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Tri-cyclic Anti-depressants that Can Cause Tinnitus
Of all the tri-cyclic anti-depressants, Clomipramine is probably the worst in regards to tinnitus (and other ototoxic side effects too). Amitriptyline runs a close second in both regards.
A number of people have told me they get “screaming tinnitus” whenever they take Amitriptyline.
The good news is that when you get off either of these two drugs, the tinnitus generally seems to go away.
Tri-cyclics that I would rate “medium” for tinnitus include Amoxapine and Imipramine.
Tri-cyclics that, in my opinion, have the least likelihood of causing tinnitus in the “average” person, or making their existing tinnitus worse, include Desipramine, Dothiepin, Doxepin, Nortriptyline, Protriptyline and Trimipramine.
What I’d suggest is that you and your doctor work together and try these various “least likely” tri-cyclics and see whether they both help your depression, and, at the same time, don’t make your tinnitus worse. Just be aware that even these can all cause tinnitus in some people, but probably not all that often, or as severe, when compared to the others.