What Medications Are Usually Given for Tinnitus Patients?

[Sonic17]

Hi Dr. Ancill,

Are you able to make recommendations about medications?

It seems like most people with tinnitus are given Amitriptyline or Nortriptyline to help them sleep.

I have been given Ativan at night for sleeping and an antidepressant (Escitalopram) during the day.

Neither helps with tinnitus, just helping me to cope. Are these the normal meds for tinnitus?

I do not have any health conditions, am fit and eat healthy. I do not use any illegal drugs. My tinnitus is of unknown origin and have minimal hearing loss in mid frequencies and was told by an audiologist that this minimal hearing loss is not significant enough to cause tinnitus.

I live in Northern MB, perhaps my doc does not know how to treat tinnitus?

I am sure I will need a sleeping aid for the length of time that I have tinnitus which at this point I do not know for how long I'll have it (I have had it constantly for three months now).

Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,
Angela

 

[Dr. Ancill]

Angela:

There is no medication that directly treats tinnitus however, the secondary consequences (anxiety, depression, insomnia) can be treated with medications. There is no specific 'best' medication for treating each of these problems - it is a combination of what works and what you tolerate. There is also a lot of nonsense in this forum and elsewhere on the Internet about the potential ototoxicity (tinnitus-causing) of various medications. However, with the exception of some antibiotics and anti-cancer drugs (and Aspirin) , the chances of an antidepressant or sedative 'causing' tinnitus is pretty minimal. I guess that any drug can cause any side-effect in someone but we have to balance the risk of treatment with the risk of doing nothing. We know that insomnia, anxiety and depression 'amplifies' tinnitus which, in turns, worsens those conditions - this vicious cycle can only be broken with medications.

Unfortunately, if your tinnitus turns out to be permanent, then all you can do is cope. You will habituate - as I have, but there will be times when it will seem to get worse and you will struggle - as I do from time time to time. That is what all tinnitus sufferers face. But we all do cope - there are worse things that can happen to you besides tinnitus.

Nobody really understands tinnitus so what you audiologist says is likely not correct but it doesn't really matter. Most tinnitus is associated with damage to the inner ear-auditory cortex system.

The best way forward is to find out what helps you cope and get on with your life. You will know you are doing better when you no longer visit this forum.

Best wishes,

Dr Ancill