I Think That XANAX Is Helping My Tinnitus

Started as a swooshing sound that woke me up one night. I thought it was an animal at the window. Night after night I heard this swooshing sound in my right ear. If I slept with that ear to the pillow it seemed to be better. Saw an ENT and he stated its pulsatile tinnitus. Had a MRA done and the ENT stated it looked as if I may have a benign tumor. He referred me to a Neurologist. The Neurologist stated I had nothing but a small area on the opposite side of my brain and described it to be a minor vein issue and says this is common in a lot of people, but since it's on the other side of my head it shouldn't be what's causing the sound. When I went to see the ENT and he said tumor I freaked out and first saw my regular physician and he put me on a 30-day bottle of XANAX. When I take the meds it lessens the sounds and sometimes disappears. I mostly hear it at night. It doesnt matter if the room is quiet or if the TV is on - I always hear it at night. I've experienced it a couple of times during the day, but always at night. I recently saw a psychiatrist and they stated that XANAX has shown to be an effective treatment for Tinnitus. Breathing deeply also helps, if I could train myself to breath like that all the time I'd probably never hear it again. XANAX has a bad reputation for being a drug of abuse, but they make it for people like me that suffer from things like this. Im also taking Lipoflavinoid Vitamins. I heard from the psychiatrist assistant that this can help. $32 a bottle at Walgreens. Have to take 6 of them a day at first.

Has anyone tried hypnosis? I wonder if that would work?

 

I haven't tried hypnosis but I do use Xanax. I am not one of the lucky ones that had the noise reduced by Xanax directly but it did help me get my anxiety under control and that helped my tinnitus indirectly. Anxiety exacerbates tinnitus so any reduction in anxiety can help manage one's reaction to tinnitus. I was very prone to anxiety before my onset of tinnitus and think it was a contributing factor to my getting tinnitus. I have never built up a tolerance or abused Xanax. I spoke at length with my doctor about this and he assured me that as long as I take it only as prescribed and don't add a pill here and there that it is one of the safest drugs. It does have a bad reputation online but I really don't understand why. I've taken it for 18 months with no ill effects. I've missed doses and have gone without it during the daytime and have no symptoms. I am not advocating you continue to use Xanax, I'm just sharing my experience. I will probably take Xanax even if my tinnitus remits--as my anxiety was affecting other areas of my life and my physician states that my brain doesn't make enough of a neurotransmitter that I need to not feel anxious--a chemical imbalance.

I also tried lipoflavinoids but they didn't help me at all, yet my step-father says they help him very much. This shows the individuality of tinnitus...some things help some but not others. You can experiment but please do some research before you lay out any serious money--there are many scammers and snake oil salesmen online,

 

Lipoflavinoids in my estimation are worthless, unless your T is so mild, you can only hear it in very quiet settings. Then maybe, it can reduce the volume? You can save some money, by just buying some b-complex, Methyl B12, vitamin C, magnesium and zinc. Iv'e had some success with Vinpocetine, NAC and Traditional Chinese Medicines.

My T Is loud all the time, with the occasional low day, once in awhile. I have also tried Xanax at night and it works fairly well if you have trouble with sleep. I find 200mg of L-Theanine and hour before bedtime, has the same effect as Xanax.

Sailboardman

 

Xanax can help with tinnitus by elevating gaba levels in the brain, as tinnitus is associated with low gaba levels. Although benzos can worsen tinnitus, but some people it can take a longer time than others. I honestly don't know how damaging they are. Glad it helps though, just make sure not to go on a high dose as that might cause complications.

 

Kevin Hogan is known to promote the use of Xanax for himself and his clients to reduce T loudness. Have anyone done his program?

 

it is just sickening how easy these drugs are prescribed! ... I remember taking Xanax once in my teens to get high ... jeezes, it blew me of my socks ... I can not imagine being on it everyday ... you might aswell drink a bottle of whiskey everyday, you`ll come close in effect ...

 

I take 0.5 mg of Xanax, and sometimes it seems to help.... been on it for years for anxiety /panic attacks...

 

@nills,

I like the bottle of whiskey idea, better than Xanax! };-)

Sailboardman

 

Haha...Can't that higher tinnitus though? I heard in some people it can make it worse and in some people make it better. Really odd haha.

 

@Danny Boy,

Alcohol, certainly has an effect on my T, but after a few drinks I tend not to care about it so much! };-)

 

It helps me a lot

 

I've never gotten 'high' on Xanax--I take a low therapeutic dose and don't feel any different except that I am no longer afraid to drive on the parkway, I don't feel undo stress at everyday situations, and I have habituated my tinnitus to a point of being able to function. If I drank a 'bottle of whiskey everyday' I doubt I would be able to work 9 hours everyday and live a mostly normal life.

Of course, I've never used drugs as recreational so maybe that's the difference. I didn't want to take anything at first but onset of tinnitus was so horrific that I tried Xanax --and it made a huge difference for me. I'm not advocating that anyone take Xanax but I'm also not advocating anyone drinking a bottle of whiskey a day. I' m only sharing my experience.

 

I have to excuse apologise, everyone makes their own choices and of course there is never any wrong or right.

Any judgement that is in my words is more coming from an inability and helplessness as a human being to be healthy happy and strong all the time and to do the same for and bring others to the same place ...

so, I hope anyone using anything is having whatever they desire from it in the safest and healthiest manner.

 

I have tried it at .5 MG and it makes the t go into the background a little bit more.

 

You can emulate xanax with a nutrition and physical protocol.

 

Or you can eat whatever the hell you want, take xanax, and try and enjoy your life giving T as little attention as possible...

 

and watch your life getting destroyed slowely by the drug

 

I still take a low therapeutic dose of Xanax every night and my life has not been destroyed and it's been two years. I have moderate tinnitus so I know I am luckier than some but this drug has saved my life. I work everyday and I am habituated enough to carry on with everything. This week has been one family gathering after another and I attended them all. I have no withdrawal symptoms if I miss my nightly dose but it helps me sleep better which lowers my anxiety which lowers my tinnitus. Xanax did not destroy anything for me. At onset I couldn't sleep and lost 12 pounds because I had no interest in eating as I was anxious and depressed. Xanax and great GP took me out of that hell and I'm doing okay.

As I always say, I do not advocate anyone taking any drug without medical supervision. I see my doctor every four months to monitor things....I also went to a CBT anxiety workshop for six weeks and saw a CBT counselor.

 

Because missing one night's dose doesn't cause withdrawal symptoms. Try being without it for a week.

What is this low dose? 0.25mg? 0.50mg?

Your doctor won't know what's going in your brain. When you eventually stop Xanax, your GABA is permanently impacted, and your tinnitus will become louder.

You can not say "it hasn't destroyed your life" when you are still on it...

 

Why would I try going without it for a week? If you found something that helped would you forego it? How has this hurt me? I'm able to work everyday--I'm able to enjoy life. I couldn't do that at onset. When I first started Xanax I took .50 3 times a day for over a year. Then I started skipping the day time doses and only took it at night. Now I take .25 every night but if I miss it I don't have withdrawal symptoms. My GABA was impacted years ago--I was always prone to anxiety and anxiety attacks--I haven't had them in two years either. Walk a mile in my shoes before you judge. I don't care if I take it the rest of my life. It helps me and that is what is important. Tinnitus is such an individual thing that what helps one might not help another--and that is why I always say that I don't advocate taking anything without a doctors's supervision.

 

I agree with Kathi some people deal with T better than others and without medication some of us would not make out well. I take xanax low dosage when I am having trouble coping and definitely do not abuse the drug. Some folks have addictive type personalities which is bad when taking this type medication. I workout at the gym 4 days a week do not smoke or drink and am on a healthy diet to try to keep my T in check but sometimes thats not enough.