Small Study, Botox Showed Promise for Treating Tinnitus
By WebMD Medical News Archive     Reviewed By on Friday, September 17, 2004

Sept. 17, 2004 -- A small study shows that Botox may help treat an ear disorder
called tinnitus.
People with tinnitus perceive ringing, whistling, hissing, roaring, or booming
sounds in one or both ears. The condition affects an estimated 10%-20% of the
general population and is bad enough to make 5% of the public seek help.
While the cause of the condition is unknown, it impacts people very
differently. Some have modest symptoms; others experience major interference
with daily life. It can also lead to some degree of hearing loss.
Tinnitus can hinder work, social activities, and sleep. It can also affect
mood, resulting in mild to severe depression. There area few available
treatments, but they are limited in achieving long-term relief of tinnitus.
Researchers including Katrina Stidham, MD, of the California Ear Institute at
San Ramon, Calif., wanted to find out if Botox could help relieve tinnitus.
It's not such a strange idea.
Best known as a cosmetic treatment for wrinkles and frown lines, Botox is also
used for more serious medical conditions.
For instance, Botox has been used to treat people with wandering eye
(strabismus), spasmodic altered voice production, and failure of vocal muscles
to relax. The researchers say that one of the primary culprits in tinnitus is
thought to be continuous activation of the nerve within the ear, which
transmits sounds. Botox works as a nerve blocker.
Taming Tinnitus
Stidham's team studied 26 adults aged 18 or older who had had tinnitus but
otherwise normal hearing.
Researchers made three injections of Botox or a saltwater placebo around each
participant's most affected ear.
If both ears were equally affected, one ear was randomly selected for the
shots.
Four months later, participants got a second round of injections. Those who had
received Botox at the study's start got the placebo, and vice versa.
Participants couldn't tell what they were getting, since Botox and the placebo
were both colorless and odorless.
In the end, Botox beat the placebo as a tinnitus treatment.
Seven participants reported reduced tinnitus symptoms after getting Botox
injections. Four people said their symptoms worsened after taking Botox, and 16
reported no change. These differences proved to be significant despite the
small number of people studied.
Seven of 26 people treated with Botox improved (27%) compared with two out of
26 who received a placebo shot (8%).
Gradual Improvement
Botox didn't work overnight. At least four of the people helped by Botox said
it took more than a month before they noticed an improvement in their tinnitus.
Larger studies are needed to confirm the findings, say the researchers.
They reported their findings at the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and
Neck Surgery Foundation annual meeting & OTO EXPO held Sept. 19-22 in New York
City.

SOURCES: American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation
annual meeting & OTO EXPO, New York City, Sept. 19-22, 2004. News release,
American Academy of Otolaryngology.

© 2004 WebMD Inc. All rights reserved.