Tenacious Tinnitus Club – Ear Pressure, Noise and Hyperacusis

[Guest [...]]

Hey Birdman, or whomever,

Recently I had blood work done and I am severely Vitamin D deficient..with a range of 30-100, I am at an 11.

My doctor wants me to start an OTC Vitamin D3 supplement (2,000) daily. I have been doing well post jump. My symptoms are really sporadic post jump 9 weeks ago. My tinnitus, still there, but much quieter.

My question is, Vitamin D3, is it possible to make my tinnitus worse? Anyone tried...

I've been taking 2000 units of D3 for several years now, I can't tell that it makes any difference in my tinnitus.

Grapejuice, thank you my friend! I am really scared that it would make my T worse or rev up any remaining post jump symptoms. I checked Tinnitus forums, and it scared me. Decided to come here and check. I trust my fellow BBs more than anyone else.

[[Yo...]]

Dear Buddies,

 

 

Here I am again. 1 year after my oxazepam and zolpidem CT. 1 year later and what a terrible year it has been. In addition to severe nerve pain, sleepless nights, benzo flu symptoms etc, my tinnitus remains very serious. I had hoped that after 1 year I would see some improvement. But nothing is less true. 24/7 a hissing (pulsating) noise in my head. One day more in my head and the other day more in my left ear. I have a hearing aid now, but with this I can mask my tinnitus to some extent. I am desperate and I would like to have some advice from you. I am convinced that tinnitus becomes more severe by fear, but fear is what my daily life is now.  So, very bad for my tinnitus. I do yoga, meditate and sport a lot but without much results. I am now considering taking anti-depressants because apparently I can not calm myself. I'm considering Remeron. The reason is that I noticed that when I sleep better, my tinnitus is also less loud. Remeron can contribute to better sleep  and possibly also to reduce my Tinnitus fears. But I have to admit that I am also very afraid to start medication again. Does anyone have  experience with medication that works well? But maybe I have to give it more time ......but how long?  People, I just do not know! Every day is surviving and I have to break the circle somewhere but I do not know how! Waiting …..or medication ......... and then what medication?

 

Thanks

 

 

Hi Dutchy,

 

I believe Remeron isn't on the list of potentially ototoxic anti-depressants, so at least shouldn't make your tinnitus worse!

 

I took Remeron for exactly one night and woke up feeling like a truck hit me. Didn't like it at all.

 

I was going to take it as-needed for sleep, and not as an anti-depressant. Maybe the hangover effect I got would've worn off had I decided to take it daily.

 

I understand your dilemma about whether or not to take another pill. Whatever you decide, I wish you well. 

[[st...]]

I feel like I am losing my mind...I was doing well with my recovery up until week 4 of my jump and the ear clicking began in my right ear...it keeps getting worse...I cant even think anymore....How long has this lasted for others...please tell me just a few weeks...I went to ent and he offered me Valium for sleep...wtf?....

[[...]]

Hi!  This thread looks like it hasn't been too active in a while. A good thing I hope.

 

I got tinnitus once or twice on klonopin and figured it was drug related. Then after my taper, I got it here and there. But at about 2 months it hit me like a ton of bricks and ramped my anxiety way up. I'm just terrified it will never go. So I've had it about 4 months (since I jumped) and two months that it's been bad. And I'm totally focused on it as my worst symptom. I have noticed a few times where it gets much quieter. Twice this week I barely heard it for a good chunk of time. Today it's on high probably because I went to a baseball game last night and it was so loud and I'm very sound sensitive still. I also have the ear pain, fullness, and pressure. And the head pressure as well. Sometimes in a quiet room my head feels like it might explode. The sound for me is mostly in my head, not really in my ears. And sound is very distorted as well.

 

I'm sure it will eventually heal. It seems many people get it and for a good chunk it sticks for a good while before it goes. I also see some who still have it. But I've never had it in my life so I'm very hopeful it will fade over time. I'm still struggling with symptoms so I know I'm far from healed.

 

Anyway, the point of this is tinnitus retraining therapy. Has anyone tried it? Any success? For those who are benzo or tinnitus vets, is it too early for me to do it?  It's expensive and I just wonder if I should give my recovery more time?  I don't want to spend all that money and have my tinnitus disappear two months later.

 

Any thoughts would be so appreciated. And success stories of healing from tinnitus would be great too. This is a nasty symptom and I can't wait to kick it to the curb.

 

Much healing to you all,

McS

 

[[st...]]

Hi!  This thread looks like it hasn't been too active in a while. A good thing I hope.

 

I got tinnitus once or twice on klonopin and figured it was drug related. Then after my taper, I got it here and there. But at about 2 months it hit me like a ton of bricks and ramped my anxiety way up. I'm just terrified it will never go. So I've had it about 4 months (since I jumped) and two months that it's been bad. And I'm totally focused on it as my worst symptom. I have noticed a few times where it gets much quieter. Twice this week I barely heard it for a good chunk of time. Today it's on high probably because I went to a baseball game last night and it was so loud and I'm very sound sensitive still. I also have the ear pain, fullness, and pressure. And the head pressure as well. Sometimes in a quiet room my head feels like it might explode. The sound for me is mostly in my head, not really in my ears. And sound is very distorted as well.

 

Hi mcs....My tinnitus was my worst symptom till my right ear started clicking 11 days ago...benzo withdrawals are so relentless...each symptom eats away at what little courage you have left.... I thought I was home free...improving each day...and then the clicking started out of nowhere... and now it has given life to all my past symptoms...crushing anxiety..insomnia...stomach issues'''  the only thing I can do is walk around with meditation music playing on my ear buds... I also bought a headband to sleep with that has flat speakers....you may want to try that for sleep...

 

I'm sure it will eventually heal. It seems many people get it and for a good chunk it sticks for a good while before it goes. I also see some who still have it. But I've never had it in my life so I'm very hopeful it will fade over time. I'm still struggling with symptoms so I know I'm far from healed.

 

Anyway, the point of this is tinnitus retraining therapy. Has anyone tried it? Any success? For those who are benzo or tinnitus vets, is it too early for me to do it?  It's expensive and I just wonder if I should give my recovery more time?  I don't want to spend all that money and have my tinnitus disappear two months later.

 

Any thoughts would be so appreciated. And success stories of healing from tinnitus would be great too. This is a nasty symptom and I can't wait to kick it to the curb.

 

Much healing to you all,

McS

[[2t...]]

Hi!  This thread looks like it hasn't been too active in a while. A good thing I hope.

 

I got tinnitus once or twice on klonopin and figured it was drug related. Then after my taper, I got it here and there. But at about 2 months it hit me like a ton of bricks and ramped my anxiety way up. I'm just terrified it will never go. So I've had it about 4 months (since I jumped) and two months that it's been bad. And I'm totally focused on it as my worst symptom. I have noticed a few times where it gets much quieter. Twice this week I barely heard it for a good chunk of time. Today it's on high probably because I went to a baseball game last night and it was so loud and I'm very sound sensitive still. I also have the ear pain, fullness, and pressure. And the head pressure as well. Sometimes in a quiet room my head feels like it might explode. The sound for me is mostly in my head, not really in my ears. And sound is very distorted as well.

 

I'm sure it will eventually heal. It seems many people get it and for a good chunk it sticks for a good while before it goes. I also see some who still have it. But I've never had it in my life so I'm very hopeful it will fade over time. I'm still struggling with symptoms so I know I'm far from healed.

 

Anyway, the point of this is tinnitus retraining therapy. Has anyone tried it? Any success? For those who are benzo or tinnitus vets, is it too early for me to do it?  It's expensive and I just wonder if I should give my recovery more time?  I don't want to spend all that money and have my tinnitus disappear two months later.

 

Any thoughts would be so appreciated. And success stories of healing from tinnitus would be great too. This is a nasty symptom and I can't wait to kick it to the curb.

 

Much healing to you all,

McS

 

I went to Atlanta to a respected tinnitus retraining therapy doctor.

cost me around a grand for a hearing test and a discussion. Not including the plane and hotel.

Outcome was that stopping klonopin can not cause tinnitus so using klonopin was relieving my long term tinnitus due to hearing loss and I should continue to be on klonopin and not taper ??  total BS

 

This was at the beginning of my taper and only a few months from a rapid taper that caused my tinnitus.

 

I left in dismay. Not saying that TRT is bad but the doctors again seem to be totally unaware of what benzos can do to people.

 

2trusting

[[...]]

Did you have it prior to benzos?  I have a very slight hearing loss too but from my reading some experts disagree that hearing loss is the culprit. I've even read one expert who thinks tinnitus could interfere with hearing making it seem like there is hearing loss. My conclusion is no one knows for sure but there are a lot of opinions.

 

I think I know who you are talking about and I've read his opinions that hearing loss is not a cause of tinnitus. Weird.

 

My audiologist (another expert in the field in a major metro area) also seemed clueless about benzos. I asked her flat out "haven't you ever seen another client in benzo recovery with ear problems?"  Nope.

 

I'm still hopeful mine will go in time. I'm just trying to find a way to deal with it until that time.

[[2t...]]

"Did you have it prior to benzos?"

 

I had noises from time to time if I had been in a loud environment or if I had a cold or was run down or hung over, that sort of thing.

Never continuous, never very loud (as you say a very soft hiss) and only for a few hours or max a day and never anything that worried me or put me on edge or stopped me sleeping.

Stopping benzos fast was a totally different situation as all of a sudden tinnitus was raging at me and really loud and 24/7

I have no doubt that benzos and in particular a rapid taper caused my tinnitus and can only hope that it will go away in time or at least stay low in volume where I can forget about it.

 

2trusting

[[...]]

I never had it that I was aware of at any point in my life until, I suspect, I was in tolerance Wd with the klonopin. I hardly remember having it the first two months off but then one night it hit like a ton of bricks.

 

Just my theory, and my psychologist too, but I think in the case of benzo users our auditory systems get messed up. Our cns is so ramped up and on alert our hearing goes into overdrive. It needs to be brought back down. But tinnitus also gives anxiety so it's a catch 22.

 

And it sticks around a while for some and for others it is fleeting. Lots of ppl on here seem to have it at some point. I am hopeful it will fade but I do think the anxiety has to get into check and I'm one of those who has involuntary limbic reation to hearing it. It's getting better but I still have high anxiety days from it.

 

There are lots of success stories of it going in time - unfortunately lots of time. And I've even read if ppl with hearing loss recovering. And I've seen lots without hearing loss suffering, some for years. I don't think there's a way to predict. I'm holding on to the hope that I will someday go back to just that I was prior to benzos. No tinnitus

[[co...]]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2997922/ I had unbearable tinnitus for over two years and I found this study about two months ago and started taking taurine, 8 grams / day. My tinnitus has been cut in half! Some days I barely notice it but some days it's still bad but nowhere near what it was. Of course, I've been off xanax for almost 3 years  so maybe it's just time. But it didn't start improving until I started the taurine. Taurine isn't for everyone and can really ramp up some people's symptoms so I don't want to get anyone's hopes up falsely. Start slowly!! I built up to that amount and didn't just jump right in at 8 grams.

[[Gr...]]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2997922/ I had unbearable tinnitus for over two years and I found this study about two months ago and started taking taurine, 8 grams / day. My tinnitus has been cut in half! Some days I barely notice it but some days it's still bad but nowhere near what it was. Of course, I've been off xanax for almost 3 years  so maybe it's just time. But it didn't start improving until I started the taurine. Taurine isn't for everyone and can really ramp up some people's symptoms so I don't want to get anyone's hopes up falsely. Start slowly!! I built up to that amount and didn't just jump right in at 8 grams.

Is there a particular brand of Taurine you use? What dose did you start out at?

[[co...]]

I started out at 1/2 gram a day, 1/8 teaspoon. I was terrified because of things I've read on this site. But I had no negative reaction so I moved up quickly. It's actually calming to me. I forgot to mention this study https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4582451/  I also take 3000 mg. Korean ginseng. I get my supplements from Swanson but I'm sure everybody has them.

[[Gr...]]

I started out at 1/2 gram a day, 1/8 teaspoon. I was terrified because of things I've read on this site. But I had no negative reaction so I moved up quickly. It's actually calming to me. I forgot to mention this study https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4582451/  I also take 3000 mg. Korean ginseng. I get my supplements from Swanson but I'm sure everybody has them.

Interesting. So do you think maybe it's the combination of Korean ginseng plus taurine that lowers the tinnitus?

[[La...]]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2997922/ I had unbearable tinnitus for over two years and I found this study about two months ago and started taking taurine, 8 grams / day. My tinnitus has been cut in half! Some days I barely notice it but some days it's still bad but nowhere near what it was. Of course, I've been off xanax for almost 3 years  so maybe it's just time. But it didn't start improving until I started the taurine. Taurine isn't for everyone and can really ramp up some people's symptoms so I don't want to get anyone's hopes up falsely. Start slowly!! I built up to that amount and didn't just jump right in at 8 grams.

 

Confused1- thanks for posting on this and the Korean Ginseng

[[co...]]

I started out at 1/2 gram a day, 1/8 teaspoon. I was terrified because of things I've read on this site. But I had no negative reaction so I moved up quickly. It's actually calming to me. I forgot to mention this study https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4582451/  I also take 3000 mg. Korean ginseng. I get my supplements from Swanson but I'm sure everybody has them.

Interesting. So do you think maybe it's the combination of Korean ginseng plus taurine that lowers the tinnitus?

Well like I said, I'm almost 3 years off so it could just be time. But it definitely lessened once I began these and there is evidential support from studies.

[[Er...]]

My tinnitus is deep in my head, seems like too much blood is pumped to my head.

During my temazepam use and the first monhts off,  I had tinnitus together with severe head pressure one the wave days.  I also got dizzy getting up after I slept a little on my sofa.

[[...]]

I had severe Tinnitus when I had my C/T withdrawal. Never ending. I finally reinstated, stabilized and it got less severe. Finally went away. Now that I have started tapering again, I have days of where it starts out mild and then it progressively gets worse. Some days I have it and other days it is gone. There is no rhyme or reason. I guess there is but it can be so annoying. I know that it will pass.

[[Gs...]]

I have varying degrees of tinnitus, but it's constant.  I also have a very annoying intermittent symptoms of facial paresthesias on both sides of my nose, sometimes running down to both sides of my mouth.  I also have the occasional sensation of liquid moving in both ears.  I don't have an ear infection though.  I have a constant, thick post-nasal drip, and sometimes feel like I'm coming down with a cold. I've been through 3 courses of different antibiotics, and nothing has made a difference, so I'm sure this isn't a sinus infection either.  I've been doing this for a couple of months.  I also feel somewhat seasick and unsteady. 

 

I've seen a neurologist for this, and she thinks I might have a mild form of vasculitis.  It never occurred to me that my symptoms could be from tapering from the Valium (currently at 4 mgs - 2 mgs x2).  I don't think it occurred to her either.  I've had an MRI and I don't have an acoustic neuroma.  Everything has pretty much been ruled out for the most part. 

 

I have lupus and fibromyalgia, and I am currently in a lupus flare, so I have some body pain as well.

 

What a life....

 

Needless to say, I'm pretty miserable.

[[Er...]]

I also had the sensation of liquid in my ears a few times when I was on benzo,  but I also had a small ear infection, or it was already over and it was a result of Temazepam.

The last two  weeks  I have  a cold ans sinus problems , hot flashes and no fever.  The tinnitus days were 'better' last week.

[[lu...]]

hi BB,

 

does anyone knows of people who has healed of tinnitus or is this a permanent damage in most of us?

 

Thanks and all the best!!

 

Lucas

[[Er...]]

I read succes stories about tinnitus here and on facebook.

 

 

[[Gy...]]

Hi everyone

 

I thought I would come join your group I have been away awhile like 2 years (where did that go?)amazing what dependency on medication does to you. Have just had an horrific 2 years trying to get off amitriptyline. I am still on 3.5 of v.  I can honestly say it was a nightmare but thankfully most of that has passed, although it has left me with tinnitus. It is there all the time, it has dulled a little it used to be like sitting in the middle of a shipping channel with 200 fog horns sounding at once,  now it is a dull roar that hopefully one day will buggar off.

 

Look forward to hearing from you all  :smitten:

[[or...]]

My tinnitus is still with me over 2 years after my taper. Maybe I will always have it.  :'( It was a lot worse during my taper -- some days it almost shrieked at me. It's about 50% better I would say.

 

However, a lot of the time I am pretty much unaware of it -- it's just . . . there. When I am working on the computer, nope, I don't notice it. When I focus on it (like now), it becomes annoying, otherwise, ho hum.

 

So we just soldier on.

 

Katz

[[Ma...]]

Hey guys, I have a question.

 

Do you think in some case stabilizing for a while could reduce the Tinnitus?

 

My situation is a little complicated, the initial story is here: http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=193361.msg2529418#msg2529418

 

Essentially:

 

1- Took a single  1mg ativan pill and had withdrawals for a month afterwards (I know, sounds impossible, but I'm hypersensitive to medication and the ativan must have screwed me up in one dose)

2- A month later I had tinnitus and visual snow and some other symptoms of withdrawals, I started taking ativan 0.5mg every 4 days, after 4 days my symptoms would come back raging so  I got stuck in that cycle. Until I understood what was happening. I tried going off cold turkey once I understood but could not handle the withdrawals (impossible to sleep and whole body shaking)

3- This week, I've reinstated and take 0.30mg ativan a day, I am mostly stable and the Tinnitus seems to be fading a little.

 

I'm considering stabilizing on Valium for a while and then tapering down, seems to be the safest in my case right now. I would taper down for about 2 months according to the Ashton method.

 

My question is: Before tapering down, should I stabilize for a while and see if the Tinnitus goes away partially? Would that make it less likely for it to stay with me after the taper or at least make it less severe than if I tapered down starting now? How long should I stabilize?

 

The Tinnitus is easily the worst thing that has happened in my life, I could not possibly live with the severe Tinnitus I had while withdrawing, it was so loud that having multiple loud sounds in the bedroom was not enough to ignore it. And from what I've read here Tinnitus and Visual Snow usually don't go away after tapering

[[Bi...]]

hi BB,

 

does anyone knows of people who has healed of tinnitus or is this a permanent damage in most of us?

 

Thanks and all the best!!

 

Lucas

 

Some have healed and some never heal.  It's one symptom you can't really write a success story about for everyone. 

For some of us tinnitus is a benzo scar we take with us for life.  It does get better with time but could take as long as 10 years, at least it has for many people I know.

Even Ashton wrote about tinnitus and offered reinstatement to a few people and I believe they said  "NO"...  No word on what happened to these people many years later, no follow up.

 

If I need a tinnitus free day for one day like when I need to give court testimony I'll take 2600 mg of Gabapentin at bed time the night before.  It only works for one day so it is no cure.  This is a high dose and I had to work up to 2600mg week by week starting at 300 and working up slow.    2600mg for a first timer is a BAD trip complete with real time 5-HT2A activation just like an LSD trip does.

Also I ate a few grams of potent liberty cap mushrooms (hallucinogenic type) and my tinnitus was 100% gone for 8 hours and I mean GONE! 

5-HT2A activation seems to be a big key. If I had a few million bucks I'd do some research into 5-HT2A receptor activation and find away around the hallucinogenic side of things. Maybe 5-HT1A receptor activation plus opening another receptor key at the same time?

This is a big project but I swear 5-HT2A receptor activation turns off my tinnitus like a switch!!!  It's just difficult to deal with all the flying pigs and talking flowers and bugs

 

 

 

https://selfhacked.com/blog/5ht2a-receptors-a-root-cause-of-anxiety-fatigue-sleep-problems-and-cirs/

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12054060

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18635693

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5-HT2A_receptor