Is Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) Ototoxic?
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.
A person asked: “Is Cipro ototoxic?”
Cipro is one of the brand names of the generic antibiotic Ciprofloxacin. Ciprofloxacin belongs to the Quinolone class of drugs, all of which can be quite ototoxic.
Ciprofloxacin can cause severe hearing loss, loud tinnitus, ataxia, dizziness, nystagmus, vertigo and ear pain. Thus, it is a drug to be taken with caution. Since I’ve had a number of people tell me of their woes after taking Ciprofloxacin, the ototoxic side effects must be relatively common.
For example, one lady explained,
I only took Ciprofloxacin for three days which resulted in profound bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus and inner ear damage that affects my balance.
Here’s another example. A man lost a lot of his hearing after taking Ciprofloxacin. His hearing problems started with “weird” tinnitus. The tinnitus eventually stopped, but his hearing did not improve.
You can check out the ototoxic side effects of any drugs before you take them in “Ototoxic Drugs Exposed“. This book contains information on the ototoxicity of 763 drugs known to damage ears, including Ciprofloxacin.
March 3rd, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Part of the moral of this story is that anytime you start taking a new medication and you suddenly have bouts of tinnitus, stop the drug!! Tinnitus is usually an early warning sign.
March 27th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
I took ciprofloxacin for an infection and withing 2 days I developed severe vertigo and ringing in my ears. My doctor said there was no way it could have been this medicine. I definately think it was the cipro.
April 26th, 2010 at 4:14 pm
Any manifestation of tinnitus is a critical warning sign of possible cochlear damage due to ototoxicity. Almost every drug has “tinnitus” as a side effect, however, some are known ototoxic agent while most doctors when referring to most medications like Depekote (which gave me permanent bilateral tinnitus) will frequently claim the there is no known risk. You must be self vigilant and highly self aware when taking any new medication to safe-gaurd your hearing!
-Stewart Graham, MPH, PA
August 13th, 2010 at 5:01 pm
I took within six months (prescription from ENT) 2 times daily Ofloxacin 200mg for 3 days and Ciprofloxacin 2 times daily 500mg for 5 days. Both times for almost ridiculous, minor infections, which could have been cured with any other med, I’m sure, even an antibiotic was not needed. After having suffered Meningitis in 2001, very hard, I’m disabled, bilateral severe hearing loss, bilateral damage of my vestibular system. In June 2010 I was given Cipro. I had a distinct reaction to the drug after one week, having fever and pain in my whole body. The worsening of balance with Oscillopsia and hearing loss started at this time. I’m desperate. Other symptoms of CNS are showing up now. My age is 67! What to do, referring to the clueless doctor, that gave me a steroid injection as a” help” for the symptoms. He did not see it as an adverse reaction to the drug.
Ria
November 23rd, 2010 at 7:48 pm
My urologist gave me cipro for a month, and then repeated the prescription for an additional 30 days to treat my prostate. At the beginning of the second round, my ears developed a ringing. I called the doctor with my concerns, and if there was a relationship between the cipro and my new hearing problem. I was advised there was not, but he took me off the cipro immediately. Since then, the tinnitus has been there, day and night, for the last 4 years. It is especially troublesome, as I am a professional musician, and have always taken extremely good care and precautions for my hearing. It has only been this last year that I has discovered there is a cause and effect link between the cipro and my tinnitus. Is there anything I can do to try and right this condition? Is there any way that the doctor, and/or drug company be held accountable for this medical wrong, when they know a persons hearing is at risk?
November 24th, 2010 at 7:26 am
Hi Doug:
As a rule of thumb, antibiotics shouldn’t be given for more than 10 days to 2 weeks. The longer you take an antibiotic such as Cipro, the greater the chances for resulting ear damage. In your case, your ears were quite robust and withstood the first month on Cipro, but finally succumbed during the 2nd month. If your doctor had followed the rule of thumb, your ears would likely have been ok.
Although that is not always the case with Cipro. Some people get both hearing loss and tinnitus in the first 3 days on the drug.
I don’t know how your doctor can say with a straight face that there was no connection between the Cipro and your tinnitus when his own drug bible, the PDR, lists tinnitus as a side effect of taking Cipro.
The only thing you can do about your tinnitus now is learn how to habituate to it so it no longer bothers you–in other words in fades into the background and for some hours, you may not even be aware it is there unless you listen for it.
You habituate to your tinnitus when you learn to totally ignore it by focusing on other things, and at the same time break any emotional tie you have with your tinnitus (remain emotionally neutral towards it).
As far as pursuing legal action, you will have to find an expert doctor that will testify that your tinnitus is a result of taking the Cipro, and it seems that few if any doctors are willing to do this.
Regards
Neil
March 8th, 2011 at 2:32 am
Dr. Neil
You should know if you are a doctor of medicine that you cannot follow rule of thumb with antibiotics for cases involving prostate or Prostatitis. Prscriptions are for six weeks or more!
March 8th, 2011 at 8:10 am
Hi Dave:
As you can see by the Ph.D. after my name as the author of the above article, I am NOT a medical doctor (and have never pretended to be an MD).
Your comment just proves my point that when you exceed the time limit of the “rule of thumb”, the chances of experiencing ototoxic side effects can increase dramatically.
If you choose to take an antibiotic for 6 weeks rather than 2 weeks or less–in this case for prostate problems–don’t complain if you end up with hearing loss or loud permanent tinnitus, etc. The chances of this happening are much greater.
People (and doctors) are free to break the rule of thumb–and it can be for valid reasons as you point out–but that doesn’t negate the rule of thumb–often the resulting increased ototoxic side effects just prove the point.
Regards
Neil
October 11th, 2011 at 3:41 pm
I was dumb enough in my mid 20′s to go to a doctor because of a rash. He immediately put me on ciproflaxin and some type of cream. The rash got worse and yes, another dose of Cipro and another drug (cant remember the spelling — Metronidizole?).
After 4 weeks of this balogny I noticed my ears starting to ring. Pathetic. The Cipro and other antibiotics caused tinnitus. I am certain of it!
I explained this to my doctor and he said that Cipro and Metronidizole are not listed among the drugs that can cause ear damage. It has been 16 years and the tinnitus is still here. . . It has effected my life drammatically… Pathetic…
December 26th, 2011 at 10:25 pm
I have had tinnitus in my right ear for over 10 years and now my left ear has it as well as diminished hearing. The only thing I took was Cipro for a urinary infection. I thought I was going to get a Sulfa drug and should have NEVER taken the Cipro. I searched the internet for the connection of Cipro and hearing loss/tinnitus, but never found it. It there any recourse? This drug has ruined my hearing and quality of life.