Tom S. (Minneapolis ) on 07/30/2019:
I started noticing tinnitus after playing in a loud rock band for about a year. I may have had it before but never knew the term or it even existed. Cut to the chase, I tried a whole bunch of supplements & couldn’t really tell if they were helping or not. Perhaps the bioflavonoids, niacin (with flush), or the NAC (these are some of the best supplements I’ve concluded) do help some.. still uncertain but it can’t really hurt to experiment with since they have additional benefits. What helped me the most was Julian Cowan Hill’s videos. Just google him & check him out on YouTube. So my onset was about 8 months ago. Since then, I’ve been very careful not to aggravate my ears too much more so they can heal properly. I had to quit my band which made the most sense to me, I carry ear plugs in my car if I need to get them and I’m not afraid to walk out of anywhere that’s too loud for me. I had a few times in religious (church)/spiritual environments (singing bowls) where it was too loud and I stayed and had a full relapse for like a week or 2.
So my advice again is to listen to Julian’s videos (he’s the man), and stay away from further damage. With music now I just play at a lower volume and have given up playing with a drummer at least for now. Hand percussion is where it’s at anyway. I also had some custom ear plugs made for about $200. If yours is really bad after a few months, look into getting a hearing aid that plays sounds that cancel out the tone of your tinnitus. There’s also a few great phone apps out there like ‘Resound’ where you can dial in a sound close to the the tone of your tinnitus with white/pink noise, water, wind sounds, etc., so it’s not as distracting especially to go to sleep to. A simple $20 large 3 speed window fan is a great buffer too fyi. Stay positive & try your best to just forget about it, it definitely fades in time. Peace ✌🏼
