Theory on How to Reduce Tinnitus Related from Benzo Withdrawal (I Have Some Sources)

Okay, so here is my theory. Benzo withdrawal can cause excitotoxicity upon withdrawal. According to Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excitotoxicity

"Excitotoxicity is the pathological process by which nerve cells are damaged or killed by excessive stimulation by neurotransmitters such as glutamate and similar substances. This occurs when receptors for the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate (glutamate receptors) such as the NMDA receptor and AMPA receptor are overactivated by glutamatergic storm." Now later in the article it says this:

"Excitotoxicity may be involved in spinal cord injury, stroke, traumatic brain injury, hearing loss (through noise overexposure or ototoxicity), and in neurodegenerative diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) such asmultiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson's disease, alcoholismor alcohol withdrawal and especially over-rapid benzodiazepine withdrawal, and also Huntington's disease."

I believe this is what causes tinnitus. Therefore, it is VERY important to slowly taper off benzodiazapines. I don't have the time right now to research the "AMPA receptors" causing glutamatergic storms right now but maybe I can later. Right now I can state about the NMDA receptors. My theory that if the NMDA receptors can stop being overactivated the glutamatergic storm will be stopped or reduced (depending I guess on the AMPA receptors which I am not familiar with). NMDA antagonist therefore might help.

According to Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NMDA_receptor_antagonist it says that Magnesium is an uncompetitive channel blocker. You can look for more receptor antagonists on there. Therefore, I am wondering if Magnesium might help in benzo withdrawal tinnitus and hopefully benzo induced tinnitus.

Magnesium oxide can cause diarreah so it is best to take something like Magnesium Glycinate instead. Thus, it is my suggestion that if you have benzo induced tinnitus, you might could try Magnesium to see if lowers your tinnitus. If it does, I would suggest continue to use it unless it starts to increase tinnitus which in case you reduce or stop it. Again, I could totally be off the mark here because I am not scientist so you would have to try this at your own risk. I doubt it will get rid of the T but it may lower it. What do you guys think? Please comment. If I am wrong or this doesn't make sense let me know. I may look into later what "AMPA receptors are". If you guys know please comment on that as well. Thanks guys for reading.

Oh and also, I forgot to add: I would suggest avoid MSG which is monosodium glutamate and that there might be other drugs or supplements that could lower glutamate as well. You might could talk to a doctor about this stuff and see what he says.

 

I write this stuff because I am trying to help you all. Maybe I am wrong on this but I really care about you all and wish all of us did not have to deal with Tinnitus.

 

Jason. I like the thread you are creating since I have my T from benzo withdrawal. My tinnitus got really really worse over time. But can I ask do you think we can eliminate our benzo induced T? I do not know why people keep saying "the damage is done" if we can reserve it or maybe lower it.

I'm now 6 months in w/d and 5 months in tinnitus. I'm afraid I'm late.

 

I don't know. Lamictal for me has lowered my T from benzos lately most of the time. Other times I have to do something else. Taking 400mg of Magnesium a day for a while might help too. There is a drug called Memantine that works on NMDA and some have even said it lowers their tinnitus. Bad thing is, it seems to cause derealization (no fun at all) and weird foggy feeling in people along with some other side effects.

Source:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Nootropics/comments/2mh1s0/memantine_completely_cured_my_tinnitus/

Another source: http://www.audionotch.com/blog/uncategorized/memantine-for-tinnitus/

My theory is if you get something to work on glutamate and NMDA receptors (basically lowering their excitatory actions) in the brain I think your T would lower. According to Wikipedia:

Tolerance develops rapidly to the sleep-inducing effects of benzodiazepine. The anticonvulsant and muscle-relaxant effects last for a few weeks before tolerance develops in most individuals. Tolerance results in a desensitization of GABA receptors and an increased sensitization of the excitatory neurotransmitter system, glutamate such as NMDA glutamate receptors. These changes occur as a result of the body trying to overcome the drug's effects.

Remember also about the glutamate storm that they said could happen with sudden stoppage of benzos. I personally believe (until proven wrong) that when either the NMDA receptors or the GABA receptors need to be operating within a certain "range". I think when either one gets out of whack it can cause tinnitus. This is not the only way I believe people get tinnitus but just one way. Maybe you can go to a neurologist and ask him more about this kind of stuff and see what he says. He would be a lot smarter and know way more than me and could tell me if I am wrong

 

I'm going to go over this when I taper. I wanted to tell u a story. Between 2008 and 2011 I was poppin 1mg of ativan daily. And here and there weekly between 2005 - 2007. Anyway I wanted to stop and stopped cold turkey overnight in November 2011. I smoked a joint (which I could not possibly do now), that made me the night easy. I never had the first symptom. Not that night, not the next day, not the next week, not one. I never had read any of the horror stories online. I got tinnitus in jan 2016 from ear pressure, I was completely drug free for years. I attempted withdrawal from ativan a few months ago when I noticed an ear drone sound. I attempted under panic, I made it thru the first nite, and then the second as well. By sipping chamomile tea. If I had been surrounded by a good support group I would have made it. Like I said I started in a panic (bad idea). Good conversation helped me make it thru the first night. The 2nd night I lost my support, and even in the panic was holding on till tomorrow morning, when I knew I would have made it. But family drama stopped it from happening, also the humidity. It can happen though, my Tinnitus did not spike during those two nights. For the next time I attempt this, I'm not doing it in one night. Also I am stocking up on valerian root, lemon balm etc, someone mentioned Kalms, sleepy time tea, maybe even use benadryl if I need to. Make things real pleasant around you.

 

Thank you Jason. I have decided to ask to a doctor about this.

Did you see these new drugs which are NMDA antagonist? I do not know if they are on market now but I think they can help us.

 

You don't sa........

just a minute....

 

The thread is already old, two years...

Has anyone tried these meds that affect NMDA receptors? Magnesium, Lamictal,..

 

I tried Lamictal and it helps sometimes. It's kind of complicated... I still don't fully understand it all.

 

@JasonP do you still have this spike after benzo w/d?

 

I actually had tinnitus before benzos but after long term benzos, I seemed to get static tinnitus. The static tinnitus has reduced quite a bit...some days I can only hear my tonal tinnitus now.

 

Any news in this interesting thread? @JasonP did you reaching any conclusions about your theory?

 

Well, I had a weird experience with it. I had been on .25mg of klonopin for years and couldn't come off. I was able to lower my benzo induced tinnitus for a while by combining it with .75mg of melatonin and .125mg klonopin and 200mg magnesium glycinate at night together with 100mg of Lamictal in the morning. This only seemed to work though if I took at at the same time each night and fell asleep immediately upon taking it. I would then wake up in the morning with the benzo induced static tinnitus, take my Lamictal and then about an hour later it would drop. Later in the day I would take .125 klonopin again with 200mg of magnesium glycinate in the afternoon. This worked for about a month and then I stopped taking the melatonin and magnesium. A few days later the tinnitus stopped dropping in the morning after Lamictal.

I'm convinced the benzos gave me static tinnitus and so I tried to get off and after a long period of time I decided to switch my low klonopin dosage which was .125mg for 150mg Trileptal (I also think I took melatonin at night) and take 75mg Lamictal in the morning. After a few weeks a lot of the static tinnitus was gone. Every once in a while I have been having a day with a little static. I certainly don't recommend changing meds without the doctor's permission. Unfortunately, I think I am still having protracted benzo withdrawal symptoms months later. I also could be having side effects of melatonin but I am not sure....didn't take it last night and plan to skip it tonight so I guess I will see what happens. Be careful with any supplements and medications. Ask a pharmacist or doctor if you can take supplements with medication.

 

Thanks for sharing! Can you explain your static tinnitus?

 

I can't find the exact sound for it...this is the closest I could find for now:

White Noise Ten Hours - Ambient Sound - Masker

 

Okay, I think I may have it figured out. I believe that the static tinnitus caused by benzodiazepine withdrawal is caused by excess glutamate. I seemed to notice that if I took a little bit of klonopin and slept, I would usually wake up with static tinnitus. I was able to get rid of most of the static upon waking by taking a drug called Riluzole which lowered the static. I also got rid of most of it using Lamictal (had to titrate up slowly) yet Lamictal was very stimulating to me because of benzo withdrawal. Some days it was uncomfortably so. I never took Riluzole long term.

Both these drugs work on glutamate. If anyone has any similar experiences please post.

I have not taken klonopin in a long time now and haven't heard that type of static tinnitus in months and months.

 

All Parkinson's drugs are glutamate antagonists.