Is Cannabis for Tinnitus a treatment option you can consider? Or, does CBD or THC in cannabis make Tinnitus worse or even maybe cause it? Let’s explore the connection between marijuana and Tinnitus.
Studies suggest marijuana can cause Tinnitus, or make it worse
Only small scale studies have explored the connection between marijuana and Tinnitus. And, the results don’t speak well for marijuana.
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The most comprehensive study available is this survey conducted by the National Health and Nutrition Examination board, for 2011-2012.
1,582 adults between the ages of 20 and 69 years old were analyzed through questionnaires. The survey concluded that those who had ingested, inhaled or consumed marijuana in other ways were 17 times more likely to suffer from Tinnitus. The study did not investigate the dosage required to establish the connection between Tinnitus and Marijuana.
But, it did establish that the correlation was strong when participants had used or ingested marijuana at least once a month, for 12 months.
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The study didn’t account for various psychosocial factors such as stress, dependence on other substances and presence or severity of existing medical conditions. So, this correlation between marijuana and Tinnitus is what you will call plausible. Surveys are also prone to recall bias, where participants don’t remember the past completely or accurately.
That being said, it would be better for one to err on the side of caution. Assume that the above study’s findings are true. If one were to use marijuana for recreational purposes, chances are quite high that they will use it more frequently than just once a month. This heightens the risk of having an onset or worsening of Tinnitus, as suggested in the study above.
Does THC and CBD Affect Tinnitus Differently?
Marijuana products are classified into two sub-groups. Products that contain CBD are non-psychoactive in nature. In other words, CBD products will not give you a high. THC on the other hand can give users a high.
THC and Tinnitus
Again, research on the matter has been rather minimal. But, this study’s statistics suggests that the THC in Marijuana has higher chances of causing Tinnitus. This is particularly true if the THC dosage is high. Most states restrict the sale of products where THC content is over 0.3%. But, there is no control over how much of the product is consumed. One must therefore exercise caution when using THC products, to both avoid an onset or worsening of Tinnitus.
CBD and Tinnitus
CBD products on the other hand might have some promise in treating Tinnitus. But, no research has specifically confirmed it as beneficial for Tinnitus. Research has only concluded that it is plausible and that more research is required.
This study shows that the cannabinoids in CBD can protect hearing damage caused by some drugs like Chemotherapy drugs. Some medications like Bupropion (Wellbutrin) is known to have caused Tinnitus as a side effect. CBD products may be able to help prevent hearing loss or hearing damage caused by drugs, hearing loss that is usually a precursor to Tinnitus.
While CBD may help prevent hearing damage that can then help avoid the onset of Tinnitus, it can contrastingly also make Tinnitus worse in people who already have hearing loss.
This again puts CBD users in a predicament as not everyone who have hearing problems knows that they have hearing loss. Many can have deteriorating hearing loss that is evident only when it reaches a certain threshold. If they had regularly taken CBD products as their hearing was declining, there’s a chance that they increased the risk of causing or worsening Tinnitus.
The study mentioned above also showed that the endocannabinoids in CBD can inhibit a receptor called TRPV1. TRPV1 is a receptor that is activated by external stimuli. It can cause conditions such as hearing loss, diabetes, cystitis and epilepsy. While CBD is proven and even approved as an anti-epileptic treatment, it’s treatment for Tinnitus is inconclusive. We also wrote a fairly detailed post explaining why CBD gummies for Tinnitus don’t work.
Why some people say Marijuana works for Tinnitus?
Available research on the internet like what we have discussed above suggests that marijuana doesn’t help with Tinnitus. In fact, studies only seem to show that it can make the ringing worse.
But, you will also find plenty of anecdotal mentions of marijuana helping with Tinnitus. But, a closer look at these claims, especially at forums, reveal a rather familiar pattern. Most people think marijuana helps their Tinnitus because they sleep better.
Tinnitus is a condition that is affected by stress and anxiety. And, lack of sleep can easily make Tinnitus worse. If sleep is a concerning problem for you, there are safer options like Melatonin. Melatonin can help with Tinnitus by helping you fall asleep faster and also sleep more soundly. It’s also natural and non-addictive. It does require a doctor’s prescription though.
You can even try hypnosis for Tinnitus. Hypnosis can give you the ability to change your emotional reaction to Tinnitus, dramatically reducing anxiety, fear and worry.
Should I take marijuana for Tinnitus?
I am not a doctor to give you yes or no advice. But, based on the research I could find and have presented above, you are better off skipping on trying CBD or THC as a potential treatment for your Tinnitus.
Conclusive medical findings just aren’t there. If anything, studies point to the opposite, showing marijuana can potentially cause or worsen Tinnitus.
What we can suggest is going off alcohol and sugar to see if it will help with the ringing in your ears. Avoiding common triggers that make your Tinnitus worse will also be a safe way to at least not let your Tinnitus aggravate.
Best Strain for Tinnitus?
With marijuana becoming legal in many countries, websites have started to tout certain strains as being the best for Tinnitus. But, such websites usually provide absolutely no medical or scientific evidence about how a certain strain can help a user seek relief from Tinnitus.
Some of these websites just point to user reviews. But, the veracity of such user reviews is very questionable. Moreover, if we were to even assume that a certain strain helped Tinnitus according to user reviews, it could be because of the anti-anxiety or calming effect that the strain has on the user. In other words, the strain might not do anything to directly address Tinnitus as a condition but rather put someone in a relaxed state of mind. As you might have experienced at some point in your life already, being able to relax allows you to focus less on Tinnitus, thereby negating its presence or intrusiveness. This doesn’t mean Tinnitus has gone away though. Also, such an effect will be very temporary and you are better off trying meditation or other techniques to seek anxiety relief.
Ash, Nevil’s Wreck, Bubba, Wembley, Glass Slipper, Candy Jack, Mars OG and several other strains are often advertised as being the best for Tinnitus. But, like mentioned before, there is absolutely no evidence to connect them scientifically. It’s all just anecdotal reference, which essentially means nothing.
