[AMA] I screwed my life up with Nootropics.

Word on 06/04/2019 - 10:35
Last edited 08/04/2019 - 11:26 by 1 other user

After reading an article published in a magazine by the American Tinnitus that sarcosine helped tinnitus.

Sarcosine is also reported on PubMed as having "no know toxicity" and no cases of adverse side effects were reported.

Sadly, I was not in soundest of minds when researching the drug due to having hyperaccusives and living in a street where people love to rev their cars.

Therefore, I misunderstood the mechanism of the drug and thought it helped with damaged nerves.

However, the drug turned out to be NMDA agonist so my temporary mild tinnitus turned into severe tinnitus which is causing me great pain each day.

AMA.

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Introduce Yourself

closed Comments

  • Cave Fire on 06/04/2019 - 11:47

    reddit tinnitus cure? not a gp… but something to try. Oh and you are not alone… for every one of those glowing nootropic reviews on a sales site, there are an unknown amount of people it worked badly for.

    • Word on 06/04/2019 - 12:01

      Hell I was attempting to be careful about taking anything that would make the tinnitus worse and did spend considerably amounts researching each drug.

      I knew about the excitotoxicity effects of Sarcosine.

      However, for whatever reason my stupid brain decided to interrupt thaf as curing nerve pain not causing it.

      Even toxnet reports no toxicity.

      • MessyG on 06/04/2019 - 16:08
        +6

        I think toxicity just means not toxic, it doesn't mean 'no side effects'.

  • [Deactivated] on 06/04/2019 - 12:11
    +1

    What have you learned from your experience?

    • Word on 06/04/2019 - 12:11

      Say no to drugs.

      Everything can get worse.

      • [Deactivated] on 06/04/2019 - 12:14
        +1

        ..and yet

        I am starting to think my only options is a drug out state (…)

        Would that drug be self-medicated too? Genuinely curious.

        • Word on 06/04/2019 - 12:15

          "Seeing a neurologist and a naturopath soon hopefully they will help."

          • [Deactivated] on 06/04/2019 - 12:16

            @Word: Keep us updated on whether either of those options are helpful. Could help someone.

            • Word on 06/04/2019 - 12:20

              @[Deactivated]: I mean if Will Shatner has found nothing that helps I am not too hopeful.

          • [Deactivated] on 06/04/2019 - 18:50
            +6

            @Word: A naturopath can't help anyone with anything unless they didn't have a legitimate problem in the first place. Don't waste your money.

            • Word on 06/04/2019 - 18:54
              -1

              @[Deactivated]: They might be able to recommend L Theanine or another sedative.

              • diazepam on 08/04/2019 - 01:35

                @Word: L theanine is essentially non-sedative, it's supposed to be a natural "relaxant" found in green tea.

                If you're going to trust a naturopath over a doctor, all I can say is good luck to you.

                • Word on 08/04/2019 - 08:08

                  @diazepam: For the last time I am the first to call bullshit on naturopath.

                  However, now my family wants to help and so I am letting them.

                  Regardless, my local medical centre places hires them so the doctors there seem to trust them.

                  People always seem to assume they are in the same situation.

                  For example: I once asked what is a cheap water filter after the tap in my house started dispensing sediment. I got mocked yet again because other people had clean water in their house and they assumed this was case.

            • [Deactivated] on 08/04/2019 - 07:31
              +2

              @[Deactivated]: Let's not completely discount the placebo effect.

      • cktftw on 06/04/2019 - 12:20
        +4

        Clearly you havent learnt anything

        • Word on 06/04/2019 - 12:21
          -1

          Well it is not self medicated this time that is a start.

          • diazepam on 08/04/2019 - 01:35
            +2

            @Word: The naturopath is going to tell you advice that might as well be as good as self-medicating.

  • holdenmg on 06/04/2019 - 12:21
    +1

    I read the thread thinking it was about Nutri-Grain® :+)

  • captaincabinets on 06/04/2019 - 12:22
    +1

    Sorry to hear that you are in pain. Neurologyst and psych sounds like a good idea. Marijuana and its derivatives may help also, though I don't know the interactions with Tinnitus. As per your experience, extensive research first is advised.

    Seeing a Naturopath sounds like a massive waste of time and money.

    "Naturopathy or naturopathic medicine is a form of alternative medicine that employs an array of pseudoscientific practices branded as "natural", "non-invasive", and as promoting "self-healing". The ideology and methods of naturopathy are based on vitalism and folk medicine, rather than evidence-based medicine."

    • Word on 06/04/2019 - 12:29
      -3

      "As per your experience, extensive research first is advised."

      Research was performed.

      It was just a case of misunderstanding the terminologies.

      For example "no known toxicity" means not enough research.

      Furthermore, my brain got confused as to mechanisms of the drug.

      So something was overlooked but it was not the research.

      As for the Naturopathy I am the first to dismiss that practice as pseudoscience.

      Although, desperate times call for desperate action.

      • captaincabinets on 06/04/2019 - 12:44
        +5

        I did a quick Google on Tinnitus & Sarcosine and I found one brief mention in a magazine about findings presented at a conference, plus a couple of comments on a Reddit thread. I'm not sure how you could have done extensive research on something that seems to have a pretty tenuous link. I don't need to tell you that you messed up, because you are amply aware of this. But I think you may be misrepresenting the facts here.

        I assume you want to alleviate your pain with minimal wasted time and money. I would suggest that both are better spent elsewhere rather than snake oil.

        • Word on 06/04/2019 - 12:56

          Correct the success of Sarcosine for tinnitus was referencing the same paper.

          I believe my research skills were lacking at that time and that my judgement clouded so I thought they were different sources.

          I also searched for NMDA agonist tinnitus
          which showed other NMDA agonist being tested for tinnitus and hearing loss.

          Turns out papers were misspelling antagonist.

          In regards to the Naturopathy it is not even my idea but my sisters. Usually, I would not bother with pseudoscience.

      • [Deactivated] on 06/04/2019 - 13:17

        my brain got confused (…)

        what a strange phrasing.

      • MessyG on 06/04/2019 - 16:10
        +8

        Can I please just point out for probably my 11 millionth time on the Internet, that reading around a thought you've had does not constitute research? A literature review is only the first step of research. You've gotten to hypothesis but nowhere near the rest of the scientitifc method there. Unless you do the measurement, experiment, data analysis and independently reproduced stages, then it's just not research. (And testing it on yourself in the first instance doesn't count).

        • holdenmg on 06/04/2019 - 17:48

          11 million and 1 times is the charm. :+)

  • WreckTangle on 06/04/2019 - 12:40
    +1

    What does it sound like?

    • Word on 06/04/2019 - 12:57

      Death aka loud white noise.

    • jwh on 06/04/2019 - 15:55

      I’ve had it my whole life, but I subconsciously tune it out. As soon as it’s mentioned I will hear it, then it will get louder…

      Curious as to how you might more accurately describe the sound? To me it’s a consistent high pitch ring.

      • Word on 06/04/2019 - 16:14

        Mine is in my head more like an electrical shock.

  • pegaxs on 06/04/2019 - 12:52

    As someone who spent most of their life being too tough to wear hearing protection and working on big trucks and pneumatic equipment most of my early life, my heart goes out to you. I have mild tinnitus and I am almost deaf on certain wavelengths. Fortunately I caught mine early enough and started not giving a rats arse what the other peons at work were doing with their ears or thinking of what I did with mine. Most of the time, I can control mine with background/white noise, so I am thankful. My dad, not so lucky.

    I guess my question is out of curiosity, at such a young age, what did you do that caused your problem? Hereditary, disease, no PPE or something else?

    • Word on 06/04/2019 - 13:01
      +1

      Hereditary, disease, no PPE or something else?

      Sadly, up until this point I was very good at protecting my hearing.

      Turns out the reason for my tinnitus was a ruptured ear drum which healed.

      I freaked out that it was six months and that most reports stated that most tinnitus goes away in 4 weeks.

      • pegaxs on 06/04/2019 - 15:32

        Sorry to hear (excuse the pun) that. Tinnitus sucks, even at my level. I would give anything to undo the damage I have done. I really hope you find yourself at least something to ease the pain.

        • Word on 06/04/2019 - 20:56

          Thanks.

      • jwh on 06/04/2019 - 15:58

        Sorry to hear mate. Any idea how you managed to rupture the ear drum?

        • Word on 06/04/2019 - 20:55

          Loud bird or cold.

  • [Deactivated] on 06/04/2019 - 13:03
    +1

    The bright side is your body would probably have let you down in some way in your forties, anyway. :)

    • Word on 06/04/2019 - 13:12

      Probably not this badly.

  • crashloaded on 06/04/2019 - 13:30

    Does this work for you?

    https://youtu.be/KBgkPOGD6gw

    • Word on 06/04/2019 - 13:33

      It used to work.

      • crashloaded on 06/04/2019 - 13:35

        That sucks, what was the original cause of your tinnitus?

        • Word on 06/04/2019 - 13:35

          Ruptured ear drum which healed.

          That tinnitus has now subsided.

          • crashloaded on 06/04/2019 - 13:37

            @Word: Tinnitus is one of those things that I'm amazed there isn't a cure for yet, like Male pattern baldness.

            • Word on 06/04/2019 - 13:38

              @crashloaded: Unlikely to ever be a cure for mine. Lost hair cells is hard enough to regenerate let alone damaged nerves.

              Worse still is the only relief I will ever get is death and I cannot enjoy death "nothingness".

              So as I stated a drug out state would not be an awful idea.

              • fantombloo on 06/04/2019 - 18:40

                @Word:

                drug out state would not be an awful idea.

                Have you actually tried yet? If so please describe.

              • crashloaded on 06/04/2019 - 19:04

                @Word: Ketamine? Lol

  • t_c on 06/04/2019 - 13:44
    +1

    Sounds like a case of too many degrees and not enough partying.

    • Word on 06/04/2019 - 13:45

      That probably is the case had nothing to distract me from the tinnitus.

  • [Deactivated] on 06/04/2019 - 13:56

    Do you work ?

    • Word on 06/04/2019 - 13:57
      +1

      I am officially retired.

      • [Deactivated] on 06/04/2019 - 14:04

        'Retired' as in you're living off your savings or on centrelink benefits?

        • Word on 06/04/2019 - 14:11

          Neither I have some investments which earn me a nice living per week.

          One of the perks of being qualified in Finance.

          Granted before the tinnitus I planned on working in the Engineering field.

          • [Deactivated] on 06/04/2019 - 14:25
            +5

            @Word: If I may be honest without offending you , I am WAY more interested in your psychologist's observations than your tinnitus. I tend to agree with your GP that the root cause could be more psychological.

            However this is probably out of the realm of this AMA ,so I'll refrain from asking anymore questions. Good luck with everything.Make the most of your retirement :)

            • Word on 06/04/2019 - 21:02

              @[Deactivated]: I do not disagree with your prognosis.

              Majority of people could probably indentify that I am not right in the head.

              I mean I induced a disability in myself because I am arrogant.

              • [Deactivated] on 07/04/2019 - 16:26
                +2

                @Word:

                Majority of people could probably indentify that I am not right in the head.

                Have you ever been diagnosed with a personality disorder?

                • Word on 08/04/2019 - 14:37

                  @[Deactivated]: Before the tinnitus no.

                  • [Deactivated] on 08/04/2019 - 14:40

                    @Word:

                    Before the tinnitus no.

                    How about after?

                    • Word on 08/04/2019 - 14:46

                      @[Deactivated]: Granted I believe my tinnitus has altered my personality type.

                      Furthermore, I believe it is hard not to be distracted by tinnitus.

                      So I believe the GPs are grasping at straws.

          • [Deactivated] on 06/04/2019 - 14:36

            @Word: You have to be careful saying that, as recently 25 year olds with investments are often bitcoin fakers importing meth.

            • idonotknowwhy on 06/04/2019 - 22:23

              @[Deactivated]: Or they've just picked good US tech stocks

              • Word on 07/04/2019 - 10:01
                +1

                @idonotknowwhy: I simply ignore these people.

                Because they are often annoyed that they are unable to found investments while other people are able to do so.

                They no different from those who claim no on ozbargain makes over $100k because they are on $50k.

                He is most likely a person who believes high saving rates returns a profit and not a loss.

                Hell those with the correct knowledge or skills can easily found optimal value in market permutations.

                This is not what I did myself.

                Rather:

                Modern Portfolio theory was utilised to invest time and effort into making a return.

                Therefore, my finances are spread across zero, low, moderate and high risk.

                Each with their own standard deviation of return.

                • pos on 08/04/2019 - 12:24

                  @Word: This makes no sense.
                  Also, if you believed in MPT you would be holding only two types of assets - the risk-free asset and the optimal portfolio. There would be no need to account for each asset by its total risk and would ignore correlations between them. Standard deviation is not a suitable measure for risk, and certainly not on an individual asset level.
                  Not to mention how difficult it is to work out what your returns will be. Even famous investors like Buffett don't claim it is easy to pick investments.

                  • Word on 08/04/2019 - 14:06

                    @pos: Please refresh my memory which theory utilises the cosine rule?

                    Because my portfolio is based off that calculation.

                    Regardless, the portfolio in my case acts as a sort of basel III contingency that offsets the risk from other revenues.

                    These revenues being a mixture of arbitrage and value investing.

                    • pos on 08/04/2019 - 14:44

                      @Word: Nothing you'd be using would involve the cosine rule. Maybe you mean co-variance? In which case it could be anything (including MPT).
                      "basel III contingency that offsets the risk from other revenues" What on earth does this mean? BIII is a form of banking regulation, it has little to do with offsetting risk (from which 'other revenues' you mean is unclear).

                      • Word on 08/04/2019 - 15:06

                        @pos: The calculation I was referring to was the standard deviation of a portfolio.

                        Notice how that takes the form of the cosine rule?

                        However, you are correct to state that it is not modern portfolio theory.

                        Mixed the names up as a result of learn both at the same time.

                        Do you understand things you learn can be applied to other aspects?

                        Example: Rule of thumb for finances is the basel III 30 day liquidity.

                        The other revenues are:
                        "Mixture of arbitrage and value investing."

                        These are found using selenium and beautiful soup.

                        • pos on 08/04/2019 - 15:15

                          @Word: This is awesome.

  • [Deactivated] on 06/04/2019 - 14:38
    -4

    Excessive exposure to energy in the form of sound is cured by silence. If you blinded your eyes by looking into bright light would you not seek out the darkness to allow your eyes to readjust themselves back to normal?

  • Gauntlet on 06/04/2019 - 14:38
    +1

    I like how you'll do anything OTHER than what your doctor tells you. Come on dude, just because you think you're well read on the subject does not beat the experience and expertise of a doctor.

    • Word on 06/04/2019 - 14:43

      GPs are generally clueless in regards to tinnitus.

      In fact the GP I visited had to actually research tinnitus and thought a cure was already on the market.

      For the ENT it took me three months to book an appointment.

      • BartholemewH on 06/04/2019 - 15:35

        I remember my first ENT appoontment: You dun goofed boy, if it goes away in 18? odd days you'll be fine, if not its permanent. There is no treatment. Bye.

        • Word on 06/04/2019 - 16:17

          Exactly.

          The medical community is not helpful when it comes to tinnitus.

          Basically the ENT tested my hearing and than said bye.

          No more helpful than an audiologist.

          • diazepam on 08/04/2019 - 01:38

            @Word: if the ENT surgeon said that, what else would you like to hear?

    • pegaxs on 06/04/2019 - 15:51
      +4

      You would have better luck convincing OP by mentioning healing stones, alignment of ones chakra and to find their cure using yoga… good lord, what a load of bollocks.

      • [Deactivated] on 06/04/2019 - 15:54

        So when you burn yourself with the hot water tap you don't put it under the cold water tap to reverse the damage done? You go to the doctor and get a drug to take instead?

        • pegaxs on 06/04/2019 - 16:02
          +2

          A burn on the back of the hand is completely different to ruptured eardrums or years of aural abuse. I can’t just pour the equivalent of cold water on my ear drums to reverse the damage.

          Having tinnitus is like having your arm ground off. You can’t just fix it by putting an ice pack on it. One day, you will get off the gaming rig and find out that the damage is more permanent, and there is no amount of “going camping” that will fix busted ear holes.

          • [Deactivated] on 06/04/2019 - 17:26
            -5

            @pegaxs: Damage is only temporary, it's the solution that is permanent. Light won't shine forever unlike the darkness which is forever..

            Funny thing was about a month ago I slipped on the footpath and fell straight back on my back and head. I broke two bones in my spine and had a concussion. The ambo that came and picked me up the first thing they did was try to give me a drug (panadol).

            I was like mate I've just collided with solid particle energy that is concrete I need to be put in something which lacks solid particles which would be a fluid like a pool of water where the solid atoms are dispersed. Can you just take me to the ocean and put me in a nice calm area of the water. He was like haha hmm it's a good idea but no we can't sorry we have to take you to hospital which the first thing they did there was again try to give me another drug, some other pain killer more powerful than panadol.

            In the end, I finally managed to get myself moving by myself (spinal cord wasn't damaged thankfully) and checked out as quick as I could then caught a cab down to the waterfront where I just floated back in the water. Ahh the pressure relief was amazing… It took two weeks of constant water treatment before I felt my back was back to a state I considered near normality. The surgeon in ER advised it would be atleast 6 weeks. Which would probably be true if I chose to take drugs to treat the pain the problem was causing rather than treating the problem itself which was exposure to excessive solid particle energy.

            • pegaxs on 06/04/2019 - 17:58
              +2

              @[Deactivated]: All these car crash victims will be happy to know that all they need to do after colliding with solid objects, is to just go and lay in something soft.

              So, paraplegics just need to hang out with people who have legs?? And maybe some of the leg magic from the biped will transfer to the non-biped?

              Think I’ll just stick with an Indian dreamweaver totem, a laughing Buddha statue and some essential oils

            • Baysew on 06/04/2019 - 20:45
              +3

              @[Deactivated]:

              about a month ago I slipped on the footpath and fell straight back on my back and head

              I have absolutely no problem with your statement that you have fallen on your head.

            • belongsinforums on 07/04/2019 - 01:14

              @[Deactivated]: wtf

    • wyrmy on 06/04/2019 - 17:15
      +3

      "Energy radiates from an area of high energy to an area of lower energy:
      Nope. Throwing in a bunch of generic science sounding words together doesn't make it meaningful. Unless your target audience is the same as Deepak Chopras.

      "heat transfer from where it is hot to where it is cold"
      Yup. But not for the reason above.

      "Light energy radiates from where it is bright to where it is dark."
      Nope.

  • BartholemewH on 06/04/2019 - 15:19
    +2

    I have had severe noise induced tinnitus and hyperacusis since I was 16. I am now 36. How long have you had this OP? I know you feel overwhelmed and possibly that your life is over. This is not the case. I have been frantic in the past, but you will need to look at this as improving your coping mechanisms rather than reducing your symptoms.

    • Word on 06/04/2019 - 15:28

      Have you seen the mute button?

      Because apparently it works well on people with hyperacusis.

      • BartholemewH on 06/04/2019 - 22:43

        Sorry I was travelling. No I haven't heard of the mute button. My hyperacusis has faded over time. I think that paranoia regarding noise exposure (ergo damage) is a major contributor to hyperacusis.

  • Lexus101 on 06/04/2019 - 16:50

    Hi Word & Bart

    (Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, all advice are freely given so as to help a fellow mate, use what you deem relevant and discard what is not. If in doubt, seek advice from a medical practitioner).

    I suffered the same for the last decade. My condition was very bad if not extreme. I could not go shopping, I could not dine out, I stayed indoors for 6mths and eventually stop work etc.

    I have seen all manner of medical professionals and pseudo professionals to try and resolve this, all to no avail.

    Before you think it's all doom and gloom. It is not, I am much better today.

    Tinnitus and Hyperacusis - is invariably caused by audiological degeneration in one form or another. If after seeing a medical professional to rule out serious conditions like: hearing nerve carcinoma and other forms of diseases; then it most likely due to heightened brain-hearing-perception disorder.

    This heightened perception or lack of stimuli in the affected areas causes our brains to try and fill in the void, unfortunately, it does not do a good job at that, often over compensating.

    Foods to Avoid: capsicum, fried foods, alcohol, oily foods, reduce oven baked foods.

    Foods that Help: Quality Vitamin C (1000-2000mg/day), steamed/boiled meat, stews, fish, veges. Drink lots of water and keep hydrated.

    Reduce all Stressors (important): Try not to be anxious, go for walks, reduce work stress, cultivate healthy friendships. This helps the condition tremendously.

    If you manage to read this far, then I want to say this: "You Will Get Better, Know This Truth".

    Here's the kicker, the tinnitus and hyperacusis does not really go away, however, our brain learns (with time, takes weeks and months) to adjust the volume down internally. It becomes manageable and more tolerable.

    Eventually, you will be able to live a fulfilling life and do almost everything you wish, except skydiving, that's a no-no :)

    I can do almost anything now BUT I avoid ultra noisy areas like the plague.

    Hope that helps you.

    • try2bhelpful on 06/04/2019 - 18:29
      +1

      What you are doing is a good idea for people without tinnitus as well.

      • Word on 06/04/2019 - 18:44

        I was also taking a whole foods vitamin the doctor also stated that was a bad idea.

        • try2bhelpful on 07/04/2019 - 00:36

          Much better off trying to get your vitamins from natural sources rather than pills. With tablets
          at best expensive urine, and worst can do damage.

          • Word on 07/04/2019 - 13:02
            -1

            @try2bhelpful: The majority of people just read the word vitamin and instantly claim it is bad.

            Whole foods vitamin are those taken from vegetables and fruit aka natural sources.

            For example Spirulina.

  • wyrmy on 06/04/2019 - 17:10

    Have you heard of some of the more recent advancements in tinnitus cures?

    Some of the research points to being able to retrain the brain to apply filters rather than try to fix the ears pathways. This is a quick google search I did: http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/10/422/eaal3175/tab-pdf

    There is also an older customised wave generator which is applied for multiple hours a day which helps with de-tuning the brain.

    I've had relatively mild tinnitus for close to a decade and spend a lot of time researching some relief. Came to terms with it a few years ago, but if mine got worse I would book in for the customised audiowave treatments.

  • unelectric on 06/04/2019 - 17:57

    That sounds like my worst nightmare. I wouldn't wish tinnitus on my enemy.

    • Word on 06/04/2019 - 18:23
      -1

      My ears were super human because of that they were my favourite sense.

      That is why I reacted so badly to the tinnitus.

      I thought my worse nightmare was coming true.

      Than it did.

  • pos on 06/04/2019 - 18:27

    How much sarcosine did you take?
    Have you considered trying the GPs suggestion? Also GPs are a lot like mechanics - some are good and some are bad. Try some other GPs.

    • Word on 06/04/2019 - 18:53
      +1

      1.2 grams a day for 4 weeks.

      Granted before that sarcosine was reported as safe on Wikipedia and than I updated the page.

      I was planning on trying it for a day than stopping. However, because of other family dramas I forgot.

      • pos on 06/04/2019 - 22:54
        +1

        Seems the recommended does for schizophrenia is 1-2g, so doesn’t seem too crazy.

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