I Need Someone Who Has Taken a Benzo (Xanax, Klonopin, Valium, Ativan, etc.) Long Term to Help Me

[JasonP]

Okay, I seem to handle my tinnitus well back in 2009. It was mostly in my left ear and couldn't be masked but it wasn't too bad. Once in a while I remember it bothering me and I took a klonopin or something and it quieted it down. Well, after going through a depressive episode my tinnitus started bothering me again off and on. I eventually took klonopin to calm down and reduce it. I started taking it long term the effect lessened over time and then a stressful, anxious, and depressing event seemed to put a "nail in the coffin" on the klonopin reducing my tinnitus. It seemed to be louder than it was before I started taking the medicine. I had to get hearing aids and maskers to even make it but I suffered about a 1 week of severe depression for every 3 weeks I had that was good due to the T. Well, since late December, I have been taking Lamictal titrating up now to 200mg as of last week. My depression seems to have improved with each increase and the past few days the tinnitus has been tuned out a lot but it is still loud without hearing aids. My question is, will weening off the Klonopin lower my T or can my T get better as time goes on and my depression goes away? I will say that for the first time in years there were a few days during the past 3 months that the T level actually went down but it may have been due to other things too.

 

[Willpowered]

I have been on 2mg of Xanax for 2 years. Im ready to taper down because it just quit working and I dont want to increase the dose. Plus I have read that taking benzos can hinder any kind of habituation. Im switching to klonopin just to taper off because my doc says it will be smoother due to its longer half life. SO Im gonna hope to say that you get off the K -pin and then work on habituating. Hope this helps.

Will