Treatment of tinnitus is often difficult. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of a Chinese medicine, Gosha-jinki-gan, for the treatment of tinnitus. Forty-two cases, comprising a total of 58 ears, received Gosha-jinki-gan at a dose of 7.5 g a day for at least 4 weeks. Efficacy was evaluated on the basis of changes in symptoms before and after treatment. In total, twenty-seven out of 58 ears (46.6%) improved. The final improvement rate was higher in the group with hearing loss than in the group without hearing loss. It was also greater in the group without pre-treatment than in the group with pre-treatment, however, co-treatment did not influence the improvement rate. No adverse reactions were evident. From these results, it was thought that Gosha-jinki-gan might be useful in the treatment of tinnitus.
