Lipoflavonoid Information

Lipoflavonoids are an over-the-counter nutritional supplement containing vitamins and minerals, along with an ingredient called eriodictyol glycoside. Lipoflavonoids are sometimes used as a treatment for tinnitus, although as of August 2010, they have not been approved for this use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration--FDA.

Significance

• According to the National Institutes of Health, tinnitus is not a disease, but rather a symptom that something in the auditory system is not functioning correctly. They state that persons taking medication should check with their doctor, as over 200 prescription medications have the potential to cause tinnitus.

Features

• According to John P. Cunha, D.O., over 36 million Americans suffer from tinnitus, but as of August 2010, there is no known cure or prescription treatment for this disorder. The Conrad Healthcare website states that lipoflavonoids are an effective treatment for tinnitus and meineires disease--a disorder causing similar symptoms. Most companies promoting this supplement as a cure for tinnitus cite eriodictyol glycoside--an extract from citrus fruits--as the ingredient responsible for the alleged success of this treatment.

Considerations

• Many websites and proponents of nutritional supplements state a remarkable success rate has been observed with the use of lipoflavonoids to treat tinnitus. However, since this treatment has not been FDA approved, anyone considering its use should check with their health care provider before beginning treatment.