Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Tinnitus remedy or hoax?

As someone who occasionally has tinnitus, a false sensation of ringing, buzzing or whooshing in the ear, I tune in when I hear advertisements regarding this medical oddity. Recently, I've seen marketing strategies for a product called Quietus.

Like so many vitamins or supplements, this homeopathic "remedy" is not FDA approved. Furthermore, I could find no documentation regarding the "active" ingredient or compounds incorporated into the Quietus digestible tablets and ear drops.

What concerns me is the number of people who may actually order products like Quietus. The reality about these alleged panaceas, is that they have not been scientifically scrutinized with regard to their efficacy and safety. There are no data demonstrating that this product targets any biological pathway implicated in the tinnitus disorder. Therefore, this company is selling a product to people without evidence that it does anything beneficial while not causing adverse side effects. This seems downright irresponsible and even criminal. So, buyer beware!