I just got tinnitus (well, about 3 months ago), and I am struggling with it. I've been diagnosed with anxiety and depression, and feel like I want to try medication - but as far as I know, all the antidepressants can worsen the tinnitus which I absolutely want to avoid.
I heard of Mirtazapin to be one of the only (?) which doesn't have tinnitus officially listed as a side-effect - but then I found a study and a few others stating that it may actually increase the perception of tinnitus as well:
Not to mention being one of the withdrawal symptoms once one wants to opt out of any of such... Well, I tried 15mg of Mirtazapine in the evenings BEFORE I read about those studies. The first 4 days were fine, but on the 5th, my T seemed to increase. I stopped, and in 1-2 days, it backed off.
Please advise, how to navigate in this - I wish to get better without meds, but I have suicidal contemplations and severe diurnal mood variations which put me in a very dark place.
Alprazolam (Xanax) seems to lessen the symptoms, but I prefer not to get addicted to benzos...
Many thanks,
Viktoria
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ViktoriaK
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I’m not going to be very helpful, I’m afraid , other than to suggest you have a chat with your pharmacist. They should be clued up on this sort of thing. Also, go through the posts on this site to see if anyone else has posted in a similar way. If people are in a good place they might not return to this site to see your post I wish you all the best
My tinnitus is pretty bad and I manage without taking medicine because I’m told there is no cure for tinnitus. That said , the best cure is to keep as calm as possible, don’t let yourself get too tired. Take walks out in the fresh air and listen to the birds singing . It’s tempting to think there are drugs out there that can help . There is no cure . Just help yourself. Unless of course you have an infection or dizziness . If I get dizzy then I do take Stemetil . See your GP he will explain , hopefully . Things do get better as your brain learns to cope with it .
I know... I didn't mean medications to be a cure. However if you contemplate suicide I think it is in your best interest to act before it's too late... As for my GP, she has no clue about this condition, just referred me to the ENT specialist who had no clue either). As for coping... Well sleep, I most definitely need that. How do you manage nighttime, if I may ask?
Bridgeits reply is brilliant. Look I too was in a very bad place like you 6 months ago . I was desperate. By reading lots of help on this forum has saved me. You “ can” get by without drugs for tinnitus. Go along to the ENT clinic and audiology clinics and get support and help too. Your brain will learn to habituate , I’m at the stage whereby my brain is accepting it, but it’s a gradual process and I’ve still got a long way to go yet.
Clearly a very long way to go. I've had 24/7 T for over 10 years and my brain still has not managed to habituate. All I can do is just accept it's there and will be until a cure or medication is found.
I know , I agree it’s a difficult one, but what else can we do but live in hope. The kind people on here that have written about habituation I have listened to , and I’m just now hoping .
But habituation is accepting it's there. It doesn't disappear once you habituate, you just learn to not react negatively to it. Which is kind of what you do when you accept it?
That's my understanding Angel. My tinnitus is still loud and intrusive but I'm not reacting to it in the same way. I've accepted it - or I'm in the process of doing so - which means it's not so much the focus of every waking moment.
There's a facebook group Liamstopstinnitus. He has a week by week plan to cure tinnitus and he has been very successful with people curing Tinnitus. It's worth looking at. I believe my Tinnitus is to do with viral overload. I went to a functional medicine person a couple of years ago and it actually went away and I had silence for months. Unfortunately because I was under high stress with my father and dementia it came back. Stress hormones and viral overload are not a good mix. I intend to work on myself again to get rid of it. So don't listen to the doctors when they say it can't be cured. Never lose hope!
Yep, I've heard about the guy... Also downloaded his e-book a while ago - but apart from stating that it's due mitochondrial dysfunction, it was not too informative. Just checked for the fb group but not finding it - could you please link it? And many thanks for the encouraging words!
The brain accepting it... How can I make it happen? Or is it 'just' a question of time? So far, I am struggling with even accepting the current situation...
First of all try and keep a bit calm , just keep telling yourself things will get better or improve , live in the hope that it will. It’s the only way, what else can we do about it , after all the dam doctors have got no sympathy and they don’t even seem interested in research . So just calm down, go for a walk and listen to the bird songs . Believe me I’m struggling too especially when the giddiness starts too . I am living in hope it will all get better on its own one day. 😊
I'm not surprised the drugs made your tinnitus worse. Both mirtazapine and Xanax were listed as ototoxic (can trigger/worsen tinnitus) by the American Tinnitus Association, before it (unhelpfully!) removed the comprehensive list of ototoxic drugs from its website. I downloaded a copy well before that happened.
That said, if you are clinically depressed you are wise to keep in touch with your GP regularly and follow their advice/drug regime. This applies whether the prescribed medication is ototoxic or not. It's a question of immediate priorities. Later on as your treatment progresses, you'll have time to consider discussing medication changes with your GP.
Meanwhile, if you feel suicidal you should talk to someone who understands this situation. Within the UK, try the Samaritans on 116 123 or call the NHS on 111 and select option 2.
Moving on, activity and distraction can help both with improving mood and managing tinnitus as can background noise to mask its effect. Think about taking up swimming, Tai Chi, meditation, art/painting, playing a musical instrument and joining any other group with a hobby that takes your fancy. Try earphones with your favourite music/radio station to block out the tinnitus as well.
To help with sleep, you could try what I use; a CD that is 'delta' wave noise to trigger the sleep cycle in the brain. It's important to have the room where you sleep prepared as well. No computer, no phone, no TV, no lights, no distractions other than the sleep sounds. Warm milk as a drink before bedtime can have a soporific effect as can some herbal tea, such as Pukka's 'night time' blend.
Hi... Thanks a lot for your input. As for my doctors, well they have no clue, nor they care. I am not complaining, simply stating the truth based on actual experience of the last 3 months. Even suicidal thoughts were dismissed as "you're just annoyed, it will pass". As for ototoxic drugs, taking them would definitely worsen my anxiety, so I don't think it's a solution (like other comments stated).
So, trying to get on with natural approaches, and as a matter of fact, I can get distracted from T for a while during the day, if I keep my mind busy. However, I cannot really mask the sound, so laying down to relax, meditate or sleep is quite an issue I mean, I can hear it through almost anything... Music, brain waves, even neuromodulation tracks, you name it. It is not really a "sound", but almost like hearing my own brainwaves, from my head. Intensity changes immediately by distressing thoughts and fluctuates accordingly. Not sure if it's the case with other people as well...?
Just chipping in to say that I hear my tinnitus through everything else as well, sometimes louder than others. Anxiety and negative thoughts definitely worsen mine too.Most of the time I can 'ignore' it now. Hope you find a way to help you live with it too.
Hi Viktoria. I'm so sorry to hear of your struggle with tinnitus. Firstly it's not unusual to feel the way you do. I was in a dark place July - Dec last year. And lots of other people here have been or still are in dire straits. Secondly there's no ideal way to deal with T. It's a very personal thing. Thirdly you will come out the other side. With or without the meds. All the very best.
Thank you so much... You said that you "were in a dark place - so not anymore, well done What helped you through the habituation process? I am consulting a number of professionals, but find it extremely difficult to follow their advice and relax, even though I know it would be best... Basically, I am putting extra pressure on myself due to this
Hi Viktoria. Three things that are helping me adjust to tinnitus (I'm 14 months in) : 1. Reading Living with Tinnitus & Hyperacusis. It's written with kindness and compassion. 2. Joining the BTA forum and talking to people going thru the same experience. 3. Listening to Julian Cowan Hill on YT. Someone here recommended him. He will help you relax! Habituation will happen for you in time. Don't try too hard to make it happen. You'll get there.
Thanks a lot for your reply... Yep, I know Julian's videos. He is an absolute godsent! So much positivity, so much kindness AND knowledge... I came across his channel during the first couple of weeks, which gave me hope and comfort - but T has got a bit out of hand since, unfortunately. Have you read his book by any chance?
He's lovely isn't he .. No I haven't read his book yet. I 'd like a paper copy but can't get hold of one. Do you know where I could get it? Hang in there. T. can sometimes get worse before it gets better.
I have seen the book on amazon.com - even used ones. Maybe there are other sources as well... As for my T, well it is changing since I wrote... During the day, I hear it less, even in quiet environments (where I started to hear 'normal' sounds like the clock that was there before and generally, getting more of environmental sounds which is good, I suppose...? However in the evenings, I hear a couple of new, lower sounds that freak me out :-(( Even a static noise in one of the ears that interferes with listening to whatever I try to... Does it happen with people who have T? What could that potentially mean??
Hi Viktoria. Don't panic. T can vary. I've got one sound in my right ear but three in my left ear . Two of them come and go. I don't think it's anything sinister for you or me. It's just the brain doing it's own thing. Try and relax if you can. Deep breathing. As regards your later post re sleep .. It's so hard at first - and so tiring - but as you adjust to the T you'll gradually start to sleep again. This can take time. It took me six months or so. I took phenergan twice a week. It's over the counter . All the best.
I have been on Mirtazapine highest dose for over 15 years. Its interesting to learn from this site that there may be a connection with my Tinnitus. I need to read more, thank you for posting.
When I first got tinnitus, I went the medication route as well due to the depression but it was just a waste of time. Medication just seems to irritate it, sometimes right away, sometimes it takes awhile. I started making the most progress reducing my symptoms when I decided to work on my health instead of letting doctors just fill me up with pills. I went on something called the carnivore diet and did some dry fasting as well as a gallbladder cleanse. For my anxiety, I take two things. These natural sleep pills with relaxation herbs (Passionflower, Lemon Balm, Hops, Valerian) and also Rhodoila Rosea. These natural methods work to calm my anxieties when I need it, I also take CBD oil sometimes. I have been doing this for 4 months now. Diet, exercise, healthy eating, and only natural supplements and the volume of my tinnitus is only half what it used to be. Hope this helps. Doctors will just turn you into a pill popper, learn to take your health into your own hands.
Thanks a lot! Yep, normally I also prefer to take natural supplements only. This is the reason I'm so careful around this... But as it turns out, none of the doctors I consulted have any relevant information about the impact of the pills in question. Could not believe it... Diet is a big one I agree. What kind of gallbladder cleanse did you do? I've been wanting to try it since ages, but not sure how to do it at home.
All that I can add to this discussion is that Dr Neil Bauman is still writing about ototoxic medications on his blog at Hearing Loss Help if you want to dig into the list of drugs which are suggested to have potentially negative effects:
I include this purely for information - your experience of medication is likely to vary, depending very much on your individual circumstances and health.
Thank you... Well according to this, all of the potential medications are ototoxic. I haven't been able to sleep much since I stopped the one sleeping pill that hasn't been labelled as toxic... I mean until now, because it is also on this list (zopiclone). I took it for more than a month, and thought to taper it off not to become dependent / tolerant... I am at a complete loss now, what to do :-(( Natural remedies does not seem to help, and after a couple of sleepless nights, I am beyond exhausted. Is there any trick that I don't know of?? Trying to calm down, but the deprivation of sleep terrifies me
Hi Vik, I take 1 zopiclone every Saturday evening for a good sleep. When I awake my T intensity goes down 50% until 2-4pm? I’ve had T for 40 yrs but recently it’s escalated. My doctor will only subscribe 7 tablets per month hence my taking only one a week. I’ve been given serateline but haven’t started this medication as one of the common side effects is tinnitus?? Bazarly I’m in a good place at the moment but I’m normally struggling with the constant ringing……. I’ve recently started smoking cigars as a present to myself which I love. At 70 yrs old I’ve not much future to look forward to , I’ve ruined my teeth with chewing Nicorette gum for 20+ years and have now finally managed to stop….. the T is exactly the same. I’ve also stopped alcohol which I used to help sleep and my T is still ever present . I think my T is as a result of working with power tools daily and owning a shotgun for a number of years. My I do go on…and on.. good look
hi Vik - i too am very afraid of the meds pushing up my already severe T . I have depression and anxiety esp since the T got worse over past 2 months and have had some very , very stressful episodes. I am doing the therapies including CBT on the OTO app which is really helpful
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I mean, I can hear it through almost anything... Music, brain waves, even neuromodulation tracks, you name it. It is not really a "sound", but almost like hearing my own brainwaves, from my head. Intensity changes immediately by distressing thoughts and fluctuates accordingly. Not sure if it's the case with other people as well...?
Read/watch this Acceptance is Not the Answer to Tinnitus, from Rewiring Tinnitus.
Old Musician With Tinnitus. 
Tinnitus on both ears with different noises? 
Deaf with tinnitus
Playing/learning a musical instrument with tinnitus 
