Pharmaceuticals

Antidepressants

The premise of this treatment is that antidepressants might play a role in lessening or completely abolishing the perception of tinnitus.

Treatment Description:
Antidepressants are administered in pill or capsule form to individuals experiencing tinnitus, although specific dosage recommendations are not well-established due to limited data.

Potential Side Effects:
Among the common adverse effects reported in clinical trials are sedation, sexual dysfunction, and dry mouth, which could impact the quality of life and treatment adherence of patients.

Research Overview:
The scientific literature on the use of antidepressants for tinnitus is sparse, with minimal recent advancements in the field.

Summary of Research Findings:
A small-scale study observed a reduction in tinnitus severity, as assessed by both subjective measures and audiometric tests, in patients treated with amitriptyline, reporting a 95% treatment success rate.

Nevertheless, a systematic review critiqued the available studies for their insufficient quality and duration, questioning the reliability of their findings.

The ambiguity remains regarding whether the potential alleviation of tinnitus symptoms by antidepressants is directly due to their impact on tinnitus or an indirect result of reduced depression symptoms. To elucidate the effectiveness and mechanism of antidepressants in tinnitus treatment, well-designed and extended-duration studies are deemed essential.

Safety

B

Efficacy

B

Tinnitus Help Recommendation

Not recommended