Ringing in ears after taking sertraline

[stevea2]

Hi

Hello everyone this is my first post! I've been off work now for 8 weeks with a social anxiety disorder/agoraphobia. The Dr put me on beta blockers some 7 weeks ago which have been great, totally cut down the horrible adrenaline rush feeling when getting anxious, but they wernt stopping the racing thoughts etc so he put me on sertraline too..

After 3 days of sertraline, i started getting ringing in my left ear when i was lying down, couple of days later its constant and in both ears all the time. I stopped taking them after 6 days cos they also made me feel pretty awful too.

The Doc says its just a side effect and will go away but its been nearly 3 weeks now since i stopped taking them and I was only on them for 6 days and the ringings still there!!

Anybody else had this and did it go away?

CHeers

Steve

[gceniceros]

Hi Stevea2:

I'm also on Propranolol (beta blocker)which my doc put me on for PVCs, but it helps with a calming effect and it seems to be agreeing with me. Previously, I was given Lexapro for anxiety and it had horrible side-effects, including the constant ringing in the ears and whistling sounds. I also felt like a zombie and stopped the medication after a week. I don't want to go down that road again so hopefully today at my doctors appt I can learn more about CBT and perhaps that will be the better road for me.

I'm very sensitive when it comes to taking any type of medications - I think my anxiety plays a huge role as well!

I'll let you know how the appt goes. :)

[stevea2]

Did it take long for the whistling to go away? On sunday i was convinced it was on its way out as it really died down, but yesterday and today its back with a vengeance!

[seeker02uk]

I have had ringing since starting 3 months ago on sertraline, it's worse in my right ear and it comes on stronger at different times of the day. I don't notice, until I notice, then it drives me mad!

I have put up with it cause over all I am doing much better on Sert (eventually)I am hoping it will die away eventually or when I stop.

Anyone any ideas what causes it ?

[stevea2]

From what i've sussed out from the internet, the proper name for the ringing is tinnitus and if it is the sertraline and in my case i cant see it being anything else it could be ototoxic poisening. Dont want to scare you but take a look at this, its defintely got me worried!

http://www.tinnitusformula.com/infocenter/articles/conditions/ototox.aspx

Just hope it dies off, like i said the last two days were bad but today seemed a lot better again, hopefully its on its way out fingers crossed!

[stevea2]

Back again full volume today... argh this is doing my head in, literally!!

[stevea2]

and its still here....

Someone tell me they had it too and it went away pls!! Lol!!

[Tyke]

Hi Stevea2

I have it too. It comes and goes. I am on Setraline 50mg. It doesn't seem as noticeable as it first was, but I don't think it will go until I'm off Sertraline. I notice it more when it's quiet, like when I've just turned off the TV on a night, when everything else is silent. Like Seeker02, I have gained so much by being on Sertraline, it is just something I put up with. The thing with it is, the more you think about it, the more you notice it. If it bothers you a lot I would put some music on, or something else in the background to mask it.

Tyke

[brainfogette]

My doctor assured me that my tinnitus wasn't a side effect of the sertraline :roflmao: given it started just after I started taking them i beg to differ, anyway had my hearing fully checked at the hospital and all was fine, the consultant did suggest that if I still struggled with it I could attend their hearing therapy clinic, I think they do something to make you focus less on the noise as your brain is tuned in to it. It just feels like I've been to a really loud gig all the time with the ringing...and then comes the whistling and popping!! I don't think anyone but us understands how it feels to never have peace and quiet! The other thing they suggested I do is get some white noise to listen to (I find I sleep better if it's raining heavily!) there is an app on the iphone.

[portiexc]

Same problem!

I searched for a success story on the internet when the tinnitus started; a continuous high pitched noise with high volume. I needed the success stories of some people who have managed to get rid of this trouble; I looked for a path to follow,
but all I could find was horror stories.
I decided to write my own success story... And I did.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tinnituseng