Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) in New York City (NYC)?

Hi Dr Nagler,

Do you know of anyone in NYC area that is good with TRT? I have had tinnitus & hyperacusis (right ear) for 3 years now. I have had a recent spike with a changed tone due to accidental noise exposure. It seems to be calming down.

Lately I have one OK to loud day and then I have 2 very quiet days. My hyperacusis is still very fragile. Do wear ear protection when needed.

Also what do you think of the new device (Lenire) out of Ireland that is in use there and now available in Germany? They are working on FDA approval for the US market.

Best,
Denis
Bronx NY

 

Hello @DCM. Thank you for your question.

You wrote, “Do you know of anyone in NYC area that is good with TRT (Tinnitus Retraining Therapy)?”

Denis, I used to make specific recommendations for tinnitus clinicians (TRT and otherwise), but I invariably found myself overlooking some excellent resources. (It also cost me a friend or two!) So instead what I have been doing lately is providing a list of questions for tinnitus sufferers to ask when doing their own due diligence in trying to locate knowledgeable and capable tinnitus clinicians, be it with TRT in mind or not.

My suggestion when seeking the “right” tinnitus clinician or “best fit” would be to do a Google search and locate several in your area. Contact each of their clinics, and ask for a return call so you could very briefly discuss your situation to see if it made sense for you to arrange an appointment.

If you do not get a call back from the clinician within a week or so, then I would cross that person off my list immediately.

For those who do call back, you can generally tell within a few minutes if it is worth your time to make an appointment for an initial assessment. And here are some questions you might raise during that appointment as you decide whether to pursue whatever treatment program the clinician recommends:

· What is the approach the clinician is recommending, and why is it appropriate for me?
· What type of training has the clinician undergone in the use of that approach?
· How long has the clinician been using the approach?
· How many tinnitus sufferers has the clinician treated with the approach?
· What is the clinician's success rate using the approach?
· How does the clinician define and measure success?​

You also wrote, “I have had tinnitus & hyperacusis (right ear) for 3 years now.”

The ENT evaluation for unilateral tinnitus is a bit different than the ENT evaluation for tinnitus in both ears. I am going to assume that you explained to your ENT that you only have symptoms in one ear and that he or she has evaluated you with that in mind.​

You mentioned, “I have had a recent spike with a changed tone due to accidental noise exposure. It seems to be calming down. Lately I have one OK to loud day and then I have 2 very quiet days. My hyperacusis is still very fragile. Do wear ear protection when needed.”

Based on the sentences immediately above, I am not so sure that you need TRT at all. But since you are looking for a TRT clinician in your area, it seems that you have already made up your mind in that regard.​

Finally you asked, "Also what do you think of the new device (Lenire) out of Ireland that is in use there and now available in Germany? They are working on FDA approval for the US market."

My response is that I would be absolutely thrilled if Lenire turned out to be the silver bullet that everybody in the tinnitus community has been looking for. Now do I personally believe that it will turn out to be that silver bullet? I have been disappointed so many times over the past quarter century that I have simply decided not to have an opinion in that regard. I am going to wait until reliable and independently verifiable studies have been published, and then I will have an opinion.​

Hope this helps.

Stephen M. Nagler, M.D.