A collection of questions and sharing by our readership community about a wide variety of aspects of social anxiety. Dive in and receive practical insights and advice.
QUESTION BY:
Anonymous
Anxiety Medicine Consumption
I suffer from tinnitus and have been taking Lorazepam for the past seven years. It has done a pretty good job of relieving my anxiety symptoms and even reduces the ringing in my ears to some extent.
I hadn’t had a full-blown anxiety attack in several years—until recently. When I recognized the signs of an oncoming panic attack, I decided to take a double dose of Lorazepam. Normally, I take 0.5mg in the morning and 0.5mg at night before bed. That day, I took two 0.5mg tablets (1mg total), and the panic attack quickly subsided. I actually felt great. I was amazed by how well I felt after taking the 1mg dose, and the ringing in my ears was nearly gone. What a relief.
The next day, I took 1mg again instead of my usual 0.5mg morning dose. Once again, the ringing in my ears was almost completely gone, and I felt upbeat and happy—better than I had in years. I continued taking 1mg daily for a week and experienced excellent results: reduced tinnitus, better mood, and no anxiety.
However, at the end of the week, I ran out of Lorazepam early. My doctor refused to refill the prescription because I had taken more than prescribed. I went two days without the medication, and it was terrible. The ringing returned full force, and my stress level skyrocketed. I eventually had to go into the doctor’s office and explain the situation. After a long discussion, the pharmacist agreed to refill the prescription.
After that, I returned to taking 0.5mg in the morning and evening—but the results were just “okay.” So the next day, I resumed the 1mg dose, and once again, the ringing subsided, and my mood significantly improved.
Even after explaining these positive results, my doctor still refuses to increase my dosage to 1mg twice daily. I’ve been on 0.5mg for seven years. I plan to continue taking 1mg twice a day, but this means I’ll run out early and have to fight to get it refilled again.
My question is: If I’m experiencing such positive results with 1mg, why won’t my doctor adjust the dosage? Do you have any thoughts, ideas, or advice on how I should approach this medication situation?
Jonathan Responds:
Thank you for sharing. This is an interesting scenario. Your physician is concerned that you are becoming dependent on Ativan. I understand that this must be very frustrating as the ringing in the ears can be a very difficult symptom to live with. Ask the doctor what his specific concerns are about long term use at your present dosage. Make sure that he is aware of your subjective level of distress. You may want to consider alternative treatment like biofeedback-based stress management, where there is a focus on possible emotional etiology. Tinnitus has been proven to have a psycho-physiological character.
