Am I the Unluckiest Person on Earth When It Comes to Tinnitus? My 6-Year Tinnitus Nightmare: How One Festival Changed My Life

[Kam75]

Hello @Kam75, I am really sorry for what you're going through. I'm in the same boat after taking a glucocorticoid and a tricyclic—just two doses, and I was in hell. The doctors tried to push all kinds of medications on me: SSRIs, benzodiazepines, antibiotics, corticosteroids, and so on.

At my lowest point, I had to go to the hospital because I hadn't slept for days. I was like the walking dead, and I know you understand what I mean. I just want to share that for about a month, I took Trazodone, and it helped me sleep. Maybe you could look into it after reading about the side effects and everything else. I lived in France for 12 years, and I'm 32, so we're about the same age.

Hi @Knietppe, I'm really sorry for what you're going through.

Yes, I completely understand what you described, and I also feel like a zombie because of the lack of sleep. My eyes are as red as tomatoes every day due to insomnia. I feel weak and unsteady, so much so that I sometimes think if someone brushed against me in the street, I might fall.

As for Trazodone, some members on Tinnitus Talk have recommended it to me. I spoke to my psychiatrist about it, but unfortunately, he told me it hasn't been available for sale in France for years.

Everything makes me worse too. All I want is to stop getting worse. I just want to live my life—or whatever is left of it. Tinnitus keeps taking everything from me and punishes me every time I try to make any progress in rebuilding my life.

Hi mate, I feel exactly the same.

Tinnitus has taken everything from me, even my job very soon. I was informed today that my company is reducing telework from three days a week to just one. I love this job, but unfortunately, I won't be able to manage four days on site. It's impossible when I am constantly going through sleepless nights.

I'm really devastated. Work was all I had left.

Hi @Kam75,

Your story is heartbreaking, especially because—even though I don't know you—I thought you were getting better. I'm quite sure I read some of your older posts on the French forum dedicated to tinnitus and hyperacusis. When I read your testimony here, I really felt your pain. It seems like you've already tried so many things…

My case is definitely not as severe as yours, but there are some similarities. I was intensely depressed and going through a serious professional burnout—both untreated—right before my acoustic trauma. My psychiatrist and my ENT are both convinced that the depression and anxiety are making my tinnitus worse, in a way similar to what SafeMusicFan described. Neurotransmitter imbalance, brain hyperactivity, fight-or-flight response, and so on. I'm not saying it's purely anxiety-induced, but it definitely plays a role. And I agree with many of the things @SafeMusicFan said.

My psychiatrist was very insistent that I take antidepressants because of how low I was. She has other patients with tinnitus and strongly advised against SSRIs like Sertraline, which can apparently worsen tinnitus. Instead, she chose an SNRI, Duloxetine. After four months, I'm currently switching to Venlafaxine, as Duloxetine no longer seems to be helping.

The first goal was to improve my sleep. At my worst—dealing with insomnia and intense suicidal thoughts—I was taking 2 mg of Lexomil, 2 mg of melatonin (sometimes 4), 90 mg of Duloxetine, and, in the most difficult nights, Tercian (Cyamemazine). This combination would completely knock me out for at least six hours. It was a strange kind of sleep, but it did allow me to rest.

I'm far from being "pro-antidepressant," but the SNRIs helped me regain enough mental clarity and energy to begin doing the things @SafeMusicFan suggested, and to start cognitive behavioral therapy focused on trauma and anxiety.

I don't know if a medical leave could help you, but it made a big difference for me in the beginning. It lifted the pressure and guilt of having to be productive and follow a strict schedule, when I was barely sleeping and overwhelmed by dark thoughts. That said, I know it can also be a double-edged sword because of the isolation that can come with it.

I don't know if anything I've shared will be helpful to you, but hang in there, @Kam75. Courage à toi!

Salut @Nocca.

You read some of my posts on the French forum Oreille Malade, right? Those must be really old, as I no longer use that forum.

Thanks for your advice! I'm also planning to ask my psychiatrist about adding Duloxetine to my current treatment with Mirtazapine. I had thought Duloxetine was an SSRI, so learning that it is actually an SNRI makes me feel more comfortable about it.

As for Venlafaxine, that's the antidepressant my psychiatrist has been trying to get me to take for years, but I've always refused.
I don't want to frighten you, but tinnitus is listed as a possible side effect of this drug. I've read several testimonials on Tinnitus Talk from people who developed tinnitus as soon as they stopped taking it.

So please be cautious with it!