TOPIC:

I just read an article posted on fixhepc's Twitter feed by Super User: Sound Therapy for tinnitus.
fixhepc.com/blog/item/133-sound-therapy-for-tinnitus.html

I developed tinnitus on the 20th day of my Harvoni treatment in August of 2016. I had dizziness and light headedness on the 16th day of treatment and awoke with a stiff neck and ringing in my ears on the 20th day. My ears still ring. The left one is always ringing. The right ear varies in intensity.

I have tried various supplements that have not worked. Has anyone tried Sound Therapy? $500 is quite a lot to pay for an unproven treatment. I would appreciate any advice.

Hi Beehavan,

I have suffered occasionally with tinnitus over the years from listening to loud live music. Where I have lived for the last few years, I have some noisy neighbors, so I sleep using silicone ear plugs, just so they don't keep me up. I use Mack's silicone putty earplugs. I find over time it has reduced my symptoms of tinnitus, perhaps because for 6 hours a day my ears get a break and have near silence, and through that somehow healed. I hope this helps you.

Thanks Greedfighter,

Glad your tinnitus has improved. I find using earplugs or putting my fingers in my ears makes the ringing/hissing more pronounced. In order to sleep I use a distraction like a fan, podcasts playing all night or the free app, Atmosphere.

I might try Sound Therapy this spring after I first have some needed dental work. I'm hoping to find someone who has used the treatment before I invest $500.

This is not the same company but is cheaper and has a free and immediate test/trial

www.hushtinnitus.com

Has anyone tried these treatments? I'm not keen on paying $699 for the SoundTherapy package but under $30 for the hushtinnitus sounds worth a shot. I tried their trial test and the results seem to match my knowledge of current condition.
I've worked a lot of my life doing sound for loud rock shows so I don't think it's related to HCV treatment but tinnitus is bloody annoying and can definitely affect mental state, particularly stress and anxiety levels.

I purchased the HushTinnitus system in February. I have listened to my custom sound tracks with earphones using my phone or through my computer's speakers. I had never listened to music on my phone and using earphones was a new experience for me. My first time using the earphones and custom sound tracts was unpleasant. After listening for about 20 minutes my right ear had a Full feeling like it was filled with water after swimming. I was worried because it persisted all day. I went to bed and tried to relax. By morning the stuffiness was gone and I could hear normally. I wrote to Clyde Witchard, the Founder of HushTinnitus using the email address he provided with the purchase about my experience but he never responded.

After a week or so I tried the earphones again and there was no problem. Did it help my tinnitus. I would have to say no. It may give some psychological relief because you are at least doing something. Sometimes I listen to the tracts through my computer speakers and now and then I give the earphones another try. This was a bad investment for me.

You might have a very different experience. I am sure you have better equipment and a knowledge of sound engineering.

I have a Google alert set up for tinnitus and read about the latest research. I am encouraged my the lidocaine patch being tested and the electrical stimulation trials going on at the University of Michigan. I would suggest you set up a Google alert for tinnitus.

Please let us know your results if you choose to purchase the HushTinnitus system. Best of luck to you. The population is growing older. Tinnitus affects an estimated 32 percent of the U.S. population, according to National Center for Health Statistics studies. Many are working on a treatment.

There's an old thread here where the owner of HushTinnitus goes to great lengths to explain what it does and doesn't do, particularly that he doesn't claim it's for everyone, or that it's a complete cure. I decided against trying it because, although the website seems active and functioning, he reportedly hasn't responded to emails since 2014. www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hush-tinnit...py-experiences.2470/

Also on the same forums there is a free offering from tinnitusmix.com/ . There is a 41 page (and still going) thread talking about it which starts off with some really cynical replies but seems to have quite a few supporters once you get past that. www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/i-invented-...t-my-tinnitus.33001/ . I'm downloading the 765MB .wav file now to try it out.

Before I start that, I plan to try Gingko Biloba tablets for a few weeks. They are reported to have some effect for some people.

I have a friend using "Sound Therapy" and he uses it for prolonged periods every day. For him it's done a great job. I can't experiment on myself because I don't have tinnitus, so that's getting to the limit of my knowledge. One patient that one system worked for....

That was an interesting 41 page thread. I would like to hear from the 5-6 people that were helped. If you try the 765MB .wav file please let me know your results. The inventor said that it has to be used all night for 3 weeks or the tinnitus will reform.

Hello beahavan,

There is a consistent theme in the sound therapy stuff - you have to use it every day, for a long period to get results.

I expect it relates to neuroplasticity and you are retraining your brain.

I would theorise that the brain trains itself to block out tinnitus anyway. My tinnitus is fairly pronounced but often I don't notice it except in an exceptionally quiet location, or while reading something about tinnitus.

Today there is a discussion of tinnitus and Harvoni on the Facebook Group: Hepatitis C Treatment Cure and Community.