Things are better now

My ears are better, thank God.

The recent acute episodes were scary and more than a little debilitating emotionally. The Great Fear was my hearing would stay in acute mode.

Lesson learned: Best to wear ear plugs when there's any chance of women shrieking, Amber Alerts going off, and so forth.

Ear-splitting Amber Alerts would seriously harm this poor woman

They hurt my ears terribly.

Picamilon is magic

I've been really struggling with my ears. All it took was couple of shrieking women and an Amber Alert (see previous posts) to make my tinnitus-wracked ears extra painful and sensitive. Vinepocetine wasn't helping anymore.

During a late-night fretting session re my ears, it dawned on me that what's worked in the past to quell tinnitus (Vinepocetine and beet juice) are vasodilators - and the woods are full of vasodilators.  I googled the term and found a long list of substances that open blood vessels, both OTC and prescription.

Among the supplements on that list is Picamilon, a smart drug I'd tried. It's promoted as a natural tranquilizer that stimulates rather than causes drowsiness. I hadn't noticed much effect, and a few bottles were languishing  in my supplement basket.

So I then and there I popped a 100 mg capsule of Picamilon, on top of my usual 30 mg dose of Vinepocetine. My ears were clear as a bell in about an hour. The effect lasts six hours or so.

Ohthankgod.

Caffeine helps protect against tinnitus

I drink a lot of strong coffee everyday. Maybe the buzzing would be even worse if I did not.

Connecticut may ban loud theatrical movies

A long time ago, tinnitus ended going to the movies for me. Ditto concerts, clubs, the state fair, throw-down parties and many restaurants.

Study: Earphones potentially as dangerous as noise from jet engines

No kidding.

Amber Alerts are insanely loud

I'm still in pain from a recent Amber Alert broadcast.

I'd been joyful because my ears were thankfully healing after being assaulted by the shrieking women. (See previous posts.)

That episode was scary enough for me to hit my knees in prayer to God and Raphael, the angel of healing. Really. And it worked.

Until, that is, an Amber Alert blared from my TV Sunday night.

 According the National Institutes of Health, 24 million adult Americans suffer from tinnitus. Why on earth must an Amber Alert be broadcast at decibel levels guaranteed to damage their ears?

I am a criminal investigator. I have been an investigator in a child protection unit. I now specialize in prosecuting criminals who abuse children.


A modestly loud alert would do just fine - even a crawl across the screen would get the word out about a child's kidnapping.

I'm not alone in objecting to the obscene noise level  of Amber Alerts.