Severe Hyperacusis

[1MW]

I have hypercusis (with tinnitus) that I can't cope with my own voice or voices from others, also I can't listen to television.

Everything is extremely loud and induces tinnitus.

Hyperacusis & tinnitus relieved temporarily by corticosteroids & benzos.

I have passed this situation before about 8 years but now it has come back.

I think that is benzo induced because my hearing is good.

Has anyone else who has benzo induced hyperacusis have any advice how to cope with this?

I'm currently taking 2mg diazepam every night but further reduction will cause me to commit suicide.

I also drink about 3 valerian chamomile herbal teas per day.

How can I stop diazepam (what rate) and how can I cope with the withdrawal symptoms?

Others that got hyperacusis & tinnitus from benzos, what was your dosage and how many time you got it?

 

[jay777]

@1MW hi 2mg is not a high dose if it's helping you. I used to jump at 2 mg.

You could try 0.5mg reduction for 2 weeks, then if ok cut again by 0.5 mg, then jump when you reach 0.5mg.

 

[1MW]

I tried 0.25mg reduction today no sleep at all / increased tinnitus / hyperacusis.

The most fucking drug in the world are benzos.

If you have 1 problem your problems will become 100 after taking benzos.

I cut nicotine easy but benzos withdrawal is hell - it's far worse than anything else.

If I try to switch from diazepam 1.75mg to flunitrazepam 0.175mg or clonazepam 0.09mg or lorazepam 0.175mg, will it be better?

If I reinstatiate 5mg diazepam per day to significantly reduce my tinnitus, will I have hope with very very slow reduction to not have insomnia & tinnitus/hyperacusis as withdrawal symptoms?

I'm taking benzos now for 3-4 months continuously but I have taken in the past a lot but now seems I'm suffering from kindling effect. Plus don't forget that this time I drink about 3-4 herbal teas every
day that act on GABA (chamomile / valerian / passion flower / lemon balm)

 

[jay777]

@1MW stay on diazepam, you will have to ride the storm, insomnia is part of the withdrawal.

You are nearly there, do not reinstate to 5mg, be brave, is your GP not helping you?

 

[1MW]

I have blood test done that showed vitamin D deficiency that seems strange to me
because I'm taking vitamin D3 supplement.
Maybe the exam is wrong or the supplement I take is fake.

 

[1MW]

@1MW stay on diazepam, you will have to ride the storm, insomnia is part of the withdrawal.

You are nearly there, do not reinstate to 5mg, be brave, is your GP not helping you?

Lack of sleep can cause serious health problems including hearing loss & tinnitus.

Some doctor told me to take 7.5mg lorazepam (75mg diazepam) per day.

Some other doctor said that benzos are good drugs and do not cause tinnitus, hyperacusis, tolerance & addiction.

So doctors are of no help.
They are uneducated.

 

[TheDanishGirl]

One word: Mirtazapine

It will make you sleep like a baby. I use it myself.

 

[GregCA]

Some doctor told me to take 7.5mg lorazepam (75mg diazepam) per day.

75 mg of diazepam per day?
Isn't that a large amount?

 

[1MW]

One word: Mirtazapine

It will make you sleep like a baby. I use it myself.

Mirtazapine is ototoxic I made the wrong choice and got it 2 times and my tinnitus went through the roof.

Also 1 day works and the other not.

This is worse than benzos I have taken in the past with numerous side effects. This med is not the solution.

 

[1MW]

75 mg of diazepam per day?
Isn't that a large amount?

It's a huge amount and the doctor that told me this is crazy, for sure has destroyed a lot of people.

My tinnitus & hyperacusis can completely stop with a lower dose, the problem is how long that dose will be effective for tinnitus.

 

[TheDanishGirl]

Mirtazapine is ototoxic I made the wrong choice and got it 2 times and my tinnitus went through the roof.

Also 1 day works and the other not.

This is worse than benzos I have taken in the past with numerous side effects. This med is not the solution.

Well I disagree, but respect your opinion. It has worked very well for me and does that every single night.

 

[Tex]

A top rated doctor in Dallas with a double specialty, Otolaryngology and Neurology, put me on 2mg. Diazepam--3 times a day for Tinnitus. It didn't help the T at all. So I started taking 4mg. at bedtime in order to get sleep. When I told him that he told me to keep it up, that getting sleep was extremely important where T is concerned.

I can't tell that it has had any affect on H one way or another.

 

[1MW]

I'm lucky for now I don't know for how much time that I have silent moments even with drugs.

I take power to live from silent moments.
I got 0.125 dexamethasone + 300mg NAC + 250mg vitamin c and after 1 hour my tinnitus went to 0 and hyperacusis improved a lot. It is sure from drugs because before the tinnitus was loud.

Also after I got the drugs I'm feeling a warm in my face like fever some minor headache and a strange feeling.

0.125mg dexamethasone is a very low dose I don't know the mechanism it works but it works.

I have told doctors my response to corticosteroids and especially to dexamethasone and none can give an answer for this.

 

[1MW]

I brushed my teeth and tinnitus returned...
I think this is from sound or from jaw muscles TMJ movement or from opening of eustachian tubes that happened with jaw movements?

I have observed that when I eat and I bite meat tinnitus is induced.

 

[1MW]

I can go with drugs to 0/10 tinnitus for some time but the result is not stable.
My hearing is not stable.

For example if I speak with another person my tinnitus relapses, if I bite food my tinnitus relapses, if I yawn my tinnitus relapses.

I can not put telephone in my ear, I can not watch tv because it causes T even in low volume.

If a car passes near me I get T even if I wear the X5A peltor earmuffs (the best in the world).

Is this super reactive tinnitus or hyperacusis?

I think it's hyperacusis because I can not cope with the loudness of my speech and others speech.

 

[Tex]

If you happen to be taking Niacin that can cause the face flushing.

I thought it was me and my H when I thought my son talked too loudly. I have found that others think he may talk a little loudly as well. I was glad to hear that it wasn't just me.

You may be over thinking all this, and worrying yourself to death. That is common early on. Ten years ago my doctor didn't even prescribe any medication until my second visit shortly after the first. He told me that he could tell that I was worried sick and that the worrying exacerbates the T. It wasn't until after he read the hearing tests to me that it was determined that I had a little bit of H going on as well. I don't think its just a little bit since a nearby dog bark can blow me out.

Anyway, if I were you I would just try to chill a little. Don't take that wrong. We all go through that. My doctor even told me that he has T from firearms sports and said that early on is the worst.

 

[1MW]

I'm not taking niacin.
Today my symptoms are improved with 0.125mg dexamethasone yesterday.
Can I reduce the diazepam dose because of improvement of symptoms?
Is it a good idea to regulate diazepam dose with my symptoms intensity?
Also I have taken 1g valaciclovir because I have the idea that maybe it is a herpes virus that causes the symptoms.

 

[1MW]

I have concluded that my T & H is one of the following
1) autoimmune disease (because it responds to corticosteroids)
2) viral because it responds to corticosteroids that reduce the inflammation (herpes)
3) benzo withdrawal
4) TMJ because inflammation in TMJ responds to corticostertoids and benzos

I'm now on 1mg diazepam but I'm not symptom free.

I think I will get some antivirals but I have the fear that maybe are ototoxic and cause me bigger problem.

 

[1MW]

Has anyone got experience with benzos withdrawal?
How many times?

 

[jay777]

benzobuddies.org this may help

 

[1MW]

@jay777 how long are you on benzos and at what doses?
When you got tinnitus?

 

[1MW]

Corticosteroids are out of my blood and I have severe tinnitus & hyperacusis.

I have done blood exams and the results say that I can not take anymore corticosteroids.

How can I cope? I can not take anymore corticosteroids and increased benzo dose worsen the problem.

I feel very soon I will die. I want to go to doctor but I can not cope the noise of car even with earmuffs.
I have severe hyperacusis 30dB sounds make my tinnitus worse.

 

[Srebint]

How long did you have hyperacusis the first time before it lapsed? Was it this severe? What did you do to overcome/alleviate it?

 

[Karl28]

ask on http://www.benzobuddies.org maybe

 

[1MW]

How long did you have hyperacusis the first time before it lapsed? Was it this severe? What did you do to overcome/alleviate it?

I had hyperacusis for 2 years, I think it was less severe.
The first time I coped 60db without problem and less reactive tinnitus.
This time I can cope max 40db and I have extreme reactive tinnitus.
I don't know what to do. I'm near suicide, I can not loose another 2 years of my life in absolute silence. I can not watch TV, I can not cope, listen to a youtube video...
Because my hyperacusis can be cured only with complete silence for a long time.

 

[1MW]

I have increased the diazepam dose and hyperacusis improved.
How can I stop benzos without getting permanent tinnitus & hyperacusis?

 

[Juan]

I have blood test done that showed vitamin D deficiency that seems strange to me
because I'm taking vitamin D3 supplement.
Maybe the exam is wrong or the supplement I take is fake.

Maybe you are taking the right suplement but your body is not absorbing the vitamin D.

Google how to absorb vitamin D, and sunbathe..

 

[David077]

Has anyone got experience with benzos withdrawal?
How many times?

I was on 1mg lorazepam two months and the fast withdrawal increased my T & H.

The best way to get rid of benzo I think is to tap 10% diazepam every 1-2 weeks.

Sometimes I taking only 0.5mg lorazepam for several days until a week to do not be addicted, its reducing both T & H for this period and even some more days later.

I sleeping in absolutely quiet room, its reducing T after I awake up.

You say that sometimes you have 0/10 T in silens, so your T not permanent?

 

[1MW]

@David077
the fast withdrawal increased permanently your tinnitus & hyperacusis?

The first time you got tinnitus & hyperacusis, how much of clonazepam did you take and for long ?

Also your benzo induced Tinnitus started suddenly or gradually during the tapering process?

I'm on 1-1.5mg diazepam and I think of stopping cold turkey and after 1 week to start slow infusion flumazenil to reverse the GABA receptors.

Yesterday I got 0.5mg diazepam. I sleep every 2nd day for 4 hours.

 

[David077]

@1MW
Unfortunately permanentaly, but now several months after withdrawal it lowered, but not to baseline.

The first time when I got T I was on 1/4 pill clonex(I think it was 0.25mg clonazepam) for a week. I had mild H since I remember me, it increased during the lorazepam using.

Edited:
First T started suddenly when was on clonazepam, I wake up with ringing in my head. It gradually increased from several reasons, but when I got body shock from lorazepam withdrawl, it suddenly came up to a new peak.

I think suicide is better than cold turkey. Just return to your last normal dose and tap very slow, at least 10% per week.

Can you say if yor T permanent or 100% related to H?