What Drugs Do You Take for Temporary Relief?

What drugs; prescription or otherwise have you/do you take that have given you just one day's peace?

I'm not talking a drug you'd want to take everyday that could have more unpleasant side effects long term or would be difficult to get prescribed constantly, but something that you can take as a occasional one-off that will ease the noise?

My Doctor is pretty aware of my occasional sleep problems and my struggle with tinnitus and I don't think he'd be too concerned about giving me an occasional prescription for something that might just give me the odd day's peace here and there.

 

Some people on here take clonazepam on severe days. I personally have never taken it before so I can’t say more about it.

 

My doctor prescribed a sleep aid, only to be taken occasionally, when sleep eludes me. I feel that a good nights sleep does make a difference when it comes to coping with tinnitus.

This is what I was prescribed, Allan. As with all medications, it does come with side effects, although I have not experienced any. Perhaps it is because I take it only when needed.

https://www.medbroadcast.com/drug/getdrug/apo-zopiclone

 

Yes.... I get Zopiclone as well. Took one last night as it happens, but have learnt not to take it two nights in a row due to the fact your body get used to it quickly.

 

Does it help you to fall and stay asleep, Allan? I find that it works very quickly so when I take it, I am sure to do so just before I go to bed.

 

I take Diazepam (sp?) on really bad days. My Tinnitus gets louder the more distressed/panicked I am, and when I take a tablet I can sometimes hear my Tinnitus physically lowering in volume.

Not to be taken every day obviously.

 

Yes I'm asleep within 15 - 20 minutes maximum, get 6 to 7 hours out of it. My tinnitus is always a bit more bearable the next day but as it wears off the noise bursts I get are slightly scary as you think 'Yep, here it comes'.

 

Yes, I know what you mean.

This may or may not resonate with you Allan.....what I do when I start to feel the "here it comes" anxiety is to sit down, take a deep breath and hold it to the count of seven and then let it out to the count of of eight. I repeat this until my anxiety starts to subside, and it always does, even if only for a short time.

 

Vodka.

 

Magnesium is good at night, calms you down and good for the ears, won't harm you at all, give it a try!

 

I get huge relief from oxazepam 15 mg, due to it working against anxiety and it is a muscle relaxant. It's the muscle relaxant part that really lowers my tinnitus.
Combined with 2 mg of melatonin i have managed to turn my life from a complete chaos into something more bearable.

 

I have known at least one person who said that taking benzos made a big impact on the volume of his T.

 

Lorazepam (Ativan) has worked wonders for me when I’m desperate. A single .5 mg dose completely silences my tinnitus for 6-7 hours. I use them sparingly. I’ve only taken six of them over the last seven months, but when all else fails it’s nice to know they’re there.

 

0.5mg of Xanax or 10mg of Ambien if it's really bad. A glass of red wine if it's bad, but not that bad.

The "real" drugs are only needed a few times a year, which is a blessing, and I'm very grateful for it.

 

In what direction? Is long-term improvement through benzo use possible?

I know a guy who was a regular Xanax junkie (he took a literal handful of them, 10-20mg or so, before my very eyes), and he says they induced tinnitus for him and now he has it permanently.

 

I take 4-5mg of prednisone on days my ETD acts up and causes fluid buildup in my ears (which makes these horrible squeaks and shrieks sound off in one of my ears). It kinda decreases the inflammation enough so that the fluid can start draining out and I can have some peace.

 

Yeah, many also develop tolerance with benzos (I did) and then they have to go through benzo withdrawal, which I can say is an awful experience, AND can induce tinnitus or make it worse. I would be very careful with benzos. I would never advise taking them everyday... but once in a while, I think, like 2-3 times a months is okay and will prevent tolerance from building.

 

Made it quieter and easier to ignore. But it would work for no more than several hours.

It is absolutely not something you should do. One needs to get a higher and higher dosage to achieve the same effect. If you are taking benzos for something else, then this might be a pleasant side effect. But I wouldn't take benzos in order to temporarily reduce tinnitus.

 

No easy solutions for brain damage, i.e. tinnitus.

Benzos work, but weaken if not eliminate neuroplasticity, you would think.
A double edged sword.

I am currently confused and undecided by the benzo paradigm that I was a stranger to, until post tinnitus, where it has brought me great relief. It simply calms down the nervous system, as I see it. They are ultimately not for the best... but... they can be a viable solution for some chronic sufferers.

A healthy alternative to benzos to be pursued as much as possible, for me, is ridiculous amounts of exercise, relaxing things like saunas, very healthy food... and if one has the financial means or good fortune... getting away from the city. I exercise, eat well, but live In the city... which is really dangerous for acoustic traumas.

Post script...
I sometimes miss tobacco... that rush, that instant hit, where pleasurable chemicals in the brain were released...

This is going to take me ages to get better, and all lot of people here as well.

 

I haven't found a single thing that made any difference to my tinnitus (in either direction, actually - nothing makes it worse, nothing makes it better).

After onset I was extremely careful about anything I'd ingest (wine, caffeine, chocolate, sugars, etc), and after a few months I slowly incorporated each of these back in one by one and noticed absolutely no change.

YMMV