Seeking Advice After Tinnitus Worsened Following SSRI Trial

[JohanR]

Hello everyone,

I've been struggling with severe tinnitus for the past three years, which I believe originated from a combination of a viral infection and noise exposure. I experience a loud ringing in both ears, along with a humming sound in my left ear.

Two weeks ago, after reading that some people found relief from their tinnitus through SSRI medications, I decided to give it a try. However, after just one tablet, I experienced severe side effects. The day after taking the SSRI, when I woke up, the volume of my tinnitus had tripled. My right ear felt like it was burning, with pain radiating down to my jaw and neck at the slightest noise. The tinnitus became unbearably loud, so I immediately stopped the medication.

Now, two weeks later, my tinnitus is still extremely intense, and it seems like I've developed some form of sound sensitivity (hyperacusis?). Even the smallest sounds cause pain in my right ear. I've been wearing earplugs to cope, but I'm unsure whether I should continue using them or start gradually exposing my ears to more sound.

Has anyone experienced similar symptoms? Should I stick with the earplugs, or would gradual sound exposure be a better approach? I never thought one pill of an SSRI could make things so much worse. Any advice on how to proceed would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

 

[Jupiterman]

Which SSRI?

What dosage?

 

[JohanR]

Which SSRI?

What dosage?

It was Trintellix, 10 mg.

It definitely had an effect, as my stomach became upset a few hours after taking it. I also got a bad headache and almost fell asleep.

 

[User4206]

@JohanR, how are you doing now? Any improvement?

 

[JohanR]

@JohanR, how are you doing now? Any improvement?

Thanks for asking. I felt I needed to do an update here. After about 10 days, it slowly went back to baseline.

 

[ellees]

Thanks for asking. I felt I needed to do an update here. After about 10 days, it slowly went back to baseline.

It's good to see you're doing better! I was wondering if you've tried any other medications, like Gabapentin or something similar. If so, how has it been? Has it worsened your tinnitus, or had no effect at all? Thanks!

 

[JJL]

This is somewhat related, and I could use some help. At the suggestion of my ENT, I tried Gabapentin for about a month, and it ended up making my tinnitus go away, or at least become extremely minimal while I was on it.

I started with 300 mg the first week, increased to 600 mg for the second and third weeks, and then took 900 mg for the last few days.

Here's where things went wrong: yesterday, I came home and noticed that I felt really off—anxiety, fatigue, racing heartbeat, and a tightness in my chest. It turned out to be the Gabapentin. I stopped taking it, and now the ringing in my ear is twice as bad as it was before I started the Gabapentin.

I'm hoping the ringing will return to baseline, and I'm wondering if anyone has had a similar experience or any recommendations.

Also, what should I do next? Should I stop the Gabapentin cold turkey, or taper off? I'll do whichever has the highest chance of bringing my tinnitus back to baseline.

Thank you.

 

[Notreve7766]

Hi @JohanR,

On reflection, do you think it was the medication that caused the symptoms (the tripling of your tinnitus), or could it have been your body monitoring for any changes after taking the tablet?

I ask because one tablet is a very small dose, and I believe that SSRIs can be an important tool for managing tinnitus distress. I wouldn't want people to be discouraged from trying them unnecessarily.

I had a similar experience with an SSRI when I first tried them, but months later, I tried again, and they really helped me. The second time around, I prepared by doing an exercise the week before where I imagined I had taken an SSRI. I made a list of all the symptoms I might have blamed it for, so when I actually took the medication, I was ready not to jump to conclusions.

I hope that makes sense. I'm interested in hearing your thoughts now that things have settled.