Treatment for Tinnitus, Which Is Better: Neuromonics vs Notched Music Therapy?

Heya,
I have spent almost the entire day reading through the "treatments" tab, which was amazing but also overwhelming. There are so many options it's difficult to work out which to try, which to ignore, which to keep in mind etc...
Basically, I'm starting Neuromonics in February but am unable to work out what that device actually does. I also decided today to give "Notched White Noise" a shot. I read that white noise is more preferable than music, and that notched environmental sounds such as waterfalls to be even more effective than notched white noise.
Firstly, is this correct? Secondly, will this notching actually work (dont want to get overly excited about something that does not work, such as medication and CBT which I'm sorry...did nothing).
Is there a particular treatment that works better than others? After reading I decided that the "notched" music to be most promising.
Please help me find something so I don't go absolutely insane!
Many thanks
Nina

 

For how long did you do cbt? Seems like in the right combinations 70% of the time, it works everytime. We share your desperationbut through out 95% of the treatments, there is noinstant relief, hence i coild recommend cbt ongoing with your other Projects. Pardon typos, on tablet. Wish you all luck with it

 

I've done CBT for years actually, looooong before Tinnitus even arrived. Maybe I'm just lazy, or stupid, or both, but I just don't get it, and I can't seem to learn it even when I try it every day!

 

Do you have single tonal Tinnitus? I read that yours is constant so maybe if it's tonal and you can match it pretty good you could try neuromodulation? I don't know where you live though... until now they only offer it in Europe and the US I think. plus it's quite expensive...

 

Well there is that 30% left statistics claim, can't put that out as completely failure though as I don't know what it covers All I know is that human of all is the master of adaptation. Whether it seemingly may og might not work for you, adaptation of thought is something every person does, on any field any day, on any scale, and so do you.
Surely cbt acknowledges that some patterns can't be controlled through rational thought, but as for myself, I know my own mind created strong unrational patterns, knowing it's capable of such a strong force, it sure can create the opposite too, as it has done before

 

All the so-called 'new' and expensive treatments as just variations of sound-enhancement approaches.
The 4 keys to sucessful management (not cure) of tinnitus is (1) EDUCATION; (2) PSYCHOLOGICAL THERAPY - CBT, to stop the negative thoughts; (3) REDUCE ANXIETY AND GET ADEQUATE SLEEP - with medications; and (4) RETRAINING using sound enhancement.
All these 4 together will result in habitutation over time.

 

Neena, I am sorry that you are depressed today. Are you able to work?

 

There is no 'best' treatment because how each individual patient responds is different. Neuromonics is just a variation of standard Tinnitus Retraining & Habituation and it might well work for you but it is expensive. The most effective sounds for you are the ones that work !! That is, the sounds that allow you to focus on something other than the tinnitus. For me, it is higher frequency things like crickets chirping. White noise drives me nuts as it is too much like my tinnitus. Just make sure you find an audiologist and a physician who are experience and sympathetic.

 

CBT by itself is not a treatment. It is one of the several steps you must take to deal with the T. CBT trains you to have some response to the negative thoughts that naturally arise from experiencing tinnitus - as is amply illustrated in several of your postings. The other treatment arms are stress and anxiety reduction (with medications if necessary), sleep (with medications if necessary) and sound enhancement retraining - which can take several months to have an effect - habituation. Remember, it is only tinnitus!!

 

I could not agree with you more completely, Dr. Ancill. Treating tinntius requires a multi-pronged approach.

Getting the anxiety and sleep situation under control was the first priority for me. I used a combination of CBT, medication (overseen by a psychiatrist, not a GP) and alternative medicine like supplements, acupuncture and meditation. Exercise also was helpful. I have two sets of doctors/healthcare professionals: one on the mental health/psychological side, the second on the ear-brain/physical side. I wasn't ready for sound enhancement retraining until I felt I had my anxiety and sleep sorted out, which took about six months.

So I finally started Neuromonics about two weeks ago. We will see where that takes me. I agree it is more expensive than it should be. But I am doing it through a research university, where they are giving me lots of support and doing more than just shoving a device in my hands. I felt at this point, Neuromonics is my best option. I am not very tech savvy and couldn't imagine going the DIY route, like AudioNotch etc, although I appreciate that it works for some and saves them a lot of money. I need the counseling end of TRT, just like some people need Weight Watchers to lose weight while others can do it on their own.

Thanks for your continued posts on the board.

 

Sorry, whats CBT?

 

LadyDi,

Could you elaborate on the supplements and medications and how they helped? I have tried acupuncture for othr things, did it help you?
How did the Neuronomics work for you? Thank you.
Willowman

 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - Training your mind to bat away negative thoughts. Think of it like a pinball machine with the ball being the negative thought. As it arrives you use the paddles to bat it away.