Worse Tinnitus After Klonopin (Clonazepam) Taper

How long into the taper did you notice the tinnitus getting worse?

 

The first benzos I took at the beginning of my original tinnitus were of short action, as Lormetazepam and Alprazolam. I soon developed tolerance, so my tinnitus got worse even before starting tapering!

I noticed further worsening especially reaching small doses, altough I did it really slowly by diluting Clonazepam in liquid form into water.

 

That’s terrible. I got worse at the smaller doses too. Much worse.

 

I did a standard taper .25 mg a week. Then I ran into trouble around .25 mg left and had to switch to Valium to finish the taper over the next 2 weeks.

Also, did you get a static type tinnitus, as well? I have a high pitch static after the Klonopin.

 

Hi all, I’ve taken 8 doses of Ativan the past five weeks at .5 mg, spaced about 4 days apart approx.

Last dose was 3 days ago. Don’t think I need anymore and would like to stop (have a few 1 mg pills left but I’ll save them for an emergency).

I’m just wondering if tapering would be good to prevent withdrawal, honestly I doubt it as can’t imagine a taper that makes sense, but I’m not sure if it’s the time taking Ativan is more important than the somewhat small dose.

Best regards, hope you are all doing well.

 

Probably unnecessary.

 

So there really is not a single anti-anxiety drug we can take without nasty ototoxic side effects (maybe Kava Kava)?

 

I've taken Hydroxyzine, it's an antihistamine with anticholinergic effects, i.e. it slows down the nervous system and can be effective for anxiety and especially sleep. Of course, it isn't as powerful or even comparable to a benzodiazepine, but it helped me get my act together when I first got tinnitus. Since it's an antihistamine it doesn't build tolerance. It isn't ototoxic in the sense that it doesn't kill hair cells, but I think any drug that impacts the nervous system can mess with tinnitus or hyperacusis in some. Any drug should be taken with great vigilance and caution, but I think Hydroxyzine should be pretty safe.

 

Doesn't it make you (too) sleepy (to function) during the day?

EDIT: 10 seconds googling later...

Incredible... like I said... every single thing is ototoxic.

Hydroxyzine and sucralfate seem to trigger ototoxic adverse drug reactions in patients, a recent study has found. These drugs should not be given with other well-confirmed ototoxic medications.

Hydroxyzine, sucralfate pose adverse ototoxic reactions​

 

It isn't a big problem. I've only used low doses of 10-20 mg which just helps with sleep. At my onset, I had anxiety attacks that made my heart race as I drifted off to sleep, but it helped me break out of that and calm the anxiety.

Wow, that study is very recent. I had never found a study which could link it with ototoxicity before, but it's good that it's being researched thoroughly. That said, I guess you're right that no drug is completely safe, but I think some drugs are far safer than others; it's not black and white.

In my opinion, antihistamines should be pretty safe, especially so in doses that isn't very high.

 

@linearb, how do you explain these people on BenzoBuddies who take like 7 pills and are sick for 2 years? Are they sensitive or are they making it up?

 

Following. I would really like something to take the edge off at night in particular. I am assuming most therapists won't be thinking about ototoxic side effects so I'd like to have some ideas on what to ask for.

 

Red wine.

 

Beer for me.

 

May God have mercy on my soul. About to begin a taper after 3 months of benzos - about 1 mg a day of Clonazepam for the last month and about 1 mg of Ativan for the previous two months. I feel so screwed.

 

Hi Maria,

I was wondering if the "benzo tinnitus" was constant, or if you got some breaks in between while tapering? Or did the improvement happen only when you were completely off the medication?

I am also tapering Klonopin after 6 months of use.

Thanks!

 

I had no breaks unfortunately, it was horrible. I hope it will be better for you.

 

I'm so sorry you went through that. I get the occasional quiet morning, and am able to shower away the electric/sizzling/reactive noise for the rest of the day about 50% of the time.

I'm hoping once I'm done with my super slow taper things will improve more.

 

DreiT,

Did you reinstate benzos?

I see your tinnitus fluctuates a lot. In my case I cold turkey'd in 2020 and when I reinstated, my tinnitus got insanely bad.

If you did reinstate, have you considered a very slow taper down? It may resolve your tinnitus. Not guaranteed obviously, but in my case I think I am getting better as I go down slowly. (More good days).

 

Sorry for the super late reply but no, I would never touch a benzo again. It ruined my life by giving me tinnitus. I didn't know these drugs could actually seriously mess up your nervous system.

Thank God I now don't have electric tinnitus in my head. That was hard to endure.

I told people here how I had noticed that some of the worst cases here, and the ones who ended their lives, have some correlation, and it is that they took some kind of benzo.

 

When you say electric tinnitus, is it like this weird static that you can hear over everything? Does it move around your head and change? How long did it take for that to leave? And how did it leave? Gradually?

That's what I have been trying to get rid of the most. It has reduced a lot a somewhat livable level since I got off of this shit, and I've woken up a few days without it so I think with lots of time it will be gone. From what I've read on BenzoBuddies, it usually takes 4 to 6 months, up to a year.

This shit gave me severe hyperacusis which is the only reason I'm suicidal. Can't do shit.

 

I am tapering off of Klonopin and Gabapentin and I have horrible hissing tinnitus. I am down to the point where I can stop tonight. How soon after I stop will the tinnitus go away?

 

What dose and how long were you on them?

 

300 mg Gabapentin and 0.5 mg Clonazepam for 3 months.