Question About Permanence Of Certain SSRI Side Effect (Tinnitus)

Posted by Jody on June 07, 1999 at 18:11:59
I'll start this question by stating that my ears have always had a tendency to hiss slightly, particularly my right one, and it has never bothered me.  So yes, I have always had a minor degree of tinnitus.
This has to do an increase in my tinnitus, including a chirping-type ring in my ear, while I was on Zoloft for a few days.  I noticed after three days on Zoloft that the hissing was louder and there was that new ring as well in my right ear.  I stopped the Zoloft the day I noticed that (for other reasons) and within a day the ringing seemed gone, and as usual I ignored the regular hissing.  This was over three weeks ago.
However, last week after taking some aspirin after an extremely stressful incident and tension headache, I was laying in bed and noticed that the ringing had returned slightly.  I've never had that effect from aspirin before, and when I researched the next day I read somewhere that some medications can cause both permanent and temporary tinnitus (both aspirin and Zoloft were on the list.)
And now that I'm thinking about it, of course, the hissing seems a little louder.  Of course, when I forget about it I'm almost completely deaf to it.
My specific question is, could three days of 25mg tablets of Zoloft really have caused a permanent increase in my tinnitus even well after I stopped taking it?  I only had 75mgs of it in my whole body total.  I was originally under the understanding that any side effects would be eliminated after the medication flushed from my body, but now I go and read that some medications can cause a permament effect and now I'm all worried.  (Keep in mind that this didn't come up until after I took that aspirin last week, over two weeks after I thought all the ringing was gone--I'm typically very good at tuning out my tinnitus.) I understand that my concentrating on the tinnitus can make it seem worse as well, but I can't help but be concerned that three little experimental tablets made the problem permanently worse.
So, should I blame myself for trying Zoloft?  I'd hate to think that such a small amount could cause permanent damage.
Thanks.
Jody

Posted by HFHS M.D-  HG on June 11, 1999 at 09:52:37
Dear Jody
Tinnitus is a persistent ringing or whistling sound in the ear which may be caused by medical disorders like ear diseases, anemia,  High Blood Pressure ,medication side effects. There is a high rate of co-morbidity between tinnitus and psychiatric disorders.  To name a few, Asprin is one of the most commonly used drugs that  may cause tinnitus. Based on the dose and the duration your Zoloft usage, it is highly unlikely that is can cause permanent tinnitus (based on the current  available data)
It would be helpful if you discuss this issue with your Psychiatrist . I would also recommend you to consult your primary care physician to rule out any other medical causes for your tinnitus.
This information is provided for educational purposes only and should not replace the evaluation by a physician.
Key words: tinnitus