
Niacinamide is derived from Niacin. I don’t have specific figures on Niacinamide, but hundreds of people have reported tinnitus from taking Niacin. So there is a very good chance that increased tinnitus can be from taking Niacinamide.
One man found as he increased his dose of Niacin his tinnitus got worse and worse so it seems to be at least somewhat dose dependent.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Neil Bauman, i’ve had tinittus since 2013. I got slapped on my left ear and felt my ear block for a while, following tinittus. I do not have any hearing loss, my hearing has been normal, I just really need help with the tinittus, it’s been 7 years now.
Hi Chioma:
You’re probably not going to get rid of the tinnitus if you’ve had it for 7 years, but you can learn to habituate to it so it no longer bothers you even though it is still there. That is what I’ve done and hours may go by without my being aware I have tinnitus, but as soon as I think about it–like right now–there it is back again. But because I am so habituated to it, within 5 minutes after I finish this comment, I won’t even be aware I have it–unless the next comment is also about tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Dr. Bauman,
During childhood(45 years ago) I didnt get my mumps shot, then I got mumps and lost hearing in my right ear. Later, Tinnitus occurred in that ear. This year, I got minor tinnitus in my left ear. Due to the hearing loss, should I take Niacin. If so, what dosage cause I dont want to lose hearing in my left ear.
Hi Patricia:
What caused your tinnitus this time? Any ideas? Niacin can help if you have a blood flow problem in your inner ear. If that wasn’t the cause, then taking Niacin is unlikely to help.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi
I have an unilateral pulsatile tinnitus. All of the imaging and audiometery were in normal limit.
Severity of tinnitus increased after using SSRI agent .
Relation between sexual hormones (progestrone and estrogen) is obviosely clear, whereas, estrogen rises, severity of tinnitus increases and in rising in the progestrone level , tinnitus is better.
Have you any recommendation?
Hi Leila:
Which SSRI did you take and for how long?
Both hearing loss and tinnitus can rise and fall in unison with your monthly period. Not much you can do about that. But I want to learn more about your experience with the SSRI, and then we can see what the best course of action might be. What is your tinnitus like now?
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for your consideration;
I am a 43 years old woman .
I am cardiologist and echocardiologist.
I have involved with tinnitus from about 10 years ago, which is accelerated in the last 4-5 years.
Tinnitus has influenced my quality of life completely, including my job.
Due to mood disorder( depression) followed my tinnitus, I underwent treatment with sertraline. But tinnitus intensified. Therefore, after one month I discontinued it.
Unfortunately, acupuncture was ineffective for my problem.
Recently,I have have started yoga, and related restorative positions.
Surprising, severity of tinnitus is decreased right now.
What is your idea about niacin and dose of niacin ?
Hi Leila:
Anything that can improve the blood flow to your ears is a good thing–that may be why the Yoga is working for you.
Niacin is a vasodilator, so if your tinnitus is caused by lack of blood flow to your inner ears, Niacin (Vitamin B3) may help reduce your tinnitus.
Here is a paragraph on Vitamin B3 out of my book, “Take Control of Your Tinnitus”.
Vitamin B3 (Niacin): Niacin or Nicotinic acid (Vitamin B3) is a member of the vitamin B complex. It acts as a vasodilator and so allows more blood to reach your ears. Thus, it gives you a temporary flush. Some people take lecithin in combination with niacin. The idea is that lecithin, a fat emulsifier, helps break down the build-up of fats in your capillaries. At the same time the niacin helps dilate your capillaries to let the lecithin in and do its work. If your tinnitus is related to poor blood flow, this vitamin may help you. In fact, a deficiency of Vitamin B3 has been shown to impact the incidence of tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Dear Dr. Bauman,
Thanks for taking the time here.
I have had mild tinnitus for about 15 years and its never really bothered me. If I had to guess, it was from loud noises, concerts etc. I only notice it quiet situations. However, over the last month I’ve noticed it more and more, to the point its really bothering me now.
I have been taking Niacin for a number of years for cholesterol management and recently increased the dosage. I also take NMN for general energy and increased the dosage there too. At the same time, the last four weeks have been extremely stressful. Perfect storm?
I am hoping the increase is temporary. I can happily go back to the previous levels. It really didn’t bother me.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Michael:
Did your tinnitus get louder before or after you increased the dose of Niacin? That should be a clue as to whether increasing the dose of Niacin was the culprit. It seems that tinnitus from Niacin is dose-dependent so increasing the dose could have caused the increase in your tinnitus.
And all the extra stress didn’t help either. So getting your stress under control should help too–not to mention being better for your overall health.
How much NMN are you taking now?
Tinnitus due to stress and high doses of Niacin should be temporary while those conditions exist.
Cordially,
Neil
Years ago, my dad’s ears plugged up when the weather turned cold. They were plugged so bad he could hardly hear, so he went to the doctor and was prescribed niacin. No idea what dose. After a week or several of taking niacin, his ears unplugged, and he has not had any problems since.
I have had problems with my ears plugging for years. Lately they have been plugging overnight and sometimes unplugging shortly after I get up in the morning, or when I am driving and descend in altitude. I am wondering if niacin or nicotinic acid would clear them out. If so, what dose.
Thank you.
Hi SJ:
You can always try nicotinic acid and see whether it helps you or not. I don’t get into dosages, but you can always take the instructions on the bottle as a guide.
Susan (July 19, 2018) in her comment here gave her guidelines. So did Edie (July 27, 2014). So you might want to look and what these ladies said and then make up your own mind.
Cordially,
Neil
I started having ringing in my ear when slapped to my ear by my teacher also been having recurring swollen tonsils and severe headaches it always gets noisier when i try to read, would niacin help in my case?
Hi Kwaghura:
Niacin can certainly help when you have a lack of blood flow to your inner ears. However, in your case, I don’t think that is your problem. You can always try it and see whether it helps. It won’t hurt your ears if you try it.
You say it gets louder when your try to read. Is that reading out loud, or just reading to yourself? If the latter, typically you read in quieter places and since there aren’t as many background sounds around to mask your tinnitus, it seems louder to you, but it isn’t really louder, you just perceive it as louder.
Did your headaches begin right after you got slapped? I can’t tell from what you said whether they are correlated or not.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello, Dr. Neil Bauman. I’ve had tinnitus for 3 months now. I got slapped on my left ear and felt my ear block for a while, following tinittus. I do not have any hearing loss, my hearing has been normal, I just really need help with the tinnitus.
Hi Emmanuel:
That blocked feeling was a temporary threshold shift (hearing loss). It’s great that your hearing came back.
Has your tinnitus reduced in any way in the past three months or not?
If it is slowly reducing in volume/intrusiveness, then let it continue and in time it won’t be an issue for you. If not, and it is bothering you, I’d enroll in a program to help you habituate to your tinnitus so it no longer bothers you.
The big thing is not to think of your tinnitus as a threat to your well-being, but as a totally unimportant, useless background sound that it is safe to ignore, then ignore it by focusing on the loves of your life and let it fade into the background.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello,
I started having ringing in my ears about 3 years ago when I started menopause. I went on HRT and it faded or was less noticeable. Due to cancer running in the family, I had to get off HRT. The ringing is back with a vengeance. Have you heard about tinnitus appearing during menopause? Why would that be? Would Niacin help in that case maybe?
Hi Kristy:
A lot of women (relatively speaking) experience tinnitus around menopause due to changes in hormones. For some women, HRT helps alleviate tinnitus of this cause. For others, it has no effect or makes their tinnitus worse. So all that you can really say is that tinnitus is related to hormonal changes due to menopause.
Another possibility is that at menopause many women have mood swings such as anxiety and depression. Both of these emotions can trigger tinnitus or make existing tinnitus worse.
Niacin is a vasodilator. Thus, if your tinnitus is due to lack of blood flow to your inner ears, then taking a vasodilator such as Niacin (Vitamin B3) or Ginkgo biloba, etc. may help you. In your case, you’d have to try it and see whether taking Niacin will help your tinnitus or not. There are no guarantees it will help, but you’ll never know until you try it and see what happens. It shouldn’t cause any problems.
Cordially,
Neil
I have middle-ear myoclonus (MEM) in addition to tinnitus. Right ear primarily – but it does occur in left ear. The tinnitus – like you – has been habituated. I hardly think about it now; however, the MEM is intrusive. Any ideas?
Hi Erik:
Middle ear myoclonus is basically a startle reflex gone hyper. Typically is is caused by a sudden or loud sound that startles you. Then the nerve controlling this reflex gets stuck into hyperactivated mode and thus you have MEM. Often this is because you are hyper yourself–worrying and anxious about your ears and this just makes things worse. So you need to calm down and get any anxiety under control and then do the same for the hyperactive nerves.
Cordially,
Neil