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LCHF Diets and Tinnitus

kitedoc

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,785
Location
Adelaide, South Australia
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Dislikes
black jelly beans
It has been 8 weeks for me on the very low carb high fat diet as a T1D.
In the past may be 2 weeks I have noted this mild high-pitched ringing on both sides, fluctuating a bit if I am walking
like it is sort of pulsing a bit but not when at rest.
It does not disturb my sleep and if I am occupied it does not intrude.
I have read various comments in other forums where some find their pre-existing tinnitus disappears when they go low carb (but not stating how low carb that is) whilst others seem to find that tinnitus starts up.
I also know that one thing that helps some tinnitus sufferers is a very low salt diet. And certainly with more cheese in my diet now than in the past I know that my salt intake is higher.
Anybody had same or different experiences? Anything that helped ease it or made it worse?
 
I get a mild form of this. It has not receded at all but I am not super low carbing, only reduced carbing.
 
Hi @kitedoc

This is a link to an interview between Kraft and Ivor Cummins.
It is a long one (over an hour, so get a cuppa), and covers his insulin resistance studies for Type 2s and the connection with hyperinsulinaemia and heart disease.
So obviously of limited interest to you!

However, I distinctly remember that part of the interview covers the connection between hyperinsulinaemia and tinnitus. Please note that is a connection with hyperinsulinaemia, not a connection with T2, since the tinnitus often arrives first, just as the later appearance of T2 is also a symptom of hyperinsulinaemia.

Hope that helps.
 
kitedoc said:
Anybody had same or different experiences?
Click to expand...
I really haven't thought about it, but will try to be aware next time I'm very silent surroundings. The fridge compressor behind me is hard at work - or is it my tinnitus? Nah, kidding. It is the fridge, but the sound is similar
 
Having had tinnitus for well over 30 years and it being caused by direct damage to the auditory nerves I have no idea if it can be linked to diabetes and as it has been constantly with me 24/7 for all that time it does not seem apparent to me that it is abated by LCHF.

All I know is that it's no fun and not for me funny in any way.
 
Having been pulled up for having every remotely linked ailment relating to diabetes under the sun, I might just add that in this case I did play the trombone as a teenager and they are pretty loud instruments and I tend to think that that might be the cause in my case. Also working in noisy environments without ear defenders. So possibly not diabetes related in my case @kitedoc
 
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Being hearing impaired I have had tinnitus for as long as I can remember. The more hearing I lost the worse the tinnitus became. LCHF made no difference to me until I started on decaff bulletproof coffee and decaff creamed coffee, then the noise just went absolutely wappy. This tells me that either I am super sensitive to caffeine (unlikely as I have not given up tea at all) or there is another compound in coffee that triggers the tinnitus. Once I calmed down with the decaff the noise reduced to its former volume and frequency.
As to salt, the ENT advised me to cut back on salt to aid tinnitus and because it (at higher levels) triggers Menieres attacks. I have become unsure about both as I raised salt levels when I started LCHF and my Men attacks have become fewer. This may take a while to clarify.

Edit to add. Although I buy decaff coffee there are still traces of caffeine in said.
 
Listlad said:
I did play the trombone
Click to expand...
My brother in law is T1 and has played the trombone for many years as far as I know he does not have tinnitus as he has never mentioned it.
My tinnitus was caused because of several years of being exposed to the noise of jet engines in close proximity with what has since been found to be ineffective hearing protection standard ear defenders though they muffle the noise do not reduce the damaging levels of energy no form of passive hearing protection does.
 
I hear you there (pardon the pun).

Yes, same here. Ear defenders are mandatory in my industry now but weren’t back in the 70s and 80s.

I want to tell the joke about the man with the banana in his ear but perhaps not wise to at this point.
 
Listlad said:
Yes, same here. Ear defenders are mandatory in my industry now
Click to expand...

If they are not active ear defenders ones that have noise cancellation by active wave phase inversion then they are next to useless and offer hardly any protection whatsoever.
 
JohnEGreen said:
If they are not active ear defenders ones that have noise cancellation by active wave phase inversion then they are next to useless and offer hardly any protection whatsoever.
Click to expand...
I last used ear defenders at work in 2007. We used ear plugs and ear defenders but not the type you described. I had heard of them though. I also road in helicopters a lot and had to wear ear plugs for that. They did help.

I take it as you were working in the vicinity of aircraft then you needed extra protection?
 
Gentlemen.

Oddly, I play in two rock bands & wear in ear defenders. That simply work by cutting the decibels & not muffling the sound quality...

Whilst we're on the subject. Can I ask you to turn the "volume knob" to the left regarding thread derailment of the OP's topic..

Thanks.
 
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After you Jay. Even though the opening post and title does say LCHF and Tinnitus.

In my previous post I gave the cause of my tinnitus and said that LCHF had not abated it as far as I was aware that I think is what lead us down this sorry path so I'm out over and out.
 
Sometimes hypertension may cause tinnitus to be aggravated. Are your BP readings normal?
 
zbluebirdz said:
Sometimes hypertension may cause tinnitus to be aggravated. Are your BP readings normal?
Click to expand...
Thank You @zbluebirdz, My BP is perfect. My father gradually became deaf but not until his seventies and he never mentioned tinnitus. So I am unsure about family history as a cause either.
Thank you @Brunneria, I caught it on the video. Thing is that with the LCHF diet I am on even less insulin. about 28 units per day. Whether I was on too much in the past ? I doubt it but 52 years is a long time !!
During sickness I might have reached 60 units total per day for several days ? 6 times and 75 units per day during University exams (say 6 exams yearly for 6 years) but that would be all.
 

Ive suffered since I was a child after having grommets put in my ears. I cannot and don't want to live without it as I'm so used to it. (That said, I don't want it to get worse!)

Since lchf it is the same, no different for me anyway.
 

Question are you traveling on the dark side?

On the tinnitus ive had a bit of it since my twentys..... ear specialist asked me if i shoot... answer was quite a bit but diddnt affect my left ear... ran a hammermill for 15 years which is the answer.

3 months vlc hasnt affected hearing and just getting back on the wagon again. Been slack lately.
 
Thank you @Cobia, I think we are all reforming low carbers or very low carbers !! Glad your tinnitus is no worse!!
And 'unfortunately' it is not sufficient to give me an excuse of convenient deafness with the missus !!
 
Guess im guilty of selective deafness..

And i never remember anything i choose to forget.
 
It seems that tinnitus is as varied as so many other physical spin-offs from life. I too was exposed to extreme noise (jet engines etc) in the days before H&S at work, and my tinnitus started in middle age. Much later when becoming T2 and going keto plus getting hearing aids, I find it is much reduced though still present, but as I did both at the same time I'm not sure if it's one, the other or both that are helping. Hearing aids do change the brain's perception of noise, but on days I don't wear them (and all night as well) whatever is helping still helps.

Low carb is less strict, so maybe you could try that first.
 
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