Antidepressants (SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOs, TCAs, TeCAs)

Hi @demi How are you doing? Did you begin the amitrip?

 

I used Prozac first for 6 months, then switched to amitriptyline for a few more months. No harmful effect to my T in my case. I just talked to someone and she said amitriptyline had cured her neck pain. In my case, it helped my depression back then and also the cluster headache due to anxiety. I had no bad side effect. But each person is different in drug tolerance. Always have your doctor monitoring your prescription drugs.

 

I am debating. My H is becoming unbearable. Only getting worse with daily headaches.

 

DW. I've been on none at all, ranging up to 400mg! I actually didn't notice any difference in anything at all. Start with 10mg, but that might help you sleep. If you're after an antidepressant, you're looking at the 150-200mg for it to reach threshold dosage for you. But either way, I dont think it'll change you tinnitus, but if the antidep or sleep side works then its a good reason to take it!

 

It will depend on the dose. Amitriptyline is an old tricyclic antidepressant, dating back to the late 1960's. It is often used by non-psychiatrists who believe that it helps pain. Even at low dose (10-50mg), it has potent antihistamine action which makes it a sedative so it might help you sleep. By sedation, it will reduce anxiety, which - in turn- will reduce the perceived volume of your tinnitus. It is no better than lorazepam, clonazepam or even Benadryl.

Neenie - if you have been on 400mg of amitriptyline, you are lucky to still be here - that dose can cause cardiac problems. Amitriptyline as an antidepressant at 150-225mg daily should no longer be used as there are better and safer alternatives.

 

Ive had t for 25 years, 6 months ago it spiked and it was hard to live with so doc prescribed amitrip 6 days later I couldnt function at all,so I stopped, it took me 2 months to come right again but its louder now for me, I would have never taken if I knew t was listed as a possible side effect.

 

haha, nah im hardcore, and I only weigh 48kg and i take much more than that and I dont even notice a change! Must be the German blood!

 

This is an interesting article on depression and antidepressants that I just stumbled upon. It basically challenges the effectiveness of antidepressants and much of the recent theories on depression. For many, tinnitus causes depression which may in fact exacerbate tinnitus. Nothing here that is going to help anyone immediately, but it is interesting stuff, and a good example of how little is truely understood about the body, illness, curres, treatments, etc. even with the experts think they do understand.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/m...-treating-depression.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

 

^ that's an excellent article. The recent experiments with electricity and depression are very close to the new T treatments with electricty as well. Thanks for sharing @mick!

 

Just a follow-up as I have been away from the boards a while. I was able to taper off the Ambien cutting in down into the smallest dose at the end (1/8). I haven't taken Ambien in about 3 weeks. I was sleeping pretty well, but I got a little cocky and decided to lower the Traz to 50 m. That was a mistake because my sleep got less, and even after reinstating the proper dose of 75 m for two days, it's still worse. I think I will up the Traz to 100 m, and try a magnesium supplement too. Anyone know a good nighttime dose of Traz to get decent sleep? I wonder if this could be withdrawal from Ambien, even tho it happened 3 weeks later.

 

Thanks Cher, I am going to try upping the Traz to 100 m. I don't take Ambien anymore, so I need more help on the Traz side. Also, can you recommend any supplements or over the counter meds that I could safely add to the Traz dose. Many thanks.

 

I have been on lorazepam for 6 weeks now, low dose of .5mg just before bed. It has cut my t by 50%, evened out the reactive part of my t, and has helped me to sleep. The company I get it from are changing pills. Tried the new pill. Does nothing for me, except gives me a headache. So going to soon have to go back to the drawing board to find the right medication. Cannot go back to what it was before, or worse.

 

Sorr

Sorry you are having trouble with the new pill. Can you get it from another company?

 

Thanks Patty. Will try. Although I am really sensitive to meds. Plus I move to the UK from the US very soon, where benzos are even harder to get hold of long term. This is not easy. Sigh.

 

I hear what you are saying, I am very sensitive to meds too. I always thought it was easier to get scripts more easily in Europe, as I had to practically beg for a script for Ambien at the beginning here in the US.

 

I'm amazed how we all become fixated with sleep - although I'm on this road on anti d's helping me cope and I totally support it I also look back with envy when I took sleep for granted !

So Thursday I'm back for my review I'm determined to come off cialopram now and stick with traz as it's helpede the most them taper off that over the summer. I don't take anything else I stick to perscribed meds that's my preference xx. @patty hope ya doing ok mail me anytime xx

 

Really, it cut your T volume by half? Wow. That's great.

 

Clonzepam usually takes my T fully away... My T is mild to begin with so i dont take them alot but when i do for my anxiety its crazy.

 

Hi everyone,

Haven't been around for a while as I'm having a tough time myself, but I just saw this thread and wanted to express my concern about meds... please don't get me wrong: I'm sure it is helping countless people... but please let's not forget the possible negative consequences of prescription drugs either!

I took Remeron and Clonazepam for just a couple of months (not at the same time) when my T first started off, but it made things so much worse for me. It completely disrupted my sleep pattern and made my T ten times worse when I stopped taking them. I am still recovering from the second increase after quitting the Clonazepam almost five months ago.

I later found out that any type of med can quite easily trigger T for some people and quitting them can be problematic too (just my luck, although I found out I am not alone!) Yes sure, some meds are known to be ''less likely'' to cause T, but what the heck does this mean?! For some drugs this is becoming such a standard thing to say, even though its not backed up by any kind of evidence. Such advice can be taken to heart by those who are desperate! Sure, doctors should first question the patient before prescribing a drug, but we all know that some GP's (including mine!) don't take their job so seriously when it comes to that!

Basically, a quick Google search for any kind of drug reveals that pretty much hundreds of testimonials can be found of people who have suffered an onset (or increase) of T after taking or stopping a particular drug.

My message is therefore: please do whatever you can before opting for the ''medication route''. Tell yourself that there is hope out there that things will get better. So many people here have reported that their T has reduced over time! Try to hold on to that and think of natural sleep as the quickest way to get there.

I was on the right track but got a serious setback when I caught the flu over a week ago. No idea if this is normal, but fingers crossed!

Take care everyone!

 

Unfortunately what helps some people cope with t can makes others t worse especially with drugs that affect the brain. I used xanax daily for a while but was fine . For me it was a life saver for others a medication from hell. Anyway sorry yours got worse but I do think with time t caused from benzo withdrawal or antidepressants can subside quite a bit from what I read in the past. Also I would not worry about the current flu to much once your body clears all the mucous and fluid from it the t should go back down. It's very common for t to increase when one has a flu.

 

Thanks @cullenbohannon, thats very kind of you. Also happy to hear that you were able to use Xanax without problems. If only there was a way of knowing which meds work for each person right? Ciao!!

 

I understand what you mean. My doctor just started me on Lexapro. One of the possible, but unlikely, side effects is T. Which of course make me worry. Which is just what you need when you are anxious to start with.

I just hope it won't make it worse.

 

I just started remeron 7.5. It really helps with sleeping at night, but I find it has been making me drowsy during the day also. I have only taken it a few days. I know it takes a while to get used to. I take in in combination with Trazadone 75 m. Anyone know how long it takes to get used to remeron and get over the daytime drowsiness? Thanks.

 

@patty:

If you are at all like me, you will get used to Remeron within a week or two. I take 7.5mg every night, I sleep like a baby, and am never drowsy the following day. I don't, however, take Trazodone.

-Golly

 

Thanks golly. you were drowsy the first week or so?

 

I have been on Remeron 15mg for sleep since the beginning of this week, works really good in what feels like a natural sleep. No side effects here yet besides some cravings and some odd dreams , every night is like going to the movies. No drowsiness at all, been doing some long distance running in the last days without problems.

I better ad that i am not a Remeron salesman.

 

I sure was! I used to take 15mg a night and it knocked me out for the next 24 hours---especially when used occasionally. After I started regular usage (both at 15mg and at 7.5mg doses), I no longer had any issues in the morning. Stick with it for a week: it's worth it.

-Golly

 

Thank you golly. It's hard to find the right meds to sleep. This one seems like a winner.

 

Hi all, my doctor just prescribed me an anti-depressant, Amitriptyline. Not for depression, but he thought it could actually lessen my tinnitus. I figured I would try it because "why not?", but then I read online that tinnitus could be a side effect.

Has anyone had any experience with this drug, either good or bad?

I willing to give it a try, but is there really a risk of my T increasing? That's a scary thought.

 

While tinnitus is a possible side-effect of Amitriptyiline, I understand that it should vanish after you cease taking the drug.

Amitriptyline is an old tricyclic antidepressant, also called Elavil, that has been administered for a variety of off-label uses over the years. I have taken Elavil in small doses (10mg) to help with sleep. I know it has been used to treat tinnitus; however, I don't know exactly how it works in that capacity. I suspect that if it helps at all, the effect will be indirect. That is, the antidepressant feature coupled with the sleep benefits will help you better cope with tinnitus. Of course, you may actually experience volume reduction. Please report back either way!

-Golly