Tinnitus After Anxiety/Stress, Worsened by Escitaloprám + Other Drugs — What to Do!

Hi there.

I'm new to tinnitus and theese last couple of weeks have been an absolute nightmare.

My tinnitus started when I was going through a stressful time in my life and I for the first time experienced symptoms of anxiety. My tinnitus started on my right ear and though it was pretty annoying, I could deal with it. That was 7 weeks ago. Just before New Year's Eve i started taking Escitalopram to get my anxiety under control and hopefully being able to sleep again - worst decision of my life.

I took 10 mg for 5 days and the tinnitus got increasingly worse and started on my left ear as well. My doctor just told me to push through, but I didn't want to do anymore as my tinnitus was already out of control. So I stopped right away. I had no idea that Escitalopram had this side effect. I even told my doctor about my tinnitus, but she just said that since I already had it before starting on the pills, it was probably just a temporary side effect. I should have stopped immediately after I noticed it becoming worse.

The two weeks afterwards were terrible - I was prescribed benzos (Oxapax) and Seroquel to get some relief and sleep, it worked a while, but I was in complete panic and getting panic attacks every day. Which only made the tinnitus worse.

I went to se a psychiatrist and he has now put me on Mirtazapine. After the first dose my tinnitus spiked (30 mg) and now I'm on 15 mg 5 days in. I think it's only making things worse. It's not really helping me sleep every night, just for a couple of hours.

I wish I had come to this place before and read all of these terrible stories about tinnitus and ADs. I should have never taken them!

I have no idea what my tinnitus baseline is, since it's been up and down these last couple of weeks and Mirtazapine seems to reduce the sound during the day. Should I stop with Mirtazapine and thereby risk getting no sleep for a long period of time? It seems to be the best solution not to take any meds for tinnitus, but I guess I have no choice since I need to get my anxiety under control + get at least some sleep. But I just don't want to take more poisonous psych meds .

What on earth am I going to do? I feel suicidal everyday and won't be able to live my life this way.

 

The first few months of tinnitus are horrendous. The mind is in total overload. Your limbic system is in flight or fight mode and will not allow rest.

This is when just about everyone has suicidal thoughts.

After maybe 5 or 6 months the limbic system calms down. Sleep becomes easier and stress levels decrease. As stress levels decrease your perception of the noises will lessen. Perhaps the volume of the noises will in reality lessen.

It took 2.5 years to almost fully lose my noises.

However, after a year, although they were loud and sometimes intrusive, I didn’t really care about them except sometimes at night.

Do whatever you can to get sleep and use any relaxation method that works for you. This should speed up the healing process.

Good luck.

 

I was taking Celexa when my tinnitus started. The tinnitus was mild at the time. For me personally, I noticed some antidepressants made it worse so I’m very careful now. I will know not long after I take a tablet if it’s louder. I think it’s different for everyone. What bothers me might not bother someone else. I find stress exasperates mine but I also know when it worsens permanently. I know this is hard. You are not alone in how you are feeling.

 

Sorry to hear that. Seems like everything I do at the moment makes it worse. I really don't know what to do. My psychiatrist just wants me to keep on going as it will improve my depression, but what's the point if it makes my tinnitus worse? Don't even know if I can make it any worse. High pitched screaming tinnitus in both ears.

Are you taking any meds right now? Think I need something to be able to sleep.

 

What do you mean by "lose your noises"?

 

With my experiences, I had to learn to listen to my own body and how I'm feeling, not what doctors told me and believing them. If you feel that a certain medication is exasperating your condition, or contributed to it, trust that.

I am taking Ativan for the anxiety and Zopiclone to help sleep. But the Ativan is very difficult to come off of if you take it long term as its only meant to be a short term aid. Ask your doctor if there is a medication that will help with the sleeplessness. I know the lack of sleep can make things feel more uncomfortable. Unfortunately it will be trial and error with medication, but if you feel it is making it worse, listen to your body.

Have you tried playing tinnitus maskers on YouTube? if you can find a sound that helps you relax and helps cut out the tinnitus it might help relieve some of the anxiety you are experiencing. Also, if you have someone you are close with and can be honest about what your experiencing, who will listen, might help some. I know it can't take the condition away but I feel support is important.

 

I meant all the tinnitus noises disappeared. Sometimes in a very quiet room I might have heard a tone.

 

That is very fortunate. Mine started on day two of Escitalopram and never went away. Came close to going away after 5 months, then came back and didn't look bad.

 

How are you dealing with your tinnitus now and how severe is it? And are you taking any meds?

 

I saw about 3.5 years of slow improvement. Most of it came in the first 1.5 years and I credit to starting a relationship (where she and her family were very accepting of it and the sound sensitivity) at about the 10 month mark that pushed me over with some acceptance and less isolation too and then eventually after that relationship ended about 2.5 years into tinnitus, I was sleeping with just an air purifier in the background, no ocean waves, no white noise, no crickets on phone. I kind of felt like I had finally habituated to reaction almost fully.

For whatever reason, the last few weeks have been dreadful, the worst I've felt since it started (the panic, the tears, the how am I going to live 40 years with this, hopelessness etc.) and I feel like I'm back to the first few months again.

How severe is it I don't know, it's not like a blaring siren. If I go for a walk in nature I hear it loud and clear, and it certainly fills up the night sky walking at night, almost suffocating. I can barely hear it in the shower depending on direction and water, but for the most part I can't.

I don't take anything for it, but I did take some Melatonin a couple of nights this week.

You?

 

@Watasha, I’m so sorry to hear about your setback - hope it gets better soon.

Did you take any meditation after the onset of your tinnitus or did you just try to sleep by your self from the beginning?

I’m on 15 mg Mirtazapine right now which I only feel makes it worse. I also take 25 mg Quetiapine at the moment. I really need something to sleep even though I best not to take any more drugs that can make it worse. I guess that’s anyone’s dilemma. Fucking sucks. I really have no idea how I’m going to live med this condition.

 

@volsung37, thank you for your encouraging words. I'm really glad it worked out for you.

How did you cope with it in the beginning? Did you stay off medicine and try to work it out yourself? And how severe would you say it was?

 

@volsung37, I am in a similar predicament. Did you ever experience any improvement?