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

What form of lithium do you take?

 

Hi @GBB -- I take one dose daily; here's the product I use:

NCI Advanced Research Dr. Hans Nieper Lithium Orotate Tablets 120 mg 200 tablets (pack of 2)

 

Thanks, I ordered some. Anything is worth a try.

 

I might go on an AD for pain hyperacusis and tinnitus but am really not sure. I’ve heard Nortriptyline can work well for neuropathic pain. I’m afraid of ototoxicity, making things worse, and other scary side effects. I’m pretty indecisive on this, and I know Tinnitus Talk tends to be filled with horror stories about them.

Advice anyone? Do they deplete support cells? I want FX-322 to work when it does come out.

Pretty desperate.

 

I'm on Mirtazapine for anxiety and haven't had any issues with it at all - been on it for the past 4 years.

 

Can they be taken alongside antidepressants?

 

Me too, I’m on mirtazapine for 1 year and it only gave me gastric problems. But it was solved by taking it in between a meal. It made my sleep so much better.

 

What makes you think they deplete support cells?

 

Nothing concrete, I'm just paranoid. Also worried about long-term sexual side effects.

 

Most side effects stop once you stop taking the medication.

 

Hi @TheDanishGirl -- I think there would be very low risk of any kind of "mixed drug" reaction by taking lithium orotate. The reason being is that lithium is not a drug, but a mineral. My understanding is the reason it can be so effective for various kinds of brain conditions is because of its unique ability to detoxify the brain. Some suggest that the herb St. John's Wort may work on a similar principle. However, since SJW can increase seratonin levels, a person would need to be cautious in mixing it with SSRIs.

 

Thank you for your detailed answer I will look further into it and maybe try it. I know of St. John's wort, but like you said, I know it is not a good idea to mix it with SSRIs, cause of the risk of serotonin syndrome.

 

I have been taking Amitriptyline 10 mg for several years for irritable bowel. I got tinnitus 8 months ago and now taking 150 mg at night for sleep along with Seroquel. My doctor said he can switch me to Nortriptyline if I want.

Does anyone have experience in taking both Amitriptyline and Nortriptyline for tinnitus and finding one helping more than the other?

 

This article demonstrates that some of us (tinnitus sufferers) are quite drugged. However, IMHO, this article is not clear: when it talks about "prior", I don't get whether it is prior to the onset of the tinnitus or prior to the visit to this centre.

MULTIDISCIPLINARY MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC TINNITUS IN AUDIOPHONOLOGY CENTRE: SURVEY OF PSYCHIATRIC COMORBIDITIES AND PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATIONS USE OVER 10 YEARS OF ACTIVITY

 

Psychiatrist wants to put me on 20 mg Cymbalta a day for tinnitus and noxacusis. I don't know if I should do it, I've read about people worsening from it on here. At the same time I'm really deep in this hole and can't climb myself out of it. Anyone here tried it?

 

Antidepressants, as far as I'm aware, are not ototoxic. They can cause temporary tinnitus yes, but are not ototoxic. I've seen a thread from a tinnitus specialist on here that discusses the list of ototoxic medications, he strictly states antidepressants are not one of them.

When you take ototoxic drugs you think high-end strong antibiotics or cancer treatments.

 

I was on that for anxiety a long time ago but dropped it after a month (obviously not long enough to see a difference) because of how much weight I gained. At least I had no sexual side effects on that.

My mental health has taken a really bad turn lately and im starting on Effexor (Venlafaxine) again, which is notorious for tinnitus as a side effect, but last time around that side effect went away after two weeks. No changes in hearing.

 

Hi @Koz -- I have to respectfully disagree with virtually everything your wrote. I believe antidepressants are a very high risk for causing permanent tinnitus, and this is borne out by the numerous posts on this forum. The fact that a "tinnitus specialist" has said antidepressants are not ototoxic tells me he's no specialist, and that he should consider another profession.

When it comes to ototoxic drugs, it seems literally any drug has the potential to be ototoxic for some people. My understanding is there's literally hundreds of drugs that list tinnitus or ringing of the ears as potential side effects. Many on this forum have reported getting tinnitus from drugs that don't even list it as a potential side effect. The class of drugs known as anticholinergics are especially problematic for some people. -- A single dose of an anticholinergic drug over two years ago sent me into the spiral of tinnitus, reactive tinnitus, and severe hyperacusis.

In other words, if someone already has tinnitus, they need to be super diligent and extensively research any drug they may be considering. Not doing so can lead to great tragedy, as is often seen on this forum. Same thing goes for all the various tests that ENTs often insist their patients take. Research all those tests before ever acquiescing to those requests. Again, not doing so can lead to great tragedy.

 

Hi @Lane - I think you misunderstood. Yes, they can cause tinnitus but antidepressants, as far as I am aware, have nothing to do with hearing loss. Tinnitus is a side effect of many of them indeed and yes sometimes it stays even after stopping taking them, but just because tinnitus is developed does not mean it comes with hearing loss.

I believe any rare reports of hearing loss for someone on antidepressants have not been proven to be from antidepressant treatment. Unless you know something I don't know?

 

@Koz -- Thanks for your explanation. From what you said, it appears you equate ototoxic with hearing loss, and nothing else. Would that be correct? I myself (whether rightly or wrongly) equate ototoxic with anything that can damage or disrupt our whole auditory system, from the the inner ear to the brain--and perhaps elsewhere in the body.

In my case, I took what I consider to be an ototoxic drug, but it did not not create any hearing loss whatsoever. Yet it gave me almost unbearable, screeching tinnitus. A drug leading to unbearable tinnitus fits my own definition of ototoxic, though I can't say whether it meets some kind of medical definition of ototoxic.

 

Hi there,

My doctor recently started me on SSRI medication. First Fluoxetine. Stopped that, then tried Viibryd. Both of which caused a significant tinnitus increase. I am considering trying Lexapro, but I'm guessing this will also increase tinnitus. These meds have helped me so much for anxiety and depression, and feel like my life would benefit greatly, but as you all know the ringing is really hard to deal with.

Has anyone successfully taken SSRI meds while controlling the tinnitus impact, or are SSRI's a lost cause for folks like us? The forum threads on this site seem to point to the latter, but I'd love to hear any success stories.

- Ben

 

I stopped Fluoxetine about a year and a half ago. It did not increase my tinnitus. It had been completely stable for 3 years and very low level until a recent acoustic trauma with stress. The doctor gave me a script for Fluoxetine again, but like you I hesitated to take it. I also was given steroids, but did not want to risk losing sleep or increasing anxiety. I have been taking Magnesium in water 1-3 times a day if I feel anxious, along with walking, breathing, talking and prayer I'm feeling much better. Hope you feel better very soon.

 

Just wanted to chime in that for anxiety, Propranolol and Kava kava work really, really well (doesn't address depression though).

 

Thanks very much @twa and @GBB. Good to know of some alternatives out there if the Lexapro proves to be problematic. Onward to achieve mental health!

 

You're very welcome! I have a friend have seen improvement with St. John's Wort. Another friend has taken L-theanine (not together though). I have also read Ashwagandha helps with anxiety. You may ask your doctor about these.

 

Have you tried Paroxetine / Prozac?

 

I haven't tried Paroxetine, but I have tried Prozac.

Fluoxetine is the generic for Prozac, which did increase my tinnitus significantly. It's unfortunate because it was very effective at treating my depression, anxiety and OCD, but I had to stop taking it. Starting the Lexapro tonight. Fingers crossed the tinnitus does not flare up more than it already is.

 

I tried Paroxetine and it did calm me, but it did not do anything in terms of hearing perception (hyperacusis or tinnitus wise).

I tried Paroxetine because after developing severe hyperacusis I was still going around with naked ears, without any hearing protection, just trying to navigate around avoiding noise and my anxiety went through the roof due to this. I was in pain much of the time and spent 2 years like that prior to trying Paroxetine combined with listening to white noise and music at home and using hearing protection.

A TRT therapist advised me to go around without earplugs, even on busy streets etc. It was the worst advice I have had for extreme hyperacusis. TRT is just a scam.

 

@Juan I'm sorry to hear about the hyperacusis and tinnitus combo. That must be really hard to deal with. I hope you are able to get at least some relief with the treatments you mentioned. Best of luck.

 

Hi everyone,

I am interested in feedback about Wellbutrin (Bupropion) as it is a different AD from all others, specifically targeting anxiousness and not depression. Actually I don't seem to be depressed, only stressed/anxious which I try to manage using different natural methods. But I also read about bupropion anti-inflammatory properties, especially about TNF.

Bupropion inhibits TNF, just like Curcumin, Humira, Infliximab, etc. but has very few undesirable effects. I wish I could try it. I already tried Zoloft many (many) years ago and it was not ok with me, no real change and not cool for love business in bed

I have chronic fatigue for years and my gut isn't at its best for years as well. So I don't know if it's related to a TNF condition or tinnitus induced stress (or even stress alone) but I think Bupropion could help.

I also read people taking Bupropion having tinnitus triggered by this medication. It seems to be very rare though.

So unlike people coming here on this forum because of Bupropion, what happened to people from this forum starting Bupropion after getting tinnitus? Has it changed your tinnitus? Has it helped with your mood, your concentration / brain fog and your energy?