Going to ask for meds

Well I can't do this anymore, it's too hard. I'm going to see the doc today and ask for meds. I just know she will not know what to prescribe for the best. Prozac, or something else.... I don't know either.
What is good for calming and treating depression? Without causing more t? Or is it a try and see?

 

Hi Penelope, the exact same thing happened to me, i was trying to cope without meds and was suffering so badly with anxiety and depression that i gave in and went to my GP and he gave me propranolol for anxiety and citalopram for depression, he said they were not ototoxic so i started taking them it's been about a month now. I have since looked on the internet and apparently they are both listed as ototoxic, i panicked but i can't just stop taking them i think that would be more dangerous for me. Make sure they check the meds for ototoxicity before she writes you the prescription, i think they will help your frame of mind, they have certainly helped me ... good luck.

 

Everyone is individual and what will or not work will depend on the person. You have to discuss with your doctor and if smth doesn't work you can change. Anti-depressants arent normally ototoxic, they can cause tinnitus to get louder only if taken in big doses for a long time and normally only during withdrawal, but its not very common.

 

My GP prescribed klonopin and zoloft, but I didn't want to be on medication long term so I only took the klonopin until my next appt with my nuerotologist to get his opinion. He put me on a small dose of nortriptyline which I used for about 2 months. I don't think it actually did anything for me, but the idea that I was taking something to help the anxiety made me feel better anyway.

The best thing I did was I took 3 weeks of vacation and spent most of my days doing something I enjoyed (restoring a car) so that it took my mind off it. Slowly over time it got better.

-Mike

 

I was presceiped Citalopram and didn't take it. My GP prescribed Paroxetent instead. Not sure whether it's made the T worse (something has!) but I've since started Diazepam, which seems to have helped the anxiety and therefore the T.

 

Diazepam, Klonopin, Xanax etc. definitely help calming you down. But aren't they addictive (at least on the long run)?

I take Mirtazapine against depression and as sleeping aid. I increased from 30 to 45 mg (which is the max) and hope it helps against my anxiety. Alternative would be an anti-anxiety med. Doctors in Germany usually give Citalopram or Obipramol against anxiety. So I take Mirtazapine and when I start to panic, I take a benzo (Tavor 1 mg). But trying to avoid that. I don't care about ototoxic or not. It is more important for me surviving every day.

Penelope, you definitely need something. Otherwise surviving every day with anxiety is hard. I am still there.
Take care and stay strong.

 

Why did you not take citalopram? I've just been given a prescrip for that now.

 

Because tinnitus was listed as a common side effect, affecting 1 in 10 people, and I didn't want to risk my T getting worse.

 

I have been on citalopram and escitalopram (Lexapro) several times over the years since getting tinnitus and it has never worsened it for me.

 

Tychobrae, where did you get the figure that tinnitus was a side effect among 1 out of every 10 people taking citalopram? That sounds really high. World Health Organization (WHO) data from clinical trials categorizes tinnitus as an "infrequent" side effect of citalopram, meaning it occurs between 1 and 100 to 1 and 1,000 patients on the medication. And these include self reports. It is possible that some patients developed tinnitus while on the drug but that the drug itself was not the cause.

Penelope, don't be afraid (or ashamed) to go the medication route if you need it. I did and it helped me tremendously. It doesn't mean you will need these meds forever, or even necessarily for very long. I do recommend getting anxiety, depression and other such medications through a psychiatrist vs. a family doctor. Drugs that tinker with your brain chemistry are tricky things and a good psychiatrist should be monitoring your reactions carefully, especially in the beginning.

The anti-anxiety benzodiazepenes, as Martin69 mentioned, can be "addicting..." although what usually happens is your body becomes "dependent" on them, so you need more to keep your anxiety or depression at bay (which is not the same as, say, being "addicted" to a recreational drug like heroin or continuing to use pain pills when you no longer have pain). But careful supervision by a good doctor really cuts down on benzo risk. Lots of people on this board, including me, have used benzos safely.

It's hard to recommend one medication over another, as people's reactions can be different, as others here have said. You may need to try several, or combinations of several, until you find the one that works best for you. Many folks need an anti-anxiety med coupled with an anti-depressant, although I was not one of them. Tell your doctor that your goal is to take the lowest dose that is effective for you (again, everyone is different). Be sure to take these pills exactly as directed, and do not just stop taking them suddenly. Doing so can cause rebound anxiety and other uncomfortable symptoms.

One thing that really helped me: my doctor gave me daily limits, so I could vary my dose a little from day to day which made me feel like I had some control while staying safe. For example, he said I needed to take a minimum of .25 mg daily, three times a day, of Xanax -- but could take up to .5 mg, three times a day, if I needed more. But I was not to take more than that without talking to him first (although even my maximum dose was a not a big one).

Good luck. Anxiety is so miserable but it can be overcome or at least controlled. I did it and you can, too.

 

Penelope I'm currently on Zoloft (was on Lexapro for a few months but had to switch due to bad headaches). Zoloft works wonders on my anxiety and depression (and sleeping like a baby as well). After 9 months I can finally say I've habituated to my T and life is rolling along smoothly. I still hear my T loud and clear but it's something I can easily keep in the background as opposed to obsessing about it 24/7. It's no quieter or louder on Zoloft. I hope to not be on medication forever but I know it was a good move for me at this point in time. It's not an easy road getting on a antidepressant for most, but after that initial break-in period things should turn around and look brighter for you!

 

From the patient information leaflet that came with the meds. It seemed high to me, too, that's why I didn't take them.

 

It's virtually impossible to see a psychiatrist in my part of the world (I've seen one once, for an hour, in a year and a half of severe depression) and you don't get to choose who you see. I'm lucky if I get to see the same GP twice in a row.

I'm not sure that the sort of health care you describe is a reality for a lot of people.

 

Hey @tychobrae, I hear you. I know, from what board members have said here, that getting in to see a specialist within their health systems -- particularly regarding tinnitus -- is very difficult and too expensive to do on their own. I am grateful to have the healthcare I do but respect that not everyone does. I also live in a large metropolitan area, which makes a difference.

But I did want to mention it for those who might have access to mental health professionals but are afraid to use them. There is a lot of stigma against seeing a psychiatrist here in the States.

 

You were wuite right to point it out - there's a lot of stigma here, too, with mental health. I hope it didn't sound like I was taking issue with what you said; I was having a moan at the system rather than at your post!

 

I was taking Xanax for about a month and quit them before addiction became a problem and having to taper and all that.I am currently on 15mg of Lexapro and the odd valium at the moment.The doctor tried to prescribe omnicilen,its an anti psychotic but refused them.

 

Not at all, @tychobrae. I agree: we do not all have equal access to healthcare. You were just stating the facts and have every right to moan at the system. There are some on this board who say they have had to wait months for an appointment with an ENT, yet alone a psychiatrist. I feel for you and others who must go through this.