Hello
@IntotheBlue03. I hope that Etifoxine has the desired effect of calming the anxiety whilst reassuring you that it will not do you any harm.
For what it's worth, I do not believe that you are going through any withdrawal. It did not sound as though you took Clonazepam very much at all (i.e. months in a row), so I do not see how your body could have built any tolerance to it. I do remember suggesting to try taking it daily, possibly starting at a lower dose if uncomfortable and splitting into 2 periods during the day rather than taking only once per day to help you feel more comfortable with it also. Given that you refer to periods between taking Clonazepam, I am inferring that you have not tried taking it on a regular basis but perhaps I am wrong. All drugs come with possible side effects, but we can only know if they do the job if we take as directed (not by me, but by a medical professional). Correct me if I am wrong, but it appeared as though you felt calmer when taking the Clonazepam.
From a personal perspective, I am unsure how you can measure such debilitating anxiety as increasing on a periodic basis (unless there is an obvious uplift each time). Has something happened? Have you shifted any thinking with regard to to the tinnitus? You have stated that the tinnitus, itself, has not become any worse and, I thought, following the SGB, you were reporting the tinnitus at being at a much improved level - so the opposite in fact. In my case, I became aware that the worsened tinnitus was not getting better after a certain period and this, effectively, shocked me into a state of extreme panic, which overwhelmed me and deprived me of sleep. It was a total shift, which put me on permanent high alert against something that I could not, it appeared, do anything about. I could not measure any discernible increase or decrease in the anxiety. I did notice that, at some point during the day, I let go a little and managed to focus on something else (TinnitusTalk if you can call that something else usually), but when panic firmly took hold once again, it was a constant throughout this initial phase.
You, yourself, have admitted that the symptoms were there prior to Benzo use. Again, side effects are possible, including anxiety, but I would guess that any side effect like increased physical symptoms of anxiety would be relatively easy to spot upon taking the drug. A psychiatrist will tell you this, but (repeating myself), I do not see how it can be withdrawal.
I think that benzos are usually taken in conjunction with antidepressants (unless only taken very occasionally). This is something you have been asking about, but might need to enquire about further. All I can suggest is to go slow and steady: take the Etifoxine, see how you feel. If it helps one day or has no discernible negative effect, take it again the next day. Try for a week and see how you feel. Follow recommended guidelines and if you need to increase the dose (to a safe, suggested level, do so.
I think that more severe anxiety will, logically, require stronger benzos. Either they will help in some way (and should for high anxiety states) or they will not. If they cause any clear side effects, report these and be guided to an alternative.
I do feel that being under the care of a good psychiatrist would help with psychological/emotional side of things.
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