Lamictal Dosage Increases Reduce My Tinnitus for About 12 Days — Then Stops Working

A little bit about me. I took klonopin for a long time which lowered my T at first and helped me deal with it. Later developed stress and tolerance and T increased. Now I use hearing aids and taking Lamictal. The lamictal dosage increases (plus klonopin shortly after taking it) have helped me lower my tinnitus for around 12 days for each increase and then stop working. Now tinnitus is about at old level and I am probably on max dose. Doesn't matter anyway because the T would eventually go back to normal I think. What is going on here and how does Lamictal work and is it possible to take something else to emulate what it does for me during the increase?

 

Sounds like you build up a tolerance. I know klonopin is a benzo. Lamictal is an anti-epileptic? Does it work on potassium channels like trobalt?

 

As far as I know it does not work on potassium channels. I actually have no idea how it works and I have found several online articles in which they say they don't know how it works. Others that says it has some effect on glutamate and another that says it works on sodium channels. I really have no idea.

 

Why did you start taking it? Did you figure it would help tinnitus? Was it prescribed to you?

Just curious.

 

a french doctor gave me lamictal too

 

from http://www.drugs.com/pro/lamictal.html

 

Depression and mood swings. It had the surprising effect of lessening my tinnitus for a time. Maybe it will come back. I am not sure what the deal is. I had an absolute terrible morning, worse than any I have had in the 5 months I have taken this. It cannot be blamed on the Lamictal though. I got really upset that the tinnitus had increased so I took 200 mg L-theanine, 600mg NAC, and .5 mg Kpin in the evening before I went to sleep. I woke up in a very bad depression when I woke up and the T was loud in my left ear. After taking half my dosage of Lamictal in the afternoon, it lowered it some after an hour or so and then a couple hours later it was static like with a whistle. I was doing so good at not even noticing it much at all with my hearing aids for a couple of weeks or so and I had some of best weeks in years. I believe I am on the max dose that will help me with depression.

 

Do you know of anything else that works on sodium channels?

 

Yes. Tegretol, trileptal, epitec and more others. I use trileptal for trigeminal nevralgia and it help even to lower the tinnitus. Of course it took time to work and expecially You need to reach the right dose for your body/brain very slowly to avoid the adverse side effects. Many years ago i was on Lamotrigine due to its safety profile compared to others AEDs with mild results so i was switched on oxcarbazepine.

If You are on lamotrigine, talk with your neurologist, maybe you need a dose adjustment. Don't stop medication suddenly

here a brief list of sodium channel blockers used in epilepsy and mood disorder

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1187334-overview#a3

 

I might have a theory one what was happening but haven't verified it yet. I was taking other supplements to at this time and before that I was taking klonopin. I need more time to figure out if my theory is right.

 

Klonopin is a benzodiazepine used mainly antiseizures properties in acute phase. I'm off clonazepam thanks to oxcarbazepine. It miss its potential with a massive worsening of tinnitus and pain. There is a little conflict in using an AEDs and benzos but this is only my point of view. Follow your neurologist's indications.

I have well understood that the use of benzo expecially clonazepam with AEDs kill both positive effects.

AEDs in general miss the target when used in combination with clonazepam.

https://www.drugs.com/interactions-check.php?drug_list=703-0,497-234

https://www.drugs.com/interactions-check.php?drug_list=703-0,1430-0

https://www.drugs.com/interactions-check.php?drug_list=703-0,1765-0

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18821451

 

Indeed it does.
I´ve started Lamotrigine two weeks ago and have only reached 50 mg a day. I have found a very informative site about this drug(see link). I´m taking it mainly to try and calm down my CNS by its glutamergic anti-agonist properties, as I am going through extreme protracted benzo and AD withdrawls(2,5 years in and still struggling with tremors, anxiety and a CNS in high gear along with T and H)

Lamotrigine works by many different channels and according to this site, Potassium channels is one of them, at least it "appears" to be:

"In addition to blocking various voltage-gated sodium and calcium channels, lamotrigine appears to modulate voltage-gated potassium channels."

http://mentalhealthdaily.com/2016/10/04/lamictal-lamotrigine-for-anxiety-disorders/

I can only hope if it calms down my CNS and that it will help alleviate my T and H as well.

 

Are you still on Lamictal - any advice for it in regards to tinnitus? I need to start it, but am terrified and have seen some stories of people saying it made their tinnitus much worse.