Tinnitus from Wellbutrin

@lefthook Thanks for posting your success story! I'm really glad to hear that your tinnitus went away after quitting Wellbutrin.

For everyone who reads this thread, please have hope. Please understand that I'm just documenting my experience, and yours may vary. Even if your tinnitus doesn't go away, as mine hasn't, you should still have hope for improvement over time. Be healthy, exercise and get good rest. Although I still deal with tinnitus every day, it did get better over the first year or so, and I've habituated a good bit.

 

@dnl I just made an account here to say thanks for posting your updates so consistently.
It took me a little while to connect the two because I was in denile for about a month and it wasn't so bad, then I added Effexor and I thought that it must be the cause because I lay in bed after a few weeks of it and said to myself you have to just accept that you have tinnitus. It was a very horrible day. Even though I noticed it before the Effexor I for some reason attributed it to the Effexor, and my doctors said there isn't a link between the two, but to stop it anyway.

Today was the breakthrough that I realized it could be the Welbutrin, and yeah it seems that way...

Based on the @lefthook 's post I'm very very very very tempted to quit cold turkey, but I'm worried something bad will happen if I do that, because I've been on it for over 4 months, so that's my dilemma now.

 

From my research, it's best to taper off. Speak with your doctor about it and then wait a few months to see if there are improvements.

 

@dnl has not posted in a while so I hope that means tinnitus has diminished and taken a backseat to life. I have posted in another thread about recently acquiring new/loud tinnitus from 300 mg of Bupropion after no issues with 150 mg for a couple of months. I'm about 1 month of the tinnitus remaining after I stopped Bupropion completely, but will update in month or two to help people with more anecdotal information about how/whether it subsides. I hope everyone out here is doing OK. Note: I've had noise induced tinnitus for 12 years (one incident) that was very tough for me to bear first year or two. But over these many years it had more or less faded into the background and I had been doing really really well before this unfortunate new development.

 

Hi @KiminHouston. I'm sorry to hear about the increase in your tinnitus associated with upping your dosage to 300mg of Wellbutrin. Hang in there. It took me 9 months or so to see improvement in my tinnitus. So, be patient and take of yourself. My tinnitus is still here, but has been tolerable since my last post, but over the last month it's been a little more loud. Not as bad as it was at onset, but more 'present' throughout the day. I've also not been getting good sleep and not exercising much, so I'm going to try to fix that soon.
Stay positive, and know that it can get better. I'm sorry you're going through this.

 

@dnl thanks for the quick response. It's been really kind of you to so consistently share your story and progress on the forum. I'm sorry to hear you've had a bit of a rough last month. Stress, sleep, and anxiety certainly do make a difference in not only the sounds but also our ability to cope, so hopefully you can get back on track sleeping. This part of my previous T story might be a little helpful -> Over the first year or two after my noise-induced tinnitus started, I was very sensitive/attuned even to the small changes and quite worried about those fluctuations. But over time I realized there was kindof a 'range' for the ups and downs in the volume, and I got a lot less scared when I had a day or stretches of days with the 'ups' because I believed it would settle back down. ...I'm perplexed now as I write this, because I can't exactly remember how long it took (2 years, 3, probably longer in all honesty) until it evolved into a non-issue in my life. Though still there, I wouldn't notice it all day unless I chose to pay attention; it began to seem consistently quieter and more easily masked with ambient sound; and I could wake up in the morning and not have it be the first thing I thought about. I think this was natural habituation...as the long list of 'solutions' I tried early on weren't solutions, of course. ('Grasping at straws' journey of many, I know). Anyway, it's helpful to share my positive past experience with the forum right now because I get to remind myself that life with T has a good chance of getting better even if it ends up taking some time - and to manage to it day-by-day. Hang in there too @dnl and I hope that your coming days and weeks improve. Hugs to all!

 

Thanks for sharing your story in this thread. I've wanted this thread to be a resource for people who are new to tinnitus from Wellbutrin, and I think your description of your first year or two really captures what I went through. Probably great advice for anyone discovering this thread from Google.

Stay strong and be positive.

 

Thank you for documenting your experience, dnl. I've been habituated for years, but now I'm afraid that I've caused a spike in my first week of taking wellbutrin. It could be great for depression, but I'd rather try to get off it soon.

 

@JohnDoe2020 I was on 150mg for a month and then 300mg for a couple of days. My doc told me that I could get off of it cold-turkey and I'd be okay. I'd recommend that you talk to your doc before making any decision like that, but that was my experience.

 

@JohnDoe2020 I am sorry to hear about your recent spike from starting Welbutrin. I really hope it's just temporary. For informational purposes for those who might land on this thread: I'm at ~7 weeks of notably increased tinnitus now (6 weeks since stopping the Bupropion) and it's still hanging in there...p articularly loud today .

I did get a response from the manufacturer stating that 5%+ of people experience tinnitus at the 300mg+ dosage, but I have been unable to get any clarification on the temporary versus permanent nature. They also told me that the literature with this information is available only to doctors, so I'm working with my ENT / audiologist to see if I can get that and will post back with any helpful/clarifying data.

So in summary, it is a known side effect though not nearly as well advertised as it probably should be. That said, it seems illogical to assume that 1 in 20 people who take Wellbutrin end up with permanent tinnitus - or it would be far more broadly known in the circles of medical professionals who deal with either antidepressants or tinnitus. Of course the experience of several on this post (including me so far) is that the tinnitus is not transient; as things change or time passes I'll report back.

On a separate note, this week I heard a great talk by a gentleman named Shawn Achor who does happiness research. (He has lots of books online and is likely on TED). The talk was about optimism and ways to create a more positive outlook along with better social connection, both of which are big parts of resilience.

Three suggestions (to do daily) resonated with me:

1) send a 2 min note of thanks or praise each day to someone new,

2) record just one positive thing - no matter how small - that will bring some meaning to each day, and

3) find three new things each day for which to be grateful (his sweet example: ‘this morning my child made me pancakes’).

Sounds super easy and super hard at the same time but as I am currently in need of some resilience I think I will give it a try over the coming weeks.

To that end: I am grateful tonight for this forum and the support people seek and provide here. I hope everyone is doing OK.

Virtual hugs and positive thoughts to all.

 

@dnl thank you for keeping this thread updated, almost nobody on the internet ever follows through like this!

I made an account just to post here. Been on Wellbutrin 2 x 150mg daily for depression. At first I thought this was a miracle drug. I had depressive episodes every third week or so that were starting to get worse and more debilitating and this was the first med my psychiatrist prescribed me after my visit.

The only immediate side effects were the really common one, higher energy levels to the point of being fidgety, and headaches, but both easily managed. And best of all I haven’t had a single depressive episode since starting.

but four days ago I developed a noise in my left ear that sounded like a tea kettle going off in the other room. I’ve had hearing problems my whole life (drainage tubes as a kid, too many rock and roll shows with no earplugs) so I would occasionally have ringing when sitting in a quiet room but it was never more than a slight nuisance and went away within an hour.

this, however has been nonstop for four days now, I definitely perceive it as being better or worse depending on how well I’m able to distract from it with other noise at any moment but it’s definitely always there at the same level. Right now it’s still at a level where if it never goes away but stays like this I could learn to live with it. But I’m terrified that if it has something to do with Wellbutrin that it could get worse if I keep taking it.

I’ve reached out to my doctor to try and get off this medication and will do my best to follow up here the way you’ve done. I’m not at all happy to get off Wellbutrin which has made my quality of life so much better since I started it, but if it’s causing this ringing then the benefits no longer outweigh the cost.

Too soon to say for sure whether Wellbutrin has anything to do with it and it seems strange that the tinnitis would start only after 5 months on it, but I can’t think of any other reason for it. I will also be making an appointment with an ENT tomorrow.

 

Hi @Midoki1986
I'm sorry to hear about the onset of your tinnitus.

I'd say there's a pretty good chance that Wellbutrin ignited your tinnitus. Your history sounds a good bit like mine, rock shows, allergies, occasional brief episodes of tinnitus, that went away. I can't speak to whether it will get worse if you stay on it. My theory is that you might have very mild hearing loss in the upper ranges like I do, and the Wellbutrin has sort of made the absence of sound in that range into a sound. This is all speculation on my part, but that's where my head is at these days.

I still have tinnitus. It's been pretty stable over the past year or so with occasional periods of intensity. often correlated with how well I'm taking care of myself (sleep, exercise, etc).

I was on the drug for a month or so, and then quit, and it took more than 6 months for me to feel like I was getting better.

Everyone is different. This might go away for you. Be positive and hopeful. I think I've seen a few examples of people that decided that staying on an SSRI was worth having tinnitus. I can't offer advice there, but definitely talk to your doctor about your options.

 

Welp, I'm 2 years in, still going, and got worse through a few loud incidents.

Good luck to you all. It helps to know other people are in the same boat still, but it still is very unfortunate it happened and that this information is not more widely available. Keep focusing on the good things in your life.

 

Thanks @dnl good to hear from you. A week since it started I can’t tell if it’s getting better or if I’m just acclimating to it. With my psychiatrist’s advice I stopped Wellbutrin cold turkey a couple days ago, I also completely stopped taking any daily antihistamine just to be safe, though I’m sure that wasn’t a factor. Neither the psyche nor my primary care doctor are willing or able to say whether my meds had anything to do with this- there’s really no way to be sure.

I Cut down on caffeine and started paying closer attention to my sleep, diet, hydration, and workout routine. The first couple of nights I almost cried because I couldn’t get to sleep. But happy to say yesterday I got in a good afternoon nap then with 1 tab of melatonin had a solid night’s sleep. Today it’s a distant ringing / buzzing that doesn’t really bother me too much at the moment.

I have a referral for an audiologist who I’m going to try and see next week, although I’m not going to get my hopes up. Common consensus from the medical community on this seems to be a big shrug of the shoulders. I’m probably done playing drums for now, will eventually look into options for playing with sound isolating headphones, electronic kit, etc. - that’s the one hobby I really don’t wanna give up. But now the thought of riding my motorcycle with its insanely loud pipes and wind noise, or woodworking around circular saws, seems like those are out for good.

Not happy at all with this recalibration of my life but after a few days to mentally adjust to it I’ve calmed down a lot. Honestly as long as it doesn’t end up being a brain tumor I’ll be grateful that it’s just a ringing and start taking way better care of my hearing. I have no intention of letting this thing control my life.

 

@Midoki1986, it's a bit of a guessing game for so many people about exactly what caused / exacerbated their tinnitus. My psyche was also non-committal and said he'd never had this issue with anyone. 'Why?' can certainly be one of the more frustrating aspects about tinnitus. Also, I think you nailed it w/ "common consensus from medical community seems to be a big shrug of the shoulders"; it's sad but it also made me chuckle. I sincerely hope yours has diminished or resolved since you last posted.

I think things like drums, motorcycles, woodwork don't have be to totally abandoned if you can practice them safely and they bring you joy. I love music... and music festivals in particular. (That's NOT how I got my tinnitus originally btw, though it was noise exposure). Though not nearly as frequently, I still allow myself that experience. I just participate differently - more towards the back of venues, and if something is just too loud to manage with proper ear protection I leave. A good pair of custom earplugs from your audiologist as well as a set of sound dampening headphones are good tools to have. I wear my headphones at music venues (sometimes on top of my earplugs) and don't 'give a hoot' what people think . My earplugs were about US$165 if I recall correctly. They put a mold in your ear so they fit perfectly, and they come with filters that you can change for different sound reduction.

Update for all re: Wellbutrin. I'm now at about 4 months since my increased tinnitus started (~3-4 weeks after going to 300mg dosage) and unfortunately it's stayed relatively consistent; so I'm preparing for the long haul of having to habituate to the new level. I'm using various coping mechanisms and trying to keep my chin up. Note: I haven't received the data sheet from the two medical professionals from whom I requested it, but I didn't follow up aggressively.

I am curious if anyone has tried other antidepressants after getting off Wellbutrin w/ this issue? I've been quite nervous to go back on anything even though I was OK with (and helped by) Prozac after having gotten tinnitus 12+ years ago. I know everyone is different and side effects vary for people, but would be grateful for any suggestions. My audiologist told me about two that seem to be far less likely for tinnitus. I wrote them down but can't seem to find!

Lastly, I was on my local (Houston) tinnitus support group this past weekend where a doctor gave a presentation about tinnitus during COVID-19 times (survey of several thousand people - and commentary about some of the medical literature). Net: a lot of people are struggling with their tinnitus a bit more due to overall anxiety, isolation, etc. So if you're feeling that way you're not alone. It also seems that there may be some tinnitus COVID-19 connections... people developing new tinnitus, tinnitus getting louder as a result of having it. Of course a lot of that is anecdotal and will probably become more clear over time.

I hope everyone is staying safe and as upbeat as possible in these crazy times! Hugs to all.

 

@KiminHouston good question. I don’t have the answer myself. Unfortunately ALL drugs that affect serotonin have at least some risk of ototoxicity. I am currently going through it in a major way because of the perfect storm of this tinnitus, plus I have cut almost all caffeine as that seems to aggravate it, plus I am no longer taking my Wellbutrin which had briefly been a miracle for my depression as well as a stimulant which gave me a ton of energy.

and 100% agree with you on what a bad time it is to just now have an onset of T. COVID has got me sitting alone in my completely silent house all day for work (my spouse unfortunately has to do most of her work on site), and of course over the winter I really wasn’t doing anything. Thank god now with the weather turning I can start exercising outside again. I was outside for a few hours yesterday and it was the best I’ve felt since this started. Just enough ambient noise to distract from the ringing, moving around and getting my blood flowing is always great for it, etc.

my main priority does need to be treating my depression- I had forgotten how debilitating it can be until now- and that does include possibly making up my mind to just deal with tinnitus and go back on another medication soon if I can find one that won’t make the T worse. Unfortunately I don’t know if anyone can make such a guarantee.

you may want to talk to a psychiatrist, as difficult as it must be to trust any of them right now. Do you have any family members who are taking antidepressants? A relative of mine has been on Zoloft for several years with no major side effects so that is what I am considering if things take a turn for the worst regarding my own mental health. Modern psychiatry puts a lot of emphasis on family relationships and if a relative has success with a medication that’s the first one they want to try with you.

 

Wassup, just updating this thread with the latest status.

Since my tinnitus started in January, I've been to my PCP, an audiologist, and an ENT. I've gotten several tests, including an MRI and blood draw. I've taken hearing tests, etc.

The conclusion is that my lifelong high frequency hearing loss is by far the most likely cause of my tinnitus. The Wellbutrin may or may not have exacerbated it, we'll never know. I'm leaning towards the medication NOT having any impact on it.

The reasons I say that are:

1. My tinnitus didn't start until about 4 months after I had been on Wellbutrin. Overwhelmingly the medical community's opinion on ototoxic medication is that tinnitus will start almost immediately if it's caused by the meds.
   
   
2. Since getting hearing aids, my tinnitus has been WAY more tolerable. I barely notice it until I take them out for bed at night.
   
   
3. After much deliberation I've decided to go back on Wellbutrin. The anxiety/stress/depression was this perpetual motion device where my stress fed into the tinnitus which made the stress worse, and so on. And I decided the best decision for my health was to go back on this med which had done such a good job of regulating me.

It's been about a week and so far the tinnitus has not gotten worse at all, each day this just convinces me more that my tinnitus setting in was simply a coincidence and not caused by my medication.

Anyway the reason I even bothered making this post at all is because I feel a certain responsibility to anyone with a new onset of tinnitus who, like I did, is frantically googling stuff and reading this forum. To you I say:

• The feeling of wanting to kill yourself will go away eventually, it just takes several months. It's not a totally linear progression, you will have good days and bad days. But overall things will trend toward you not being bothered by the ringing until it occupies only a tiny amount of your thoughts, if that. The brain is a powerful tool and it will eventually "rewire" itself to stop giving so much attention to the noise.
  
  
• GET A HEARING TEST. If you have high frequency hearing loss it can manifest in tinnitus several years after the fact, even without any sudden trauma or noise exposure.
  
  
• Listen to what your doctors and licensed audiologists and ENTs say. Do not waste time on the hokum that is all over the internet. Stick to what we know based on evidence. Which leads me to my last point...
  
  
• Stop reading about tinnitus online! There is a strong selection bias with forums like these. The people whose tinnitus doesn't bother them don't want to talk about it, myself included. I find that the less attention I actively pay to my tinnitus, the more tolerable it is. The people posting about how it's ruining their life, how they want to die, etc. either have horrible coping mechanisms and/or are experiencing a new onset and haven't had time to adjust.

 

Glad you are doing better. See you in a few years when you get a tinnitus spike.

The forum is to help and to inform. I don't agree with your "I feel better, so I don't need this forum!"

 

@Midoki1986, thanks for the update, and I’m really glad you found a strategy that works for you! There’s some great advice in your update.

I’d appreciate it if you would pop in maybe once or twice a year to update us on your status. The intent of this thread is to inform and to provide hope and information.

When I first got tinnitus after taking Wellbutrin, there weren’t a lot of people who updated their status over the long term.

If you could check in and let us know how you’re doing every now and then, that would be super helpful to people who find this thread.

 

Does anyone on here who got tinnitus from Wellbutrin have orthostatic hypotension, dysautonomia, tachycardia, or POTS?

After doing some thinking, I now believe I got my tinnitus from Wellbutrin.

I believe my norepinephrine levels are higher than the average person due to dysautonomia and that the even higher levels of norepinephrine that happened after Wellbutrin use caused my tinnitus.

My blood pressure is usually lower upon standing and my pulse is usually higher upon standing than lying down. Does anyone else that took Wellbutrin have this? These issues predated my Wellbutrin use.