*off topic*

[Gnarli]

Ssssh! Don't say anything but I've been referred for a hearing test at a local Specsavers. It's on 12th November and I'm already getting really excited. I've got everything crossed that I'll get some tinnitus masking hearing aids and get some relief from the constant noises in my head. Maybe even be able to hear the grandchildren talking, fingers crossed.

[janny55]

Awwwww that’s so good Gnarli hope you get some too 🤗xx

[Gnarli in reply to janny55]

Thank you. So do I 'cos I've been trying to get some for years x

[Hidden]

Aw hope so jan, must drive you nuts, I only get it sporadically & that’s enough. 🤞for you.

Keren x

[Gnarli in reply to Hidden]

Thank you and, yes, it does but I didn't have far to go x

[keeta]

Ahh bless you Gnarli. I hope it turns out well for you.

So you can hear your grandkids.

I.ve got everything crossed for you .hugs xxkathyxx

[Gnarli in reply to keeta]

Thanks Kathy. It could be a mixed blessing as the smallest has just learned to do a very good 'demon' growly noise x

[keeta in reply to Gnarli]

Oooohhh lovely all ready for Halloween. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[Mmrr]

Good news Gnarli

[Gnarli in reply to Mmrr]

Yeah! x

[AgedCrone]

They are really good in the audio department of SpecSavers. Much more efficient than the old hit & miss NHS department in Outpatients.

That is one outsourcing by the NHS that seems a success. My friends who use them tell me they even provide the batteries for any hearing aids you might need for free!

Hope they have something to help your tinnitus.

[Gnarli in reply to AgedCrone]

Thank you. Oooh better and better. I was offered two Specsavers branches and a private company but I didn't know where they were. I really hope they can help

J

[AgedCrone in reply to Gnarli]

I have three friends who changed to them in three different towns...they all have different types of hearing aids & are all very satisfied.

It must be a nightmare to have noises in your ears all the time. In the short time I was on Prednisolone I heard a man singing all the time. I got so stressed by it, I found myself talking to him saying "sing another ruddy song" I can smile about it now, but at the time, combined with all the other symptoms, I seriously thought I was going mad.

Good Luck on -2th.

PS: Growl back at your grandchild.....that will shut him/her Up!!

[Gnarli in reply to AgedCrone]

That is good to know. I had thought of going to them direct and pay for some aids even though they're not cheap it would have been worth it.

I can't afford to acknowledge the tinnitus or I'd surely end up in a straitjacket. It's something most people can't inderstand or appreciate the impact it can have and I'm sorry you've experienced something like it.

The tiny grandchild is only 6 months so I may laugh and forgive her.

[AgedCrone in reply to Gnarli]

Oh bless her! She's allowed to growl at 6 months.

I imagine tinnitus to be abstract undefinable noises, not a voice. When I first heard it went around my house to see if I'd left a radio on anywhere.....it didn't seem to be 'in my ears'..I thought it was real,but nobody else could hear it. Luckily I did tell my Rheumy & he said it did happen, but rarely, & stopped the Pred immediately..I was only on about 2mg per day for about a week.

When I recently had my feet injected under sedation I told the anesthetist... No Pred & he didn't seem to "get it".... luckily the surgeon knew my Rhumatologist & when he came to see me prior to the procedure, I told the him if the anaesthetist would not agree to No Pred It was all off...so he told the anaesthetist he preferred him to use ...whatever...& all was fine.

[Gnarli in reply to AgedCrone]

She is quite gorgeous.

That's truly a weird phenomenon and I feel for you. The electronic-type swirly whines are bad enough. So, it was the pred? No wonder you didn't want it again. I sincerely hope the injections had their desired effect and that your lovely surgeon gets a gold star in the big book.

[AgedCrone in reply to Gnarli]

He's a funny bloke, but brilliant at sorting out feet.....he did my Scarfe Osteotomy back in 2011 & for the first time in 40 years I could wear strappy sandals.

My neuromas seem a lot more comfortable...my balance is certainly better. I don't see him him until December for an ultrasound to check on everything......so it's just a waiting game.

[Gigi71]

Oh Jan, do hope you get some much needed help and one less thing to worry about. Hugs. X

[Gnarli in reply to Gigi71]

Thank you. I'd be thrilled to get some noise cancelling aids. Watch this space

J

[hatshepsut]

Great news....hope you get relief from the tinnitus....I get it sporadically, and it drives me nuts! Keeping everything crossed for you 😉

[Gnarli in reply to hatshepsut]

Thank you. I have to admit it gets to me sometimes 😕

[Hidden]

Oh good luck. Noisy heads are no good. Must drive you nuts. Fingers crossed it gets sorted.

[Gnarli in reply to Hidden]

Thanks. It was quite a short journey as I was half way there already. I hope you're keeping warm?

[wishbone]

The very best of luck J, I hope you manage to get at least some relief from this dreadful condition.

Your tinnitus seems worse than mine, and mine is pretty grim! It has eased a little since we last spoke about it...ie. thankfully there are spells sometimes lasting several hours when it does die down a bit. Alas, there are spells of similar times when it's like a wailing banshee in my head. GP gave me a long course of tablets, which are used to treat meniere's disease I think. He also told me to gargle salt water, swallow hard and chew gum, and to go back and see him if it doesn't improve. Being the eternal pessimist, I think I'll be going back to see him before too long...or should that be the eternal realist!

[Gnarli in reply to wishbone]

Thanks for your kind response. Call me daft but I thought Menier's caused dizziness as prime symptom? Have you found the tablets helped at all? Whatever the cause I hope you get some relief soon because it's not nice. I found distraction the only thing that helps.

J

[wishbone in reply to Gnarli]

So do I after reading about it, and I have no dizziness whatsoever. Could very well be it's my GP's head that's spinning but at least he's told me to go back if it doesn't get any better.

[wishbone in reply to Gnarli]

Sorry for the belated reply....difficult to tell if the tablets are helping, but I don'think so as my tinnitus had started to improve a little before I started taking them.

They are called Betahistine Dihydrochloride.

[Gnarli in reply to wishbone]

Not a problem. I've not heard of these tablets and not been offered any. I do hope you find something that helps soon x

[wishbone]

Thanks J.

[pauluk60]

hi gnarli good on you i dont know your story so iwill tell you mine triedand tried to use nhs hearing aids i could not keep them in SO I ASED TO GO SPECSAVERS THROUGH NHS I THINK WHAT CAME AUDIOLOGIST MOUTH WAS IF YOU GO THERE YOU GET SHOT AT DAWN so i tip toed out of office tail between legs but live to fight another day so if you want let me know your story

[Gnarli in reply to pauluk60]

I've had mild hearing loss for a while but I also get tinnitus and have had for years. It's getting so loud I have trouble hearing speech, sleeping and concentrating. Would you believe it was the NHS sending me there? True. I only saw the GP last Wednesday and got a call from NHS referrals yesterday. Never has my gob been so smacked! I don't know how your systems work but might it be worth another try?

[nomoreheels]

Oh I do hope you'll have clear enough hearing you'll be able to hear your grandchildren, that must be so sad. Anyway. My mother in law had Specsavers hearing aids, her hearing had diminished over the years & when they first set up the service my brother in law convinced her to try them. We now have a dedicated shop in town (on a different street to the Optics) but at the time she had to travel a couple of towns away. Initially she had trouble with them, early teething problems with the Siemens invisible ones being new, they were around £2,000 if I remember correctly. I'll be honest & say that they had to go back time & time again. I can't tell you the amount of times they'd to be taken out & tested, that noise they make went through me! It was a moisture problem so she was given a dehumidifier box to put them in overnight. This helped but by this time she had started with early Lewy body dementia so it was becoming difficult to reason with her & be sure whether she could actually hear or if she was shutting off (it happened!). They did make the world of difference to her though when they did work correctly as she was becoming more & more insular, not in involving herself in conversations, even one to one was difficult because she 'made up' what we were saying & answering as she thought she'd heard.

Around 5 years later it was clear my father in law also needed hearing aids. He opted for the invisible ones & had absolutely no problems with them, they changed his whole attitude as losing his hearing had made him very grumpy. You see they do change a person's life, I'm sure you'll find the same.

As AC said they provide batteries without charge, they're sent out automatically, or they were I presume it's still the case. In fact when we were clearing his things we found boxes & boxes of them! We gave them to a local charity who were very grateful.

I bet November can't come too soon Jan! Your grandchildren will be chattering away & you'll hear every word. 😙🤗

[Gnarli]

Thank you for taking the time to respond. Oh that poor lady. It can be so isolating when you cannot hear clearly, even one to one. I have learned to lip read a bit which helps. I was referred to audiology before but the grumpy audiologist didn't install the tinnitus masking element as I had asked and they didn't help at all. As far as I know any aids dispensed will be on the NHS but watch this space. If I have to pay, so be it. I'm still excited tho'

[AndrewT]

Dear Gnarli,

Wisper it softly....but we are ALL 'rooting', for you. Don't tell anyone or they might, send you, Good Wishes too! I'd just 'Keep Quiet', about this, I were you!

Seriously though, I hope that it All 'goes well', for you.

AndrewT