Tinnitus

[[pu...]]

Not complaining here, because with all of the problems going on with my mind and body, tinnitus is one of the least if my concerns, but.............

 

 

I’m guessing this ringing in the ears is permanent?

 

Issue that I have is that when I am already so symptomatic throughout the day and night, it further triggers me when I am in the midst of a wave, etc. and it loops.

[[An...]]

I had it for about 4 months and then it kind of lingered here and there for another couple of months before it slowly went away. I have had it recently but it only lasted about 30 minutes and was gone. I never had this before benzo withdrawal. If this is new for you then I think it will pass. I hope sooner than later because it was annoying to say the least.

[[Ho...]]

I have had tinnitus since late last summer when I went into acute WD (approx 7-8 months ago).  If anything, it got worse after I jumped in December 2018.  It is my worst lingering symptom!  Some days it is only moderate and somewhat tolerable and other days it is very SEVERE and unmanageable! 

 

I never had tinnitus before this so I’m hoping that in time as my brain heals it will go away!

 

Best wishes!

[[pu...]]

Thank you both for your replies.

 

 

I hope it goes away for everyone. <3

[[to...]]

My T started after I switched from Lorazepam to Valium and started to taper. For a while I could knock it down by increasing my dose of Valium  but as I tapered, it has remained pretty constant. My T is also very high pitched and constant.... about 10KC.  I have seen people report getting T tapering off any Benzo...not just Valium or Lorazepam... even Z-Drugs and Antibiotics. Its called Ototoxic and there are a lot of meds that can be Ototoxic to our hearing.

 

I don't get more than a couple of hours sleep because of  Benxo Insomnia anyway ...T has made it more difficult.  About all I have been able to do at night is use "masking" sounds off the internet with ear buds.  In the daytime it doesn't bother me too much so I just do this at night.

 

Below is a link to a masking sound that works pretty good for me for my high frequency T... I have tried A LOT of them.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjgnlUA6gKk

 

 

Here is a link to a masking sound for my high pitched T that I created.... less the thunder !

 

http://dtfsdf.oco.net/Crickets_4.mp3

 

 

From what I understand, ... like everything else we experience in withdrawal & Tapering... it has to do with downregulated GABA receptors in the ear and in the audio cortex of the brain.

 

I see people get it more often if they do a rapid taper/CT but its hard to tell why some people get T and others don't. I have also seen people get it post taper.... many months later.  I'm a couple of months off Valium and  my T is still with me but but it seems to be quieting down a bit. About all you can do is use masking sounds.

 

I've found it useful to "target" masking sounds by finding one that matches the frequency of your Tinnitus... mine is high frequency .... about 10KC.

 

You can use the online frequency generator at the link below to calculate the approximate frequency of your Tinnitus  (move the slider up or down until you find a tone that matches your T)

 

http://www.szynalski.com/tone-generator/

 

Once you have done that, you can do a Google search for Tinnitus masking sounds that best match the frequency of your T.  So if your frequency is 7k, do a Google search for "Tinnitus masking sounds 7KC" .  There are a lot of sample sounds on the internet that will pop up with a search. Some of the "nature sounds" do a pretty good job masking T.

 

Besides "White Noise", there is "Pink Noise" and "Brown Noise"... different levels of intensity... just Google the name. 

 

There is another thread on BB for Tinnitus. In case you haven't run across it yet,  below is the link to it...

 

TENACIOUS TINNITUS CLUB - Ear pressure & noise and hyperacusis

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=96554.0

 

 

Ashton says T is one of the last symptoms to go away..... I hope it does.

 

[[Ho...]]

That’s a lot of good information Top!  Thank you so much for sharing!

[[De...]]

I have a white sound machine next to my bed all the time, sound should be lower than your tinnitus. The doctor also recommended that I take ginkgo biloba, but in all honesty, I never did. I also read a book called Rewiring Tinnitus. My tinnitus has gotten to the point it doesn’t bother me at all, it is there, but very mild. I was told it would never improve, but it did.

[[ni...]]

Hi all,  I wish everyone the best in healing and recovery. Prior to benzo withdrawal, I had an occasional slight ring in my left ear. A few days into my fast taper, the sound was incredibly loud/high in my left ear, but not so much in my right. I was getting almost zero sleep at the time.  After searching on the internet for help/support for my taper, I found BB and the rest is history. What I did notice was the tinnitus worsened as my sleep decreased. The less sleep, the louder the tinnitus. I also tried taking Gabapentin that first week and felt so much worse, I then tapered off  that med the following week, so it could have  been from that, but after this long off, I still wonder if it is from lack of sleep.

A year ago, we went on a seven day cruise with our children/grandchildren and the tinnitus totally stopped. It returned the second day home from the cruise. I have no idea why, but it gave me hope that one day it will go away.

Mostly I can ignore it, but it is bothersome and I feel like I don't hear as well with the constant ringing.

Best wishes to you all.

[[st...]]

I NEVER had tinnitus prior to and during the time I was on benzos.  If you look at my signature I was told by other buddies that my taper was considered very fast (but my doctor didn't think so  ).  Anyway, about a two months after taking my last benzo I developed the tinnitus.  It has never become louder and it comes in goes.  I NEVER go more than a day between when it goes away and comes back.  It's very strange in that it comes on, lasts a day to several days then goes away for several hours to a day, and then comes back once again.  Anyone else experience this?  I only into my fifth month off benzos and I know it's early but I'm hoping at one point it will completely stop.  It's like the movie "Groundhog Day"...just keeps repeating over and over.