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Mental Health (Expert Forum)
Zoloft and Tinnitus
Answered by
Roger Gould, M.D. - Mental Health, Wellness
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD), bipolar disorder, dementia, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic, personality disorders, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, stress, transitions, and work problems.
Zoloft and Tinnitus
by tonyynot, Oct 26, 2001 12:00AM
I have begun taking 50mg of Zoloft each evening for OCD and depression. Today being my fourth day, the only side effects I have experienced are a spaced out feeling and a tinnitus (light hiss) in my ears (both not constant, but intermittent throughout the day, lasting no more than 15 minutes at a time). I understand that the side effects of Zoloft may lessen after time, so I definitely plan to continue taking it. I just need to ask if it is possible to end up with permanent Tinnitus as a result of an 8 week trial on Zoloft?
I will do most anything to feel better from OCD/Depression. But damaging my hearing is not one of them.
Thanks.
I will do most anything to feel better from OCD/Depression. But damaging my hearing is not one of them.
Thanks.
Doctor's Answer
by Roger Gould, M.D., Oct 29, 2001 12:00AM
, Oct 29, 2001 12:00AM
You should monitor this carefully with your doctor if it persists. To my knowledge, you are not in danger of any permanent hearing loss, but if there is an increase or persistenced of tinnitus, I would check it out, and stop the medication at that time.
A little over two years ago I was put on extremely low dose of Zoloft (only 25 mgs a day) to help control a severe OCD flare up caused by my divorce.
After only three days on it, I experienced bizarre thoughts (separate from the OCD; you can just tell the difference), night sweats, and a constant hissing/ringing in my ear. It sounded like very light crickets chirping, with a mild hiss, in might right ear only.
That did it for me. I refused to take it any more; there was no way I was going to continue with the hope that the side effects would just disappear. Anyway, the ringing almost completely went away but I still notice it a bit here and there, so I wonder if a bit of ear damage may have been done.
Cognitive therapy alone works wonders, if you just give it a chance :-)
Good luck.
BTW the idea of SSRI's causing permanent tinnitus is not commonly accepted. The drugs are not ototoxic (i.e. they don't cause any actual damage to the hearing mechanism as far as anyone knows), so it is assumed that they can't cause tinnitus. My PERSONAL and unqualified opinion is that they cause tinnitus without hearing loss by altering brain chemistry. i.e. the tinnitus is neurological in origin.
I don't want to scare you. It is quite possible that the tinnitus will go away. In many if not most people it does. But there are certainly people in whom it doesn't. I think it is supposed to be a temporary side effect. If you still have it 8 weeks on I would be suspicious of it.
NB if zoloft caused this problem for you, I would steer clear of any SSRI anti-depressants, and try a different family altogether. All anti-depressants are capable of causing tinnitus in a minority of people, however nortriptyline seems to be the one which is most commonly prescribed for people who already have tinnitus. It didn't work for me, but there was one trial that found that it lowered tinnitus volume in a significant percentage of patients.
I recently got a better handle on my depression and anger (Cognative therapy is really good)and started to wean myself off Zoloft.(With the docs OK) 2 days after going down to 75mg I am noticing a slight hearing loss. I saw the doctor and he thought it was caused by congestion and advised use of a nasel spray. (It made no difference) Now in my 4th day I have a very obvious loss of 40% hearing in my right ear.
I recently got a better handle on my depression and anger (Cognative therapy is really good)and started to wean myself off Zoloft.(With the docs OK) 2 days after going down to 75mg I am noticing a slight hearing loss. I saw the doctor and he thought it was caused by congestion and advised use of a nasel spray. (It made no difference) Now in my 4th day I have a very obvious loss of 40% hearing in my right ear.
What do you recommend?