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

Trazodone is an antidepressant, but under 150 mg it doesn't really work as one as there is not enough chemical in it to stimulate serotonin which is why it's often paired with an SSRI for people with sleep and/or anxiety/depression issues. It contains an antihistamine which causes sedation - think of it as Benadryl on steroids. Physically speaking, there shouldn't be the need to withdraw from it from a physical standpoint, but there is the psychological effect of it which may require tapering in some cases; I quit cold turkey on it from 125 mg nightly after a few months a couple of years ago and was fine. Mirtazapine on the other hand at 7.5 mg+ does act as an antidepressant and should be weaned off.

Interestingly and paradoxically enough, with Trazodone and Mirtazapine at very high doseages they are LESS sedating. Trazodone was prescribed at 200-300 mg for depression in the past, but few doctors prescribe it for that anymore.

You could always try a low dose Doxepin for sleep.

However, one thing nice about Traz is the short half-life and less grogginess during the day compared to Mirtazapine and Doxepin.

 

I've tried three different SSRIs because I do have some anxiety issues - I tried Paxil, Lexapro, and Zoloft. After about 3-4 days, each of them gave me severe insomnia issues. I couldn't get past 9 days on just 3-4 hours sleep each night and had to stop. I even tried very low doseages to start and gradually increase, but didn't matter.

I never tried an SNRI, but they are similar enough that I believe it would cause me issues again.

 

My biggest issue is the psychological dependence. I am off both Remeron and Trazodone (25 mg) under the care of my doctor, with the help of zopilcone (sleep aid) and Ativan (just in case). I can't be on either one long and don't intend to be. The good news is they have helped start the process of resetting my sleep cycle. I am finding that I am getting close to falling asleep with just 5htp, Vitamins B6 and 12 and Magnesium at night. My issue is adrenaline jolts wake me up and pretty much spoil any sleep window I may have.

 

Is there any AD witch is non ototoxic ?

 

That's a question I've seen here many times and the short answer seems to be it depends on you. I have not tried an AD that didn't cause damage, but that's just me. Some people use any number of them and are fine. But many people on this board have troubles with many of these drugs. Learn from my mistakes. Before taking anything, go online and research the drug's side effects and interactions on Drugs.com or the Mayo Clinic site. T is such an individual condition that affects everyone differently, so the answer to your question may up to you. I wish there was an easy answer.

 

Not positive, but think it's Chinese for that it is reasonably certain that a bear s**ts in the woods.

 

I'm sorry if I missed an answer for this but I've looked through some of the pages in this thread a few times over the past while and would just like to know what some of the "better" antidepressants are for people with tinnitus. I have a box of pristiq that my doc gave me to try but I'm hesitant as she doesn't really understand the whole T thing and I read somewhere on here that a few people had bad experiences with it. Thanks everyone

 

Just saw this, and it makes sense. The only thing is that probably every AD has T as a possible side effect, so researching to find the right one seems quite tough.

 

I would suggest going to reputable websites like Mayo Clinic, WebMD or Drugs.com and use that as a starting point. The only way to find out if the drug is right for you is to try it and see. If you notice any effect in your ears, you can stop it early and avoid long term damage.

 

Any thoughts on Prozac?I'm afraid to take

 

Hi Jeannie,
Antidepressants are very good in calming you down, taking away the anxiety, and keeping you relaxed!
once you get habituated to the tinnitus, then you'll no longer need them and your GP will prob wean you off them. They are a great temp support! and when your struggling with the T they will make a huge differance to you once there into your system.
I have very very loud tinnitus and have had for 26years now! I was on antidepressants for the first eighteen months, after that I was weaned off them as I was habituated then and I no longer needed them, you'll be the same.
It does get much easier to deal with, but you have to be patient as it takes a little time. As bad and loud as mine is it doesn't bother me anymore, it's just a matter of getting used to if.
Take it easy, and always try and make sure your able to get a good nights sleep! that's very important when dealing with tinnitus.
best wishes Jeannie,
Andrew Bailey.

 

I think my tinnitus are coming from a depression. It is never the same and i often got fleeting tinnitus, many times per day and earfullness. My hearing is perfect on both ears. I often think about starting with a low dose ssri, but im not sure. The reason that im not sure is that im tried it for ten years ago whit double effect. After two weeks my tinnitus suddenly gone really bad after a soccergame. I was really scared and my spike lasted for many months. But after that it suddenly got better and after some months i started to forgot my new tinnitus more and more. But now i think im back in the old moods. I know much has happnd with ssri medications in the lasts ten years, but should i be scared of starting? What is your oppinion?
Im not even sure if my new tinnitus depended on the ssri, but i have a felling of that.

 

I feel ssri and antibiotics caused my T.

 

Try a small dose. If it is truly worse stop, but don't look for it to get worse or it will seem that way. I take lexapro 10 mg daily

 

Have not too bad tinnitus now for many years. A high pitch one, that was bothering me sometimes when I noticed it and fixated on it.

I started taking 30 mg Prozac 2-3 years ago (not for tinnitus), and I must say my tinnitus does not bother me much since I started.
I'm not saying it is gone or even less loud, but I just don't fixate on it, don't notice it near as much, don't care about it as much since I started Prozac. So, to me, my tinnitus is definitely better - in only that I pretty much don't notice it all the time now.

Might be worth a try if you're bothered.

 

What antidepressant you take?

Thanks

 

Hello everyone, I´m on 1 pill of atenix ( sertraline 50 mg ) every morning. I started taking it because of an anxiety and depression issue, and T in both ears. This is my third week with antiD. At the begining i had some side effects, but nowadays feeling better, with my anxiety and mood more stable. On my left ear i have had it for 4 years, and the one in my right ear is brand new, 2 months since it began. I was told that you feel the real effect on antiD between 4 - 6 weeks, so still trying it. I think i will be fine.

 

I have had loud high pitched T going into my 11th month that I hear over the TV, radio, and driving my car. Only time I dont hear it is in the shower. I have tried a ton of different vitamins, suppliments and snake oil remedies with no success or relief. My doctor suggested I try nortryptiline 25 mg so I took one and felt a little out of sorts and decided not to continue that drug. Meanwhile I read Kevin Hogans book and decided to try his recomendation for a reduction in volume of my T. So I have been taking 0.5 xanax 10 in the morning and 0.5 xanax at four in the afternoon and take 25 mg nortryptiline one hour befor bed. I really could not tell any difference in my T for about 10 days and one evening bam my T became remarkably lower in volume. So for the last week my T has become much lower for the most part. In addition I have lost 25 lbs by eating a much more healtthy diet eliminating salt, sugar, artificial flavorings and sweeteners. Also workout at the gym cardio and weight training one hour and 15 minutes four times a week. By taking the nortryptiline at night I havent had any side effects except for a little dry mouth and if I wake up have a little trouble going back to sleep. But this does not happen on the days that I workout at the gym. This is the only thing that has really noticeably helped since the onset of my T.

 

Hello William,
My T is not maskable. It varies a lot in volume and tone and a hearing aid didn't work, so now I'm seriously considering xanax. The question is, how do you get your doctor to prescribe it? I've mentioned it casually to the two primary care givers I've seen so far in my city and both seemed hesitant to prescribe it because it is so addictive. However, my dad used it for years and was never addicted. Plus a .5 dose doesn't seem like it would do much harm. So how to you get your doctor to prescribe it?

 

BuzzyBee when you talk to your doctor he can not give you a prescription if you tell him its for T although it causes anxiety and depression in most folks. Tell your doctor you that you feel anxiety and depression and need a prescription for .5 xanax to make you feel better and that is what your father took for years. Also .5 is not a large dose and taken as directed should not be addictive in most people. People that become addictive generally have addictive type personalities. I will have an alcoholic beverage once in awhile but dont abuse alcohol either. Xanax addiction usually happens when folks up their dosage to high levels and the become dependent. My father took valium .5 for years and then was put on xanax and took it as long as I can remember. He lived into his late eighties and my mother also took xanax and lived to be 102 years old..

 

Thank you! I'll try that approach. Years ago before I had T I did mention to a doctor that I had panic attacks and he prescribed some. However, I was so nervous about taking it that I never opened the bottle and the pills just expired. Fast forward to now when I have T and feel like I really, REALLY might need it. Now it seems doctors aren't as quick to prescribe it. In fact, the ones I've seen who haven't been keen on the Xanax offered up Zoloft, which seems like it could potentially make matters worse. I just need something with a short half life that I can take during periods of extreme loudness and T anxiety.

 

How about printing out a couple of studies and bringing them to your doctor.
Surely, he can't argue with solid scientific research...

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19865063
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8343245

But if you ask me you're asking for trouble.
And it doesn't matter if have an "addictive type of personality". You WILL build up tolerance if you become a long time user and then ... well, read up on the subject, good luck whatever you decide.

 

Yes, that's my concern. Thanks for the good luck wishes! I might see a neurologist before hitting the Xanax. Along with the T I've been having facial pain for two years. Dentists (many!) can't find anything wrong and TMJ has been ruled out, so now I'm thinking it's trigeminal neuralgia. I probably should have seen a neurologist early on, but not one doctor has suggested I do so. Every person chalks up tinnitus and physical pain to anxiety. They don't seem to comprehend that the physical pain is causing more anxiety.

 

I've just been reading through this thread and just wondered how many people here are taking, or took Mirtazapine. How long did you take it? And was it easy to stop taking it? I would like to try it a while as I'm sleep deprived over months but don't relish a hellish withdrawal or the prospect of getting stuck on it. I'm a little older than most of you here, being 58. I'm filled with fear, both of my normal and pulsatile tinnitus, and of taking a drug which might or might not help or even make a bad situation even worse.

 

My psychiatrists summed up the ototoxity of AD's pretty well. They are not known to ototoxic like some antibiotics and chemotherapy type drugs, but the sheer number of people taking Antidepressants means that mathematically some of them will get Tinnitus; not necessarily from the AD.

 

The sheer number of people taking ADs is not really relevant. When you look at statistics for side effects, you look at percentages, not absolute numbers.

 

But it explains why "tinnitus" shows up as a side effect (although % is low) for almost all ADs.

 

I don't think so. The %, albeit low, is high enough to warrant a mention.

 

Pharmaceutical companies have to mention all side effects. But if a higher percentage of the population is taking AD's, there is going to be a much more likely chance of that larger population size showing some signs of Tinnitus; even if not necessarily linked to the AD.

 

Sorry, I'm not following the logic.