I have had tinnitus for as long as i can rememer to some degree. I had a lot of ear problems as a child including numerous infections a burst eardrum and glue ear requiring grommets. Overall i would say my tinnitus is reasonably mild like a 3 but unfortunately i also have an anxiety disorder and...
@Barry098 Mine isn't from hearing loss. My ears are in perfect shape. I have Chiari Malformation and also took a low dose antianxiety that did me in. I still wear plugs if I'm mowing the lawn or excessively loud things. Maybe if I get surgery to fix my skull the tinnitus will go away? Who...
How much L-Theanine do you take, and does it spike your tinnitus? I've read that it spikes some people's tinnitus because of its effect on serotonin. Does it give you any calming or anti-anxiety effect, which it is supposed to have?
By the way, I read your success story, and it gave me some...
@spedgas I can understand the hesitation. I use a low dose antidepressant. Fluoxetine 10mg. But I also keep an antianxiety medication (lorazepam) around just in case I spiral. I've never personally spiked on benzos but I don't use them unless I have too. The fear of using the drug often...
Don't worry, you will get better in time; you just need to have a lot of patience. Trust the process, as they say.
Here are my suggestions:
Avoid taking online hearing tests, as they can be inaccurate and potentially harmful.
I would consider taking prednisone. A typical course might be 60mg...
Hey @mrpetrov.
I got 7x 10 mg tablets from a friend in the USA. I tried them, and the next day my tinnitus seemed quieter. I wouldn't say they helped either way with anxiety, but maybe. The study used 30 mg/day. TCA-type medication, so check with your doctor if you take any other TCAs or...
I have had loud tinnitus for about 3 years now.
Just when I think I'm coping with it okay I either get a spike or I read something online that makes me a nervous wreck and subsequently makes my tinnitus worse.
That's what happened tonight. I usually only come on here to look at treatment...
Positive stories like yours give me hope. I just read yours, and it encouraged me. I am doing similar things: exercising, walking, and working on reducing anxiety without medication. I am afraid of anti-anxiety medications. I try to avoid reading horror stories and focus on being positive, using...
For me, a few things helped me in measurable ways.
One is to get anti-depression/anti-anxiety meds prescibed by a doctor to stabilize my anxiety and mood.
Another was to get therapy; I chose group therapy that teaches CBT.
A third is I figured out how to get good sleep.
And the fourth is...
Hey everyone, I'm Paul, I've had tinnitus for about a month. It seems to be due to anxiety and panic attacks.
So long story short, I ended up in the ER and they diagnosed me with anxiety and depression and prescribed me anti-anxiety meds. They are working really well and since I've taken them I...
I'm very glad to hear that you're feeling much better and able to reflect on your progress. It's important to recognize and appreciate how far you've come.
Regarding SSRIs, it's true that they can sometimes cause tinnitus or ear damage, though this is rare. If you're struggling with sleep and...
Living day by day really. Lots of masking and anti-anxiety stuff, from meds to supplements. I benefit from hearing aids, but it's a complete package. I am still taking lots of anti-anxiety supplements.
I’ve had tinnitus for the past six to seven months. If anyone has advice on how to move forward in a good direction, I’d really appreciate it. Here’s my story:
Back in November, while recovering from COVID, I had a week of intense coughing. Suddenly, the sound in my left ear cut out, and I...
@ErikaS I am also in month 7, and like you, I haven't taken any antidepressants or anti-anxiety meds, but I'm starting to consider it now. I wonder if I ought to have started them sooner when my mental distress was even worse, or if i was right to hold off until now.
A GP did explain the mechanics behind a lower dose being more effective, but I've forgotten it now. I took 15 mg for years for anxiety which didn't make me drowsy, then when I was having trouble sleeping my GP prescribed 7.5 mg which did the trick.
Never had any issues taking Mirtazapine with...
Does it get easier? I’m on 3 years next month. I haven’t been on here in a while bc of all the gloom and doom, but I don’t feel it’s gotten much easier. I just got on an antianxiety med. (here comes the banter about ototoxicity)
And that's with just a 7.5 mg dose, isn't it? I've heard that mentioned quite a bit. It's the thing that scared me off from asking my provider about it, despite ongoing sleep issues since early 2022.
So no other antidepressant or anti-anxiety med after stopping Lexapro, just the low dose...
I am trying some other intervention avenues first, but have a plan to try anti-seizure Tegretol at low dose if all else fails. Not only is this used off label for anxiety, depression, PTSD, but can help Morse code type tinnitus which is what at least 2 of my tones present as. It is also used for...
You stepped in shit when you became acutely aware of chronic tinnitus and the monster that is anxiety. The two go together almost naturally especially when stress is a factor. Although I would hope with your tinnitus history that this new anxiety inducing awareness is short lived. Keep in mind...
It was everything I assumed it would be. He offered mindfulness, WNGs, antianxiety meds as options and fully explained everything about T. He's right when he says my anxiety/ocd feeds the T. It's nice to hear info from someone knowledgeable and trained. He also says mine is not noise induced...
So i've never had the balloon dilation, but they say it helps 80% ETD people. I'm taking a prednisone pack and it's just ramping up my anxiety instead. I've never heard of poking a hole in the ETD, that's interesting, I wonder if that works. I can understand hesitancy doing it though.
I also...
Sorry, I was referring to many mild case newcomers. After all this is what the thread was kind of about. I completely understand your situation and maybe I’ll soon be there too.
I had a great meeting with Dr. Boedts virtually on Thursday, though I'm quite a ways away in the United States. I am considering a trip to Belgium this Summer or Fall for treatment with him and/or Dr. De Ridder. He is a pioneer and is very willing to work with our unique patient population. I...
And don't forget TTTS, noxacusis, reactive tinnitus, insomnia, and depression. After over 20 years of tinnitus, I've found it's just gotten worse over the last 18 months, even within the last month! The anxiety doesn't get better as things worsen - they're all linked. The sympathetic nervous...
@DeanD makes me so angry how non responsive the medical system is with regards to this. I am so sorry. Do you have anything on hand to help like an as needed antianxiety?
The Neurofeedback clinic was closed last week and this week unfortunately, so I will be going back again next week.
A natural anti-anxiety remedy is a walk in the green park. Next time you wake up early with anxiety, get a bottle of water and go sit in the park for a while. Pay attention to the greens, the trees, the birds, the sky etc. It will help you loads. Try it and and let me know how it went please...
Mirtazapine is a tetracyclic antidepressant that I have also researched a lot and have considered for my anxiety disorder. It is reportedly very safe for tinnitus, which is why I would even consider it. I am so afraid of taking anything that could make my tinnitus worse. It can cause weight gain...
That is not true. He did not sign a bill to "make it easier for people with mental illnesses to buy firearms." A Fact Check article on CNN Politics, which happens to be an anti-Trump network, on Aug. 7 2019, explained exactly what happened. Trump rolled back a bill from the Obama...
One thing I’ve seen a few times on Tinnitus Talk is that newcomers should know is that once people got their anxiety under control, they felt a lot better. It’s often far more about the anxiety than the symptoms. For me it was the same.
As soon as I focused on other things and had a Valium or...
I’ve been taking 100 mg per day for just two weeks now. I haven’t noticed any changes in my tinnitus. I take L-Theanine at night, I’ve been noticing that I’m feeling more relaxed and chill. My tinnitus fluctuates greatly, so it’s hard for me to tell if I’m spiking or not from these things.
If...
Reading this is genuinely inspiring and gives me hope. I got driven to the point of suicidal thoughts just by an increase in the tinnitus noise, I didn’t even get pain hyperacusis or anything and while I hear it 24/7 it doesn’t drown out voices.
I ended up on anti-anxiety meds which have...
Maybe I need to speak to my GP again.
She has offered me Propranolol or Citalopram - but said in terms of anxiety medication, this is all she could offer me.
I tried Propranolol last year, along with Mirtazapine, but after some eye issues I stopped both.
My neurologist also recommended...
Hi @Eliska - Yes, I take Trazodone as a sleeping aid. I take it right before I lay down to sleep.
It does help me to fall asleep, and I haven't noticed any bad effects on my tinnitus from taking it.
I've been taking Trazodone for at least three months now. I started with 25 mg and moved up to...
I am posting this because I have a very specific problem relating to my tinnitus, which I have been struggling with for almost 6 years now, and have still not managed to properly deal with it.
Description of the problem:
When I hear my tinnitus, which is sharp, high pitched, and erratic, I...
As I know I can´t continue like this, I´m thinking about trying antidepressants soon. I never liked the idea of taking them, but at this point I don´t have a lot to lose.
Excuse for my question, but is the plan to use antidepressants forever? Do they need to be taken in higher doses over time...
Thank you all. It is better now but I had to take some antianxiety meds. It’s not gone but much quieter after I slept. It scared me so bad. I have had it loud in the last 3 weeks bit this was something else. No way I could live with that.
@Joe Cuber how did you get nerve damage and where? Did m the antianxiety drug do anything to male libido? If so which one does is less likely to disturb make libido? You suffer from depression? I'm sorry, I beat depression but I'm back to square one
@Jupiterman unfortunately not I made 4 trips to the ER and was chalked up as a paranoid anxiety patient. Doctors prescribed anti depression meds and sent me on my way. Not even a ENT referral was recommended. My last visit I just walked out without being discharged. I was beyond frustrated. I...
Have you considered Paxil? It's an antidepressant that leans more toward anti-anxiety effects than stimulating effects, making it more calming overall. It's an SSRI with an anticholinergic component, which can help reduce essential tremor and may also calm tinnitus. I've been gradually...
@Forever hopeful,
I hope you see this reply. Your post here speaks to me so much. I have a very similar experience as yours, although I'm relatively new to this (for 2 months now).
I too get fluctuating tinnitus day by day. Some days it's quiet, other days it's a cacophony in my right ear...
Carol...Those two meds are not exactly "anti anxiety". The first is an anti-inflammatory and the second an anti-depressant. Ummmm, yeah the latter could help with anxiety as part of the "mood spectrum" but it's not really the main deal for it to hit anxiety square on I believe. Maybe talk to...
If you have ANXIETY, I strongly urge you to try an over-the-counter anti-histamine allergy relief medication that contains HCl, like Benadryl. Histamine causes the anxiety. HCl or Hydroxyzine is the same active ingredient as what is in one of the more effective anti-anxiety medications.
Thank you @Stacken77.
May I ask which safer anti-anxiety drug you use? I occasionally use Ativan, but I want to stay away from it as much as possible. For now I'm using Flexeril, a muscle relaxant which seems to improve my somatosensory tinnitus experience. I can only use it for 2-3 week (I...
My tinnitus started approximately 7 weeks ago after being one month on a therapeutic dose of Lexapro (Escitalopram). I was prescribed this anti-depressant after a long history of anxiety, panic attacks and mild depression. It was so bad, at some point I could not take the train to work because...
Sorry to hear that man, that’s not a nice thing to do. Have you been back to your psychiatrist to see if they would but you on a lower dose or change your anti-psychotics drugs, I know not all of them leave you feeling totally lethargic. Do you get out much? Excerise any?
Hello everyone,
I'm starting Effexor XR, as prescribed by my doctor, to help me cope better with my 6-week old tinnitus condition. I've tried doing without it, and things seemed better for awhile.
However, starting medication yesterday caused a perceptible spike in my tinnitus. I've been told...
My insurance will cover hearing aids if they are deemed medically necessary, which may or may not help. I have mild hearing loss between 3-8 kHz, so it would likely require weeks of back-and-forth between my audiologist and the insurance company before they agree to cover it.
Unfortunately, my...
Have you tried some beer or so?
It's very normal to need some antianxiety meds (especially at the beginning).
Talk to your doctor. Mirtazapine, Benzodiazepines, Z-Drugs, Anti-Psychotic and other drugs could be used.
Thank you for your reply! I definitely hope that I can return to how it was before. I wonder if my anxiety and hyperfixation are causing these new sounds that I've been noticing and that are making it more difficult for me to ignore.
I am starting Sertraline, taking my second dose today. I...