Is Taking Benzos Short Term Safe?

Hi everyone, I had a quick question. Recently, after a horrific cold, I developed a bizarre form of either Tinnitus or Hyperacusis. Basically, the sounds that might an H sufferer pain (fans, water, high-pitched noises etc.) instead temporarily increase my T, only for it to go back to normal immediately after the sound has stopped. I'm not sure if it will go away, but it's been causing me a great deal of stress. I finally got in to see an ENT and his diagnosis was "allergies maybe", followed by a prescription for .5 miligrams of Xanax once a day for a month. I'm wondering if this would be safe? I understand that it's mainly for anxiety and sleep, but also temporarily relieves T symptoms? I'm willing to try it, even if the relif is only temporary, but don't want to suffer withdrawal. Can anyone offer some advice on this? I'd really appreciate it.

 

Xanax should relieve any anxiety you may have, and in doing so will possibly lessen your negative reaction to tinnitus/hyperacusis.

0.5mg per day should not be an issue over a month. I have personally found Xanax to be beneficial in the past in reducing tinnitus noticeability. Unfortunately, tolerance to most benzodiazepines builds up over time, meaning you have to increase dosage to get the same effect. Therefore they are only useful for short durations.

 

This dose and short-term dosage also sounds safe and potentially beneficial to me. But the person to ask is your doctor.

Also, ideally, a benzo should be administered by a psychiatrist, not an ENT. But I think you'll be fine under an ENT's supervision at a low dose for a month.

Be aware, though, that Xanax (alprazolam) kicks in very quickly, but also leaves your body very quickly. So .5 mg taken in the morning or during the day may not get you through the night.

 

@LadyDi I think my ENT just wanted to give me something and get me out of there, lol. He must have had 20+ patients! Plus, he had an trainee of some sort with him that wouldn't listen to him, and kept staring off into the space. Saying it was hectic in his office would be an understatement. Anyway, I appreciate both of you responding to me, and will try the Xanax short-term. I believe this will get better, and I just need something to help me in the meantime. I'll definitely ask my doctor about this as well, though.

 

Try read Kathi's thread or ask her for advice. She has used Xanax for some months. But I agree each person's drug tolerance is different and it is best to be monitored by a doctor.