SSRI (Escitalopram) Related Tinnitus Has Quietened Down

[Finnish83]

Hello all,

Last August I got severe tinnitus from Escitalopram. My tinnitus started three days after I took the last pill. I already had minor tinnitus before, but it got worse because of Escitalopram.

I couldn't sleep without ADs.

I was miserable and had to take some time away from work. I felt almost suicidal.

Now about five months later my tinnitus has quietened down and does not bother me that much any more.

This might be because I took Mirtazapine, Tolvon and also Ketipinor for some time, but I don't really know the reason.

Now I'm AD free, sometimes I take some Melatonin.

Anyway, just wanted to say that there is hope. My tinnitus isn't completely gone but is less bothersome.

 

[Uklawyer]

@Finnish83, that's excellent news! Would you say it is back to where it was before you started taking Escitalopram?

 

[Finnish83]

Well, my tinnitus before Escitalopram was so quiet that I could only hear a tiny noise when lying down.

So no, my tinnitus isn't that quiet anymore, but the horrendous ringing is gone. I also had pulsatile tinnitus in both ears, that seems to be gone too.

I might have to start ADs again if the tinnitus gets bad, otherwise I can't work or sleep.

Luckily, I will get hearing aids from the public healthcare soon (although I might not need them that much).

 

[Athens]

FWIW: I took a very small dose (might have been 2.5 mg) of Lexapro for one week and developed hyperacusis soon thereafter. I stopped taking it, but the hyperacusis has never gone away. I think that the hyperacusis developed after years of loud noise exposure from playing live music and several months of stress and sleep deprivation rather than the Lexapro.

 

[Uklawyer]

@Finnish83 - remain positive, you have already come so far. No reason why you won't continue improving. You have hearing loss as well? Or are the hearing aids for white noise?

 

[Thomas_83]

Hi. Good to hear that it has gone down. That's very good news for me too.

I've been taking Escitalopram for 6 years. My doctor wants to take me off the med.

So I wounder, how long did you taper off? And did you take Escitalopram for many years/months?

 

[jacksprat]

I've been taking Mirtazapine/Remeron for 20 years. Tinnitus didn't get better.

 

[Uklawyer]

@Thomas_83, I also took Escitalopram for about 6 years. I would strongly recommend that you taper very slowly (tell the doctor that you want to be extremely careful because of your tinnitus). And be very careful if you ever take another antidepressant. Best of luck.

 

[Finnish83]

Yeah, you definitely taper Escitalopram very slowly. I really did not and had a horrible ringing. I only took it about two months.

I had taken Escitalopram before in my life for many years and never had a problem with tinnitus. So i don't really know why my tinnitus worsened now.

I don't have any hearing problems, so my Phonak hearing aids are just white noise generators.

 

[Uklawyer]

@Finnish83 - and how is it now? Any better?

 

[Finnish83]

@Finnish83 - and how is it now? Any better?

Well I still have tinnitus but it's not that loud and it doesn't bother me at daytime. At night I use my hearing aids for sleeping, they produce white noise.

 

[David S]

@Finnish83, what did your tinnitus sound like? High pitched? Unstable? Pure tone? In head or ears? Reactive to other sounds?