Tinnitus for Nearly 4 Weeks Now... Scared Mirtazapine Might Make My Tinnitus Worse...

Hello
I wrote a couple of weeks ago in relation to being 37 weeks pregnant and having had tinnitus for two weeks.

Since writing my baby was delivered early by emergency c section due to the distress of my tinnitus and lack of sleep

Baby is beautiful and perfect but I'm still devastated about my tinnitu and it's destroying my happiness.

I was using temazepam to sleep however tapered off those and have been prescribed Mirtazapine which has enabled me to sleep well. I started aweek ago on 15mg for two nights then had to up to 30mg.

I am scared the mirtazapine is making my tinnitus worse ... I can hear it now in the bath and occasionally over the TV which I'm sure I couldn't before.

My partner believes I am perceiving it to be worse as I'm anxious but I just don't know.
I don't know what to do ... my ent doctor believes my tinnitus to be stress anxiety related so my partner thinks stopping the meds will be a mistake as they are to address my anxiety.

He believes get rid of the anxiety get rid of the tinnitus. I thought of reducing back down to 15mg but I understand that they are not an anti depressant at that level but a sleep aid?

I would really appreciate any advice. Is it likely that I would get worse before better?

Please help me. Thank you

 

i took remeron for two months as well and felt it was getting worse. i stopped though it's not getting better, i don't feel it worsening. i am not positive it's meds or me thinking too much into it or it's just the way it is. sometimes these things are hard to tell

 

Sorry to hear Mixed reports I personally wouldn't recommend it, I'm sure my hearing loss started with remeron but others say it helped. All drugs are toxic, check the other posts on mirtazapene and remeron maybe theres some help.

 

@smith
Firstly, congratulations on the birth of your baby. What did you have?
You have a lot going on now, and your hormones are out of whack.
Both times I have had my children, I have been struck with the 'baby blues'. I would cry at the drop of a hat and was very emotional.
My tinnitus came on exactly one month after my twins were born.
It knocked me for six and I was devastated.
I ended up starting Mirtazapine. I feel like this helped my sleep, it actually was a life saver in that regard. I'm actually weaning off it - down to 7.5mg now. My mood is OK now, I didn't notice any changes coming down from 30mg.
From what I've researched, Mirtazapine is one of the 'safer' AD's in terms of ototoxicity.
My tinnitus was very up and down at the start, but the best approach for me was to just not listen for it. Play some white noise or other masking sound softly on your phone to distract you from listening for the tinnitus while you watch TV or have a bath.
Stopping listening for the tinnitus has helped my mood significantly.
Try your hardest to enjoy your baby. This time passes so fast and you don't want to miss too much.
It does get better.

 

Hi Samantha
Thanks for taking the time to reply.
I had the most perfect little boy ... he was IVF and all I've ever wanted ... it's so cruel that this has happened to me before I could even enjoy him.
I'm still in shock in some ways and struggle to see others being so happy.
People expect me just to cope and manage ... how? I love my boy so much but I'm permanently petrified of tinnitus. I know ur not suppose to think about it and I try every day but it's impossible.
I need to take an anti depressant but terrified to take any at all as everyone seems to have had things worsen on all the common drugs. I thought mirtazapine was safest from what I'd read but now I don't know if tinnitus worse from that or its me.doing.it
How do u cope with three little ones? I can't do night feeds at mo due to needing sleep too much and the mirtazapine does seem to help. My partner and family desperately want me well so have taken on night feeds in the hope that more sleep will fix me.
I can't see a light at the end of the tunnel! I'm so so devastated.

 

My partner believes I need to stabilise my mood with the anti depressants and that then I will be strong enough to deal with things ... I just don't know whether to persevere but could make it worse! I decided today to cut to 15 but apparently that is just for sleep and is not therapeutic

 

@smith
Congratulations on your baby boy.
Mine are all IVF babies too, so I know the struggle all too well.
Time is the only thing that will make this ok.
Maybe your tinnitus is pregnancy related, it may settle down / go away as your hormones normalise.
Certainly people have had reactions to Mirtazapine but you have to remember that this is uncommon. But, at the end of the day, you have to be comfortable with what you are taking. 15mg will certainly help you with sleep but won't have much anti- depressant effect.
Sleep is vital, you are doing the right thing getting help with night feeds.
All your feelings are normal, and time is your friend. If the tinnitus sticks around, you will deal with it better as the days go by.
You have a very good reason to smile and enjoy your life.
My kids have got me through. My life is busy as I take care of them so I just don't have time to focus on the tinnitus.

 

I'm almost certain that mirtazapine caused my tinnitus. Second to that I found it be WAY stronger than any other anti-depressant I've ever taken and pretty much ruined my mind and body, I would avoid at all costs. Obviously people react differently, but having taken more more than 10 prescribed medicines for many years this is easily the strongest with the most side effects.

 

Without a doubt I think it is your anxiety that makes the T worse. You are in the early stages of T, as am I, and the harsh truth is that there is not much we can do about the anxiety at this stage. Everybody gets anxious in the beginning. I am 4 months in, and I still get very anxious at times, but I am much better then I was the first couple of months, and you will get better too, Trust me! It just takes time. Spend your time on your precious baby (congratulations! ) and significant other, as support and love from others are really good for fighting anxiety and taking ones mind of the T for a little bit.

Mirtazapin should be very safe to take when you have T. I have personally never heard of anyone getting T or having their T worsen by Mirtazapin. I take it myself, and it is heaven sent for sleeping.