Experiences with Cruising with Tinnitus

[puttersolive]

Hello all,

 

I have just been diagnosed with tinnitus. Yes litterally two weeks prior to leaving on the Regal Princess to the caribbean. I am not necessarily dizzy just a bit off balance due to sinus pressure in my ears. I have read the precautions to take when flying with tinnitus and I am prepared (i hope) for that. I am fearful that I will be an unsteady mess on the ship. This will be our 8th cruise and I have never had seasickness ever. I am wondering if I should take bonine or dramamine even before I board the ship and take it everyday as a precaution. Any replies from experienced cruisers with these issues would be helpful.

[jagsfan]

I chew a Bonine in the morning before I sail and another one around 4:30pm. When you sail out of Florida you hit the Gulf Stream around dinner time. Better to have your antivert in your system.

I've been living with tinnitus for at least 20 years. I can ignore it most of the time, especially if there are distractions like people talking or music. You'll adjust.

Bonine will help with being a car passenger or doing theme park rides, too.

 

 

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[Thrak]

I have had tinnitus for years. Loud ringing in both ears. No dizziness or lack of balance. I do get majorly seasick but doubt it has anything to do with the tinnitus as I have gotten car sick since I was very young. If you worry about getting seasick take precautions. Either purchase the medication you mentioned, get a patch from the doctor, or take other precautions used by many such as ginger chews or other things.

 

If you take precautions along with you and don't need them you have lost very little. If you don't take precautions and spend your cruise hoping to die because you feel so horrible then you have wasted a lot of time and money in addition to feeling horrible. Seems a fairly simple choice to me.

[puttersolive]

Do you continue to take the bonine everday on the cruise then ?

[puttersolive]

Yes Thrak, I want to be prepared for whatever could happen. I have the patches from my doctor already

packed. Agree with you wholeheartedly... Ive spent two years planning this cruise and am determined that

I am going on it no matter how scary it is with a newly diagnosed tinnitus. Im sure you can relate, this is all

still new to me. I am also flying for the first time with the tinnitus and have the earplanes and headphones to

cover the ears etc. Fingers crossed that all goes well.

[sptrout]

I have had tinnitus for my entire cruising life and it has never cause any seasick problems. Just to add, never been an issue while flying even on long trips.

[DrivesLikeMario]

I agree - cruising with tinnitus has never made me feel seasick. That said, it never hurts to take Bonine and it helps a variety of things. Right before I went on my last cruise, I had vertigo really bad. The minute I got it, I wanted Bonine because I knew it would help and it did.

Edited March 17, 2017 by DrivesLikeMario
sp

[Colo Cruiser]

Hello all,

 

I have just been diagnosed with tinnitus. Yes litterally two weeks prior to leaving on the Regal Princess to the caribbean. I am not necessarily dizzy just a bit off balance due to sinus pressure in my ears. I have read the precautions to take when flying with tinnitus and I am prepared (i hope) for that. I am fearful that I will be an unsteady mess on the ship. This will be our 8th cruise and I have never had seasickness ever. I am wondering if I should take bonine or dramamine even before I board the ship and take it everyday as a precaution. Any replies from experienced cruisers with these issues would be helpful.

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1555584&highlight=Tinnitus

[cnd crsr]

My husband has had tinnitus for 20 plus years and has never been seasick. I would agree with taking patches and or Bonnie along and then you have it if need be. We always take Bonnie along "just in case". Hope all goes well and you have a wonderful cruise.

[Thrak]

Like I said, I don't have issues due to the tinnitus. I do get horribly seasick and even get car sick on winding roads if I'm not the driver or on any car trip if I try to read. I put my patch on before I board and have been through extremely rough weather without a hint of queasiness at all. I won't cruise without it but I really haven't ever heard of tinnitus being an issue as far as sailing or flying. Enjoy your cruise.

[notentirelynormal]

Hmm, staggering and falling over. Yup! That's the story I'm going with from now on. No officer, I'm not drunk I just have ringing in my ears Like many things there are counter actions you can take. I have hearing aids that specifically address this issue. It plays various sounds which I call waves, rain and wind. Starts in one ear and ends in the other. The purpose is to confuse/distract my brain into not hearing the ringing. $10,000 later and you can have one too.

 

:lips-sealed:

[Thrak]

Hmm, staggering and falling over. Yup! That's the story I'm going with from now on. No officer, I'm not drunk I just have ringing in my ears Like many things there are counter actions you can take. I have hearing aids that specifically address this issue. It plays various sounds which I call waves, rain and wind. Starts in one ear and ends in the other. The purpose is to confuse/distract my brain into not hearing the ringing. $10,000 later and you can have one too.

 

:lips-sealed:

 

Sounds a lot more like vertigo than tinnitus. I had vertigo one time and was completely disabled. I had to hang onto the bed because I felt I was falling all the time. I had absolutely no control over anything. They actually put me in the hospital for it. Very freaking scary for me.

[JF - retired RRT]

Hmm, staggering and falling over. Yup! That's the story I'm going with from now on. No officer, I'm not drunk I just have ringing in my ears Like many things there are counter actions you can take. I have hearing aids that specifically address this issue. It plays various sounds which I call waves, rain and wind. Starts in one ear and ends in the other. The purpose is to confuse/distract my brain into not hearing the ringing. $10,000 later and you can have one too.

 

:lips-sealed:

You had me ready for new hearing aids...until you got to the price. $10K...yikes!!!

[Womble99]

You had me ready for new hearing aids...until you got to the price. $10K...yikes!!!

Unfortunately it only works for some people so even if the hearing aids are available they may do absolutely nothing [emoji20] For a lot of people it is just now a part of your life, at least in my case I know the cause and over time I eventually taught my brain to mostly ignore it or turn it down so I can hear conversations.

 

Never really been an issue at sea other than in noisy spaces but that is no different to anywhere else.

[ar1950]

I have also had tinnitus for years. The only real affect has been hearing issues due to the loud ringing. I had some dizziness a couple of years ago and the PA thought it had to do with my tinnitus (some sort of vertigo). I went on a cruise about a week later and had no problems (I have never had any motion issues on a ship and didn't this time). Later on the real doctor (not the PA) did some additional tests and sent me to a heart doctor. Turns out it was a heart issue. So, back to the OP's concern. I have never had an issue with my tinnitus and any motion on a ship.

 

BTW, to the OP, watch your symptoms and don't hesitate to get a second opinion if things don't make sense.

Edited March 18, 2017 by ar1950

[jagsfan]

Do you continue to take the bonine everday on the cruise then ?

 

 

I don't usually need it after the first day, but if I start feeling like the ship is rolling s little or we get into bad weather, I chew one and that takes care of it. Sometimes coming out of Cozumel can be rocky, so if I cruise Western Caribbean, I plan to take more Bonine.

I'm too motion sickness prone to take chances.

It doesn't have any side effects for me.

 

 

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[easyboy]

Sounds a lot more like vertigo than tinnitus. I had vertigo one time and was completely disabled. I had to hang onto the bed because I felt I was falling all the time. I had absolutely no control over anything. They actually put me in the hospital for it. Very freaking scary for me.

I can relate with you. My wife also has vertigo. I really pity her whenever she has attacks.

[notentirelynormal]

Sounds a lot more like vertigo than tinnitus. I had vertigo one time and was completely disabled. I had to hang onto the bed because I felt I was falling all the time. I had absolutely no control over anything. They actually put me in the hospital for it. Very freaking scary for me.

 

Nope, they are specially designed for tinnitus and nothing to do with vertigo (very exciting I didn't find something new!). Now, my husband has something called Meniere's disease. The first time I saw him get an attack he got out of bed and started walking towards the bathroom. As he went by the big screen TV on the glass table he staggered and started to fall over. I would have sworn on a stack of bibles that he was sh***t faced drunk. He has had a few episodes. At work when it happened he got under his desk and slept until he got through it. If he had tried to drive home he would absolutely have been pulled over for impaired driving.

 

Yes, we both have the same brand of hearing aids - Oticon. His is designed for hearing only. For me, it is for the tinnitus and the better hearing is a bonus. We can program them to what we want them to specialize doing. Fortunately we had PPO Blue Cross and they paid the vast majority of the cost. I was able to give my old ones to my mom to program them for her severe hearing.

[Carolyn R]

Sounds a lot more like vertigo than tinnitus. I had vertigo one time and was completely disabled. I had to hang onto the bed because I felt I was falling all the time. I had absolutely no control over anything. They actually put me in the hospital for it. Very freaking scary for me.

 

My son had this same vertigo problem a few years ago. It was terrible! The medication prescribed was meclizine (Bonine).

[Greg4502]

I too, have Meniere's. With the tinnitus, 27 years. I was very worried about going on my first cruise having the Meniere's. Had some pretty rough seas, but I was fine. The vertigo part only gets me now every once in awhile. I know what effects it the most and try not to do those things. As for the ear patch, I wear it as a precaution. I just use half, lasts three days. I put it on before I leave to board the ship. I have found that the rolling action of the ship, if it does, has bother me some in the past, compared to the pitching of the bow. I mostly noticed it when I am inside, on the lower decks. If I feel a little dizzy, I go up to my balcony or out on deck for a bit of fresh air and it clears up.

 

I have flown and have not had a problem, with the exception of the normal pressure in the ear from cabin pressure. Chew some gum on takeoff.

 

As for over all with the Meniere's/Tinnitus, the ringing will be there, your brain just learns to block it out. I find it harder to hear in large crowds or noisy places. On days it may be really bad, as with the vertigo part, the doctor has prescribed Valium. When the vertigo hits, if I feel in coming on, I just relax in my recliner and lay still for awhile and I am good to go.

 

As for the pressure in the ear. My doctor has prescribed, Dyazide. It is a diuretic. It helps with the fluid built up. Warning take them if you are staying at home for the day, you will see why.

 

I have done a lot of research on these problems. There are many home type remedies out there to try. None so far have worked for me. I has seen specialists, been through the test and have tried many medications. There is a surgery for the Meniere's, but I do not recommend. If done wrong, your face on the surgery side could be come paralyzed.

 

So now I go on my cruises, try not to think about, have fun and enjoy.

[nukesubsailor]

For those of you with tinnitus----If you were in the military and subjected to extended periods of damaging noise levels, (such as in the engine room of a ship without being provided with hearing protection), you may be entitled to a Veterans Administration disability compensation rating of 10%. This will give you a token payment of about $130 per month. WARNING-- if you happen to have earned a retirement pension from the military for serving your country for 20 years or more, the VA disability payment you receive will be deducted from your retirement pension. If you think that is not fair, please let your U.S. representative and senators know about it.

 

This is not based upon hearsay. I am experiencing this myself.

[Optotronics]

I've had tinnitus for maybe 20 years, I suppose those large outdoor rock concerts in the 70s.

Our regal cruise in January had a couple of very rough days, in fact some fellow passengers who had cruised for 30 years said this was the worse they ever experienced even in TA cruises. I didn't have any sea sickness and in fact after a couple days my ears stopped ringing altogether until a few days after we got back home:)

[Sea Hag]

Sounds a lot more like vertigo than tinnitus. I had vertigo one time and was completely disabled. I had to hang onto the bed because I felt I was falling all the time. I had absolutely no control over anything. They actually put me in the hospital for it. Very freaking scary for me.

 

I also have vertigo. If yours comes back, try the epley maneuver. It's basically a set of exercises where you move your head back and forth in motions that set off the vertigo. Your brain learns to compensate. Epley hasn't totally eliminated my vertigo problem, but it's managing it very well so I don't feel like I'm falling off the planet. You can find info on this by googling. It's not harmful at all, and the doctor I saw about the vertigo problem was all in favor of it.

[jagsfan]

Is this the same thing as the exercises my friends do when the crystals in their ears get out of place. One friend calls it losing the rocks in her head. They both get extremely dizzy and can't get from bed to door without holding on. The exercises fix the problem.

 

 

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