Lenire Tinnitus Treatment

[amirm]

Thanks to whoever posted about this new treatment for Tinnitus, I signed up on their waiting list a few months ago. I thought they wouldn't call me as they have no providers in Washington state. To my surprise a couple of weeks ago an Audiologist from Alaska (!) contacted me saying he is also licensed in Washington state (prior to that, I got a questionnaire from Lenire). Before they would do anything for me, they required an audiologist report/exam from a local lab. Had that scheduled for earlier this afternoon. I asked the Dr. that was running my test about this treatment. She said the research looks good and that every audiology lab in US is clamoring to sign up to provide it! She said the company is very picky on who they bring onboard. She also said I was lucky to have gotten through as they have a ton of patients that are still waiting. She said a number of people had actually flown to Alaska to get the treatment!

My tinnitus is pretty much under control and I only hear it when thinking about it, as in right now! And sometimes when there are loud sounds or my allergies get bad. Still would be nice to have it treated. Mine is the type that is the frequencies I don't hear anymore, i.e. very high pitch sound.

I thought I keep you all posted on this in case you are also interested. If you have tinnitus, I suggest getting on their waiting list just in case the outcome is positive for me and you want to try it as well.

 

[Pe8er]

Fantastic news for you! Do keep us posted on how it goes, as a tinnitus victim myself I hope it goes better than your Lenovo situation

 

[DavidMcRoy]

I have the exact same symptoms that you have, Amir. I "hear" a very high tone at a frequency that I can no longer actually hear. I suspect that it may be 15750Hz, the tone that old NTSC TV monitors used to emit. I was surrounded by like a hundred of them at all times while working in TV broadcasting for 35 years. I haven't received any treatment of any kind, but I don't always notice its presence. Thinking about it will bring it on.

 

[DudleyDuoflush]

Thanks for posting this Amir - I hadn't heard of this treatment so will look it up in the UK. My Tinnitus is an always present tone of around 13kHz that varies in perceived loundness. It's pretty much destroyed my high frequency hearing so any chance of at least mitigating the noise is welcome. The hardest thing for me was accepting I will never have silence again.

 

[ehabheikal]

Thanks for posting this Amir - I hadn't heard of this treatment so will look it up in the UK. My Tinnitus is an always present tone of around 13kHz that varies in perceived loundness. It's pretty much destroyed my high frequency hearing so any chance of at least mitigating the noise is welcome. The hardest thing for me was accepting I will never have silence again.

Have not had silence since i was 15!

 

[Hayabusa]

Thanks to whoever posted about this new treatment for Tinnitus, I signed up on their waiting list a few months ago. I thought they wouldn't call me as they have no providers in Washington state. To my surprise a couple of weeks ago an Audiologist from Alaska (!) contacted me saying he is also licensed in Washington state (prior to that, I got a questionnaire from Lenire). Before they would do anything for me, they required an audiologist report/exam from a local lab. Had that scheduled for earlier this afternoon. I asked the Dr. that was running my test about this treatment. She said the research looks good and that every audiology lab in US is clamoring to sign up to provide it! She said the company is very picky on who they bring onboard. She also said I was lucky to have gotten through as they have a ton of patients that are still waiting. She said a number of people had actually flown to Alaska to get the treatment!

My tinnitus is pretty much under control and I only hear it when thinking about it, as in right now! And sometimes when there are loud sounds or my allergies get bad. Still would be nice to have it treated. Mine is the type that is the frequencies I don't hear anymore, i.e. very high pitch sound.

I thought I keep you all posted on this in case you are also interested. If you have tinnitus, I suggest getting on their waiting list just in case the outcome is positive for me and you want to try it as well.

how does such a treatment work?

I found the website:

What is Lenire?​

Lenire is a non-invasive medical device that uses bimodal neuromodulation to treat tinnitus symptoms.​

Lenire delivers mild electrical pulses to the tongue combined with sound played through headphones to drive changes in the brain to treat tinnitus. The device is fitted and used in accordance with a tailored treatment plan prescribed by an appropriately qualified healthcare professional, such as an audiologist or ENT surgeon.

 

[amirm]

how does such a treatment work?

It is a dual-stimulus thing. You stick something in your mouth while it also drives sound through headphones. Somehow this causes the brain to work differently and cures the issue for most people. See this nice short video from an independent doctor:

 

[Hayabusa]

It is a dual-stimulus thing. You stick something in your mouth while it also drives sound through headphones. Somehow this causes the brain to work differently and cures the issue for most people. See this nice short video from an independent doctor:

Impressive result...

 

[Cool Runnings]

Thanks for the PSA chief. Not available in my region yet. Pls keep us posted about how well it works for you. It'll definitely bring long term tinnitus sufferers like me a new lease of life not just for audiophile purposes.

 

[amadeogt]

Thank you for the information about the Lenire. I read about it but haven't had the chance to try it (not available where I live).

I would like to add something regarding tinnitus treatments, that changed my life and might be helpful to others: check if you have a temporomandibular disorder (TMD).

I have slightly crooked teeth, and it causes an almost imperceptible malocclusion of the jaw. The problem is, this causes a small part of the jawbone to push against certain auditory structures, reducing blood flow to the ear.

The pressure causes tinnitus - and the blood deprivation, over time, might kill ear cells, leading to hearing loss. It can be especially harmful if you have bruxism (teeth grinding during the night). See this link for a medical explanation: https://mskneurology.com/association-tinnitus-neck-tmj/

I went to a TMD doctor and started wearing a small bite guard, made of plastic, to sleep. It didn't reverse my (mild) hearing loss - but reduced tinnitus by 90 percent.

 

[kemmler3D]

Really interesting and happy for you @amirm that you'll get to try it. I have a bit of tinnitus myself and it's at the point that it's a little distracting during quiet passages of music. Will be nice to treat it someday. Eagerly awaiting the review...

I am hoping the cilia / neuron regenerative therapies come to fruition someday, but if we can't get high frequencies back, at least we could stop these annoying tones...

 

[Sined]

Hoping it is not in the "too good to be true" category. Keep us posted Amir !

(Hoping one day I will be able to listen to music without this sinewave generator working in the background )

 

[badboygolf16v]

I've had tinnitus for decades. About 15 years ago I was prescribed mirtazipine and my tinnitus disappeared - blessed silence! I couldn't tolerate the mirtazipine so stopped it almost immediately. I'd forgotten about its unusual side-effect until I read this thread.

 

[Martin]

I think that was me...

A Real Cure for Tinnitus

Very interesting. Not available near me yet but I signed up on the waitlist. Martin

www.audiosciencereview.com

You are most welcome.

I signed up back when I posted and still get regular emails letting me know they are working on lining up providers in my area. Fingers crossed. My tinnitus is pretty much a constant 8,800Hz and goes from soft tones in the background to noticeably loud.

Martin

 

[tmtomh]

Thanks @amirm ! (and thank you @Martin !). I just checked out the web site and there's one provider in my area. I reached out to them and will see what they say.

My tinnitus is generally high-frequency too, seemingly at the edge of or beyond what I can actually hear. However, there is also a lower tone that pops up once in a while in one ear, seemingly when I'm very tired, stressed, or my neck is out of alignment. It's low-level and only shows up when I go to sleep and have that ear flat down on the pillow.

Like everyone else, mine is clearly neurological and related to damage and aging. But I also notice that it's aggravated by back and neck issues - misalignment, and tension/soreness in the muscles that run from the trapezius up the side of the neck and head, right by the ears.

 

[ehabheikal]

Need this a badly hope it works.

 

[kemmler3D]

Just in case this helps anyone:

If I lie down in bed with earplugs (I sleep with them, so this is every day) and concentrate on my tinnitus tones in a certain way, I can make them go away for a bit. The "technique" if you want to call it that, is to imagine I've applied a notch filter to the tones, and I'm gradually lowering the gain.

It probably sounds silly and on-the-nose for an audio forum... but I think this works for me because I've used PEQ so damn much in my life. I started playing with FL Studio almost 20 years ago, and so this is a pretty well-ingrained idea for me. YMMV.

The core of it is for my conscious mind to remind ... whatever part of my brain is responsible for tinnitus that the tones aren't real, and that I would like them to go away.

They always come back after a while, but if I am feeling bothered by it, it gets me a break for an hour or so.

 

[Timcognito]

Here is the science study that launched it

How am I still enjoying music with my age related hearing loss?

I had a hearing test yesterday. It's been 4 years since my last one and with constant tinnitus caused by concerts, motorcycles etc I should do them regularly. The verdict that my hearing was fine apart from age related loss. Probably exacerbated though. My hearing in fine in the critical...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Hayabusa]

also nice to read:

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.aal3175

 

[TimF]

From June 2, 2023 JAMA article:
June 2, 2023

Reversing Synchronized Brain Circuits Using Targeted Auditory-Somatosensory Stimulation to Treat Phantom PerceptsA Randomized Clinical Trial​

Gerilyn R. Jones, AuD1; David T. Martel, PhD1; Travis L. Riffle, AuD, PhD1; et alJosh Errickson, PhD5; Jacqueline R. Souter, AuD1; Gregory J. Basura, MD, PhD1; Emily Stucken, MD1; Kara C. Schvartz-Leyzac, AuD, PhD4; Susan E. Shore, PhD1,2,3
Author Affiliations Article Information
JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(6):e2315914. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.15914


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Abstract

Key Points
Question Does precisely timed bisensory (auditory and somatosensory) stimulation reduce tinnitus in humans with somatic tinnitus and does extended treatment lead to longer-lasting reductions in tinnitus symptoms?
Findings In this randomized clinical trial involving 99 participants with somatic tinnitus, statistically significant reductions in tinnitus loudness level as well as statistically significant and clinically meaningful reductions in Tinnitus Functional Index and Tinnitus Handicap Inventory scores were observed after bisensory treatment but not after auditory-only treatment. Bisensory treatment effect outlasted the treatment phase through the washout phase.
Meaning Findings from this trial suggest that 6 weeks of precisely timed bisensory treatment provides a lasting decrement in tinnitus for adults.