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Chronic tinnitus is a common disabling condition with few therapeutic options. It frequently coexists with depressive symptoms; like other chronic medical problems, it may trigger depression, which in turn may amplify physical symptoms. This randomized study asked whether the antidepressant nortriptyline would reduce the severity of tinnitus.
Ninety-two patients with severe chronic tinnitus, aged 50 to 80 years, completed 6 weeks of either nortriptyline or placebo. Before the study, 38 subjects fulfilled criteria for major depression and 54 had milder depressive symptoms. Compared with placebo, nortriptyline significantly reduced depression severity (assessed on the Hamilton scale), tinnitus-related disability (assessed by questionnaire), an…