I Can't Do This Anymore

[Michael Leigh]

TRT therapy takes many months and to costly for the NHS along with training and its not down to if its effective or not but down to funding/cost/training audiology have to pay for themselves.

Indeed @glynis treatments like TRT, CBT, Mindfullness, sound therapy can all help tinnitus. However, if a person has a negative mindset these treatments are unlikely to work. I will give readers an example for I know you are already know what I am going to say.

A member in this forum recently told me that he's going to start CBT soon but said this: " I know already that it isn't going to help my tinnitus but I'll go to the therapy anyway". With that type of attitude he will never habituate to tinnitus and is only going to the appointments because the country where he lives the treatment is free.

Michael

 

[glynis]

Hi @Michael Leigh ,
Nice to read your reply and hope members can find the information on another thread about it as don't want GlOwOut's post get hijacked on TRT on such a serious side of the Authours Post and like yourself I know positivity can help so much.
Love glynis

 

[Gl0w0ut]

@G10wOut,
We are all here for you around the clock and all supportive and understand life can seem to tough to want to go on and I know it's the here and now that is so hard to cope with but our future is so unpredictable and you maght have a amazing life to come.
We are all here for you and just want you to do everything you possibly can to fight for the right to be happy in life with your health and mental health and thats all we ask before giving up.
Lots of love and hugs heading your way...
We do care.
Love glynis

I appreciate it but it's hopeless. I started to feel better then slumped back down. Why is my life ruined at such a young age?

 

[glynis]

Hi GlOwOut,
I know your having such a difficult time and I totally understand how you feel as I have been in your shoes.
I hope that every step forward even with set backs will make progress even if its hard to see daily but looking back on better days to see you have come through the problems tinnitus causes and you will be a great Mentor for others going through it too!
My thoughts are with you and welcome pm me.
Its late now as its 11.16pm so off to bed soon so make sure you take good care of yourself ...
Love glynis

 

[fishbone]

Hi @fishbone

No problem and I respect your opinions too especially coming from someone with your considerable experience in tinnitus. Everything that you say is true and I agree wholeheartedly. Unless someone like @Gl0w0ut wasn't eating a well balanced diet before the onset of his tinnitus and hyperacusis. In my opinion, they are unlikely see a significant reduction in its severity. Eat a well balanced diet by all means, but if one's soul purpose in doing this to see a reduction in the tinnitus, stress and anxiety levels then I don't think that this is the correct avenue to pursue. I have been down this route and know people that have done this too only to be disappointed.

I believe that it is much better to talk with one's doctor about how the tinnitus makes them feel. Glowout is clearly depressed and this needs to be properly treated and I don't think a change of diet is the solution. In this instance, I believe he needs medication, counselling and if possible some of the treatments that I've described above, to help him have a more positive outlook on life and tinnitus.

All the best.
Michael

For sure, counseling and therapy is VERY helpful. If it gets to the point that meds are needed, then I am all for it. Tinnitus is a horrible ordeal and it can drive anyone crazy and make them feel helpless. When I got my tinnitus as a teen, I'd talk to my mom and ask as many questions. She had no clue what tinnitus was, at least I didn't feel alone and alienated.

Support goes a long long way, with this ordeal and ALL should welcome it and get as much love as possible

 

[Michael Leigh]

For sure, counseling and therapy is VERY helpful. If it gets to the point that meds are needed, then I am all for it. Tinnitus is a horrible ordeal and it can drive anyone crazy and make them feel helpless. When I got my tinnitus as a teen, I'd talk to my mom and ask as many questions. She had no clue what tinnitus was, at least I didn't feel alone and alienated.

Support goes a long long way, with this ordeal and ALL should welcome it and get as much love as possible

Unfortunately @fishbone Glowout has reached the point where he needs professional help, in addition to what members of this forum are able to provide. One only has to read his post to see, that he is under a lot of stress from tinnitus. We both know how this condition can make one feel in the early stages which Glowout is experiencing.

Michael

 

[fishbone]

Unfortunately @fishbone Glowout has reached the point where he needs professional help, in addition to what members of this forum are able to provide. One only has to read his post to see, that he is under a lot of stress from tinnitus. We both know how this condition can make one feel in the early stages which Glowout is experiencing.

Michael

I agree and i wish him and all that need therapy and support, to please seek it. This forum is helpful but cannot replace the help a therapist/counselor can give. I was in their shoes before and KNEW that I needed help and followed my heart and guts and went after it. Never be too proud to seek help folks, if we need it, then we need it.

Tinnitus can bring on lots of mental pain and It's just horrible and no one should go through it. Support is why, Im here supporting you guys. I was lost just like everyone else, with support and my own drive to beat this and live my life.....I am able to love and support others...that need help.

 

[Michael Leigh]

I appreciate it but it's hopeless. I started to feel better then slumped back down. Why is my life ruined at such a young age?

Try and talk with your doctor and explain how you feel. Tinnitus can affect a person's emotions considerably and you have experienced this by feeling better then slumped back down. This is not uncommon in the early stages of tinnitus. An increase in antidepressant can help this as it acts as a safety net so you don't feel too down.

Talk to your doctor and I wish you well.
Michael

 

[Gl0w0ut]

Try and talk with your doctor and explain how you feel. Tinnitus can affect a person's emotions considerably and you have experienced this by feeling better then slumped back down. This is not uncommon in the early stages of tinnitus. An increase in antidepressant can help this as it acts as a safety net so you don't feel too down.

Talk to your doctor and I wish you well.
Michael

My psychiatrist wants me on an SSRI. I don't want an SSRI, I want a benzo. Yet I can't get that

 

[Michael Leigh]

My psychiatrist wants me on an SSRI. I don't want an SSRI, I want a benzo. Yet I can't get that

Take the SSRI it will be better for you and will help to stop you getting too down. You will be able to cope with your tinnitus and eventually habituate. The stress and anxiety that you feel will gradually reduce. Whilst benzo/clonazepam can reduce tinnitus (for some people) it won't help you to habituate to the tinnitus. The moment you reduce the benzo the tinnitus will increase and you'll be back to square one. As you know benzo shouldn't be taken long term and because of dependency and unpleasant side effects.

I was prescribed clonazepam in 2010 and was advised to only use it when my tinnitus reaches severe levels. I have habituated to my tinnitus. It varies from: silent, mild, moderate and severe. It no longer reaches extreme severe levels that would last for many days. I take it about once a month now for around 2 or 3 days maximum.

Try taking the antidepressant and give it 6 to 8 weeks to reach full effect. I believe you will find your tinnitus and life easier to cope with.

Michael

 

[PaulBe]

This is not to say that it won't work for someone but I advise them not to expect too much.

I tend to agree with you there, but that said, I do (or did) know of someone who swore by it, saying she could tell the difference, particularly with regard to Salt. She (also a Nurse) developed idiopathic tinnitus in her 20s. Something to do with endolymph osmotic pressures. I'm sure @GregCA (Mr T...bone) above will have a link somewhere.

Better to have low expectations and then maybe get a pleasant surprise.

 

[Michael Leigh]

Better to have low expectations and then maybe get a pleasant surprise.

I agree with you also.
Glow0ut has been advised by his psychiatrist to take an antidepressant so that he doesn't become too low, which many of us know tinnitus can affect a person in this way, especially in the early stages. I can't see the point in going to a health professional for help if you are not going to take his or her advice, simply because it doesn't agree with what you think is correct.

I have taken antidepressants in the passed to help with my tinnitus and pleased that I followed the advice of my doctor. I now take clonazepam occasionally and it helps reduce my tinnitus to silent when it has been severe for more than 2 or 3 days and becomes quite intolerable. Even though there is controversy surrounding antidepressants and benzos. When these medications are managed they can often be of help to a person and not a hindrance as some people believe.

Michael

 

[PaulBe]

I took Clonazepam for a year. I helped at the time but after a while I realized that it had no material effect on my T/H, which was the only effect that mattered to me, hence I took myself off it. I'm just not sure of ADs, but there was a stage when I would have tried them were they offered. Its easy to look back now and say I'm glad I didn't, but just maybe I would have moved ahead sooner if I had?

This place made me scared of coming off Clonaz, but in the end the only real thing I noticed was a day of chomping, like one does at the end of a good night out on the disco biscuits.

 

[Michael Leigh]

Everyone is different. If a person is able to find a through the distress that tinnitus can impose upon them without medication then so much the better. I am presently counselling someone that is suicidal because of the immense stress and emotional turmoil that tinnitus is putting them through. On the advice of her doctor, she has decided to take an antidepressant and I fully agree with this. Hopefully her condition will start to improve soon.

Michael

 

[david c]

My psychiatrist wants me on an SSRI. I don't want an SSRI, I want a benzo. Yet I can't get that

Sorry to hear about how the impact of tinnitus on your life at the moment. I think for anyone with severe tinnitus clonazepam is worth considering - if only for a short period. The person to prescribe this should be your doctor rather than a psychiatrist. I would speak to your doctor again and mention that there is quite a lot of evidence out there that clonazepam could reduce tinnitus volume - and ask your doctor to do a bit of research if he/she is sceptical.

 

[GregCA]

I tend to agree with you there, but that said, I do (or did) know of someone who swore by it, saying she could tell the difference, particularly with regard to Salt. She (also a Nurse) developed idiopathic tinnitus in her 20s. Something to do with endolymph osmotic pressures.

Indeed. I also personally know someone who has Menieres and feels a strong correlation between his diet and his symptoms.

 

[Gl0w0ut]

Sorry to hear about how the impact of tinnitus on your life at the moment. I think for anyone with severe tinnitus clonazepam is worth considering - if only for a short period. The person to prescribe this should be your doctor rather than a psychiatrist. I would speak to your doctor again and mention that there is quite a lot of evidence out there that clonazepam could reduce tinnitus volume - and ask your doctor to do a bit of research if he/she is sceptical.

My doctor won't prescribe that to me, she always says to talk to a psychiatrist.

 

[Chaz]

My psychiatrist wants me on an SSRI. I don't want an SSRI, I want a benzo. Yet I can't get that

Why don't you take the advice of your doctor and try an SSRI?

 

[Gl0w0ut]

Why don't you take the advice of your doctor and try an SSRI?

Because unlike other drugs, an SSRI doesn't have immediate effect and doesn't help with sleep. I also don't want to take a drug that may or may not work in 4-6 weeks.

 

[Chaz]

Because unlike other drugs, an SSRI doesn't have immediate effect and doesn't help with sleep. I also don't want to take a drug that may or may not work in 4-6 weeks.

Well Benzos suck to come off of just FYI. I was on one for 2 weeks in the beginning and got hella withdraws when I stopped. Remeron was a game changer for me, and I'm on the lowest dose they make. Are you using sound therapy to sleep?


SSRI drugs like Trazodone, Remeron, Doxipin and a few others help with sleep

 

[Gl0w0ut]

Well Benzos suck to come off of just FYI. I was on one for 2 weeks in the beginning and got hella withdraws when I stopped. Remeron was a game changer for me, and I'm on the lowest dose they make. Are you using sound therapy to sleep?


SSRI drugs like Trazodone, Remeron, Doxipin and a few others help with sleep

I have a fan on at night and can still hear my tinnitus over it. Mine is very high pitched, probably 12-14k hz.

 

[Chaz]

I have a fan on at night and can still hear my tinnitus over it. Mine is very high pitched, probably 12-14k hz.

Get you the below sound machine, and a pillow speaker
Marpac Dohm-DS All-Natural Sound Machine

https://www.amazon.com/Marpac-Dohm-DS-All-Natural-Sound-Machine/dp/B00HD0ELFK/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1511970516&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=sound%2Bmachine&th=1

 

[david c]

My doctor won't prescribe that to me, she always says to talk to a psychiatrist.

I have to say I would seriously consider changing doctors. Tinnitus isn't a psychiatric disorder and medications prescribed for it should come from your doctor. If she doesn't understand that it's worth finding someone else who does.

 

[Gl0w0ut]

I have to say I would seriously consider changing doctors. Tinnitus isn't a psychiatric disorder and medications prescribed for it should come from your doctor. If she doesn't understand that it's worth finding someone else who does.

Yeah I guess that would be the best option. Problem is I need one not in the system I'm using now. The doctor who prescribed amitriptyline is cool but he gave me that drug because he didn't want to give my GABA related drugs, like benzos. I don't know.

 

[david c]

Yeah I guess that would be the best option. Problem is I need one not in the system I'm using now. The doctor who prescribed amitriptyline is cool but he gave me that drug because he didn't want to give my GABA related drugs, like benzos. I don't know.

I know it can be really difficult in terms of health systems. I don't know where you are located, but in the UK where I live we have a not very good public health system and the doctors working in it rarely know very much at all about tinnitus. In those circumstances it may be worth going the private route to find a more knowledgeable and understanding doctor. But each country's health system is different so this might be relevant to you.

 

[Gl0w0ut]

I know it can be really difficult in terms of health systems. I don't know where you are located, but in the UK where I live we have a not very good public health system and the doctors working in it rarely know very much at all about tinnitus. In those circumstances it may be worth going the private route to find a more knowledgeable and understanding doctor. But each country's health system is different so this might be relevant to you.

It's the US. The care is really good but stupidly expensive, and I have good insurance.

 

[david c]

It's the US. The care is really good but stupidly expensive, and I have good insurance.

Yes I think that the care in the US is generally excellent if you have good health insurance. Definitely worth exploring options in terms of other doctors. Hope things improve for you.