Anxiety & sedative effect medication. Reliable info.

[ToetappingPoet]

I'm struggling with the wait for ENT and CBT appointments. Sleep deprivation seriously impacting life now, along mood deterioration. Herr are entire nights when I literally do not sleep. I'm doing all I can with self help but feel like Im losing the battle with my sanity. The mirtazapine orescribed by my GP is sitting on the kitchen top untouched because some people here report it makes tinnitus worse and I can't - cannot - risk it getting any worse. Does anyone know of an anxiety/depression medication that is approved for tinnitus sufferers ie that won't make it worse.

[Spinach123]

Hi....my husband has severe reactive tinnitus and has taken 30mg Mirtazapine at bedtime for many years to help him sleep and certainly works and has not affected his tinnitus. From experience when he has been given other meds that are ototoxic including antibiotics they do exacerbate his tinnitus. He also plays a gentle background music CD on repeat through night for deflection. I hope you get relief soon.

[CD101 in reply to Spinach123]

Mirtazipine is best taken at night due to its sedative effects, which tend to be stronger at lower doses (e.g., 15 mg) and less pronounced at higher doses (e.g., 30–45 mg).

I've been using Mirtazipine at 7.5 to 15mg successfully for the last 4 nights. I have had tonal tinnitus for the past few months. I also cut down on my caffeine intake, especially before bed.

I also use the Total Tinnitus Relief app during the day as using it for a few minutes gives me relief for about 20 seconds (I'll take what I can get) if I play the same tone as my T, im also using the Therapy mode.

Im using T as a motivating factor in becoming more healthy. Bought a pair of running shoes and started taking Vitamins etc (arrived yesterday) so it's the start of my fitness journey

[ToetappingPoet in reply to CD101]

Thanks useful info. I've taken up yoga. Also, I can't detect the t if I'm swimming, so an hour in the pool is therapeutic and I rest my ears from wearing the aids. As you say, you take what you can get. Good luck with the running!

[vincentchan]

Cbt doesn't work on me unfortunately

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Easy to use cbt to cope: From cbt tinnitus book... - Tinnitus UK

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Easy to use cbt to copevincentchan

4 months ago•2 Replies

From cbt tinnitus book

Just think B instead of A

244

Living Well with Tinnitus

1

A.

Tinnitus makes me feel tired, as I cannot sleep well at night. Tinnitus is a terrible disease with no cure!

B

I am lying down and con despite hearing tinnitus. This is the second best compared to a deep sleep. Resting helps to energise me. Even if there is no cure, I can still live well with tinnitus

2

A Tinnitus affects my sleep and concentration. Hence it reduces my efficiency. I can no longer be in control at my workplace.

B

I can concentrate on my tasles most of the time. I can do whatever I need to do despite the difficulties caused by tinnitus. This makes me feel strong.

3

A.Tinnitus invades every aspect of my life and makes me feel useless.

B.

Tinnitus is present most of the time and is a nuisance Regardless of tinnitus, I can do whatever I need to do. This makes me feel useful.

4. A I make lots of mistake coz of my t

B.

I can do most things as well and accurately as I used to before I had tinnitus. It may take me slightly longer to complete my tasks. It is OK to double check my work for accuracy. My performance is intact despite tinnitus.

5

A.

Tinnitus is like a fog that affects my performance.

B.

I can see, hear and think even when I hear tinnitus Loud and clearly.

[ToetappingPoet in reply to vincentchan]

I find that B attitude inversion easier to achieve during the day, but at night the panic is overwhelming, especially during the completely sleepless nights. I think if the potential nasty reasons for the change in the volume and character of my t and the constant migraine type headaches over the right eye are ruled out with investigations, I will stand a better chance of tackling my emotional approach to this up-tick. It's the worry that comes with it in the small hours and the puzzling over why it's become so very bad of late that compete with positive re-framing.

[vincentchan in reply to ToetappingPoet]

Absoutely i feel the same. Its hard , sorry to hear that but u re not alone

Ent would say u re wrong, loudness doesnt necessaily increase your hardship or distress if u can relax and treat it as nth

[avirata in reply to ToetappingPoet]

I do get these right eye irritations after my T changed from mild to wild. I get some weird sensations in my head cannot exactly headache but weird.i feel something than the normal is happening.Once eye irritations started I got floaters too. I was scared lot because of these combo issues

3 years back I had MRI that didn't mention anything unusual but it made feel little easier that there is nothing else wrong and it is pure T.

But now also I do get scarier sometimes just because I think my T might have any other root causes than the hearing loss.

I was taking antidepressants to induce sleep. Honestly I didnt have good effect on my mood and sleep much .so withdrew them but sometimes those helped randomly .

[ToetappingPoet in reply to avirata]

Yes. I also have loads of little squiggly floaters when I look up towards light sometimes. The migrainey headache comes and goes, and seems worse if I take Iver counter meds to sleep. Audiologist nurse last week said that was likely down to poor self care as I'm depressed, so not drinking enough etc I'm not dehydrated. Eye health is good according to optician who said symptoms are neurological and told me to request MRI referral. So I share your concern. Should hear about MRI soon. My tinnitus is like electric static very high pitched.

[avirata in reply to ToetappingPoet]

My doctors neither ENT nor neurologists were interested to understand my concerns that I have got eye strain, floaters after T changed its variations.Eye specialists just checked my vision and said vision is completely fine

They just give me simple reason that you might be catching floaters as you aging but I am hardly 35 .

I couldn't get any help so far. Just going with life as how it comes.

So far I visited 4+ neuro 6+ ENT , 3+ psychiatrist, 3 eye specialists . none seemed bothered to find actual root cause. I stopped going to them.

As I have sever hearing loss they just end up with conclusion T is because of that and rest symptoms they say might be aging , lack of sleep etc etc

[ToetappingPoet in reply to avirata]

So sorry. So few answers. Such a weird condition. I swear if a neurologist were to measure the electrical activity in my brain - the way they do to diagnose epilepsy - my entire brain would be lit up like a Christmas tree! I have this repeating imaginary scenario where I find a hidden switch in my hair and I switch the damned thing off! Onwards & upwards!

[avirata in reply to ToetappingPoet]

I just wish you to fully recovery from this.Hopefully doctors could help you in coming days with any recoverable diagnosis .

. Please keep share your updates if anything happens good

[Philip6]

Kirkland Sleep Aid pills work very well for me, I don’t take them often but they are very good. Non addictive anti histamine based. They are basically Benedryl. Tinnitus is listed as a possible side effect, but they have never affected mine. I take a half or quarter pill. A whole one turns me into a zombie the next day.

[ToetappingPoet in reply to Philip6]

I wonder if stemetil would work then. That's anti histamine, used for travel sickness and dizziness. 🤔

[Philip6 in reply to ToetappingPoet]

If they make you feel drowsy they would help. Might be worth a try.

[ToetappingPoet in reply to Philip6]

Tried stemetil. Didn’t work I’m afraid.n

[Philip6 in reply to ToetappingPoet]

Try Kirkland Sleep Aid pills. You can get them from Costco or sometimes eBay. A Google search will find them, 192 pills are around £16. Just knowing that you can take one and they work helps, I don't often use them, I bought a box of 192 about 10 years ago and still have loads left. I only take a quarter pill when I need too.

[ToetappingPoet in reply to Philip6]

Will check them out. Thanks for suggestion

[Jimbob7]

I take Phenergen - OTC sleep-aid/ anti-Histamine. They work well.

[ToetappingPoet in reply to Jimbob7]

Interesting. A combo of all 3 every night?

[Doglover1971]

are you in the UK? I’m in a similar position and been told 12weeks wait 😔x

[ToetappingPoet in reply to Doglover1971]

Yes. I would think it will vary depending on which NHS Trust you've been referred to. My original wait time in East of England was 18 weeks for an urgent referral. I'm down to 13 weeks now. I did write to the consultant secretary, to query whether this was the "urgent list" or whether I had been downgraded. It's definitely the urgent list waiting time for ENT where I live.

[LadyGrey1]

I completely understand, i've had T for nearly four months now, the first three my insomnia was so bad my doctor prescribed Zopiclone, the most sedating sleep tablet they have, it works really well but they'll only give a limited supply (28 days) as it's highly addictive and will just stop working eventually. It's best to use these only a few times a week max not every night. I tried Phenergan the anti histamine but it dosen't work for me, it does others. I also take Mirtazapene, it won't make T worse, there are other anti depressants that have T listed as a potential side effect , but not this one. It helps my anxiety a bit, not massively to be honest, but it is slightly sedative when taken at a low dose, so that's helpful. And, i have Propanalol which is a beta blocker, it slows my heart rate down if I'm having a panic attack which I sometimes do in the morning.

[ToetappingPoet]

I've been using Kalms, and Numark Sleeping Aid. When I run the gauntlet and try to get by without medication, I can actually end up not sleeping for so much as 5 minutes. Tue next day I'm low and desperate. I haven't ruled out using mirtazapine for sure. For some reason, last night I managed to get to sleep without taking anything, by listening to a sleep hypnosis track with background masking sounds I found on you tube. I was wearing the hearing aids and did wake at some point, They were digging in and making my ears sore. So I removed them and expected the worst would follow, but I put a headband with speakers on instead and played another masking sound through it from an app at a volume that just about masked the t, and went straight back to sleep. I can't explain why that worked last night, but NO HEADACHE this morning. So I think the tablets were giving me the headache albeit enabling sleep. Hoping it wasn't a fluke. Will try that again tonight.

[LadyGrey1 in reply to ToetappingPoet]

Ive just bought a snooze band too, I found it helpful but a bit uncomfortable by the morning so I'm back to using my phone. If you can get by without medication that's so much better. All the best for tonight!