Good sleep with tinnitus masked?
Posted , 5 users are following.
Does anyone have any really good ideas for masking tinnitus while trying to sleep. I have tried the radio on FM off station to get a soft hiss: my usual tinnitus is a high pitch constant and I set the radio just below it in terms of volume, not drowning it out. Other than that it is the World Service burbling quietly away until I could literally shoot the radio because the idea of just one more bit of information no matter how interesting, uninteresting or otherwise, is just too much. Then it's back to the hiss.
Are there other ideas? ( SW UK NHS Patient, I year in, probable Menieres diagnosis 
0 likes, 12 replies
rich
Posted
Sorry! That post might do better in the tinnitus group where there are lots of ideas..... please put it down to only just joining the groups on this site and the relief of finding a mine of info it's all a bit intoxicating . I think some of the treatment notes in NICE say it's an isolating disease - they are not wrong!
NeddyO rich
Posted
Irrespective of whether you have Meniere's you should ask your hearing aid department for assistance as there are white noise devices that can be tailored to your troublesome frequencies.
Is there a reason you do not yet have a clear diagnosis yet?
If it is Meniere's you need to be getting treatment as every bad attack potentially damaged your hearing more.
rich NeddyO
Posted
ENT dept locally "swamped" is what they say.
NeddyO rich
Posted
OK has your GP put you on Betahistine? It is a drug designed to reduce pressure in the inner ear and may reverse the worst of the tinnitus and hearing loss (my experience). It is very safe with minimal side effects and will not compromise the diagnosis.
Re your wait the NHS is supposed to offer you an appointment within 18 weeks of referral so if you have been waiting much longer than that its time to start making a nuisance of yourself.
Obviously if you can afford a private consultation that would speed things up!
Consultation c£150 to £200. MRI scan c£600 to £750
rich NeddyO
Posted
Big help: thank you. Do you use anything else besides betahistine. I was offered Prochlerperazine for the nausea when they were thinking BPPV. Those were little dissolving pills for under the tongue. Did't seem to help much, to be honest. I don't think they can be taken for a long time either.
NeddyO rich
Posted
Yes - Buccastem (dissolve under top lip) and Stemetil were helpful when I had first attacks but they only help with the nausea and vertigo and do not treat the actual cause of Meniere's or for that matter BPPV ( which 30% of Meniere's sufferers also get). I carry with me when out and about Buccastem,Stemetil and Stugeron as emergency back up to use only if I think an attack is starting. Fortunately, thanks to Betahistine that is now a rarity.
With Consultant advice I have taken up to 64mg betahistine three times a day to gain control and wean off after 6 months with no attacks.
I first had Meniere's 3 years ago and once under control have only had one more significant attack so control is possible - 70% of sufferers recover!
rich NeddyO
Posted
That's helpful. I have read about the "back up" emergency pack idea, hope my GP is sympathetic to that idea.
Did you get stressy in your early days with Meniere's until you got it controlled. I think I am in that state now and it is really helpful to hear that there is a way through it. I have considered an anti-depressant witha sedating action but to be honest I fear putting anything into the system which might screw up whatever messed up state the inner ear is in already. Amitryptiline was mentioned.
NeddyO rich
Posted
I am not the 'stressy' type - tend to just roll with the punches but perhaps I have been very lucky. I must admit I would be cautious about taking anti-depressants but you should discuss fully with your doctors who know you well!
mistibluey rich
Posted
Hi again Rich
You might like the myNoise site. There's a big choice of online sounds and you can move the sliders to change what you hear. Some are natural sounds and some entirely synthetic.
Also there is a calibration tool that compensates for some hearing loss and other variables. If you register, the results will be saved for you for next time.
The sounds with the heart symbol next to them are intended to be particularly suited to tinnitus masking, but I think it's what suits you personally that matters most.
Hope you find something to help.
rich mistibluey
Posted
Thank you so much. I tell you straight, sometimes with this thing it feels like I can't be bothered to search for things, to find out the infomation I need to fight it. All you want is to find " an answer", quick, before the panics set in and make the problems worse again.
And here you are: answers. Big thank you.
melissa04000 rich
Posted
rich melissa04000
Posted
Are you a Betahistine user? I need to research that now that poeple seem to swear by it.
R ( SW UK, NHS )