Tinnitus, Deafness and Ear Problems Support Group

This group is for those coping with Tinnitus (ringing ears or ear noise), hearing loss, and all ear issues. Join to find support and get advice from others.

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bebee 10/14/2011

.. So I have tried the klonopin/gabapentin thing... No luck really. It calms me down and helps me sleep but as far as lowering the volume?,, No soap,,, same with bezos or their own,,, Have tried Klonopin/ Xanax/ Xanax XR and Valium... They do help a lot with anxiety, but ringing??/ not..

Anyway, I would like to find something that will help bring the volume down on bad days, which I have a lot of.. My doctor said if the benzo/gabapentin thing didn't work we could try Nortriptyline.. He just goes by what I tell him I have been reading.. He knows NOTHING about T or its treatment, but is trying to help me out as best he can, by prescribing things I tell him about that have helped others..
Any other suggestions??.. Only things I can think of are Nortriptyline, or Amitriptyline.. any other suggestions?. Sleep and anxiety are not the issue.. I just want to bring the volume down some on bad days when the noise is pissing me off and scaring me that it will stay at that level forever.
If I knew I had just a small but effective weapon on occassion, i would feel so much better.. I SO hoped the benzo/gaba would work in that role, but its been a flop.. any thoughts??/ bob

DarkSON 10/14/2011

Hi bob, my neuro wanted me to try Nortriptyline but I am not sure if I did or not. More for my nerves than the T. Not sure if I actually did or not. Nortriptyline is an anti-depressant so my guess would be that it wont help with the noise level. Funny but right now(this moment) I am experiencing a serious decrease in noise level. Hmm, could it be from mint ice cream? Who knows, T is relentless, it is sporadic, it is dark. Let us know if the Nortriptyline helps. Generally everyone here has possible tried anything out there. I have been taking diatemeacious earth. Generally it's dirt. Anyone out there tried dirt yet?LOL!!!. Gonna try choline next....

deleted_user 10/14/2011

I'm on amtriptyline which is a "cousin" of nortriptyline and I wouldn't say it lowered the volume BUT it does let me sleep which is an escape I didn't get much of before starting the amtriptyline. Also I have RA and it does help a tad with that pain.
Sue

BobsDream 10/14/2011

Pramipexole cut my volume down by 40%.

fotoduck 10/14/2011

Someone once said that they expect their doctor when not working to be pouring over the latest medical journals and advancements. Your doctor always should be learning and keeping abreast.

deleted_user 10/16/2011

Same results as you with Klonopin(clonazepam)Gabapentin combo. Same results with Xanax also. Nothing. My next drug I think I will try is Pramipexole. BobsDream has had good luck with it. I swear by Amitriptyline. It helps me sleep and does lower my tinnitus level but i'm looking for something else that would take the edge off my tinnitus on those real bad days. On those bad days I mask with music/white noise to cope with the loud irritating noise level. If taking Pramipexole reduces my tinnitus by 40% for me that would be a cure.

McMurdo 10/18/2011

DarkSON--I haven't tried dirt yet. Gonna go out to the back yard and get some. Lol.

I was on Nortryptaline and I think it did lower the volume a LITTLE, but I was also taking Klono/gabap at the same time, so IDK if it helped, worked in combo with the other two, or it was just my imagination. However, the volume lowering was not every day. I don't think there is a drug that lowers T that you can take "once in awhile"--I think all the ones that help are ones you have to take just about every day. Oh wait, maybe benzos could be taken once in awhile to lower T, but you said that didn't help, right?

Why do you just want to lower your T "sometimes," lol? No, I'm kidding. I know you want to habituate and just need something for those screamer days. I have found certain herbals help on low T days to make it even lower, but I haven't found anything that helps on the really BAD/LOUD days. It's just too loud. :(

BobsDream says he has had success with Pramipexole (40% is great!), but again, that's not a once-in-awhile drug. Trileptal helps lower pitch (and sometimes volume) for some people. It has to be taken daily.

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