Ask Barry Questions on Tinnitus

Dear Tina,

Thanks for asking this question. It is very important but not well understood by many people.

Ginkgo biloba refers to the leaves of the Ginkgo tree, an ancient tree that is unrelated to other plant species on the planet. It was used medicinally in ancient times by the Chinese. In more recent times it has been studied carefully in Germany, where many beneficial effects from its use are recognized.

The Dr. Willmar Schwabe Company in Germany standardized and tested Ginkgo biloba extract in the 1960’s. They dried and crushed the leaves, soaked them in acetone and water, and purified the results. The soaking drew out the active ingredients in the leaf and left behind inactive ingredients, fiber and so forth. Only the oils were removed.

They then standardized this to a minimum of 24% ginkgo flavone glycosides. But there are other ingredients that were standardized also. Terpene lactones are very important to its pharmacological properties along with individual components of the flavone glycosides and terpene lactones. The result was a standardized extract of Ginkgo biloba that has been used for the last 50 years in experimentation and treatment of various conditions.

So in your product, there is 24% flavone glycosides and you have a 60 mg capsule or tablet. Twenty four percent of 60 mg is the 14.4 mg in parenthesis. If you had 120 mg of the extract there would be double that amount, or 28.8 mg. Likewise terpene lactones were standardized to a minimum of 6% so there is 3.6 mg terpene lactones in your 60 mg capsule or tablet (6% x 60 mg).

The German Commission E is the German equivalent of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They studied the extract for a number of years and published a “monograph”, or treatise, on the subject. Ginkgo biloba extract is used in Germany for a number of conditions, including tinnitus. Please see the Commission E Monograph on Tinnitus.

We at Arches have developed a higher purity, more concentrated extract of Ginkgo biloba that is specifically designed for people with tinnitus. We have trademarked it as Ginkgo Max 26/7® (found in Arches Tinnitus Formula) to indicate the higher over  the standard of 24/6.

I hope this is helpful and answers your question.

Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate

Dear Jeanmarie,

I’m very sorry about this but I cannot diagnose from an email. Is the doctor you refer to an Ear, Nose & Throat doctor? If not, I suggest you see one. They can help determine what exactly is wrong. One way they do this is through an audiogram, performed by an Audiologist. An audiogram can determine if you have conductive or sensorineural hearing loss. The difference determines what kind of treatment you will have.

All of the medications you mention have the possibility of causing or worsening tinnitus. However, they are not the ones that are notorious for doing so. I’ve been taking Atenolol for about 10 years with no problem.  Nor is tinnitus a listed side effect of Wellbutrin.

Your consistent tinnitus may be the result of hearing loss which is the largest contributor to tinnitus of all causes. However, other medical conditions may also cause it. Among women, thyroid conditions, especially hypothyroid, are common causes. You should have a complete physical exam by a General Practitioner to rule out a medical condition causing it. Please see our tinnitus infographic on possible causes.

The humming sound that changes frequencies is somewhat more difficult to evaluate. Generally, when tinnitus changes during the day, it is due to signals from the body that become entangled with auditory signals and change tinnitus. This is called somatic tinnitus. If the cause of the somatic signals can be determined, it can usually be treated successfully.

If your consistent tinnitus is caused by hearing loss, Arches Tinnitus Formula can be helpful. It has been clinically shown to reduce tinnitus in the great majority of people who take it, especially those with tinnitus due to hearing loss or noise exposure. It can take up to three months to be fully effective so I recommend the Tinnitus Starter Kit, which is a three-month supply

I hope this is helpful and you can find a way to reduce the sound level.

Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate

Hi Dolby,

Yes, I remember standing in front of giant speakers listening to Iron Butterfly play IN A GADDA DA VIDA. It gave me tinnitus too. I’ve had it ever since about 1970 and it has presented problems in my life. I hope you have developed some coping mechanisms for yours.

An Ear, Nose & Throat physician will normally order an MRI to rule out acoustic neuroma. These are rare, slow growing, non-malignant growths that can, if left untreated, affect hearing, balance and the facial nerve. The ENT may order one of these the very first time you consult with one. I have never had an MRI. If you do get one, make sure you bring good hearing protection as they are pretty loud. An ENT will be able to provide this, along with other valuable information such as an audiogram and other tests.

A poor diet can affect tinnitus significantly. Salt is enemy #1. It constricts blood vessels, increases blood pressure and reduces blood flow and will always worsen tinnitus for a period of time. Food additives like MSG and aspartame and other flavor enhancers should also be avoided as much as possible. Our article on Diet and Tinnitus  may also be helpful to you.

My salvation was in discovering Arches Tinnitus Formula. This has been clinically proven to reduce tinnitus for most people, especially those who have it due to hearing loss and/or noise exposure. You are a great candidate for this. It has reduced my tinnitus by about 2/3 and I have been using it for a little over 20 years. It takes up to three months to get the full effect so I recommend the Tinnitus Starter Kit, a three-month supply.

I hope this is helpful.

Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate

Dear Theresa,

I’m terribly sorry this happened to you but there is good news. Shingles is not a permanent problem and begins to scab over and clear up in 3 to 5 weeks. It definitely causes hearing loss and tinnitus but as the infection ebbs, hearing loss and tinnitus generally do also. About 95% of people who experience hearing loss due to shingles will have complete recovery of their hearing and tinnitus should abate.

Taking Arches Tinnitus Formula (ATF) should help this process along. Our proprietary Ginkgo Biloba extract used in ATF, Ginkgo Max 26/7 is known to help prevent damage to the cochlea and auditory nerve and should help in recovery. It should also calm the auditory nerve and lead to reduced tinnitus.

I wish you a speedy recovery and hope Arches Tinnitus Formula is a great help for you.

Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate

Dear Brian,

Structures in the head and neck frequently cause or influence tinnitus. I’m not an ear doctor and, even if I were, I cannot diagnose from an email. There are a few things here that may be at work. One is TMJ dysfunction, a misalignment of the jaw where it fits in with the skull at the temporo-mandibular joint. This is common after falls, accidents and sudden knocks on the head. One way you can see if this is the case is to stand in front of a mirror. Take some time to relax your face and body. Then slowly open your mouth. If it opens straight up and down, you probably don’t have this. But if it opens somewhat sideways, you do.

One place to start may be to consult a dentist specializing in TMJ. A local specialist can be found in the link at the end of the article. If this is not the case, a physical therapist may be able to help out.

Another possible cause is traumatic brain injury (TBI) or whiplash. Either of these can cause tinnitus and pain. This article is in two part; the second article on TBI can be seen here which discusses whiplash.

I hope you find relief. I feel if you can find the cause it will be treatable.

Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate

Dear James,

I’ve never tried notched music therapy and don’t know anyone who has. It seems reasonable enough that notching out the bandwidth of a person’s tinnitus in music will stimulate the neurons around that bandwidth and provide therapy. I don’t really know the degree of tinnitus reduction notched music therapy will provide.

I’m not aware of anyone using Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) in conjunction with notched music.  Studies have reported that around 50% of patients with tinnitus see significant reductions in their tinnitus severity when treated with VNS, especially when paired with specific sound stimuli.. This is similar to the success rate using Arches Tinnitus Formula

Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate

Dear Irene,

The answer is yes. Cardiovascular disease and poor circulation can cause or worsen tinnitus because blood flow to the cochlea is reduced and the nerve cells responsible for hearing are not nourished properly.

Arches Tinnitus Formula with Ginkgo Max 26/7 can be helpful for this condition. It has several actions that help reduce tinnitus. One of these is increased blood flow to the micro-capillaries that feed blood supply to the inner ear. However if you are on prescription blood thinners you should consult your doctor since Ginkgo biloba is also a mild blood thinner and can be additive.

Provided you are not taking prescription blood thinners, Arches Tinnitus Formula should be helpful for your condition. It must be used for three months to get the full effect so we recommend Arches Tinnitus Starter Kit, a three month supply.

Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate

Dear Eric,

Diet is a very important and impacts tinnitus. It’s part of what keeps our bodies and our hearing healthy. There are numerous food additives, including monosodium glutamate MSG, that can cause or worsen tinnitus. People with tinnitus should avoid or reduce intake of salt, sugar and sugar substitutes. processed and fast foods, nicotine and food additives such as MSG and Aspartame.

MSG in particular is a dangerous additive that has many side effects. The FDA has tried to ban it but food companies pour money into lobbyists who fight to keep it legal. Other side effects include headache, heartburn, sweating, swelling and flushing of the face, among others.

Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate

Dear Ruben,

You may want to consult your doctor and consider dropping or changing theses medications. Trazodone, often prescribed for sleep, can especially cause and worsen tinnitus. All antidepressants, including Cymbalta, can cause or worsen tinnitus. The problem is you cannot stop these medications cold turkey if you have been on them for any length of time. You will have to work with your doctor to gradually reduce the dosage until you can totally stop.

You may want to ask your doctor about getting a benzodiazepine medication like Valium or Klonopin to help with sleeping – short term. While these can be very helpful and can reduce the tinnitus… again – short term.  But benzodiazepines come with their own set of problems.  These shouldn’t be taken for longer than a few weeks or they become really addicting. Otherwise, when you try to stop the tinnitus gets worse. It may be a good alternative though to help you transition from the anti-depressants to better therapies.

There are many therapies that can be helpful including biofeedback. Biofeedback is something that must be learned and it is taught by psychologists who also work with attention deficit kids and people with stress problems. There are biofeedback clinics in all major American cities. It can be very, very helpful and I strongly recommend biofeedback for tinnitus. There is a way to practice this in front of a mirror. I strongly recommend getting training from a professional. I encourage you to read our article Biofeedback and Neurofeedback: Tools to Reduce Tinnitus.

Hypnotherapy and acupuncture can also be helpful for tinnitus.

I hope some of these ideas can be helpful and you can rid yourself of the loudness and anxiety of tinnitus.

Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate