Hello all,
I've had tinnitus for yonks now. Not sure when it started but it's started getting louder in the last couple of weeks which is mildly terrifying.
I've always been able to ignore it really but it's started become more obvious now and less easy to ignore.
I was wondering if it's worth going private to an ENT consultant? Are there some better than others or someone I should specifically see?
Thank you,
Hello , sorry your T has got worse. I paid for a private Ent consultant , cost me £195 and to be honest it was a waste of money . YouMay be lucky , it’s like everything in the medical profession , it’s the luck of the draw. You certainly will get seen promptly anyway .
As far as your specific question about ENT is concerned, Wintchinghour, i don’t know, but I had a look at your other post about asthma too and I’m wondering whether your breathing issues are making you worry, and this makes the tinnitus come to the fore.Please take a look at the British Tinnitus Association website and specially their”take on tinnitus” and see if it resonates with you.
Also, GPs should be following the pathway recommended by NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) which you can read by going to the NICE site and put Tinnitus into their search box.
Armed with all this information you will be able to talk intelligently to your doctor.
HiJust written a post before I saw yours. I went private and was so pleased I did. Initial consultation £180. My hubby said why keep a rainy day fund if you don't use it😁
Would you mind PMing me who you saw please? 
What would private achieve different versus nhs???? Keep your money.
Well for a start I'd see them quicker. Second I can choose who I see.
That was partly why I was posting. To see if anyone had any recommendations.
Absolutely agree with you about faster and choose who you see, but we are talking T here, sadly private or not the end result will be the same, it’s just my opinion others will probably disagree, though whatever I wish you the best of luck whichever way you go.
Like I have said before you have to make your GP know how desperate you are otherwise it will be ages before you get a ENT appointment. I just said "Doctor I cannot put up with this much longer, can you put that on my record please" I was fast tracked to the ENT, it still took about 3 weeks.
If you go private you may see the same consultant only quicker.
Never give up hope.
Take care
Mike
I hear what you're saying it's just that so far, with a different chronic illness my GPs have been spectacularly awful. I'd rather just cut out the middle man where I can.
Thank you for the support though.
It must be your good looks & charm Mike 🙂 I said much the same but my GP didn't bat an eyelid!
Lol, or you need to change your GP doglover.
You’ll end up seeing the same Consultant that works for the nearby NHS hospital. You’ll see him quicker, but I don’t see any other advantage.
I mean, seeing the consultant quicker is reason enough for me. 🤷🏻♀️
But I can also choose who I see. So there's that.
Hi Hidden I've waited 10 months for ENT and will be going shortly . My GP gave them a nudge in September - otherwise it would've been longer. Average waiting times are at least a year. To be honest it's been a long haul so I wouldn't rule out the private option .
Quite. I'm not sure why there's been so much derision of my decision to go private!
Good luck for your appointment. I hope it's useful for you.
I’ve seen no derision, just others opinions. It’s your decision at the end of the day and your money. I hope you get some relief.
If it will honestly help someone's peace of mind to see a consultant privately, there is an argument that paying to do so will be helpful.
As others have observed in this thread, a private consultant cannot provide anything more radical than faster timescales, which may end up telling you the same thing that an NHS appointment will.
ENT consultants can certainly help where tinnitus is being originated by a physiological issue with the ear, sinus or throat. If your tinnitus is the result of something like hearing changes, it's debatable whether or not ENT adds another step to a process that an audiologist has more of an ability to assist with.
ENT consultants, like any other kind of consultant, have specialisms. Aside from less wait time there is also the choice to intensionally see a tinnitus specialist. 🤷🏻♀️
Hi Witchinghour. I developed pulsatile tinnitus with headaches and dizziness a couple of months ago. I went private and saw an ENT who did an MRI, said everything was normal and told me to go to the Tinnitus Association website. I wasn’t happy with that as the symptoms are very debilitating so I got a second opinion and the new ENT was fairly sure it was something called SSCD. I’ve had a CT scan and a VEMP test and it seems that he was right - I’m seeing him again next week where it will hopefully be confirmed and hopefully fixed.
My experience shows that you’ve got to choose your ENT carefully. Make sure it is one that has tinnitus as a speciality. The first guy I saw couldn’t have cared any less.
I’ve seen a lot of recommendations for an ENT in Cambridge called Patrick Axon. If my second opinion ENT didn’t help, I was going to see Mr Axon as he seems to, not only care, but also has a lot of experience with tinnitus.
Good luck
Thank you! That's really helpful.
I'll look him up; Cambridge is a trek from me but I'm happy to travel if it's worth it!
Hello. Not kidding I am just home from a private ENT appointment - I have tinnitus, hearing loss and was experiencing menieres type symptoms. I don't regret the private consultation.
He actually agreed with the NHS ENT that I saw in the summer and said I am experiencing vestibular migraine. He will write to my GP suggesting migraine tablets on prescription.
You may be thinking why I went private after seeing NHS? I had serious doubts about my migraine diagnosis...and feel better having seen the private consultant.
He explained everything better and I felt listened to. Some might say that is an expensive corroboration- but I felt as though the NHS consultant was desperate for me to leave and manage me out the door! Probably due to the pressure they are under. It really upset me though. I am glad I went - it was £200 ( the price of a fancy handbag or something). It gave me peace of mind.
All the best, whatever you decide to do. 🌼
I understand that. Feeling listened to and being acknowledged is worth the price sometimes. I'm glad it was helpful for you.
Thanks. It has reduced the stress levels. Hope you get some answers. 🎈
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