Tinnitus & Depression FAQ

Dear Matthew,

I’m so sorry your son is suffering so much. Tinnitus can be multifaceted and many things play into it. I know his anxiety is making it much worse but, you’re right, it’s not an on-off button and his tinnitus is also worsening his anxiety.

I’m not totally down on SSRI antidepressants but they can worsen a number of things. There are a couple of hundred potential side effects. They cause or worsen tinnitus in about 10% of people so your son may not be affected. If he starts getting worse tinnitus, stop immediately. I hope he is helped by it. He could also take NAC along with the Prozac. NAC helps protect the ears. It’s cheap and easily found. I recommend 1,000 mg twice daily.

There is another way to increase serotonin in the brain. L-Tryptophan and 5-HTP are dietary supplements that actually create serotonin, where SSRI antidepressants only keep existing serotonin active for a longer time. As they are supplements, they’re not as strong as prescription medications and may not help. But they may.

Do not combine these supplements with Prozac! There is a potentially deadly side effect, called Serotonin Syndrome, which can occur. If you want to try the supplements, try them first, then the Prozac if they don’t help.

There is also a medical treatment called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy that’s used in many advanced clinics. This trains the brain to stop reacting negatively to the tinnitus sound. It is effective on many people and your son may be doing some of it in his therapy sessions.

Acupuncture can help the anxiety. If the anxiety goes down, the tinnitus does too. My wife had an acupuncture treatment and came home so relaxed she could barely walk. It lasted a few days. Don’t discount acupuncture. It can be combined with any other therapy.

Biofeedback is used in several major tinnitus clinics. Its a computer-based therapy that allows people to learn how to control various body functions like, blood pressure, heart rate, skin temperature and stress. It takes some time but can be astoundingly effective. The patient slowly learns the trick of going into a state where these can be accomplished. People can actually increase the heat in one hand while leaving the other normal. They can decrease heart rate and blood pressure.

This is a lot but I hope something in here will work. A last thought; people typically find that over the years they habituate to their tinnitus and it becomes more bearable. The brain cannot continue to exist in a state of panic. It will eventually relent and become used to the sound. When they do, tinnitus typically becomes less of a problem.

I hope your son improves greatly,
Barry Keate

Dear Scott,

Yes, buspirone, an anxiolytic, is a common cause of tinnitus as are benzodiazepines (lorazepam) and other anti-anxiety medications. None of these are safe to take over long periods of time even though they are often prescribed for mitigating tinnitus.

They are addictive and the dosage needs to increase over time or the patient goes into withdrawal. Even if they don’t worsen tinnitus initially, the withdrawal period increases the symptoms for which they were originally given, including tinnitus.

I don’t recommend taking any benzodiazepine (often called benzos) medications, on a regular basis. They should only be used for a short term of 2-3 weeks. Once dependency occurs, the withdrawal period can last months.

Professor Heather Ashton runs a withdrawal clinic in the UK and has written a manual on withdrawing from benzodiazepines. She says withdrawal for many people is more difficult than withdrawing from heroin. We have an article about this here.

There are alternatives to these prescription meds. As discussed in the article, benzodiazepine medication increases the amount of GABA in the brain. GABA is a calming neurotransmitter and ofsets the effects of glutamate, an excitatory neurotransmitter. When glutamate predominates, the brain enters a hyper-excited state and causes many neurological conditions, including tinnitus. When GABA predominates, it calms the brain and reduces the conditions.

A safer alternative is to purchase GABA in health food stores or online. You can also use L-Theanine. Both of these increase GABA in the brain without the side effects of the prescription meds. They are not addicting and don’t cause tinnitus. Typical doses are discussed in the article.

Arches Tinnitus Formula is also very helpful. Bilobalide, one of the constituents in ginkgo and our Ginkgo Max 26/7, is a powerful glutamate antagonist and reduces its effect.

Arches Tinnitus Formula, being a natural dietary supplement, takes longer to be effective than prescription meds. It must be used for three months to get the full effect. We recommend Arches Starter Kit, a full three-month supply of four bottles.

Eustachian Tube Dysfunction (ETD) can be a thorny issue and occurs when the Eustachian tube fails to open during chewing, swallowing, or yawning. Sometimes decongestants, antihistamines, or steroids are effective treatment. During diagnosis, it is important to rule out possible underlying causes like TMJ dysfunction or migraine headache.

Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate

Dear Peter,

Thanks for sending in this question. I have seen it before and examined the study and the published commentary on it. I don’t buy into this for the following reasons:

1 – This is basic research conducted in a test tube on animal cells. Very few of these kinds of studies are proven out in large studies on people. Researchers will typically extract the cells they want to study then flood the cells with thousands of times the dosage that would be taken in real life.

A similar type of study a number of years ago showed Ginkgo biloba caused cancer. This created a huge response but ended up being disregarded because of the way the study was conducted. They used ginkgo from China that was not being sold on any market and was undefined. They did not analyze the ginkgo beforehand so we don’t know what was in it or if it was contaminated in any way. Then they administered 16,000 times what a normal person would take and observed there was cancer in some of the samples. This was a very shoddy trial that didn’t prove anything.

2 – Serotonin does not cause or worsen tinnitus. SSRI antidepressants do but that’s because they are synthetic medications that have hundreds of unwanted, sometimes horrible, side effects, including tinnitus. The Physician’s Desk reference lists tinnitus as a common side effect of SSRI medications. SSRI is an acronym for Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor. In other words, the medication keeps serotonin from being reabsorbed into the neuron that produced it, keeping the serotonin in action between neurons for a longer time. It does not increase serotonin. I am opposed to the huge amount of prescriptions written for these medications and don’t believe they are really effective

Several years ago, my wife started taking Prozac, a popular SSRI antidepressant. She used it for several months. Over time her muscles started stiffening up. She got to the point where she could only walk a short distance before her leg muscles seized up. We were thinking she had Multiple Sclerosis. It turned out to be a side effect of the Prozac called Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome, which mimics MS. She stopped taking it immediately but suffers muscle stiffness to this day.

3 – Tryptophan and 5-HTP are organic amino acids which are precursors to serotonin. They are converted in the brain to serotonin and are the only way to actually increase serotonin levels. Millions of people use one of these to increase serotonin and I have not heard of a single case, in my 22 years in this field, where tinnitus was caused or worsened by these substances. Tryptophan and 5-HTP are perfectly safe to use.

Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate

Dear Irene,

You have brought up a series of questions. First of all, antidepressants are pretty notorious for causing hearing loss and tinnitus. Most modern SSRI antidepressants list tinnitus as a frequent side effect. So, your antidepressant may be causing the worsening hearing and increase in tinnitus. You could try to gradually wean yourself from this medication. Consult with your doctor about it because abruptly cutting it off can have negative effects.

There are many possible causes of a feeling of fullness, or clogging, in the ear. These range from Eustachian Tube Dysfunction, caused by flu, colds or allergies, to an infection in the middle ear, even to Meniere’s disease, which I don’t think you have or you would mention dizziness.

The music and singing voices is called Musical Ear Syndrome and is nothing to be afraid of. It usually occurs in older people who are also hard of hearing. The brain demands input and if it doesn’t get enough, it actually “makes up” sounds or remembers sounds from the past. One simple way to get this to calm down or go away is to make sure you have plenty of audio input. Play music in your home loud enough to hear and enjoy it.

I hope this information is helpful for you and you can start to enjoy life more.

Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate

Dear Kristi,

I’m really sorry your tinnitus is so bothersome. I know about panic attacks and they’re no fun.

The first thing to know is stress is the #1 aggravator of tinnitus. Stress will take a level 2 or 3 tinnitus and turn it into a level 8 or 9 overnight. I know it’’s extremely difficult to control but if you can lower your stress levels, the tinnitus should decrease as well.

Diet is another trigger for tinnitus, especially salt. Salt will dramatically increase tinnitus. Many people are unaware of this and consume salty snacks without knowing that’s what is triggering heightened tinnitus.

An ENT doctor will be able to test your hearing to see if that is the cause. Hearing loss is responsible for about 80% of those with tinnitus. However the ENT probably won’t have anything to offer for this. And it may be caused by other conditions, such as hypothyroidism, TMJ or other medical condition that an ENT won’t be familiar with. It may be best to have a full medical workup by your family doctor to see if something else is causing it.

Arches Tinnitus Formula is helpful for most people with tinnitus. Arches Tinnitus Formula has been shown in numerous clinical trials to reduce tinnitus loudness for most people who use it. It is especially helpful for those who have tinnitus due to hearing loss and/or noise exposure. It can also be helpful for those who have tinnitus due to toxic medications. One prominent Manhattan ENT says he has a 75-80% success rate with these patients using Arches Tinnitus Formula.

It takes three months to get the full benefit so we recommend Arches Tinnitus Starter Kit, a full three-month supply of four bottles. You can purchase each bottle separately but the Starter Kit offers a significant price discount and you don’t have to worry about running out during the critical three-month period.

Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate

Dear Tommy,

Please do not despair. I know how bad tinnitus can be and I was once pretty much in your shoes. I remember thinking that I couldn’t possibly go on with it as bad as it was. There are treatments that really work to get tinnitus reduced and get your life back together. My tinnitus has gone down by about 2/3.

Stress and anxiety are the leading triggers for tinnitus. If you can reduce your stress levels, tinnitus will reduce as well. I know this is easier said than done but there are ways to accomplish this. Biofeedback and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy will be very helpful. They are both recognized by the American Academy of Otolaryngology (Ear, Nose & Throat doctors) as being effective. They are available in the UK and are usually administered by psychologists. They will train you to reduce tension and deeply relax. Here are articles about these therapies.

If you are overweight, insulin resistant or diabetic, this is a major cause of tinnitus. You can reduce it by consuming a good diet and exercise regularly. Salt is a major contributor to tinnitus and patients are advised to reduce salt intake. Eat plenty of whole, fresh food, avoid packaged foods and snacks, don’t drink carbonated beverages or visit fast food restaurants. This will take some time but it is very effective.

Your tinnitus may be associated with hearing loss. This is the most common cause and close to 85% of people with tinnitus have it due to hearing loss. For this, Arches Tinnitus Formula with Ginkgo Max 26/7 is very effective. One prominent ENT in Manhattan states he has success with 75 – 80% of people who have tinnitus due to hearing loss.

All of these therapies take time. But if you are willing to put forth the effort to manage your tinnitus, I’m certain it will significantly reduce the sound level.

Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate

Dear Yas,

I know what you’re feeling. I was just a bit older than you (mid 20’s) when I came down with tinnitus. I was extremely distraught and wondered how I could live my life with this. Since then my tinnitus has been lowered by about 65%.

One of the major problems with tinnitus is the issue of anxiety. Stress and anxiety make tinnitus much worse than it would otherwise be. It’s a vicious cycle, tinnitus causes anxiety and the anxiety increases tinnitus. It is important though to try and reduce anxiety. Exercise, eat healthy, avoid salt and simple carbohydrates, and try to occupy yourself in something that will take your mind off it. All this will help.

There are several therapies available that are proven to reduce tinnitus sound levels. Biofeedback and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy are two of the most mainstream therapies. These take time and can be expensive but they are effective.

Arches Tinnitus Formula is the only scientifically validated dietary supplement treatment for tinnitus. It is completely natural and does not contain any sedatives which would inhibit active thought and learning. It has been shown in numerous clinical trials to alleviate tinnitus. It does take some time, three months, to get the full effect, but is not expensive. Three months (4 bottles) of Arches Tinnitus Formula costs about $130.00.

You can also take melatonin to get some better sleep. I recommend 20 mg about 90 minutes before bedtime. Melatonin is also natural, inexpensive and found in health food stores or online.

Here is an article about my struggle with tinnitus and what I eventually learned that has made it much more livable.

Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate

Dear Jim,

I’m sorry you’re having a difficult time. Zoloft is frequently prescribed for people with tinnitus. All SSRI antidepressants have the potential of causing or worsening tinnitus. For most people, this doesn’t happen but for up to about 8% it does. If it does make your tinnitus worse, stop using it immediately. If it doesn’t, you can probably continue to use it and hopefully it will make you feel better.

There is another worry about SSRI antidepressants of which you should be aware. They all potentiate serotonin, which is the neurotransmitter that fights depression. SSRI is an acronym for Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitor. So these medications ensure that serotonin stays in the system longer, making the patient feel better.

The problem with this is after an amount of time, varying by the individual, the brain is fooled into thinking there is plenty of serotonin and stops making any more of it. Then the patient becomes dependent on the medication to keep serotonin available. If a lot of dependence occurs, it becomes extremely difficult to withdraw. Some people are trapped into using these medications for the rest of their lives. I advise to not use it for more than a few months. Hopefully your condition will improve by then and you’ll be able to slowly reduce dosage.

You can read more about this conundrum in the article Tryptophan, Serotonin and Tinnitus .

Wishing you quiet times,

Barry Keate

Dear Sindy,

Please do not despair. Pulsatile tinnitus has a rational cause and in many cases it can be treated. It is unlike regular tinnitus caused by exposure to noise.

Pulsatile tinnitus is due to turbulent blood flow in an artery near the cochlea. You are actually hearing the blood rush through the artery when the heart pumps. The turbulent flow can be caused by many conditions; high blood pressure, twisted arteries, atherosclerosis, and other causes. A vascular surgeon may be able to determine the cause, in which case treatment is possible.

One way to reduce pulsatile tinnitus is to thin the blood somewhat. The thinner the blood, the less pressure in the vessels and the lower the noise. Arches Tinnitus Formula could help reduce pulsatile tinnitus by thinning the blood and also by making the blood vessels more pliable.

Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate

Note: If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts or a crisis, please reach out immediately to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741. These services are free and confidential.

Dear Lee,

I cannot get in a controversy with your doctors or explain why they don’t think SSRI anti-depressants are associated with tinnitus. The Physician’s Desk Reference, which all of them have, lists tinnitus as a frequent side effect of SSRI anti-depressants. In the case of Effexor, it states that 2% of people will develop tinnitus and some cases happen during withdrawal. I hear of many, many people like you who either got their tinnitus from taking these medications or from withdrawing from them.

Technically, Effexor is an SSNRI (selective serotonin and norepinephrine re-uptake inhibitors) which has all the standard side-effects of SSRI anti-depressants.

SSRI anti-depressants are very dangerous for other reasons. They fool the brain into thinking there is adequate serotonin so the brain stops manufacturing it. When these people then try to withdraw from SSRI’s, they crash and crash hard. It is its own type of addiction and I know many people who are totally unable to get off them. They will remain taking them for life. The same is true for benzodiazepines, including Klonopin. They fool the brain into thinking there is plenty of GABA so the brain stops making that as well. The benzos are very addicting and should only be used for a short period of time.

Some people may be able to benefit from SSRI’s and I don’t totally condemn them. I do think they are very overused when other options exist. Please read my article on serotonin and then go to the link within that article to Benzodiazepine Withdrawal Syndrome.

My thinking has evolved some since I wrote the serotonin article. I now think 5-HTP is a better supplement than Tryptophan. Tryptophan breaks down into several metabolites including 5-HTP and 5-HTP is the direct precursor of serotonin. It may take some time but I recommend 5-HTP taken for several months. It is very inexpensive and there are no side-effects.

Hopefully this will be helpful for you.

Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate

Dear Ruben,

You must stop these medications. Trazodone, often prescribed for sleep, can especially cause and worsen tinnitus. All anti-depressants, including Cymbalta, can cause or worsen it. The problem is you cannot stop these medications cold turkey if you have been on them for any length of time. You will have to work with your doctor to gradually reduce the dosage until you can totally stop.

You may want to ask your doctor about getting a benzodiazepine medication like Valium or Klonopin to help with sleeping. These should be very helpful and should reduce the tinnitus also. Problem is, you can’t take those for longer than a few weeks or they become really addicting also. Then when you try to stop the tinnitus gets worse. It may be a good alternative though to help you transition from the anti-depressants to better therapies.

There are many therapies that can be helpful including biofeedback. Biofeedback is something that must be learned and it is taught by psychologists who also work with attention deficit kids and people with stress problems. There are biofeedback clinics in all major American cities. It can be very, very helpful and I strongly recommend biofeedback for tinnitus. There is a way to practice this in front of a mirror. I strongly recommend getting training from a professional. I encourage you to read our article Biofeedback and Neurofeedback: Tools to Reduce Tinnitus.

Hypnotherapy can also be helpful for tinnitus. Acupuncture can also be helpful for many people.

I hope some of these ideas can be helpful and you can rid yourself of the loudness and anxiety of tinnitus.

Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate

Dear Michael,

Out of the options you mentioned I would try acupuncture. I’m told it can help about 40% of people with tinnitus. I doubt Lipoflavonoid will be helpful. While it is marketed now for tinnitus it was designed to help reduce dizziness in people with Meniere’s disease. It was never intended for ringing in the ears. If you look at the supplement facts on its label, it contains nothing more than small amounts of B vitamins and some bioflavonoids, which may be helpful for stress, but won’t reduce the noise.

Arches Tinnitus Formula (ATF) has been clinically proven to reduce tinnitus in the majority of people who have it. It is especially helpful for those who have tinnitus due to hearing loss, like you. Read the experience of a well-respected ENT doctor who uses ATF for his patients with hearing loss and tinnitus.

It takes up to three months to get the full benefit from Arches Tinnitus Formula. We recommend the Starter Kit, or a three-month supply. I would use this along with acupuncture to get the benefit of both.

Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate

Dear Mary,

Like you right now, my coping strategies were not all that great during the worst of my tinnitus. I reverted to using the benzodiazepine medication Valium to keep my anxiety down. It is quite addicting and should not be used continuously but it helped me when I needed it most. Here is my story and how I coped with tinnitus before Arches Tinnitus Formula lowered the sound level.

These days there are better interim therapies which can also be combined with Arches Tinnitus Formula. You may want to consult a psychologist and learn about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, visit with a Biofeedback specialist, or get some acupuncture treatment.

I hope this is helpful for you and Arches Tinnitus Formula will reduce your tinnitus to a more manageable level.

Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate

Dear Carol,

I can really sympathize with your situation. When I first had tinnitus I was extremely anxious and very worried. Stress and anxiety are the #1 triggers for tinnitus. They will make it much, much worse than it would normally be. If you can figure out how to reduce your stress, the tinnitus will improve dramatically. I know it’s easier said than done. Stress worsens tinnitus, which causes more stress and tinnitus. But if stress reduces, tinnitus reduces, causing less stress and less tinnitus. It is a vicious circle that works in both directions.

There are many products out there that promise “miracle” cures or that say they will reduce your tinnitus in a few days. These are rip-off products with no science behind them. There is no cure for tinnitus but there are ways to reduce it, in some cases by a lot. My tinnitus has been reduced by about two-thirds due to Arches Tinnitus Formula. Here is an overview of the science behind our tinnitus formula.

Please note that at the end of the article there are references to the clinical studies discussed. None of the so-called “miracle” cure products will offer any science to back up their use. They rely on heavy marketing and outrageous claims to lure customers. Arches Tinnitus Formula doesn’t cure tinnitus but it does reduce it for the great majority of people who use it. We have been in business for 20 years and have thousands of satisfied customers.

You can use Arches Tinnitus Formula by itself for your tinnitus. It is not necessary to take our other products. But it does take up to three months to get the full benefit so we recommend Arches Tinnitus Starter Kit, a full three-month supply of the Tinnitus Formula. It is offered at a significantly reduced rate from the single bottle price.

Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate

Dear Jane,

I’m very sorry this happened. Tinnitus is a common side effect of SSRI antidepressants like citalopram. Many doctors are unaware of this. Fortunately mirtazaphine (Remeron) doesn’t cause tinnitus.

I don’t recommend any SSRI antidepressants because of this and numerous other side effects they have. Remeron is the one I normally go to. You may want to discuss dosage with your physician.

SSRI antidepressants keep serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the brain, from breaking down so it is more available. So do tricyclic antidepressants, like Remeron. They do not create serotonin. The only way to create this is through the use of L-Tryptophan, which is a precursor to serotonin. L-Tryptophan should not be combined with antidepressants. Please read our article about this.

Arches Tinnitus Formula with Ginkgo Max 26/7 may be helpful in reducing your tinnitus sounds. It has been shown to be helpful for the majority of people who use it and it can be combined with antidepressants. It takes up to three months to get the full benefit of ATF so we recommend Arches Starter Kit, a full three-month supply.

I hope this is helpful and you can reduce your tinnitus.

Wishing you quiet times,

Barry Keate

Dear Edwin,

Here is a link to my story and how I learned to live with tinnitus and my search for tinnitus relief.

Most people who first start experiencing tinnitus react just like you. They become worried and anxious. The anxiety makes tinnitus much worse than it would otherwise be.

This may go away on it’s own. About 1/3 of cases resolve and disappear. If it’s still around in 3-4 months, it’s probably permanent. But there are many things you can do to manage it.

First, try to relax and exercise regularly. This will help calm the nerves and that, in itself, will help the tinnitus reduce.

Second, be careful of what you eat. Proper diet plays an important role in reducing tinnitus. Salt is a trigger for tinnitus and so is sugar. Avoid the salty snacks and try to reduce or eliminate intake of simple sugars. Here’s an article on diet and tinnitus.

Third, take Arches Tinnitus Formula. Arches Tinnitus Formula® with Ginkgo Max 26/7® has been shown in numerous scientific studies to reduce tinnitus sound levels for most people who use it. It is especially helpful for the great majority of people who have tinnitus due to noise exposure and/or hearing loss. It is also helpful for those who have tinnitus due to ototoxic medications, which damage hearing. It can take up to three months to get the full effect so we recommend Arches Tinnitus Starter Kit, a full three-month supply of four bottles. You can buy the bottles individually but there is significant cost savings in buying all four at once, you save shipping costs and don’t have to worry about running out during the critical thee-month period.

Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate