Well guys and gals, it's been an adventure! After months of trying to get a script for valacyclovir, I finally succeeded and started 1000mg tid back on 20 NOV. During that time I was really in bad shape with anxiety and just daily issues due to MM. My line of work being retail doesn't make anything easy as I'm bombarded with flourescent lighting, crying babies, massive amounts of products and colorful labeling, angry customers, sales goals, etc etc. So you can bet I was excited to get the opportunity to try an approach I had been seeking since May. After a few days on the meds, I could tell things were going to be hard. My tinnitus ramped up to deafening levels and my anxiety was through the roof. I finally had a major attack that put me in the ER and left me fogged out for several days afterward. I've had a few more attacks since, but none with vomiting and each one less severe that the previous. I had another scare yesterday with all the commotion of Christmas and I made the mistake of trying to race some radio controlled cars my kids got. Well that was obviously a mistake,M looking down at the floor and moving my head in a figure eight.. I took a timeout for about 30 minutes and set the nasty sensations passed. Things I've noticed besides the lessening of the attacks include a change in tinnitus. I no longer have the multiple tones and sounds, just the high pitched CRT TV sound. I expect that won't ever go away. I now have less fullness in the ear. My anxiety is still fairly high, I attribute that to my work and how busy we've been. I also probably have a benzodiazepine addiction going on by now. Overall though I feel like the treatment is working, I'll continue to update as time passes.
That's great news, and you are following a typical timeline of recovery! There is no reason to think you won't fully recover and eliminate the tinnitus. Mine is totally gone, and i had it really bad with hyperacusis. Of course, there's no guarantee, and i'll bet you'll be ok living with it as long as the vertigo is gone. This is important, so take note. If you are fighting a benzo addiction, then my advice is not to quit cold turkey or even rapidly until you have the virus beat down completely. That is because the symptoms of benzo withdrawal are very similar to MM, and you will confuse yourself thinking it's come back when it's really the withdrawal. When you do decide to quit the benzos, do it very slowly and taper off over a period of months (not days or weeks). You can even do a daily microtaper that will eliminate almost all symptoms. You can find out how to do this over on the benzobuddies forums. Lastly, don't let the pharmacy change your meds! Stick with the brand that works for you. Good luck! And Happy New Year!
Thanks, Scott Tom! One of the changes I forgot to mention was the big reduction in hyperacusis. I was putting plates away earlier and it didn’t bother me. I’ve also noticed a bit of change in my hearing, not better necessarily, but different. I’ll take heed to the benzo taper. I didn’t know there were similarities with withdrawal and MM symptoms. Thanks for the info and the vote of confidence!