AndyWithHope: Sertraline withdrawal tinnitus

[AndyWithHope]

Main gig:

Went from 12mg sertraline to 0 around the 20th March. Got tinnitus on left ear around 15th April, it got unbearable on Sat. 16th I took back 12mg.

On Tuesday 19th psyc recommended 25mg but I keep at 12mg (should I keep it and slowly go up? When?), tinnitus is a bit more silent and randomly disappears some seconds.

 

I’ve been feeling scared and since reinstating: nauseous, no appetite, zero libido, some small headache, waking up at 5am but I can still sleep. 

 

My story:

Hi this is my first post. Thank you for making this space to share this and possibly to inform others. 
 

  October 2021: After seeing no progress from therapy for depression I went to the psychiatrist and started on Sertraline 25mg (although it could have been 50mg I don’t remember) plus Atomoxetine aka. Strattera 25mg.

20th November: Strattera to 40mg. It made feel depressed so I stopped it, probably by the end of December. 

2022:
Around July: tried Strattera again, same as before so I stopped it. 

Around August: I felt better than ever but still not wanting to be social. Likely I was on 25mg or 50mg Sertraline. 
Around September to December: I had no fear of drinking alcohol but I rarely did it. It made my heart race so I learned to not do that anymore. 

2023:

From January to November I felt incredibly well (according to sent messages) I began using how much I love cats as measure of how the antidepressant works lol. 

Around 20th October: Stopped Sertraline, I missed the psyc appointment and I was so afraid to just go to his office. So I tapered:

 

I went from 50mg to 25mg and then to 12mg every week to 0mg for like 5 days. 

Around this time I got eye floaters, I guess due to the fast taper and myopia. No other symptoms happened that time. 

 

7th November: got Covid and got better in 2 weeks. 
4th December: I began Equasym XR 10mg (aka MPH, concerta, Ritalin)

 

also went to a ophthalmologist, basically told me pay attention to the floaters.

 

2024:

4th January: Stopped MPH. 
 

23rd January: Psychiatrist talked about switching to fluoxetine 20mg 1 every 2 days. I tried 2 doses but I made me sweat like crazy while sleeping. Scared of it I went back to 25mg Sertraline. 

Around February: I was on 25mg Sertraline. But jumping to 12mg. Again, I wasn’t aware of how dumb that was and I’ve always been too shy to share it with the psychiatrist. 
 

March: Psychiatrist talked about leaving Sertraline next session but I was exited about it. BIG MISTAKE.

Around 20th March: I went 0mg from 12mg. 

I felt fine besides dry mouth, dry eyes some chest pain, light headaches and like 2 new eye floaters. Things I was used to while on sertraline; in the positive my muscles stopped being so stiff, I slept better, less obsessed with cats. 

4th April: I Googled “how to relieve tinnitus with head taps” I don’t remember why. 

15th April: that’s over 3 weeks of 0mg. A static noise began on the left ear, I thought it was the router. 
17th: I complained about tinnitus to a friend, hearable on silent rooms or while laying on bed. 
Sat. 20th: it became an acute noise, could hear it even around people. I found this site and some other stories. Panicked and been on 12mg Sertraline since then. 

Tue. 23rd: Psyc said to take 25mg for 2 months and then we’ll taper. I still keep taking 12mg I’ll see him on 14th May. Do you think I should rise to 25mg? Maybe in 2 weeks?
 

——

I’ve been panicking less today, sometimes it goes loud when laying on bed or not moving but it got slightly better. Also I get nauseous, it’s hard to eat despite the hunger, waking up too soon, the typical sertraline starting symptoms so far plus some mild headache.
 

I know this is likely permanent. I hope not. Right when I thought I was getting better and finally be free of meds… even though no medication worked for adhd hahah let’s forget that one.
 

Lesson learned the hard way: don’t play dumb with these meds, that should be printed on the box itself. 

[Erimus]

Hello @AndyWithHope, and welcome to SurvivingAntidepressants. We are a peer support forum to assist in tapering off psychiatric drugs safely, or recovering from psychiatric drug withdrawal.

 

This topic is for anything relating to you, and any questions you have. Please do not start another topic.

 

We recommend tapering by no more than 10% of your CURRENT dose each month, to limit withdrawal symptoms. E.g. 10mg --> 9mg --> 8.1mg --> 7.29mg

 

All the answers you are looking for regarding tapering and antidepressant withdrawal are on this site. Please search around and continue to read as much as you can manage. Use the site search function to search for specific words or phrases, such as drugs or symptoms.

 

Here are a few of the most useful links:

 

Important topics in the Tapering forum and FAQ

 

Micro tapering

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Taking multiple psych drugs? Which drug to taper first?

 

How to make a liquid from tablets or capsules

 

Using a scale to weigh and measure doses

 

We only recommend two supplements. Omega 3 Fish Oil and Magnesium. Both should be introduced separately and increased slowly.

 

Regards

Erimus

[Erimus]

I would suggest you remain on 12.5mg for the foreseeable future. Your brain and nervous system needs to stabilise before you can taper off, otherwise you will experience unpleasant symptoms.

 

See:

 

The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

Tinnitus: What does all that noise mean?

[AndyWithHope]

Update 27 April:

Is one week since reinstated. 12.5mg Sertraline. 

 

I feel less panic but I’m very depressed on the morning and noon, somehow the afternoon and evening I do feel ok. Still have nausea on the mornings but it’s much better now. 

 

Tinnitus is still there, slightly less severe but still annoying, it sounds like a high pitched grainy noise. Eye floaters seem the same maybe a bit darker. 

 

I feel enraged that I was never told there would be permanent damages, or how dangerous it could be. We hear how damaging alcohol or tobacco can be yet I only heard positive comments about ADs even from the doctor. 
 

Anyway, I have to keep strong. 

[AndyWithHope]

Week 2:

I no longer have nausea nor headaches and appetite is coming back. 
 

tinnitus doesn’t seem to get better, the last days it has been strong 😕 maybe that’s a wave. It gets louder at noon and then fades on the evening. So annoying. 

 

Sentimentally I feel much better, although still sad on the mornings, I’m like 90% back to how I felt during treatment. Can’t say the same about my hearing. still at 12.5mg although it’s hard to cut the 50mg pill in quarters so clearly it’s not an exact dose.

 

Been taking magnesium citrate in some days too. 

[AndyWithHope]

Week 3:

I’m back to feeling stable just like it was during treatment, I’m no longer depressed for no reason. 
 

No longer taking magnesium or melatonin supplements regularly, maybe I could keep the magnesium from time to time. 

 

The tinnitus still there, maybe my brain masks it better when there’s noise around. I can ignore it while outside, talking or with music at low volume. It doesn’t seem to be getting any better sadly. 
 

Right after waking up and while trying to sleep it has less strength and sounds like a static tv noise, during the day it just sounds high pitched, always on the left ear but at low volume. 
 

Sometimes it reminds me that my body is mortal, it can’t heal from everything and so is everyone. Such things can happen at almost random. But it makes me want to spend time with others even though I still have a hard time connecting with people. I have to keep trying

[Erimus]

49 minutes ago, AndyWithHope said:

Week 3:

I’m back to feeling stable just like it was during treatment, I’m no longer depressed for no reason. 
 

No longer taking magnesium or melatonin supplements regularly, maybe I could keep the magnesium from time to time. 

 

The tinnitus still there, maybe my brain masks it better when there’s noise around. I can ignore it while outside, talking or with music at low volume. It doesn’t seem to be getting any better sadly. 
 

Right after waking up and while trying to sleep it has less strength and sounds like a static tv noise, during the day it just sounds high pitched, always on the left ear but at low volume. 
 

Sometimes it reminds me that my body is mortal, it can’t heal from everything and so is everyone. Such things can happen at almost random. But it makes me want to spend time with others even though I still have a hard time connecting with people. I have to keep trying

Glad that you have found some stability. I think most of us in withdrawal have some degree of tinnitus, so you are not alone. I also only have it in my left ear. The good thing is the neuroplasticity of our brains mean we can create new pathways and tone down the noise. It just takes time, gentle tapering of medication, and concious effort through things like meditation and deep breathing.

[AndyWithHope]

Thank you for the kind words Erimus. 

Week 4:

Tinnitus got better, I can ignore it during most of the day. It does flare up sometimes randomly and with anxiety/worries. 
 

I’m still angry and horrified that I learned so late the effects that SSRIs can cause and leave you with. I have been mostly spared so far, but I hope to get off this safely, and so I wish it for everyone here. 

[AndyWithHope]

Something bad happened Saturday 25th, tinnitus went super loud for no reason. It has lowered a bit but right before it was becoming an easy to ignore hissing, hoping it’s just a wave… been feeling anxious, with nausea and weak. 

 

On the left ear it sounds like a combination of:

sparkling pulsating according to heart beat; whirling laptop fan; and TV static noise (this one I hear it only in bed); sometimes the whirling becomes a high pitched constant tone. Somehow, It gets strong while lying down or sitting, and fades a bit while standing up, likely because of blood pressure.

 

On the right ear: there's a constant very low pitched tone, kinda like a fridge, I can hear it if I sleep on the right side or get in a very silent room, probably was there long ago. 
 

Overall, other small aches have disappeared, sometimes they were on the head, liver (right side) and heart (center). It’s just the new added anxiety that has been hard to deal with, but it has only been 4 days, maybe I should push through it. 
 

Also, has anyone’s tinnitus gotten better by increasing the dose or getting back at the previous dose? I’ll stay on 12mg until next psychiatrist appointment.

[Erimus]

You are experiencing the windows and waves of stabilisation. It is unlikely increasing your dose back to 25mg would "cure" your tinnitus and other symptoms. These drugs don't "cure" anything, they simply mask over our problems until we deal with them at a later date. When you are in an anxious and sensitive state you are hyper-aware of every sensation in your body. It is likely that these feelings happen every day but when we are happy and stable we don't feed them with our fear.

[AndyWithHope]

Forgot to update, which is a good thing tbf that means it doesn’t bother me as much as before.

 

It is now 2 months since reinstating, tinnitus of right ear is basically gone. Left side is still there, annoying on the day in silent rooms and it gets like a fridge idling at night. It’s easily masked by street noise or music. The anxiety from last time is gone too. I can live with it. 

 

Next appointment on July I’ll ask to begin tapering off by 10%. If these pharmaceuticals wanted people to be off them they would sell small doses like 1mg, but nope. Anyway let’s not debate about that. 
 

I can only wish luck to me and everyone reading. 

[AndyWithHope]

I began 7mg on July 9. 
 

Psychiatrist didn’t want to go with 10mg, I wasn’t too bold to make him change opinions. 
 

I also got the flu since last Saturday. 
 

So far no other symptoms of withdrawal except that the tinnitus seems louder and high pitched 🙁 it’s still bearable, I’ll give it til Monday, if it doesn’t get better I’ll go to 10mg myself.