Tinnitus and antidepressants

[Thinkzs]

Hi

I've recently started Fluoxetine 20mg to treat anxiety associated with the onset of my Tinnitus a few weeks ago. I'm also taking Zopiclone 7.5mg for sleeping.

I wondered if anyone had any experience with both or either of these. I've read SSRI's can affect Tinnitus.

The last few days my Tinnitus has become louder and a different pitch and I'm wondering if this is just a spike or could be linked to the Fluoxetine. I also get a full sensation in my ears as if they need to pop and when I speak it's like being underwater this lasts a few hours typically.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

[Karlos99]

hi there. I’ve had plenty of experience with antidepressants over the years. It’s impossible to know if they cause or make tinnitus worse. Was on 200mg of sertraline for over 20 years. When I completely came off them a few months later my tinnitus went horrendous. This coincided with neck pain and new somatic tinnitus noises so I doubt it was the sertraline.

I was given a small course of zopiclone to help me sleep but my doctor was very reluctant to give them on a regular basis as he said long term use can cause more sleep problems. I was then given a small dose of mitrazapine. This is an antidepressant but in small doses can help with sleep. This worked pretty well and in conjunction with my sleep headband (I listen to podcasts to distract from the noise) I’ve got a good sleep pattern. The only downside of the mirtazapine is weight gain. I’m going to try and not take it for a while and see how my sleep is.

Getting good sleep is so important with tinnitus. Poor sleep causes me stress and anxiety which then magnifies the tinnitus. I just try and take everything a day at a time and hope for the best.

Good luck. 👍🏻

[Annabelle0 in reply to Karlos99]

Hi there, I was interested in your post as I have been on Mirtazapine 15 mg for almost a year and it definitely helps with sleep for sure although the weight gain is significant! I wanted to ask if you have noticed your hair thinning? My hair was quite thick but after a few weeks on Mirtazapine I noticed it was definitely a lot thinner, so not happy with that. I found it has helped with the tinnitus as getting to sleep is half the battle with that! It's so lovely to actually get to sleep and not wake up in the night that I'm loathe to stop taking Mirtazapine.

[Karlos99 in reply to Annabelle0]

No hair thinning for me. Unfortunately very soon after I wrote this post mirtazapine stopped working for me. Been a rough ride since. All the best.

[Annabelle0 in reply to Karlos99]

Thank you for replying, I'm really sorry Mirtazapine has stopped working for you, hope you have found another antidepressant that suits. Take care.

[Karlos99 in reply to Annabelle0]

Thanks. No I don’t think I’ll ever go back down the antidepressant route again. Where I’ve had severe insomnia for a long time it’s had a massive effect on my mental and physical health. Don’t think I could handle any extra side effects on top now. I’ve even stopped all sleep medication because of the effects it’s had on my memory and cognition. Medication is such a slippery slope and if I could go back in time I’d never take a single one.

Hope you find peace. All the best.

[777john]

Hi there zopiclone worked great for me and no side effects i was on them for 7 weeks a bit longer than they recommend but had no withdrawal symptoms when it comes to anxiety tablets you hit a minefield i tried phenergan , sertreline, and naproxen and they all made my tinnitus worse then i was put on trezodone what a nightmare that was again my tinnitus was much worse and my anxiety went through the roof it was horrible it made me do things which i could not stop my self the doctors were no help they told me to persevere with this drug i was totaly restless impossible to sit down for more than a few seconds i kept opening the back door and closing it over and over i had a massive urge to take all my cloths off i would pace the house all day every day i thought i was going mad it was like i was a different person i put my family through hell i was forever phoneing the doctors and help lines for help but nobody could then finally one doctor told me to stop taking them on put me on mertazaine wow it was like magic i got my mind and my body back all the horrible things stopped and it even improved my tinnitus i was on mertazapine for 8 months all my anxiety had gone and iv been fine with that ever since my tinnitus is still loud but im drug free oh and also i had no withdrawal symptom when i came off mertazapine the one thing i will say to you is from my experience stay away from anxiety drugs but if you need to take them the first sigh they they are makeing you worst stop takeing them i know we all react different to drugs but please be carefull.

[RockyB88]

as another responder, I’ve been on sertraline a couple of times with my T. I was so wound up the second time I started to think it was making my T worse. But now I’m calmer I don’t think it has at all. They’ve done their job and made me feel happy and human again from a pretty dark place and I’m now living quite comfortably with my T again. I think getting yourself well mentally again is very important on the road to accepting and living with your T, and the calmer and happier you feel the less you notice the T anyway.

[Thinkzs]

Hi

Thanks for the replies.

From what I've read it seems to be the extra serotonin that the antidepressants provide that can make the Tinnitus louder?

I've spoken to my doctor and he has offered me Clomipramine which is a tricyclic but I would imagine has the same or similar side effects.

I hear better things about Mirtazapine but it still works by increasing serotonin levels so I'm at a loss as what to do really.

[Ssmf]

I take Mirtizapine, this was one my GP did some research into so as not to make the T worse & I can say they have definitely helped me & as I take them at night, they help with sleep too. Hoping to one day be off them all together but for now I’ll take whatever helps .

[Bellyboo]

hi

I take a 3.5 mig zopiclone when I need to have a good sleep. My T is chronic but I’ve learned not to be afraid of it. Antidepressants don’t help me. I used alcohol to sleep for 40 yrs but this I suspect is the root cause of my T. Some days it reduces by 50% (inexplicably) but rare. Other days and weeks after long haul travel or flue or a Covid jab it is worrying and I sometimes need a double sleeping tablet to knock me out. I’ve not had alcohol for a year .

I’ve had T 40 yrs and I’m 70 now. Distraction is my thing as I try not to go looking for it, I retired recently which I now regret but hey ho can’t work forever can you. Tip … you need to space taking zopiclone or it will not work . Good luck