BUPA Tinnitus

[Mirador1]

In January I noticed my T had increased significantly to become the primary source of noise. Usually the radio or television suppressed the T. Not any longer though. I've had many completely sleepless nights.I contacted BUPA in Jan and spoke with a Dr. He suggested making a claim. After waiting for a GP appt in early March for a referral letter (£50) I heard today from BUPA that I'm not covered! I was completely shocked but they won't help. They have recognised medical professionals on their website specifically dealing with T. So I've got a GP appt end April to go down the NHS route.

Really upset with BUPA leading me on then saying they won't help.

[Happyrosie]

I know very little of BUPA and am not familiar with their website. What I do know, from posters here, is that many doctors are dismissive of tinnitus because they know there is no “cure” as such.

It might be worthwhile you looking at the website of NICE (National Institute for Clinical Evidence) where, if you put “tinnitus” into their search box top of page, you’ll see the pathways that GP’s are recommended to follow, Contrast this with what you would have expected of BUPA.

[Mirador1 in reply to Happyrosie]

Thank you Happy Rosie for your reply. I'll certainly look up the NICE recommendations you mention. I've not given up totally yet with Bupa but think my only option is NHS. Hope I don't have to wait too long.

[PimplePopperfan]

I have AXA and will have to see if I am covered. It is disappointing I agree. The wait on the NHS is very long ( I guess it depends where you live). The GP's are very dismissive of this condition and I struggle to get some help even for sleep. I asked for some sleeping tablets temporarily - his reply was if I suffer from insomnia , he can prescribe something. If it is the tinnitus what is causing me to be unable to sleep he can't...where is the logic in this? So if you suffer from insomnia due to your tinnitus they won't help.

[Mirador1 in reply to PimplePopperfan]

Thank you. Some nights I get no sleep whatsoever. It's awful. I was hoping to be prescribed some sleeping tablets at my April appt. Hopefully they will. Ridiculous tinnitus causing sleep deprivation isn't recognised

[Bridie70]

That is dreadful behaviour from them. Sorry to hear that.

[marigold60]

I have Benenden insurance and that covered me. I think you get up to £1500 of treatment, though I think it may have gone up again. I had 2 appointments with a consultant and a scan

[Barbiebabbs]

I've got prayed for several times and mine was actually gone and I went back to another ear doctor like an idiot and it came back but I learned that the trick is and I know it's very hard cuz I cried 2 years with mine but I learned to put my mind somewhere else and I noticed that when I get concentrated on something else that it goes away and I read where it's in your head it's not in your ear it's actually in your head and that the more you notice it the louder it sounds so you know we go to church we go to the family dance we do karaoke and at night I sleep with either a bad app on my phone or I turn it on where there's wind whistling through the trees and a fireplace going but I noticed if I take something to make me sleep it don't bother me at all and it actually got better and I noticed that stress causes mind to get worse

[rabbits65 in reply to Barbiebabbs]

You’re exactly right. . Distraction and keeping busy really helps a lot .

[Mirador1 in reply to rabbits65]

That's how it's been for over 20 years for me but suddenly nothing distracts me from the increased levels. It really is intolerable

[rabbits65 in reply to Mirador1]

gosh over 20 years is a long time to have been suffering

[Globedancer in reply to Mirador1]

Exactly the same for me. 20 years plus but last 18.months it's like someone has decided to turn the volume up in my head. As an aside whilst at Dr's about T I discovered I had hypertension which was off the chart. I'm now on tablets and it has come down a little but T still just as bad. Dr seems to think the T may ne linked to high blood pressure - I don't.

[Hidden]

Hi I'm new to this forum.. I've always been profoundly deaf in one ear for 40 odd years and have had minor episodes of T never troubled me much.....till this January..## slipped into depression omg! Didn't know what to do, whatever i did this ×××x high pitch ringing driving me to despair....i looked at Bupa as i have cover and somewhere it says something about no cover for diseases with no cure! I found help from the "oto" app which helped calm me down along with an anti depressant..now 3 months on I'm in a much better place.. still have T but it does not bother me nearly so much... the CBT and acceptance approach has helped me a lotso much that i now try to joke with my wife that there are three of us! Dont try and fight it!

[rabbits65 in reply to Hidden]

Welcome to this forum. , so much useful information on here. . so much comfort for people when they get stressed and the key issue is to keep very busy and forget about the tinnitus, if possible. I have come a long way in my journey and am so much better.

[Barbiebabbs in reply to Hidden]

If I do too much in one day or get real stressed out or get mad or aggravated or depressed yeah it kind of you can hear it more but I try to just keep my mind positive or the best I can cuz I'm not too happy right now I try to stay busy

[Dazza2024 in reply to Hidden]

Hi, What Anti-Depression tablet was prescribed ?, how much difference do you think the Meds are making to it, is it any Quieter or just feels less intrusive ?. My Doctors also say Nothing can be done, I am just going thru trying to see if any Meds might reduce mine for a bit, for some reason in January, like a lot of people, my tinnitus ramped up in noise, so I hear it all the time and the TV or Radio don't drain it out. A lot of research is going into the Neuro Pathways with some meds, that might calm the brain down a little bit, so we can try and ignore it a little bit.

[Hidden in reply to Dazza2024]

Hi i was prescribed citalopram. I don't think that has made any difference to the noise but has helped my mood. One of the things cbt has helped me with is to accept i have tinnitus. Weird i know but the alternative is to try and fight it, wish you hadn't got it, did you not wear ear protection in the past when you should have done etc etc etc and all i found was that got you more wound up. You should still visit your healthcare professional to eliminate alternative causes...i am due to have an mri scan for this...joke: don't know if I want it to show nothing and im stuck with T or they find something else!!

[Hidden]

I should add that i still do the cbt/ mindfulness etc exercises. if its any help i found the worst thing i could do was wish it would go away as this drove me into a panic..as its not like a sore foot which might feel better with a cold pack.(as im sure you know) If i now find myself thinking negative thought s i can very quickly block them out. I hope some of this may help you as i know exactly how it feels and its not a nice place to be

[fatpheasant in reply to Hidden]

That is very interesting as I have just started CBT so do hope it will be a help to me