Amino acid therapy for ear ringing (tinnitus)

Tinnitus is often described as a persistent ringing, buzzing, or hissing sound in the ears. It’s a relatively common condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Despite its prevalence, tinnitus — like many other auditory pathologies — remains a challenging condition to treat, primarily due to its complex etiology and the often somewhat subjective nature of its symptoms.

Tinnitus can be caused by numerous factors, some of which are unknown. Some of the most well known factors are hearing damage from loud noises like loud concerts and gun shots. Current ‘mainstream’ treatment options are virtually non existent.

The underlying mechanisms of tinnitus are overtake multifaceted, but they often stem from damage to the hair cells in the inner ear. These hair cells are needed for converting sound vibrations into electrical signals that the brain interprets as sound. When these cells are damaged—due to factors such as exposure to loud noises, aging, or ototoxic medications—an imbalance in neurotransmitter activity occurs within the auditory pathway itself.That imbalance then lead to hyperactivity of certain neurons, resulting in the perception of sound in the absence of external auditory stimuli.

Taurine — a possible cheap remedy for tinnitus

Taurine is a sulphur containing amino acid you may be familiar with. I’ve discussed it numerous times for its benefits in promoting bile flow, liver health, and cellular hydration (it’s a great osmolite). Taurine may also have some therapeutic action in tinnitus.

Some published research shows that taurine has high affinity (likelihood of binding) for inhibitory neurotransmitter receptors, particularly strychnine-sensitive glycine receptors prevalent in the dorsal cochlear nucleus and other brainstem auditory structures. The DCN is crucial for sound localization (basically determining where sounds come from), the analysis of complex auditory signals, and has been implicated DIRECTLY in the development of tinnitus.

Enhanced inhibition within the auditory brainstem does appear help suppress the increased spontaneous and bursting activity (irregular firing of neurons) observed in DCN output neurons in animal models of tinnitus. In layman’s terms, that means we’re quieting down those neurons that result in the perception of sound. Specifically in the absence of external stimuli as mentioned above. Aka, tinnitus

Taurine exhibits intermediate-to-low affinity for wild-type GABA_A receptors (a type of receptor that responds to the neurotransmitter GABA, which is also inhibitory) found throughout the central auditory system. However, it shows higher affinity for extrasynaptic GABA_A receptors containing α4 subunits, particularly in the thalamus (a brain region involved in sensory processing)

Extrasynaptic GABA_A receptors, concentrated in the medial geniculate body (another auditory processing area), and play a super big role in regulating neuronal excitability (how easily neurons fire) Evidence suggests that physiologically relevant concentrations of taurine can inhibit thalamic neurons and regulate excitability via these extrasynaptic receptors

Confused? All of this is to simply say that we are quieting down those over active neurons that contribute to tinnitus

Given taurine's role as an agonist (a substance that activates a receptor) at inhibitory amino acid neurotransmitter receptors, it may reduce background neural activity through enhanced inhibition, improving signal-to-noise separation (the ability to focus on relevant sounds amid background noise) in auditory processing.

Recent studies indicate that [quote] —

“normal-hearing rats supplemented with taurine exhibited improved auditory discrimination across a broad frequency range” This improvement suggests that enhanced inhibitory function may facilitate frequency detection, particularly in aging animals where loss of GABA and glycine function is noted” (Caspary et al., 2008; Hughes et al., 2009).

The therapeutic effects of taurine on tinnitus have been explored in various studies (one of which was quoted above) , demonstrating its capacity to alleviate symptoms. Animal studies have shown that taurine supplementation can lead to improved auditory processing and reduced tinnitus-like behaviors. For instance, findings suggest that taurine may effectively alleviate tinnitus by enhancing inhibitory neurotransmitter function in the auditory system as mentioned, especially in regions where acoustic trauma (damage from loud sounds) has the most significant impact.

While these are just animal studies, there’s absolutely zero harm in giving taurine a shot.

Interestingly, the therapeutic effects of taurine appear to persist even after the discontinuation of supplementation! In studies where rats received taurine for 27 days, evidence of tinnitus returned only at specific frequencies and not across the board. This lingering effect could indicate that elevated taurine levels in the brain could persist well beyond its clearance from the bloodstream.

The observed differential attenuation (reduction) of tinnitus symptoms at varying frequencies raises intriguing questions about the mechanisms underlying taurine's efficacy. Certain frequencies, such as 16 kHz, experienced more significant improvements compared to others, such as 20 kHz. This may correlate with the degree of trauma experienced at those differing frequencies but it’s hard to say. taurine's stabilizing effects on auditory processing are most pronounced in tonotopic areas (regions of the brain that respond to specific sound frequencies) affected by acoustic trauma.

Additionally, taurine regulates calcium ions which are critical in various cellular processes, including neurotransmitter release and neuronal excitability. Dysregulation of calcium levels can also really contribute to the hyperactivity observed in tinnitus. Taurine is known to modulate calcium influx in cells, possibly helping to restore balance in calcium signaling within the auditory system.

How is it used?

Supplement directly with 3-4g of taurine daily. I like the bulk supplements brand. Taurine can be relaxing for some, so using it in the evening may be best. Experiment and see what works for you. I personally just use it in my water during training since it helps with electrolyte balance.

Another consideration — L-theanine

While there’s less research looking at the effects of L-theanine (another amino acid) on tinnitus comparitively to taurine, I think we can make a case for it considering some of the mechanisms above. As mentioned, reducing glutamatergic excitotoxicity may help alleviate tinnitus symptoms by minimizing nitric oxide - mediated otoneurotoxicity. Several supplements have been identified that can potentially mitigate glutamate's excitotoxic effects, and l-theanine is one of them. It does this by binding to NDA receptors, inhibiting excessive activation by glutamate. Mechanistic studies do suggest that theanine can protect against neuronal over-excitation, and I believe this could also make it a potential adjunct therapy for tinnitus

How is it used?

You can use theanine in the evening for relaxation, or with stimulants for better focus. It also pairs very nicely with coffee by enhancing and sharpening the pro-cognitive benefits of caffeine while rounding out the jitters. It’s one of the oldest nootropic combinations in existence. While it’s often supplemented at low doses, I’ve heard of some people mega-dosing and going as high as a gram. I’m not sure that this is necessary, but it’s likely something you could experiment with. Anywhere between 200-1000 mg appears to be effective, although the 200-400 mg range seems to be the most common. Any brand works.

Attenuating inner ear hair cell damage

In addition to modulating the the pathways above, there may also be some novel ways to directly attenuate damage done to the hairs cells in the inner ear directly. I wrote an article on this you can read bellow, detailing my personal journey reversing partial hearing loss and tinnitus

https://www.patreon.com/posts/106310299?utm_campaign=postshare_creator