Tinnitus Support Group

My ENT who could do nothing referred me to a Tinnitus Specialist named Abraham Shulman. After two months of waiting, I went to see him yesterday, hanging on to the thought that at last I would get at least some info and HOPE. Instead, after examining me, doing hearing test, examining my MRI report and listening to my story of how it started, he basically told me that I had lost high-frequency hearing, that tthe MRI showed age-related white spots on my brain and that probably the elavil "caused" the tinnitus because of underlying stuff already there. He didn't elaborate on any of this. When I asked about maskers, he said at this point that would make it worse. Didn't tell me why or what at this point meant or if or why there might be a better "point." He gave me a nose drop cortico-steriod and a exercise to perform with the radio static once at bedtime--find the static, lower it to zero, raise it to uncomfortable level, lower to comfort level and listen for 10 minutes. Call him in a week to say how I'm doing. And then come back December4, a whole nother month away before considering tests, which I don't even know what know what they might be since he wouldn't say. He also left me their hand-out that seems to indicate that they use various devices for ear-only tinnitus but maybe not for ear/brain tinnitus. I don't know what to do or how to handle this and how to proceed. Everything was kept at a mysterious distance.

The upshot is I am now so completely over-welmed with extreme uncontrollable, even after using ativan, anxiety and fear because
I don't know what this all means and he didn't offer any encouragement or suggestions of what might be a plan of help/treatment, that my tinnitus has increased about 10 fold, added some occassional new chirping to the single-pitched ringing. Even though it's Saturday I tried calling but of course no one has replied and I am sure won't. I am so acutely upset I have been actually smoking which I'm sure is helping to make it worse. My entire stomach and body is in paralytic knots.

I went thinking I would finally get help and encouragement since he is supposed to be such a well known specialist. None of that.

Right now I am a complete, non-functioning basketcase and don't know what to do to help myself, where to turn or what to believe.
Posted on 11/07/09, 01:11 pm