Doctor against drug help = no help.

[dave-]

At the end of my tether and craving sleep I called Lets Talk Wellbeing and spoke to a therapist for around an hour who concluded that I had scored high for “Low Mood” and would benefit from a course of anti depressants both to calm the Tinnitus noise and to help me sleep, she would write to my doctor with her findings and ask him to prescribe them. Three weeks later I went to the doctor for his decision, he said he had received no letter (mmm) and anti depressants have not been proved to help T or insomnia so he would not prescribe them, I disagreed and said most forums I have read say they do help to which he said firmly well they don't. Desperate I asked him for sleeping pills, his answer was sleeping pills are addictive and I would be banging on his door begging for more. What do I do now with a doctor that will not help? I would not be surprised if he prescribed leeches!.

[KC1961]

Hi Dave,

When T came to me and I wasn't sleeping my GP wasn't for giving me sleeping pills long term. He did try me with quite a few other pills whose side-effects were sleepiness, eventually after a few failures we found that for me, Trimipramine helped me to get some sleep. I'm still using these 14 years later. Hopefully there is something that your GP (or another GP?) can give you that helps.

[dave- in reply to KC1961]

Thanks KC196,

I think as you say the solution to my problems is another GP, I have spoken again to Lets Talk and they say my doctor seems unsympathetic to T and doctors like him are of no use to T sufferers also I should refuse an appointment with him in future, don't know what response I will get from the surgery but will give it a try.

[Jimmuck]

Hi Dave,

I am very surprised by your doctor's refusal to prescribe anti depressant medication for you especially when you are obviously suffering from t and lack of sleep as a result of it. In my case I was prescribed 10mg of Amitrip right off, by the consultant I saw a few months ago and I have had several repeat prescriptions for it since then through my GP. I was never a great sleeper at the best of times, even before I had tinnitus but nowadays, thanks to the Amitrip, I usually get a solid eight hours sleep almost every night and it makes a huge difference to my general wellbeing. If I were you, I would ask to see another doctor as the one you have seems to be very entrenched in his views and keep badgering away until you get a satisfactory outcome. It's all very well for doctors saying that in their opinion this or that won't help but at the end of the day, they are not the ones suffering! Best wishes.

[dave- in reply to Jimmuck]

Spot on Jimmuck my doctor has obviously never encountered T so does not understand the misery and desperation of the condition. I came across this at work when a work mate said "what you can't sleep because of a little noise in your ear" and before I had experienced it I suppose I would have had the same poor attitude. I am going back to another GP if they will allow it and see if I can get some help and have noted Amitrip and Trimipramine.

Thanks,

Dave.

[berry76]

Can you change your doctor? I have been prescribed 10mg Amitryptiline for helping with the T - apparently it is not now prescribed for depression (I have recently lost my husband). - but is a relaxant and need not be addictive.

You obviously need a prop and perhaps Amitryptiline could be it.

Good luck.

[dave- in reply to berry76]

Thanks berry76,

Sorry for the loss of your husband, that sort of stress and sadness must increase your T to an unbearable level so its good you have Amitryptiline to help, I wonder if it is the same drug as Jimmuck's Amitrip as it is similar sounding. I have added your Amitryptiline to my list of demands to my hopefully new GP. When there is this much evidence that medication works I can't understand the closed mind of my current GP.

Thanks again,

Dave.

[Jimmuck]

Hi Dave,

You're right about Amitrip being the same as Amitriptyline. I abbreviated it as it takes too long to type! Sorry for any confusion.

[dave- in reply to Jimmuck]

No worries Jimmuck all info is good and two people finding Amitriptyline a help for T strengthens my fight against my Victorian GP.

Dave.

[berry76]

I sometimes wonder if the T is a good diversion from being sad about the loss of my husband! How cynical can one get ... but I am mostly coping, particularly with the psychological help of my hearing aids with masker.

Soldiering on - and glad of the moral support.

[whywouldi]

Hi Dave, Hard to believe there are doctors like yours still practicing.Due to Tinnitus I ended up in a mental hospital under constant supervision 24 7 ,my local doctor had also told me,what yours told you,luckily the psychiatrists in the hospital had an understanding of T and started me on different meds for both sleep and function,I was also fitted with hearing aids which help a lot,without professional help you could end up where I did,so I suggest you change surgeries soon ,...my psychiatrist explained it to me like this..........We may not yet be able to cure Tinnitus but we can certainly manage it! All the best mate, Jeff

find yourself in a

[dave- in reply to whywouldi]

Thanks Jeff,

A change of GP is definitely the way to go, it seems you had the same inward/backward looking type of GP as me but with terrible consequences so I do need to stand up to them. You just think they are highly paid professionals and must know what they are doing, clearly they do not.

I do like the quote from your psychiatrist, I may use it in my defence to get better GP.

Cheers,

Dave.

[NicBTA Partner]

Hello and welcome to the British Tinnitus Association forum. Do feel free to ask any questions, I hope that you find this a helpful and supportive place to help you manage your tinnitus.

We have some resources that you might like to check out in addition to our home here:

tinnitus.org.uk

- we have some guidance for GPs which you may wish to print and share with the GP when you see them tinnitus.org.uk/guidance-fo...

takeontinnitus.co.uk

Helpline 0800 018 0527 (Monday-Friday 9am-5pm) (outside the UK you can call [phone])

Warmest wishes

Nic (BTA Communications Manager and Forum Administrator)

[Barbara-C]

Hello Dave I take amitriptyline 10mg and find they help with sleep and with coping I dispair with doctors lack of knowledge and compassion. Be strong .

[dave- in reply to Barbara-C]

Hi Valient,

I've managed to get a very rare pre booked doctors appointment for Thursday with a different doctor, I am asking for amitriptyline or similar due to the feedback on here, they surly can't argue with the facts. I will threaten to make an appointment every week until I get some help, it is a sad but necessary tactic that really shouldn't be needed but I am desperate.

Thanks,

Dave.

[Barbara-C in reply to dave-]

Well done good luck..they definitely help me cope .

[Ruud1boy]

I'm on Amitrip as well as a result of the T. It doesn't really do anything for the tinnitus per se, the idea as I understand it is that it just dampens down your emotions a bit to help you try to stay on an even keel.

[dave- in reply to Ruud1boy]

Hi Ruud1boy,

I saw another doctor and asked for Amitrip she said they no longer prescribe it but put me on Citalopram, she said as you do it will calm you down and help you sleep, well 1 week on them and I ache all over and the T is worse so I'm going back Monday.

Cheers,

Dave.

[darren25]

I have been prescribed amatrip too. They worked brilliantly for me and would def recommend for a short term (2 month) course. If you sleep and are less anxious that will only help the tinnitus

[dave- in reply to darren25]

Thanks darren25

I am having so many side affects on Citalopram that I will go back and try for Amitrip as it seems to work for many.

Regards, Dave.