I am 67, have had tinnitis for decades and have been able to ignore it. Recently it is getting louder and more distracting. The only change in my life recently is that Im weaning off sertraline( zoloft) and started taking bupropion ( wellbutrin), both antidepressants. I fear bupropion might be the guilty party. I go see my doc 6/3. No one has ever looked in to why I have tinnitus and I havent pushed it. Any thoughts or advice on anything I can do to improve it. Ive pretty much decided the bupropion needs to go.
Hi Hoski. Thank you for your post. I'm sorry to read that you're experiencing recent difficulties with your tinnitus, which it seems you've previously been able to manage quite well.
From our point of view, we think it would be worth discussing the options for tinnitus investigation with your doctor. In the UK, this would be the normal point at which we'd begin a treatment journey - with onward referral to a specialist at hospital to investigate any issues with the ear itself, be that physical injury, infection or hearing loss.
Relaxation and activities which reduce stress can help to lower the degree of attention which you give your tinnitus - it's possible that what you are experiencing currently is a spike or temporary increase rather than an overall change in your tinnitus.
We're all dealing with challenging times at the moment, and that is having an impact on people living with tinnitus. Are you noticing your tinnitus most at any particular time or in any specific environment? Is it responding to noise or to quiet settings, for example?
I mostly am bothered by it on the rare occaisions of silence. We sleep with a fan going and during the day I am distracted. I guess Im just more conscious of it as its louder now but cant say the tinnitis itself is too bothersome. Im more worried about is it affecting my hearing.
I don't feel that you need to be worried about the tinnitus affecting your hearing - if anything, ringing in the ear can be a symptom that a hearing issue may have developed. It isn't the cause, more of an indicator which might allow a doctor or audiologist to make their diagnosis of an underlying condition.
Hi Hoski sorry to hear you have had a spike in your tinnitus . I’m not an expert but it sounds like the change in drugs could be the contributing factor. I take anti depressants and some do make my tinnitus spike. I ve tried many and I’m now trying CBD drops but through a Dr , they have no THS in them . It’s good to get off Zoloft though .... hope you feel better in a few days .
Same age , similar story, had T for decades, then a major spike in T for no apparent reason, following ent and audiologists input I had a degree of hearing loss, could it be related to something similar??? Just a thought.
Hi Hoski, I really hope you don't have this but after decades of regular tinnitus mine got louder and more constant while my hearing on one side got worse. Turned out to be an acoustic neuroma which was even worse. Best of luck that this is a smaller problem and resolves ok for you.
I do feel like my hearing might be affected but feels like both ears. I will post if anything creepy shows up. Hearing loss would be hard enough. I guess you had to have surgery?
It's been a ridiculous ordeal.. surgery, the whole 9 yards including of course louder tinnitus, and side affects that the chief of neurology did not even warn me about.. This sounds stupid, and don't kill me, but only tinnitus is not that bad..
I get it. Im 67, retired RN, seen the simplest procedures go bad. Sorry you have had to suffer this. I put off knee replacement for probably too long, finally gave in and did it only to find out at 6 wk checkup that the implant moved and was at a diagonal, not straight so whole thing had to b redone. Not a happy camper. I went to best knee guy in our area... poop happens as they say.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Tinnitus being made worse by chemotherapy 
Tinnitus
tinnitus got worse 
The tinnitus is getting louder 
Tinnitus and Hyperacusis 
