Tinnitus Worsening Due to Acupuncture or Clonazepam?

Hi guys,

My mild tinnitus has become no so mild since 1 week ago. I decided 1 week ago to try acupuncture for my tinnitus. 3 days later my tinnitus was a bit worse, the next day I took second acupuncture session and today (2 days later) my tinnitus is louder (plus a new tone) than yesterday. I doubt about going or no to next acupuncture session tomorrow.

Please note that the worsening is not immediate it seems tinnitus is getting worse 2 days later the session BUT it's cumulative. AFAIK I thought that bad acupuncture effects are immediate. How long this worsening would last (if is reversible) if I stopped the acupuncture treatment?

Another cause could be Clonazepam but I'm at low dose (0.25 mg three times/day) since 17 days ago.

What's your opinion?

Thanks.

 

I got immediate relief with accupuncture (for the following 4 or 5 hours) where the volume was much lower but then it spiked a lot after that. Not sure what to think of this. I do not take Clonazepam.

 

Acupuncture can have some effect, at least in my experience, especially with relaxation. But going to get treatments repeatedly with not much improvement should eventually tell you that unless you like it for maybe relieving anxiety and thereby a possible reduction in "the noise", it is probably best to cut your losses financially and save your money.

 

I would put my money on Clonazepam, 17 days is a lot (too long) for Benzodiazepines, you need to start tapper it off ASAP.

You should never take Benzos two days in a row and always wait at least 3 days between intakes, that's on a worst case scenario, best case scenario would be to wait months between each use, or not to use Benzodiazepines at all.

 

Did stopping acupuncture help?

Did you taper off clonazepam? If so what was your experience there as far as your tinnitus?

 

Hi Selah,

Regarding first question I would say "yes". My tinnitus became more "stable"
And yes I was tapering off for 3 months. I was taking Clonazepam (0,25mg) for 4 months and then tapering off during 2 more months.

No adverse side effects. My tinnitus was mild or very mild. Very few days being louder.
In fact, tinnitus is no longer a problem in my daily life. Maybe because is usually softer than at the begining or because I've more serious neurologic problems to think about.

I was reading this forum during months looking for info about taking or no benzos. Lots of different opinions.
I decided to take it just because I was not able to live with that tinnitus in those days. If it happened the same today, I would do it again. But have into account that the dangerous side effects (that I didn't suffer) could affect another body. As we know, everyone is different ...

Good luck!

Regards.

 

Thanks for following up. I’m very sorry to hear you have other issues youre dealing with. I hope things improve for you.

 

I have never tried Clonazepam before, so please take heed of others' advice on this issue.

I have had 5 sessions of acupuncture since developing tinnitus in July 2019. I still hear it, but have more or less gotten used to it at its current level for the time being. When I first developed tinnitus, my ENT was direct and told me there is no cure, but offered to submit a referral for acupuncture on my behalf as he had previous patients that have benefited from it. At each of the first 4 sessions, my acupuncturist would use the needles and place them in the standard locations similar to how he treats most tinnitus patients he sees, but he also utilizes Cold Laser Therapy (LLLT) around the ear to reduce any inflammation that may be present and possibly causing or contributing to the tinnitus. In these sessions, the acupuncture helped me relax and my tinnitus did seem lower in the short-term most likely due to a decreased stress/anxiety response. The Cold Laser Therapy added to this as well. A couple hours later, however, my tinnitus was back to its normal louder level.

After researching tinnitus a bit more, pulling some books and reading some academic journal articles, and lots more diagnostic tests, I was able to pinpoint the most likely cause of my tinnitus - upper cervical spine misalignment and TMJ. During the 5th acupuncture session, I lay on my back and my acupuncturist noticed asymmetric muscle tension on the right side of my neck (particularly in the SCM) which was pulling my atlas to the right. The SCM muscles were loosened/massaged, needles were then inserted along the entirety of the branch of the SCM that connects to the sternum on both sides of neck, and the Cold Laser was used around the SCMs, suboccipitals, traps, TM joints, and the ears. With this treatment, the decrease in tinnitus volume lasted about 2.5 days and then increased back to its normal level around the same time the muscle tension and tightness in my neck and upper back returned which only further supports the problems with the neck and jaw as the cause of my tinnitus. From talking with my acupuncturist, he treats the standard pathways for tinnitus outlined in Traditional Chinese Medicine in all of his patients in the same manner in the absence of more detailed diagnostic information provided by the patients and/or the referring physicians. If you can narrow down the likely causes for your tinnitus and develop a more targeted treatment plan with respect to the acupuncture, you might have better luck with it.

If you browse the forums for other posts on Acupuncture and tinnitus, you will find that it has worked for some and not for others as tinnitus really differs widely on a case-by-case basis across those who have it. A few people have also said that the tinnitus got worse before it got better when acupuncture treatments were pursued. I will also say, if your acupuncture sessions are <30 minutes in length and the acupuncturist places needles in <3 locations per session, I would advise you seek treatment from a different acupuncturist or at least try a different one to see if you get any improvements with the tinnitus. Also, you may want to space your acupuncture visits a little further apart. My sessions are usually 1.5 weeks apart but this is mostly due to my work schedule as I go to sea quite a bit for work. Also, drink lots of water before and after your acupuncture sessions as well.

If this is your first time seeking an "alternative medicine" treatment for your tinnitus, do not immediately get discouraged as conventional medicine did absolutely nothing for me except allowing me to eliminate possible causes for my tinnitus over time after quite a bit of debate and self-advocation. Unfortunately, these medical "specialists" I saw never examined tinnitus outside of the narrow dogmatic view of their field/specialty. The best diagnoses I got for my tinnitus came from a combination of a neuromuscular dentist specializing in TMJ, an upper cervical chiropractor, and an acupuncturist - all of which are considered "alternative medical specialties" by my doctors. As a scientist, I have a natural curiosity about things I do not know and want to learn about and the systematic approach I employ for most things at work came in handy with my tinnitus here as well. On that note, a little background reading about tinnitus and its numerous causes may come in handy for you as well if this has not been previously pursued. My acupuncturist recommended a TCM book that is coming up on my reading list, but I would need to dig thru my emails to find the title of it after the demobilization from my most recent cruise is completed this weekend.

I hope your tinnitus improves or at least the spike stabilizes in volume and pitch in the near future. If you continue with the acupuncture, I hope you get some positive results with it as well.