Best Non-Ototoxic Drug / Supplement to Help with Sleep — A Tinnitus Sufferer's Dilemma

I don't know if I mentioned it before, but the 2nd of the 3 psychiatrists I saw prescribed Mianserin, but I refused to take it because I read that it could cause tinnitus (some SSRI antidepressants, if I remember correctly, can cause tinnitus).

However, the last psychiatrist I saw (in July 2021) felt that I am not depressed (although I thought I was) and did not prescribe antidepressants.

I told him about Mirtazapine, saying that according to tinnitus sufferers, this drug works well for sleep and seems to be the safest.

Instead he prescribed me Alimemazine (10 mg). It worked pretty well for a month, I was able to sleep better, but I don't think it's working anymore, maybe my body got used to it. I don't know...

My sleep is chaotic again.

To answer the others, I already take CBD oil (15%), Melatonin (2 mg per night), as well as Tone tablets (with Ginkgo biloba, Buckwheat, Hops, Blueberry, Galanga, Magnesium, Niacin). I also put essential oils on my wrists and neck and drink 2 herbal teas a day (vervain, orange leaves, chamomile, lime), but nothing helps.

I still wake up several times during the night, and I NEVER feel refreshed, even when I manage to sleep for several hours at the weekend.

I have an appointment with the psychiatrist next Monday, I'm going to talk to him about the fact that the Alimemazine is no longer working and ask him what he can advise me. This psychiatrist was recommended to me by the French tinnitus specialist (Dr. Alain LONDERO, who has already been mentioned on this forum). This psychiatrist is aware of tinnitus and above all he is an addictologist, so his aim is not to get me addicted to a drug.

I will keep you informed.

 

Keep us posted Kam!

 

I believe 5 days of Nortriptyline caused my tinnitus almost a year ago.

Have you tried Dayvigo / Lemborexant for sleep?

 

@Kam75, thanks.

The psychiatrist I saw told me that Mianserin is in the same category as Mirtazapine, but is much "lighter" as it has fewer side effects. He did not see tinnitus on the list of side effects that he consulted, but I, like you, have seen some articles on Mianserin being ototoxic. So I will send them to the psychiatrist and say that I would prefer not to take them.

Wow - look at the receptors it works on!

https://go.drugbank.com/drugs/DB06148

 

Well, I'm coming with the news.

The psychiatrist wants me to continue taking 10 mg of Alimemazine + 2 mg of extended release Melatonin even though I told him that the Alimemazine was no longer working.

He doesn't want to change my treatment to something stronger as his aim is not to make me dependent.

He also wants me to have CBT but I don't know if that really helps when you have very disabling tinnitus like mine...

In short, I feel like I'm not out of the woods regarding my sleep problems because I'm already taking Melatonin and it doesn't help me that much...

 

5-HTP was the only supplement that worked for me and I have tried them ALL. I also never ventured into non-supplement sleeping meds due to being afraid of ototoxicity.

 

It is Griffonia simplicifolia, right?

I've always been reluctant to take it because it seems to help you lose weight and I'm thin and I'm struggling to gain weight.

But why not try it after all. Do you take it every day?

 

Holy Basil Extract, 500 mg 20 minutes before bed, is my go-to remedy in this regard.

 

I no longer need it to sleep - I'm learning to live with my hum :/

 

Getting better @Ben Winders? How nice to hear!

 

I have had a very long story brewing with my sleep / ear the last couple of months, with sleep getting worse and worse despite trying numerous different supplement combos (and actually with tinnitus getting better but not good).

Long story but I went to the ER this week. I couldn't sleep for more than an hour or two last week, and couldn't nap during the day.

I'm about to go for a run so can't explain everything right now. But bottom line the supplements were causing Serotonin syndrome, which can kill you fast, and also causes insomnia.

Since I stopped the supplements, I've been sleeping a broken 7-8 hours every night (I still wake up after 4-5 hours and need to eat breakfast, then back to sleep), and taking a nap daily. I feel fully rested for the first time in months. The symptoms aren't completely gone but they are WAY better. Doc said it will take a few weeks for me to get back to my baseline.

The only remaining issue is that I think tinnitus may still prevent me from sleeping solid 8 hours, which, as a long time distance runner, I know that I need.

I think CBD oil with nothing else will solve that problem (based on experience before ear surgery about 6 months ago, when that worked but ultimately the CBD with THC made the tinnitus louder). I had been waiting on various brands of CBD oil without THC to arrive in the mail, so trying other stuff, plus cbd with THC, when this happened.

The moral of the story is make sure you check symptoms of seratonin syndrome. And your supplements or meds could be causing you not to sleep.

And now that I've read about Serotonin syndrome, I'm sure I have had mild Serotonin toxicity developing for months due to supplements that all raise Serotonin. Started with mild quivering feeling in my legs and more and more insomnia (this lasted for a couple of months and would occasionally get worse -- always triggered (made worse) by taking supplements). Things got way worse with more concerning symptoms (headaches, diarrhea, shivering uncontrollably, somewhat manic, tremors, involuntary muscle contractions especially in legs, highly variable BP over a short period of time at night, etc), before I went to ER.

All of those symptoms disappeared as soon as I stopped everything. Now I just have very mild almost imperceptible quivering and still not sleeping as well as I would like. I'm hoping this will continue to improve for the next 2-3 weeks. But I'm still fully rested everyday, which had no chance of happening over the last two months before I stopped the supplements.

 

Hello everyone, I'm coming with news as some of you have kindly asked me to give some.

I finally decided, after nearly 3 years of disabling tinnitus, to take antidepressants, as my sleep was becoming more and more catastrophic.

I told my psychiatrist about Mirtazapine and he prescribed it for me. I have been taking it for a little over 2 weeks now.

I take 15 mg of Mirtazapine, between 5 and 15 mg of Alimemazine and 2 mg of Melatonin, all of this at bed time.

It's a lot, I admit, but it allows me to sleep better than before.

I still wake up several times during the night but overall I fall asleep much quicker and I'm a bit less tired during the day. Sleeping better allows me to focus less on the tinnitus.

Maybe it's the antidepressants that are starting to work too. I feel a little less depressed and I feel a little more relaxed. I would say that this feeling is quite pleasant, yet the dose of antidepressant I take is minimal.

If there are people like me who are struggling to sleep and are really depressed because of tinnitus, don't hesitate to see a psychiatrist and consider antidepressants.
As some people on this forum have said, it's a way to get out of the hole so to speak.
The tinnitus is still there and very intense, but the antidepressants make it easier to accept.

I'm just worried about stopping the antidepressants. I don't know if I'll go back to the way I was once I'm off them or if I'll continue to feel better afterwards.

The psychiatrist told me that some people don't need antidepressants after they've finished treatment, others continue to take them.

We'll see.

 

@Kam75, I guess, like in your case, it's something you "have to" do in order to get the essential sleep...

Without sleep, mind/body/nerves/ear will never be able to heal or adjust/reset from day to day basis.

Getting off benzos though seems to be a major issue for many, and I don't think it's a solution in the long run to stay on it for long. Especially in relation to tinnitus if it may be reducing neuroplasticity that is an essential factor in terms of getting better.

It's tricky...

 

From what I understand, he's not taking any benzos.

 

I'm glad that you are feeling better. Mirtazapine will help you with your sleep, depression and gaining some weight

 

You are correct @aura.

I misread, my wrong @Kam75 - Mirtazapine that you are using currently is not a benzodiazepine.

I guess long term users of Mirtazapine can tell you whether it may affect your tinnitus negatively or not.

For now I'd say getting your sleep, and lower your anxiety and depression, should be your main focus. It's not possible to get better from "this condition" unless that is under control. Good luck

 

Indeed, I am not taking benzos but an antidepressant at small dose called Mirtazapine which, according to this forum, is one of the safest.

My psychiatrist has also confirmed that this antidepressant does not cause tinnitus.

As far as weight loss is concerned, I wouldn't say no to a few extra kilos! I have always been very thin. Before I had tinnitus, when I could still work out, I went from 56 kg to 65 kg. I'm 1.77 .

Since the confinement I have gone from 65 kg to 72 kg.

I'm now at the right weight for my height.

I hope that with better sleep I will be able to work out again. I miss that very much.