Alcohol drug improves ringing in ears

While it may not sound like a drug for ear troubles, researchers believe acamprosate (Campral), a medication used for alcohol dependence treatment, is actually effective at improving ringing in the ears.
In a small study, two Brazilian doctors found that taking Campral led to a decline in symptoms of tinnitus, a disorder that results in ringing or noises in the ear.
Out of 50 patients, some provided with Campral and others with a placebo (an inactive fake medication), more than 80% of those who took Campral said their tinnitus problems lessened.
About half of the group taking Campral said their symptoms decreased by nearly 50%.
"That's a very significant decrease," note Dr. Andréia Aparecida de Azevedo and Dr. Ricardo Rodrigues Figueiredo, lead authors of the study, which will be presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery.
People taking the placebo did not show significant improvement.
Both groups observed were asked to quantify their tinnitus on a scale of 1 to 10 over the course of 30, 60 and 90 days.
The researchers note that age, gender, hearing level and the type of tinnitus suffered from did not make any difference in the effectiveness of the treatment.
As for the reasons why an alcohol-treatment medication is effective for tinnitus, the researchers note that Campral is able to affect both auditory pathways and the central nervous system.
The investigators do emphasize their study was quite small and more research is needed.