Does Deanxit (Flupentixol/Melitracen) Help Tinnitus? Share Your Experiences

[T Toledo OH]

Deanxit drug is not available in the US.

I take Clonazepam + Gabapentin and have for several years; there are not many things that I find more alarming than benzodiazepines, but thioxanthenes (typical antipsychotics) are on that list (and one component of Deanxit is this kind of drug). Long term use of benzos is definitely not great for you but the typical APs all cause extrapyramidal symptoms over time, which generally will become permanent over a long enough period because these drugs are neurologically damaging.

Benzos are bad for your short-term memory, mess with long-term potentiation and the HP axis in insidious ways, and can be a nightmare to withdraw from. I think they're a lot safer than antipsychotics, though.

I may have asked you before but how much do you take of each of Gabapentin and Klonopin?

 

[Damocles]

So now Dean wants to leave the EU too, huh?

I can personally say that Britain leaving the EU has not helped my tinnitus, nor has it made it any worse; but what it has done, is change the colour of my passport cover from burgundy to navy.

So something for Dean to think about... ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͠°)

 

[linearb]

I may have asked you before but how much do you take of each of Gabapentin and Klonopin?

600 mg of Gabapentin / 2 mg of Klonopin per day.

 

[KWC]

You are much further than me, well done. At what rate are you reducing? Is the taper bearable or are the symptoms very strong?

Around about 4-5% a week. The taper is rough but I am functional.

 

[T Toledo OH]

600 mg of Gabapentin / 2 mg of Klonopin per day.

I am same Gabapentin dosage but 1.5 mg a day Klonopin.

 

[linearb]

I am same Gabapentin dosage but 1.5 mg a day Klonopin.

Tomato tomahto. These drugs hit everyone differently. I picked 2 mg because it's what I was on from 1999-2005, no other reason.

 

[aura]

@Lurius, have you tried that combination of drugs?

@Chinmoku, when did you start taking Klonopin and why? Was it for your tinnitus? Did it help you at least?

I'm desperate here.

Thinking about scheduling an online consultation with Dr. De Ridder. Things are getting worse for me and very fast.

My doctor (one of my doctors) says that my otologic migraines can affect trigeminal nerve and endolymphatic pressure, killing the hair cells. But this is just a theory.

Now I hear the morse code "eeee" over everything. And it's almost like the external sounds don't sound the same to me, but like a morse code.

Extremely frequent high pitched drill sounds in both of my ears, static sounds... they wake me up every hour.

I can't go on like this.

Thank you!

 

[Elroy Fisher]

@Ben Winders, thanks for sharing your story mate. Prof. Dirk de Ridder is prescribing Deanxit and Rivotril in low doses for me. May I ask if you're still on these meds, and how you're doing now?

 

[Ben Winders]

Prof. Dirk de Ridder is prescribing Deanxit and Rivotril in low doses for me. May I ask if you're still on these meds, and how you're doing now?

I am not.

My life would probably be easier if I would take Deanxit, but I'm trying to deal with this as sober as I can (the funny part of that statement being that I am drinking about 2 to 3 vodka-cokes per evening. It sort of numbs me a bit).

P.S. The buzzing dropped in half (actual volume, not perception) for about 3 weeks or so, after a flight (I think it was the flight that triggered the drop, still not sure). But after a 3 day car ride to Croatia it came back with a vengeance.

 

[Diego LR]

Thank you, Ben. The paper recommending Deanxit plus Clonazepam has been criticised in:

COMMENT ON ADMINISTRATION OF THE COMBINATION CLONAZEPAM-DEANXIT AS TREATMENT FOR TINNITUS
Staab, Jeffrey P. M.D., M.S.

Otology & Neurotology: June 2012 - Volume 33 - Issue 4 - p 685-687
doi: 10.1097/MAO.0b013e3182382681

Basically they have reservations on the trial design, on the bad side effects and on excluding placebo.

Still, I hold Prof. De Ridder in high esteem so if he recommended it to you based on his clinical practice I can try it too. I'll book a consultation.

May I ask you how long you took it?

Did you visit Dr. Dirk De Ridder?

I visited this week and he prescribed Deanxit, Clonazepam and Clonidine. I will try them. Any feedback about these meds?

 

[Nick47]

Did you visit Dr. Dirk De Ridder?

I visited this week and he prescribed Deanxit, Clonazepam and Clonidine. I will try them. Any feedback about these meds?

Not sure what Clonidine is for.

How are you finding Dr. De Ridder's cocktail?

 

[Diego LR]

How are you finding Dr. De Ridder's cocktail?

It is still early days. This is my 4th day on this combo. I am surprised that there are not many people on this combo.

 

[Diego LR]

I am not.

My life would probably be easier if I would take Deanxit, but I'm trying to deal with this as sober as I can (the funny part of that statement being that I am drinking about 2 to 3 vodka-cokes per evening. It sort of numbs me a bit).

P.S. The buzzing dropped in half (actual volume, not perception) for about 3 weeks or so, after a flight (I think it was the flight that triggered the drop, still not sure). But after a 3 day car ride to Croatia it came back with a vengeance.

What is your experience with Brai3n? Did you pursue other treatments? How many days did Deanxit take to start working for you?

 

[Nick47]

It is still early days. This is my 4th day on this combo. I am surprised that there are not many people on this combo.

Hey @Diego LR, thanks for the feedback.

 

[Ben Winders]

What is your experience with Brai3n? Did you pursue other treatments? How many days did Deanxit take to start working for you?

Experience with Brai3n: they are a nice, well organized, friendly, professional outfit, but they don't really have any answers either. But at least they are listening and trying to come up with solutions (which again, they don't have for most of our cases).

The doctors there really take a kitchen sink approach. I've been prescribed Deanxit, a few weeks later LDN and some other thing against ear spasms that I forgot the name of. None of them really worked to diminish my tinnitus (the Deanxit worked for the 'not giving as many fcks' part of the equation).

 

[Nick47]

Prof. Dirk de Ridder is prescribing Deanxit and Rivotril in low doses for me. May I ask if you're still on these meds, and how you're doing now?

@Elroy Fisher, how have you found Deanxit? Has it helped you?

 

[Nick47]

I have been conversing with a gentleman in the UK who takes Flupentixol (Deanxit contains Flupentixol and Melitracen) for another condition.

In his words 0.5 mg reduces his tinnitus by 50-70% 30 minutes after taking it.

I wonder if this is much more successful than we will ever know as it's so hard to obtain as it's rarely prescribed outside of schizophrenia patients.

I've seen about 90% who have taken it get relief, in many cases substantially lower tinnitus volume.

It seems mainly to be Flupentixol that helps here.

There are the side effect issues for some...

 

[Lthms]

I had tinnitus two years ago and the doctor prescribed Deanxit. For me it did wonders. In two weeks time I habituated to the tinnitus and it was like I never had it.

The problem is I was so scared to get it back that I never stopped with the Deanxit. Now two years later I had a new sudden tinnitus spike and now I can't take it again because I am already on it... I feel sad and scared and I have no idea what to do now.

@Ben Winders, it seems you are also from Belgium and the Deanxit helped you. But you were able to stop. How is your situation now a year and a half later?

 

[ajc]

I had tinnitus two years ago and the doctor prescribed Deanxit. For me it did wonders. In two weeks time I habituated to the tinnitus and it was like I never had it.

Who prescribed you Deanxit? I know Dr. De Ridder prescribes it often. Do many doctors in Belgium prescribe it for tinnitus? What is the success rate?

 

[Lthms]

Who prescribed you Deanxit? I know Dr. De Ridder prescribes it often. Do many doctors in Belgium prescribe it for tinnitus? What is the success rate?

My local physician described it to me.

I don't know the general success rate, but at the time I was so distressed I was willing to try everything.

 

[Nick47]

I had tinnitus two years ago and the doctor prescribed Deanxit. For me it did wonders. In two weeks time I habituated to the tinnitus and it was like I never had it.

The problem is I was so scared to get it back that I never stopped with the Deanxit. Now two years later I had a new sudden tinnitus spike and now I can't take it again because I am already on it... I feel sad and scared and I have no idea what to do now.

@Ben Winders, it seems you are also from Belgium and the Deanxit helped you. But you were able to stop. How is your situation now a year and a half later?

Hello. If you have had a spike a few weeks ago, chill, it will settle. Avoid loud noise and the wearing of headphones and earbuds.

Can I ask if you had any side effects from Deanxit?

 

[Nick47]

I've been prescribed Deanxit. Does anyone know how I can use the prescription to buy it in the UK?

 

[ajc]

I've been prescribed Deanxit. Does anyone know how I can use the prescription to buy it in the UK?

I believe your UK doctor needs to fill this form to start the process:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...ent-to-import-an-unlicensed-medicinal-product

 

[Nick47]

some other thing against ear spasms that I forgot the name of.

@Ben Winders, it wasn't Cyclobenzaprine, was it?

 

[Nick47]

I wonder if there is an international pharmacy selling it? It's not sold in the UK either.

I'm in this situation now. I was prescribed Deanxit, Aripiprazole and Clonazepam +/- LDN. I was told it's ALWAYS a cocktail of low doses.

My GP would not honour the prescription so I need to see psychiatrist.

I was talking to someone from Belgium who has suggested pharmacies there. It's a Belgium prescription, just a case of if they will ship to the UK.

I was suggested this:

https://www.apotheekthiels.be/producten/deanxit-10-mg-filmomh-tabl-30-x-10-mg-0-5-mg

It's dirt cheap.

 

[Nick47]

So long story short. I was prescribed some tinnitus medications in February by Dr. De Ridder. Amongst them was Deanxit. My GP refused to honour the prescription, however a friend from Belgium sent me a 10 day supply. I took them for 2 days to monitor for side effects. The only side effect I experienced was mild sedation for an hour. In terms of effect, they reduced my stress quite a bit and seemed to make the tinnitus slightly lower and less intense. When my tinnitus is debilitating, I cannot enjoy a walk or focus on the pleasant sights as I am sucked into the wall of screeching. On the Deanxit I was focusing more on what I could see. I stopped Mirtazapine for a couple of days (due to uncertainty of an interaction) to trial Deanxit out. I can't give a longer term update at the moment until I see my psychiatrist. Upshot is it seemed to do something useful.

Onto the controversy.

Deanxit is Melitracen and Flupentixol. Both are very low doses. Don't be put off by Flupentixol being an antipsychotic. Many medications have different effects depending on dosage. At 0.5 mg it is not an antipsychotic and has antidepressant and anti-anxiety effects. Melitracen is a TCA similar to Doxepin or Amitriptyline at low dose.

You will also read a lot of nonsense on Deanxit being BANNED in several countries. This is not true and the correct terminology is "not licensed due to the unknown exact MoA of Melitracen."

It's also cheap with no patents, so given big pharma's modus operandi, it may have no push and lots of demonisation.

I was told it only works well for people whose tinnitus is dominantly present most of the day. Basically external stimuli activates D2 receptors. When the external stimulus becomes strong, then D1 is activated and they only zoom in on the strongest stimulus, which for severe sufferers is the tinnitus.

 

[Nick47]

@grate_biff, some questions young man on Flupentixol. I have Deanxit on the way. I know you have not taken Deanxit but have taken Flupentixol.

1) Did you experience side effects?
2) Did you take Clonazepam or another benzo as suggested with it to reduce side effects?
3) How long after taking it did you notice a reduction in intensity?

Someone not far from me in the UK was prescribed Flupentixol for his tinnitus. He took 1 mg daily before tapering down after several years. He said it reduced the intensity of his tinnitus by about 70% after 30 minutes. Sounds too good to be true.

The twitches, akathesia and tardive dyskinesia worry me, but it seems most people taking Deanxit do not use Clonazepam.

 

[Ant_BXL]

Hi @Ben Winders, do you still take Deanxit from time to time? I was prescribed it by Dr. De Ridder but I am scared of the tardive dyskinesia side effect as it is irreversible.

Were you also taking Clonazepam every day when taking Deanxit?

I also have Flunazirine with Catapressan but am unsure if that is any safer.

 

[Nick47]

I know this thread isn't about Dr. De Ridder, but has anyone had success with his cocktails?

He recently prescribed me a couple of drugs, but I'm thinking about quitting and going to the GP instead.

I will answer your question that you posted on the Metformin thread here.

Yes, I have had some success with Deanxit, Aripiprazole and Clonazepam. I only take a low-maintenance dose for a couple of days when I'm really struggling, though.