Prozac is a medication which is prescribed for the treatment of depression and like almost any other antidepressant it comes with certain risks in the form of side-effects which can be very minor or severe. SSRI medications which are used to treat depression can in fact cause problems with tinnitus in some people who take it, though that is not always the case. Whether or not someone who takes Prozac or another type of antidepressant develops tinnitus depends on the individual person.
A lot of new SSRIs such as Zoloft and Prozac have been known to cause various symptoms such as the perception of ringing or buzzing in the ears, otherwise known as tinnitus. Conversely there are some people who have claimed that they have actually benefited from the use of antidepressants with regards to their tinnitus.
The reasoning behind antidepressants as a treatment for tinnitus is that they are sometimes able to help those who have become depressed due to their condition. Many people who develop a more severe form of tinnitus have trouble coping with it emotionally and therefore get depressed. When the person’s depression is lessened with medications such as Prozac, the perception of their tinnitus begins to fade.
Those who are depressed but do not want to take Prozac because of the fact that it can cause tinnitus will have other choices with regards to medications that can help mental disorders like depression. Some of the older tricyclic antidepressants do not cause the same side-effects as SSRIs like tinnitus. A couple of these medications are Nortiptyline and Amitriptyline.
People who are suffering from depression and want an alterantive to SSRIs like Prozac will certainly want to speak with a doctor about their options, especially if they currently have problems with tinnitus and want to avoid worsening their condition.
