Tinnitus Started After 3 Days of 50 mg of Nortriptyline

Hi everyone.

I've read through a lot of your threads and it's a bit of a mixed bag for me. Some of you guys are quite positive despite your experiences while reading some of your experiences scare me into believing what I am going through is permanent.

Bit of a background, I'm 30 years old, recently married and have a 5 month old baby. I was prescribed nortriptyline due to chronic headaches and sleep issues.

My doctor started me on week 1 of 10 mg of N, week 2 on 25 mg, then week 3 on 50 mg then week 4 at 75 mg on N.

The first two weeks I experienced relief from the sleep issues but not the headaches but was content with the results. But by the 3rd day on 50 mg, that's when I noticed the buzzing. I found this forum, read a lot of the comments about how N is actually used to treat T but N lists T as a 'serious side effect' on their website.

So I saw my docs and they said they've prescribed N to hundreds if not thousands of patients with no one resulting in T. They said the T will disappear if it was caused by the N.

It's been 8 days and the T fluctuates in loudness. Did anyone have a similar experience? Any idea if I need to quickly see an ENT doctor or what this can be?

 

Any medication that works on the brain can cause or spike tinnitus.
Sometimes it settles down as your brain slowly adjusts to it.
Also medication reduction can cause it also.
Amitriptyline and Nortriptyline are both antidepresants that can help tinnitus for some people.
Love glynis

 

Thanks Glynis. My wife is supportive and optimistic that the ringing will go away. It just seemed to come so randomly and staying for much longer than I've excepted. Just with 3 days of 50 mg and sometimes the T is so loud I cannot hear conversation at the table. It's a bit frightening but I find days that I can sleep well that the T is manageable. I'm on melatonin now but even then I struggle to sleep for more than 1 hour at a time.

 

I am on Nortryptaline 50mg for sleep due to tinnitus and it stopped my head tinnitus but still have it sever in my ears.
Love glynis

 

I would like to see less chemicals used. So with a sleep problem may I suggest a more natural way to help you sleep. I hadn't slept right in 40 some years due the Vietnam war told by a friend to see an acupuncturist. I did. She put two little pieces that looked like pepper corns in both ears. Cost 10 euros. That night I slept all night and have since. I think its better than pills.

 

Look into Ambien. It's very effective and doesn't have the withdrawal of benzos.

 

Thanks everyone for your help. I've only been on melatonin this past several days. The T comes and goes in varying loudness. Doctors have now switched from the position that it will definitely go away after a week to definitely go away after a month.

I'm a bit pessimistic about the outlook and started listening to "Relaxing nature background noise" on you tube to assist with drowning out the T to help me sleep.

Ambien looks a bit dangerous for me. I have sleep apnea and I snore terribly. I would hate to stop breathing and not wake up. :S

 

I have sleep apnea, too. I've taken ambien quite a few times, although not in awhile. I'm not sure how it effects my breathing. Do you have any experience with a CPAP? I've wondered whether sleep apnea has an effect on tinnitus or recovery from noise exposure.

 

You'd better to see a doctor or the tinnitus will be worse.

 

Hi, how is your situation with tinnitus now? (after two years)