Tinnitus, Deafness and Ear Problems Support Group
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I just wanted everyone to know that Im having success treating my tinnitus with Klonopin and Gabapentin. Ive been playing around with different doses and here is what Ive noticed. Ill rate my T on a scale of 0 to 10 with 10 being the screaming tea pot.
I also want to mention that I've only been on this now for about 3 weeks so this isn't a long term study.
Gabapentin by itself - no effect.
Klonopin .5MG by itself Spiky results. Ill usually get an hour of 1-4 and then a spike to 8 -10 followed by some 1-6.
Klonopin .5MG and Gabapentin 600MG. Gives me 3.5 hours of 1-3. After that it slowly goes up to a 2-6
Klonopin .25MG and Gabapentin 600MG Gives me 2 hours of 1-3. After that it slowly goes up to a 2-6
Right now Im taking Klonopin .25MG and Gabapentin 600MG about 4 times during the day and Im getting some pretty good relief. Im usually in the 1 to 3 range with spikes of 6 between doses.
A few days a go I was taking Klonopin .5MG and Gabapentin 600MG 4 times a day and I was between 0-1 most the day. At that dosage its almost a cure. There were times where I couldnt hear it even when I tried. Its clear that the Gabapentin somehow magnifies the effects of the Klonopin. Ive read a new study about Pregabalin which is the new more powerful Gabapentin and it claimed that it also magnifies the affect of Klonopin.
Hear are my concerns. We all know Klonopin is bad. The body will become physically addicted and eventually it will take more and more to get the same affect. By year two I will probably need to double my dose. By year 5 it probably wont work at all. It also makes you stupid. Temporarily I hope. This is why Im trying to figure out the minimum amount I can take and still be comfortable.
I really hate taking all these pills all day long but it absolutely works for me so I'm going to keep doing it as long as my doctor allows it.
Here is a link describing a small study done with Klonopin and Gabapentin. Id like to point out that the study refers to central tinnitus and not cochlea tinnitus. I have no idea what the difference is but Ive seen reference to both in other studies.
http://www.tinnitusformula.com/infocenter/articles/studies/brain.aspx
I also want to mention that I've only been on this now for about 3 weeks so this isn't a long term study.
Gabapentin by itself - no effect.
Klonopin .5MG by itself Spiky results. Ill usually get an hour of 1-4 and then a spike to 8 -10 followed by some 1-6.
Klonopin .5MG and Gabapentin 600MG. Gives me 3.5 hours of 1-3. After that it slowly goes up to a 2-6
Klonopin .25MG and Gabapentin 600MG Gives me 2 hours of 1-3. After that it slowly goes up to a 2-6
Right now Im taking Klonopin .25MG and Gabapentin 600MG about 4 times during the day and Im getting some pretty good relief. Im usually in the 1 to 3 range with spikes of 6 between doses.
A few days a go I was taking Klonopin .5MG and Gabapentin 600MG 4 times a day and I was between 0-1 most the day. At that dosage its almost a cure. There were times where I couldnt hear it even when I tried. Its clear that the Gabapentin somehow magnifies the effects of the Klonopin. Ive read a new study about Pregabalin which is the new more powerful Gabapentin and it claimed that it also magnifies the affect of Klonopin.
Hear are my concerns. We all know Klonopin is bad. The body will become physically addicted and eventually it will take more and more to get the same affect. By year two I will probably need to double my dose. By year 5 it probably wont work at all. It also makes you stupid. Temporarily I hope. This is why Im trying to figure out the minimum amount I can take and still be comfortable.
I really hate taking all these pills all day long but it absolutely works for me so I'm going to keep doing it as long as my doctor allows it.
Here is a link describing a small study done with Klonopin and Gabapentin. Id like to point out that the study refers to central tinnitus and not cochlea tinnitus. I have no idea what the difference is but Ive seen reference to both in other studies.
http://www.tinnitusformula.com/infocenter/articles/studies/brain.aspx
I've taken Gaba before for sciatica (600MG)--you are really supposed to start at a lower dose and work your way up (like 300MG one week, 600MG the next). You do feel loopy at the beginning, but after awhile that goes away for most people.
Another discussion board said Dr. Shulman (and Kevin Hogan's book) advocated taking these in combo for several years--Hogan said his T was gone after that...maybe that will happen for you, too!
Thanks again SO much for posting your own "test results," BobsDream!!
I have always thought that some sort of combination of drug's might work. I'm glad this works for you. I have a doctors appointment a few weeks from now so please keep us informend on your progress with the Klonopin and Gabapentin.
Klonopin is a Benzodiazepine and that's some scary stuff. Just check out the web site http://www.benzobuddies.org/ to see people whose lives have been affected by it. Some people believe it causes permanent brain damage and others say you can use it all your life without any issues. The truth is that it scares me enough that I'm really trying to use less. I'm trying to keep it at 3X .25 doses throughout my work day. I use it at work so I can keep my job. At home I do other things like masking and distraction. Klonopin stays in the system a long time so even if I stop taking it at 2:00 PM I feel like I might be getting some limited relief for the rest of the day.
I also have another fear. I'm worried that if I can't hear my tinnitus I'll never be able to habituate to it. That may sound odd but it's a concern of mine.
Also I've been experimenting with Gabapentin and GABA. I take it in the evenings and mornings. It might be a placebo but it seems to reduce some of the noise.
The one drug that I felt relief after just a few minutes of taking it was pot. Not promoting pot here but it at least mellowed me out. I'm 55 now and have not smoked pot since my early 20's but I do understand why some people are thinking it would be a good drug in some medical cases. The California case for it is very interesting to say the least.
I can go 3 blocks to the store and buy a 30 pak of beer and it's cheaper than pop. My mother has lung cancer(smoked most her life but hey that's ok it's taxed and LEGAL). She is very lucky that she has not gotten sick from her chemo treatments but if she did i would have suggested for her to try some pot and see if that would help. The only side effect from the chemo is she has lost her appetite and has lost weight. Pot would at least get her appetite back.
Let me make this very clear that i'm not a pot head. But sometimes you have to think outside the box and with tinnitus your pretty much on your own.
That doesn't work as well as the higher dosages. Now my T sits between a 3 and 6 most of the day. Ideally I'd like to get off the Klonopin all together but I'm not sure when that will happen.
Just wanted to say that I tried Gabapentin over the last weekend, 100mg 3x a day for the two days. I did notice it changed my mood about my tinnitus and in general. But, Mon. morning when I woke up my Tinnitus SEEMED to be louder but it definitely changed in pitch, to an even higher pitch than usual(my tinnitus is VERY high pitched to begin with and unmaskable) I was really hoping it would have helped and maybe it would have in the long run, but I get so nervous about it getting worse as it is already making my life a living hell.
Nate
I still might try it and see if it would help. All I know is when I smoked pot I was very relaxed within minutes. If it comes to that I will not hesitate in giving it a try. I'm simply tired of tinnitus having this much control(almost 100%)of my life. I see my doctor tomorrow and will ask about the Klonopin/Gabapentin combo.