all sorts of meds can aggravate the T - it could easily be the additives which all medications have or the active ingredient or both - who knows!! and the GP's, most definitely , do not know either
then there are also side effects and withdrawal effects - but, yes, some people have no choice but to take certain meds - so best to avoid the ones u dont really need. There are some natural supplement alternatives.
Some people on this forum think that anti - depressents ( and some other meds) have caused or worsened their T.
I have some melatonin which i was prescribed , but havent taken it as i am very reluctant to take any meds because my T is already quite severe ( I hear it all the time, quite loud) and i couldnt bear it to be any louder. I have pushed through the extreme daytime fatigue and chronic lack of sleep without meds and now my brain can sleep through it , but i have to feel tired as well, so i have walk every day for about 40 mins
Extremely loud T which is pretty well always in my consciousness unless I am very engaged in an activity .(climbing down rocks where care is needed) The T is very wearing.
Are you saying now that you don't take meds anymore and are reasonably happy with your sleep patterns even although they may not be fantastic?
I got off mirtazapine about 2 months ago and don't want to go back on it .I tried melatonin from Iherb last night .It definitely put me to sleep .( 6 hour slow release not the instantaneous brew)
However I was masking with the "Rain" app & Ocean Pier sound .I must have had it too loud as the waves slapping against the pier pylons entered my consciousness and woke me up after an hour .:-((
I had 4 awakenings in the night overall .I set my Audiobook to 30mins.I listened to Capt Cook by Geoffrey Blainey ( book recommended) for 4 lots of 30mins
So ultimately I probably slept for 5-5.5 hours
This type of sleep with 4 awakenings doesn't leave me feeling refreshed.
I have bought a Dodow which is pretty good at helping you relax when you turn the lights off.
it pulses a faint blue light onto the ceiling .You breath in as the light brightens and exhale when it dims
it takes a while to get used to its cadence
It starts off with 11 breaths per minute then slows down to 6 breathes per minute
my sleep is about the same as yours , 5 - 6 hours - and wth about 2 awakenings . Just i am bit scared of the prescribed medications, like anti-deps, sleeping pills, etc - although i will try supplements at times ( additive free brands)
i didnt realise u could get Melatonin as a supplement as i thought it was just on prescription - but if it works for u then thats great and thanks for sharing this
You can get melatonin as a supplement but not legally in the UK. It is legal to order it online and import it. Even so, I found that IHerb still would not send melatonin to the UK. I get mine from Piping Rock or Biovea biovea.com/uk/
I tried to order on the American site iherb.com and when I tried to go to the checkout I had the message that they wouldn't ship melatonin to the UK. If you go to uk.iherb.com they don't even list the different brands of melatonin, however when I just looked today, there is one by Thorne that wasn't there previously. It's a bit odd but maybe they have made an error. There is no problem with Biovea or Piping Rock.
i tried ordering a nasal spray from Australia they wouldnt send it because one of the ingredients was banned in UK . So thats why certain meds etc cant be sent to other countries.
Suz26 also people on here have said that antidepressants have helped there tinnitus especially with there anxiety and depression that makes tinnitus worse . I just wanted to put out there a positive for antidepressants I'm on sertraline nearly 3 and half weeks my tinnitus is the same not louder not lower but my anxiety is getting better which is helping me with the tinnitus. To be honest suz26 have you tried them or just listened to forums which most of the time are very negative there are millions of people on antidepressants all over the world and alot with tinnitus that it works for . We are all different when it comes to tinnitus what works for one doesn't work for another.
yes ,if it helps people then thats positive. I havent tried any anti-deprssnts, as i find my T reacts to all sorts of stuff like additives in supplements , certain additives in foods, salt etc etc as well as being very reactive to noise. Some people on the forum still seem depressed even though taking anti-dep meds , but like you say, these meds help many , many people.
Yeh suz26 you're absolutely right . I will stay on them aslong as my Tinnitus doesn't go up but 5 years ago the antidepressants actually got me to forget Tinnitus so I'm hoping it does the same this time. I will use for 6 months that's atleast time to have for anxiety to get better I'm hoping it gives me the tools to fight it I can't remember who it was on here but he's been on sertraline for 25 years he came off for 1 year and he couldn't handle and went back on it . It helps with the anxiety and depression part because most of Tinnitus spikes comes from anxiety and depression becouse it does something to the blood stream .
can i ask you Chedders - what does yr T sound like - is it high pitched, as i find when my T goes to higher pitch it causes me much more anxiety. My T is mostly a mid tone buzzing , which is generally tolerable except when it gets too loud. I think the most common T is the high pitch type
No sertraline doesn’t make you sleep at the beginning you find it hard to sleep it can cause insomnia I have been on it nearly 3 and half weeks and just getting some sleep now .
Melatonin only gets you to sleep. It does not keep you asleep. So, less is more. Take 1/2 mg. To sleep longer, take GABA + L-theanine + Magnesium L-threonate. No caffeine, no blue light at night, go to bed early. Do this a few weeks. It will work.
It can cause issues in some . I know of someone who had hallucinatory nightmares due to it ( it had been prescribed) these were visual. So I bet in some auditory effects can occur. Might be worth considering other methods instead .. eg weighted blanket ( under supervision of an OT) to create calmness and music via a sound pillow.
Weighted blankets help to calm the autonomic nervous system. I've noticed when I get stressed and can't sleep the tinnitus gets louder so trying to relax?my mind and body helps. Weighted blankets have been used in mental health and developmental services to Foster sleep... although you can buy from sensory stores it is always best to follow therapeutic advice . I'm not sure if they have been used with tinnitus. A simpler way us to trial laying a heavy coat and or blankets over your normal bedding. Listen to music eg on the insight timer app ( I set it for 8 hrs) or Spotify etc see if these help
I have taken melatonin for the last 4 years and my tinnitus has gotten worse and worse. I have not combined it to taking melatonin , as my tinnitus got worse after the covid vaccinations and the covid infection
. And as you write , literature says that melatonin can help lowering your tinnitus. But now and again I have consider that my worsening could be due to taking melatonin. 🧐
I take 4-5 mg every night , the last nights I have tried melatonin with extended release. They help me to fall asleep, but I wake up 3-5 times as my tinnitus is very loud. I fall asleep again with my audio book. Before using melatonin , I took zoplicone , which is a bad choice , as it is a sort of a benzodiazepine.
Have any of you suggestions or personal recommendations what else to take ? .
I thought that the melatonin from the Chemist was stirring up my T as I have been taking it for 2 weeks now However last night I tried time release melatonin from Iherb in the US
It seemed to tone it down today
I am going to see what happens tonight
Hopefully it does the same again and sldo tone it down again .
I got my T about 20 months ago after my first Covid jag
It has become more intrusive over time but on the other hand I am better at dealing with it now
I am going to try L- tryptophan next as I don't think that it stirs up the T
Tricky one….. I will be transparent, I was already diagnosed with chronic anxiety disorder after coming off Nitrazepam…. So I got addicted ( hard to reduce)
But on a positive note, depending on your personality? You would get addicted in 2 weeks if taken every day,
I know people that havnt had the same Trauma induced as me & they use Occasionally adhock to turn the brain off.! If that makes sense…
Regards Daniel..
Depends on the ROOT CAUSE..? Of the dreaded Tinnitus (
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.