Tinnitus and Anxiety

Hi,

Been 6 weeks off benzos. Since past few days there's continuous ringing in both my ears with don't seem to go away. Will it remain so or will fade away ? Also i am facing severe anxiety similar in nature what actually gripped me 5 years ago. While i was on benzos my anxiety bothered me only until i took them(klonopin). But now anxiety seems to last several hours and sometimes day long. Also not getting proper sleep due to anxiety.

Please help.

Hi Anup-

So sorry you’re dealing with this. It’s been 4 weeks since I jumped. I don’t have tinnitus but anxiety is one of my worst issues. Like you I’m having trouble coping with it. I took Klonopin to alleviate anxiety and it worked for me too but I wanted off the drug. Now it’s come back with a vengeance. The surges of anxiety can last a few miserable hours every day and there’s no predictable pattern to it.

There are a lot of great tips on the Anxiety boards- have you checked them out?  Of everything I’ve tried exercise such as long walks probably helps the most. I think it helps discharge the excess of adrenaline and cortisol. Meditation also helps develop my ability to shift out of negative trains of thought to more positive thoughts.  Also helps me be aware that the anxiety will pass and recognize I don’t feel bad ALL the time.

I hope you’ll check the Anxiety boards and try some suggestions. I hope you find something really helpful.

Best wishes,

BD

Tinitus is a common symptom in early withdrawal. Try not to focus so much, maybe put some sounds sourrounnding you in your apartment to distract. The less you focus the easier it gets.

Thanks Brighterday . I am trying walking in the morning but maybe effects will take some time. I will check the anxiety board.

 

So based on your signature, you're still on Etizolam and like 5 other meds? You'd really have to get off everything to start walking toward recovery. Developed ringing in ears after week 4 (im in week 7 now). It should go away as our GABA receptors downregulate to normal.

 

As far as the anxiety thing, I learned that it is our body that starts freaking out first (fast breathing, heart pumping) and our mind believes it and follows and makes shit up to make it all seem real. Want to speed up your recovery? Try the Wim Hof Method. Get the book called "The way of the ICE MAN". Just did the breathing exercises the other day and already anxiety down. IF you can commit to the ice baths, you will get out sooner.

also, get an app called "atmosphere" for your phone. You can combine different sounds to mask your ringing. Works for me.

just a question, did you go out to any loud music places like clubs during this time? i can remember going to a club right before it started.. i was there for about 1 hr.. but jeez can it really be?

My pysciatrist told me that first i have to remove clonazepam and alprazolam out of my system and then she will cut down my other medications before terminating. Anfer anxiety gripped me , i usually avoid places with loud noises as it exaggerates my anxiety.

I can totally relate to the ANXIETY! I wake up anxious every single morning. Usually feel better in the evenings. I've been dealing with this for 15 months now, worse since I started the second half of my taper in the beginning of July. I suffered from anxiety/depression 10 years ago. Got symptom free with the help of Seroquel and Effexor and the following 8 years were the best years of my life. Started feeling stressed 15 months ago and decided to go back on Effexor - to be on the safe side - and hell broke loose. Was prescribed benzos to cope with severe side effects - uncontrolable anxiety. It's been a rollercoaster ever since. Developed tolerance withdrawal early on. Windows and waves. Feeling quite hopeless now, afraid the anxiety is here to stay. I hope I'm wrong. I suspect I will have to experiment more with ADs before finding relief. Not looking forward to that.

WARNING: Tinnitus...I just posted on this. This is my overriding issue. I developed it in my taper as well. This means you tapered too fast. Now your brain is in a glutamate storm and is producing this. If you watch the Lisa Ling show you will see the young lady who did the liquid tiration had this as well on her rapid taper like mine. She reinstated and then went too a lot longer to taper. I have never recovered from the VA 4 week rapid taper with this issue. I'm now 15 months into this whole mess and tinnitus is the constant that never goes away. I'm 3.5 month free of benzo and the tinnitus is the same as it was last year. It's unrelenting and horrid. I'm running at about 8000 mhz of high pitch buzzing. Basically a brain injury by a

f-cking moron VA doctor who told me I was on a baby dose.

 

I have come to believe that tinnitus is like the canary in the coal mine. When it comes your brain is warning you to stop the taper and slow it down until this subsides before moving on or it can become chronic like it has with me and many others.

 

If you read all the way thru the Aston Manual there is only one symptom they may recommend going back on bezo for after sustained time off...that's tinnitus. That's how insidious this one thing is.

WARNING: Tinnitus...I just posted on this. This is my overriding issue. I developed it in my taper as well. This means you tapered too fast. Now your brain is in a glutamate storm and is producing this. If you watch the Lisa Ling show you will see the young lady who did the liquid tiration had this as well on her rapid taper like mine. She reinstated and then went too a lot longer to taper. I have never recovered from the VA 4 week rapid taper with this issue. I'm now 15 months into this whole mess and tinnitus is the constant that never goes away. I'm 3.5 month free of benzo and the tinnitus is the same as it was last year. It's unrelenting and horrid. I'm running at about 8000 mhz of high pitch buzzing. Basically a brain injury by a

f-cking moron VA doctor who told me I was on a baby dose.

 

I have come to believe that tinnitus is like the canary in the coal mine. When it comes your brain is warning you to stop the taper and slow it down until this subsides before moving on or it can become chronic like it has with me and many others.

 

If you read all the way thru the Aston Manual there is only one symptom they may recommend going back on bezo for after sustained time off...that's tinnitus. That's how insidious this one thing is.

 

There are 1001 reasons why the body produces a tints and what you wrote about the brain being in a glutamate storm is just a theory. I also could not find the passage in the ashton protocol where she mentions that you might need to go back on a benzo because of a tinitus. I would apreciate if you could write a quote down.

 

 

WARNING: Tinnitus...I just posted on this. This is my overriding issue. I developed it in my taper as well. This means you tapered too fast. Now your brain is in a glutamate storm and is producing this. If you watch the Lisa Ling show you will see the young lady who did the liquid tiration had this as well on her rapid taper like mine. She reinstated and then went too a lot longer to taper. I have never recovered from the VA 4 week rapid taper with this issue. I'm now 15 months into this whole mess and tinnitus is the constant that never goes away. I'm 3.5 month free of benzo and the tinnitus is the same as it was last year. It's unrelenting and horrid. I'm running at about 8000 mhz of high pitch buzzing. Basically a brain injury by a

f-cking moron VA doctor who told me I was on a baby dose.

 

I have come to believe that tinnitus is like the canary in the coal mine. When it comes your brain is warning you to stop the taper and slow it down until this subsides before moving on or it can become chronic like it has with me and many others.

 

If you read all the way thru the Aston Manual there is only one symptom they may recommend going back on bezo for after sustained time off...that's tinnitus. That's how insidious this one thing is.

 

Robert is this you?

 

Have you looked into Glutamate antagonists for this issue? Instead of boosting GABA, reduce glutamate. Look into it