Are Venlafaxine and Levothyroxine Ototoxic / Bad for Hyperacusis and Tinnitus?

Hello folks:

I have not been here for a while. It is not because my ears are OK that I have avoided this forum. I just needed a break from hearing about some bad cases. There is just so much misery one can expose oneself to. It does not mean I do not feel for those who are suffering, believe me.

That being said, my ears have been pretty good over the last 4-5 months (I have hyperacusis only, little tinnitus) . Which is nice because I have been going through a moderate depression, which is hard enough to endure without anything else tormenting you . Now, I have just come back from seeing a psychiatrist and he has prescribed an antidepressant whose scientific name is VENLAFAXINE, known commercially in Canada here as EFFEXOR. Can someone who knows where to go immediately save me the time searching the Net and look up whether that med is ototoxic. I think that is the term for drugs that can cause hyperacusis or tinnitus as a side effect. If that is not the right term, then let me rephrase here and ask if that med can affect the ears with respect to hyperacusis and tinnitus.

Also can you look up whether LEVOTHYROXINE, known commercially as SYNTHROID in Canada, can also be ototoxic. This is a med for low thyroid levels.

Since I do not have my own computer, I am using one now in a library. The library will be shut down for the next 4 days (Fri-Mon, Easter holiday) so I will not be able to check for any answers until next Tuesday or Wednesday. In the meantime, thanks for any help!

Let me end by writing that even though, on the whole, my ears have been OK, I still have regularly had some minor setbacks, which are, of course, unavoidable. For any new people, make sure you understand that. No one can always make the right decision about whether to enter any given sound environment that presents itself. That you will make a REALLY major mistake is improbable but possible. In the 23 years that I have had hyperacusis, I made to 2 major mistakes that permanently made me worse, but, luckily, I am still in a comfortable zone most of the time.

Take care everyone!


Marco

 

Hi again:

Just by luck , I saw the thread below about the possible otoxicity of antidepressants, a thread to which I contributed way back last autumn. I am now more inclined NOT to take any antidepressant. But, still, if anyone can easily look up the possible ototoxicity of the meds I cite, I would really appreciate it. I do not know where to look.

Thanks.

Marco

 

OK, I figured out I could look up these meds specifically and check out the side effects. I saw nothing regarding hyperacusis and tinnitus for Synthroid. And come to think of it, the pharmacy gave me a list of possible effects. Sorry I am not too swift sometimes when looking up things on the Net. That being said, I would still appreciate it if someone knows of a list of possibly ototoxic meds for any type of ailment.

Thanks.

Marco

 

If you type Venlafaxine in the search box you´ll find enough stories of people believing it to be ototoxic. I´m unsure about it. But I will still warn you of taking it because it is HELL to get off and believe me, some day you will want to. There are many other ADs out there with much longer half life I´d rather try out first. Venlafaxine´s short half life is part of why it is HELL to get off. Also its effect on the norepinephrine neurotransmitters.

 

OK, I accidentally found the info I needed. So no help needed, but I thought we might leave this thread here as a general warning to everyone with hyperacusis and tinnitus to always check out the possible ototoxicity of meds which could make us worse.

In case you are wondering the American Tinnitus Association's list of possible ototoxic meds says that the Effexor is possibly ototoxic, and Synthroid is not. I can't give you a link to this list because I do not know how. But if you type in "List of ototoxic medications", you will find an excellent article on the topic with a link in the article called the same: "list of ototoxic medications".

Marco

 

Grate Biff:

Hi and greetings to your way out there in Oslo.

Thanks for your warning about Venlafaxine. I gather you know about its hellish withdrawal effects from your own experience. As I wrote in my last post, it is also on the ATA list of possibly ototoxic meds.

At this point, I am inclined to not take chances with ANY antidepressant meds, and just put up with my depression which is moderate. In my last and first depression ever in my life, I recovered naturally. This time I am not. If I were really bad, maybe I would reconsider. I am gonna think it over this weekend, but I doubt I will take anything unless I got way worse, like very suicidal, which I am not.

As I relate on another thread just below this one, I had taken Mirtazapine, an AD. It had no effect on me, and luckily I did not develop any tinnitus while using it because it is possibly ototoxic. And no withdrawal effects. Neither did I have problems with Clonazepam, a tranquilizer, which I sometimes take. Did not even think of checking all this out!

Thanks again.

Marco (in Canada)

 

Grate Biff:

I just talked to my psychiatrist about possible withdrawal symptoms from Venlafaxine. He says there is little danger. Yet you describe your withdrawal as HELL. What did your psychiatrist say about you hellish symptoms after you withdrew from this med? Was he or she surprised? And what is this half-life of ADs that you mention?

As for me, I have decided after thinking it over, that I will not take this med for now. I would rather put up with my depression than possibly get worse tinnitus or hyperacusis, of which I have little luckily. It's been a little worse by coincidence these days, and I do not need any further worries. My psychiatrist politely discouraged this, but I decide finally.

Marco