Benzos Trial of benzos?

[Oakstone]

Alright, this is a bit of an odd question for you all. Basically, for as long as I can remember, I've had both tinnitus and vision snow, perpetually. The vision snow (and other visual distortions) has gotten worse (not to an incapacitating amount, though) over time, in particular the past few years. I've talked with my doctor, two eye doctors, a "natural doctor" (naturopath or whatever), and even my acupuncturist about it, but none of them have had any insight into what could be causing it, or how to help it. (Most didn't even know what I was talking about, vision snow is a pretty rare thing from what I've seen.)

I've spent a decent amount of time researching the two problems, in particular the vision snow as that seems to be far less common. The best hypothesis for what causes it that I saw was that it's caused by a sort of perpetual low-level seizure. What made this seem more likely to me is that (according to the source I saw), it could also induce tinnitus, which, of course, I have.

So my questions to you all are:
Does this sound like it could be the case?
If it is, do you think it would be acceptable for me to go to my doctor, tell him what I found, and basically ask for a "trial" of benzos (I'm saying like 5 pills or something) to see if they prevent it?
Do you think he'd be okay with it? (I've always been a pretty healthy guy, and never given them a reason to distrust me.)
If so, what would be the best kind to request? (More specifically, what kind is best for preventing seizures?)

I'd really like to just have a few days without the vision snow and tinnitus, and this seems like a good possibility for making that happen.
(I figure this is the best topic to post in, but if it's not, feel free to move it.)

 

[tacodude]

I don't remember the name of the disorder, but it is generic where the cornea becomes conical vs round. You need to see not an orthopedist, but opthalmologist to catch it. I may not be correct, but see an ophthalmologist as they are better than an optomotrist.

 

[Hodor]

Assuming you don't have a history of heavy psychedelic/stim use or some form of brain injury/tumor (seriously, that sounds like something you should get MRI'd for), the explanation of your visual and auditory distortions being essentially the "aura" of a "persistent asymptomatic seizure" makes a lot of sense to me, and yeah, you might actually benefit from anti-seizure drugs. However, the problem with benzos and other GABAergics is that tolerance quickly rises with increased doses, and you really wouldn't want to have a significant tolerance to Klonopin already if there's a very real chance your condition might later worsen into full-blown epilepsy.

So yes, I do believe your docs should atleast try a mild anti-seizure drug like Gabapentin or Pregabalin; however, I'd really advise you to consult a neurologist specialized in disorders of the brain.

 

[Oakstone]

Yeah, no heavy psychedelic use, stimulant use, or brain injuries here. Ideally, though, even if it ended up that benzos or something similar was able to stop it and I was given a prescription, I wouldn't want to have it daily just to avoid tolerance and dependence on benzos. (I don't want to go through the hell of getting off of them.) I think I would just want to keep it as an occasional thing to be able to see and hear without interference.
Thanks for the response.