Hello. My Gp proscribed Amitriptyline 10mg. I took the first dose in the evening & the following day I woke up without tinnitus. However it gradually appeared during the day & it was even louder than before so I stopped the medication as I do not want to risk making it worse.
My question is for those who have tried low dose of Amitriptyline, is is normal to get worse before it gets better ? How long would I need to wait to notice the effect/improvement? Not sure if give it another try.
I was prescribed this medicine for anxiety last year. Think it's used to control pain too. As far as I know there isn't any medication for tinnitus itself. I was also prescribed medicine for dizziness last year that can happen with ear troubles. You need to go back to your GP to ask questions because none of us on here have any qualifications to answer medical stuff. Good luck.
Regardless of what Rabbits has said, with which I sort of agree, it might be worthwhile persisting with the medication. I expect you’ve read the leaflet inside the pack, it should give you plenty of information to digest.
I've been offered amitryptiline for cfs / me but I've not taken it because it states clearly on the leaflet that it can cause tinnitus in 1 out of 100 people. I don't want to be the unlucky one and add to my tinnitus woes.
I was prescribed low-dose amitriptyline for migraine. It was effective, but a nasty side effect was screeching tinnitus on top of the engine-like head noise that I had already developed. The screech was unbearable. At no time was amitriptyline suggested to me as a treatment for tinnitus; quite the opposite!
I dropped amitriptyline on advice from my GP. As others have said, best advice is for you to have a word with yours.
Bridgeit . Gosh I had no idea that amitriptyline was that bad and caused tinnitus . I was prescribed it for anxiety and I’ve got awful tinnitus now , wonder if that’s the culprit , I’ve little faith in medicines I prefer not to take anything
Yes, same with me. I wasn't forewarned about the tinnitus side effect, but my GP was well aware. She wasn't in the least surprised that I'd had a 'noisy' reaction, that it was deeply unpleasant and that I couldn't cope with it. Definitely let your GP know if you're not coping with tinnitus side effect. Chances are GP will find an alternative med for you; there are plenty out there.
I do hope they can sort something out for you.
Note: I was able to drop amitriptyline immediately because I was on 10mg daily, i.e. low dose. Higher doses need carefully managed withdrawal/changeover under GP supervision.
So concerning. What I do not understand is why the British Tinnitus association recommends low dose of Amirtryptaline. It does not make sense.
That's interesting.
My understanding is that amitriptyline is primarily an anti-depressant. My experience is that low dose amitriptyline is prescribed (and highly effective) for neuralgia or migraine relief.
I also know from experience that GPs may offer anti-depressants if a tinnitus patient is highly distressed as the belief is that distress makes tinnitus worse.
I've read that neuralgia in certain areas might result in tinnitus.
I know that amitriptyline has a known side-effect of tinnitus for some patients.
This might be a case of join the dots, but it's certainly a puzzle.
They don’t recommend it for curing tinnitus they recommend it for depression tinnitus.org.uk/tinnitus-an...
I’ve been taking low dose (10mg) of amitriptyline for nerve pain for 4 months and already had tinnitus. Although tinnitus is listed as a possible side effect it hasn’t made mine any worse.
Thank you Bridgeit, I rarely take it now , like I said I worry about medicines . I was given Stemetil too and others for vertigo and dizziness . I’ve stopped everything now . Need painkillers only at times. Arthritis in back and feet.
Amitryptiline recommended by ENT at 25mg then later at 50mg to reduce tinnitus, but didn't help me other than making it a little easier to sleep. Can be used up to 75mg and does help some people with T and very few have the increased ringing side effect.
Did at the beginning of taking Amitriptyline make your tinnitus worse?
No, no change
I was prescribed amitriptyline by an ENT Consultant but didn’t want to take it because of it also used to be given as an antidepressant. It is also prescribed for nerve conditions such as shingles.
No, I wouldn't touch it. GP's hand that stuff out for anything.
Hi all, I am new here just joined 10 minutes ago. I am here to see what others with tinnitus are doing to alleviate your problem. I have tinnitus from a "head phone accident". I put on the head phone before playing the clip not knowing that my PC volume was set to max. Tinnitus didn't happen straightaway but about 8 hours later. I have been having tinnitus on my leaf ear for 4 years now. Have seen a number of doctors and was on medication for months, no improvement at all. A few things make it worse: alcohol, food with lots of MSG , exposure to loud music, going to bed late and not having enough sleep. In fact, my doctors warned me as much about these things.
I want to respond to this post. I don't know the medication (Amitriptyline) you took so I can't comment. But ... thus far in the last 4 years the only thing that has been able to reduce the noise noticeable for me is to take Stilnox before I go to bed, a kind of sleeping pill. I strongly suggest you speak with you doctor before taking it yourself. Having said that, you will still have to avoid the few things I mentioned above to see results. I Hope this helps and if you have any good experience please share.
Don’t go near it, my Doctor gave me 10mg of Amitrip and after 10 days it sent my Tinitus in overdrive, lot louder and secondary sounds. 6 months later I still have the tinitus spike even though I only took the tablet for 10 days.
My GP prescribed this for a chronic nerve issue and I've been taking it for 10 days only. Started super low by cutting the tablet in half, so 5mg for 4 nights and then upped it to 10mg for 3 nights as that was the recommended dose. Wasn't getting much relief so GP suggested taking double (20mg) but I decided on 15mg for 2 nights and this was when I noticed the high pitched ringing in my ears. I've suffered with tinnitus on and off for 3 yrs+ and usually only have to deal with the pulse beat in my right ear as the ringing had subsided a long time back. However, since this medication I have the ringing in both ears as well as the pulsing and currently waiting on a response from my GP as to whether or not to stop taking it and try a different medication. Last night (night 10) I lowered the dose back to 10mg as I didn't want to stop taking it until I've heard from the GP, and I can still hear the ringing, albeit not quite as loud, but loud all the same.
I have been off the amitryptilan now for 5 days and still have very powerful tinnitus for months month, I am pretty sure I had it before starting the medication but I’m hoping it will calm down. When did the ringing stop for the people who did stop taking it? ENT say I have Mild hearing loss for mid and high frequency’s not caused by load music so no idea how that has happened but they say the damage is permanent and I get another test in 6 months if the tinnitus does not calm down I may need hearing aids. My tinnitus is so loud most things are muffled. Mine is a high pitched eeeeweeee constant and never stops.
I started taking Amitriptyline as low dose 10 mg or sometimes even lesser ..it was recommended by a tinnitus therapist as it will help me sleep better and it dampens the brain so tinnitus is less noticeable during the day
I started a month ago and I had the most amazing sleep and few most amazing weeks with almost no sound. I was ecstatic. But after a month of use the quality of sleep is still good but the ringing is back and sometimes roaringly back.
But this happens every time I try a new treatment. They all go well for a week or so but then it comes back. I don't know if it's a placebo effect or just the brain thinks it's working making me feel less anxious.
I am part of tinnitus association and all my mentors there have said it's not a linear recovery but a bumpy one . Just give it time and brain will start noticing it automatically less so much that it becomes a non issue.. Hang in tight friends we'll get better within no time.
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