got 1 fr. the V.A. bout 8 yrs ago....tyed hearin aids 1st-no good....used masker in daytime for bout 6 yrs,helped alot.... only use it now when the "T" is really loud.....was told by the A.T.A. yrs ago that maskers work for only 16% of folks w "T"........i use other forms of maskin 24/7 and they help........

am new here and virgin to "T" - over 1 week of it now. Doc seemed to shrug it off. Doing research on my own. I can bear the ringing in my ears in the day time but how the hell can anyone SLEEP with it? I happen to have 2 white noise machines from past loud neighbor problems and tried it last night but not so good results. Will try some Melatonin supplments tomorrow... anything to get me SOME sleep and functional. Anyone find white noise to be helpful or Melatonin?

Just read a study that shows some signs of relief for people using Melatonin - maybe old news but new news to me about Melatonin and Tinnitus: http://www.webmd.com/news/20060224/melatonin-pills-may-help-ease-tinnitus

I've been wearing ear maskers for about 5 months now. They clip behind the ear and play a white noise that I find more pleasing than the my present state of "T". The type that I wear are BTE sound generators - Tranquil 07-06131. The last audiologist I saw almost agreed with mrocky, saying about 25% of T sufferers will benefit from these. You should be able to get them on a trial basis. I was given 30 days and if I did not want them, I was not obligated to buy. I hope they help you. For me they are not an unpleasant distraction. Also, a Homedics Sound Machine has been very helpful for me. You can buy them at Walmart for about 20.00. They play ocean waves, rain, crickets, birds...

garybecca,
Hi,
Have you found any association of bipolar and tinnitus in your travels?

I have ADD and have had tinnitis for all of my conscious life, the ADD wasn't diagnosed 'til adulthood (wasn't looked at until adulthood)....

Just curious if you've found any correlation of these things.

Thanks.
Tom

GB,

Sorry to hear your story. Hopefully you will get relief from the maskers.

What kind of ear masker are you getting? Are you getting one? How much is it costing you?

Mark

Amazing, I just got my tinnitus instruments today ($2100). They are the completely in the ear kind. The first hour I thought it was over - I can't answer the phone with these things the feedback is so bad. My own voice sounds like I am in a barrel. There is a warning on my pamphlet that says "do not wear more than eight hours straight - can cause deafness?" The Jasterboff people insist you wear them 12 hours a day for habituation (you are supposed to work you're way to this goal).

I am on day ONE. the volume is adjustable on both the masker and the hearing aide. The hearing aide is analog instead of digital. I have no idea where this is going.

My masking sounds like a shower - like if you were standing in the shower with the water on. I was worried it would sound like radio static.