Musicians

[SoulStation]

Hello Dr. N,

First I want to whole-heartedly say thank you for being on this forum and taking time to help. It really does mean a lot. My first question is have you done TRT with any professional musicians who have been debilitated by there tinnitus reaction and did they succeed? I am a professional music teacher/performer but have really stopped performing after 2 plus years of performing through the T (always with musician's plugs for loud gigs except for a period of a few month when I had my backpack stolen and used some generic plastic ear plugs).

Now I wear earplugs for almost all my lessons (I teach guitar/bass/piano/and electric drums) because my T does react to sounds and I started hearing it when I played a note on my guitar (hearing a Bb when you're playing an E is not exactly harmonious). I consulted with Dr. Alan Rohe from AZ via phone about many things and he did say he recognized the some people's Tinnitus can be reactive but like most audiologists I've spoke to he said not to use them unless you need them. I don't want to cause my tinnitus to or sound sensitivity to go crazy. I don't really have H (maybe just very mild) and don't want to encourage it. I honestly have just lost all faith in continuing to perform. I know your Jack Vernon rule of thumb as far as earplug use goes, but am I hurting myself by wearing them in say, the car on my way home from work or in a lesson wear the piano is only maxing out at 70 dbs? I use the ETY ER-15's for soft lessons, and ER25's .

Sorry if this question is a bit all over the place and for using the term "reactive" T as I know you aren't a fan of it. Thank you in advance for any advice you can give me.

SS
P.S. I have had a CAE done showing no real damage but haven't had an OAE...Do you think I should have one done (OAE)?

 

[Dr. Nagler]

First I want to whole-heartedly say thank you for being on this forum and taking time to help. It really does mean a lot.

Not a problem. Glad to do it.

My first question is have you done TRT with any professional musicians who have been debilitated by there tinnitus reaction and did they succeed?

Yes and Yes.

I know your Jack Vernon rule of thumb as far as earplug use goes, but am I hurting myself by wearing them in say, the car on my way home from work or in a lesson wear the piano is only maxing out at 70 dbs? I use the ETY ER-15's for soft lessons, and ER25's .

Well, it's sort of a balancing act. Seems to me that the real issue here has to do with the nature of your sound sensitivity and what can be done to correct it. In my experience some sort of controlled tailored desensitization program is generally effective, but without knowing more about your case I'm just really shooting from the hip there.

P.S. I have had a CAE done showing no real damage but haven't had an OAE...Do you think I should have one done (OAE)?

I do not order any test unless the results of that test will help me make a clinical decision. In that regard, OAE testing in tinnitus may have a research role, but I am unaware of any clinical one. So I guess my answer to your question is no. Or more precisely no, not unless your doctor can explain to you how the results will help him or her make a decision regarding your treatment.

Hope this helps.

stephen nagler