43 replies to this topic

[Baten]

I didn't realize this either, I just wanted to test galantamine and noopept seperately to get a better understanding.
Glad I didn't throw either away just yet.

It's pretty hard to get an understanding of the exact mechanism of the tinnitus..

As for herbs, I bought all kinds of supplements to test around with from iherb.com for a very economic price.
Just going to continue the search for something that provides somewhat longer term relief. I'm sure there's something out there.

[thedevinroy]

That's the spirit.

[HighOrder]

I might have missed if anyone suggested this already.

Try tinnitus retraining therapy which is basically playing pink noise at low volume, and slowly increasing it over time. It really does work.

As for meds - neurontin, lyrics and campral have been used effectively to treat tinnitus.

I can personally vouch for TRT.

Edited by HighOrder, 12 November 2011 - 12:50 AM.

[Baten]

I had TRT in Belgium but it was terrible, wasn't a proper treatment as it should be, was mostly a waste of time.

I used to sleep with pink noise, had mixed expierences as to what it did with my tinnitus,

should I just start with low pink noise and increase the volume over time? Until the loudest possible?

thanks for your input

I'm currently having a regimen of about every single nootropic I have laying around at home. Everything together seems to dampen the tinnitus quite a bit.

Hope that after a month when I'm running out of everything, there'll be some permanent relief.

[abelard lindsay]

NMDA Receptors stuck in the activated position can cause tinnitus

http://www.tinnitusf...nts/excito.aspx

Memantine is an oral medication currently used to treat Alzheimer’s disease. Memantine blocks the NMDA receptor used by glutamate and reduces its effect. A study on Memantine for tinnitus showed a strong suppressive effect on glutamate activity when the medication was applied by transtympanic perfusion

So you could try Memantine or another possible NMDA antagonist: Magnesium Threonate (There are several threads about this supplement already).

[Baten]

Magnesium Threonate seemed to have adverse effects on the tinnitus, if any at all, when I tried supplementing, so I don't think its NMDA related.

But thanks for the input! It seems like you can get tinnitus for all kinds of random reasons, which is probably why there's no "universal fix" as of yet :/

[Baten]

Update: galantamine sometimes makes me enter lucid dreams. Something extremely odd, is that when I enter a lucid dream, my tinnitus "explodes", I become extremely aware of it prior to the dream. It doesn't bother me at all, I don't wake up, but it becomes astonishingly loud. Actually, when I start experiencing this, I know a lucid dream is going to start. I wake up later and remember everything, including the loud tinnitus at start.

Weird stuff.

Edit: upon some reading, some people report on forums that they experience buzzing noises before lucid dreaming / tripping on drugs.
Usually, they wake up out of fear. I don't wake up, since I'm more or less used to weird buzzing noises.
It's still weird that a lucid dream enlarges the frequency/loudness in such a way.

from http://en.wikibooks....ion_Techniques:

Sound Technique

This method is for people, who can hear the "tinnitus". The idea is pretty much the same as the other WILD methods, which is to remain conscious while entering the dream state. In order to use this method, you must sleep in a perfectly quiet place. You need to hear the inner sound buzzing sound inside your ears. Lay your body down and relax as much as possible while trying to hear the sound. If you are too tired, you will fall asleep too fast and it will be difficult to remain conscious - it this case you should combine it with WBTB. By time you realize that the buzzing sound will increase in intensity. This might frighten newcomers, but be assured - nothing bad is going to happen. No, you will not be deaf when you wake up, it’s perfectly safe! *It is just an effect caused by your brain is trying to change mode, from listening to the ambient sound, to listening to the sound of dreamland, which is not real sound but just electrical charge inputted to the part of the brain to create a sensation of hearing. By that time, you will enter the hypnagogic state. All you need to do is concentrate, do not be afraid or think of anything, just be still, and in time your dream body will float, separating from your physical body, and there you go, you arrive in the dreamworld.

So, maybe this intensifying sound doesn't have any correlation to the tinnitus I have during the day, but is just induced by the galantamine if/when I enter a lucid dream, as some people report this happening.

Edited by Baten, 16 November 2011 - 10:02 AM.

[unregistered_user]

Was just doing some research into Galantamine and came across this thread. I just wanted to commend devin for his awesome helpfulness in trying to assist another member find a solution to his problem. It's this sort of discussion and attitude that make Longecity a great community.

Now... off to order some Galantamine with my fingers crossed ...!

[thedevinroy]

Speaking of Niacin and GABA remedies to tinnitus... have you tried Picamilon? It has a different effect on everybody, like most nootropics, but it definitely seems to take the edge off anything annoying, for me anyway. It ain't bad stuff. If it is more stimulating than sedating at the dose you need, just take it during the day. Otherwise, enjoy your lucid dreams without tinnitus (hopefully).

My theory is that you have an imbalance of nicotinic receptors in a certain part of your brain. Most likely, this is an effect and not a cause to your problem. CDP Choline and ALCAR increases a lot of receptor densities, much like Piracetam. Mind you, acetylcholine esterase and acetylcholine transferase may act in completely separate areas of the brain, so just because Galantamine increases tinnitus after usage doesn't mean other types of cholinergics will work the same way. Ashwagandha also increases activity of acetylcholine transferase, and it has an added effect of also stabilizing neurotransmitters while acting as an anti-inflammatory. Works well with Fo-Ti and Ginkgo as a 3x a day tonic.

Bacopa is an interesting herb that has a great affect on serotonin levels, both positive and negative (mostly positive). Your managing neurotransmitters like the monoamines control various receptor densities throughout the nervous system. GABA and glutamate are the channel operators. cAMP, a secondary messenger, is like the messenger boy that crosses the BBB. What I'm saying here is that GABA, glutamate, and cAMP usually aren't to blame, since they take orders from managing neurotransmitters (which are taking orders from hormones and peptides). It's all very complex to really track your problem, so you have to come up with alternative methods of finding the imbalance to blame. It's what psychiatrists and internal medicine doctors try (and often succeed) to do.

Bacopa, from what I understand, increases serotonin production and uptake. Nothing else does this by itself. Perhaps tryptophan, B6, and Tianeptine... but who knows. My point is Bacopa (20% extract) is strong at doses 200mg and beyond. It's fairly inexpensive for its dose, and it's worth a shot, in my opinion. It can last all day into the next, in my experience. Tends to counter the effects of stimulants at higher doses... so it's up to you if that's what you want.

Bird shot it. I'd try the Picamilon, Ashwagandha, and Bacopa in that order if you need something better for tinnitus.

[Baten]

Thanks for the advice devinthayer. I have used Picamilon and Ashwagandga before, but there's still Bacopa left to try, I guess.
I've found various short term solutions that help the annoying factor or strength of the tinnitus, but it's always the same thing:
eventually I seem to build tolerance, nothing seems to help permanently/long-term.

As a matter of fact my scores at university have dropped down significantly, and I might have to drop out by the end of the year and change to something easier.
The galantamine definitely isn't the sole cause, it probably just triggered something already wrong with in my brain chemistry.
Anyone considering AChE inhibitors and bump on this thread, don't be too scared, I'm just an odd case.

I just wouldn't recommend taking/messing around too much with nootropics if you have mild tinnitus from undetermined reasons (I don't have any hearing damage).
Apparently it can only get worse.

Edited by Baten, 26 February 2012 - 09:04 AM.

[thedevinroy]

Thanks for the advice devinthayer. I have used Picamilon and Ashwagandga before, but there's still Bacopa left to try, I guess.
I've found various short term solutions that help the annoying factor or strength of the tinnitus, but it's always the same thing:
eventually I seem to build tolerance, nothing seems to help permanently/long-term.

As a matter of fact my scores at university have dropped down significantly, and I might have to drop out by the end of the year and change to something easier.
The galantamine definitely isn't the sole cause, it probably just triggered something already wrong with in my brain chemistry.
Anyone considering AChE inhibitors and bump on this thread, don't be too scared, I'm just an odd case.

I just wouldn't recommend taking/messing around too much with nootropics if you have mild tinnitus from undetermined reasons (I don't have any hearing damage).
Apparently it can only get worse.

The fact that you concluded that draws me to a very interesting theory. Perhaps this worsening is due to an imbalance in a growth factor, which is perpetuated in some people under certain types of nervous system stimulation. The body and the nervous system are very intertwined, much like nerve growth factors and learning. In essence, the issue could be larger than just the simple and obvious neurotransmitters. Do you have problems with any other organs? Particularly any that regulate hormones?

http://www.tinnitusf...04/thyroid.aspx

For instance, the thyroid is connected to tinnitus in a lot of cases. Get your T3 and T4 levels checked if you haven't already. High dose Ashwagandha can increase thyroid hormones. Simple iodine for hypothyroidism and fluoride for hyperthyrodism (bet ya didn't know that). Tyrosine is a building block to thyroid hormones. Guggul is often promoted as a Thyroid stimulant. Bacopa also has some thyroid stimulating properties, mostly with T4 if I recall correctly. Olive Leaf extract high in oleuropein increases T3 levels. Increasing mineral intake can help lower fluoride levels (Boron, Magnesium, Iodine, Zinc, etc.).

Edited by devinthayer, 28 February 2012 - 01:10 AM.

[Baten]

As usual thanks for the suggestions devinthayer, I'll get my thyroid levels checked sometime and report back if there's anything interesting.

[revnik]

As usual thanks for the suggestions devinthayer, I'll get my thyroid levels checked sometime and report back if there's anything interesting.

Few months have past... any updates?

[Baten]

Few months have past... any updates?

Nothing out of the ordinary is wrong with me, still no clue what initially caused it, it's part of me now and I can live with it, but it's still a pain.
Hope some day there'll be some major breakthrough in research regarding tinnitus.

Thread started with a bad reaction regarding the tinnitus by taking galantamine, so I advise people to be careful with the substance if you are already suffering from it,
for normal people who didn't have any adverse reactions regarding tinnitus before, it should be safe. I believe anxiety due to and coupled with the galantamine adverse reaction made it worse.
My tinnitus also reacts badly to magnesium supplements, caffeine, bacopa, gaba, alcar ... bet this is different for other people though, since I have no clue what exactly is causing it in the first place.

I think the best solution for a tinnitus sufferer is to be relieved of your anxiety towards it. Lysine and zinc (picolinate or opti zinc) works wonders for me,
alternatively there's inositol, theanine and nicotinamide(niacinamide) that could help.

Edited by Baten, 23 May 2012 - 11:54 AM.