Debilitating Tinnitus from Benzo (Clonazepam) Taper

[erthwyrm]

In June 2023, I had been experiencing severe gastrointestinal issues, including intense pain, bloating, diarrhea, and more, for three years. Doctors were running out of tests and explanations, so I decided, based on what I had read in the Ashton Manual, that Clonazepam might be the cause.

I had been taking it for seven years at varying doses. At the time of my decision to stop, I was on 0.5 mg daily. I tapered relatively quickly, from early June to mid-September. Since I only had tablets and no way to measure out small amounts, I had to break them by hand, which was not very precise.

Each dose reduction triggered severe withdrawal, lasting at least a week before starting to level out. About two weeks after my last dose, the tinnitus started. It came on suddenly, but at first, it was just aggravating. I looked it up and saw that tinnitus can be a withdrawal symptom, so I assumed it would go away. It did not.

Over the next two months, it got worse. Much worse. It is a piercing, shrill 14000 Hz sound that nothing drowns out. It is always there.

For a long time, I was deeply suicidal. I had panic attacks, overwhelming anxiety, and crushing depression. The only thing that kept me from ending my life was the fact that I am a father to three beautiful children. I could not bear the thought of my final act being the worst thing that ever happened to them. I could not leave them without me.

So, I am left with the task of figuring out how to live with this. I use sound therapy with maskers. I have made progress. I can function better than before, my anxiety is mostly under control, and suicidal thoughts have lessened. But I have not habituated.

It is frustrating to know that one of the potential treatments for tinnitus, benzodiazepines, might be the very thing that caused it for me. I have considered talking to my psychiatrist about trying a low dose, something that would not risk addiction or trigger a relapse of my benzo belly. I do not know if it is a good idea. Probably not. It probably would not help and would just get me addicted again. And I sure as hell cannot go through that withdrawal again.

Of course, there is always the possibility that the tinnitus was just random and the timing was a coincidence.

 

[vilebubbles]

@erthwyrm, I am going through something similar :/

 

[kingsfan]

Have you thought about maybe trying Gabapentin? It's supposed to ease withdrawal, and I know you're already off of it... but maybe it will still provide some benefit. It's relatively easy to get prescribed, even for off-label.

 

[RHL]

My tinnitus has gotten bad enough recently, especially at night, and benzodiazepines like Clonazepam (0.1–0.2 mg, which I break into smaller doses) and Xanax (2–3 mg) are the only things that have helped me get a restful night. So far, I have avoided using them every night. However, I had no idea until now that Clonazepam could cause tinnitus, so thank you for sharing this! I am now considering Mirtazapine or Trazodone, which ChatGPT recommended. Have you tried either of them?

I'm very glad to hear you're fighting the urge to give up. I've struggled with it too, but I have a 19-year-old kid and want to be there for him as long as humanly possible. Still, there are days when it is quite a struggle.

 

[Wouter De Blaere]

In June 2023, I had been experiencing severe gastrointestinal issues, including intense pain, bloating, diarrhea, and more, for three years. Doctors were running out of tests and explanations, so I decided, based on what I had read in the Ashton Manual, that Clonazepam might be the cause.

I had been taking it for seven years at varying doses. At the time of my decision to stop, I was on 0.5 mg daily. I tapered relatively quickly, from early June to mid-September. Since I only had tablets and no way to measure out small amounts, I had to break them by hand, which was not very precise.

Each dose reduction triggered severe withdrawal, lasting at least a week before starting to level out. About two weeks after my last dose, the tinnitus started. It came on suddenly, but at first, it was just aggravating. I looked it up and saw that tinnitus can be a withdrawal symptom, so I assumed it would go away. It did not.

Over the next two months, it got worse. Much worse. It is a piercing, shrill 14000 Hz sound that nothing drowns out. It is always there.

For a long time, I was deeply suicidal. I had panic attacks, overwhelming anxiety, and crushing depression. The only thing that kept me from ending my life was the fact that I am a father to three beautiful children. I could not bear the thought of my final act being the worst thing that ever happened to them. I could not leave them without me.

So, I am left with the task of figuring out how to live with this. I use sound therapy with maskers. I have made progress. I can function better than before, my anxiety is mostly under control, and suicidal thoughts have lessened. But I have not habituated.

It is frustrating to know that one of the potential treatments for tinnitus, benzodiazepines, might be the very thing that caused it for me. I have considered talking to my psychiatrist about trying a low dose, something that would not risk addiction or trigger a relapse of my benzo belly. I do not know if it is a good idea. Probably not. It probably would not help and would just get me addicted again. And I sure as hell cannot go through that withdrawal again.

Of course, there is always the possibility that the tinnitus was just random and the timing was a coincidence.

Tinnitus and hyperacusis are common withdrawal symptoms of benzodiazepines. Because of the tapering process, your nervous system is like a young deer surrounded by lions, completely weak and highly sensitive to any stimulus. This can cause temporary tinnitus as the balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurons is disrupted. It usually goes away, but it can take a long time, sometimes months or even years.

I would not go back to benzodiazepines if I were you, but I know that is easier said than done. In my case, I woke up on October 7, 2023, with extreme dysacusis and moderate overall tinnitus. Clonazepam (0.5 mg per day) reduces the dysacusis by about 95 percent and makes life bearable. It is hard, but at least manageable.

I understand what you are going through, I also have a child. I tried tapering off benzodiazepines, but the dysacusis always returned. Because of withdrawal symptoms, it sometimes became even worse. Since my baseline is already so bad, I have concluded that the only way I can live is by staying on 0.5 mg of Clonazepam.

However, since your baseline is one without tinnitus, I would push through without the benzodiazepine and give it time. Once your brain regains its ability to produce GABA on its own, I believe the tinnitus will go away for you.

 

[vilebubbles]

Tinnitus and hyperacusis are common withdrawal symptoms of benzodiazepines. Because of the tapering process, your nervous system is like a young deer surrounded by lions, completely weak and highly sensitive to any stimulus. This can cause temporary tinnitus as the balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurons is disrupted. It usually goes away, but it can take a long time, sometimes months or even years.

I would not go back to benzodiazepines if I were you, but I know that is easier said than done. In my case, I woke up on October 7, 2023, with extreme dysacusis and moderate overall tinnitus. Clonazepam (0.5 mg per day) reduces the dysacusis by about 95 percent and makes life bearable. It is hard, but at least manageable.

I understand what you are going through, I also have a child. I tried tapering off benzodiazepines, but the dysacusis always returned. Because of withdrawal symptoms, it sometimes became even worse. Since my baseline is already so bad, I have concluded that the only way I can live is by staying on 0.5 mg of Clonazepam.

However, since your baseline is one without tinnitus, I would push through without the benzodiazepine and give it time. Once your brain regains its ability to produce GABA on its own, I believe the tinnitus will go away for you.

I already had moderate tinnitus and hyperacusis before taking benzodiazepines. Now, as I taper off, it's getting unbearable.

But staying on them isn't working well either.

I don't know what to do.

 

[delta784]

@erthwyrm, how are you now?