Opinion on Benzos?

I have really bad anxiety and stress from tinnitus and other stuff. I have bad muscle and joint pain all over my body, my joints pop alot and stomach cramps. I don't know if this is all from stress or if I developed fibro. So I'm trying to get my stress levels down to see which one but I can't do that without benzos. Anxiety and stress is just too freaking bad.

My question is..which benzos, if any, doesn't seem to affect tinnitus and hyperacusis as much? X

 

@DDD
You have had tinnitus for a very short time and I believe that it's far too early for you to be taking any type of medication for your tinnitus other than an antidepressant. Since your tinnitus was caused by loud noise, the best treatment for you is:
First be tested at ENT if test are okay then a referral to a Hearing Therapist and put on a course of TRT treatment. That is the way to treat your tinnitus and you probably have hypercusis (sensitivity to sounds) Taking benzos or any other meds at this time for your tinnitus isn't the right thing to do in my opinion. You need the proper treatment which is TRT counselling, wearing white noise generators and using sound therapy at night.
Michael

 

Short term benzodiazepine use probably won't worsen your tinnitus or hyperacusis. Withdrawal from long term use might make it worse.

There is no "safe" benzo. They will all cause dependency and withdrawal if taken regularly for long periods of time.

 

I agree with Sen above.

 

@Sen Thanks! But what's the definition of "short-term??" Like a couple of weeks or days? Or is it like months??

 

I believe benzos are usually recommended to be taken for no longer than 2-4 weeks.

 

Benzos are known to be ototoxic, and have greater effects the higher the dose you are placed on.

I've been on a very small dose of klonopin (0.5 mg per day) since May to control panic attacks.

I have a long way to go to figure out which of my medications has worsened my inner ear health, but I can tell you the least likely of these is the klonopin ( a benzo) that I have been taken. I have also never personally experienced a change in hearing or a tinnitus spike as a result of being on the drug.

If anything, reducing the number of panic attacks (by like 80%) has saved me from episodes of tinnitus spikes or sudden hearing loss that were directly caused by panic attacks and the effects they had on blood pressure and stress hormones.
Depending on the severity of your anxiety, getting control even through the prescription med route may far outweigh the negative health effects of the anxiety itself (including in your ears!).
I would research other potential medications or options to treat anxiety in consultation with an ENT or an neuro-otolotist if you have one along with your psychiatrist, but taking a very small dose of one of the benzos for a short or mildly long-term period may be an option while you find other ways to reduce your anxiety.

Of course, some benzos, particuarly valium, also have addictive properties and withdrawal effects, so that is another thing to factor in when considering a benzo.

 

Hey DD. I typically use a 5mg Diazepam/Valium on the worse evenings. Have had them for awhile. I get 30 per month from my doc but use only 6 to 8. I never take as prescribed for fear of dependency. The rest I store for when the doc may decide to stop prescribing them. Also they are covered under my drug plan so no loss if they exceed shelf life and become useless.

I won't tell you to never take them, nor tell you they are OK. You must decide if you really need them at times. These never bother my tinnitus the way I use them. Like I said, only on the worse evenings and they get fewer as I become accustomed to this noise.

Only you can really decide what's best for you. Just be very very careful..............

 

I do exactly the same thing with Diazepam - I have a small amount - 4 weeks worth - of 2mg. When I feel a lowering of mood, I take three a day for about 3 days - it really helps me and then I can go drug free for a few weeks. My Dr thinks this is OK and oversees everything I do - it works well for me and lowers my T by about 50% when I'm taking them.