Why Does Anybody Get Involved with Drug Therapy for This Wretched Condition?

When my tinnitus turned nasty, June 2014, I wanted to die - and very soon.
My doctor prescribed benzodiazepines which I took for a few weeks.
My depression went on untouched.
Because I was reading everything I could get my hands on, I remember reading that benzodiazepines could do more harm than good, could possibly increase the volume, could have nasty side effects, and could be very difficult to come off of.
I never took another drug for tinnitus.

My possibly naive question is, given this prognosis, why does anybody get involved with drug therapy for this wretched condition, if it can make matters worse?

I hope this is not a stupid question folks.

Dave
Jazzer
xx

 

Dave, meds can be a blessing and a curse. It can affect us all in different ways. Meds can help some folks and bother other folks. It all depends on the med given/taken and the person taking them. No two people are a like. I would not touch them. I have always dealt with matters/issues through exercise, a good diet and my faith...

When a dr wants to push meds on me, I always decline and tell them that I'll diet better, exercise more and do more meditation If I have to....

 

Hi @Jazzer I think there comes a tipping point in some cases where you simply have to take/try something to function.

When I first got T, I was dealing with bereavement also. I had depression for a few years, but then other stressors compounded this and turned this my life into a daily cycle of panic attacks and terror and irrational fear. I wasn't suicidal in a true sense, but I wanted to die just so the daily pain would stop. I had to try something and what was offered then was a course of ADs. This was at a point where I could barely get out of bed. I just couldn't function or see a way to function and my family didn't really have an understanding of what was going on. Neither did I. It was all too frightening. Unsure of whether the drugs helped, or whether a drug free alternative would have been better, but in my desperation, drugs it was.

I also had the belief, again perhaps naively, that any increase in T noise would go once I stopped taking the drugs...

 

As somebody who has suffered the wrath of Klonopin withdrawal and post-withdrawal symptoms, I agree. I did not think I was going to have a problem because I only used it 34 times during the final months of 2017. My mistake was that I had taken another benzo, Xanax, from 2004 to 2009, and quit. I had no idea that my previous benzo use was/is still in the memory of my central nervous system. I wasn't even taking large doses of Klonopin. Very dangerous stuff.

 

Thank you folks - that question had been mystifying me for a couple of years, I was a bit reluctant to ask it in case it was seen as a criticism, which is not what I meant at all.

When I was 29 I was deeply depressed with childhood neglect issues.
I was suicidal.
The psychiatrist gave me the full gamut of psychiatric drugs available in 1971.
I can’t remember the names now except for Nardil and Librium.
Some made me sweat all night,
Some made me wet the bed,
Some made me dizzy or gave me a raging headache.
Nothing shifted my depression by one millimeter.

The next step was to be Electro Convulsive Therapy.
Well Stuff that.
They don’t even know what that does.
I discharged myself and had some analytic psychotherapy.
And here I still am folks, now 75.

But now you may understand why my belief is that anti-depressants (chemicals) are not the answer to depression, let alone Tinnitus.

 

The real drug which can re-grow cell hairs of cochlea is not in market yet.
There is prediction of year 2023 to be available but ... let us wait and see.

 

My CNS still feels it from those pills......

 

You wanted solutions, you gave it a try and you have learned. Nothing wrong with that at all. It's better to have tried, THAN to not have tried at all and still wondered and asked WHAT IF..... This is an approach to tinnitus/coping/habituation/adjustments and it's an approach to life and possibly making it better....

I talk about this in this post: https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/always-give-it-a-try.30217/

Be blessed my dear friend and BLESS ALL!!!

 

I think the answer is pretty simple, Desperation.

 

Simply put. Drugs are prescribed when the benefits outweigh the negatives.

I use Xanax when I need to because it’s better than hurting myself.

I take ADs because it’s better than hurting myself...

Both types of drugs are tricky though and affect everyone differently. What’s a life saver for some may not be tolerable for others.

 

The net result for me:

I have no faith in psychiatry.
My son-in-law and my nephew both committed suicide while under the “care” of a ‘pill-popping’ psychiatrist, because they were not offered psychoanslytic psychotherapy, which had every chance of saving their lives.

Psychotherapy is a natural cure - I’ve been there.

 

My T is so bad I am not sure if I can live with this for rest of my life.

 

Do whatever works for you as multiple approaches are needed per use case.

I think most scientific research has shown that using an AD alone is not sufficient and should be done as an add on to CBT or DBT (or similar therapy). Not to mention moderate exercise for serotonin release.

Basically depression should not be treated by pill alone. No psychiatrist worth their salt would say a pill alone can be the answer as scientific studies have not backed that up.

I am also a strong believer that your friends and family are important day in and day out for support with clinical depression. A psychiatrist or psychologist can only monitor you in short spurts. Family and friends can see you from a different perspective than even we cant see of ourselves. It’s a lot to ask of people but it’s also so critical to success.

 

I absolutely promise you dpdx that I was exactly where you are now.
I have gradually learnt to just allow the “T” to just be there, while I think of other things, do other things, practice meditation, and get on with other stuff.
I was desperately trying to creep inside the stuffing of my sofa, while sobbing my heart out all day long.
You will adopt a new perspective if you give yourself time my friend.
Dave
xx

 

but mine is so loud and high pitched. I can hear it over tv and when I talk to people. I cant keep up conversations with people. I simply get distracted by the loudness of my tinnitus. It is so loud that it causes the left side of my head to hurt and my jaw. It is a blasting 8/10, it is very high pitched that even facuets running full blast cant cover it. Before when I had Mild T I only heard it in a quiet room, it as amazing and I was able to do things I did before, now not so much. I cant hold a job, focus, concentrate, etc...for one job interview I had to write a report and simply couldn't do it because I coudlnt concentrate. I really dont want to live with this rest of my life and would gladly choose to die of cancer at age 50 than have this severe tinnitus and severe hyperacusis. I got tinnitus at age 27.

 

My dear @Jazzer this is the last time I will write anything for a while. You see, people are scared to get help that is out there. I would not be alive. That is why. And it does not always make things worse. We survivors of tinnitus usually go away because this message is not acceptable. And people wonder where we go.....those who are okay.

Had I not listened to my friend and trusted his judgement and all my own research including talking with a leading expert who founded the ATA (Jack Veron) and my own doctor...the initial tinnitus anxiety would have killed me.

Or as Bam wrote (in part) I would have been murdered by tinnitus.

The entire subject...shit Jazzer. I understand those who speak loudly about the evils and hell they went through. But the ones who did not do not speak out. And the negative always is louder than the positive.

Much love,

Jen

 

Tinnitus robbed me of my life, yesterday I was thinking (crying) and remembering my childhood memories, my college experience, my road trips and vacations, the cinema, hanging out with friends,reading books, learning languages, etc. All these memories of my previous life just overwhelmed me and reduced me to tears. TO think that all of that ended and I didnt even have an opportunity to see where I would end up in life. You know whats crazy I felt like was on my death bed reflecting on my life, it was scary...I was sad because there were so many things that were left unfinished. Even though I turned 28 a few months ago..I feel like I am 68 and that I dont have much time left. I cant explain the feeling its like you know that you will never be able to experience things that you wanted to do. On July 18,2017 I was a happy and healthy 27 year old who woke up every day and thanked god for an amazing life, now I have Severe T, Severe H, Swollen Lymph nodes, High blood pressure, Dark eye floaters, and Visual Snow. What went wrong? Why did it go wrong? Why did it have to all fall apart? How? For what reason? If everything happens for a reason they why did this happen?
There were so many things I wanted to do but I didnt have the chance to do..and sadly I never will.
1) Get a good job or go back to do a master in statistics.
2) Buy a car
3) Learn a few more languages
4) Visit Vienna and watch a classical music concert
5) Fall in love and get married
6) Travel with my better half
7) Have kids
8) Buy a boat and go boating ….and the list goes on.

Sadly none of this happen, life ended for me Sep 23,2017 and especially on Jan 17,2018.

 

Works for me! 2-4 mg. at bedtime and I sleep all night. Sleep deprivation was the worst part of this condition for me. So I do what works to make this condition tolerable.

http://whyaremyearsringing411.com/how-tinnitus-patients-can-benefit-from-using-valium/

 

My tinnitus is probably like yours and even more extreme. On top of that my hearing has -75db loss from 4-8ks. In time, it is possible to adjust to this level of severe/intrusive tinnitus...

The hearing is so bad and the tinnitus is so loud, I have to read lips as well....It's life and I accept it...

 

I cant work or have a life like this.

 

Over time this has driven me to a deep depression. Taking drugs to help me deal with this depression has most likely saved my life. As others have said, what works for one may not work for another. I’m still suffering and not getting better so am working with a psychologist and doctor will be adjusting my meds. This 24/7 never ending screaming in my head is driving me mad

THIS ^^^^ , my friend, is the goal my psychologist is trying to help me get to. It’s hard and I don’t see it yet but it helps me to know you got there.

Bobby

 

I am so sorry to hear that Bobby. I am 28 and my life pretty much has ended. Last night I was crying as it hit me that my life is pretty much gone forever. I just feel like it happened so damn soon..i busted my ass in college and when I graduated this happens. I am so damn unlucky, oh well it was a nice life while it lasted, wish I could have 25 more years of H and T free life….man that would be ideal.

 

I am truly sorry, that this causes you so much pain. Life can be very difficult on it's own, now throw in tinnitus and hearing loss, it makes it even more challenging. I face these elements daily and I face a brutal fibromyalgia disease that wreaks havoc on my bones and nerves. I have always beat my challenges by exercising and my faith. These days I am in so much pain and I am so fatigued these days. No gym, no walking, no martial arts, no life. Just trying to get better each day and that's about it right now.

So far, my depression has not stuck it's ugly head in, but when one has so much struggles...it's a natural thing to have. Please do hang in there. Keep talking to your counselor and work with him/her. Hopefully you can reach your goals by doing this. Talking things out and having faith can work wonders.

I face quite a few uphill battles right now. It will take one day at a time, to get a grip on these matters. Working on our goals, one day at a time. Each small step each day, is a victory. Those small victories can lead to huge ONES.

Never give up buddy, bless you and ALL who suffer

 

Dear friends - I asked for some education on the drugs question because I have no experience of it regarding Tinnitus treatment.

I am not saying they should not be used.

With my schizoid/depressive illness I aborted drugs because those available in 1971 made my life worse.

I am looking for some education here, not wishing to upset anybody.

Having read some of these stories I feel so so sad for everybody with this hateful condition.
Ever since June 2014 mine has raged constantly, loud, intrusive, severe, and non stop.
I just go on trying to live what is left of my life.
But I am aged 75 years.

My dear friend @dpdx is 29.
I am so so sorry, but of course I know that doesn’t help you.

I do believe this is the worst syndrome we could have, and there is so little we can do about it.
I used to play jazz trombone all round the world on cruise ships, theatres, jazz festivals, jazz clubs..etc...
But at least until age 72, when a “friend” crucified my hearing and my silence, I lived a life.

I am just so sorry my friends.
I wish I could do something to help,
or say something to sooth everybody’s pain.....

Dave
(Who was a Jazzer)
xxx

 

@dpdx
My tinnitus is very high pitched & loud. Today it's particularly bad (that's probably why I'm here tonight). I understand what you are experiencing in regard to tinnitus. It's very difficult at times. What works for me is a hearing aid with Bluetooth. I listen to a particular mp3 from Sound Oasis called Summertime (basically it's crickets). After 10 minutes or so I find myself distracted by the sound and no longer focusing on my tinnitus. I swear it works. I don't know what I would do without it.

 

I have sound oasis but my T is so loud that it covers the sound oasis up. It is very severe. I never imagined that the caloric test/vemp can cause so much damage and make me have moderate hearing loss.

 

I sense I may have upset you Star.
That would never be my intention.
love
Dave
xx

 

We need to push for a cure/treatment.

 

I dont know how much I can endure. Mine is just so loud. It is so loud that I can hear it everywhere just not thee shower. I miss my mild tinnitus