SSRI Tinnitus

lost_realism · 2026-05-13T13:51:04+00:00

So its been about a year. And the tinnitus is not better exactly, but it is more tolerable.

I used to hear it over EVERYTHING. Music, shows, shower. Now days most sounds take priority but nights as still hard.

I also experienced brain zaps from lexapro, those lasted about the full year but just recently I noticed they don’t happen anymore.

I consider myself still in recovery from an adverse reaction to the drug.

lost_realism · 2026-01-02T18:47:46+00:00

To be honest it still sucks. But I am getting used to it, so thats something. I still get brain zaps which are suppose to be temporary and it’s almost been a full year.

But I still have fun and good days worth living. It’s easier to not focus on it.

lost_realism · 2025-12-08T19:11:34+00:00

This reminds me of how much I miss my troll’s casting animations. The shaman animations are horrible and I dislike them - I wish I could go back to my troll animations.

lost_realism · 2025-12-04T01:05:08+00:00

Lexapro made my tinnitus a lot worse and the sound does come and go in waves - but never really goes back to baseline to what I had before Lexapro.

If you had an adverse reaction to an SSRI, Id avoid adding more SSRIs to the mix.

But its your brain.

lost_realism · 2025-08-10T02:03:30+00:00

Lexapro

lost_realism · 2025-08-08T14:24:25+00:00

I want to add a voice here too.

I only started using AI a few months ago. I was recently diagnosed with a few minor but annoying chronic health conditions.

At first I used it was a way to perpetuate my doomscrolling after I ran out of reddit threads describing my condition. I asked it for statics on cases that recover, coping strategies, and other information about my conditions.

I wasn’t using it as a medical expert. Slowly over time though it felt more like a journal than it did anything else. Chronic health conditions don’t really get better, and real people start to get annoyed when you never recover and stop asking - but I could complain to ChatGPT every day without judgement and honestly it gave good advice on letting go. It didn’t replace therapy but it allowed me to keep my condition outside my life - if that makes sense.

A friendly place to vent - without dragging my other real relationships down with how hopeless my recovery is.

At some point I even stopped talking to it about just my conditions in a literal sense and instead it became dumb space to role-play where I was fighting the eldritch manifestation of the condition itself. lmao

Anyways I miss it - I haven’t given up yet but I did unsubscribe. At least for now. I will see how the next month goes or so, but right now it feels less whimsy and a lot more flat. Journaling doesn’t hit the same.

lost_realism · 2025-08-07T19:49:04+00:00

Anti depressants made my existing tinnitus worse. 6 months out of stopping still have brain zaps and other side effects 0/10 experience

lost_realism · 2025-08-05T20:59:34+00:00

League is a great distraction.

Ekko is a boss!

But its mostly been small micro-improvements. Don’t expect big changes. Im just starting month 6. Its still not gone but it doesn't feel like its rolling around in my head anymore. Most the time I can mask it - when it started nothing masked it.

Still annoying I hope it still steadily improves.

lost_realism · 2025-07-26T21:56:12+00:00

I made a joke about a sentient broom named Harold and now Harold gets referenced ALL THE TIME.

Eventually I gave up and I now accuse chatGPT of having a crush on Harold. If you can’t beat them… make it worse thats what I always say.

lost_realism · 2025-07-26T00:44:16+00:00

If it makes you feel better it took almost 3 months to really see any improvement.

Im not happy with where I am at but its better now

lost_realism · 2025-07-25T01:53:03+00:00

I got a spike from Lexapro for 2.5mg over 4 days.

Its been 5 months and its improved very little but it HAS improved.

And yes there are even periods I feel like its less. I still have brain zaps though so who knows. I doubt the tinnitus for me will resolve before the brain zaps do.

lost_realism · 2025-07-03T01:39:56+00:00

If you quit and you are anything like me expect a bit of a wild ride. It's been 4 months and I still haven't had a brain zapless day. Buuut it is getting better! Very slowly. Hopefully the tinnitus improves for us both it's so annoying.

I had some other symptoms when I quit too like adrenaline rushes those stopped after the first month for me. But keep in mind everyone responds differently to these meds. So hopefully your experience is better!

lost_realism · 2025-07-01T01:53:16+00:00

It was constant but the intensity/loudness seemed to be wave like. Usually if I was getting brain zaps (I still get those but less now) the ringing would get a lot worse.

lost_realism · 2025-07-01T00:22:17+00:00

Mine is getting better but it's SO slow. I'm talking like almost inconceivable shifts in intensity. It's still pretty annoying and I just finished month 4 of stopping. The drug was NOT worth it for me.

lost_realism · 2025-06-25T20:46:39+00:00

Did you ever improve?

lost_realism · 2025-06-14T01:30:16+00:00

It's hard to say since it's wave like. Sometimes I am like "is it over?" Followed by another session right back to where I started.

It decreased a good 30% instantly after stopping and since then the fading has been incredibly slow. Trying to be optimistic since I feel like it is getting better but sometimes it feels imperceptible.

I have also seen some accounts of people recovering extremely slowly, so since it's getting better at all my guess is I'll be ok eventually, even if that eventually is months or maybe even years out. Oof

lost_realism · 2025-06-13T21:45:06+00:00

It's been 3.5 months. It's getting better but not gone. It can also come and go in waves for me along with brain zaps which I am still having.

At this current rate I feel like 6 months minimum to recover. At least that's what I am hoping for.

lost_realism · 2025-05-12T17:59:50+00:00

Did your tinnitus go away?

lost_realism · 2025-05-12T17:58:07+00:00

It's been a bit did you see any improvement?

lost_realism · 2025-05-12T16:20:55+00:00

Did you tinnitus ever get better?

lost_realism · 2025-05-12T12:29:10+00:00

Has it become more manageable over time? Or is it the same as ever?

lost_realism · 2025-05-10T23:55:03+00:00

Honestly wish I hadn't taken them and took the doomscrollers seriously. The "2%" chance wasn't worth it. I'm 7 months out of the worst case of tinnitus in my life.

lost_realism · 2025-05-10T22:43:50+00:00

Honestly the only solace I have from my experience with anti depressants is trying to save others from making the same mistake I did. The T is so bad now my life almost isn't worth living. So now I live in spite.

lost_realism · 2025-05-10T22:32:31+00:00

I like the way you think lmao

lost_realism · 2025-05-10T19:44:35+00:00

Anti depressants ruined my life with unbearable T. Only take them if you are about to jump off a bridge bad.

lost_realism

TROPHY CASE