Cannabis and Tinnitus

Well, as most of us know cannabis is used to help reduce pressure in the eye (glaucoma). Well I was thinking does it have any effect against tinnitus, since some forms of tinnitus are due to pressure in the nerves.

I have suffered from mild-moderate tinnitus for years now (mostly in my right ear), and every time I smoke weed I never seem to hear it, maybe because the weed is making me ignore the tinnitus... or maybe something else... I was thinking that it may be reducing the pressure in my ears causing a temporary relief.

Does anyone else suffer from tinnitus and has found that weed can help alleviate the problem?

Here's what I found online, it's apparently from a forum discussion about a video called "Cannabis From The Chemist" from the BBC site. Here is one reader's response:

And here is the link to the page, there's no video there, but you can find the transcript:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/panorama/1625124.stm

Then again, I found articles stating that cannabis can actually aggrevate the symptoms:

Here's some more for you:

And another one...

I would give it a try, I don't think smoking would be the way to go. From what it seems it doesn't work as well as eating it. You could always try both I suppose. You can find cannabis recipes here:

http://recipes.marijuana.com

Hope that helps.

Since THC is a vasodilator wouldn't it have the opposite effect?

I don't have tinnitus but I do find that I need to turn the TV up when I'm high because I tend to hear things when high that I don't hear otherwise: heartbeat, breathing, wind, house creaking, street noises, etc. These are all things you automatically filter out of consciousness when you're sober. I'm aware of them only when I'm high.

You wouldn't want tinnitus... Whenever I go into a quiet room it gets louder and louder until I start worrying and nearly going crazy. Sometimes if I realise its there it will get me thinking about it, and I will hear it, while other times I never hear it.

I have to have some sort of noise in the night otherwise I am unable to sleep, we have a dehumidifier which makes a nice whirring noise which is enough to take my mind off it, but I was thinking maybe weed could help me even further.

Thanks for the info Higher Logic, I will try some weed soon and see if the tinnitus is worse or better.

I have the vibratory kind, where I hear my pulse all the time. I also have the severe ringing that is persisitant. I was diagnosed with this years ago, when I was a teenager. (loud music) Smoking helps me relax where I don't pay as much attention to it. It bothers me the most at night, when I am trying to sleep. I have found being stoned, and sleeping with something that produces a noise will help. I worked nights for years because it was easier for me to sleep during the day with all the background noise around me, I couldn't hear what was going on in my ears. I have had panic attacks before because the sound would get so loud, it is scarey. Keep smoking That helps too!!!

I agree. I can hear sounds that normally are just blocked out, especially low conversations. This is actually probably why a lot of young users have panic attacks, because they can actually hear their heart beat and all kinds of things that they normally didn't, so they start to worry. Just my theory...

No, no, no, this isn't my heart...

iamskfan, i've nearly had a few panic attacks too because of it.

No, I'm talking about people who have panic attacks but don't have tinnitus; a big majority of them claim that they started getting nervous as soon as they realize their heart was racing and that they could literally hear their heart beat like it was thumping and coming out of their chest.

My panic attacks were scarey! The pulse and ringing in my ears would get so loud, it would drive me insane (felt like literally). I would cry, and rock myself (sounds like I am insane doesn't it?). I haven't had a panic attack from it in a long time. I have noticed though, now, it is the worse when I have a head cold. I guess the added pressure effects it. I always try to keep some kind of outside noise going on around me, that helps keep the focus off of what is going on in my ears. Good luck!

I just been the doctors and got some Betahistine Dihydrochloride which is used for reducing pressure in the ear. I would recommend you ask the doctor about this iamskfan, I haven't tried it yet but I will soon.

Prescription drugs with marijuana?

I am 44 and female. About 3 years ago I was trying to quit smoking cigarettes and was drinking alot of Tim Horton coffee when I took what I thought was the beginning of a heart attack. After a week in the hospital, and numerous tests I was told that what I had was a panic attack. I left the hospital being put on Ativan, Effexor and a stomach pill Pariet. I took this medication and every now and then I would feel anxious and think I was going to have one of these attacks. I did have 1 more. Just about everyone I know smokes pot. I never did get into smoking pot when I was younger, I always found it made me giggley, hungry and sleepy. A friend of mine suggested that I try smoking some to see if it would help me to manage my stress. So I did. Meanwhile I still was taking my other medication. I felt great. My husband and I would wait until the kids were in bed and then we would sit back at the end of the day and puff away. Very relaxing! Then just about 1 week ago we decided to give it a break for awhile because we were smoking more than just a joint in the everning. I have been feeling anxious, sick to my stomach, and just plain miserable. Now I am thinking I should start smoking it again. But what about this other medication I am still on? Does anyone out there know anything about taking the 3 together? I want to get off of the effexor and ativan, I take 1 effexor aday 150 mg, and 2 ativan aday 1mg. I have told my family doctor this and he just don't really what to say. He doesn't say anything negative about it, or about the mixture. But when I read about the sped up heartrate with weed what is going on with me? I feel like I am totally uninformed about all of this. Please help!!

I don't think that the medication I'm on will help you but it's worth asking the doctor, cannabis is the only natural medicine to combat stress that is actually effective, the only answer I could give you is to continue smoking the pot or slowing reduce it if you wish to stop...

Well, here is my experiance input: My tinnitus - it seems to decrease if not disappear. Even if I sit and try to hear the ringing in my ear. Also, it seems to change the sensation of pain, does not eliminate it for me, but changes it. I am currently using Gabapention, Hydrocodone, and Ibuprofen for pain management. If i take a small amount of marajuana, it seems to help a lot.

I have a severe debilitating form of tinnitus that started 2 years ago. On the advice of 2 Dr.'s I tried medical-m (that the Dr. provided) and it has saved me from addiction to other painkillers. I can take one dose in the evening and my head will not be screaming at me for nearly 12-14 hours.
All My life I have heard the bad things about marijuana...I was afraid to even try it after the Dr. told me to.
For me is works wonderfully. I do not take any other doses of anything.

this has happend to me

my ears started ringing a couple weeks ago, not very often and only when i was high. and it started up once again but it was everytime i was high. and it was very loud and extremely painful. do you know if there is a way to cure this so that i can be high in peace

i have symptoms where i get intense ringing in my ears, only after smokeing cannabis, both my parents dont know what it is and what me to stop smokeing before going to the docter, i am very worried about it because i have had 2 panic attacks from my ears ringing. i dont know what to do or how to get it to go away, is there anything you can do to help me out ?

hi everyone... i ended up registering just to get in on this forum topic ...i am currently suffering from tinnitus and the side effects (depression,anxiety,stress,and various mental things).

it's been an on going thing .. i am desperate..the dr.'s don't have anything to tell me that makes sense.i think they don't believe me and think i am just makin it up.. it's pushing me towards mental breakdown.

even my wife and family don't understand or think it's serious ..
and i can't see a real dr. because i am unemployed and have government aid/health ...

i am treated as somthing to just throw pills at and pass along .. one guy even suggested i take all of my sleeping pills and it would make everything go away.

i can't take this .. i cry randomly for no reason at all ..it's tearing me apart..

pot is the only thing that helps me cope with it...but,it's not free ..i got no card and that does'nt make it free either...

the one person that would help me got thrown in jail for possession ... i don't know what to do..

i am sorry that this how i am starting off here..but, i have noone that'll listen and noone would believe me..

i did a quick reply trying to get in on the forum... i feel stupid ... right now i feel like ..i dunno ...desperate.. i cant get away from this ringing.

it's makin me crazy ..noone believes me

i have had tinnitus now for...lets see...2008...september if memory serves...tinnitus seems to affect my memory...i smoke pot and i find that it eleviates the constant 24/7, 365 ringing in my head...not ears...it's the misfire if nerves that connects the ears to the brain...any ways...pot does work for me...and when i don't have it...the ringing...is def louder and more noticeable...pot may be illegal in some states, but is slowly getting it's recognition from even the most reputable doctors...i too am unemployed...(only during the winter)...so getting a card from the state is prob gonna be hard...not having a regular doc certainly doesn't help...my recommendation...to all the skeptics...don't knock the dope until you try it...it may make you feel different for a little while, but your body adjusts to the effects... over the years of smoking, one gets used to it and make me feel much better...i find that it is not a gateway drug...it does help many areas of discomfort...plus helps you sleep...and someday you probably will be able to grow it in your garden...without the law friggin' with ya...so...smoke em if you got em...tinnitus is bad no matter how good or bad it is...it just plain sucks...so smoke up...

Shhhh! Can you hear that?

There is nothing quite like hearing sounds that other people can't hear.

I have different tones in both ears, with an occasional "powering up" whir that fades away. It usually amplifies when I am mad or stressed. No hearing loss, according to the specialist who said "nothing can be done, you are just getting old." Thanks, doc.

So here is how I approach tinnitus.

Apathy and denial(learned about in rehab in 80's)

I simply deny that I hear the sounds and forget that they are there. When I do hear them again(thanks to someone asking me how my tinnitus is) I just don't care. Noises? So what? What noises? Who cares?

If somebody looks at me like I am crazy(true) I just tell them to press their ear up to mine and I am sure they will hear the screaming too. That usually shuts them up.

When none of that works I resort to gratitude. It's kind of like a daily indicator that I am still alive, a comfort in old age, sort of. So, no maddening hums, means that I'm dead.



It's kind of like " I'm giving her all I got, Captain. Can't you hear the turbines spinning?"

It's a good sound. (repeat)


Other things:

I have never heard my heart beat due to cannabis consumption.


Crazy? Of course we are. I get a constant juke box too. Now that will drive you nutty. And who decides what to play? Not me.

Card? What card. Oh yes, not in my state(we arrest 70 yr old men for a joint here). You must be talking about the "get out of jail free, card". Don't have that either.

I live in a "just say drug war" state.