Poll: Would You Have Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) If You Got It for Free?

[Michael Leigh]

Since I live in Denmark and we have free health care it is free to have TRT here. But my audiologist think it is too early for me to start such a treatment. I do kinda agree with her.

You are correct Sandra. I have had TRT twice in 21 years with good results. However, anyone new to tinnitus shouldn't start TRT until they have had the condition for at least 6 months and there is good reason for this:

The onset of tinnitus can be quite an emotional roller coaster for a lot of people, and I believe a person needs time for this to settle. Many people habituate within the first 6 months to one year of the onset of tinnitus without any treatment. If a person just has tinnitus without any additional symptoms, such as dizziness, deafness or balance problelems. I think a period of six months should elapse before starting a long-term treatment such as TRT.

Michael

 

[Anima]

Glynis, If I were you I would give it a try. Spanish Social Security doesn't cover it, you are lucky that your NHS does, so go for it, if there is no risk ¿what can you lose?. It will surely easy your tinnitus. Good luck if you decide to take it.

 

[Matthew Garrett]

No risk but there is harm. Every dollar spent on TRT is a dollar not going, to research. Plus it encourages furthering this path of treating tinnitus instead of focusing on what needs to be focused on.

IMHO,
I could not disagree more... It really all depends on just how bad your T is before you can make a statement like that. I was to the ragged edge of my wits and had honestly thought, I don't know how seriously, of suicide when I found TRT and the drug therapy my doctor had pioneered. It can get THAT BAD...

I am ALL FOR Tinnitus Research and send some money to the ATA for that very purpose. That being said there is no other effective method of controlling invasive tinnitus that I am aware of... If you can cope there is a bit of hope as corny as that sounds. While I want to see the money go to R&D, I would prefer to live SOME semblance of a life in the meantime. This has been THE WORST thing I have ever had to endure...

Some people want to live forever, I am NOT one of them. It is comforting that one day this horrible noise will stop. That sounds grim, however, that is what twenty years day in and day out without a respite will do. I have times when it does not block out speech, however, I have times when I don't think I can stand it. What choice do I have? A bullet?

WHAT REALLY SUCKS is having something that is about to BREAK YOU as a person and yet NO ONE ELSE can SEE OR HEAR IT... I have been through Doctor's retiring and HAVING TO CONVINCE your new doctor, whom you need for meds, that there is actually something going on in there.

I have an older ENT, who is a very good man, but not good at taking care of Tinnitus. He looked me in the face and told me I had normal hearing and there was no way to PROVE I had Tinnitus even using an MRI. Not that he used an MRI... Once again I have to PROVE I have this g*d d*** Devil's Symphony in my head. This gets SO OLD and depressing. Further ALL of my doctors who come to understand the problem, and prescribe the meds, eventually retire and I get a new stranger, typically female, who has NO CLUE what I am going through. The FIRST THING they seem hell for high water dead set on doing is getting me off the two medications that make life livable. How do you handle that?

Regards, Matt.

 

[Fabrikat]

two medications that make life livable

What medications are those Matt?

 

[Matthew Garrett]

What medications are those Matt?

Klonopin and Flexeril to start. Somewhere in the last eighteen years, Flexeril has fallen to the side and Seroquel has been added, as an off label use, to absolutely knock me out to sleep. The Flexeril really helped with the constant neck tension. My neck makes sounds that Chiropractors cringe at hearing. Dunno what is going on, vacuum pops between discs I am told, however, it really relieves the stiffness. The Flexeril TOOK care of the muscle tension and it was great. Of course, the drug of death, or so you would think, is Klonopin. Hope that helped...

Regards, Matt.