For myself, I do not trust drugs.
So you may take a drug, hoping for one specific outcome - a reduction in anxiety, or a reduction in depression - where the hoped for outcome is by no means certain - while you risk 37 unwanted side effects??
You may take an an antidepression tablet, where one of the listed side effects is an increase in suicidal thoughts??
You are entitled to your opinion
@Jazzer and have expressed it well. I hope that your tinnitus never gets severe enough that you will need to be hospitalized like some people. People talk to me in tears on the telephone as they are in total despair with the tinnitus noise. Medication as far as I'm concerned can be a formidable treatment in managing and coping with tinnitus and know this from personal experience.
The post below is for people that might be reading this thread and contemplating the use and effectiveness of medication for tinnitus and one's mental wellbeing. Properly managed by a doctor, they can be very effective in helping a person with tinnitus management.
Can antidepressants and other medications help tinnitus?
Tinnitus is a complex condition that comes in many forms and intensities and no two people experience it the same. It can be:
mild,
moderate,
severe or
extremely severe. Because its intensity can vary considerably, it can be difficult to know what another person is going through. When it is mild or moderate, many people are able to habituate to it and carry on with their life doing everything that they want to and may not always need a referral to ENT or a hearing therapist for treatment.
Tinnitus starts to become a problem when it loud and intrusive. If this level of intensity is sustained for a period of time, life can become a very traumatic experience, especially for someone that is new to the condition. A person's once peaceful world has suddenly been invaded by an unwanted interloper, and it can seem there is no end to the nightmare that has befallen upon them. Insomnia, stress and anxiety are common conditions affecting such a person, which can often make the tinnitus, seem louder and more intrusive. Stress makes tinnitus worse and tinnitus makes stress worse. So, the more relaxed someone is the less intrusive the tinnitus will appear to be and often making life more tolerable.
If your GP suggests taking an antidepressant or a sleeping draft then I advise you to consider it. However, for various reasons some people are averse to taking medications, and when it comes to antidepressants or sleeping tablets they vehemently oppose the idea and prefer to deal with the problem without assistance from prescription drugs. Admirable as this might seem, coping with intrusive tinnitus isn't easy. The usual methods of keeping busy to distract one's attention from the noise or masking it with another sound so that it can't be heard often prove unsuccessful and at times exhausting, because tinnitus is quite resilient and will put up a fight.
Contrary to what some people believe, antidepressants or other medications to help cope with tinnitus, don't have to be taken long term and can act as a safety net, helping to prevent a person becoming too down. Remember, the less stressed and relaxed we are, the less intrusive the tinnitus will appear to be. This can go a long way in helping a person to habituate to the condition with time.
Some medications can make tinnitus more intrusive and this has been said about antidepressants. However, in many cases the effects are usually temporary. As we are all different it wouldn't be right to say everyone that takes AD will be adversely affected. My blood pressure medicine is listed as "can cause ringing in the ears". I haven't noticed any increase in my tinnitus and I have been taking it for quite some time.
Life can be problematic even at the best of times. With the added pressure of coping with intrusive tinnitus, my advice is to try and make things a easier on yourself. Talk to your doctor and if an antidepressant or other medications is advised then try it and give it time to work, at least six weeks.
Michael