Valdoxan (Agomelatine) Worsened My Tinnitus

Hi guys.

I just wanted to let you guys know about my experience.

I was starting to habituate to my tinnitus again but I was experiencing a massive resurgence in my panic disorder because tinnitus has effectively made this the year from hell and has left me burnt out.

So I decided to take Valdoxan, I took two doses of 25mg and stopped as my tinnitus was ramped up.

It has been 6 days and it has not gone back down. Stupid me for trying to make myself feel better.

But anyway just wanted to say be cautious if you decide to take this medication.

 

I was not aware Valdoxan is ototoxic. Thank you for the update.

 

Hi, so since my last post my tinnitus has increased around 10-12 times (I stopped counting because I just don't have the energy) and it is all from sounds like dishes crashing or doors slamming, things that never increased it before, I feel no pain when this happens.

The usual pattern it follows is that I hear the loud noise, my tinnitus then disappears for 48 hours and then it returns at a louder level, and no it has never gone back down.

Could this be caused just from taking two doses of Valdoxan (Agomelatine)? I mean my hearing is unchanged along with my DPOAEs and all that other stuff and yes I have repeatedly checked my UHF, which has in fact gotten better since my last test, as I can hear up to 19000 Hz at 5 dB in both ears.

I am just so confused like it worsened twice after my microsuction from pretty normal noise, but it's like the Valdoxan has just sped things up?

Also I take NAC, Curcumin and Vitamin E etc so I am fine on the supplement side of things.

Please someone help I am so scared.

 

It is not listed on
http://hlaa-sbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Ototoxic_Brochure.pdf

it is not even listed on
http://www.ata.org/sites/default/files/Drugs Associated with Tinnitus 2013_Updated2017.pdf

 

I think it's because it's not a drug used in the US, as I did find on the leaflet it has listed as a side effect "ringing in ears".

 

"Agomelatine (brand names Valdoxan, Melitor, Thymanax)" None of those brand names are listed...

 

Hi @Liam_Cairns, sorry to hear of you're problems. If it's any consolation you described my tinnitus exactly. After a noise exposure like you described my tinnitus also decreases for a day or two then ramps up and doesn't go back down. I'm not taking any drugs so it can't be the cause for me. I also got T from microsuction

 

I read posts like this and I think to myself what the fuck is wrong with this condition? Tinnitus seriously needs to have a word with itself.

 

@Liam_Cairns, may I ask whether tinnitus went back to pre-valdoxan levels eventually?

 

Nah Valdoxan actually caused it to spiral out of control, I was getting a worsening every day, it's like it permanently changed my neurochemistry. The worsening only stopped when I started taking Melatonin?

 

Thanks Liam_Cairns and sorry to hear that. I am already taking melatonin at night, so if I added 5htp or tryptophan I would have serotonin and melatonin intake without taking the Valdoxan. I doubt this would be as powerful as the Valdoxan but it would certainly be less dangerous. It is ironic that Valdoxan is considered to be one of the best tolerated AD in the reviews and meta-analyses. The alternative AD I might have are Amitriptyline and Sertraline, as discussed in the other thread, but none of them seems really attractive. A medication is already making my tinnitus worse and worse as I taper, so I am not that keen to go into an AD, but I need to function for my family. I don't know what to do, it's Russian roulette as happens so many times with tinnitus

 

Yeah the safety was exactly why I took it haha, like I had come off Pristiq 9 months earlier and it was honestly hell, so I thought that this would be great as it wouldn't have insane withdrawals.

Personally, I reckon while you are in withdrawal adding ADs might be like throwing fuel on the tinnitus fire. If you can you should try doing really intense exercise. I run like 8-12 km most days and it helps an insane amount with my mood.

 

Yes that's my fear exactly.
I struggle with physical exercise because I have balance problems on top of tinnitus, but I should still manage a run. I'll seriously consider it. Thanks

 

yikes, sorry to hear. Newfangled drugs scare me, I just stick with weed for sleep.

THC has been shown in some studies to cause a temporary 5000% increase in melatonin levels. I bet it works better than valdoxan.

 

Yet, anecdotally , THC oils increase tinnitus in a few people from what I read. CBD does spike mine, even with minimal THC unfortunately, otherwise for all else CBD oil would be great.

 

Sorry to be coming back to this, @Liam_Cairns. I am staring at the valdoxan prescription but don't know what to do, I am tempted to destroy it.
One more question: you say "Valdoxan actually caused it to spiral out of control, I was getting a worsening every day".
Did the worsening continue even after you interrupted the drug? And you had to introduce melatonin to stop the worsening?

I am trying to understand why the Valdoxan, that should be a very relaxing medication, worsened tinnitus.
This article
https://news.ohsu.edu/2017/08/22/study-suggests-serotonin-may-worsen-tinnitus
points out that serotonin might worsen tinnitus, and Valdoxan works also on serotonin.
On the other hand melatonin seems to be beneficial
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21859051
and should help. It's hard to understand what could go wrong with Valdoxan, perhaps it's the serotonin or maybe the way it targets melatonin is not always helpful. Working on melatonin receptors rather than taking a melatonin supplement might be more powerful but also more dangerous. Who knows.

 

Yeah, it's so odd, like I am very confused and have thought about it a lot, but from what I can tell it doesn't actually increase extracellular serotonin levels in the brain, Valdoxan blocks two serotonin receptors but that's it, it doesn't have the same reuptake effect as SSRIs, so I don't think that is the reason why. I think my brain is probably also messed up from taking SSRIs/SNRIs for 10 years.

Valdoxan causes tinnitus in other people, it isn't a super rare side effect, but my tinnitus shouldn't be getting worse, that is the mystery.

 

I have noticed this, but I love cannabis and it helps with other issues, and I've found that the instability and spikes I get with occasional use basically disappear with pretty consistent daily use.

Mind you, I live some place where it's legal and costs me basically nothing.

 

Looks like a good place!

 

Thanks. I checked the stats and they found it causes tinnitus as an uncommon (but not rare) side effect, between 1/100 and 1/1000 of people get it. But usually it resolves in time.
My other question was

Did the worsening continue even after you interrupted the drug? Have you introduced melatonin while tapering or after quitting?

 

Oh this literally happened after only two doses of 25 mg and then immediately stopped.

 

You mean that two doses increased tinnitus crazily, then you stopped and the increase stopped too but didn't revert to baseline later, right? This terrifies me. The GP said: if you have a bad reaction carry on, it will subside in time, likely. Keyword: likely. Russian roulette.

 

Exactly what I mean. And you know I hear a lot of doctors say this and I think it's because it's normal to feel shit for the first 4 weeks upon starting an antidepressant, you get a lot of transient symptoms, but there is nothing to really suggest that tinnitus is one of these transient symptoms such as sleepiness or headache.

 

I keep staring at this prescription but I don't think I will collect the medication. Perhaps with a probability between 1/100 and 1/1000 I'm being too cautious. We already have tinnitus and there are no data on what it does to people who already have it, rather than people who get it for the first time. Too risky.

 

Liam, any update on this? Did the tinnitus revert to pre-Agomelatine levels?

 

How are you doing these days?

 

Any update from your side on this?

 

I used it for a few weeks. It triggered very strong tingling in my right leg and feet that took months to go away and it didn't help, even with sleep.

 

Funny, I also took Valdoxan for a few weeks. But yours had no effect on tinnitus?

 

No effect really.