What Is Your Experience with Every Psychiatric Medication?

What is every psychiatric drug you've ever taken and what affect has it had on you? Antidepressants, benzodiazepines, SSRIs, MAOIs, antipsychotics etc.

You can also explain what it was prescribed for but you don't have to.

Did any have a negative effect on your tinnitus? What helped and what didn't?

 

I was withdrawing ( tapering ) from an SSRI when my T started. So i would try a natural alternative such as 5htp for low Serotonin and L - Tyrosine for low Dopamine before i even looked at the chemical option. They are dangerous in my opinion. But that is just my opinion.

 

Way prior to my tinnitus, I was diagnosed with PTSD, depression, panic disorder, insomnia... I've cleared the roster of SSRIs, because antidepressants are such trial and error. None of them worked for me. The only TCA I've tried was desipiramine and it didn't help me. The only SNRI I've been on so far was Effexor which made my depression worse. I'm currently on wellbutrin which is the only antidepressant, in a decade, that has helped my depression at all - it's still there, but I'm not in the pit of despair, crying over everything state anymore, knock on wood. But antidepressants work so differently for everyone.

Now with the anxiety, gabapentin has been a godsend. It's also somewhat lessened the volume on my tinnitus to where I'm not having panic attacks over it (panic feeds into the tinnitus which makes it louder - vicious circle). I've also tried every benzo out there for the really bad panic attacks that come on because I'm a psychological mess, lol. The only one that's helped is xanax, probably because it kicks in fairly quick. I take it as needed for panic or if my tinnitus flares up to an unbearable level. I know folks around here aren't fans of Xanax, but I have to put my mental health first, and that stuff keeps my panic in check AND (no one believes me when I say this) pretty significantly lowers the volume of the roaring in my ears.

Now it's possible that any of the meds I've taken caused my tinnitus (I've had T for two years, along with vertigo, but I've had PTSD/depression/anxiety/insomnia for way way longer, stemming from childhood). I've also been under a lot of stress with all my diagnoses. I don't think I'll ever know what caused my tinnitus. I just work on treating the psych conditions. No med has made tinnitus worse though, yet-- hope that answers your questions.

 

I've been on and off various SSRIs (in low doses) for about 20 years for mild depression. I'm certain that they have contributed to my T. However, I need to take them. I tried natural supplements of all sorts but only the SSRIs actually helped me feel normal and happy. When I weaned myself off Zoloft about 8 years ago (because it was making me gain weight), the T got extremely loud for a while, then it went down to a more bearable "normal" level. The audiologist told me that this is very common. I've been on 15mg of generic Celexa for about 8 years.

I've also taken a lot of NSAIDs over the past 10 years for chronic back and hip pain (I try not to take them unless absolutely necessary nowadays....but I had two hip surgeries, so the reason for the pain has been fixed). I know that NSAIDs can make T worse.

Benzos don't seem to make my T worse, but then again, I only take a 5 mg Lorazapam once in a while for insomnia. I don't take Benzos on any sort of regular basis or in high doses.

Cannabis definitely makes my T worse. I think it's the amount of THC. If I use a high CBD tincture, I don't notice that effect.

I hope this helps.