Tinnitus from Wellbutrin

dnl

dnl

Member
Author
Dec 30, 2017
109
Tinnitus Since
Dec 2017
Cause of Tinnitus
Wellbutrin/Bupropion
#1
Hi All -

I was on Wellbutrin 150mg (generic made by Teva) for four weeks. On Dec 19th, I went up to 300mg (generic made by Anchen) and tinnitus set in on Dec 2oth. I immediately went back down to 150mg (Teva) on Dec 21st (so only 2 days on 300mg), and then quit Wellbutrin completely (under my doctor's advice) on Dec 23rd. I still have tinnitus after 7 days.

There aren't a lot of stories on the internet where Wellbutrin induced tinnitus goes away, so I'm pretty worried, but trying to stay positive. I've been using a White Noise app from tmsoft on my phone and that's been helping me cope a bit. The Blue/Violet noise spectrum cancels out some of the wavering tinnitus in my left ear and (I think) all of it in my right.

The volume of the tinnitus has changed over the past 6 days since I've quit Wellbutrin, and the tinnitus has gotten a little more tolerable, and sometimes changes throughout the day/night.
Starting 3 days ago, I've been taking a multivitamin (once daily), magnesium 250mg (once daily), and Ubiquinol 100mg (once daily). I'm also avoiding caffeine, alcohol and anti-inflammatories. Hoping that helps.

I'll update this thread periodically to let everyone know how/if my tinnitus changes. I'd love to know if anyone has had/heard of Wellbutrin induced tinnitus going away after a number of days.
 
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#2
#3
#4
Thanks Billie and Jodie for the responses. It seems to be a rare side effect for the drug. I guess I'm that guy.

I have two family members on my mom's side who got tinnitus from drugs... one from antibiotics (going on 5 years) and one from aspirin/ibuprofen (going on 40 years). Maybe this sort of reaction runs in families or something.
I've been searching this forum and it is a great source of information and support.

My tinnitus started out as sounding like a high pitched tea kettle whistling loudly in the next room, and just today, has settled into sounding like a high pitched tea kettle whistling loudly across the house. It seems to spike at night. I've been taking Benadryl and sleeping near a fan so I can sleep for a few consecutive hours.
 
#5
I am on wellbutrin too. I upped my dose and it seems to be louder, which is why i joined the forum today. I didnt realize it maybe the wellbutrin. I look forward to an update from you. I'm going to back down on my dose.
 
#6
Jeannie, are you on the sustained release (SR) or extended release (XL)? I was on the extended release.
There are a number of anecdotal cases on reddit/depression forums/this forum that indicate that 300mg is correlated with presentation of tinnitus in those who don't have it or an increase in those who do have it.
My gut is telling me that getting off the drug was the right thing for me to do.

Also, (out of curiosity) what company manufactures the pills you've been subscribed?
 
#9
An update.

It's been about 20 days since tinnitus started and about 17 days since I've quit Wellbutrin entirely.
My tinnitus has become less severe and settled in to a constant wavering high pitched electronic sound. Kind of like an old cathode ray tube television sounds when it's turned on or off. It's mostly in my left ear, but a little in my right. I also get clicks in one ear or the other every now and then.
All in all my tinnitus has gotten less loud and is less distracting. I'm thankful for that, and I'm still praying for improvement. I've had louder days and quieter days (today is relatively loud).
I went to an ENT, and did a hearing test. I have some mild hearing loss in the high frequency range, consistent with me having gone to concerts when I was younger and having been in a band in the (distant) past. The ENT thinks, given the corrleation of the onset of tinnitus and the increase in dosage, and the fact that the tinnitus has gotten less severe since I've been off, it's likely that the Wellbutrin caused my tinnitus or exacerbated some existing tinnitus that I didn't know that I had.
I'm still disappointed that a drug could cause permanent damage to my brain/ears.

I'm still taking magnesium 250mg (once daily), and Ubiquinol 100mg (once daily), in addition to NAC (750mg) and Zinc. I'm still also avoiding caffeine, alcohol and anti-inflammatories.

I'll continue to post in this thread every now and then and will reply to responses when I can. I was really freaked out when this all started, and reading this forum helped calm me down a good bit.
 
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#10
Good to know of your improvement. Thanks for the positive update. Like we already said here to new T sufferers that they should try to stay calm and positive/relax as much as they humanly can as things will improve over time. Your case is a good example of that. You are welcome to update us. Take care. God bless.
 
#11
billie48 said:
Good to know of your improvement. Thanks for the positive update. Like we already said here to new T sufferers that they should try to stay calm and positive/relax as much as they humanly can as things will improve over time. Your case is a good example of that. You are welcome to update us. Take care. God bless.
Click to expand...

perfectly put... calm & positive is the best way, mask it when you need to.....
 
#12
I'm going to try to keep this thread updated, since many of the threads that have to do with people getting tinnitus from Wellbutrin are one-and-done (and that was a source of additional anxiety when the ringing started for me).

It's been about 2 months since the onset of my tinnitus --- caused by having taken 1 dose of 300mg XL of Wellbutrin/bupropion (after having been on 150mg XL for 4 weeks). I'm still ringing. I can't tell if the tinnitus has recently gotten louder or if it's just more consistent, but it definitely feels more 'present' than it did a month ago. It's not as loud as it was when it started, so that's a relief.

It still sounds like an old cathode ray tube television/high pitched electric whining (about 12,500 Hz). I can hear it just above the shower, so I'd say it's moderate tinnitus... maybe a 4/10 on the "OMG How Bad is This, Objectivity Scale". I'm pretty sensitive to sound, so it's been difficult to habituate. However, I've been working hard to change things in my life so that I can mark this time in my life as having been "a time of positive transformation" in addition to (or to offset) it being "the time that I acquired tinnitus." I've lost some weight and now do aerobic exercise 30 minutes a day (50 consecutive days so far). Exercise makes me temporarily more aware of my tinnitus, but it's worth it.

Overall, I feel better equipped to deal with tinnitus than last month. I guess that's what habituation is. I still have 'high anxiety' days where I scour the internet or this forum for information about my condition and try to find people who have similar cases, looking for info on whether they got better or worse. I don't know if that feeling will ever go away, but those days are fewer and farther between lately.

Some other stuff that I've noticed:

My tinnitus is somewhat reactive to the position of my neck - If I lean my neck forward, the volume and pitch change a little. I can achieve a similar affect by clenching my jaw, but it's not as drastic.
Also, if my neck is stiff, my tinnitus is usually worse.
Getting a good amount of sleep helps.
I've had two spikes. They last for 4 days on average, I may be having one right now.
I've had a few episodes of additional fluctuating tones in my ears that last a few seconds and then disappear. I've always had these, for as long as I remember, but they obviously feel more urgent, now that I have tinnitus all the time.
The occasional clicking in my ear seems to have stopped over the past few weeks.

All in all, it's been difficult and scary, but I'm managing. I have two young kids, so I have to actively try to stay positive for them. I still have hope that things can get better.
 
#14
3 month update:

Still blaring, but getting a little better overall.

I've had a pretty bad last two weeks. I've had a rough sinus infection, that made my tinnitus feel a lot more apparent. I was dreading the possibility that I would have to take antibiotics, and then deal with a possible reaction to whatever antibiotic the doctor put me on. But it seems that the infection has just about passed on its own. Prior to the cold/infection, I felt that I was getting a little better.

I still exercise daily (elliptical machine) for 30 minutes and get a 6-8 hours of sleep per night. I've done this for 11 weeks straight... a personal best. I notice that my tinnitus is a little louder right after exercising, but it dips back down to normal after a while. I think that exercise has helped my tinnitus (at least a little).

I'm continuing my regimen of Ubiquinol (CoQ10), Ginkgo, and Magnesium. I suspect that they're not really helping my tinnitus, but I'll continue to take them through the remainder of the year.
I've discontinued all other medication (I had been on a low-dose daily statin in addition to the wellbutrin).

I still suspect that the severity of my tinnitus has something to do with my neck muscles, so I've been sleeping on my back with a very loosely packed pillow under my neck. I think this has also helped.


All in all, I think I'm still 'getting better'. I haven't had clicking in my ear since last month, and my tinnitus fluctuates in tone/volume a lot less. I can still hear it above the shower, and it's still the first thing I notice when I wake up in the morning, but I'm coping better. I've learned that being positive is a skill that I need to cultivate, so I've been working on getting better at it.
 
#15
I realize this isn't an intro thread anymore, so if an admin wants to move this thread to the Support forum, that's fine.

Tinnitus from 300mg Wellbutrin - 4 Month update:

Still ringing. Still having 'good days' and 'bad days'. Bad days aren't as terrible as the bad days were in month 1 and 2. I'm having trouble telling if I'm objectively getting better or not, or if I'm just habituating. I'm learning to 'listen beyond' the ringing in my ears. If I 'listen inward', my tinnitus is still alarming, but I've gotten okay at listening beyond it. I guess that's a small success story. I've had several days this month where I've realized that I haven't thought about tinnitus for a few hours.

I can still hear it above the shower and white noise generators, but it seems less severe than it ever has.

Still taking CoQ10, calcium/magnesium/zinc, gingko, and a low dose of B6/B12. I'm not sure if any of this is helping or not (probably not).

I'm still exercising for about 30 minutes a day. I know for sure that this helps my mental state, even though it temporarily increases perception of the tinnitus.
 
#16
dnl said:
I'm still exercising for about 30 minutes a day. I know for sure that this helps my mental state, even though it temporarily increases perception of the tinnitus.
Click to expand...

@dnl

I find this to be true, also.

When I do yoga to help me relax I am aware of the T. When I go for walks I notice it less due to outdoor sounds.
 
#19
Tinnitus from 300mg Wellbutrin - 5 Month update:

For the first part of May I felt that my Wellbutrin induced tinnitus had stabilized. There were almost no fluctuations. Something just felt a little different about it... I felt like this was the sound that I was going to live with going forward. Then, about a week and a half ago, I got a pretty major spike, concurrent with one of my kids getting sick, the spike increased in severity when I got sick myself (a cold/flu in my head and lungs). I added NAC back into my daily regime for the short term because I've read that it helps prevent/reduce the likelihood of sinus/lung infections. I'm very afraid of having to take an antibiotic at this point --- they can possibly make tinnitus worse. I've read that NAC is also something that, when taken with an antibiotic, may help reduce the likelihood an antibiotic increasing tinnitus. (All of this is anecdotal stuff that I've read on this board and on the internet).
After a brutal week or so, and a nightly dose of NyQuil, my tinnitus is back close to where it was at the beginning of the month.

I've added Flonase to my daily regime as I've been having trouble popping my ears.
 
#20
6 month update:

Nothing really new to report.

I had a minor spike for a 4-5 days this month. I think I've had a spike every month since the tinnitus began.
These spikes vary in severity. This month wasn't too bad. Whenever I have a spike, I take Nyquil at night, and for whatever reason it sort of helps to reset my tinnitus closer to baseline over a couple of days. I'm not sure if it's because I get better sleep, or it's a decongestant, or if it's just the drug itself, but it helps a little.
 
#22
Depressed said:
Thanks for updating. I'm 1 month in and i also got tinnitus from this bloody drug
Click to expand...

I'm sorry to hear that Wellbutrin also caused your tinnitus. Hang in there and stay positive. It can get better.
I was pretty devastated when I first got tinnitus, but mine has improved over the past 6 months. I've also habituated a little. Frankly it's hard to tell how much of my improvement is my tinnitus decreasing vs, me just getting used to it... but overall I think my condition associated with tinnitus is improving. I feel less manic than when it first started.
Sleep is important, your health and exercise is important, and telling friends/loved ones what you're going through is also important. It sounds trite, but I've also learned that 'staying positive' is a skill, and you have to develop it. I'm still working on that one. :) But sleep and exercise can help with that.
 
#23
I was recommended this medication but I'm afraid to take it now... what is the chance of it making tinnitus worse? @dnl ?
 
#24
@annV Everyone is different, but I'm sure that Wellbutrin caused my tinnitus. There are posts on this thread and other threads where Wellbutrin has caused an increase in their tinnitus, so I would be very careful with this drug and really any other SSRI.
 
#25
7 month update:

I'm pretty sure my tinnitus has gotten a little louder over the past month. I've been getting less sleep lately due to a rough work schedule, so I'm wondering if/hoping that it will calm down after I get back on a better sleep schedule. It hasn't changed in tone or anything... just volume (or my awareness/fixation on it). Maybe I've de-habituated (not sure if that's a thing).

Not sure if I should tell this story here, but I had a rough moment the other morning:
I woke up at 5:30AM to an entirely new sound in my head. My normal tinnitus is basically like a high pitched whistling of a CRT television or monitor. 12,500 KHz or so. This new sound sounded like a fan turned on high... like a whirring/buzzing noise coming from all around me and inside my head. From reading about tinnitus on this forum, I know that it comes in all forms, whooshing/whirring/whistling/clicking/pulsing/beeping, etc. I was devastated. I've been worried that I would do something to make my tinnitus worse, and I was racking my brain to figure out what I did. I paced around the house for a while and finally sat on the couch to assess whether this was something I would be able to cope with on an ongoing basis. I usually check on our cars when I get up, it's a habit that I've had since college, so after sitting for a while I got up and looked out the window, and noticed that it was raining extremely hard.... I live on the east coast of the U.S. and we've had some crazy weather here lately... and there was just buckets and sheets of rain pouring from the sky... I opened our front door and then the sound in my head immediately got louder and less omni-directional and I realized that the sound in my head was just the rain beating against the tar and gravel roof of our house. I almost broke down, I was so relieved.
 
#26
dnl said:
I opened our front door and then the sound in my head immediately got louder and less omni-directional and I realized that the sound in my head was just the rain beating against the tar and gravel roof of our house. I almost broke down, I was so relieved.
Click to expand...

@dnl This is always a great observation to find! I am glad the sounds were something else. I enjoyed reading your post.
 
#27
dnl said:
I've been taking Benadryl and sleeping near a fan so I can sleep for a few consecutive hours.
Click to expand...

Benadryl is an anticholinergic drug and as such, causes tinnitus in some people.
​
dnl said:
so I would be very careful with this drug
Click to expand...

How about "avoid it like the plague". Really, I don't get why this is even allowed to be prescribed with such devastating "side effects".​
 

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