@Allan1967
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 a cacophony of noise, 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, may 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.
Tinnitus and mental health.
Type tinnitus into any search engine and you will see links to thousands of websites. They will explain its symptoms, causes and a variety of treatments that are available in the medical field. It seems everyone is catered for, because there is no shortage of information on alternative medicine or natural remedies for anyone wanting to pursue these routes. Those new to tinnitus sometimes feel isolated by it and therefore, it might be comforting to read, that millions of people around the world experience this condition and most learn to live with it.
Reassuring as this seems, learning to live with tinnitus and getting to a point where one accepts it and is not troubled by noise is easier said than done for some people. The reason being, the habituation process can be a mysterious one with many twists and turns along its path. Just when you think you've got a handle on it and a corner has been turned. A spike or the sudden introduction of a new sound can be a stark reminder that you haven't quite reached there yet. This is particularly true for those new to the condition and similarly, for anyone that has been seasoned to it for a while and noticed a resurgence in intensity for one reason or another.
Since the majority of people learn to live with tinnitus it is reasonable to assume the condition stays relatively mild or moderate for them most of the time. Therefore, it might not always be necessary to see the GP. If it does, a consultation will usually allay any fears that there is nothing drastically wrong. Providing no pain is experienced in the ears and there is no problem with balance, dizziness or deafness, patients are usually told it's tinnitus and they will get used to it. However, nothing is for certain as we are all different. It is not uncommon for some people to be feeling stressed or anxious by the noise in the early stages. A light sedation or an antidepressant can often help a person to cope until the tinnitus settles down and one habituates. A referral to ENT for tests might be recommend just to make sure everything is as it should be and there are no signs of hearing loss which can cause tinnitus.
If there are no additional symptoms as mentioned above, when does it become necessary to seek more professional help for tinnitus if habituation is proving to be difficult? There is no definite time frame for this, although someone new to the condition a period of up to six months perhaps a little longer, is considered an acceptable amount of time to habituate. A lot depends on one's personality and emotional makeup. If they find coping with daily life too difficult, this can increase stress and affect their mental well being and this needs to be kept in check. Although an antidepressant can help a person not to become too down, some people are averse to taking them and prefer to go it alone, which isn't always the best choice.
My opinion on this is that tinnitus and a person's mental health are integrated. The more stressed we become the more intrusive the tinnitus will be and vice versa. Anything that helps to relax us will usually have a positive impact on the tinnitus and make it more tolerable. Counselling with Hearing Therapist or Audiologist trained in tinnitus management can be of immense help and should be considered.
The therapist discusses with the patient how the tinnitus makes them feel and how it has impacted on their life. Often people say they have lost interest in the things they once liked doing, which is understandable. Those they are close to particularly loved one's don't understand what they are going through which can put a lot to strain on a relationship. Talk therapy can help a person to look at life differently and with a more positive outlook. Over time the negative thinking that is often associated with tinnitus is gradually dispelled and demystified. The therapist does this in a controlled and precise manner so that the patient feels relaxed and not pressured. In many instances the tinnitus is gradually pushed further into the background making it less prominent. I believe tinnitus counseling with or without medication can go a long way in helping a person to have a better quality of life.
Michael
PS: When someone with tinnitus is referred for counselling, I believe this is best done with a Hearing Therapist or Audiologist who has been trained in the management of tinnitus. Often these people have tinnitus or experienced it at some time in their life. Therefore, they will have a depth of understanding and be able to empathize with a patient rather than someone who is just a counsellor, psychotherapist or psychiatrist with no experience of tinnitus.
People have contacted me who have been referred to the health professionals I have mentioned, and the first thing they have been told:
I know nothing about tinnitus.
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