antidepressants,anxiety meds

[boodv]

my tinnitus has spiked and I need some anxiety, antidepressants ASAP. I worried it will spike my already high T even though it's been low fir 3 months.. any recommendations? thanks

[LadyGrey1]

Speak to your GP as soon as possible. I’m taking Mirtazapine (antidepressants) as it won’t affect T, it takes a few weeks to kick in though, also on a low dose it is slightly sedative. I also take Propanol for anxiety occasionally (it’s a beta blocker) so it slows the heart rate down if I start to panic, and I have some Zopiclone which is a heavy duty sleeping pill, these are difficult to get prescribed though and should only be taken occasionally. Your doctor should know the best course of action for you though, this is just what I’m taking.

[boodv in reply to LadyGrey1]

thanks I took mirtazapine 7.5mg for 2 days.. and had no T for 2 days.. took 15mg as doctor advised better fir anxiety..it made my T spike so badly for 2days so reluctant to take it..

[horsewhispere in reply to LadyGrey1]

Hi Lady Grey and Boody......I was on here a few days ago and noticed that a couple more souls were suffering as a result of buzzing, ringing, pulsatile and every other horrible noises known to man. It's frustrating, exasperating, and soul destroying. Mine is pulsatile and started a year ago. The only time it quietens down and I don't hear it is when I'm having a conversation with someone....walking with traffic passing by and TV! I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy! Sometimes I wake up during the night with thudding in my ears. I'm on Propranolol and antidepressants......the former is to stop panic attacks. I've stopped wondering why it started, the only thing I can come up with is that at Christmas 2024 I - along with the rest of the village - had that two month long cough and chest infection. I've given up looking for reasons . Still haven't got an appointment with ENT. But keep posting people because I don't feel so alone and isolated and besides it's a boost to share with fellow T sufferers. Take care ladies and gents.

[boodv in reply to horsewhispere]

what antidepressants are you on? did it spike your T?

[horsewhispere in reply to boodv]

Hi boody....I'm on Dosulepin. They're an old tricyclic drug. However I've been on them for nearly 40 years! I had a breakdown. I've tried coming off them 3-4 times but the withdrawals were horrendous. The idea was to wean me off them and put me on Sertraline....most people start with that one! (cheapest and first 'go to' anti depressant🙄) I'm not trying to advocate the use of anti d's but the modern ones are good and they don't limit one's life expectancy at all and are very effective. A lot of people are frightened to take them because of the stigma involved and arrows pointing towards a 'mental heath' problem. But if you're suffering with anxiety and depression associated with Tinnitus it would be a shame not to consider them. My pulsatile T sets off panic attacks at times...hence the Propranolol (they aren't addictive so one can come off them so long as you tell your doc. They certainly help me) To be honest, I'll try whatever is suggested just to stop me tearing my hair out!! I have 2 choices a) I take the above and have a half decent existence or b) put up with the abject misery and have panic attacks on a regular basis ! It's a no brainer!

[boodv in reply to horsewhispere]

does it spike your T?? I'm worried to go on sertraline as it might spike my T as it does for some people.. my doctor has prescribed me quietipine but scared as it might spike my T..

[horsewhispere in reply to boodv]

In answer to your question...no, Propranalol doesn't make my tinnitus spike. I think the pro's outweigh the cons. To be honest I think that you're always going to find someone that a medication doesn't agree with. If your doc. has suggested that Sertraline and/or Propranalol would help with anxiety and depression that Tinnatus can and sometimes does contribute to which can be utterly miserable and ruins your quality of life then it's worth giving them a go. It won't get rid of the 'T' but at least they can make it bearable! If they don't suit you you can always stop them.

[boodv in reply to horsewhispere]

thank you for your advice..

[boodv in reply to horsewhispere]

ps I've heard propranolol can cause tinnitus to spike so don't take mine..

[LadyGrey1 in reply to boodv]

I’ve never heard of Propanolol causing a spike, certainly don’t for me but they do really help with panic attacks.

[boodv in reply to LadyGrey1]

I might start taking it again.. I read it spike your T..

[boodv in reply to horsewhispere]

sorry sent it to the wrong person.. how did the dosulepin work ? does it help with the T? anxiety? how much do yiu take? it obviously works for you and doesn't build a resilience to it! 40 years!

[happyrosie1]

as LadyGrey says.

You wouldn’t get antidepressants without speaking to doctor first.

When a patient goes to the doc about tinnitus, a doc has a pathway recommended to them by NICE. The National Institute for Clinical Evidence. You can go,to their website and put “tinnitus” into their search box at the top, and see what docs are recommended to do.

Also, if you go to the website of Tinnitus UK you’ll see what they say about antidepressants.

[boodv in reply to happyrosie1]

thank you.

[TinnitusUKPat Partner]

I think I'd agree with both of the comments by LadyGrey and Rosie. Antidepressants are not directly a medical treatment for tinnitus itself but may be helpful for some people with low mood, anxiety or stress difficulties, alongside other approaches like talking therapies.

It's really important not to see these medications as one size fits all problem solvers - what they may do is help to slow down an anxious brain so that other interventions like CBT, physical activity or stress reduction techniques can be more effective. That, in turn, might help us to be less concerned by or attentive to tinnitus.

[St12]

Hi your post made me wonder if it is the Amitriptyline that has made my tinnitus worse.. I take it for nerve pain but I know this is also an anti depressant.

[boodv]

has it made your Tinnitus spike,?

[BlackSwamper]

When I had my first invasive spike thirteen years ago, I fought against any kind of medication for about six months. I tried meditating, white and brown noise masking, acupuncture—-you name it. It was completely disrupting my sleep, I lost over 20 pounds, one of my daughter’s friend’s Mom said that I looked like a nuclear holocaust survivor. I finally broke down and tried meds on my doctor’s recommendation. Eventually, we found that Sertraline and Lorazepam in tiny doses did the trick. I have been on this regimen for nearly thirteen years, and it still works. I got over any feeling of stigma quickly—-six months of severe sleep deprivation and depression has a way of putting things in perspective. My tinnitus is loud, extremely high pitched and very invasive. I’ve habituated pretty well, but much of that habituation has happened because I know that while I still might have some sleepless nights here and there, I will sleep. That makes a huge difference in quality of life.

[Hel_C]

Just to add to other people's comments - Consider also asking your GP to look at your oestrogen levels as menopause can cause crushing anxiety which in turn can impact on your Tinnitus.

[boodv in reply to Hel_C]

thank you. I'm taking hrt, and my anxiety subsided abit until the tinnutus spiked...