Hello Tinnitus Friends

After a year of searching for help I stumbled across this forum and after reading allot of your posts the one thing we seem to have in common is our ENT experience They seem to trivialize our condition, but I would love to stick something in there ear for a month that would let them feel and experience the torment we go through, My story started when I had a sort of flapping in my left ear so I made an appointment with a ENT

I will copy and past a letter I drafted to send to the ENT but never had the guts to send,

Just thought I’d like to let you know how much grief you have caused me since I visited you on 26 of June When you flushed my ear, on the way home I noticed a high pitch ringing in my left ear which got loader and louder it’s been 5 months now and the ringing is constantly still there, my doctor sent me for CT scans and I have been to another ENT specialist from Gosford who sent me for MRI scans which came back with no abnormalities to my brain or ears I have suffered so much anxiety and depression that now I am on antidepressants and being treated by a psychologist, A few of weeks ago I spent 7 day at Maitland and John Hunter hospital getting angiogram thinking I was having a heart attach but it turns out I am most likely suffering from anxiety issues. I have never felt so miserable in my life, I feel this is going to destroy my health as I am so angry all the time. When I came to see you I really had no problem and was nearly not going to come to see you as my original problem resolved itself, but my wife said it took 3 months for the appointment and that I should get checked anyway which is the biggest regrets of my life, I never asked you to clean my ears and you didn’t even tell me what you were about to do or why, When my doctor checked my ears he could see both my ear drums so I don’t understand why you needed to flush my ear. When I was pulling away from you flushing my ear you could see you where causing me distress but still you insisted I keep still. The suction noise was very loud and I believe that is what has caused the Tinnitus, I have never had this high pitch noise in my ear before I came to you. So I don’t believe its just coincidence. I know you do this presager every day and in most cases it does no harm but I am convinced that in some cases it does cause tinnitus and if you do some research you will find that it can cause tinnitus. They say in time I will get used to it and it won’t bother me as much. I just hope it doesn’t get any worse as I’ve had serious thought of ending it all. Just needed to let you know how much you have affected my life. And I wonder how many other people’s lives you have destroyed in the same way. If you want to talk to me about this matter I’d be more then happy to hear from you, My number is ---------- or you can email me at borrisbb@yahoo,com But I’m guessing your time is too precious to bother yourself with me.


I’m sure there are other people who have been affected in this same way but you never get to hear about it, You make it too hard for people to talk to you without waiting months for an appointment. That alone tells me you’re a joke, I can’t imagine, anyone with a serious ear condition should wait months to see a ENT.

Well thats my sad story thanks for reading, And lets hope for some of us one morning we get up and the noise is gone,,

 

Thanks Karen Sometimes a hug is all one need, hugs back at ya

 

Borris I'm sorry you had a bad experience.
My experience is very similar to yours but in another way.
I was told by ENT dr: your t will never go away and as a matter of fact some people committ suicide!
I was sitting in his rooms crying my eyes out and that's what came out of his "professional" mouth.
That sentence together with t has destroyed my life.
I'm always in fear that this will get so bad that I have to go down that horrible path.
I was also thinking of writing a letter to let him know how much misery his words created for me but never did, it's been nearly three years.
As if t is not bad enough....

 

Hi valeri, Yes I know that feeling of hopelessness My T has changed me from a carefree and happy natured person to a grumpy old man, Its now been 12 months and although I think I'm copping a bit better then in the beginning I'm still very focused on the T and most of my idle foughts revolve around it, I hear of other peoples horror stories and hope I never get to that stage were it consumes me. From what I hear from others peoples T
I think mine is a 5to6 out of 10 sometimes when I'm busy doing things It doesn't bother me, and when I fall asleep it doesn't wake me up so I consider my self fairly lucky. But yes I have heard of people doing away with them selves because it became too unbearable. But on the other hand I know a couple of people who have learnt to live with T and they say thay've had it so long now that they don't even notice it. I hope that is the case with us, but right now I would give a arm or a leg if I could get rid of T. All the best valeri

 

My ENT also told me that he worked in a VA hospital and that where were patients that killed themselves because of T. Geesh, nothing like adding more anxiety for a patient to deal with.

 

@borris - You should sue him. Seriously! They should not be allowed to get away with it. As a medial professional, they should know the dangers when it comes to working on peoples ears, esp an ENT. Doesn't that stand for EAR nose and throat specialist? Specialist, my as#!! If you ask me, stay clear of them. I haven't met one yet that has actually helped me. Really sorry to hear your story. All the best and hang in there.

 

Hi Teri Yes It's sad when a ENT specialist tells you in round about ways your life is over as you know it, you may as well go kill yourself, Well they don't really tell you that but they certainly plant the seed. I just hope my T don't get too much worse because the thought is never too far from my mind. I don't believe I would but the thought is there.
Thank you for your contact.

 

Yes Steve I have made inquiry's about suing but no solicitor will touch it, because they use the same proseger every day, that's how they make most of there money,they clean your ears whether you need it or not, Its about $140 a ear and its covered by medicare so they don't mind ripping off the system. Makes me so mad to think theirs absolutely nothing I can do about it. Ive had some pretty bad things happen to me in my life but I would rate T as the worst.
Thank you for your contact Steve. All the best to you.

 

@borris - I am so sorry to hear that. That is just awful. My partner had her ears syringed for wax build up and I was worried. But she got relief from her GP that did the procedure. She did say it was loud and high pitched though. They have to come up with a new way to do this. I really feel for you. I did T to myself because of loud music so i can't blame anyone but myself. I hear you though. I have also had some pretty awful things happen to me. Arguably T is the worst. And ENT's need to WAKE the F*CK up!!! Lawyers and the medical admin/medicare too! By the trauma caused by it and that they need to compensate through the judicial system. Let's hope some good souls in high places make that happen so that others don't have to suffer this indignity.

 

The reason the procedure is loud is they squirt water into your ear then at the same time it sucks the water out, and I suppose if you got a lot of wax in your ear then the noise wouldn't be so load but if your ear are clear as mine were then its gona be bloody load, I gotta admit I too am a muso and sound man for country music bands but as our audiences are generally over 50s we like to keep it fairly comfortable but being on stage and working around speakers I guess you do get hit by some load music now and then, So I probably did have some underlying problem but I certainly never had T before I went to see this fuc@#ng ENT bloke When I think about him my T gets worse so I try not to think about him any more but a lot of time when I'm trying to fall asleep he just makes me so mad, and all these terrible thoughts cross my mind witch I can't talk about. Nice to have someone to talk to about it as my wife is pretty ignorant to my condition I think she thinks I'm just a wimp, Maybe I am but it still makes me mad.
Thanks for listening Steve. Cheers Mate

 

@borris - that is a tough break. My partner had her ears removed of wax and they only squirted warm water into her ear with a large thick syringe. She held a bowl under her ear to catch the water. So no suction. I think the suction device was perhaps the thing that gave you T. My partners GP even advised against ear candling because of the suction action. And i don't think you are wimp at all. Anyone who thinks that must try having this for 24 hours and then try say the same thing!

 

ENT's need to send patients to a pyschiatrist after making the diagnosis for T.
This is terrible that a highly educated professional is making these comments to a patient
who is already devastated .

 

Totally agree @Denny !!! By the time I was done, I had seen 4 ENT's and 3 audiologists. I was in the depths of despair and dealing with anxiety and and hopelessness like I had never experienced ever before (anxity/depression were brand new to me. I had never dealt with ever before!). I shared this with all 7 "specialists" and not a single one recommended I seek psychiatric help!! I was freaking out, near the end of my rope, and none of these "doctors" referred me to get help. I ended up, thank God, getting psychiatric care on my own!

It should be mandatory protocol that ENT's and others in the field, refer patients with T in the early stages to a psychologist and/or psychiatrist!!