Severe Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Three Weeks Into Taking Lexapro (Escitalopram)

[Joshua Cull]

Hello everyone,

I started taking Lexapro four weeks ago to treat anxiety, which was causing me frequent stomach issues. It worked like a charm and took those symptoms away.

However, three weeks into taking Lexapro, I developed severe tinnitus and hyperacusis. I am currently going through unbearable suffering, as the tinnitus and surrounding noises feel like ice picks or electric shocks stabbing into my brain every second of every day. I stopped taking Lexapro on September 21st after tapering off for a week, shortly after the severe tinnitus began.

I am hoping that the severity of my tinnitus will decrease to a more bearable level with time, hopefully within the next month, as right now, every day feels like a fight for survival. It is truly unbearable.

If you have any positive stories of tinnitus recovery after stopping Lexapro, please share them. I really need some support.

 

[User4206]

Has your tinnitus improved at all since stopping the meds?

 

[RunningMan]

I took Lexapro for 7 weeks, preceded by Sertraline for 1 week, so 8 weeks combined, plus a couple of weeks of weaning off. I first noticed intermittent pulsatile ringing within days of starting. It seemed to become less of an issue a week or so after I stopped taking them last November. So, I thought that problem may be going away, but it did return to some degree over time, maybe even worse at times.

As far as the stomach issues, those actually STARTED for me on day one of taking SSRI antidepressants and did not go away 10+ months later after weaning off. I never experienced any benefit in anxiety with those meds - they just made things worse.