Started 10mg of Amitriptyline Yesterday

[gary]

I saw my ent yesterday and he told me while attending a tinnitus conference last October. One of the Fellows there took a new look at amitriptyline. He believes it is worth a second look for treating suggestive tinnitus.

I started taking one 10mg pill last night, looked over the side affects and thought it is worth a try. My ent did explain that it is a antidepressant medication. Tests showed it seems to help some people. I found this publication from 2001. Would appreciate your thoughts regarding amitriptyline as a treatment for tinnitus.

I am a 67 year old male. had two heart attacks one at 48 (stented rca) another at 56 stent had to be reopened, colon cancer (12" removed) at 62, open heart 4X bypass at 65. I also have been a type 2 diabetic for 25 years. I just found out I am in stage 3 of chronic kidney disease. I feel pretty good except for my back problems & the annoying, sometimes debilitating tinnitus.
Tinnitus started three months after the open heart surgery.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11771024

 

[Dr. Nagler]

@gary wrote [in part]:

I saw my ent yesterday and he told me while attending a tinnitus conference last October. One of the Fellows there took a new look at amitriptyline. He believes it is worth a second look for treating suggestive tinnitus.

I started taking one 10mg pill last night, looked over the side affects and thought it is worth a try. My ent did explain that it is a antidepressant medication. Tests showed it seems to help some people. I found this publication from 2001. Would appreciate your thoughts regarding amitriptyline as a treatment for tinnitus.

...........

Gary, I am not about to second guess your own doctor. He seems to think that the tricyclic antidepressant amitriptyline (Elavil) is worthy of your consideration, and if you do not have a problem with its side effects, then who am I to suggest otherwise??!!

As far as my own thoughts about amitriptyline for tinnitus in general, the 2001 study from Turkey that you cited quoted a 95% success rate. Well as I see it, if any reasonably safe drug could predictably offer meaningful lasting tinnitus in 95% of cases, then everybody with tinnitus would already be on it ... and for that matter absolutely thrilled with what it did for them.

Such is clearly not the case.

Dr. Stephen Nagler