Shown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by ricker on July 27, 2008, at 13:39:04
Hi all,
First post here, I'm a 49 year old guy with chronic depression/anxiety disorder. I've been on meds for 22 years... most trycyclics, ssri's etc.
My current is zoloft 100mg, clonazepam 0.5 tid, remeron 15mg and just added lamactil 50mg....pdoc wanted me on 100mg but I can't sleep when I up it to 75-100mg...wild dreams = no sleep = cranky!
Anyway, my tinitus has been really bad for approx. a 6-12 months and I was wondering if any members suffer with this and what meds. would increase the effect.
On a side note my pdoc just added the lamactil as I was feeling irratable - lathargic - empty. I'm not doing much better (4 weeks) and I will be seeing him again next month.
Nice to be a member here, I've enjoyed reading your post's and look forward to chatting with all.
Thanks, Rick
Posted by bleauberry on July 27, 2008, at 17:14:43
In reply to new member - question on tinnitus, posted by ricker on July 27, 2008, at 13:39:04
Hi Rick,
Tinnitus is one of those mystery things. Some meds seem more guilty of it that others, but it is hard to reliably predict what is good or bad for someone with tinnitus.For me, things that worsen tinnitus are things that cause an increase of norepinephrine firing...like remeron. Any med that has tinnitus as a common or rare listed side effect will almost surely worsen my tinnitus. Examples, the antibiotics doxycycline and minocycline, wellbutrin, lithium. Prozac and zyprexa also did. Buspar was horrible, as its metabolite is a norepinephrine releaser. I expected depakote would have quieted things down, but it instead got louder.
Things I found good for it, during short times I used them, were xanax, klonopin, lamictal. I recall some fairly quiet times when on prozac+lamictal.
For me, things that shore up norepinephrine and maybe slow down firing seem to quiet it down significantly. One was Milnacipran. Another that worked even better was cymbalta, though I only took 5mg. The difficult thing is that with any med that proved to be helpful, they actually worsened it in the first few days or week.
Zoloft was particularly bad for my tinnitus. It was much worse, and got even worse during the 2 or 3 weeks after I got off it. Then it gradually settled back to baseline. In my experience, and based on anecdotal hints, zoloft has to be one of the worst offenders for tinnitus sufferers.
Hey, just know you aren't alone.
If it bothers you at night, do what I do and have some white noise going, such as a hummer, an AC, or a box fan. Even in the winter I sleep with the fan on, facing away of course, just for the noise.
Posted by ricker on July 27, 2008, at 18:49:05
In reply to Re: new member - question on tinnitus, posted by bleauberry on July 27, 2008, at 17:14:43
Thanks for your reply bleauberry. Lots of good information. I agree the remeron has certainly increased the tinnitus. I have been taking it to help with sleep but I just read a post where some of the older tricyclics may be a better altenative for augmentation/sleep with the zoloft.
Once again, thanks for your reply, I'm still figuring out the site and how to post and reply.
Regards, Rick
Posted by ClubSoda on July 28, 2008, at 15:39:00
In reply to Re: new member - question on tinnitus, posted by ricker on July 27, 2008, at 18:49:05
I've had tinnitus in varying degrees for years now. At first I blamed it on too many heavy metal concerts w/o earplugs. ;-)
I still have it all the time as far as I can tell. I think I've become used to it because most of the time I'm unaware of it. I only started hearing it after reading your post.
I noticed it did get a little louder when I started taking Cymbalta. So, if I'm reading bleauberry's post correctly I'm having the opposite effect. I do agree with the white noise suggestion. I've always slept better with some sort of droning noise in the background.
Posted by yxibow on August 1, 2008, at 0:14:26
In reply to new member - question on tinnitus, posted by ricker on July 27, 2008, at 13:39:04
There is familial tinnitus on my father's side. When my somatoform disorder was worst, my tinnitus was worst also. Concentrating on tinnitus also causes a loop making it further worse. If you tell a tinnitus sufferer who has successfully managed to ignore it for years, oh, do you have tinnitus, they'll notice it again, and then it will slowly go away.
As for medication -- it is probably listed at 1% on just about every medication out there.
I'm sure some SSRIs can be a culprit -- on the other hand, one has to examine where the tinnitus is coming from.
Is it somatoform?
Is it familial?
Is it anxiety driven?
Is it medication caused/induced/exacerbated?
(the most common there are NSAIDs, aspirin, salicyclates, etc.)Some people as noted use those sleep machines that have train track rumbles and tropical showers and rain, etc. I have used them at some points, more just because I have sleep problems.
I'm sure my tinnitus still exists but I no longer go into silent rooms and "check" on it obsessively. Because that serves no purpose other than to antagonize oneself.
Yes, I worry I will get progressive nerve deafness (amplified tinnitus) like my father but up to 50% of the population will get it as they age to some degree, just like benign prostate problems.
Sometimes tinnitus sufferers advocate a small dose of Xanax -- people exist for years not noticing their tinnitus as much and being able to function much more.
Also the frequency can vary -- some people get high frequency tinnitus and some get low and some get both unfortunately.
There are tinnitus "hearing aid" like products, sort of like noise-cancellation headphones that if tinnitus-trained audiologists can figure out your spectrum, you may be able to eliminate it.
However that is usually for those people who cannot function doing their work without a lot of help because of their tinnitus, where it exceeds 50 or 60db or the average above-city noise/low conversation range.Still some clinics that you can fly out to claim to be able to retrain people, even those who are quite affected to not hear their tinnitus as much as they typically do. Whether that has any true value, I don't know.
As they say, always wear sunscreen -- and always wear earplugs when using loud equipment or going to concerts. I can't believe the number of young people going into bars or concerts where the db would easily exceed OSHA limits without earplugs. In fact, wearing them actually enables conversation to be easier.
-- tidingsJay
Posted by ricker on August 1, 2008, at 22:02:29
In reply to Re: new member - question on tinnitus, posted by yxibow on August 1, 2008, at 0:14:26
Thanks all for you very informative replies. When I finished reading the post's, my head was really ringing. lol.
I work at a hospital, no, not a DR.-- Maintenance Supervisor.
I know the docs pretty well and often get a chance to chat with them.
One of the Doc's is really into altenative medicine, longevity treatments and has written a book.
He told me his understanding of tinnitus was that the cochlea is lined with sensitive hairs which trigger the generation of nerve signals that are sent to the brain.
He believes these tiny hairs may short-circuit so to speak, due to contact with one another.Again, just another one of many therioes. I'll gladly take a cure for depression and live with my ringing!!!
Regards, Rick
Posted by tealady on August 2, 2008, at 2:49:03
In reply to Re: new member - question on tinnitus, posted by ricker on August 1, 2008, at 22:02:29
I guess that depends on the level of ear Screeeing or depression.. tinnitus can be sooo intense at times. Last year miune was from a car acident, and now from TMJ.. different. last year like a loud ocean hiss.. fine, but prevented hearing much, and alaos nother like cicadas in a rainforest .. deafening.. at least 120decibel I reckon! Now more like metalloic white noise I guess, and not quite so bad, but not good. It also depends if it is constant or at least hurs in duraction or only minutes or seconds..
Hers' an old thread where I tried to analyse rtinnitus I got and others got from SSRI's .
I'm sorry I am not well enough to help now, as I did work out which SSRI's were mainly the culprit and I thought I worked out at least for those who responded that it was usually some that inhibited one of the receptor uptakes..but I've forgotten which now, it may help someone if they read thru the thread
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030912/msgs/259583.html and rest in thread.
It is probabloy the zoloft at a guess, I think that wasa baddie..
I note the link in those posts to lists of SSRI's and their receptors inhibited doesnt work anymore..
Posted by tealady on August 2, 2008, at 3:08:43
In reply to Re: new member - question on tinnitus, posted by ricker on August 1, 2008, at 22:02:29
not sure if thus will help
http://www.geocities.com/jan_narelle_tea/pdrugs.xls
It looks like my SSRI tinnitus at a guess from years later was from Lovan? I thought maybe a 5HT2C inhibitor style SSRI may cause the tinnitus and I think it fitted with some others experiences?? sorry if no help.
The tinnitus from the SRRI's disappeared when on thryoid meds, so I think it also reuired lowish normal levels of thyrpoid hormones perhaps as well as the SSRI on top. I think Zoloft actrually lowers thyroid hormone levels from memory.. BUT I don't trust my memory ATM!
hope this helps
This is the end of the thread.
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