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

This thread is for the discussion of antidepressants & tinnitus.

SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors), SNRIs (Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors), MAOs (Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors), TCAs (Tricyclic Antidepressants), TeCAs (Tetracyclic Antidepressants), et cetera.

Some brand names: Cymbalta, Lexapro, Effexor, Zoloft, Celexa, Prozac, Wellbutrin, Citalopram, Pristiq, Amitriptyline, Paxil, Sertraline, Remeron (Mirtazapine), Nortriptyline, Venlafaxine, Fluoxetine...

Speak your mind, share your experiences, and ask questions.

 

Could anyone give me information on the anti-depressants they have tried for tinnitus?

 

Fluoxetine (prozac). Unfortunately, I've heard that it might make it worse, but I think I owe a large part of my recovery (mental approach) to the prozac. I was on it before (for depression), and had come off it when I had my last and worst episode.

 

Thanks. Its a worry when almost all anti-depressants come up as ototoxic.

 

While this is true, there are several factors when it comes to ototoxicity. Certain medications are known to cause permanent damage to the hearing system in some people and there are very few of these. The rest are considered to be "possible" ototoxic including anti-depressants.

Other factors are dosage, frequency and how many meds you are taken at the same time which are ototoxic (combined increased dosage). If you are taken high doses for longer periods of time, you may experience certain ototoxic effects. Many ototoxic drugs which cause hearing issues are considered to be reversible including nsaids, aspirin and anti-depressants, however the chance is minor that you will experience adverse effects in the first place. Most only 1-2%. Just because a med may potentially be ototoxic doesn't mean it will be for you.

Symptoms of ototoxicty are tinnitus or worsening of existing tinnitus, balance problems, dizziness and vertigo. In most case, just stopping a med will cause these symptoms to improve or go away within a few days, weeks or sometimes months.

 

i find that the anti anxiety tablet is the only real tablet that helps .. it is a low dose and i have been on it for 20 years.. i dont know what else to do.. my noise is so very loud.. there is 4 noises in my head.. i have to have some quality of life...

 

am on lexapro amd lexotan 3mg and have been for many years.. they do help me cope better but thats all...

 

louise.. you have only had tinnitus this year so maybe trying something natural would be better for you.. if you have had tinnitus for many years it is harder to treat.. you could have some great results if you start sometment now... sound therapy would be a great starting point for you.. jenny..

 

Thanks Jenny. The anxiety is the worst thing for me right now. Interesting that your doctor is ok with you bneing on the anti-anxiety med for so long. Can you tell that its still working for you?

 

Thanks Erik. I'll try not to stress about taking them then. I tried one Sertraline (Zoloft) on Friday and felt terrible. Really nauseous and the weirdest feeling of my head lifting up and floating off to the side. A very, very odd feeling. Also I got even less sleep and I think it was that.

I need to find an Anti-D that suits me but they all seem to cause nausea and dry mouth.

 

Yes, thats good advice Markku, I'll keep on with the Citalopram I think.

 

Has anyone used Amitriptyline?

 

Has anyone tried using this anti-depressant?

 

I was prescribed it to help me sleep, 10mg before bed. It was a life-saver. 10mg is very low dose, working more as a sleep aid than an AD.

 

I've been trying Amitriptyline for a week to see if it helps with T (some studies suggest it does). However, I've now found a quote about how it works and it doesnt sound good. Does anyone know what this means below....

"The anticholinergic action leads to decreased production of endolymph and a release of inhibition in the afferent fibers at the organ of Corti and the olivocochlear bundle. The antihistaminic effect products a vasoconstriction of the cochlear artery, which decreases the cochlear potential."

Not sure releasing inhibition and reducing blood flow to the cochlear is a good idea?

 

I don't want to sound against your findings, and I am really pleased that Amytriptyline has anticholinergic
Action. I have always considered this drug being ottotoxic and never tried it?

 

joe makes a good point cause messing with endolymph is getting to the core of the hearing mechanism...this drug may help but it may hurt so id be sure and check with more than one medical professional

anticholinergic means the drug inhibits a neurotransmitter called acetylcholineone which is one of more than around 30 brain transmitter chemicals...gaba and glutamate ore two others we talk about here a lot, you may have heard of those two )

decreased production of endolymph means one of the two fluids in the cochlea, endolymph, is produced is lesser amounts... the endolymph is potassium rich

the other fluid in the cochlea is called perilymph an i believe it is sodium rich

endolymph surounds the organ of corti which is where the hearing cells are

perilymph is on either side of the organ of corti

endolymph is way more positive than endolymph and thats how the whole signal thing from hearing gets powered up

so i would GUESS that if your meds change the endolymph in some way, you would notice it

but would it help? or hurt (agravate) tinnitus...i dont know

ask your doctor about this...im just a search engine junkie and i dont know poop without help from the internet

good luck
mt

 

Guys thanks.

The only reason I know about Amitriptyline being implicated with tinnitus is from a phone call I made to a practioner (Cranio Sacral I think) in the early days and some google research which turned up a test in which 95% of T people in the study benefitted from it. I'll post that link at the end. its not new news is it that Amitriptyline is supposed to help?

Joe - all the antidepressants I know of come up as ototoxic in the book I have (Ototoxic Drugs Exposed). All of them. Then some people say its only a small percentage of people who get his effect and even then its transient. When you get to the end of your tether you'll try anything and that's where I am.

MT - You will know as well as I that normal doctors will be of no use in these very specific questions. We are talking hearing specialists for the answer to questions such as those arent we? Or even more knowledgeable ones than those. I put the question out because I'm not able to research in my current state so anything anyone can tell me from google etc etc is helpful.

MT,, from this quote, which did you mean is moe positive? "endolymph is way more positive than endolymph and thats how the whole signal thing from hearing gets powered up" do you mean endolypmh or perilymph? Neither will mean much to me but the more info the better.

Wasnt there something about potassium channels that has just been discovered too? I'll post that at the end as well.

What I read sounds really scary especially the part about vasoconstriction. But, this drug has been said to help T.

Here are the links I have read:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11771024
http://www.tinnitusjournal.com/detalhe_artigo.asp?id=393
http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/press/...lular-mechanisms-behind-the-onset-of-tinnitus

 

I was wondering if anyone has had any negative experience with Mirtazapine regarding T?

 

Is this Lorazapam? So many I get confused

 

No, Its Mirtazapine (Remeron in the US) its and anti-depressant.

 

DOH! on my part. Have had tinnitus since 1999 and at first was not sleeping at all. Did some reading to where the AD Amitriptyline helps with sleep. Doctor let me try it(50mg)and it worked wonders and I still take it to this day. I've heard good things about Remeron also.

 

Louise,

I took Zoloft for a while and found it a very difficult medication to get used to. The first 3 or 4 weeks were terrible, but my doctor encouraged me to stick with it. The symptoms I had were agitation, sweating, and that feeling of your head floating like you described. I was taking it as anxiety not related to tinnitus at the time. I eventually got used to it, and it did get my anxiety under control, but never liked it. Stopped taking it after about 6 months. I also had difficulty sleeping while on Zoloft. I would wake up very frequently. I switched to taking it in the morning rather than at night and that helped (I woke up less frequently). Once I quit taking it, my sleep pattern went back to normal.

 

Been on Amitriptyline 50mg since coming down with tinnitus. It solved my issue with insomnia because of my tinnitus. Still take it. I think it's a wonder drug.

 

One of my doctors said that Amitripyline is one of the best for tinnitus.

I have to agree with Dez Dog's statement:

The problem with tinnitus is our reaction. If these drugs can reduce the tension and anxiety, then we reduce our negative reactions.

 

Thanks for the info. Did Amitriptyline reduce the T noise at all? Its the one that is supposed to help with that. I got some but didnt take it when I saw T was actually listed as a side-effect!

 

I've been told that Amitriptyline can lower T volume. J Wing, do you get a volume reduction? Unfortunately the Patient Informatino Leaflet lists tinnitus as a side-effect (other meds dont, so its not like its on everything) so I wouldnt take it.

 

Has any one eperienced relief by using the above-mentioned drugs. I would like to hear any positive or negative results