Tinnitus Talk Support Forum

How you getting on with the clonazepam?

Happy Holidays in advance!

@Cmspgran it's honestly hard to say. I started taking it about 3 1/2 weeks ago, then the very next day got hit with awful upper respiratory viral infection that lasted for 14-15 days. Ears honestly held somewhat stable through all of that despite my awful spike in August that made me switch to clonazepam…

@Cmspgran now I'm clear of infection as of 4-5 days ago, and I have to say I do not actively notice a relief like I did an hour after taking the Ativan. This may be more of a gradual set in relief rather than the fast acting Ativan, therefore it's so gradual I can't always put my finger on it? Oh and I feel like it is negatively affecting my short term memory, did not have that with Ativan.

@Cmspgran currently spiked due to hormone fluctuations, stress at work, and a little more noise exposure recently. I took .25mg this afternoon and .75mg this evening and honestly, still suffering and no lowering of frequency like I would get often with Ativan.

@ErikaS I have always found a delayed reaction, where i take the clonazepam and 18-24 hours later the intensity drops. Quite a few report the same phenomenon.

@Nick47 yes I remember reading that, and when you're taking it 1-3 times a week I am sure that affect is more noticeable rather than a small daily amount? I don't know, I am just trying to tell myself I'm temporarily spiked more so, so don't judge now but my goal is to just take .25mg in am and .25mg in PM, totaling .5mg daily.

@Nick47 i know every brain is different and even from male to female, but I don't know how Brian Fargo takes 1mg a day. I know I'm not even 3 weeks in yet but even .5 -.75mg a day is giving me issues with some short term memory loss and just not as alert. Maybe I'm still adjusting.

@ErikaS yes I get a bit out of it. If the sedation is wearing off you have the choice of switching to the mornings as it's got a long half life. It also pushes the tinnitus to the back of my mind more a few hours after taking it.

Interesting how Ativan has such an instant response after almost 18 months of use clonazepam is doing very little for me now, I can also relate to the memory loss, I word search all the time.

@Cmspgran it wouldn't be every time, but even during my spike I would notice an hour after taking it most days me saying "well at least it took the high frequency down some" which is honestly huge for me. I don't find myself saying the same thing with the Clonazepam at this point. And I did not have this memory issue on the Ativan. If it doesn't clear, I may ask to switch back to Ativan.

Hey Erika. I would be extremely careful with daily benzos even at small doses. They cause T and H. Decreased effect of your medication on T is expected as your brain becomes tolerant to the drug and your GABA receptors are downregulated.

@Cmspgran @ErikaS I know within 15 min of waking what kind of day it will be. I call it the kettle test. Today, T was beserk as I prepared my morning cuppa at an intensity I could physically feel. Radio not an option all day.

Spent half the day on my bed with the sound generator on low (25-30db) and still it was going nuts. 300mg of Gabapentin did very little, but did zonk me out so I cared slightly less. It seems sleep (good or bad) resets it.

The amount of days over the last 3 years I've had 1-2 days of 3-5T, hope's are up, sleep great, than BAM and the next day is hell with increased baseline, reactivity, intensity and hyperacusis. I've felt detached for 3 years. Not the same person and having to adapt my routine around the disease.

@yeezysqueezy hey thank you for your comment. I was on low dose Ativan daily for two years since onset and not only did it save me mentally but it, along with other things, allowed me to generally function again and go back to work full time in a school last March and do things I hadn't done in 18 months…

@yeezysqueezy only this summer with major spike from deep ear plugs and a travel did my psych and I decide to switch to Klonopin to try it and he said with me leaving my job beginning of January and looking to wean off while I'm not working, it is easier to wean from something with longer half life.

@yeezysqueezy I'm aware there are two very strong sides about benzos, but when meds like that allow those with epilepsy or T like mine function and you've tried MANY other avenues, it's what I've got and I stayed disciplined with it.