Meniere's with Tinnitus vs. Hypersomnia

Hi! I have tinnitus, primarily in my left ear. I am told this is due to Meniere’s disease meaning excess fluid pressure in the left inner ear. The T has been building over 3 or 4 years, I'm guessing. I’ve also had occasional bouts with positional vertigo over 40 years.

My ENT says that I should avoid caffeine and other stimulants since they will raise pressure in the inner ear, increasing the tinnitus. I think that’s true. I also have hypersomnia – a sleep disorder – which is primarily treated with stimulants. When the sleep disorder gets bad, I take stimulants to compensate. When the T gets bad, I stop the stimulants and wait days for the T to back down. My sleep doctor says I should find someone who can fix my tinnitus first and then he can help me manage my hypersomnia with stimulants. Initially, I used prescription stimulants like Provigil and Nuvigil. Now I just use coffee since it is less powerful.

My latest treatment plan was to retire last year at age 62. I spent the last of my working years in a test lab environment with a high level of noise – mostly due to a very large air handler above my desk. In retirement, having less noise and more sleep has helped overall, but it has not cleared up the tinnitus. During my last year at work, there were periods when it was difficult to make out words while in meetings. I think I’m having less of that in retirement but my wife is not convinced. I’ve wondered whether the daily struggle with T is contributing to my fatigue problems as much as the sleep disorder.

I would like to get another opinion on the tinnitus issue. Can anyone recommend a tinnitus specialist in the Fort Worth or Denton areas of Texas? How does one find a good T specialist? I've received so much misinformation from medical professionals, I dread trying again to get help.

Thanks!

 

Hi,
Just to let you know we have a Menieres thread also if out it in the search box ....lots of love glynis