Bupropion Induced Tinnitus — Reduced by 70%!

To those suffering to medically induced tinnitus there is hope. I think I’m well on the way to being tinnitus free. Here’s my story, I hope it provides some hope:

- Doctor casually prescribed Bupropion to help me stop smoking. He didn’t mention the side effects and he didn’t mention it’s also used for depression. Had I known it was also applicable for depression I would never have taken it. Lesson learned for me to question and do my own research. This drug should not be on the market, the side effect outweighs the benefit.

- Took 78mg Bupropion 1 x a day for 5 days. Then 78mg 2 x a day for 5 days. On day 5 I noticed that when I laughed loudly or used speaker phone, certain tones were irritating/hurting my ears but it was so mild I ignored it.

- On day 10 I was hit with a loud screeching sound in both ears but the noise felt like it was in my head. It’s been constant. High pitched. The Art of Tinnitus YouTube channel was the only thing that gave some relief so I gave a donation on BandCamp and saved it to my Spotify so I could play it everywhere.

- I researched Bupropion and realised it’s the same (ish) as Wellbutrin and saw link to tinnitus. I immediately stopped the medication.

- I researched and realised that the burning itch on my arms was the Bupropion + bladder issues.

- Next few weeks were hell. Unable to work, no sleep, no medical assistance to do COVID-19, regular breakdowns, no sleep. Tried masking it and was left with low static buzz vibration in my ears. I was so scared with the lack of medical advancement and even no commonly accepted mechanism about how tinnitus is caused.

- After 4 weeks the tinnitus was just in 1 ear.

- Now after 5 weeks it’s a much lower level in just one ear. My arm is still itchy so I know the Bupropion is still affecting my body. Hoping and praying it fully goes away.

THOUGHTS

- I did extensive research, read medical papers etc. I’m not an expert but I’m sharing this to help anyone in a similar situation.

- Bupropion/antidepressants may only stay in your body for the ½ life calculation. But the side effects can last weeks.

- Key difference between my story and many others suffering from antidepressant induced tinnitus, is that I was/am not depressed. If you are depressed > tried Bupropion > got tinnitus >switched to another antidepressant > and still have tinnitus. My theory is that the brain’s neurological activity has not been allowed to reset because the chemical (dopamine/serotonin etc) levels are still being altered by the subsequent anti depressants.


I currently have a very high pitched eeeeeeee sound in 1 ear. I’m pushing to be positive that the tinnitus side effect will end.

 

2 Months in update.

Tinnitus persists in just my right ear. It's not just a shrieking nose, it feels like there's a slight energy that accompanies the noise.

I'm falling being in work, late on deliverables as some days I struggle to get out of bed. As a contractor if I don't work I don't get paid - stress. I break down into tears every few days, the nose is so hard to ingore like it's draining the life from me.

The half life of bupropion passed weeks ago so in theory the drug should have left my system but the burning itch from the bupropion still comes and goes indicating that the medication is still impacting my system.

Does anyone have any advice for expelling medication from the body? Or is there nothing the human can do?

 

Week 9 update. Over the last 2 days the volume has reduced & and the sound has softened & frequency reduced.
The noise is still very much present and constant but it's far less distracting and distressing.
I'm hoping by documenting the experience it can help others where it was induced by antidepressants. Because when it first hit it and I went into distress research mode there were a lot of one off posts. then you'll Drive yourself crazy not knowing other people's outcomes.

This experience has totally opened my eyes to big Pharma. It's ridiculous that where tittinus is listed as a side effect of bupropion in research papers there's no reference as to if the test subjects recovered and how long it took.

Anyways hoping & praying the current trajectory of the tinnitus continues to trend downloads.

 

Week 10

Left Ear remains silent - I swear without that I woun't even remember what a silent ear feels like.

Right hear - new sound. hi pitched wavering whistling noise + a hisssss + a vibrating hummm which feels more intense when sitting in a smaller room. Overall it's still loud-ish I can hear it over driving & can hear it in the supermarket.

But compared to the early weeks the overall volum is lower - now I don't use a masking noise. I was masking 24hrs per day previoulsly.

Arms still have random burning itch - I say this is bupropion side effect. Yes the half life has now expired but there are loads of accounts on drugs.com of people who broke out in hives for weeks on bupropion.

for the love of God if you're googling bupropion + welbutrin for side effects + tinnitus - Do not take it. It's not worth the risk if you get T you get more depressed.

 

Week 14

Tinnitus remains similar, a hiss, high pitched whistling and a lower level buzz.

Overall the loudness has reduced since my last post. I don't use masking at all now. The sound is still there and it's uncomfortable but it's not overwhelming like before. I use the TV or podcasts to fall asleep and listen to music while working when needed.

Feeling sad for the loss of silence, afraid and hopeful it will resolve.

 

Hey man, just wanted to say I am on week 4 of noise induced and hoping it will get better. I just bought a lounge chair and battery pack to work outside which I think I will help boost my productivity. Not sure if your tinnitus is naked at all by the sounds of nature - mine partially is.

Wishing you the speediest of recoveries!

 

Hi @Gordon Steinberg so sorry this happened to you. By all accounts lots of people here seem to report that it reduces a bit after the initial onset. Working outside is a super smart move! Ive been struggling to work from home today even with background noise it's so hard to get work done, which I'm so sad about. I've got to work to earn a living. I'm seriously considering taking my laptop to the gym to work!

 

Week 15

I'm sure the noise is the same at last week. BUT it's been extra annoying, sometimes feels louder, sometimes stopping sleep & I'm resorting back to masking on some days. trying to ignore it & keep busy but it's so hard. In fact I'm also bored who wants the hear the same noise all the damn time argh!

 

I have anti-depressant induced tinnitus as well. It's frustrating that doctors do not warn their patients about side effects like tinnitus. It is hard to ignore tinnitus especially when it becomes loud and intrusive.

 

Hi @Rjbookworm how are you getting on? How long were you on the meds for?

Yup doctors should warn about a side effect for which there's no medically approved cure! It's not worth the risk. I wasn't depressed before but this ordeal has removed joy, peace and ability to work efficiently :-(

 

Still week 15
Overall volume has reduced. it's still a whistling + a quite hiss + a humm. Hoping this downward trend continues.

 

I'm trying to hang in there. I took 25 mg of Nortriptyline for seven weeks before the tinnitus began. On my second day of the medication weird clicking and thumping noises started in the back of my head, but I still heard silence. That changed during my last week on the medication when the tinnitus began when I was trying to sleep at night.

No, it's not worth the risk. My doctor denied that Nortriptyline was the cause of my tinnitus, but I didn't have tinnitus before I began taking that medication. I think doctors don't want to believe that their precious happy pills can have toxic effects. I'm sorry that your peace and joy have been removed. Same with your ability to work efficiently. I miss reading in silence.

Did the ringing resolve in one ear but not the other for you?

 

Yes my left ear went silent after 1 month. I can't figure out why. I had no hearing issues prior. My guess is that I still have abnormal brain activity on one side.

I understand what you mean by hanging in there. I'm having one of those days where I can't get out of bed and ironically, the ringing is far louder when I'm lying still in bed.

I Just keep repeating that 99% of doctors say it's a temporary side effect from antidepressants. And surely it has to stop. Using antidepressants to alter your brain chemical levels for a few weeks surely cannot be permanent. Alternating between that mindset and the mindset that if this is longer term then I have to get used to it in order to get quality of life back. Confusing!

 

Same here, but my right ear went silent after a month. I've read about tinnitus occurring during antidepressant withdrawal. I wonder if discontinuing the medication has anything to do with your continued ringing. Just a thought.

My left ear/deaf ear and the left side of my head still have tinnitus. My deaf ear was silent prior to my last week of taking Nortriptyline.

I'm in the same boat. I don't want to get out of bed, but spending time with my family and my dog could help me feel better. The ringing is also louder when I'm lying in bed. For the past three or four weeks my tinnitus has ramped up whenever I eat, which is bizarre.

I'm glad that you're reassuring yourself. Yes, the information that's out there about antidepressant induced tinnitus and whether it resolves is very confusing.

 

Sigh try to hang in there & keep busy. Feels like it's all we can do.

The food thing is interesting, could it be environment you eat in? I cut out caffeine & aspartame and didn't notice a difference. I think my volume changes are due to my perception. When I'm engaged it's quietest.

 

In my case the ringing started when I increased the medication doseage. So I doubt it's the withdrawal.

Generally when people cite withdrawal I do wonder what would have happened if they kept taking the medication. Meaning the tinnitus could have started if they stayed on the meds.

 

Good point. That was my mistake about the withdrawal.

That's a valid thing to wonder.

 

Week 16 was rough. Was in bed depressed for most of it. Hard to tell whether the tinnitus was louder or I just imagined it. I think it was the same and I just lost the strength to tolerate it.

Week 17 I'm quite sure the volume has dropped. The hiss is softer/lazier. I still hear it all of the time but when driving or if the TV is on on I have to strain to hear it. And when it's silent it's not as distressing. From reading on the forum I doubled my dose of NAC 600 x 2 daily. I can't say for sure if if this has made a difference but I'll continue with this higher dose.

 

Can you send a link? Having trouble finding the channel you mentioned.

I also have drug-induced tinnitus, but in my case it was an SSRI Escitalopram, or Lexapro

 

Hi, so sorry you're here. Ensure the volume isn't too high. If this one doesn't work, his channel has others.

4 Hours of High Pitched Tinnitus...

 

Hey bud. Hope you’re having a better week after what sounds like a shitty last week!

I find that laying in bed depressed makes it so much worse. If I’m out and about all day and so something fulfilling, going back to bed at night it’s less intense to me... I’m sure you feel that too. Can be a hard cycle to break.

How’s the NAC working? I tried it for a bit in June and it didn’t really seem to do a tonne for me so I discontinued. Now I’m curious about trying it at 600 mg if you’re having success.

Always find your posts interesting because we got tinnitus at the same time from the same cause and have had a similar trajectory.

Hang in!

 

Hi, good to hear from you. I was wondering how you were getting on. Yes, it's very hard to break the cycle. I pulled myself out of bed for a few days. And yes it's better when you're busy and when I was going to the gym. It's so hard to find the willpower when something is constantly screaming at you.

NAC at 1200 mg seems to be giving me progress. Plus as my research shows it's not a harmful supplement. I definitely recommend you try it.

 

Week 19 - 20
Since my last post I think the volume has dropped slightly OR it's bothering me less. I'll go with the former, slightly lower volume that's easier to disguise with the TV or car etc.

this week I've had to go on pantoprazole and was/am petrified it could make the tinnitus worse but so far no changes detected. I have to have sedation for a procedure tomorrow & I'm curious to see if the relaxing property of the sedative will make the tinnitus quieter.

Was clearing out my drawer and came across the pack of anti-depressants that caused this. Urgh months of suffering from 4 weeks of medication. Looking at the box was quite emotional

 

Week 21

So far the 2 weeks of 40 mg Pantoprazole doesn't seem to have impacted the tinnitus.
I'm still on 2 x 600 mg NAC daily which seems to be helping but who knows.
Overall the volume of the tinnitus has reduced again. It's not as frightening or bothersome as it has been. I'm still not used to it though.

 

What is Pantoprazole?

It's a relief that the NAC might be helping. Are you getting any side effects from the NAC?

I'm glad that your tinnitus is reducing and bothering you less. I'm struggling to adjust to something that's so annoying (tinnitus). Also, I'm frustrated that my tinnitus has made me afraid to take Ibuprofen on occasion when I need it.

 

Hi, it neutralises stomach acid - e.g. for stomach ulcers - if you Google it there are a few cases with tinnitus as a side effect but no clear medical explanation for why. Luckily I don't think it's impacted me.

Fear of Ibuprofen is understandable. I'm sh*t scared to take any medication ever again. Even the Wellbutrin gave me bad headaches.

I hope you're able to find an alternative that can work for you.

 

No side effects that I've noticed.

 

Oh, okay. It's good that the Pantoprazole hasn't impacted your tinnitus.

I don't blame you for being afraid of taking medication again. I took ibuprofen last night and it didn't make my tinnitus worse surprisingly. Fortunately, I don't feel like I need to take Ibuprofen anymore, so hooray!

Good! I'm glad you haven't had any side effects from NAC. A couple of members on here might've had stuffy nose issues from taking NAC. That's why I've stayed away from NAC. I naturally have a stuffy nose since I have allergic asthma; I use two nasal sprays as a result. So yeah, I'm hesitant to take NAC for my tinnitus.

 

I'm not surprised that Wellbutrin gave you headaches. That's a common and crappy side effect of antidepressants. Did you have side effects or discontinuation symptoms after you stopped taking Wellbutrin?

 

No not for discontinuation. All side effects wore off eventually - except the tinnitus.

Glad Ibuprofen wasn't a problem for you. It seems you have to take Ibuprofen in big quantities to give you tinnitus. I know someone who got it from painkillers and he was taking several tablets daily for years before it gave him tinnitus. And it was temporary tinnitus.