If you spend a lot of time in the drops, as you say, maybe it's just a matter of getting used to the down tube shifters you have. There's nothing really wrong with them and bar end aren't that much better.

I am very fond of a pair of Silver (Rivendell) friction shifters I bought this year. I use them as down tube, but you can also get pods for them and use them as bar end.

The beauty of friction shifting is that it works with a wider variety of drivetrain components.