Why Klonopin
Steve C
I've often been asked why I was prescribed Klonopin. Along
with tinnitus, my workup showed a slight balance disorder.
The report read, among other things, Visual vestibular
interaction - abnormal and Secondary Endolymphatic Hydrops.
I did have one significant vertigo attack over a year ago,
but nothing like that since. I do need Dramamine if I want
to go on a boat unless the water is dead calm, I have since
found out. Do I have Meniere's headed my way in the future?
God I hope not and rarely give it a thought, but who knows.
Two years ago 13,000 htz wasn't playing in stereo in my head
either (g).
I got this info off the University of Pittsburg page.
Someone might find it useful.
The site is http://www.neuronet.pitt.edu/
Here is the beginning of the page:
The hearing and balance nerves travel together in the space
between the brain and the skull.
They can be affected by blood vessels compressing them
which can result in balance
disorders, hearing loss or tinnitus (ringing in the
ears.) Disabling positional vertigo is a
syndrome first described at the University of
Pittsburgh by Drs. Peter Jannetta, Aage Møller
and Margareta Møller. Blood vessel compression of the
balance nerves results in a syndrome
where the patient has actual spinning (vertigo) or
feeling of dysequilibrium. The dysequilibrium
is often described as "having one drink too many" or
trying to "walk on the deck of a moving
ship." It is often accompanied by nausea and
occasionally vomiting and the patient is usually
better at rest. The dysequilibrium and balance problems
are usually triggered by motion. They
may be helped by small doses of either Valium or a
medication called Klonopin.
--
American Tinnitus Assoc. http:/www.teleport.com/~ata
e-mail: tinn...@ata.org phone 503-248-9985
If you have tinnitus, please join the ATA
Tinnitus faq: http://www.cccd.edu/faq/tinnitus.html
Hazell's habituation therapy: http://www.tinnitus.org
Michael E. Miller/Robert E. Seletsky
... The dysequilibrium
> is often described as "having one drink too many" or
> trying to "walk on the deck of a moving
> ship." It is often accompanied by nausea and
> occasionally vomiting and the patient is usually
> better at rest. The dysequilibrium and balance problems
> are usually triggered by motion. They
> may be helped by small doses of either Valium or a
> medication called Klonopin.
Just for the record, as I understand it, valium, klonopin, lorazepam
(trade name: adivan) are all basically the same type of anti-stress
drug, in the benzodiazupine group. valium was the first; the others are
more refined versions. They seem to lessen the intensity of T, but
probably are really just lessening the tension caused by concentrating
on the T, as they relax you. Klonopin was thought, at first, to be
non-habituating, as it is slower acting than the others; but it has been
discovered to be just as habituating.
Bob S.
Tom Boismier
Steve C wrote:
>
> I've often been asked why I was prescribed Klonopin. Along
> with tinnitus, my workup showed a slight balance disorder.
> The report read, among other things, Visual vestibular
> interaction - abnormal and Secondary Endolymphatic Hydrops.
Klonopin is an tranquilizer originally formulated for seizure and panic
disorders. Many tranquilizers are prescribed for vertigo, because the
side-effet of drowsiness can reduce the symptoms. In fact Antivert, the
most commonly prescribed vertigo drug in the USA, was originally
formulated to be an anihistamine, but the side-effects were so effective
at reducing vertigo symptoms that they changed the name and marketing.
None of these drugs will 'cure' vertigo or even prevent an attack from
occurring, they only make you feel better during a spell. They should
not be taken on a long-term basis unless under close physician
supervision, because they have long-term effects. Our usual procedure is
to tell patients 'only take this during a spell'.
'Visual-vestibular interaction abnormal' simply means that during a test
where a visual stimlus (either a single 'dot' target which moves with
you, or a large 'full-field' target which stays still while you move) is
used to either enhance or supress the nystagmus (jerk eye movements)
produced by vestibular stimulation (motion, or air or water in the
ear), the nystagmus didn't change as expected. This does not lead to a
diagnosis of endolymphatic hydrops (which is the larger class that
Meniere's is a part of), in fact it is considered a 'soft' finding
indicating possible central bervous system involvement. It's only a
'soft' finding because this particular test can be quite nauseating,
causing the patient not to attand to the task at hand (i.e. your just
too sick to focus on the finger or dot...). As a single finding with no
other test abnormalities (particulary with normal-for-age smooth
pursuit), we would ignore this in our lab. (Sorry for the long
explanation, it's much easier to demonstrate than to write out.
--
Thomas E. Boismier, MPH <bois...@nospam.umich.edu>
Associate Director, Vestibular Testing Center
Department of Otorhinolaryngology
University of Michigan Hospitals
[Remove "nospam." from the above address to email me]
Axelrad
My doctor prescribed Klonopin. When I read the insert, I got scared, and I
quit taking it. It didn't help anyhow. Then she gave me a drug that I was
allergic to, and I got another doctor.
In the meantime, I took Ginko which helped the Tinnitus a great deal. However,
I had a very bad allergic reaction to the Ginko, and quit taking it.
This is why I hang around this forum, looking for the next good idea.
Steve
Steve C
What was in the insert that got you "scared"?.
--
American Tinnitus Assoc. http://www.teleport.com/~ata
e-mail: tinn...@ata.org phone 503-248-9985
If you have tinnitus, please join the ATA
Tinnitus FAQ: http://www.cccd.edu/faq/tinnitus.html
Axelrad
The insert with Klonopin began by describing it as a remedy for epillepsy, and
then described some horrific possible side effects. I thought it might be
safer to try ant poison.
Steve
Steve C
>>The insert with Klonopin began by describing it as a
remedy for epillepsy,
and
then described some horrific possible side effects.<<
If you read the PDR, many drugs have "potential" side
effects. I guess it's the drug companies legal disclaimer.
>> I thought it might be safer to try ant poison.<<
Somehow, I think if you do we won't be hearing the results
back from the testing (g).
--
Steve C
Tinnitus info sites:
PATIDU
>Subject: Re: Why Klonopin
>From: axe...@aol.com (Axelrad)
>The insert with Klonopin began by describing it as a remedy for epillepsy,
>and
> then described some horrific possible side effects. I thought it might be
> safer to try ant poison.
>
>Steve
I have been taking Klonopin for over a year without a problem.
Irene
Texas, USA
"Tinnitus sufferers know no silence"
(ATA)