Tinnaway
Here we look at the claims for Tinnaway.
Treatment details
Type
Branded dietary supplement
Safety
Evidence of harm
Efficacy
Evidence that it is not effective
Recommended?
No
Claims for treatment
Tinnaway is “useful for good hearing and vision”[1].
What is the treatment?
Tinnaway is a tablet taken twice daily[1].
The ingredients of Tinnaway are listed as Ginkgo biloba extract, magnesium, zinc, folate, vitamin C and selenium[1].
What are the downsides of this treatment?
Potential side effects, allergic reactions and drug interactions from Ginkgo biloba[2]. Magnesium and zinc can cause minor but unpleasant side effects[3] [4]. High doses or long-term use of selenium can lead to serious medical problems or death[5].
Cost.
Has there been research into this treatment?
Although there have been no papers published on Tinnaway as a supplement, there are a number of papers on the effects of its component parts.
What does the research say?
The limited evidence does not demonstrate that Ginkgo biloba is effective for tinnitus when this is the primary complaint.[6] It does not reduce the intensity of tinnitus or improve quality of life.[7]
With the exception of magnesium[8], for which there is limited evidence of a positive effect on tinnitus there is no evidence that the use of zinc[9], folate[10] or selenium[5] improves symptoms in adults with tinnitus. Selenium can be harmful[5].
Although independent evidence is limited, what there is does not show that the components of this supplement are effective for tinnitus. The potential side effects may cause serious harm. We would suggest you talk to your GP before taking any new medication or supplement.
“Dietary supplements should not be recommended to treat tinnitus”[11].
Comments
Practice guidelines do not recommend the use of Ginkgo biloba as a treatment for tinnitus[12] [13].
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Give what you canAll online references accessed 16 November 2022 unless noted.
1. Precision Healthcare Ltd. Arches Calminax 30 capsules. https://seenontvdeal.co.uk/products/calminax?variant=14063342747709
2. Drugsite Trust. Ginkgo biloba. Available from https://www.drugs.com/cdi/ginkgo-biloba.html
3. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Magnesium. www.ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/magnesium-Consumer/
4. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Zinc Fact Sheet for Consumers. www.ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/zinc-Consumer/
5. Drugsite Trust. Selenium. Available
from https://www.drugs.com/mtm/selenium.html
6. Hilton MP, Zimmermann EF, Hunt WT. Ginkgo biloba for tinnitus. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2013), Issue 3. Art. No.: CD003852. doi:
10.1002/14651858.CD003852.pub3.
7. Kramer F, Ortigoza Á. Ginkgo biloba for the treatment of tinnitus. Medwave. (2018) Oct 17;18(6):e7295. English, Spanish. doi: 10.5867/
medwave.2018.06.7294. Erratum in:
Medwave. (2018) Nov 13;18(7):e7337.
8. Cevette MJ, Barrs DM, Patel A, et al. Phase 2 study examining magnesium-dependent tinnitus. International Tinnitus Journal. (2011);16(2):168-73 Person OC,
Puga MES, da Silva EMK, Torloni MR.
9. Zinc supplements for tinnitus. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2016), Issue 11. Art. No.: CD009832. DOI:
10.1002/14651858.CD009832.pub2.
10. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Folate. www.ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Folate-Consumer/
11. Coelho C, Tyler R et al. Survey on the Effectiveness of Dietary Supplements to Treat Tinnitus. American Journal of Audiology. (2016) 25(3): 184-205
12. British Society of Audiology. Practice Guidance – Tinnitus in Adults. (2021) Available from: www.thebsa.org.uk/resources/practice-guidance-tinnitus-in-adults/
13. Tunkel DE, Bauer CA, Sun GH, et al. Clinical Practice Guideline: Tinnitus. Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. (2014);151(2_suppl): S1-S40.
doi:10.1177/0194599814545325