Tinnitus Forum - Mytinnitus

My tinnitus comes and goes, for no apparent reason.  At least, no immediately apparent reason.  It can disappear for a whole weekend when I'm at my sister's, but come on strong after eating at Chik Fil A.  I've just found that I'm fine with caffeine; I took 2 Excedrin and had two cups of coffee yesterday, with no ringing.  Since it seems to come and go/gets louder after I eat,

So I'm trying to play guinea pig.  For those of you who have tried to eliminate sugar before, you may not have been aware of how much sugar is hidden in food. 

Up to 90% of tinnitus sufferers have hyperinsulinemia; too much insulin in the blood.   

There is a history of diabetes in my family; I had gestational diabetes, and mild hypoglycemia.  However, I get tested once a year, and they tell my my sugar is normal (although borderline). 

What I've found in my research online is that there many types of sugar issues, and very little information on hyperinsulinemia. 

Diabetes I Juvenile:  not enough insulin
Diabetes II:  Too much insulin, but the body can't use it
Mature Onset Diabetes in Youth:  Sometimes not recognized until adult hood
Hypoglycemia:  Sugar high, followed by extreme sugar low due to pancreas producing too much insulin in reaction
Hyperinsulinemia:  Too much insulin in relation to glucose
Glucose Intolerance
Hyperglycemia

And there's also a book "Potatoes not Prozac" about sugar addiction and how to fight it (Got a sweet tooth?)

The bottom line:  you may have a sugar problem that will never show up on a blood test. 

Does anyone have dark circles under their eyes no matter what?  I'm not sure, but both my sister and I do, and it could be a sign that something is not right with sugar. 

Does anyone fall asleep after carbs (Pizza, breakfast?)  Another sign there's something up with sugar? 

So I am trying to follow a low sugar/whole grains/high protein diet.  And so far, it's working.  It's been about a week; but we'll see.  I gave up Kashi bars about a month ago, so it also may be that adjustments take that long to set in.   

If you've tried giving up sugar; if your tinnitus comes and goes, and you want to try this, you should know that sugar is hidden in everything.  If you are going off sugar, it is not enough to give up sweet tea, the sugar bowl, and desserts. 

Go Lean Kashi bars, healthy, sold at Whole Foods and Trader Joes, high in fiber and protein, have MORE SUGAR THAN ANY OTHER INGREDIENT:  13 GRAMS.  Even if you compare plain, non-fat Greek yogurt - Chobani & Fage have 9 grams, compared to Trader Joes 6 grams.  My sister's non-Greek yogurt has 15 grams.  Check your bread - and you'll see that some are much higher in sugar than others.  Go through your cupboard, and read the labels and compare grams of sugar.  Spaghetti sauces, salad dressings, mayo, catsup, condiments, cereals, soups, milk, cold cuts, anything.  Also, keep in mind that all sugars have can cause problems:  brown sugar, natural sugar, HFCS, brown sugar, glucose, fructose, honey... you get the idea. Check the label on the package where it shows calories and fat grams, and look for sugars.     

I'm not telling you to give up on all carbs; just particularly sugar carbs and empty white carbs.  You won't be able to eliminate it entirely (natural in fruits and veggies), but cut down as much as possible.  I use Splenda (Men's Health says it's the most researched and no side effects have shown up... yet).  I do Trader Joe's Greek Non-Fat Plain Yogurt, and stir in cocoa powder and splenda, or vanilla extract, or True Orange powder packet.  I have a box of sugar free Dark Chocolate Whitman's Candy.   

THINGS TO GOOGLE (I'll let you do your own research and share)

Tinnitus Hypersulinemea
http://voices.yahoo.com/tinnitus-treatm … 08218.html
Hidden Sugar

http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/sugarb … rlists.htm
http://www.livestrong.com/article/5375-lowsugar-fruits/

If you decide to play guinea pig, let me know how it goes. 

Thanks,