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Facts on colon cancer - drugs that help tinnitus

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Drugs that Help Tinnitus

Drugs that help tinnitus are prescription antidepressants and anti-anxiety agents. These drugs are not FDA approved for use with tinnitus. They are off-label uses. Totally curing tinnitus is not possible. There are, however, remedies for tinnitus. You will read about all these topics on this web page.

Chemotherapy

If you are reading this page, you or someone you love has colon cancer. With cancer comes chemotherapy. One in five chemotherapy patients suffers with tinnitus. It is a side effect of the chemotherapy drugs. The two major offenders are cisplatin and carboplatin.

The inner ear is small and delicate. Damage there causes hearing loss and tinnitus. The sounds of tinnitus are annoying and distracting. When you cannot sleep because of tinnitus, your life becomes unbearable. You want some relief for tinnitus.

Curing tinnitus is not possible just yet. There are two drugs that hold promise to prevent tinnitus for chemotherapy patients. There are some drugs that help tinnitus. I will explain them here.

Antidepressants

For some unknown reason, tinnitus patients frequently suffer from depression. There are some medications that can be helpful. There are two or three classes of antidepressants. The oldest ones, tricyclics, are frequently used. There are newer ones called SSRIs.

Both of these classes provide relief for patients with tinnitus. Prescribing nortriptyline at 50 mg at bedtime is the most helpful. Unfortunately it causes dry mouth which can be uncomfortable. It may take up to a month to be effective.

The SSRIs have a better safety profile. Paxil in low doses of 10 mg at bedtime was recently shown to be helpful. Zoloft at a dose of 50 mg demonstrated a significant reduction in the severity of the tinnitus.

Anti-anxiety Drugs

Since there is some tense anxiety caused by the tinnitus, some doctors prescribe benzodiazepines. They are addicting drugs such as Valium and Ativan. They work by decreasing the abnormal excitement in the brain. They can make you drowsy. It is best to take it at bedtime. It will help you fall asleep.

In 2009, there was a clinical study that tested the effectiveness of Xanax. Test scores from the Visual Analog Scale improved in patients with tinnitus. They did not have any anxiety issues. Stress can lead to anxiety. If you feel this is you, see your doctor for a prescription.

Although these drugs are not FDA approved for tinnitus, small studies have shown their effectiveness.

Remedies for Tinnitus

Among other remedies for tinnitus, is vitamin therapy. Some researchers believe that a vitamin B deficiency causes tinnitus. Vitamin A, in a Swiss study, restored hearing to victims of an explosion. Since vitamins C and E are powerful antioxidants, there is a case to be made for taking a vitamin supplement.

If it were up to me, I would take either a B complex once a day or a good multivitamin to see if the symptoms of tinnitus decrease.

Another natural remedy for tinnitus is the herb ginkgo biloba. The leaves of this tree provide the therapy. The tree itself is over 200 million years old. The active ingredients are bioflavonoids and terpene lactones.

Ginkgo biloba increases blood flow to the brain and small blood vessels. The inner ear certainly has small blood vessels. Effects can take up to 12 weeks. A recommended dose of 80 mg three tines a day may help you.

Eardrops

Another one of the remedies for tinnitus is a patent pending formula of eardrops. It will soon be for sale on this web site in our Bookstore/Pharmacy. The drops have seven active ingredients said to relieve the noise of tinnitus. There is a money back guarantee for the drops. You have nothing to lose in trying the eardrops, Ring Relief.

Conclusion

There are prescription drugs that help tinnitus. There are a variety of remedies for tinnitus. I have explained some of them here for you. There are other remedies explained on other web pages.

If you have any questions related to your colon cancer, or chemotherapy, or tinnitus, please send them our way. If any of the remedies help you, please let us know. We are always happy to hear from our readers.

Written by Margaret Stenerson - 10/01/10

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