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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Tinnitus / July 2005Niacin
After a lifetime of faint tinnitus, mine got very loud in my right ear about a month ago and has been driving me nuts. I've been trying various remedies including fish oil, alpha lipoic acid, zinc and a Vitamin B stress tab. Yesterday mid-morning I decided to try extra niacin (100mg) , because the kind of B3 that's in the multi is non-flushing kind. Within a couple hours of taking the niacin, my tinnitus went from a loud screaming down to a faint hissing. And this morning for the first time in weeks, I woke up with only a faint ringing. Will this keep up this way? I sure hope so! Tom S. Niacin is a precursor of seretonin (a brain hormone) and this causes you to fell less anxious and stressed out. Those emotions can aggravate your tinnitus. > After a lifetime of faint tinnitus, mine got very loud in my right ear about > a month ago and has been driving me nuts. I've been trying various remedies [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Tom S. On 6/8/05 2:18 PM, in article sI6dnbyGj7uy_TrfRVn-1g@comcast.com, "Tom Sharples" <tsharples@qorvus.com> wrote: > After a lifetime of faint tinnitus, mine got very loud in my right ear about > a month ago and has been driving me nuts. I've been trying various remedies [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Tom S. Was that 100 mg or 1,000? If its 100 mg tablet, please send info as I would like to be able to get this. Not available in my area. It is the 100mg tablets available under the "Longs Drug Store" generic brand. BTW I also have been taking fish oil, Vit B stress tab, MSM and Potassium Gluconate every AM. So it might be the cumulative benefits of all those. Also of interest, altho I haven't tried this combo: > On 6/8/05 2:18 PM, in article sI6dnbyGj7uy_TrfRVn-1g@comcast.com, "Tom > Sharples" <tsharples@qorvus.com> wrote: [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > would > like to be able to get this. Not available in my area. It is the 100mg tablets available under the "Longs Drug Store" generic brand. BTW I also have been taking fish oil, Vit B stress tab, MSM, Zinc and Potassium Gluconate every AM. So it might be the cumulative benefits of all those: "Ochi, et al. demonstrated a significant decrease in zinc levels in patients suffering from tinnitus, and that supplementation with doses of 34-68 mg of zinc over two weeks significantly decreased tinnitus. Excellent results have been found with the combination of niacin and 25 mg zinc gluconate twice a day.22 If tinnitus is of recent onset, complete resolution is possible. With longer duration, the tinnitus can be diminished with these nutrients in some people. " Also of interest, altho I haven't tried this combo: "Drugs That Help Tinnitus" Many Otolaryngologists (Ear Nose and Throat Specialists) reported that the following was the only drug ever to help Tinnitus (ringing, buzzing, clicking or roaring in the ears). Then the FDA pulled the prescription medication from the market saying that it did not make sense to combine the two ingredients. What were the ingredients? - Dramamine and Niacin, both available over the counter without a prescription. Dosing is important so we give the following recommendation for "drugs that help tinnitus": Take the recommended dosage of Dramamine recommended on the package - 1 pill every 4-6 hours with a 100mg niacin pill. If you do not get a niacin flush increase the niacin dose to 150mg (1-1/2 pills) with the next Dramamine dose 4-6 hours later. Adjust the niacin dose up or down each time until you determine the niacin flush threshold. That is the amount of Niacin to take with the Dramamine every 4-6 hours for tinnitus relief, and hopefully a tinnitus cure. Note: Niacin is a vasodialator (expands the blood vessels in the skin) causing increased blood flow. This makes the skin feel warm which is refered to as a "niacin flush." A niacin flush is not in any way harmful but some people would say it is uncomfortable or just a mild irritation compared to incessant ringing in the ears. >> On 6/8/05 2:18 PM, in article sI6dnbyGj7uy_TrfRVn-1g@comcast.com, "Tom >> Sharples" <tsharples@qorvus.com> wrote: [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] >> would >> like to be able to get this. Not available in my area. What do you think of this, Dr. Murray? Beware of taking a high dose of Niacin as I came out all red [like sunburn] from head to toe! I think I took a 500mg tablet, but I wouldn't be sure. ben > After a lifetime of faint tinnitus, mine got very loud in my right ear about > a month ago and has been driving me nuts. I've been trying various remedies [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Tom S. > Beware of taking a high dose of Niacin as I came out all red [like sunburn] > from head to toe! I think I took a 500mg tablet, but I wouldn't be sure. The old "niacin flush" ! I've heard recommendations of starting low dosing and slowly working up to avoid the flush (not very pleasant at all). frank Dr. Frank, Have you used it yourself or heard of other patients that use it? > Dr. Frank, > > Have you used it yourself or heard of other patients that use it? I've not tried it (tried it yrs ago for the chol lowering properties) for my tinnitus. As with a lot of supplements and meds, being prudent is important. Below was taken from a website I visited. I'm not entirely discounting that niacin may have some beneficial value but it certainly not the "magic bullet". frank "MEGADOSES OF NIACIN CAN DESTROY YOUR LIVER AND KILL YOU. 50mg twice per day is a common dose for tinnitus. If you experience the flush, then you are getting the maximum benefit. Caution: niacin can provoke migraine headache attacks in some people. Some people report good results from niacin, other people gain nothing. Your mileage may vary. To my knowledge Nicotinic Acid in large doses like 2-5mg per day over a year or so, could lead to liver damage.There is no clinical proof for the effectiveness of niacin in treating tinnitus. This is inherently difficult to prove due to a possible "placebo effect" arising from the niacin flush sensation rather than any therapeutic value of the underlying vasodilation. Additionally, any vasodilation that occurs cannot benefit the cochlear hair cells, because the blood vessel (vas spralie) that feeds these cells cannot expand or contract." >>Dr. Frank, >> [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > cannot benefit the cochlear hair cells, because the blood vessel (vas > spralie) that feeds these cells cannot expand or contract." I used to take 6 grams at night with no ill effects. Time released niacin has a closer relationship to liver damage. The flushing does wear off in time, even at that high dose, and can be avoided completely with inositol hexanicotinate. Susan On 6/24/05 7:50 AM, in article 3i2ktiFh3rk5U1@individual.net, "Susan" <nevermind@nomail.com> wrote: > Additionally, any vasodilation that occurs >> cannot benefit the cochlear hair cells, because the blood vessel (vas >> spralie) that feeds these cells cannot expand or contract." This is true . I know of no benefit from niacin for tinnitus or hearing. > I used to take 6 grams at night with no ill effects. Time released > niacin has a closer relationship to liver damage. I don't believe that is true - the liver damage is a dose related effect whether timed release or not. The flushing does > wear off in time, even at that high dose, and can be avoided completely > with inositol hexanicotinate. A big flush is NOT a pleasant experience. Most doctors today limit the slow release to two 500 mg dose/day for cholesterol. > I don't believe that is true - the liver damage is a dose related effect > whether timed release or not. A large dose can cause liver damage, it didn't in my case. However, if you check reports of liver damage going back a decade or two, you'll find that the incidence was most significant for time released formulations. > A big flush is NOT a pleasant experience. For most folks, I know. I got to like it and was kind of disappointed once it disappeared, even at 6 grams. The only time it was awful was when I didn't expect it and didn't know what it was. Most folks do really hate it. > Most doctors today limit the slow release to two 500 mg dose/day for > cholesterol. Because the slow release has a high risk for liver damage. Pantethine works *much* better, with absolutely no toxicity, even in dialysis and hepatitis patients. Susan On 6/25/05 7:14 AM, in article 3i5758Fjip5nU1@individual.net, "Susan" <nevermind@nomail.com> wrote: > A large dose can cause liver damage, it didn't in my case. However, if > you check reports of liver damage going back a decade or two, you'll > find that the incidence was most significant for time released formulations. That's because you could only take the large dose in a slow release form, no one could tolerate 500 mg "straight" niacin. I would never go through the 100 mg straight again. >>A large dose can cause liver damage, it didn't in my case. However, if >>you check reports of liver damage going back a decade or two, you'll [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > one could tolerate 500 mg "straight" niacin. I would never go through the > 100 mg straight again. Lots of folks tolerate the 500mg flush just fine, and it does wane. IIRC, study participants took 1-3 grams daily in order to get good lipid results. Ya big sissy. ;-D Susan Good for you. I wonder if any doctors here have ever mentioned that. FP Tom - I went to the House Ear Clinic in LA for my T and they recommended increasing circulation by avoiding caffine & nicotine, sleeping with the head flat, losing weight, more exercise, alcohol okay, and niacin twice a day, morning & night, enough of it to flush. So I tried it all, and my T hasn't changed much. I tried the niacin for a couple of months, and gave up. > After a lifetime of faint tinnitus, mine got very loud in my right ear > about a month ago and has been driving me nuts. I've been trying various [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Tom S. |
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