Long Term Use of Benzodiazepines to Quiet Down Tinnitus?

[ZachB]

At one point after onset I had 8-9/10 tinnitus. It was debilitating. It was a thing out of nightmares. Following me everywhere I went in my quiet apartment. Louder than a loud TV. Piercing. Ringing.

I went to my doctor and was prescribed a medium acting benzodiazepine. It literally quiets my tinnitus to a 2/10 most of the time and sometimes in food courts etc it's like I don't even have tinnitus.

Benzo withdrawal worsens tinnitus and old tinnitus will return.

I've read reports of a woman on these drugs for 13 years and ONLY when she stopped... she got tinnitus. So I doubt it is worsening my existing tinnitus.

Have people been successfully on benzodiazepines for years at low doses to quiet their tinnitus?

 

[Geekysugar]

Benzo withdrawal worsens tinnitus if you quit cold turkey or too fast.

From what I've experienced, benzos dont really quiet the tinnitus. But instead calm my anxiety and I dont notice it as much. I dont know if this is just for me or benzos really quiet the tinnitus.

 

[ZachB]

Benzo withdrawal worsens tinnitus if you quit cold turkey or too fast.

From what I've experienced, benzos dont really quiet the tinnitus. But instead calm my anxiety and I dont notice it as much. I dont know if this is just for me or benzos really quiet the tinnitus.

Yeah I quit cold turkey for 3 days then got right back on. Hopefully the worsening was temporary.

" Oxazepam 30 milligrams daily or clonazepam 0.5 milligrams three times daily provides substantial control of chronic tinnitus" https://www.cambridge.org/core/jour...-of-tinnitus/713A5980C7658288F0E26EE8A91C5D54

There's also the anxiety causes higher tinnitus cycle