Bupropion Induced Tinnitus — Reduced by 70%!

14 Month Update:

• The volume is even lower & softer
• Typical day maybe for about 3-4 hours I don't think about it

Hoping there are still more gains to be made. Hoping it can stop completely but not sure.

 

@alepeno - how old are you may I ask? And did those meds include a number of SSRIs?

 

14/15 Month Update:

• my tinnitus is a softer hiss with faint ring, no longer a pure tone
• since I last posted, the volume has reduced again

 

I'm so sorry. Your bio says tinnitus cause unknown? Run through the list of possibilities, it could be the meds. Some people take antidepressants for months or years before the tinnitus starts.

You've read my thread so please take some hope, mine his healing SLOWLY. I've gone from contemplating euthanasia in whichever country can do it legally to getting 70% of my life back. If you can come off all meds safely with medical supervision please try it. It's taken me 15 months to get this far. It will take time for your brain and cerebral cortex to reorganise itself.

 

Hi mate.

I have had a little spike again where I hear it in my left ear more and I also hear a hissing sound.

So do you recommend taking NAC again?

Cheers.

 

Hi mate, since my last post on NAC, I've not taken it. And the tinnitus continues to decrease in intensity and loudness about every 3-4 weeks. So in my view I wouldn't take the NAC. That's just me though. It's hard to advise, such little research.

 

15 month update

• Tinnitus remains in right ear
• The volume and the intensity have decreased again. Easier to cope with. I think now I can really say that if I'm outside, driving, in the kitchen, I don't hear it. Sleeping is much easier.
• Nobody asked but there is NO WAY IN HELL I'm going to risk the COVID-19 vaccination and being set back to a higher volume. If I have to be a hermit forever I'll pick that over louder tinnitus that's back in both ears.

 

Thanks mate. I’m starting to feel that it could play a big role psychologically. It probably works if you take it around the initial tinnitus onset. I’m glad to hear yours is getting better, that’s awesome. My buzzing has decreased and it’s more of a hissing sound now lol don’t know what to expect next but seem like it’s slowly getting better.

 

Hello, I just wanted to write here to say that I'm horrified about what I've read here. Because I just found out today that Bupropion might be the reason I have tinnitus.

To clarify, I've always had tinnitus, likely since my teens because I worked on a farm. But it was so quiet and unobtrusive that I never really paid it any mind and had long since become so accustomed to it, I didn't really ever notice it.

Flash forward about 28 years or so (I turn 39 this year), and my fiancé had finally convinced me to get on a antidepressant for my depression and anxiety. My doctor prescribed me Bupropion in August of 2020. I started off at 100 mg a day, though if I'm being truthful, I likely only took it five times a week, and slacked on the weekends.

On November 27th, I remember the day vividly. It was around 8 am, I was just waking up, only to realize that tinnitus that I had always had, and only truly noticed in utter and complete silence, was suddenly louder. I went to my ENT multiple times, only to be told that I had perfect hearing, but upon pressing them, I was tested for ranges not normally tested for, and there was a guess that I may perhaps had hearing loss in the upper range that I normally wouldn't hear anyways.

Eventually, I became used to it and life moved on. It was annoying but it wasn't ever anything more than that. Then I got the COVID-19 vaccine, and yes, after the second shot, I did notice that my tinnitus was a bit louder, but again, I was able to get accustomed to it. No, I don't regret getting the vaccine, as much as I hate tinnitus, I don't want to be responsible for passing the virus onto to someone else if I can help. Doing my part an all that. I'm also trained as an MLT so that was the other reason why.

Fast forward to last month. I was still pretty depressed and my doctor decided to up my dose from 100 mg a day to 300 mg a day. I will say after three weeks, I was feeling a lot better, much less depressed. But last week, my tinnitus go so much louder. Very louder.

It's gotten so bad that I had to leave work today to just come home and be miserable. After having a good cry, I started to research more, only to find this thread.

And so much of what I read here lines up with what I'm experiencing. Only to realize I have potentially an entire year to look forward to living with this until it's in a place where I can be tolerable again.

I'm talking to my doctor via telehealth on Thursday because I basically demanded I be taken off Bupropion and put on some other antidepressant that doesn't list tinnitus as a side effect? And if there isn't? I'll deal with it some other way. But I'm not taking this pill any longer than I have to. And I know I have to keep taking it because you have to wean yourself off it. Or other side effects can occur.

Thank you for letting me rant.

 

@Testament, so sorry you are here! Maybe your recovery will be faster than mine. Some people's tinnitus only takes a few weeks to stop.

Disclaimer I'm not a doctor BUT I wouldn't switch to another antidepressant. Your brain chemistry needs to be left alone to rebalance. And return to baseline.

Question: So are you saying the COVID-19 vaccine caused your tinnitus volume to increase? And do you think this was a long term/permanent increase?

 

How are you doing 9 months in?

I took Pristiq and never knew it was ototoxic but now I have been suffering with tinnitus for 7 months. I only took it for month, and now I'm worried I have to suffer a constant high pitch ring in my brain for the rest of my life and I just can't do that. I am so depressed and my anxiety is terrible. I am so angry I took that drug.

Please tell me your tinnitus went away.

 

@alepeno, hey there friend. Made an account to reply to this post and let you know Lamotrigine can be ototoxic and I am 99% sure it is the cause of my own tinnitus, though it is very rare. Not saying it is a cause for you or that you should stop any meds without talking to your doctor. If you do discontinue Lamotrigine, it needs to be tapered because the sudden withdrawal can be hellish.

I don't know about Paroxetine or Trazodone, but it might be worth looking more closely at the possible ototoxicity of those medications as well. I would recommend looking into Dr. Neil Baumann and check out his website. If you make a post, he will respond. Ototoxicity is not very well documented by manufacturers.

That said, this post also made me feel hopeful. I've been off my ototoxic meds for ~3 months and been disheartened by no change in my tinnitus. I have read that the longer it lasts after you discontinue the meds, the more likely it is that it will be permanent. That mindset has taken hold of me the last few days, but this post has been a ray of light in the darkness. Maybe I need to be taking a 3 year point of view on this. That gives me hope.

@T_Almost_Gone, I am so thankful to you for chronicling your journey. Please keep updating!

 

I know I'm 20 days late, but I would just taper back down to your previous dose. I've seen some of the research on how increasing Serotonin can increase tinnitus and since Wellbutrin inhibits reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine you'll most likely get a decrease in tinnitus symptoms if you simply remove some serotonin. I personally believe the trick with this is to very very slowly taper down. From reading posts on the forum, it seems like most people who post about having permanent tinnitus from SSRI's seem to have abruptly stopped taking their medication. I've tapered Tricyclics successfully and even though they are not in the same group as SRRI's they still limit serotonin reuptake.

 

Hi.

I’m sorry to hear your experiencing this, tinnitus can definitely be daunting and especially if you haven’t had it before.

My tinnitus has now come to a point where it’s just a low hissing sound, I cannot notice it when the day gets busier, when outdoors and stuff. I only really have to pay attention to it at night. So I would say 90% better. I’m confident that it will eventually nearly subside. The most important thing is trying to have a positive mindset as stress and anxiety plays a big roll and correlates with tinnitus. I suffered anxiety and stress due to it but then took certain steps to snap myself out of it.

There is so much misinformation and negativity around it, but the reality is that over time tinnitus does get better.

Please feel free to reach out any time

 

I had tinnitus for 2 or 3 days after a loud concert one time, and I knew my ears were extremely sensitive. I am struggling and in agony every second of the day. I want it to stop and I need it to stop for me to regain my desire to continue living. I had no idea that Pristiq was ototoxic, I still don't know what happened in my brain to cause this tinnitus. I pray every day that it goes away, but it seems to be permanent, I hate my life so fucking much, I wasn't happy before, and now I am in utter misery. I feel the hyper active auditory cells buzzing and burning everyday. It is exhausting and I don't want to kill myself, but I can not get peace of mind any more. I can not enjoy my life, and I want to actually kill myself, I have nothing to live for, and I don't even care how little and joyless my life has been so far, because my future is ruined with ringing and hissing, and the stories says it only gets worse. That drug severely damaged my brain.

 

@PeanutButter, please take hope. I read your intro post and I hear you. The tinnitus is more than a sound, it's like a buzz and energy. I don't know exactly how you feel but I can relate. In the first 3 months when I had it in both ears I was googling to see if euthanasia in Switzerland was an option. I had no quality of life, wanted to sleep and not wake up ever.

You only took the meds for 1 month, going by my experience the effects should lessen. Those overexcited neurons will calm down. Neuroplasticity means some people's brains change faster than others. For me and maybe you, our brains take longer to change.

I'm going to post an update now. I've impoved since the last time I posted. Please take hope.

 

17 month update

• Tinnitus remains in right ear.
• The volume and the intensity have decreased again. Easier to cope with. But still as annoying as hell.
• My tinnitus still follows the pattern of quieter in the mornings and then increases during the day. The mornings can be quite bearable but by afternoon it's annoying. Stops me working.
• If I play music or watch TV and I FOCUS on the activity, the sound fades a little into the background. I almost get to feel normal for a while.
• Finally did a hospital visit. First ever hearing test. Thanks to this forum I knew what to expect. I'll post the results here later. My hearing is great in both ears. I didn't do the high frequency test. I refused the ear pressure test. The audiologist had no information, she didn't even concede the linkage between anti-depressants and tinnitus. I had to tell her "it's listed as a side effect!" she responded "well, I don't really know why" - presumably because it came up in the testing.
• I'm hopeful that in the absence of medication my brain chemistry will reset eventually.

 

17 month - 2nd Update!

It's been Just 2 days since I posted here. A few hours after the last update there was another improvement. The tinnitus volume decreased and the sound "diffused" and became less powerful. I went outside today and didn't hear the tinnitus unless i plugged my ears. at home the lound hum of the fridge covers it up nicely.

The sound is much less distressing now. During meetings or anything that engages my brain - I don't notice the tinnitus! But before the tinnitus was front and centre distracting me during meetings.

Feeling much more positive. Trust in the trend, there's no reason why the trend will change - this is what I keep telling myself.

I'll keep updating here. Not just for me but for all who find this useful. So many of us are in daily distress and seeking answers that the doctors don't have. Let's see if anti-depressant induced tinnitus (in my case with no pre-existing hearing issues) can stop.

 

Thank you for all your posts. It gave me hope that my COVID-19 vaccine-induced tinnitus will get better too although it's been with me for more than 6 months.

 

@T_Almost_Gone - what percentage reduction are you on now would you say?

 

Hi there, I just wanted to thank you so much for posting. I've been in a state of almost panic since I discovered that the ringing in my ears was likely caused by my recent taking of bupropion... and that it's possible it could even be permanent.

Reading these posts has given me some hope, although I have to say right at this very moment I don't know if I should cry, scream or jam knitting needles into my ears, this high pitched eeeeeee noise has not shut up for days.

After reading about ototoxic drugs this morning I immediately stopped taking the bupropion (was only on it for about 2 weeks), ordered some NAC online, and have been sitting on the sofa all day unable to escape the noise in my head. I felt so completely alone until I found this thread... the only escape I've found is turning on the fan heater, getting in the shower and firing the water directly in my face... but I can't spend my life in the shower!

To say that I am scared about my future is an understatement, if this noise persists I'm not suicidal, but it really really makes me wonder whether life will be worth living if this doesn't go away.

 

19 Month Update

The volume has reduced again. Noise is a hiss and a soft tone. Very easily covered up by external noise.

When I first wake up, it's super super quiet, then it picks up during the day - this pattern hasn't changed.

Easier to cope with.

 

@Uklawyer, it's hard to say. When I titled this thread I had NO IDEA how long this thing would stick around for and how many damn volume levels there are. If I had to put a number I'd say I'm at 25% now. It's so much easier to ignore.

How is your situation going? How many months in are you?

 

@T_Almost_Gone - I am about 1 year in from a worsening. I think it does trend in the right direction as you say. And better when your mind is occupied if in a quiet environment.

So you are down 75% overall and 5% more since you first started writing the thread (with the 70% title)?

 

OK, let me clarify. When I first posted and said 70% - ignore that. I was early in the journey and had less awareness.

From when it started I think it has reduced by 75% overall. So 25% of the volume/intensity is left now.

And it's A LOT less distressing.

 

21 month update

• I think the volume is about the same.
• Except when I first wake up, it's even quieter than it's been previously. I'm using this experience to keep hoping that this thing can become even quieter.
• I don't know if it's still going to improve but I promise that I WILL keep posting. Because we don't have enough case studies here for us to know others outcomes.
• Soon it will be 2 years. How does 1 month of antidepressants cause 2 years of brain/tinnitus change?
• Honestly I don't know what to do about the COVID-19 vaccine. I'm avoiding travel - even though I'll soon need to for work and family. But so many countries require the vaccination. If the vaccination spikes my tinnitus - I will not be able to cope. I won't. Wondering if anyone else feels geographically trapped.

 

21 month update

The volume of my tinnitus has reduced again. Now it sounds more like a hiss - much less tonal.

 

Great news. So it's just a quiet hiss now?

 

I don't really have anything new to add here, but just knowing I'm not alone has helped so...

I took bupropion for "depression" i.e. hating my pointless, soul destroying job and the garbage world controlled by garbage people for about 18 months, stopped around April '21 and have had tinnitus the whole time. It started when I started that poison, but it wasn't that bad and I figured it would stop whenever I stopped the meds, and it hasn't.

From what I've read I don't think I have it as bad as a lot of people, so that's cool for me I guess? During the day I can mostly ignore it. It's louder in bed at night, but still not unbearable. It's hard to tell if it's gotten any better over the last year of not taking it. If so very minimally.

More than anything I'm pissed off. They make these drugs that don't even do anything, because if they did why is everyone still so miserable? Then doctors just hand them out willy nilly and don't even talk about the side effects. My doctor's even a pretty good one too.

Depression was never even really the problem. It was anxiety more than anything. But the drugs for that are "potentially addictive", so they'd rather send you off with something that won't help for multiple reasons and not risk any blowback on themselves. I know there's other ways of interpreting the situation, but it just makes me sick.

I guess if permanent tinnitus serves as a reminder to stay away from prescription drugs for problems that are environmental and changeable by me, I can take that for what it is.

 

Yes, it’s incredibly frustrating! Especially now with vaccinated people still catching and spreading Omicron. I think people with pre-existing medical conditions such as tinnitus, who have genuine fears about getting vaccinated, should be allowed to opt out of it.