Your tinnitus is a very important symptom that is being overlooked here. I guarantee you it is related to your other issues. Since you have already experienced some hearing loss, if you do nothing about your tinnitus your hearing will likely continue to deteriorate, and it could be permanent depending on what's causing the ear ringing. And if you address the ear ringing you will help with other things as a plus. I'm dealing with a similar situation here and I've done oodles and oodles of reading recently trying to piece this together for myself.
First, the relationship between GABA and tinnitus. Ear ringing is a very common symptom of benzo withdrawal, as well as anything that is leaving you with low production or downregulated GABA. This can happen even *while* taking something GABAergic, if you've been taking it long enough that it downregulated your GABA and causes anxiety episodes.
Second, the relationship between electrolytes and tinnitus. Ear ringing is common with electrolye imbalances, especially low potassium and low magnesium. Low potassium and/or low magnesium are also strongly associated with anxiety, insomnia, RLS-type symptoms, palpitations, irritability, low energy, sound hypersensitivity, changes in vision, etc. I can always notice now on an hourly basis if I need some potassium and magnesium (and GABA) because my ear ringing becomes pronounced and my eyes start feeling dry, and I start feeling irritated over little things, especially sounds. Taurine helps keep magnesium and potassium inside the cell, as well as assist in GABA production. Having lower magnesium means increased potassium loss. You need magnesium and potassium for your whole GABA system. Slow down caffeine, slow down nicotine, stop alcohol, watch things that have general stimulant and diuretic effects, or anything else that increases magnesium, potassium loss. Electrolyte imbalance, particularly with lowered potassium, are one of the things that makes benzo and opiate/opiod withdrawal so incredibly bad and long lasting.
You can begin to get a general concept of the complex interrelationship here. I strongly recommend you do a lot of reading about tinnitus in conjunction with anxiety and other mental issues, and then in conjunction with nutrition, you owe it to yourself and it's unlikely that a prescription will help with it because there isn't too much pharma interest in treating tinnitus or understanding its causes, which means less study about it. And for the love of all that's holy, please do not gve yourself large doses of supplemental potassium in one sitting if you've decided to try that route. See how you feel just by eating high potassium/low sodium foods. Daily potassium intake recommendations vary from 3 grams to 4.7 grams, most over the counter supplements have tiny amounts of potassium per dose so it can be cheaper and healthier to try foods first.
I've been prescribed benzos in the past but never took them for more than a week because I found the side effects on my intellect unacceptable, and I was unwilling to deal with potential benzo addiction. I do use ambien which is close to a benzo but since beginning my supplements I've found I can skip some nights and still sleep well.
My GABA support is
(all on empty stomach)
theanine; 100mg morning, 100mg bedtime
taurine; in 1/8 tsp increments, spread out during the day and always for bed, never more than 2 g in 24 hours, less if eating meat that day.
(taking a temporary break from lysine due to an unrelated renal concern, but lysine is very good for GABA and serotonin support, would take 500mg in the morning, 500 at night)
beta alanine; in 1/8 tsp increments, 1 to 3 times a day, less if eating meat that day
calcium/magnesium citrate; a 1:1 ratio (some may prefer a 2:1, I don't) in 1/4 tsp increments
potassium bitartrate (cream of tartar); 1 tsp contains ~490-500mg potassium, taken in 1/8 tsp
potassium chloride (as salt substitute); sparingly in food
(I used to use potassium citrate instead of the two above but I stopped because I was needing to take a lot of pills a day just to get 500mg, which is not a lot, and I prefer powders anyway so I can put it all into one drink)
n-acetylcysteine; 200mg twice daily
bacopa at bedtime
Random, irregular use: picamilon, ashwagandha, sulbutiamine, glutamine, nefiracetam (surprise!), B vitamins, D3, zinc, experimentation with magnesium sulfate (epsom salt)
It looks like a lot when written out like that, but doing the math with my doses and without taking a multivitamin daily it's not really a lot.
Note that I have a concurrent kidney issue precipitated by ibuprofen use that requires electrolyte monitoring for the time being, but what made it possible was long before that, for years, I had a crappy migraine-avoidance high carb diet that left me with low magnesium, low potassium, low taurine and it made all my problems worse including tinnitus, insomnia, racing thoughts, irritable-anxiety, sound sensitivity, general body aches (ergo the useless benzo and antidepressant prescriptions). I had slightly less migraines but other problems worsening almost made it not worth it. Almost.
Special note: gingko is a mild GABA modulator, some people dealing with low GABA or benzo withdrawal may get worse with gingko, others feel that it helps restore normal GABA or balance their GABA stacks
Talk to your doctor about any of this before experimenting on yourself. Good luck.
Edited by Duchykins, 25 May 2014 - 08:54 PM.
