Seeking Advice on Antidepressants (Venlafaxine and Escitalopram) and Their Impact on Tinnitus

[Doobz]

Hi, everyone.

I am struggling with anxiety and depression, and my doctor wants me to take antidepressants. I have had tinnitus for many years, but I am worried it could get worse. I don't think I could cope with that on top of everything else.

Initially, they wanted me to take Venlafaxine, but the patient leaflet said that one in ten people may experience tinnitus, so I decided against it. Now, my doctor wants me to start on Escitalopram, which has a lower reported risk—one in one hundred.

Is anyone currently taking this? Or has anyone taken it before? How did it affect your tinnitus, both while using it and when tapering off?

Thanks.

 

[Varda]

I would recommend stopping visits to a psychiatrist and seeing a counselor instead.

All psychiatric medications carry the risk of permanently worsening tinnitus, and they generally do not provide a long-term solution for anxiety and depression.