btw, I have both regulat xanax, and xanax xr, but have been taking low dose xr most of the time of late... Half a mg... It takes the edge off.. barely...bob

Bob, I think I have some good new's for you. At first my tinnitus could be masked by having a sound machine or radio on. For me those days are long gone. The only way for me to mask is by wearing headphones that put the masking noise directly into my ears.

This is the key for masking success. For most of the day I get by listening to music at a low level. When I want to watch television or talk to people I listen to a certain tone of white noise that blocks out the tinnitus noise and allows me to hear things. You will have to find the right white noise to listen to but it should be easy to find. I have masked my tinnitus with the white noise found on the Moses/Lang masking CD.

It's worked great for over 11 years now. It comes with 7 tracks and you listen to each one until you find one that matches your tinnitus. I downloaded my selection(Track #3)to my MP3 players. Listening to the white noise if by far less irritating than your tinnitus sound. All I know is that it works. Once you find the right white noise you will be surprised how well it works. Have had tinnitus for almost 12 years now and I simply would never had made it this far without the help of masking.

With masking you simply can turn off the tinnitus irritating noise whenever YOU want to and that puts you in control over it and you will have less anxiety(much less!!)because of it.

Also I don't wear headphones that plug up the ear. I use the Sony MDR-WO8 headphones because they are very lightweight and they just rest inside your ear and don't block off the ear 100%. They are cheap($10)and they have very good sound. I would be lost without them. Check my pictures out and you will see what they look like. As far as Xanax goes I have tried it a few times over the years and it did nothing for me.

Quite a few people say it works great for them. Just never had good luck with it. Right now I take .5mg of Clonazepam at night that helps me get 8 hrs. of sleep. Been doing this for many years with zero problems. Xanax or Clonazepam is your call and my doctor keeps a very close eye on me just in case I should have problems with it. He does not like Xanax one bit and won't prescribe it to me. He said Clonazepam(Klonopin)is much safer than Xanax.

So this is something between your doctor and you. As far as a good AD I have been taking a small dose of Amitriptyline for over 10 years now and it does 2 things for me. It does lower my tinnitus a little bit but what it's very good at it also gives me a great night's sleep. Right now i'm trying the Clonazepam/Gabapentin combo to see if that will help. I hope iv'e helped you a little bit here. John

Sounds like you might want to start testing out some antidepressants. No single med works the same for everyone so it may take some time to figure out what works best for you.

Amitriptyline and Nortriptyline might be a good place to start. They aren't used much anymore but they seem to help calm tinnitus in some people. There are plenty of SSRIs you can try and they may work better at helping you cope. Lexipro is going generic soon and will be sort of cheap. I take 10mg a day and it helps me stay out of the anxiety spiral.

Your doctor can help you choose. Each pill has it's side effects.

You may also want to try some Gabapentin with that Xanax.

Great posts John and Bob!

Like them, I would also recommend Nortryptaline or Amatryptaline--they are "oldies but goodies" in the antidepressant world, as my doc said, and they dfinitely do help lower T for many people, so they have a double-benefit, so to speak. However, if you decide they aren't helping your mood enough and want to try something else, ask your doc to choose one with a low ototoxicity rate. I think most Ads are 3% or lower, but there are some with ototoxicity of 4% or higher. Your doc can check that out in the PDR before he write you a script for anything.

Also, be aware that starting ADs (except for Amatryp and Nortryp) can increase your T volume for a but--a few days or a couple weeks (max). It will settle back down, but don't let it freak you out if your T gets a bit worse at first. (It might not change at all; I'm just saying it isn't uncommon for that to happen.)

I agree with Bob-- add some Gabapentin in with your Xanax! It may reduce your T volume. You'll have to experiment a bit with dose and it will most likely make you drowsy the first few days after you start and any time you increase the dosage.

You dont mention if you've visited an ENT for a full work up and had a hearing test, all to rule out anything wrong. You can also go to a otoneurologist (an ear specialist) who can help determine the cause of your ringing. There are eustachian tube problems that can cause it and allergies. It could be from noise trauma, it could be from medications, it could be due to getting older, it could be from an acoustic neuroma, a tumor, or a host of other things. Ruling things out helps. If its determined that you have nothing wrong with you that they can find then I would suggest going to a good psychiatrist. My psychiatrist understands that tinnitus can make people suicidal. She was starting me on Lexapro and Gabapentin. It works for some people. She also put me on Klonopin which helps take the anxiety down quite a bit. You dont mention how long you've had T. It takes time to habituate to it. Many people have probably asked God to take them home. I know I have. But I no longer feel that way. I am on 20 mg. of Amitriptyline which definitely helps with sleep. Went to a neurologist who diagnosed me with migraines and sent me to a migraine specialist who Im hoping can help. He thinks my ear ringing is due to an upper cervical neck problem. Who knows. Ive had my T for 2 yrs. I take my Amitriptyline about 6 pm and Im sleepy at 9 pm and get a good nights sleep. I take Klonopin on the bad days. Seeing a good therapist can help you with your coping skills as well. My therapist has a cochlear implant and has tinnitus, so she gets it. Im fortunate to have two good people on my side. Xanax is very addictive and it quits working over time. I understand why your doctors dont want you on that. Klonopin is probably a safer choice. Some try antidepressants and Klonopin, others try antidepressants and gabapentin. My psychiatrist was going to try Lexapro and Gabapentin. The Lexapro made me sleepy so it was a good bedtime choice and the Gabapentin can be taken at night. Gabapentin makes you pretty groggy at first, but it wears off after a week and it makes it much more easy to take, just gotta give it a few days for your body to adjust to it. Keep coming back for support, we all understand.

Good advice from all.

The other med routes would be to give the Primipexle a try since the early data looks promissing. Also, the Hydroxyzine with the other med that I can't remember is worth a shot.

Last med resort is Lidocaine IV for when you really get to the edge.

Hang in there....steve

sugaboog.. ENT was less than useless. I have had 2 hearing tests in the past few weeks.. Typical,,, High end loss, mostly in my right ear, but not enough to "qualify" for a hearing aid... 2nd audiologist said it was about typical for a 57 YO with a history of being in a sustained loud environment.
I have NO history of ear/eustachian/sinus problems.. None, ever...
I am a liflong musician, and was still out "rockin the house" every weekend till this happened 7/10/11... When I awoke that morning I knew exactly what it was... So here i am.... I have started TRT, but I am not sure a local audiologistthat "specializes" in TRT is the answer. I appreciate her efforts, but her telling me to "assign no importance" to the T is not all that helpful.. Its easy to say, but as you know, not easy to do when you have twin sirens , with electrical noise screaming in your head at 1:30 am.
The lower the sound, the less apprehension and depression I have, and perhaps I can start on the road to habituation.. I ACCEPT the fact that my t is a life sentance, but by the same token, I need some help in management in the short term. xanax helps, and I am very judicious in its use.. I have never taken over 1 mg in a day. However, I know I need it to function... I go to the University of Buffalo on Oct 3 and am seeing Dr Christina Stocking, a Dr of audiology.. One of several at the U of B... suppossedly they are among the best on the east coat, and Dr Richard Salvi is a world class expert on tinnitus...
My hope for some good answers lies there right now...
i understand they have lots of aids there.. maskers, aids, neuromonics, etc, they they will demonstrate... However, perhaps I can do much of this myself, if I can cut the sirens down 30-40%.
The problem I have with TRT is this... Its like a 2 year "program"... In 2 years many people will self habituate. What helped?.. the TRT or time??.. My TRT so far has been, "get on with your life"-" Its irrelevant"..
"Its only 3 db, its of no significance"... "Take your wife out for Chinese food"... "Eat whatever you like"... So yeah, right now I am looking for something to get from my GP to turn the volume down just a bit, so I can cope a bit better on my pwn.... bob

In my case the ENT that I saw was pretty useless. Had the hearing test and he confirmed I had a pretty severe case of tinnitus. Told him about the Xanax study and he said under no circumstance would he prescribe Xanax.

All he told me was you are just going to have to learn how to live with it. He never once mentioned masking might help. I knew as soon as I walked out of his office that I was on my own to try and figure out how to deal with this. Found a couple of tinnitus forums and learned much on what to do to cope with my tinnitus.

You have come to the right place to get advice. I hope we have been able to give you some ideas on what you can do for yourself. In my case I quit going to any ENT for any help. John

John... xanax XR is the extended release version, and according to my GP, isn't much different from Klonapin. Both the ENT and my GP prescribed it... It helps... ENT prescribed 1 mg once a day. I had my GP adjust it to 1/2 mg twice a day, but most days only take it after 10 PM.. Most nights I sleep well { thank You Jesus], however if i DO wake up, i am in big trouble as my head is screaming, and the apprehension skyrockets. and typically the next day is bad.. real bad,,, I have to NOT fall asleep until I am very tired, and have taken the xanax.

I doubt xanax XR is any worse than Klonapin.
Keven ogan said xanax saved his life, and he has never seen any of his thousands of T patients get addicted.. I dunno.. Some people get addicted to benzos real fast at low doses, others never get addicted after years of taking large doses... Who knows??.. anyway, i amm looking to add somethig else to the xanax to see if i can get the ring down a bit more. the more relaxed i am, the better I cope, and the lower the ringing, the more relaxed i am... Its a circle either way... When its loud, my anxiety is up, and i can't cope....

I wouldn't wish this on anyone, and each and every one of you is in my prayers daily, and always will be...bob

Forgot to also mention another benefit that Amitriptyline has. Before I started to take Amitriptyline I would get terrible headaches every other day. Since taking Amitriptyline I get maybe 2 a year. Found out that Amitriptyline also is prescribed for migraine headaches. A drug with many benefits.

Tham.. you are an intelligent guy, no doubt at all about that... However, I read the "rat study" on Taurine, and for some reason I have my doubts, with all due respect.

I would have thought that after that study, more T sufferers would have given it a try, and reported..

Not sure thats what i am looking for... I read a very promising 1997 European study on Vinpocetine improving T in 67% of the subjects in a clinical trial, and i have been taking that, as well as Magnesium.. All any that stuff does is give me the runs so far..
.
Can you point to a more definitive study of taurine on T, or have you tried it yourself, or know someone that has tried it?.. I am certainly willing to try anything, even if its only a small benefit.

btw, I had a full unused scrip of prednisone i got for my chronic back problems several months ago.. Never used it.. Now at 7 weeks into this accursed T, I figured why not?.. Started it today.. 4 for 4 days, 3 for 3 days, 2 for 2, 1 for 1...
My back ,hips, and right shoulder have been killing me for weeks anyway, and the pred usually stops inflammation, so i guess its worth a shot.. I'll let everyone know if it helps my T.... Yeah, I know.... fat chance... bob

Thanks, Tham!.. Yes I noticed the "Tinnitus drug police" over on the other forum... I would like to tell you, you have been a great help here, and I can see all the other members here respect your opinions...
Right now I am going to finish the pred, and see what effect it has if any... Damn stuff keeps me awake though.. I will try and take all the pills befor 3 PM or so if i can...
I will keep the Taurine in mind, and may try some in the future.. Thank you for your obvious caring, and your attempts to help others that are suffering with this miserable affliction.. I pray God's blessing on you and those you love... bob

Bebee, I so feel your pain. The doctors wanted me on anti-d's too and I reluctantly had my prescriptions filled only to come home and read that many had T as a side effect so that scared me into not taking them...other than 25mg of Amtriptyline which helped me COPE tremendously and helped me sleep. T, the hopelessness, the lack of understanding certainly drove me into a depression even though I think I've always been a "pull yourself up by the bootstrap" kind of person...well I couldn't find the boot strap! lol Anyhoo just remember that you do have a very good reason to be depressed, this condition is very hard to deal with at first and for me 1 1/2 until I felt somewhat like my old self. So don't be hard on yourself. I also am on gabbapentin and I do think that helped with T but not with sleeping. I hope you find the right mix for you.
Sue

Thanks Sue... I generally sleep ok, thank God... I take .5 mg of xanax XR, about 10:30 and usualy sleep at least 7 hours, sometimes 8 or more.. If i wake, i am finished as my T is shrieking bi leterally, and in the middle of my head... awful.. Last few nights have not seemed as bad however, and i will pray that trend continues,, it could be the xanax helping, but i am not sure. Half a milligram is a VERY low dose for XR, and no one even carried it.. it had to be specially ordered.

I was on 1 mg, but figured I would try going lower, and it works... Next week i will be having to wake up very early each day, probably around 5:30.. I will be going to sleep at 10.. After driving my school bus all day, I hope to drag my ass into bed VERY tired, and not need the xanax...
I SO look forward to the daily grind of my school bus driving job after this miserable summer of T... I am hoping the big responsibility of driving hundreds of kids to and from school every day, will focus my brain on something much more important than this ridiculous condition.. I pray that when I have kids lives in my hands literally, my brain pushes the T into the remote regions of my brain, making room for what is REALLY important.
I had to tell my supervisor I use xanax, as I am subject to random drug testing.. If I pee in a cup and it shows benzos, i am fired, unless I have a CURRENT scrip, which I have to renew each month.. Not sure if they use a 5 panel test or 7.. 7 panel checks for benzos, 5 does not.
Nice deal for the doctor. he insists I go there for the scrip... he does nothing but renew the scrip, and charge $170... What a racket..

So I hope with my return to hectic early mornings, that I will be tired enough to fall asleep without help, as I have all my life, until that day,7-10-11 when the monster entered into my brain.. I hope to push him right back out before long with God's help.
Last night wasn't bad.. The pred kept me awake till after 2 am, but my T was manageable with no masking in a dead quiet room, and wasn't too bad upon waking... I am praying hard each day, usually multiple times a day, and I promise each of you, you are all included in my prayers, and will be, as long as I live, even if i am cured tomorrow.. Just wanted you all to know that... bob