Clonazepam (Klonopin, Rivotril)

Clonazepam lowers my tinnitus as well.

 

Very much my experience too.

 

@scotty03874, how often do you take it and how much?

 

Clonazepam can be very effective at lowering tinnitus for some people but it should not be used regularly, as dependency is likely to set in which can cause problems.

Providing Clonazepam is used with caution, I see nothing wrong with it if a person finds it helps their tinnitus. The only treatments currently available for tinnitus are: counselling which can be incorporated into CBT and TRT, sound therapy, hearing aids and various types of medication.

 

Maybe one per day. I have high anxiety issues too.

 

Hey buddy, at least it still works for you, so kudos to that. If people suffer, then I'm all for safe and sensible use of medication!

 

You previously said you should try the minimum effective dose first? Given the delayed effect, how would you know if 0.25mg is going to be effective?

 

Hi, I’m not sure I understand the question, but sometimes I just want to take a full 0.5 mg.

I think many people start at doses way too high when they could try 0.25 mg first, instead of 1 mg+.

 

Ha, no, I just remember you recommending to try the minimum effective dose first. Given the delay we both experience before it reduces the tinnitus volume, I find it difficult to know if 0.25 mg will do the trick.

My findings:

0.25 mg rarely enough.
0.50 mg 50/50.
0.75 mg usually effective.
1 mg almost always effective.

If I take it 2 days in a row, I will often do something like:

Day 1 0.75 mg
Day 2 0.25 mg

This stops the big rebound effect I can get where the tinnitus comes 'bursting' back.

 

The benefit of only taking 0.25 mg is there’s really no obvious consequence if it doesn’t work. For people with zero tolerance, it could help and makes sense to take the minimum effective dose.

I do worry about the rebound effect, I haven’t had the issue with Klonopin but I tried Valium instead for a while, which worked, until I’m pretty sure it caused a nasty rebound.

 

I'm coming to the conclusion that Clonazepam makes my tinnitus slightly worse. I use it as a break glass in emergency when I can't stand it anymore sort of thing, but I've started to notice that when I go weeks between doses that the tinnitus, while still loud and piercing, becomes steadier, maybe not a hiss but something closer to that. When I use benzos I get more surging cascades of sounds.

When I take it, 1+ mg, it helps me not care as much for the night and drowsy in the AM but that's it. Then I'm stuck with a more mobile tinnitus for days.

I guess it's just another less than useless tinnitus treatment for me to dispose of.

 

I'm sorry to know Clonazepam hasn't worked for you. My experience with it has been a complete opposite to yours. I have found it immensely helpful over 12 years, and will be forever thankful to my ENT for prescribing it.

All the best,
Michael

 

Me too. Quite odd at this point on my journey path not a single bit of spaghetti that I've thrown at the wall has stuck.

I guess one blessing is I don't need to worry about becoming dependent.

 

My ENT consultant advised me of the risks of dependency if Clonazepam is taken regularly. Fortunately this hasn't affected me in 12 years and hopefully this will continue.

 

When you first had your setback, how often did you take Clonazepam? Is it the case that you've used it less frequently over the years?

Did you change the dose or always took 1 mg for 1-2 days?

 

My tinnitus got worse in 2008. In 2010 I was prescribed Clonazepam.

My ENT advised me to take 2x 0.5 mg tablets everyday for one week, then reduce the dose to every other day the second week. Afterwards, I have only taken Clonazepam when my tinnitus is severe - usually for just a day. I have found taking this dose often calms the tinnitus down to a manageable level over 12 hours.

I have kept to this dosage for 12 years.

 

I've been on Clonazepam for a while now (2 months at a steady 1 mg a night), purely to help sleep due to how bothersome my tinnitus is. I've tapered down to 0.5 mg which I'm taking daily. The problem with 1 mg for me was it made me feel exceptionally groggy when I woke up which usually lasted a few hours after. 0.5 mg doesn't have nearly the same effect but it does help me to become a bit more prone to falling asleep easier with the white noise going.

I can say though it doesn't really quieten my tinnitus more so than affects how I respond to it and gets me out of the permanent fight or flight mode.

 

I highly recommend trying Trazodone for sleep maintenance, if you haven’t already. It’s been really positive for my sleep overall - I didn’t want to try it given it’s an “antidepressant” but glad I did. I take 50 mg nightly and 100 mg if I need it. No hangover at all.

 

I do have to say, now that I've been doing this for the last month plus, I think I do better over all with no benzos in my diet at all.

For the last 4 years I was kind of on a low level 1x every week or two (tried to keep it sub-dependance level) diet of Alprazolam and then over the last year Clonazepam.

First of all, other than in the beginning where it helped with may panic response, I think they did very little for me. In fact the only value that they really had to me was that it gave me an act to do in the fact of unmaskable, unchangeable, unending tinnitus pain. You know, a sense of agency.

In September I took a benzo break just because and overall I had a less impactful time than normal. Starting about 2 months ago I mostly stopped taking anything, and again on my misery scale it was better than normal. Tinnitus is still miserable so I took one after a 3 week break and sure enough for the next couple days my tinnitus was more 'mobile' again (lots of different shooting shifting sounds), which I find more annoying. I stopped again for a couple weeks and went back to my previous slightly less miserable state. I then took one again and sure enough things were kind of shitty for a couple days afterward.

Anyway, I thought I would share my experience, I have come to believe that the days coming off of benzos kind of give me worse tinnitus and that I had gotten in a cycle of taking a Clonazepam, having heightened tinnitus for the next few days, giving in and taking another dose which led to heightened tinnitus for a few days and so forth for years.

 

Interesting for sure. I've noticed sometimes my noise increases for a short time, say even a day, but the quiet returns after. I'd like to drop my weekly routine to something more occasional.

 

Hi, thanks for the advice. I've heard a lot of people mention Trazodone. My main issue with Clonazepam, as it stands, has been the lack of sleep I get when I don't take it now. The insomnia it gives me, combined with my pretty rough case of tinnitus is nuts.

I will definitely ask my doctor about Trazodone. I've also always been hesitant to go the antidepressant route. But if it can help with my sleep problems, I'm definitely willing to give it a shot.

 

The dose of Trazodone used for sleep (25-100 mg) doesn't really come close to the dose required for antidepressant effects (300-600 mg). That's why it's not really used for depression, it just made people lethargic/sleep.

 

OK, that actually makes me even more eager to give it a go. What's weird is I've tried Melatonin before and, although it did make me admittedly quite tired, I just couldn't get to sleep without the Clonazepam (was like my brain refusing to shut off despite the fact that I was exhausted). I'm assuming Trazodone works on a different mechanism than GABA to make you sleep?

I'm still currently taking Clonazepam to help but I'm not particularly happy about it due to links to dementia etc. but I feel significantly worse being stubborn and taking nothing without sleep. Definitely going to schedule a doctor's appointment and ask for Trazodone.

Just as a reference, how much do you typically take to sleep? I know you mentioned 25 mg - 100 mg.

 

Just took 0.5 mg of Clonazepam with 750 mg of Gabapentin an hour ago. Instantly more productive although a bit sedated

 

It could be a bit of a journey tapering off daily Clonazepam, but a worthy endeavor most likely. There are good resources out there for tapering schedules, and from 0.5 mg you shouldn't have TOO far to go. Experiences seem to differ significantly. From no problem to quite bad.

I can relate, though, I have a hyperactive mind that makes it difficult to sleep soundly. This was true before I ever took a benzodiazepine, so while taking the drugs could exacerbate that with rebound effects, I don't think it's causal.

I take 50 mg Trazodone nightly, I started at 25 mg which worked, but found that 50 mg works even better and I take 100 mg once in a while.

 

I apologize for writing this at such a late date. Somehow I missed your post. The earliest 6 months were entirely fight or flight. Since then the process has been more subtle. Most helpful have been hearing aids with Bluetooth through which I play ocean sounds on or TinnitusPlay app's water sound, Ayurveda (panchakarma), craniosacral treatment, acupuncture, minimizing caffeine, regular sleep pattern, and I'm still using Klonopin and Gabapentin. Unfortunately, I had 2 acoustic traumas this year that spiked the tinnitus. It ranges between moderate to severe tinnitus. At a severe level, I can function but it's a challenge.

I hope you are doing better.

 

Forget all the other treatments; it's the above cocktail that's helping. I use Clonazepam once, maybe twice a week. My hearing aids, vitamins and relaxation techniques are all helping WHILST I've taken it.

 

Can Clonazepam help hyperacusis? Or just tinnitus.

 

Short term Clonazepam can help both tinnitus and hyperacusis tremendously.

Long term it can/will fuck everything up.

It's very hard to find middle way or a viable way.

Be VERY careful.

 

Clonazepam has been useful to me since April 22. It can reduce both my hyperacusis and tinnitus in 12-24 hours. Some take it regularly, I have not.

I take 0.5-1 mg for 1-2 days about once a week. The effect can be enhanced when taken with Gabapentin.

Like many medications, some people experience side effects like dizziness, lethargy, depression, etc.

Studies show it is ineffective for ~30% of tinnitus patients.