Agomelatine and tinnitus

[DR650SE]

I need to look for an alternative to mirtazapine .

I suffer from chronic insomnia as a result of tinnitus with a bit of anxiety thrown in the mix .

The doctor has suggested agomelatine but I have read that it could make tinnitus worse?

Just wondering if anyone has personal experience with this please?

Thanks

Peter

[XoxoFaith]

Hi can you describe your tinnitus I currently started having that problem and was having a hard time going to sleep I figure out that if you pay attention to it it’s harder you need to not focus on it to much also our anxiety makes it worse I think

[DR650SE in reply to XoxoFaith]

I am sorry to hear that you have joined the T team .My tinnitus is a hissing noise

I has become more pronounced since being on 7. 5 mg of mirtazapine for 3 weeks

I am unusual as it seems to be beneficial to most people

I suggest that you google Glenn Schweitzer "Rewiring tinnitus "

The only time to focus on the tinnitus is during his mediation process .

There are also updated articles on line about his meditation

During the day the trick is not to fight the noise but accept as being there .

Perhaps read ACT made Simple second edition by Russ Harris

Also EFT Tapping Manual 4 th edition by Dawson Church

The tapping does relax you as well

If I have palpitations during the night I can over ride them to a degree by tapping gently with one finger on the karate chop side on the other hand This won't make sense to you until you read these books

Also The Tapping Solution by Nick Ortner and lastly the The Science behind Tapping by Peta Stapleton

I know that I have put a lot of literature to you but these 4 books are my bibles to help me mentally deal with tinnitus

Regards

Peter

[DR650SE in reply to XoxoFaith]

Should have mentioned that ACT stands for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

[XoxoFaith]

Mine is I struggle with it mostly at night when everything is quiet not that much during the day is it like that for you too?

[DR650SE in reply to XoxoFaith]

You need Oticon hearing aids with white noise masking to sleepFind an audiologist who can source them

My ones were expensive but worth it

I use the Tinnitus Comfort setting to sleep

It is a soft whooshing noise like the sea lapping on the sand

The hearing aids take the edge of the T noise

[DR650SE in reply to XoxoFaith]

Oticon neumonics earbuds streaming special sounds to your ears when you go to sleep might also help if you aren't troubled during the day I have chronic 24/ 7 T so I use the hearing aids at night and during the day at times

[mschloe]

I've been taking a half dose of 7.5 mg. of Mirtazapine for insomnia for about 6 months now as well as Gabapentin 600 mg. at bedtime. I had tinnitus long before my insomnia started over a year ago & it did get a little worse when I started the meds. I've been using a white noise/fan machine at bedtime for years & it muffles all noise as well as the tinnitus; I couldn't sleep without it. I always have the tv or music on in the day & am able to ignore the constant hissing; I can't stand silence. The machine I have is called an "Electro Fan" and has 10 settings of white noise & 10 of fan noise to choose from. I tried the nature sounds machine years ago but it annoyed me as the sound quality was poor. Good luck.

[DR650SE in reply to mschloe]

Thanks for replying .i have wooshing white noise which I find okay to get to sleep The Gabapentin 600mg is interesting .How goes it complement the mirtazapine please?

When you said the noise because a wee bit worse after starting the meds ,did the noise eventually settle down ?.

Obviously I find this interesting as you are further down the track than me

Regards

Peter

[mschloe in reply to DR650SE]

Hi Peter, I do think the tinnitus did lesson a little bit & is back to where it was before the meds. Gabapentin is mostly used for seizures & nerve pain but is also being used off label for several other health issues & insomnia is one of them. It would be easier for you to google Gabapentin for insomnia to understand how it helps than for me to try to explain it. I went through a period of severe insomnia after a leg injury & was close to having a total breakdown. I literally would go several nights in a row with no sleep & my anxiety went through the roof; I even tried acupuncture. Long story short, after doing much research, the meds that I'm taking were the magic bullet; I'm also taking Busperone for anxiety. I want to try tapering down the Gabapentin when the weather breaks & I can get outside more. I hope this info will give you some insight into your sleep issues. Good luck.

[DR650SE in reply to mschloe]

HiYou certainly have had a long hard road and I am pleased that you feel that you are getting on top of it .

I am only on 7.5 mg Mirtazapine

It is a baby dose I know

While I am better off with it in terms of sleep than before I started ,for my particular circumstances ,I do experience more intrusive noise .The tablet helps me manage this better but I still suffer mild anxiety because of the increase in noise

Notwithstanding I am better off as I mentioned .I wonder when I shall get to the point when I feel that the noise has settled albeit louder so that I have a chance to habituate

Thanks

Peter

[mschloe in reply to DR650SE]

I'm actually only taking half of a 7.5 mg. mirtazapine so is a real tiny dose. If you have access to You Tube, there are tons of videos there regarding insomnia, anxiety, depression & pain issues and you might find something there that would help.

[DR650SE in reply to mschloe]

I wonder if any of the supplements are as effective at inducing sleep as 7.5 mg mirtazapine I have been on 7.5 mg for 3 weeks and the noise has really arc -ed up. I have another 3 weeks to go until the mirtazapine will be fully effective apparently ( 6 week mark ) Surely the noise won't keep on increasing for the next 3 weeks

Trouble is, if I get off the med ,I will go back to my zombie state of being alert but exhausted for days on end and not sleeping a wink .

I would get get off mirtazapine to reduce the noise if I knew for sure ( which I don't) as to how I will be able to get sleep even if partially disrupted

Thanks

Peter

[mschloe in reply to DR650SE]

Hi Peter, after I last emailed you I researched Gabapentin & found that it can actually help tinnitus. At one point I increased the Mirtazapine to 15 mg. & I think that might have been when the hissing noise increased alot. At the same time my Gabapentin was increased from 300 mg. to 600 mg. I think that's what possibly made the tinnitus to decrease to my normal level, plus the Mirtazapine was decreased to the low dose I'm at now. Luckily I'm able to ignore the hissing but also have to have either the tv or music on in the day & the fan noise during the night; silence makes the hissing sound so much worse.

[DR650SE in reply to mschloe]

Thanks for this .So the 7.5mg mirtazapine plus 600 mg gabapentin is as close to possible as being your silver bullet. ?To be honest I don't know much about gabapentin but will make it my business to find out .I doesn't matter what med you google on the internet ,there are always horror stories which makes it difficult to make a decision on meds because whether you like it or not, some doubt is seeded in the back of you mind about the meds efficacy and side effects . Even water causes tinnitus ha ha

[mschloe in reply to DR650SE]

I know what you mean about the side effect horrors of every medication & I have refused to take the majority of meds recommended by various doctors over the years because of it. I had taken Gaba years ago with no problems which is why I agreed to try it for insomnia. I said yes to the Mirtazapine only because the side effects mentioned were minimal compared to other meds for insomnia and a very low dose of it is used. I'm cutting the 7.5 mg. in half. I believe part of the battle of having tinnitus is to try to accept it & not pay attention to it. But having no background noise makes it harder for me to ignore so I always have something going 24/7.