by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.
© June, 2015; Revised Sep, 2019
A lady wrote,
I am profoundly deaf from contracting meningitis in 2010. I have severe tinnitus and have recently been diagnosed with acid reflux. I have been prescribed Prilosec and Protonix which makes the tinniutus much worse. Can you recommend another drug that will not give me that additional discomfort. I am at my wits end.
Unfortunately, all the Proton Pump Inhibitors used to treat acid reflux including Omeprazole (Prilosec) and Pantoprazole (Protonix) have tinnitus as one of their many side effects. I’ve heard from numbers of people that now have tinnitus from taking one of them.
As a result, I can’t tell you of any acid reflux drugs that would help without making your tinnitus worse as you have already found out. That’s the bad news, but it’s actually good news in disguise. You see there are a number of other non-ototoxic remedies that doctors seldom mention that can help you deal with, or eliminate, your acid reflux.
Instead of taking drugs that merely manage the symptoms but don’t address the underlying cause of your acid reflux, a much better and wiser approach is to discover what caused your acid reflux in the first place.
You see, all acid reflux drugs do is try to suppress the symptoms of acid reflux. As a result, you’d need to take these drugs for the rest of your life, because they are just managing the symptoms rather than working to fix the underlying problem.
In contrast, my philosophy is you need to correct the underlying condition. When you work to eliminate the cause, you won’t have acid reflux any more, and thus you won’t need to take any acid reflux drugs.
The best place to start is to look at what was going on in the weeks before your acid reflux symptoms first began. Try to figure out what changed that caused your acid reflux.
For example, did you start taking a new medication? Did you recently put on weight? Did your back “go out”? Did you change your diet? Are you eating later than before, etc. As I’ll show you in a moment, all these are pertinent questions that may have a bearing on your acid reflux.
If I had acid reflux, here are a number of the things I’d investigate. (And incidentally, whenever I do get the odd attack of acid reflux, one of the below is always culprit—and changing it quickly solves the problem for me.)
The points below are in no particular order, and their importance to you will vary with your specific situation.
1. If you are getting older, your acid reflux may be caused by a lack of hydrochloric acid (HCL) in your stomach. You see, as you age, your stomach produces less and less hydrochloric acid to digest your food. Thus, it sits in your stomach and ferments and you experience acid reflux.
The real problem in this case is not too much acid in your stomach (like many doctors think), but too little acid. Thus, the solution is to take hydrochloric acid tablets (typically called Betaine HCL) with each meal so you can properly digest your food without reflux problems.
Note: if you are going to take Betain HCL, you need to be careful and learn when, how much and with what foods you need to take it. An excellent easy-to-read article on the subject is “4 Common Betain HCL Mistakes“.
Alternately, you can easily improve the acid content of your stomach by taking 1 tablespoon of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar in a large glass of water.
2. You may find that eating certain foods (especially for supper) causes you grief that night as you suffer through bouts of acid reflux. The obvious solution is to quit eating those foods. If it seems to be food in general that causes your acid reflux (and you’ve addressed point 1 above), then you need to change your diet and eliminate all processed foods and replace them with unprocessed, natural foods. Try to eat about 1/3 of your food raw. Also watch for any condiments and spices that may make your acid reflux worse.
The top 10 culprits include spicy foods, onions, citrus foods, tomato products, fried foods, chocolate, alcohol, coffee or other caffeinated beverages, carbonated beverages and peppermint. (Some of these will be expanded on later.)
3. Don’t overeat. Overeating or eating a large meal can cause acid reflux. This is because excessive food in your stomach causes your lower esophageal sphincter (LES) to open, which may allow stomach acid to flow into your esophagus.
4. Don’t eat/drink anything after 6:00 PM except water. You want your stomach mostly empty by bedtime. Then there won’t much there to cause acid reflux.
Eating a heavy, spicy meal (or snack) later in the evening is a surefire way to end up with acid reflux that night—at least it is for me (and my wife).
5. Acid reflux more often occurs in overweight people. Thus, if you are overweight, you should start on a program to get your weight down to where it should be. Just doing this can eliminate a lot of cases of acid reflux. And one of the things you’ll probably need to do to accomplish this is to change your diet (point 2) so this will also help your acid reflux to go away.
6. Sleep on a wedge pillow if necessary. This is important, especially if you are overweight. The wedge pillow elevates your head and upper torso so food and stomach acids can’t as easily back up into your throat.
7. Check out any drugs and medications you take to be sure that they aren’t causing your acid reflux (and numbers of drugs do). If you began a new medication and in the next few weeks you realize that you now suffer from acid reflex, this is a strong indication that the drug is likely the culprit. The solution is simple–dump that drug and your acid reflux may disappear like magic.
8. A “pinched” nerve in your upper back can result in acid reflux problems. This happened to my brother. The solution is quite simple. Have a chiropractor check out your back for subluxations. Just a chiropractic treatment or two can correct the problem in your back and when your nerves work properly again, your acid reflux will also likely disappear.
9. Stay away from peppermint if you have acid reflux because peppermint can actually relax the sphincter muscle that closes off the top of your stomach from your esophagus. When this happens, stomach acid can pour back into your esophagus and make your acid reflux worse. In like manner, if your stomach is full and you lay down, when your upper sphincter muscle relaxes, stomach contents including stomach acids can flow back up into your esophagus and you have acid reflux.
10. Alcohol is another thing that can cause the upper sphincter muscle to relax so if alcohol is causing your acid reflux, stay away from it especially in the evening. Chocolate is yet another food that can relax the sphincter muscle and cause acid reflux.
11. Coffee, soda, tea, iced tea, and any other foods and beverages that contain caffeine can result in acid reflux. You don’t have to eliminate them altogether, but cut down your portions. For example a 3 or 4 oz. cup of coffee in the morning is probably not going to cause you problems, but if you drink coffee all day and in the evening, you are asking for trouble if you are prone to acid reflux.
12. Cut out smoking. Smoking causes the LES to relax and open, again causing acid to reflux. Smoking may also reduce you stomach acid production.
Just addressing these 12 things should go a long ways towards eliminating most causes of acid reflux without your taking a single drug.
And as a bonus, hopefully your tinnitus will go away too.
If you want to learn more about tinnitus, the many things that can trigger tinnitus, and a number of things you can do to help bring your tinnitus under control, check out my book, “When Your Ears Ring—Cope with Your Tinnitus–Here’s How“.
This is Really helpfull. I am trying to determine if another PPI is causing my tinnitus. I have been taking Lansoprazole for 7 years and starting two months ago, the ringing has gotten very loud. I stopped taking it two weeks ago and now the ringing is more subdued. Please send me your book.
Donald, has your ringing gone back to its baseline since stopping the meds?
Donald, how many days did it take to notice a difference in the intensity ?
I have done all these suggestions to end reflux and still have it! Done so for ten months! I have a small hiatal hernia and weak les valve. I don’t think natural and dietary solutions will help. Do you?
Hi Myriame:
If you’ve tried all the dietary and natural solutions and they have not helped, then I think I agree with you that you need to try something different. I don’t really know what you should try next as all the proton pump inhibitors are really very hard on your body, not to mention your ears. This is not an area of my expertise.
Cordially,
Neil
Try slippery elm. An ancient natural remedy that has done wonders for me and my friends. It’s the inner tree bark from elm trees dried,ground and mixed with water. Instant relief. Warning it blocks out any medications 2 hrs after you ingest.
Neil,
I’ve been taking antacids for pregnancy induced reflux. About a week after starting, I got severe ear pain and tinnitus. It wasn’t an ear infection and ENT said no fluid. I thought maybe it was my anxiety, but now I’m wondering if it was the mix of zantac and nexium (currently taking ). If I stop taking it, when would I start noticing improvement? I’m desperate for relief.
Hi Jessica:
Both Ranitidine (Zantac) and Esomeprazole (Nexium) can cause tinnitus and ear pain (among a host of other ototoxic side effects such as hearing loss and balance issues). If I had to pick one drug that was the culprit it would be the Nexium as it has approximately double the number of reports for both of these side effects. But who knows how both drugs act together?
Personally, since they are both ototoxic, I’d stop taking both of these drugs and try any or all of the suggestions I give in this article to reduce your reflux, which should go away after baby is born.
I think that you have a good chance of the ear pain going away almost immediately after you stop taking the drugs and they get out of your system (within the week). The tinnitus may take longer.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks for the quick reply. The ear pain bothers me more than the tinnitus. When I first noticed the symptoms I was taking Prilosec but then was told it wasn’t recommended for pregnancy. I think switch to zantac but then it wasn’t an working for the heartburn, so about 12 days ago I switched to the nexium. My anxiety had been through the roof with this pregnancy, so I assumed that was what was causing my issue until I read your article. I am praying this is the answer. For a while it was only in the left ear, but after starting nexium I now notice it in both.
Hi Jessica:
Getting off the Nexium or other proton-pump inhibitors should stop the ear pain in a few days. The tinnitus may take longer, but if it doesn’t bother you, that’s not a problem.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi
. I have issues like tinnitus and acid reflux and now i,m afraid of taking omeprazole .what should i do?
Hi Wayne:
Before you even consider taking proton pump inhibitors, you first want to read this article again and make sure you are practicing all 12 of the tips given there. In my opinion, only if you cannot get your acid reflux under control should by following all 12 of them should you consider proton pump inhibitors.
Cordially,
Neil
What about hearing your heartbeat in your ear? What would cause that and can help alleviate it? Please.
Hi Mary:
If you hear a sound in unison to your heartbeat, that is called pulsatile tinnitus. It is typically caused by turbulent blood flow in arteries near your ear. Often a vascular surgeon can do things to alleviate it. It could be caused by high blood pressure and lowering your blood pressure can stop it.
Cordially,
Neil
Your middle cerebral artery runs through your middle ear. It is covered by a thin layer of bone and in some people by no bone. The pulsation caused by your heart beat can transmit vibrations to the bones of your middle ear and make you “hear” your heart beat. This can be a normal phenomenon and usually is only noticeable when it is quite quiet and the external ear canal is covered.
I start taking pantoprazole sodium 40 mg since September I had he tinnitus before but it wasn’t so bad . But now I’m starting to loose my mind about it. It’s so loud and the pressure so much in the left ear too.
Do you think it’s from this medicine and I’m taking the Astrovastatin too it’s been almost 2 years now.
Since I read your articles I start to worry today I’m stopping the pantoprazole to see what will happen.
Thank you kindly
Hi Noha:
Pantoprazole is quite ototoxic. It causes tinnitus in hundreds and hundreds of people and even more people get hearing loss from taking it. Furthermore, the ear pressure/ear blocked feeling/ear discomfort/ear pain is also likely due to this drug. Hundreds and hundreds more people experience these symptoms too. So its not a good drug to be on, but then again, this is true of the other proton-pump inhibitors. Much better to practice the principles I give in this article rather than take drugs.
As for Astrovastatin, do you mean Atorvastatin? Atorvastatin is pretty ototoxic too and causes tinnitus in multiplied hundreds of people as well as the feelings related to pressure and discomfort mentioned above.
If I were you, I’d probably stop the last drug you began taking before the tinnitus got louder as that is the mostly likely culprit.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi…. I had been experiencing ear pressure/ear blocked feeling/ear discomfort/ since last September 2018. Then around December I developed tinnitus. I have been taking pantoprazole for years for GERD and I ran out of the medication of the christmas holidays. I fould an almost immediate (maybe next day, and definitely two days after) resolution of my ear symptoms. The blocked feeling and discomfort went away and now I only have mild issues with have to swallow to relieve pressure occasionally. I subsequently did NOT resume taking the pantoprazole medication. My tinnitus does persist. My question is, could the pantoprazole be exclusively responsible for my issues?
Hi Allan:
Pantoprazole causes a number of ototoxic side effects including hearing loss, tinnitus, feeling that your ear is blocked, ear discomfort, ear pain, and various balance and other disorders.
I have no doubt that your ear issues were the direct result of taking pantoprazole. Fortunately these cleared up when you quit taking it. However, your tinnitus may prove to be permanent.
Cordially,
Neil
I also take Atorvastatin, of the two drugs
Atorvastatin
Pantoprazole
Which would you consider more likely to cause my tinnitus and ear issues?
Hi Allan:
I’d say the one with the higher risk is Atorvastatin by a ratio of 2:1.
Cordially,
Neil
Last question for you Doc…
I stopped talking both Pantoprazole and Atorvastatin over a month ago. Most of my issues with ear fullness and blockage have resolved. I do have tinnitus still, but also have to clear pressure in my ear more often than usual, by swallowing or drinking something. Can the full effects of ototoxicity take a while to resolve? I wonder if I should see my GP, could I have an infection with no pain? I have no sinus issues, no headaches, no earaches.
Hi Allan:
If you are not congested, I doubt seeing your GP would be productive. It could be that the ototoxic side effects are going to take a longer time to resolve. Some never do. It seems your Eustachian tubes are not working as well as they were before. Does you neck feel tight at all?
Cordially,
Neil
My neck did feel tight prior to stopping the atorvastatin and pratoprazole, but that resolved almost immediately after stopping. Now my only real symptoms are tinnitus and having to clear pressure more often by swallowing.
I did find my ears seem wet inside at times… more often in the morning
Hi Dr Neil
I am of 28. I was suffering from acid reflux for the last two months. Thereafter my gp prescribed me Omeprazole and rabeprazole. Then i got ringing sound in my ears and it get worse at night. I am really upset . please help me
Hi Rupali:
Many, many people get tinnitus and hearing loss and balance problems from taking these drugs. The solution is to get off them and try all the suggestions I lay out in this article. Drugs should only be your last resort after you’ve tried out everything else and found they don’t help.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi sir, im trying to get some answers. Doctors just want to feed me dexilant. Was doing great on it for 1 year. Then had an episode 17 days ago and the tinnitus just wont stop! Ive changed my diet drastically already. Is it the lpr or is it the dexilant? I appreciate all your feedback.
Hi Ken:
Dexlansoprazole (Dexilant) is a proton pump inhibitor. All PPIs can cause tinnitus (and lots of other ear problems too). Since it is the “new kid on the block”, Dexilant doesn’t have as many reported side effects yet. But I suspect it too causes tinnitus in lots of people. My money is on the Dexilant, rather than on the laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR).
Cordially,
Neil
Dr. Neil. I’ve been searching for answers for 4 years for my ear problems that started a few months after starting omeprozole. I started having dizzy spells and pressure in my left ear. My Dr. Never mentioned that it could be related to the PPI and I continued to take that medicine and then pantopeozole for 3 years before taking myself off of it due to continued ear pressure and hearing loss. For the last 6 months I’ve been suffering from pulsating tennitis. I’ve had a CT and MRI and no known Reason for the tennitis was found. Could this be from the Damage from the PPI that began almost 4 years ago? And why aren’t doctors making patients aware of the risks to your hearing when they prescribe the PPI’s? My condition hasn’t improved and I stopped the PPI over a year ago. I’m afraid the damage is permanent.
Hi Peggy:
Doctors don’t tell you about all the side effects partly because they don’t believe that the drugs they prescribe cause those side effects. But as you’ve found out to your sorrow, the do.
You’re going to get a kick out of this. Yesterday I read a research report on PPIs and the researchers were surprised that the Mediterranean diet worked better than PPIs–and there were no negative side effects. Incidentally, PPIs really can wreck your health apart from you ears–so they are not a good drug to take.
You are off all PPIs now, correct? Are you taking any other drugs?
What happened 6 to 7 months ago that might have caused your pulsatile tinnitus? Any changes in medications, lifestyle, stress, depression or anxiety? Anything else? This tinnitus may be related to the PPIs, but not necessarily. That is why I look for any changes that might have caused it.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello, I am a 23 years old student. I have GERD and was told to take omeprazole. I ate 5 days and found that I have a tinnintus now.
So if I stop taking the medicine now do you think the tinnitus will go away because i only ate PPI for 5 days?
Hi Chong:
I don’t have any information to indicate whether tinnitus from Omeprazole is permanent or not. You’ll have to try and see what happens in your case.
But being on PPIs is not good for your body. I’d try all the tips I give in this article before I’d try any PPI drugs.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello. I have been taking Pepcid Complete for the last 4 – 5 years for acid reflux and hiatal hernia. I have terrible tinnitus and also still have hot flashes regularly at age 62. Although Pepcide Complete is not PPI, can this also cause my ear problems?
Hi Ann:
Famotidine (Pepcid) can and does cause tinnitus in numbers of people, so it is possible that it is the cause of your tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr, Neil, I am 54 yrs old and have GERD symptoms and chronic dry cough for last 3-4 months. I have been on Omeprazole 40 mg for last one month and have started taking GABAPENTIN for last 7-8 days. The dry cough has subsided to a great extent. Lately for about a month or so, my ear have become very sensitive to sound to the extent that even loud sound bothers me. I always have a mild burning sensation in my ears. What would be your suggestion.
Hi Peter:
Both Gabapentin and Omeprazole can cause your ears to become supersensitive to sounds (hyperacusis). Since your ears became sensitive to sounds about a month ago and you began the Omeprazole about then, I’d think that drug may be the culprit and you might want to stop it and see what happens. Run it by your doctor of course.
Personally, I wouldn’t take any drugs and try all the alternative methods I list instead.
Cordially,
Neil
I am over 65 and was prescribed Omeprazole for GERD. I ran out of my prescription and could not fill it until I made a doctors apt and couldn’t get an appointment with my doctor. Thus I have not taken the Omeprazole for couple of month. My so called Tinnitus has not subsided and infact it is more noticeable. Could it be a pinched nerved in my neck or upper shoulder causing this tinnitus?
Hi Charlene:
Your tinnitus could be caused by the Omeprazole you took. Sometimes tinnitus from taking a drug is permanent. Other times it goes away in the weeks following stopping the drug. There’s no way to know ahead of time whether it will be permanent or temporary. Did you have tinnitus before you began taking the Omeprazole or not? If you did, then probably the drug did not cause your tinnitus and you can look for other causes.
You may have tinnitus because you have some degree of high-frequency hearing loss. Or it could be that you do have a pinched nerve in your neck for upper back. There’s no way I can tell from the information you’ve given.
Cordially,
Neil
I am 25 yrs old, from Egypt.
I am taking nexium for about just one month, and I began having this annoying tinnitus for some weeks, I felt like I am gonna mad but I felt some relief after knowing that it’s one of many other symptoms.
Thank you for your help.
Please help me, Doctor. I am a 25-year-old man. I had a stomach and colonoscopy. The doctor told me that I had a hernia in the stomach, a stomach ulcer, a stomach germ, an inflammation of the intestine, colitis and inflammation of the small intestine, as well as hemorrhoids. He described me some medications.
Before the drugs I suffered from heartburn, shortness of breath and blood in the stool only, but immediately after the medication started my temperature rose to about 37.5 all the time, and I began to feel a shiver in my left leg “disappear a little temporarily after taking a vitamin B12 injection”, tinnitus in my left ear is sometimes “strong and sometimes weak”, in addition to some other side effects that come and go like mild pain in the right foot, pain in the muscles and joints of the body. I have been using the medicine for about a month and still feel the burning of the stomach from time to time even with the organization of meals and medicines, knowing that I am taking nexium medicine. what should I do ? I feel suffering and started to have doubts about other diseases such as leukemia and brain cancer, and I have thoughts all the time about other diseases that I read about.
Forgive me for my bad English.
Hi Dodo:
If the Nexium is causing you all these side effects, tell your doctor to take you off it, and if he won’t, find another doctor. Perhaps another drug will help you without all those side effects. Have you tried all the things I suggest in this article to help yourself as much as possible?
Cordially,
Neil
I told him and he said “it’s the second case complaining about these symptoms, the first case was an old man above 60, so it’s weird to happen to your age, and I can’t cut it off now, you have to wait at least for another month”.
May brain cancer or bleeding in the brain be the cause ?
I am afraid all the time and even I get better for a day, I am getting worse the next day.
Hi Dodo:
I don’t see why you can’t stop taking the drug. How does waiting another month help? Why can you stop then, but not now?
Since I’m not a medical doctor, I can’t help you with your questions on brain cancer or bleeding up there and kindred questions.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr Bauman
I would like to ask if the use of xylometazoline nasal spray can cause tinnitus. I remember spraying into my nostrils and morning after the ears started ringing. Also I had a dizziness problem prior to using the nasal spray but the dizziness had almost cleared.
Hi Jamed:
I have no ototoxic information on Xylometazoline so I suspect that it doesn’t cause tinnitus. However, if it does cause tinnitus, I don’t think it is very common. I think your tinnitus is from another cause but of course, can’t be sure.
Cordially,
Neil
I am a 54 year old woman and have been on Lansoprazole for 4 months now due to reflux. I get reflux all the time and take 2 tablets a day, one in the morning and one at night. I really hate having to take them, but particularly feel the one at night is necessary, as I do a lot of coughing at night and bring up mucus several times during the night. Had lots of tests, a bronchoscopy, and barium swallow, chest x-ray and endoscopy, and have been told it’s reflux. I do all the right things to try and minimise symptoms, but my throat is congested all the time., plus I have noticed I have tinnitus. I believe this started shortly before I started taking the meds. I am wondering whether the stress of it all has brought it on, as the coughing brought on asthma like symptoms a couple of months ago, then I ended up in hospital with a chest infection.
Hi Lisa:
It’s always possible that stress caused your tinnitus, but there may be other causes as well. For example, during your hospital stay you may have been given drugs that caused it.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Bauman,
I just stumbled over your website while I was looking for answers. My Gastroenterologist recently put me on Omeprazole 40mg for Acid Reflux. Yesterday morning was my 1st dose and 1 hour 30 minutes after my 1st dose I noticed that my left ear felt full. Ironically about 1 hour and 20 minutes later the fullness was gone. I need to mention that I have been suffering with Tinnitus and hearing loss in both ears for several years. So getting back to the fullness in my left ear, my left ear has always been my better ear but last night after the fullness episode my left ear is now as bad as my right ear aka “bad ear”. So I started searching this morning about hearing loss being connected to the drug Omeprazole and if I should not take it this morning. Your website and all the conversations between other people similar to me and you gave me the answer I was looking for. I will not take this drug this morning. I have to add, nowhere in the sheet with all the side effects that you get from the pharmacist does it say a side effect could be hearing loss and increase of tinnitus volume. My Gastroenterologist also put me on Glycopyrrolate. He also told me I have an inflamed stomach and esophagus. Do you have any comments about the Glycopyrrolate? Is that for the inflammation?
Thank you for your website it was a big help for me.
Dee
Hi Dee:
I don’t know why doctors prescribe Glycopyrrolate, but it is mildly ototoxic and a few people have reported getting tinnitus and/or hearing loss from taking it. So you want to watch it, but it probably won’t affect your ears–although it could, so there are no guarantees.
Cordially,
Neil
I Have tinnitus from March 2019 due to suction in ear. It getting improve someday. Recently ENT prescribe medication pantoprazole 40mg taken yesterday night, I feel little bit spike in my tinnitus. I take only one drug. If I stopped this means can tinnitus spike goes down?
Hi Adhavan:
Pantoprazole has caused tinnitus in hundreds and hundreds of people, so I’m not surprised that your tinnitus spiked after you took this drug.
I don’t have any specific information on this drug as to whether tinnitus from it is temporary or permanent.
Since you only took it once, I’d be hopeful that your tinnitus will drop back to its old level, but there is no sure way to know ahead of time what will happen.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
Thank you for taking the time to do all of this. I have recently been diagnosed with GERD and have been on some kind of PPI for approximately 4 months. About 3 months ago, I went off of over-the-counter stuff and went on prescription strength. First it was Pantoprazole and then they switched me to Dexilant. After discovering the ototoxic information, I stopped taking it immediately and have been off for almost 48 hours.
Complicating this is the fact that I have been a Group Fitness Instructor for over 10 years. I’ve never played the music excessively loud or have any reason to believe that this is what caused it, but it’s possible.
The tinnitus started less than a week ago, but has been pretty overwhelming.
How long should I expect the tinnitus to last, if it was caused by the medication and I’ve stopped taking it?
Hope this makes sense
Chad
Hi Chad:
I don’t have specific information on how long tinnitus lasts if it was caused by either Pantoprazole or Dexlansoprazole (which is a close relative of Lansoprazole). Hopefully, it may be temporary, but it could prove to be permanent. I’d give it a month, and if the tinnitus is still there, you’re probably in for the long haul.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Bauman,
Thank you for the article. Question: I developed tinnitus 1.5 months ago and have been on Famotidine for about 4 years. It is high dosage Famotidine — 40 mg in the morning and again at night. Can Famotidine cause tinnitus after so many years?
Background: One doctor thought it was acoustic trauma (I lost some hearing on the 7 or 8 thousand frequency but am still considered “regular”) due to my headphones/internet gaming and the other doctor said the cause was unknown.
Thanks!
Hi Brian:
Drugs are weird. Sometimes they can cause tinnitus a few minutes after taking them. Other times it takes an hour or two, or a day or two, or a week or two, or a month or two, and sometimes for whatever reason, it can take up to 10 years before tinnitus appears. So it is possible that Famotidine did cause your tinnitus, but I don’t know how likely it would have been.
Since tinnitus typically accompanies hearing loss, and since you do have a hearing loss in the 7 to 8KHz range, your tinnitus could have been due to that hearing loss and have nothing to do with taking Famotidine.
And finally, if you play games with the volume relatively high, you could have tinnitus just from exposing your ears to loud noise.
So there are several possibilities. It could have been one of them, or a combination of two or three of them each contributing a certain amount to your tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Neil,
Thank you. I have lowered the sound of games per ENT and frankly been afraid to go back to the loudest game. I am lowering the Pepcid as well.
Many thanks,
Brian
Hi Brian:
All you have to do is keep the volume down–way down–what’s so hard about that?
Cordially,
Neil
Yes, doing that! thank you Dr.!
Neil, thanks for all your tinnitus related posts.. I recently developed high pitched Tinnitus (4 weeks ago @10khz) and I’m not sure what caused it, perhaps a combination of previous low dose Tacrolimus many years ago or stress in this recent time. But the strange thing about my Tinnitus is that it’s _only_ raging when I sleep then subsides slowly during the day and it usually resolves by 10pm. Only to flare again over night. It’s not a matter of sound level in the house as it flares even during a nap in a noisy room in the middle of the day.I have been getting _extremely_ acidic in the mouth while asleep too which led me to this page.
Hi Jason:
I don’t think that tacrolimus from years ago is causing your tinnitus. I also don’t think that stress is really the reason because normally you’re more stressed during the day and yet your tinnitus fades away throughout the day.
The fact that you have an acidic mouth while asleep and your tinnitus comes back with a vengeance indicates to me that your neck is out of proper alignment and pinching certain nerves–the vestibulocochlear nerve causing your tinnitus, and one of your other 12 cranial nerves that results in the acidic taste in your mouth. This may be because your pillow is the wrong height or your sleeping in such a way that sure pinching your neck. During the day as you move around your vertebrae realign themselves and thus your tinnitus fades away and the acidic taste leaves your mouth. Then it starts all over when you lay down and pinch the nerves again.
Personally, I’d go to a chiropractor and see whether your vertebrae are properly aligned. This may be all that it needs to get rid of both things.
Cordially,
Neil
Dear Dr. Bauman,
I developed tinnitus almost 2 years ago. I also take a lot of different medications. Is there a list of ototoxic medications. I have been taking the same meds for many years so I’m not sure why it would start suddenly. My grandmother had tinnitus most of her life, can it be genetic? Thanks!
Hi Lorraine:
If you take a lot of different medications, then you almost certainly are taking several ototoxic ones. A list would contain most of the drugs made–at least 80% so it is not that useful. You want to know the specific details of the drugs you are taking.
In looking for the culprit, I’d think back and see what medications you started or changed the dose on in the month or so before you first noticed your tinnitus. That drug or drugs would be a likely culprit.
Some drugs cause tinnitus within 10 minutes of taking them. Others don’t cause tinnitus until you have been taking them for months or years, and some don’t cause tinnitus until you stop taking them. So it varies all over the place.
If you email me the list of drugs you are on, I can tell you which ones I think are the most likely to cause your tinnitus.
I’m not aware of any research that indicates that tinnitus is genetic.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Bauman,
Do you know anything about propanolol? I have read it is mildly ototoxic.
Thanks,
Ian
Hi Ian:
Propranolol (Inderal) is mildly to moderately ototoxic. It is the 4th worst ototoxic drug in the Beta-blocker class of drugs behind Metoprolol, Atenolol and Carvedilol. It can cause hearing loss, tinnitus and a number of balance and other side effects. One of the interesting things about this drug is that it can change your perception of pitch so music sounds off.
Cordially,
Neil
When the doctor increased my duloxetine I started getting the ringing in my head, two years ago. I stopped the duloxetine, but still had the ringing. I have been on Ranitidine for Gerd for almost 18 years. I just now read this and will stop this medication tonight and see what happens. What I do not understand is when I told the doctors I had the ringing, why did they not stop the Ranitidine? I guess they just do not care. Now I am checking everything else I take. I have also had insomnia and they knew that, also.
Hi Bettie:
First, doctors often don’t think tinnitus is related to the drugs they prescribe. Second, they don’t have a clue what to do about tinnitus, so they ignore it.
And as you found with the Duloxetine, tinnitus doesn’t have to go away just because you stop a drug. In fact, with Duloxetine, it has the nasty trait of CAUSING tinnitus when you go off it.
Ranitidine has caused tinnitus in hundreds and hundreds of people. I don’t have any information indicating that the resulting tinnitus is temporary, so stopping the Ranitidine may not make any difference to your tinnitus–but you can be hopeful.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Bauman,
I have been put on two drugs long term that may be causing my tinnitus. I need advice. I take Omeprazole 2x a day for GERD caused by large hiatial hernia. 2 years ago I was put in hospital for a week fighting aspiration pneumonia. Since then am losing weight and have had no more episodes of night reflux. Part 2 is I am on Cipro currently for chronic UTI. I have had infectionsfor the last 5 months @every six weeks. Is there a better UTI med that is not ototoxic? I have taken nitrofurantoin, and trimethoprim also daily. I need a procedure to correct an issue in my urinary tract but cannot do that for 3 more months. Cipro is so harsh it scares me. What-s your advice
Hi Alan:
Hundreds upon hundreds of people have reported to the FDA that they got tinnitus from taking Omeprazole. It is quite ototoxic.
Does Nitofurantoin not work for you? It is probably the least ototoxic of the UTI drugs. That would be my first choice.
I definitely wouldn’t use Cipro unless it is the only drug that will work. Doxycycline is much loss ototoxic and works for some. So are some of the Cephalosporin class of antibiotics. I’d only take Cipro as a last resort.
Cordially,
Neil
I just start Pepcid and I have ring in my ears . If I stop it will it go away. I was in the hospital didnot have the ring but I am home .on for my second week.
Hi Beverly:
Famotidine (Pepcid) can cause tinnitus in some people, so you make be one of them. However, I do not have any information whether the ringing is temporary or permanent. You can hope it is temporary–and it may well prove to be.
What makes you think the tinnitus is from the Pepcid and not some other drug or cause?
Cordially,
Neil
I do need help .. and advice ..
I have severe tinnitus since 8 months .. and here is my medical history
I am on antidepressants since 2 years and half ..
Zopiclone 3.5 mg per day
Zyperxa 5 mg per day
and I was on Tramadol for 7 years for my degenerative disc ..
I did stop Tramadol since 8 months and Since I went cold turkey on Tramadol since 8 months, I had severe Tinnitus
Will my tinnitus decrease in case I stop zopiclone and zyperxa ?
I am tapering down zyperxa since 4 months .. and as for zopiclone .. my dosage didnot change since 2 years and half ..
Hi Sherin:
If your tinnitus was from stopping the Tramadol cold turkey, there is no guarantee that stopping the Zopiclone and Zyprexa will stop your tinnitus. Of the two drugs, the Zyprexa is the more ototoxic drug and has more reports of tinnitus than the Zopiclone.
Getting off the Zyprexa is a good step in the right direction and you may find your tinnitus lessens, but I don’t think getting off it will cause your tinnitus to completely go away.
Therefore, you should be learning techniques to successfully deal with your tinnitus, so whether it reduces in volume or not, it will no longer be a problem.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi I am 27 years old and have been experiencing ringing and pressure behind my ears for weeks now. I can’t seem to get any relief. On top of that I am now developing symptoms for Gerd. I am going to the doctor tomorrow because the Gerd is so bad it’s burning my sinuses and my esophagus. I am also going to see the ear doctor Thursday for the pressure and ringing. Now reading all these comments I see curing the gerd only make the ears worse. I’m at my wits end I have lost appetite had trouble with my stomach and the ringing in my ears just wont go away. Any advice on what could be causing the ringing and pressure?? I also take seroquel,depakote and gabapentin for anxiety/bipolar. Thanks in advance.
Hi Joshua:
My guess is that the drugs you are taking are the culprits. Quetiapine (Seroquel) and Gabapentin cause tinnitus in hundreds upon hundreds of people that take it. Ditto for ear discomfort, and other ear side effects. Divalproex (Depakote) has much the same side effects but the risk of them is not near as high as for Quetiapine and Gabapentin.
So I wouldn’t be surprised if the Quetiapine and Gabapentin are causing your problems. They may be contributing to your GERD as well.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Bauman,
During the last few weeks of my pregnancy I took a small amount (5-10 mgs pepcid per day) for acid reflux. In total, I had 70 mgs, I know because I counted how many were left in the package. I ended up getting tinnitus in both ears. I have a few questions. Do you think pepcid at this dosage could cause tinnitus? If so, can the tinnitus symptoms go away after a year (I’ve had ringing for about a year now, which is slightly improved), and is there any supplements I can take at this point to reverse the tinnitus if the cause was pepcid?
Hi Reese:
Numbers of people have reported getting tinnitus from taking Famotidine (Pepcid) although hearing loss and balance problems are much more commonly reported. So yes, it is possible that the Pepcid you took caused your tinnitus–however, I don’t know how likely it is. There could have been other reasons. Did you take any other drugs in the weeks before your tinnitus began? Were you under a lot of stress or anxiety at that time–or did you have an easy pregnancy?
Since it has been a year now, I’m not sure whether any supplements will help, unless you are particularly low in something.
Normally, I’d suggest you ignore your tinnitus, treat it as a totally unimportant sound, and let it fade into the background. As you habituate to your tinnitus it won’t bother you and hours can go by without your even being aware you have it.
Cordially,
Neil
No, I didn’t take any other drugs and I generally don’t take medications. My pregnancy was very stressful. I thought I was going to lose the baby. Is tinnitus from anxiety reversible?
Hi Reese:
If you get your anxiety under control and don’t focus on your tinnitus, but let it fade into the background, then your tinnitus won’t bother you–whether you hear it or not. The realistic aim is to become habituated to your tinnitus. And if it disappears completely, so much the better.
Cordially,
Neil
I developed loud tinnitus 9 days ago. I take Protonix, Breo, famotidine, alfusosin, mybetriq. I learned from you Protonix may be a culprit, what about the other drugs.
Hi Jerry:
All of the above drugs are ototoxic to some extent. Alfuzosin and Mirabegron (Mybetriq) are only very mildly ototoxic so I’d probably discount them.
Fluticasone (Breo) is probably the most ototoxic, followed closely by Pantoprazole (Protonix) and then less than half as ototoxic is Famotidine.
Did you start any of these drugs recently, or increased the dose on them. If so, that would likely be the culprit.
Cordially,
Neil
Can you please explain what the slippery elm would help. Is it the tinnitus? I’m tired of having side effects from every drug I’m prescribed. Thanks
Hi Ann:
I think slippery elm is to help your GERD, not tinnitus.
Since drugs have side effects, that is why I suggest using natural means and alternative medicine for treating most conditions.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil, do you know how much of true is it if i have laryngopharyngeal reflux and an ENT said the reflux went into my eustachian tube and be causing me ear pain, tinnitus and to feel cold when i drink? How much of accurate is that?
Hi Marie:
It is true that acid reflux “gunk” can get sucked into your Eustachian tubes. It could give you a burning kind of ear pain. Anything that blocks your Eustachian tubes from functioning properly can result in temporary tinnitus while your Eustachian tubes are blocked.
I don’t know about feeling cold when you drink. I’d think if your Eustachian tubes were blocked, that wouldn’t happen. However, if they were open (patulous), then it might be possible to feel the cold.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr Bauman, I have had this horrid roaring sound in my right ear for almost 2 weeks. I started taking pantoprazole about 3 weeks ago. Was trying to manage my diet for the reflux but my Dr wanted to try me on this. Since reading your article, I feel certain it is the medicine. The roaring has caused a huge change in hearing, pain, a feeling of strong discomfort. If I stop this medicine like right now will the roaring sound every go away?
Hi Tammie:
Too bad you took the Pantoprazole. You have at least three of the ototoxic side effects–hearing loss, tinnitus and ear pain/discomfort. And you are not alone. Hundreds upon hundreds of people report these same symptoms.
There are no guarantees that if you stop taking this drug your tinnitus will go away, but there is a chance it will–or at least get softer.
If I were you, I’d get off this drug ASAP.
Cordially,
Neil
Im suffering from hiatus hernia from last 10 years medicines i was taking ppi & h2 blockers
& still acid comes straight to my throat & now im getting ear ringing & frequent throat infections ! What should i do im afraid of taking more medicines
Hi Gagan:
Have you tried all the tips I give in this article for alleviating GERD? That is what I’d try first. But since you’ve been taking various drugs and if you stop taking them, expect to have rebound GERD for awhile–so it will be hard to know if these tips work for you right from the outset.
Cordially,
Neil
Very interesting reading. I had a bout of feeling my throat was restricted and top of stomach pain. After a camera down the throat along with just about every type of scan possible my doctor prescribed Omeprazole, but that was changed by a consultant to Lazoperole, which then it seems I’ve developed a tinnitus issue. So I stopped taking it and went back to Omeprazole because of reading the side effect, only to now find that Omeprazole is potentially equally bad.
So, I guess I need to remove that from the equation too.
What about the over the counter things like Gaviscon etc, can they be a factor? Or can I still use them to possibly assist the reflux?
Hi Steve:
Omeprazole certainly causes tinnitus in hundreds upon hundreds of people. Lansoprazole only has about half as many reports of tinnitus, but that’s still hundreds of reports. Your tinnitus may be sensitive to both.
I don’t have any information indicating Gaviscon is implicated in causing tinnitus, so from that point of view, it might be a better choice. However, Gaviscon has aluminum hydroxide in it as the main ingredient, and aluminum is a poison to your body so it wouldn’t be anything I’d ever want to take.
Have you tried all the tips I mention in my article to see if they will work for you?
Cordially,
Neil
Neil,
I came to this by chance so I’ve not actually seen an article as such, but very much prepared to learn. I’ve tried cleaning up my diet and lifestyle etc, but I’m sure there’s loads more to learn.
I was hoping the Lanszoprazole would cure the issue of the swallowing and throat issues, then once cleared up I could self manage without medication. But I’m not actually sure that’s realistic currently as I have good days and bad with the swallowing.
In the Endoscopy they reported a minor hiatus hernia, but I don’t know if the symptoms are related to that or the reflux, or indeed something else. They said it wasn’t significant but, hey, who knows.
Thanks for now
Hi Steve:
The article I was referring to is the one at the top of this page of comments. Or you can just go to https://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/acid-reflux-gerd-drugs-cause-tinnitus-heres-the-solution/ to read it.
Hopefully, it has some tips that will help you.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr… I want to thank you for all your information here. I just took my first pepsid ( ENT recommend Ed for reflux) and will not take anymore but follow your suggestions. I am so glad you mention the neck/ back pinched nerve connection and how it relates to reflux and tinnitus. I got tinnitus it snuck up over the last year along with reflux symptoms/snoring/apnea but more importantly upper back/cervical neck issues became more obvious in last few months and tinnitus got extreme… Of course several ENT visits .. and 5 Different drs … 4 hospital ER visits over 2 months…
I have gotten blood work .. exrays… Back /head CT and now finally waiting for neck MRI as I told all the medical folks that all my symptoms were from my neck … Heart arrythmia…spiking blood pressures… Hot flashes…. shoulder pain… Tinitus… Snoring … Apnea … Reflux… Occipital neuralgia… trigeminal neuralgia… Shortness of breath… Jaw and upper chest muscle spasms.. and a few other torturous symptoms .. I tried telling them all that I never had any of this and was totally fine before I had neck and back pain and then stretched my neck muscles/tendons / ligaments when trying to adjust my shoulders/
Neck… But no one listened.. they tried to look at it all individually and I have suffered for several months finally have a physiatrist ordering the MRI. I have gotten Prednisone packs for the inflamation and lorazepam to help sleep and I got myself a soft cervical collar… These 3 things help for pain and knock the tinnitus way down. But the medicine makees me feel ill also. I am hoping those medicines do not worsen the tinitus.
I only write the long version in case anyone else can relate to my symptoms. It’s important folks research their symptoms and advocate for themselves don’t accept the first thing a Dr may tell you especially if it does not feel right for you. At the hospital ER I was not treated properly once… Partly treated for a symptom once.. and not given treatment at all twice.
Thanks again for offering your knowledge to those suffering needlessly who do not get the information they need.
Exactly me ,(
Hi Celia:
I’ll bet your MRI won’t show any neck problems either. To identify the real cause, you need to have precision xrays taken by an upper cervical chiropractor. They know what to look for that radiologists totally miss. Radiologists are looking for “big” things so miss small subluxations of your vertebrae. For example, if a vertebrae was misaligned by 2 or 3 degrees, a radiologist wouldn’t “see” it, but with precision xrays, it is obvious–and yes, that can make all the difference. For example, I went to an upper cervical spine chiropractor and he found my neck (C1 and C2) were out by 3 degrees to two directions. Two treatments got that down to just 1 degree off in one direction. The result–periodic attacks of vertigo disappeared and have never come back and this was several years ago.
The trick is to find the right kind of doctor for what ails you. So far, it seems you’ve seen all the wrong kinds of doctors and hence they haven’t really helped you.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Dr.
About two months ago I had massive reflux issues from stress and my doctor gave me omeprazol for 30 days. It cleared most of it but I still had some so I took pepto for 30 days. 4 days ago I woke up with ringing in both ears, slightly more in my right ear. I am 45 years old. What is the likely hood of this being temporary and by when should it subside (as I am sure you have the percentages 🙂
Thank you
Hi Steve:
If your tinnitus is from the Omeprazole, who knows if/when your tinnitus will go away? I don’t have figures on that. Certainly, many people get tinnitus from taking this drug. I just don’t have information on how long it lasts.
If the Bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-bismol) is the culprit, I’d expect it to go away in a few days after your stop taking it.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Neil,
Thank you very much for the reply. I have been having random food allergies after the ppi treatment and my doctor says I should go on Pepcid for the acid reducer but mostly for the H2 antihistamine. What is the likelihood of worsening or prolonging my new tinnitus from Pepcid? He mentioned that the likely culprit of my tinnitus was my pepto and this drug is different. Thanks!
Hi Steve:
Pepcid has many times more ototoxic side effects reported than Pepto-bismol, including tinnitus.
I don’t know how it will affect your tinnitus. In the overall scheme of things, neither of these drugs has a lot of reports of tinnitus, so you may want to try it and see what happens. Personally, I only take drugs if absolutely necessary and look for natural and alternative treatments for ailments–and only use drugs as a last resort, not as a first line of attack.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Doctor
I’d like to tell you about my case . If you have time to read and answer I’ll be thankful .
I’m 31, I had tinnitus first time while I was pregnant 2017 i had symptoms of hetal hernia, acid reflux , then the tinnitus gone in the eight month of pregnancy . I didn’t take any medicine for it .and then year after i gave birth the tinnitus back again and it is continuing till now in this period of time i gain weight and become eating large mount of food , at first i didn’t know waht the reason for tinnitus but i noticed that connection between my stomach and it , the sound became loader after having big meal and also when I bow and press my stomach , sometimes when I’m tense or angry, becomes louder too ,it’s sounds like i hearing my heart beat s . It is very annoying as well as
the other symptomss of reflux, such as feeling something stuck in my throat I’m in desperate need of help i want it to stop. 2 weeks ago i started to loose weight and do some of this advises you mentioned , but i want to know why i have this tinnitus even i didn’t take any of these proton pump at all . And waht are you say about physical exercises for hetal hernia ? Does it work .
Thank you 😊
Hi Isra:
If your tinnitus is actually in unison with your heartbeat (and not just vaguely sounds like a heartbeat), then you have pulsatile tinnitus and is related to blood circulation, especially in your neck and arteries close to your ears. It could be due to increased blood pressure–possibly from gaining weight, and when you bend over, that increases your blood pressure and blood flow to your head–hence you hear it. And when you get upset, that also increases your blood pressure and can result in changes in blood flow in your neck–so you hear your heartbeat.
I don’t think it is related to your proton pump inhibitor use in the past unless that drug affected your blood flow in your neck and head.
Physical exercise helps normalize your blood pressure and blood flow and is just good for your body’s overall health.
Cordially,
Neil
Yes I’m very sure it is unision with my heart beat also I forgot to mention that it is only in my left ears. so what’s .the treatment in this case .what should I do or avoid to make it disappear ?
Thank you for your efforts and your time to help us. Very grateful and appreciated.
Hi Isra:
If its in unison with your heartbeat, then a vascular doctor is typically the guy to see. Tell him you have pulsatile tinnitus in your left ear and see what he finds, or says. It probably is a benign condition and nothing to worry about, but see what the doctor thinks.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you doctor but
Should I be in a hurry to take an appointment with doctor, can complications happen ? or can I delay it ,
It’s difficult to go to the hospital these days because of the Corona virus !
Hi Isra:
If it is pulsatile tinnitus, probably time is not of essence. You can likely wait for a convenient time.
Cordially,
Neil
I have Gerd and Gastritis, I was prescribed lansoprazole took it for 2 days. Legs became extremely weak and became very fatigued along with loss of appetite and nausea. I recently switched to Prilosec and now I feel like I have tinnitus. Any suggestions?
Hi Terrence:
All the GERD drugs are pretty hard on your body including your ears, so instead of taking them, I’d follow all the tips I give in this article to see if they will eliminate the problem. If not, I’d go to a naturopathic doctor (ND). These doctors don’t use (or almost never use) drugs, but treat you with herbals and dietary changes, etc. That would be my next step.
Failing that, I’d see an alternative medicine doctor. Taking Proton Pump Inhibitor drugs would be dead last on my list of things to try.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr.Neil
I`ve been suffering from GERD for over a year now since July 2018.Doc prescribed me Esomeprazole 40mg bt dint ease the acid,later he prescribed a different drug Pantaprazole then the ear ringing started bt since august last year have been taking Omeprazole and now i have pain in both ears which comes and goes with this tinnitus,the acidity never goes away,does that mean i will have to use omeprazole for the rest of my life with its effect of tinnitus? or there`s a different way i can eliminate the acid for good? kind regards.
Hi Cyrus:
Ear pain is an even more common side effect than tinnitus of Omeprazole, so I’m not surprised you have both. Hearing loss is even more common.
As long as you stay on this drug, you could expect these, and other, side effects to be your companions.
Have you tried all the points I laid out in this article? That’s what I’d do to try to get rid of GERD BEFORE I’d try drugs. One problem you have now is that when you try to get off such drugs is that you get rebound acid reflux–even worse than while on the drug. So it is a tough road to get off the drug. But putting into practice all the tips I give is a good first step.
Cordially,
Neil
Back to you again Dr.Neil,how can i leave using these PPIs in a way it wont trigger more acidity from flow back into my esophagus? while using those tips you`ve prescribed?i cant even last a minute without burping..am really stressed and nervous
Hi Cyrus:
I’m certainly no expert on this. Remember, I’m not a medical doctor. What I think I’d do is slowly taper the dose down so you don’t get the rebound reflux.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Doc, glad to read your article. I stopped using those medicines and the ear pain went away. But the acid reflux hurt my eustachian tube maybe, I never felt it before if I took an elevator, I got popping on my left ear, and the tinnitus relief disappear slowly.. now I have a gerd dietary and also consume Redacid (a cinnamon herbal for gerd). Is it a kind of PPI Inhibitor?
Hi Kicky:
I don’t know whether cinnamon is a PPI or not. Not my area of expertise. But I’m glad you are off the PPIs and your problems are going away.
Cordially,
Neil
How long did it take your symptoms to subside?
Dear Dr Bauman,
I began taking Lanzoprasole, but only stayed on it for 3 weeks because I was told to come off of it so I could do a h.pylori test. Around 3 weeks after coming off the Lansoprazole my ears have begun ringing, it seems strange because i think for most people the tinnitus started whilst they were taking a PPI, mine began three weeks after stopping one. What do you think about this? My doctor suggested it might be caused by ETD, and has suggested I take beconase.
Hi Matthew:
It is possible that your tinnitus did indeed result from taking Lansoprazole, but it is not a given. There are other factors that could be involved. For example, if the Lansoprazole caused any hearing loss, maybe up in the high frequencies where they don’t test, the tinnitus could be a result of the hearing loss. Maybe your doctor could be right about ETD causing the tinnitus, but I don’t know how likely that scenario would be.
Personally, I wouldn’t take a drug just because it “might” help. That could be compounding the problem because every drug has side effects and you want fewer not more.
Has your tinnitus dropped in volume since it first began? If so, just ignore it and let it continue to fade away.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Dr. I have read almost all of these comments and I just have a question. I am 28. I started to feel chest pain and palpitations so I went to a heart doctor. After doing some echo, EKG, x-ray and some blood test the doctor said the results were normal. So she prescribed me pantoprazole because I was also feeling heartburn. Then, one month after taking Pantoprazole, I started to have pulsatile tinnitus in both ears so I immediately stopped taking Pantoprazole.
However, the pulsatile tinnitus did not stop. I went to see ear doctor and he had me doing a MRI on ear and brain but nothing abnormal was detected. The doctor basically said “deal with it”. I only have this when I lay down and lean my ear on the pillow. It is a very uncomfortable feeling. Sometimes, when I have nightmares, I can hear my heart beating fast through my ears and it is the worst experience ever. My question is: Is there any way to reduce the Pulsatile Tinnitus after a normal brain/ear MRI ? Would you think it is better to do another type of exam to double check if it is an underlying cause or as the other doctor said or should I “just deal with it “
Hi Nise:
I can’t say whether the pulsatile tinnitus is a direct result of the Pantoprazole or not. Certainly Pantoprazole causes tinnitus and has been reported hundreds upon hundreds of times–but it is not broken down by type of tinnitus so I don’t have any specific data regarding this.
Normally, pulsatile tinnitus indicates some sort of vascular condition such as high blood pressure, a partially blocked artery near your ear, etc. There are at least 25 different causes of pulsatile tinnitus. You might want to seek a second opinion.
Is it in both ears or only one ear, which is the normal case? If you only have it in one ear, that presumably laying with that ear up should solve your sleeping problem, or laying on your back.
Cordially,
Neil
I can’t believe people are having same issues as me. I was on pantoprazole and after a month, I started feeling pressure in my right ear followed by left ear and then tinnitus in both. I stopped taking medicine for about a week and pressure was away. when I started taking the medicine again the pressure came back. I am so glad to read this article, now I confirm that this medicine is the culprit for my ear issues.
Hello Doc,
I have a new problem no from last 3 weeks, I thought it will go away on it’s own but it doesn’t. My stomach burns specially after eating. The burning sensation comes in waves(like it comes and goes). My GP says, she doesn’t know why is this happening. Any idea would be helpful. I started taking probiotic from June 23rd in thinking of it may relieve the symptoms. Thank you so much.
Hi Dipti:
I’m not a medical doctor so don’t know what is going on with your stomach. I’ve given the solutions as I know them in this article. Are you following all of them? That is basically what I know about GERD. My expertise is in things in relation to our ears.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Doc
I am worried that my acid is traveling up to my throat and ears and is causing damage to my system which can end up with cancer. My Acid reflux started at the same time as Covid 19. I feel that I get ringing ears only when the acid travels up. Is this dangerous? I also get the odd pain behind my eyes sometimes. Not sure what to do. The doctor gave me medication but it doesn’t really do much good. Gaviscon helps a lot but how long can I keep on taking it m. I also feel that anxiety makes it worse.
Shall I ask the doctor to prescribe me something stronger?
Hi Sharon:
If you have acid reflux, the first step would be to implement the points I give in this article and see whether that will control it without drugs.
Anxiety makes almost anything worse. So you need to get your anxiety under control. Breathing exercises are one way that you can help do that–and you can do them any time and any place without anyone even knowing you are doing them–and they do work.
In my opinion, drugs should only used as a last resort when all other lines of treatment have failed because they have some nasty side effects.
Cordially,
Neil
Just found this very interesting blog. I have been on and off pantaprazole and omeprazole for years, and everytime I stopped taking them (the longest stretch was for 5 months), the heartburn was so bad (eased only with a combination of Zantac and antacids) that I end up back on the omeprazole. I also have tinnitus, aural fullness and pressure with hearing loss in one year and it has now started in the other ear. My husband and I recently started intermittent fasting (18 hours not eating in each 24 hours) and lo and behold, I have been able to reduce my omeprazole first to 20 mg per day and then to 20 mg every other day. I’m hoping to reduce that to nothing, and hopeful that it will at least eliminate the new tinnitus in my other ear. As a bonus, I’ve also dropped 5 pounds after a couple of weeks. Once I’m off the omeprazole completely, I’ll try your tips in the event of rebound reflux.
Hi Paula:
Glad to hear the intermittent fasting is working for your GERD. I’ve been doing the same for the past few years just for general good health. I don’t hold exactly to 18 hours–but range from around 16 to 20 hours depending on how I am feeling, what’s going on, etc.
Don’t forget to eat a good proportion of your food raw–which means it is natural. I typically have a big raw salad for lunch and the cooked meal at supper. Then nothing till lunch the next day.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks for such a prompt reply. Good idea about the salad at lunch. I’ve also been looking at the American Tinnitus Association list of ototoxic drugs. It includes ranitidine, which I have also taken in the past. Did you yourself suffer from GERD (and if so, did the apple cider vinegar help)?
One other question – any thoughts on DGL or deglycyrrhizinated licorice for GERD? Thanks for any info you may have on this.
Hi Paula:
I haven’t heard of using DGL for GERD, so don’t have any opinion on using it, but if you have some information about it, I’d certainly like to hear about it. I’m always on the look-out for natural means of resolving such issues as GERD.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Paula:
The ATA list is of drugs associated with tinnitus, not ototoxicity in general. If you want to know all ototoxic side effects you need to see my book “Ototoxic Drugs Exposed” which you can get at https://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/ototoxic-drugs-exposed/.
And no, I don’t suffer from GERD. I can occasionally get some heartburn if I eat processed foods in the evening, but I seldom eat anything after 6:00 PM so it seldom happens. Raw foods don’t bother me that way.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks Neil, I ordered your book and am looking forward to reading it. I will be seeing a naturopath at the end of the month to ask about DGL, and will let you know what she says. I do find osteopathy treatments helpful for both GERD resulting from a hiatal hernia, and tinnitus.I am currently managing withdrawal from PPI with intermittent fasting, as I said earlier, and antacids (used sparingly), as well as modifications to my diet (no tomatoes, onions, garlic or red wine and only one small cup of coffee per day, which also eases the tinnitus, not surprisingly).
Hi, I was diagnosed with the start of Barrett’s esophagus this May. I was told to take a PPI for this but am quite nervous about it. I was taking Omeprazole for 6 yrs stopping in 2010. Around that time I had rapid hearing loss and severe tinnitus/MES starting, and never went away. I was also coming off Effexor at that time too. I took Omeprazole for 3 weeks this past May and didn’t seem to have a problem but stopped because of fear. I then switched to Protonix and after first day my right ear lost high pitch hearing and everything sounded extremely echoey. I stopped Protonix right away and ear went back to normal. I do have Eustachian tube dysfunction too. Just wondering what your thoughts on which one might cause me less problems. I already have multiple tinnitus sounds, MES, moderate /severe hearing loss,,, but I need to take care of my Barrett’s too.
Hi Julie:
Well, you already know that Pantoprazole (Protonix) won’t work for you. And likely Omeprazole causes too many side effects for you. Esomeprazole has the most side effect reports so I’d stay away from it.
I think I’d try Rabeprazole (Aciphex) and see whether it works for you. If not, then Lansoprazole.
All the PPIs are ototoxic so it is a matter of finding the least ototoxic one that works for you without ototoxic side effects showing up.
Take as low a dose as you can that does the job. Tha also lets you fly under the ototoxic radar.
Cordially,
Neil
I developed mild tinnitus in my late 40’s. I’m now 65. . . .I’ve been on Atorvastatin for 6 years. My tinnitus has slowly worsened. I pinched a nerve in my neck 3 months. I began taking pantoprozole two weeks ago and my tinnitus has skyrocketed (stopping now). Can Zanax help?
Hi Tom:
Since the Pantoprazole caused your tinnitus to skyrocket, getting off it sounds like an excellent idea. Why would you want to take Xanax? It can cause hearing loss and tinnitus too. If it were me, I’d hustle off to the chiropractors and get my neck properly aligned–then the nerve won’t be pinched and the pain will go away. I’ve done that numbers of times in my life. Never took drugs for such things.
If you are worried that a conventional chiropractor is too rough, then go to an upper cervical chiropractor. They are much gentler and do precision adjustments. You can find one at http://www.upcspine.com/ and click on “Practitioners”.
Cordially,
Neil
I am a 68 yr old female….have had acid reflux for quite a few yrs and have taken PPI’s, Tums Ultra and most recently famotidine with seemingly no side effects. I’ve been having hoarseness, mucous collection in my throat (thought was post nasal drip) with constant throat clearing, irritated throat at times, feeling like a lump was in my throat and felt difficulty in swallowing at times, ear and eustachian tube pain at times. I did a barium swallow test and an endoscopy, revealing a hiatal hernia. I was put on a PPI which I just began 1 week ago and should continue to take for 2 mos. when I see the GI doctor. Ear pain and hoarseness seemed to get better until yesterday so I don’t think the PPI is working. I put myself on a low-acid diet 3 weeks ago after doing some research and have lost a few pounds and am committed to losing more. I have done all the other suggestions for reflux. I was expecting to feel better by now. I take Bisoprolol for blood pressure and I am diabetic. Even with a hernia, do you think I can get off meds, esp since the ear pain is present? I don’t want to damage my esophagus.
Hi Neil,
I was on Rabeprazole for 9 days. 8 days in I began experiencing hypersensitivty to sounds. Even speaking bothered me. I stopped after the ninth day. It is 2 days since I have stopped. How long does this take to go away?
Hi Nicole:
You are the first person I’ve come across that has gotten hypersensitivity to sound (hyperacusis) from taking Rabeprazole. However, all the other drugs in this class except Dexlansoprazole are listed as causing hyperacusis.
However, hearing disorder is listed as a side effect and maybe the hyperacusis was hidden in there. All the other drugs in this class also have hearing disorder listed as a side effect except Dexlansoprazole.
Since almost all drugs in this class have hyperacusis listed as a side effect, I see no reason that Rabeprazole wouldn’t also have this side effect.
Unfortunately for you, I don’t have any information how long the hyperacusis might last from taking this class of drugs. Some people report their side effects going away in a “few days” after stopping this drug. Others seem to have more permanent side effects.
I would hope you’d notice a difference within two weeks of stopping this drug, but that’s only a guess on my part. With hyperacusis, so much depends on the state of your emotions.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Neil
I wish I’d read your blog earlier. My GERD issue started around June and after that I started taking Omeprazole. after three weeks it didn’t work with my body and my GERD symptoms were getting worse. After that doctors prescribed Protonix. I started taking it, not to mention that they said to take Pepcid in addition. Pepcid didn’t work with my body and I stopped using is after a week but I continued taking Protonix for more than 12 weeks. My tinnitus started around late August, and they insisted it is not because of the protonix. They told me to keep taking it and my ear noise was still there sometime it got louder and they didn’t have any answers for it. Long story short, it has been a week that I stopped taking antiacids and instead I’m using herbs and natural methods. My tinnitus is a bit better but I also think it is stress related. I have two questions:
1. I read all of the above comments, if we assume this tinnitus is caused by PPIs, and I’m getting signs of improvements, how long you think it might take to be gone? Is there anything I can do to help it?
2. Is the medicine FDgard – which is claimed to be natural – harmful my my ear noise?
Thank You so Much
Hi Eissa:
it’s very difficult to put a timeline on tinnitus from taking drugs. This is because so much depends upon your own emotional/psychological a reaction to your tinnitus. Your tinnitus may never go away but you can learn to habituate to it so it no longer bother issue. When that happens it doesn’t matter whether you have tinnitus or not because it’s just not an issue in your life.
What you can do to help yourself get habituated is not to treat your tinnitus as a threat to your well-being. When you treat tinnitus as a threat to your well-being then your limbic system sees to it that you cannot ignore your tinnitus. However, when you treat your tinnitus as a totally unimportant sound that is in no way a threat to your well-being, then you give your limbic system permission to let your tinnitus fade into the background. When it does that, you become habituated to your tinnitus. And in fact, your tinnitus may just disappear totally.
Also, stress and anxiety can not only prolong your tinnitus but make it worse. So the better you deal with your stress and anxiety and get them down to a low level the easier and faster it will be to habituate to your tinnitus.
FDgard is a combination of caraway oil and menthol. As far as I know neither of these causes tinnitus or makes existing tinnitus worse.
Cordially,
Neil
HI Neil, been on esomeprazole for almost 2 years and have in the last 12mnths developed ear problems the most recent tinnitus in the left ear do you think stopping esomeprazole could help stop my tinnitus ? thanks Troy
Hi Troy:
Esomeprazole causes ear problems for many people. There are thousands and thousands of reports of ototoxic side effects from taking this drug including hearing loss, tinnitus and all sorts of balance issues. So you really should try to get off it and use natural means as I outline in this article to deal with your GERD.
There are no guarantees that stopping the Esomeprazole will get rid of your tinnitus though. Sometimes the tinnitus is permanent. In that case, you want to learn to habituate to your tinnitus after you get off the drug.
Just be aware that you have to taper slowly so you don’t get rebound reflux.
Cordially,
Neil
hi i canfeel my heart beat all the time in my chest and ear but all the test say im fine.could it be the 40 mgfamotidine for gerd.ive been on it for a year and 4 months.please help.thank you
Hi Leslie:
Famotidine can cause tinnitus, but I don’t have any information whether it causes pulsatile tinnitus or not.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Doc
I have reflux and stopped using omeprazole a long time ago. I manage the problem with diet/lifestyle. Your article states that due to the stomach producing less acid in older age that ACV helps before a meal. You then say spicy food may cause the problem. Surely the idea with ACV is to stimulate digestive acid/juices; isn’t this what spicy food will do and therefore aid digestion?
Hi Mike:
Good question. As I see it, there are two aspects to the answer. First, the problem with spicy foods is that they irritate the stomach lining and make things worse. Second, spicy foods are not going to make your stomach produce mare acid. The reason you take the apple cider vinegar is because your body no longer produces enough acid to properly digest your food so it needs help.
Cordially,
Neil
Hey Dr im 24 years old I’ve had GERD since last June 2020 I had my throat stretched in June and have been on protonix and famotidine everyday since June and I’ve had ringing in my right ear and heart beat in my left that started about a month in half ago so I’m gonna quiet taking both prescriptions and hopefully have some relief but I know my gerd and heartburn will flare up any suggestions
Hi Carson:
As you already know, quitting will likely result in result in rebound reflux that will eventually settle down. Hopefully, your tinnitus will fade away too given some time.
Make sure you follow the various tips in this article.
What caused your GERD in the first place? That’s always a good place to start in figuring out how to get your GERD under control.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. I was prescribed Nexium and this has worsened the tinnitus I have been suffering from since I was a child. I am 48 years now. I stopped taking it . I also noticed it has caused inflammation and infection in the right maxillary sinus( I had three operations: 2 nasal polyps and a cyst removal ). Is it true that Nexium can cause inflammation in the sinuses?
Hi Mahmoud:
Your situation–taking Nexium and getting worse tinnitus–is fairly common. Hundreds upon hundreds of people report this to the FDA here in the USA.
I do not know whether Nexium can affect your sinuses. I only track ototoxic side effects of drugs. Sorry.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Mahmoud:
Esomeprazole (Nexium) can certainly cause tinnitus. Hundreds and hundreds of people have reported this side effect of this drug.
I don’t have specific information on sinus infections from Nexium, but I can tell you that hundreds and hundreds of people have reported middle ear infections from this drug so I wouldn’t be surprised if the same infections got into your sinuses.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
I’m 48 years old and have pinched nerve for almost 25 years. I have been to Chiropractor few times before and it didn’t seems to help me. I try to stay active to feel less pain on my upper back. However I developed a GERD about 20 years now and been on a Lansoprazole on and off . But last five years I was doing really good with GERD controlling my diet. But my GERD started about two months ago and my doctor suggested me to be on Lansoprazole, during that time I’ve been diagnosed with Iron deficiency. I was on iron pills for 6 weeks (every other day) and stopped for 3 weeks. I started to feel same symptoms for iron deficiency again and my doctor suggested me to stay on it for another three months. I am on iron pills for a month now (every other day) and stopped my lansoprazole after 45 days due to ringing in the both ears for a week. I am following your tips for about four days now but my ringing is still there. Do you think it will go away soon? I am also taking apple cider vinegar for two days now for my acid reflux which seems to working out (is not bothering me). Please let me know your thoughts and thank you so much for your article. I didn’t know my pinch nerve with bad posture (head forward) position, my GERD and Iron deficiency may be causing this.
Thank you again in advance!
Hi Manandhar:
You can develop GERD if certain vertebrae in your back are out of proper alignment. This seems to coincide with your pinched nerve 25 years ago and GERD developing a few years later. So they could definitely be related.
It’s hard to say whether your tinnitus will go away soon or become permanent. Hopefully it will fade away now that you have stopped the Lansoprazole. Lansoprazole causes tinnitus in hundreds upon hundreds of people.
Glad the apple cider is working for you. It indicates that you are low in stomach acid, rather than it being too high.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. , I currently have tinnitus and it started a year ago. As for the severity my ENT Doctor said it was only mild. I took some medications (Vitamin B12, vitamin b complex, gingko biloba) and still the ringing wont stop but it is manageable. Recently my ENT doctor said, mucus may go to my ears and it is the cause of it. I always wake up with a runny nose and my doctor prescribed pantoprazole + domperidone for my ears. Is pantoprazole + domperidone good for my condition?
Thanks!
Hi Kirby:
Why ever would your doctor prescribe Pantoprazole for your ears? It is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) used for acid reflux and from what you say, you certainly don’t have that. Besides, Pantoprazole, as is true of all the PPIs, is quite ototoxic, not to mention bad for the rest of your body.
If it were me, I definitely wouldn’t take it.
Domperidone, while not very ototoxic, is used to treat nausea and some stomach conditions. Again, why if you just have a runny nose?
Cordially,
Neil
Dear Dr Neil Bauman!
First of all, sorry for my english, I’ll try my best. I just found your website and really glad for it! Read comments and I want to tell my experience too and if you could share some advice, if you have the time to read it someday.
During spring, I had a rough time: I thought I had problems with my lungs or something with my heart, but both problems faded away and the doctors didn’t find anything out of order. I had blood tests done back in June and my TSH was high (T3/T4 fine though), so my “family doctor” (not sure if its the correct phrase for it in english) suggested to go to an endocrinologist, (which I did on the 16th of June), who said I might have a beginning hypothyroidism and suggested to take medicine for it, because I had some symptoms too (still don’t know if I really have hypothyroidism and if the symptoms were really from this, but I guess my next blood test will tell in September). Also I felt a lump in my throat for like 1-2 days before the examination, wondered If it was maybe a goiter or something, but the endocrinologist doctor said It was probably from acid reflux (I can’t really recall If I ever had a “burning feeling” in my stomach).
I waited 2 weeks for my throat to feel better and to get rid of the “lump” feeling, but it started to hurt too, so my “family doctor” wanted me to take PPI (esomeprazole) so it gives my throat a chance to heal. I have been taking it since July 5th and don’t feel any better, so maybe it isn’t really acid reflux?
I was already concerned about all of this, had one day when I felt really dizzy, and my ears started “ringing” too in the last 5 days, which makes me even more nervous.
I think I will try the points you stated above and stop to take PPI, do you think it would be the best solution?
Another “problem” is, since I went to cardiologist, did chest x-ray and endocrinologist, I can only afford now to go to another doctor (things are strange in my country). Should I go to an otorhinolaryngologist or gastroenterologist?
I am sorry for the “wall of text”, I just wonder what would you do in my case.
Have a nice day and thank you for your time!
(if needed, 28 years old male, a bit overweight, but doing working out lately and lost some weight already)
Sincerely:
H. Máté
Hi Máté:
Don’t worry about your English. It is excellent.
“Family doctor” is a good term, although most people now refer to them as GPs– general practitioners, or PCPs–primary care physicians but all three terms refer to the same doctor.
If you really have GERD, taking a proton pump inhibitor such as Esomeprazole is standard medical practice–but in my opinion, since these drugs are all quite ototoxic–not to mention hard on other parts of your body–I follow the tips I give in my article and see if that does the trick.
Esomeprazole can certainly cause tinnitus and dizziness and thousands of people have reported such side effects, plus a lot more.
Rather than going to any doctor at this point, if it were me, and knowing what you have told me, I’d get off the Esomeprazole, follow the tips for GERD in my article, and see what happens. Give it two or three weeks and if things resolve, your happy. If not, then it is time to decide which specialist to see depending on your symptoms.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you very much for the answer Dr Neil!
I stopped taking Esomeprazole since today, had a little bit more acid today, but I guess It will be better in a few days once my body adjusts to the points you made above.
Just a question: should I start with apple cider vinegar too or just do the other points at first? I feel a little bit of pain in my throat and stomach, maybe its really acid reflux and I might have wounds (ulcers?) in there, so ACV could do harm until these wounds heal first?
Hi Máté:
The apple cider vinegar only works if you have too little acid in your stomach to properly digest your food. If you don’t think that is the cause, then you can try the other tips first, and try the apple cider vinegar later if you still need it.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello!
Just found your site. Does Pepcid possibly also cause ear issues/tinnitus?
Hi Julie:
Yes, Famotidine (Pepcid) is mildly to moderately ototoxic. Among other ototoxic side effects, taking it can result in hearing loss, tinnitus, ear pain, dizziness, vertigo and other balance issues.
Cordially,
Neil
Dear Dr Neil Bauman!
I’ve had issues with acid reflux since july. In mid september I was diagnosed with GERD. I was prescribed Nexium and later on, in the beggining ob october I got tinitus. In november i stopped taking Nexium, but my tinnitus is still there after months. I still suffer from GERD. Now I am not really sure whether it was Nexium which caused my tinnitus or it’s all about acid reflux. Due to the acid reflux my ears sometimes become clogged. So my question is, whether gastrix acid can somehow affect inner ear or eustachian tube and consequently cause tinitus or even hearing loss.
Hi Din:
Hundreds upon hundreds of people report tinnitus from taking Esomeprazole (Nexium) so it is the most likely candidate.
Having said that, if you clog your Eustachian tubes from acid reflux, it can result in temporary hearing loss and since tinnitus often accompanies hearing loss, you could get tinnitus also as a result. But this is totally separate from tinnitus caused by the drug itself.
Cordially,
Neil
Hey Dr. Bauman,
I just stumbled onto your site after trying to understand the Tinnitus issues I’ve been dealing with the last several months. I have taken PPI’S on multiple occasions, starting two years ago and stopped 6 months later. During that time I experienced Tinnitus and got my ears checked, all in good order according to my E/N/T doctor. Recently I found out that I have GERD and started taking PPI’s again, at first NEXIUM and now LANSOPRAZOLE 30 MG once daily.
I never tied the two together but the way I found my way to your site was from googling “GERG and Tinnitus.” I never thought there would be a direct correlation between the two as I have been trying to figure out this issue for the last 2 months since restarting my medication. Coincidentally, the tinnitus has come back significantly and is worse at night. I have started to notice the ringing is more consistent the last three weeks.
Interesting enough, the tinnitus isn’t as bad when I travel and is the worst at my house (I’ve been driving myself crazy with possibilities, even blaming wifi signals since we’re surrounded by 30 routers in SF). I was in the mountains over the holiday and I never had an issues with it. Another example, I will go for a walk and it will be gone but then when I get home it’s back and significant again. I am not sure what to do, but I think taking a break from the PPIs will help. I have been on it for the last 5 weeks.
The question I have, why would the tinnitus be worse at home then when I travel, etc?
Any insight would be appreciated.
Hi Jordan:
It seems likely that the proton pump inhibitor drugs you have been taking has caused your tinnitus–at least initially. Getting off the drugs allowed your tinnitus to fade away. So I’m sure that was one cause.
If you have GERD, have you tried all the tips I give in this article. That works for many people so you don’t have to take the PPI drugs.
Now for your tinnitus going away and coming back when you come home, that obviously isn’t from taking these drugs. I think you hit on the most likely cause–the electro-smog that surrounds you. You can develop electromagnetic hypersensitivity from all the wireless devices you have/use and the cellphone towers, etc that exist near your house.
When you get away from them, or one strong one, for some people they quickly find their symptoms which includes tinnitus, quickly go away and come back as soon as they are in the “smog” again.
You can experiment and see whether any of your devices are causing your tinnitus due to electrosmog. Turn off the power to your house, and turn off ALL battery operated devices such as your wireless mice, keyboards, computers, cell phones, tablets, etc., etc.
Wait an hour or so and see whether your tinnitus changes or goes away. If it does, then you know for sure that you have developed electromagnetic hypersensitivity. Then, turn on the house power again, but leave all wireless devices turned off including routers, TVs, sound boxes, etc.
Hopefully, at that point, your tinnitus doesn’t come back. Thus you know that it is not the house wiring and normal appliances such as fridge, stove, washer, drier, furnace, air conditioner, etc. that are causing your tinnitus while at home.
Then turn on one device at a time starting with your router as see what device or devices cause you tinnitus to flare up. The culprit may be the last device you added to your arsenal before your tinnitus flared up (and went away when you left the house).
In my house, I connect all my devices together via Ethernet cables–less convenient, but cut out all that electrosmog. The only things I have operating wirelessly are 2 keyboards and mice. I leave my cell phone on airplane mode 95% of the time.
I cover this in a big chapter in the latest edition (8th) of my tinnitus book that is due out at the end of this month. You can also read much about electrosmog in my article at https://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/are-microwave-hearing-devices-slowly-cooking-our-kids-2/
Cordially,
Neil
After reading this post and after 14 years of daily pantaprazole 20mg, I stopped.
5 years ago I started having tinnitus and loss hearing (left side) and of balance on and off. 1 years ago episodes of vertigo added to the mix . For the past month continuous tinnitus and loss of hearing.
This is day #5 without pantaprazole. Everything is back to normal!!!
No tinnitus and hearing is back. Fingers crossed. Wish me luck!
For GERD: I only eat a light soup at 6 pm. I go to bed at 11pm with a licorice herbal tea. No need for pantaprazole!
Hi Patrick:
Thanks for this positive report on recovering from Pantoprazole ototoxicity.
One thing that surprises me is that you have not had rebound acid reflux when you suddenly stopped taking the Pantoprazole after taking it for so long.
Cordially,
Neil
Neil! Short version how bad is pepsid?
I know this doesn’t treat the cause but I have a doctor saying take it temporarily, along with diet and other changes — just maybe 6-8 weeks to prevent reflux from continuing to create more reflux. She’s basically one of the leading national expert MDs on getting rid of upper airway reflux through diet. She’s against proton pump inhibitors. But she says pepsid is very safe and again just necessary short term to get reflux under control, bc reflux creates more reflux. In other words, once it starts for whatever reason, according to her, it’s difficult to stop without diet and lifestyle changes, and initially pepsid and the UK version of Gavascon Advanced, both several times per day. (I’m assuming you don’t have data on Gavascon — she says the US version is not the same, and not any good).
But on the Tinnitus forum, there are numerous people saying pepsid made their T worse. Are they right?? And how ototoxic is pepsid on your scale?
I’ve had bad reflux that icky recently started. I’m desperate to get rid of it bc, again according to her, it can cause horrible esophagus, trachea, and lung diseases, including COPD, cystic fibrosis, asthma, sleep apnea, and even lung and esophageal cancers.
I’m also even wondering about baking soda in water but mainly curious what you think about pepsid.
This is among my constellation of brand new health problems since catching covid or injuring my neck, about two months ago. I thought maybe it was the neck but my neck is 90% better and the reflux isn’t going away. She says it won’t once it starts without a detox diet + pepsid + sleeping at an incline + alkaline water.
Do you think an almost healed neck problem could still be causing this? And would get better once that fully heals?
I would really like to know what you think about pepsid!! Or anything else in my comment.
I read your article about PPIs but nothing about pepsid.
Thank you Neil!!
Hi Tina:
Famotidine (Pepcid) like almost all drugs is ototoxic. I’d rate it at a 2.5 out of 5–in other words mildly to moderately ototoxic. There are more reports of balance issues than there are of hearing loss and tinnitus, but your sources are correct in stating that Pepcid can indeed cause tinnitus and does so in numbers of people.
Having said this, you have to take something and Pepcid is less ototoxic than the proton-pump inhibitors, so it is a step in the right direction. I think if I were in your shoes, I’d give it a try, but keep your eye out for any ototoxic side effects.
Remember, the lower the dose and the shorter the time you take it, the lower the risk of getting ototoxic side effects (on the average).
In your case, the risk may be worth it–because you have to consider your whole body and you’ll be under the care of a doctor that is very familiar with Pepcid and how it works for most people.
As far as Gavascon goes, check the formula. The one over here has aluminum in it and aluminum is toxic to our bodies. I wouldn’t take anything with aluminum in it.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you Neil. As you know, unfortunately all doctors say that everything is not ototoxic, even when it is. This is so frustrating and terrifying. My symptoms have improved just with dietary changes (low acid diet planned for 3 weeks to 3 months) + alkaline water + sugar free hard candy after meals + ginger tea with manuka honey (all things she suggested). But I still have symptoms of needing to clear my throat. Just not as often. I only started about 4 days ago so right now I’m hoping the improvement continues without meds, which she said is possible. I’m also meeting with a doc, PT, and chiro regarding my neck. But again that seems like a long shot considering my neck isn’t hurting nearly as much.
I can’t bring myself to take a moderately ototoxic drug almost regardless of anything else. I’ve considered trying like 1/4 the dosage but even that scares me.
There is a US product she said was very similar to the UK Gavascon, called Reflux Gourmet. That has a seaweed that acts as a natural cap on your stomach after meals. I’ve tried that product and even that increases my Tinnitus. But I can’t figure out why. It contains sodium bicarbonate. I think that’s the culprit bc gargling with water + baking soda or drinking baking soda + water all worsen my Tinnitus. But have you ever heard of this reaction to sodium bicarbonate? This would be short term according to her. So I’m wondering if this would continue to be a temporary worsening only. The product does help with reflux. I’ve even tried half dosage and that works pretty well but does still make my Tinnitus worse (maybe not quite as bad but still pretty distressing by the end of the day). But my Tinnitus goes back to normal if I stop taking it, by the next day. Do you think the effect would always go away? Like if I took it for a few weeks or months, then stopped, would the T still go back down? I really just don’t think I can do this. I’m desperately trying to treat this naturally bc I understand how dangerous reflux is.
I’ve also purchased an adjustable bed, trying to sleep on an incline. But so far I just can’t sleep a wink on an incline.
Thank you for sharing your wisdom so generously Neil.
Hi Tina:
Sodium bicarbonate has been reported to the FDA drug database as causing tinnitus, so it is not unknown, but I don’t think it is very common. I don’t have any information on whether it is temporary or not, but your experience and that of your doctor seems to indicate it is temporary. I think it is worth the risk because it goes down the next day indicating this tinnitus spike is short-lived.
As for your adjustable bed, you need to get used to it. Don’t set the incline all at once. Start with a tiny amount of incline and slowly increase it as you find you can sleep on it. I think that will work for you.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you Neil!! A doctor yesterday said my back was totally out of alignment, and he did a strong adjustment. The good news was that helped my reflux (not gone but better). The bad news is the adjustment spiked my Tinnitus badly!! Now I’m praying this spike will go down.
I’ve started PT for my neck, praying both the spiked T and reflux will resolve if I can improve my neck after a recent injury.
Have a great weekend!! Tina
Hi Tina:
Glad the chiropractic helped your reflux. If I remember correctly, reflux is often caused by one of your thoracic vertebra being out of place. Such a simple thing to fix with chiropractic, yet medical doctors try to fix it with drugs and that doesn’t really work because the fundamental problem isn’t rectified.
I think you tinnitus just temporarily spiked with the treatment. If not, you’ll need another (or more) treatments to your neck to fix it.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you so much for this article. I took pantoprazole for 2 days and my ears have been ringing like crazy. I immediately stopped and I’m seeing the doctor again. Is there any chance I will recover from tinnitus?
Hi Amulya:
There’s a good chance your tinnitus will go away in a week or so, but there are no guarantees. Be hopeful.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr. Neil, I’ve had tinnitus in left ear for 40 plus yrs. which I’ve learned to live with. A couple of weeks ago I was given famotidine (20 mg 2x daily) for GERD. In addition, I was taking Allegra (60mg 2x daily) for a right ear issue they couldn’t identify. After 2 weeks using both drugs suddenly my tinnitus in left ear became off the charts loud and continues to be that way 3 days later. I immediately stopped both drugs but the tinnitus is so loud it’s difficult to even function. After looking for answers I found your website where questions are answered intelligently instead of the jibberish on most others. Is this increased tinnitus permanent or will it fade over time? Thank you for your answer.
Hi Tom:
Famotidine certainly does cause tinnitus in numbers of people so your increased tinnitus could be due to that drug. It could also be due to the synergistic effects of taking the Famotidine and Fexofenadine (Allegra) at the same time.
Unfortunately, when you stop taking a drug(s), the resulting tinnitus doesn’t necessarily go away immediately (or at all). It may take a few weeks before you notice a change. It may drop in volume put persist.
I don’t have any information on either drug in regards to whether any tinnitus is temporary or permanent so I can’t answer that question. But you can remain hopefully that it will fade back to your old level in time. You want to treat this tinnitus as a totally useless, unimportant background that is safe to ignore, then ignore it and instead, focus on the loves of your life. When you think of your tinnitus as a threat to your well-being in any way, then your limbic system gets involved and makes sure you can hear it–exactly what you don’t want to happen. That is why it is so important to treat it as NOT a threat to your well-being and basically, as much as you can, ignore it.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr. Neil, I’ve fully enjoyed ready the comments and found them very helpful, I’m 62 years old and took Nexium 20mg for about 12 months for GERD then about 6 months ago I began taking Mylanta to help with the GERD. Now I suddenly have Tinnitus (since Mid November) ENT checked out fine and the Audiologist stated my hearing was perfect. No clue as to reasoning for the Tinnitus. I recently (1 week ago) stopped the Nexium but still taking Mylanta and the tinnitus continues. Any information or suggestions.
I wanted to also add to my initial question, do you think taking an H2 Blocker such as Tagamet will also aggravate tinnitus?
And mine seems worse in the mornings and less at night. Not sure why.
I stopped the Nexium after reading the side effects but took one a few days ago because the heartburn was so bad.
I’m learning what not to eat and drink to help with the GERD.
I’m curious if Mylanta has the same effects as PPIs? I’ve continued to take it daily. But if it’s also hindering this annoying tinnitus in my left ear, I’ll toss it too!
Is there any idea how long it takes for Nexium and Mylanta to get out of a person’s system to allow the tinnitus to subside?
Thank you once again for your great knowledge and kindness.
Hi Cynthia:
Esomeprazole (Nexium) is a proton pump inhibitor drug commonly used for treating GERD.
Mylanta is an antacid also used for treating GERD. Mylanta is a combination of aluminum hydroxide, Magnesium hydroxide and Simethicone. Since aluminum is a nerve toxin I don’t recommend anyone take anything containing aluminum–if you want to stay healthy, that is.
In my opinion, a better alternative to Mylanta is TUMS (calcium carbonate) or Rolaids (calcium carbonate and Magnesium hydroxide).
Both Nexium and Mylanta can cause tinnitus. Perhaps it was the combination of both that had a synergistic effect that resulted in the tinnitus, or it could have been from a completely different cause.
Cimetidine (Tagamet) can also cause tinnitus in some people. I’d be careful of taking more and more drugs as the more drugs you take, the greater the chances of them combining forces so to speak to cause tinnitus.
Note, when you are taking a proton pump inhibitor, you don’t want to stop “cold turkey”. You need to taper down more slowly so you don’t get rebound acid reflux like you experienced.
Diet plays a large part in GERD. So does when you last eat. To help prevent GRED when you go to bed, it is best not to eat anything within 3 hours of going to bed. That alone can make a big difference in GERD, especially if you have been used to having a snack in the evenings.
Nexium leaves your body very quickly. It’s half-life is less than 2 hours. Thus if it caused the tinnitus, and if the tinnitus would go away when it is out of your body, you could expect the tinnitus to disappear in 2 or 3 days. However, there is no guarantee that your tinnitus will go away. That’s one of the nasty things about drugs–they may cause tinnitus, but the tinnitus may not go away when you stop taking the drug.
Rather that taking drugs for GERD, I think you’d be better off following all the tips I give in this article and see how much it helps you.
Cordially,
Neil
Mylanta
Thank you so much for your reply. It is greatly appreciated and so helpful.
I’m becoming an advocate for ototoxic drugs and tinnitus. I feel more people should be aware.
QUESTION: The ENT doctor stated that majority of tinnitus is hearing loss, injury, exposure to loud noise, medication and ear wax.
My hearing checked excellent, I had wax removal, no injuries or infections, no exposure to loud noise.
My question is why did I suddenly become cursed with tinnitus?
I have no reasoning behind it I have been to my family Doc, ENT doctor as well as an audiologist who all say my ears and hearing are great.
My tinnitus comes and goes in my left ear only.
I’m thankful I have no hearing issues and can only guess the tinnitus was brought on by the Nexium and Mylanta. However, I continue to have it even without taking the meds and wonder if it’ll ever go away. It’s extremely difficult to deal with at times.
Thank you again for all your help.
Hi Cynthia:
I agree, more people need to be aware of the risk of ototoxicity from taking many drugs. And doctors need to be more aware so they don’t keep telling their patients, “No, your tinnitus or hearing loss or whatever, is NOT due to that drug.” when it is quite obvious that taking the drug was the only thing that changed. Even if they just said, “I don’t think the drug caused it, but I could be wrong,” would be better than categorically saying it wasn’t the drug.
Your ENT is correct that most tinnitus is due to hearing loss (which includes exposure to loud noise which causes hearing loss whether obvious or hidden, and includes wax in your ears blocking your ear canals and causing some degree of conductive hearing loss), injuries/trauma and drugs.
In your case, you are taking at least 2 drugs and maybe more or have taken others relatively recently–and any of them could have caused tinnitus, or it could be the synergistic effects of two or more drugs.
As I said before, stopping taking a drug doesn’t necessarily mean the tinnitus caused by taking that drug will go away. It does in many cases, depending on the drug. But for other drugs, and in other cases, the tinnitus is permanent for whatever reason.
Unfortunately, you don’t know in advance whether you will get tinnitus or not, and if you do get tinnitus, whether it will be temporary or not.
Furthermore, when taking a drug, tinnitus can come on very rapidly–like in 5 to 7 minutes, or you may take the drug for 10 to 20 years before tinnitus appears. And for certain drugs, tinnitus typically only shows up when you stop taking the drug. That’s just the way it is.
Thus, it is better never to take drugs unnecessarily, but practice good health measures including diet, exercise and sleep, etc. rather than taking drugs.
In order to successfully deal with your tinnitus you need to stop thinking of tinnitus as a curse and a threat to your well-being–because this just becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Rather, think of your tinnitus as a totally useless, unimportant background noise that it is safe to ignore, and then ignore it by focusing on the loves of your life.
When you do this, your tinnitus will slowly fade into the background and not bother you–if you can even hear it.
Cordially,
Neil
Great info and great advice. Thank you so so much.
I am on Lansoprazole for a year and anti-acids for years. They didn’t help in my case. After a month off, today i took one in evening instead of morning and i found out that my tinnitus and dizziness (sense of near falling down) is merely only because of these medications.
Hi Kian:
Thousands of people have reported dizziness from taking Lansoprazole and hundreds have reported tinnitus. So getting off this drug can really help eliminate these side effects.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr. Bauman, My son has acid reflux problems stemming from an E.O.E. diagnosis. He now has a hiatal hernia. He is 26, and has been taking lansoprazole 30 MG once per day for a year and a half. He has begun noticing pulsitile (heartbeat) tinnitus after repeated breakthrough acid reflux. He belches throughout the day for the past year +. He is nervous because he gets acid reflux from almost anything he eats or drinks and already exercises regularly and is of a light weight. The pill helps his back pain and some of his hoarse voice from the esophageal acid yet is now concerned that his intermittent pulsitile tinnitus is being caused by the pill (or, his dosing is not strong enough). Have you heard of anything like this/suggest specific natural remedies?
Hi Rhonda:
EoE or Eosinophilic esophagitis is a relatively new diagnosis so not a lot is known about this condition yet. I’ve not had contact with anyone with EoE at this point, so have no experience with it and what natural methods might be the best way to treat it. Sorry.
Taking Lansoprazole can cause tinnitus as hundreds and hundreds of reports to the FDA’s database attest. However, I have no information to tell whether they are “regular” tinnitus, somatosensory tinnitus or pulsatile tinnitus or a combination of all three.
One thing to know when taking Lansoprazole is that Lansoprazole can deplete your body’s stores of magnesium. This can lead to worse ototoxic side effects. Therefore, if you are going to be taking Lansoprazole, taking magnesium supplements at the same time is probably wise. Note: Magnesium threonate is the most bioavailable form of magnesium. I’d avoid magnesium oxide as it is the least bioavailable form.
Cordially,
Neil