Taking Benzos for Hyperacusis Until Better Treatments Are Available

Hi there, it has only been 2 weeks and hyperacusis from acoustic trauma is really ruining my life. I tried Lorazepam (a benzo) last night and I was 75 percent cured, I could actually watch a movie in peace and enjoy time with my family. My depression and anxiety has been going through the roof before this and I was greatly losing hope. I thought to myself I'd do anything to feel normal again and the benzo pretty much did that. I remember thinking if I can get recovered to this extent then I'd be happy at that.

One thing to mention is I had severe anxiety and depression before this, Lorazepam always helped me get through the worse situations, it worked wonders for me but maybe not for everyone.

I am highly considering getting prescribed to a longer lasting benzo (1-3 days) so I can now have a functionable life again.

I know that there is much research out there to treat hyperacusis and tinnitus. Tinnitus is the least of my concerns.

A lot of people on here seem confident that a treatment for hyperacusis will come out in the next couple years. Do you think I can rely on this?

If this is the case I will start a benzo at the lowest dose possible and slowly build up tolerance as the months go by.

Another thing is, can't you reset your tolerance by taking a 1-2 month break from the benzo? I know it would be a slump. But in the long run I'd have an enjoyable life and I'd be able to tolerate everyday sounds again.

 

There are actually Benzos you can get legally online without a prescription. I’d look up RC Benzos on Reddit.

This is of course if you can’t get an RX. For some of us, doctors will just not prescribe.

 

Thanks for that, I may try giving it a few more weeks before using them daily. My hyperacusis is all that is bothering me and I feel like it has gotten 10-20 percent better since last week.

 

@jordan chis

HI Jordan,

I understand how you feel but advise you to try and take things slowly. Hyperacusis usually improves with time although, some people may need specialist treatment by seeing an Audiologist that specialises in tinnitus and hyperacusis management. You are in the very early stages with these conditions. Stress, anxiety and depression are not uncommon with these conditions. Therefore, please see your doctor who may advise you on medication to help you not fee so down. Please click on the links below and take you time to read my posts.

All the best
Michael

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/new-to-tinnitus-what-to-do.12558/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/acquiring-a-positive-mindset.23969/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/the-habituation-process.20767/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-and-the-negative-mindset.23705/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-answers.22554/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/can-tinnitus-counselling-help.22366/

 

May I ask, did your hyperacusis mainly go away, would you say by 80-90 percent? Both of ours is noise induced. Mine was from acoustic trauma, loud music in my car. I heard that if it is noise induced trauma you have a much higher chance of progress compared to an unknown cause.

 

@jordan chis

My hyperacusis has been cured for over 20 years. I wore white noise generators as part of TRT. They can help to desensitize the oversensitivity to sound caused by Noise trauma. This condition may not go completely away for everyone with or without specialist treatment. It can improve with time and this can take up to 18 months or longer.

Please read my post: Hyperacusis, As I see it, in the Link above, where I explain more about the way it can be treated. Read the other posts too in the links that I think you will find helpful. I suggest to give yourself time to heal and talk to your doctor, about any stress or anxiety you're experiencing.

Best of luck
Michael

 

Just a thought for you @jordan chis,

Do you feel maybe that one of the reasons you are struggling so hard with coping these past two weeks is because of guilt and regret from your music in your car causing it? I can imagine it would be very hard to deal with emotionally just going over that moment over and over and regretting it so intensely, wishing you could just undo it.

My therapist and I went over moments like these and her advice is to do our best to make peace and forgive ourselves for what happened. I mean honestly, beating yourself up as punishment is unnecessary when your own health is punishment enough. It's easier said than done, but in my own situation I've slowly been able to improve and get to the point where I can make peace with the fact that I do dumb stuff that screws me over. You need compassion for yourself right now, not regret. Trust me, I did the whole regret thing for way too long back when I blasted my already going downhill ears with fixing fences. Letting go of the guilt helps you cope with the pain like you would not believe.

Just a thought for you. I hope that the pain eases soon.

 

Do you think it's possible to get it in Asia? No doctor is prescribing me in my country :/

 

I don’t know the answer to that.

 

Be very careful man. I know you are desperate, but taking benzos for a long time can really mess up your brain and make tinnitus worse (or even cause it in people who didn't have it before). I strongly suspect that benzos caused my tinnitus or at least contributed to it.

 

@jordan chis -- There's really no one size fits all when it comes to benzodiazapines, and there are some potential downsides you should become familiar with. As much I'd prefer not to take them at all, I do take a very small dose of valium 1-2x/week or so, which usually gets me through a rough patch.

My dose is only about .5-1 mg, and stays in the body longer than Lorazapam. The bottom line however, is since I take it so seldomly, I don't need to worry about having to do a 1-2 month break--which for some people, is far more difficult than they can imagine. -- You may want to try seeing if taking a bonzo only occasionally will work for you.

All the Best...

 

Great advice and this is definitely what I decided I'm going to do, a benzo once or twice a week, THREE TIMES MAX... just a little something to get us through this.

 

I've been taking clonazepam for a few months now with no issues at all. I can't tell if it's had much effect on my tinnitus, but it's greatly reduced the TTTS/earpopping shit which was unexpectedly huge for me.

I started with 0.5mg daily then upped it to 1mg when necessary. I've taken breaks from it and haven't noticed any negative side effects or withdrawls either.

I wont deny the potential dangers of benzos, but I will say I think there's too much scaremongering about them. I'd be more worried about starting on an SSRI. As long as you respect the benzo and use it with common sense then I think you'll be fine. Especially if you can use it more sparingly like @Lane and stick to a low dose.

 

@Tweedleman -- Just to mention, clonazepam is a much stronger benzo than valium (about 10x stronger). So my ability to get relief on just .5-1 mg of valium (diazapam) is really quite a low dose. I'm super sensitive to just about all medications, so I don't think many people would get the amount of relief I get at that low of a dosage. But I think it's good to experiment to see just how low of a dose we can take that will get us over the hump.

Regarding some of the scaremongering: There are some people that have had some truly bad experiences with benzos, and I don't think their intent is to scaremonger when they post their testimonials. I think they sincerely want to put out the word that these medications should be researched thoroughly for both their benefits and potential downsides before starting a regular usage of them.

I've read many stories on the forum benzo buddies, and some of the testimonials are pretty "compelling". I don't think they should be rejected outright, and if necessary, can in most cases be used judiciously. The program I'm on of not taking it daily seems to be working well, and I think it can be "fairly" safely used by others as well.

 

There is good reason Doctors will not prescribe benzos, they are a dangerous class of drug!!! I understand why people turn to them to deal with tinnitus, I used them myself and unfortunately they caused me way worse tinnitus plus many other horrid symptoms.

If anybody is going to use these class of drug they should be monitored closely, so I would never recommend to anyone to purchase these online. Tinnitus is a common symptom of benzo use, people that have never had hearing loss or tinnitus before often experience it with benzo use. Many people that have taken benzos for tinnitus like myself have ended up way worse because of their use.

On BenzoBuddies it is common for people to experience tinnitus from benzo use, I have posted two recent stories that have been posted on BenzoBuddies... I know many people get relief from benzo use, I did for a while too, but these drugs can turn on you quickly and that is why I recommend if you are going to use them you do so sparingly, and that you find a Doctor to prescribe and monitor their use.

STORIES FROM BenzoBuddies:

Back into acute w/d with tinnitus and agoraphobia and jelly legs at 12 months
« on: June 20, 2020, 09:06:37 pm »

So the past few weeks have been really stressful but now I am at 12 months, only to be right back into acute withdrawal stage, exact same severity. I woke up from a nap feeling like I did when I first came home a year ago.

Actually it's about 11 and a half months, but same thing. And now I'm having really bad tinnitus and pain and my body, and really bad Terror, and jelly legs, and also when your legs bounce when you walk. It's all happening all over again.

My ears have massive pressure and I feel like I can't go outside again. The ringing in my ears is horrible, maybe even worse than it was at the beginning. I heard it can go on for a long time, but I didn't know it could happen a year after you quit cold turkey.

The whole reason I went cold turkey on the Klonopin was because I didn't think the withdrawal would last that long that way. But now it is. And there's a whole bunch of other symptoms but I don't feel like I can't even type them right now.

In despair with my ears
« on: June 18, 2020, 04:24:51 pm »

The noise in my head and ears is so strong now and my hearing so very poor ,I am in despair

I wear a hearing aid but it doesn't work properly or my ears don't, I cannot get it fixed at the moment if it is the aid or my ears that need fixing,

I don't know what to do or how to cope any more

I know many get tinnitus but this is so strong and way worse than the normal tinnitus I am used to.

I am using a very old aid now as my usual one can't cope, with the sound distortions

I feel at a loss and totally broken by this

Were it not for Covid 19 and my age of 75 I would go to ENT but for me it's too risky ,

I feel so totally broken by this, ,

I have struggled so hard to get free of just 4mgs of valium and now just over 6 months off,

I don't know if my hearing will ever be the same

I am in despair

Will it get better, I do hope so

I have lots of other symptoms but this is up there as the worst torment with the deep rumbling and the hissing and the body vibration, I am tired out and cannot think how I can live with this ever increasing deafness and sound distortion ,

Feeling so beaten today

[...]

 

Yes, that’s all true. I’m sure the OP knows that Benzos are dangerous. Personally, I think grown adults can make their own choices and if people with horrific tinnitus or hyperacusis want to take them, doctors should give them a chance.

 

If you have had hyperacusis just for two weeks I would first protect myself from moderate and loud sounds. If your situation isn't better in six months you can still consider taking strong meds. I think it's definitely not certain that in 5 years there will be a treatment for pain hyperacusis. But I hope that inner ear regenerative medicine will also fix this.

 

Hi Michael, I want to thank you again for the positive outlook. I have a few questions and I'd greatly appreciate it if you could help me out.

So I have been doing pink noise and good news! I'm confident that it works for me! I am noticing the very very slightest improvement already after a week. I've noticed this the past 3 days. I am actually going for TRT on Monday! Even when I have the burning pain I use pink noise and it goes away and I hardly ever get aural fullness now.

Ok so you did 10 hours a day of sound therapy, and pink noise at night. Did you expose yourself to everyday sounds daily? If so, did you get many setbacks along the way?

Driving around and shopping isn't as bothering now, it's a bit irritating but I just get a bit of a burning sensation after (I don't use earplugs ever). Should I continue to expose myself to sound even tho it's a bit uncomfortable? Sometimes my tinnitus acts up but it doesn't bother me even if it's loud, I guess I handle it better than others.

Even after the slightest improvement my anxiety and depressing is still getting to me, what did you do to cope? Would you think it's fine to take a benzo 2-3 times a week during the hardest times?

After looking at study results and seeing 80% of people get positive results from TRT I am confident that I'll make a next to full recovery. Within 6 months to 2 years.

 

HI @jordan chis

I used white noise generators (sound therapy for 10hrs a day) and used an Oasis sound machine at night for sound enrichment. I didn't have any setbacks to speak of. This was a slow treatment and can take up to 2 years as in my case which included counselling as part of TRT.

I think you should take things slowly. I do not advice pushing or forcing yourself to endure too much discomfort which you can only be the judge of. Personally, I think you are pushing yourself too hard and wanting quick results. I understand this but it's the wrong approach. Take your foot off the gas peddle and relax. You will find as you work through the habituation process, it'll be easier and not so much of a challenge.

As I have said in many of my posts, tinnitus and hyperacusis can affect a person's mental and emotional wellbeing significantly, especially in the early stages which you are in. The more you push yourself and wanting quick results it's likely your stress and anxiety levels will increase. This is the reason I have suggested to try and relax and talk to your doctor who may suggest a light antidepressant to calm you and not necessarily benzos. I cannot advise you on benzos so please talk to your doctor. I will say it's is not advisable to take benzos too often or long term.

Please try and Not read up on results that people get with TRT or any other form of tinnitus treatment as again, you're putting pressure on yourself and if you try a particular treatment and your expectations are not realized, this can affect you negatively.

Personally, I don't think you should try TRT or any form of tinnitus treatment until you are 6 months in or longer. I have mentioned the reasons in my TRT articles, because tinnitus and hyperacusis can improve a lot within 6 months to a year. However, depending on how you are coping mentally and emotionally, medication may be required help prevent you from feeling too down, anxious or stressed. Counselling can also help which is on thing other than medication, I would advise in the early stages of noise induced tinnitus.

Best of luck
Michael

 

Benzos don't solve hyperacusis.

You can try a corticoid, see if that works for you.

 

So you have TTTS, do you also have hyperacusis?

 

I agree, but it should be an informed choice, unfortunately many Doctors do not have the knowledge to discuss this with their patients.

If you are aware that benzos could increase your tinnitus and cause you hundreds of other problems and you are willing to take that risk that is fine, but the problem is some people are not aware as even Doctors have been caught out themselves by benzo use.

Now that there is more education about the dangers of these class of drugs some Doctors are reluctant to prescribe, informed consent is the best practice when it comes to the use of benzos, especially for tinnitus!

I just hope something safer eventually comes on the market for all of us that suffer

 

I definitely agree doctors don’t always do the best job educating patients. An ex was given Klonopin in the Psych ward a few months ago and was told “don’t worry sweety, this is safe and non addictive”, she didn’t trust the doctor though and literally refused to take it because she wanted my opinion. Of course I was horrified she was told that, so I think it’s great you are educating people. The only part I think I low key disagree with this doctors being the only way to get them. Personally I’m kinda of libertarian when it comes to this stuff, I think all drugs should be OTC. Adults can make their own informed decisions.

I would say the original poster's decision would have some merit to it. Cures are coming, so why not get and use Benzos in the mean time, plenty of people make that shit stretch for over a year.

 

Glad your a libertarian LOL, I do not have any problems with that but I disagree that all drugs should be made available over the counter. For instance the overuse and misuse of antibiotics are key factors contributing to antibiotic resistance. This alone is causing major health issues in many countries. Doctors have been guilty of over prescribing them, but in countries where they are made available over the counter many Adults do not have a clue they are actually capable of causing them more harm than good.


I understand that everybody would like to think Adults can make informed choices, but having worked in healthcare for years I know that many factors come into play regarding informed choice. Education, culture background, mental capacity ect, all come into play here, not to mention who is giving out the relevant information to make that informed choice. Lets hope its not Donald Trump

And I hope your right that cures are coming, I have been hearing this for 19 years, still waiting patiently

 

I totally see your view that people are idiots in many cases but it seems that while that’s true, there’s people suffering necessarily because doctors have now gone too far away from prescribing medications for those in pain. Look at our friends here with hyperacusis pain, I’m sure not all would respond to traditional pain killers but I’m sure at least some would. But doctors would rather them suffer then give them a chance. It’s just not fair that chronic pain patients are expected to suffer.

That said, I’m pretty confident about the cure thing. Have you looked in the FX-322 thread for example? Very promising stuff.

 

Yes this is one of the really frustrating things about the opioid crisis - it seems like chronic pain patients are neglected and left out of the discussion. Untreated pain can have devastating consequences and even drive people to suicide. To be sure, I am not advocating opioids being prescribed willy-nilly but for many people they enable them to regain functioning and quality of life. Surely a balance can be found.

 

And this is why I’m the first to point people to any loop holes I can find regarding research chemicals and drugs that haven’t been scheduled yet. People are suffering and they need help and the medical establishment has turned their backs.

 

Benzos can make your tinnitus worse if taking for a long period of time? How long? Is this true? What's the reason for this? The problem is getting off them would make the tinnitus far worse.

 

Hey @Sam Marksmen, how's your taper going?

 

Since this thread is active again now, I would like to offer a word of caution.

Please do not self-medicate with research chemical (RC) benzos as someone above mentioned. You will ruin your life. The negatives far far outweigh the benefits. You think your life can't get any worse but your blacked out self will take care of it.

People self-medicating benzos usually end up abusing them, they blackout and do all sorts of crazy things that make them end up either in hospital, arrested or losing their jobs. I'm not joking, this has happened to many many people over the years.

RC benzos are actually illegal in most countries under an analogue act anyway so the loophole is mostly gone.

There are countless stories of people ruining their lives by abusing benzos. Google some of them.