![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Mary-Teresa on October 22, 2001, at 7:19:09
I would be interested in hearing from anyone who developed tinnitus while taking an ssri medication such as zoloft. I have been off it for 8 weeks now, and the tinnitus is lessened but not gone. What was your experience. Did it go away, were you able to taken another medication and which one worked best. My problem is anxiety which is now substantially worse.
Posted by tina on October 22, 2001, at 9:25:34
In reply to Tinnitus and Zoloft, posted by Mary-Teresa on October 22, 2001, at 7:19:09
I've had tinnitus my whole life but I do notice it gets much much worse when I'm on medications. Doesn't seem to matter whether the med is an SSRi or maoi or anti-psychotic. Not much help but you're not alone in the ear noise department. I hope someone has better advice for you.
All I can say is that listening to nature sounds or having a walkman going for awhile helps to make the ringing lessen for a while after turning the sounds off. Not a cure but a temp respite from the noise helps sometimes.
goodluck
T> I would be interested in hearing from anyone who developed tinnitus while taking an ssri medication such as zoloft. I have been off it for 8 weeks now, and the tinnitus is lessened but not gone. What was your experience. Did it go away, were you able to taken another medication and which one worked best. My problem is anxiety which is now substantially worse.
Posted by Ted on October 23, 2001, at 15:05:36
In reply to Tinnitus and Zoloft, posted by Mary-Teresa on October 22, 2001, at 7:19:09
Hi Mary-Teresa,
Yup -- indeed. I take zoloft 200 mg and I had barely noticeable tinnitus before I started the med. Now it is *much* worse. And in the 2-1/2 years that I have taken zoloft, the tinnitus has not decreased in the slightest. I have complained to my pdoc about it, but all he can do is write it down in my records. I don't think there is any treatment.
Ted
> I would be interested in hearing from anyone who developed tinnitus while taking an ssri medication such as zoloft. I have been off it for 8 weeks now, and the tinnitus is lessened but not gone. What was your experience. Did it go away, were you able to taken another medication and which one worked best. My problem is anxiety which is now substantially worse.
Posted by Mary-Teresa on October 24, 2001, at 8:31:40
In reply to Re: Tinnitus and Zoloft, posted by Ted on October 23, 2001, at 15:05:36
> Hi Ted, thanks for the reply. Have you tried coming off the zoloft to see if that would lessen the tinnitus, or is life so much better with zoloft that you prefer to stay on it. Has you doctor tried adding anyother meds to reduce the effect?
Posted by Ted on October 24, 2001, at 12:06:44
In reply to Re: Tinnitus and Zoloft, posted by Mary-Teresa on October 24, 2001, at 8:31:40
Hi Mary-Teresa,
I am afraid to come off the zoloft even though I think it is pooping-out (seemingly common for SSRIs). My fear stems from the fact that zoloft still works at least a little and anecdotal reports say that when an SSRI is stopped and later restarted, it often fails to work at all.
I started my zoloft at 50mg daily, then 100mg, then 150mg, then 175mg, now 200mg. For effect, I had to raise the dose. If I start reducing the dose, I think it will stop working altogether. I also take wellbutrin and depakote, so they *might* exacerbate the problem.
Nothing has been added to relieve the tinnitus. I checked the medical literature (online and in print) and learned that there is little that can be done to treat tinnitus which has repeatable success. BTW, tinnitus is a recorded side-effect of zoloft and many of the other ADs.
I have just become used to it, annoying as it is. I had a hearing test in 1983 as part of a physical exam for work. They said I had the best hearing they ever measured. I *know* my hearing is only average at best now.
Good luck, and let us know if you come up with a solution.
Ted
> > Hi Ted, thanks for the reply. Have you tried coming off the zoloft to see if that would lessen the tinnitus, or is life so much better with zoloft that you prefer to stay on it. Has you doctor tried adding anyother meds to reduce the effect?
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.