My 68 year old father’s experience with Zoloft and Wellbutrin: Curious about memory and tinnitus

Hey everyone,

My 68-year-old father been on Zoloft for depression and later added Wellbutrin to help with energy. Funny enough, I’m also on Wellbutrin, and we’ve both noticed some similar side effects mainly tinnitus and memory issues.

For me, the memory stuff kind of evened out over time, but with him it’s a bit more concerning just because of his age. He’s been forgetting little things or sometimes losing his words, and while this might have been happening somewhat before it feels like it’s more noticeable now. He’s fully aware of it too, and has been wondering if the meds could be making it worse.

I’ve seen a lot of posts here about memory problems and tinnitus with Wellbutrin. I’ve also read about concerns with long-term use of things like Wellbutrin or even Benadryl possibly contributing to dementia. I’m curious if anyone has experience or insight with this, especially with older folks.

He’s not sure if he should think about getting off Wellbutrin at some point. It’s really helped him get back into life and feel more motivated, which has been great but now starting to wonder about the long-term effects, especially on his memory.

Ultimately something he’ll talk with his doctor about but his doctor kind of dismissed the memory and tinnitus side effects and said wellbutrin does not cause those side effects. That was worrisome to me because it seems clear at least over on these types of subreddits and in my own experience they definitely can be a result of taking this medication . So, I just wanted to see if anyone has any experiences or advice for my dad!

Thanks!