by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.
A man asked:
Earlier this year I was diagnosed with reverse slope hearing loss in my right ear. I noticed the loss one day when I could barely hear the person speaking to me on the phone. I could hear with my left ear but not my right.
A hearing test revealed essentially normal hearing in my left ear. My right ear results revealed a moderately-severe to mild hearing loss up to 1000 Hz rising to normal levels beyond 1000 Hz. The loss appears to be sensorineural in nature in the right ear.
Twice in the last few months it appeared that my hearing was getting better. In the last three weeks I have stopped taking Advil and drinking coffee. Now it appears my hearing is back! I just went for a hearing test today and voila, my hearing loss has disappeared! My hearing in both my right ear and left are normal. I have continued to avoid Advil which appears to be responsible for the hearing loss I had experienced in my right ear. Can it be that Advil caused the problem and now I am cured?
You are correct. Sometimes all it takes is to stop taking an ototoxic medication and your ears return to normal. Ibuprofen (Advil) is one such drug. In some people, Ibuprofen can cause temporary hearing loss and other ear problems that return to normal when they stop taking this drug. You appear to be one of them. However, don’t bet the farm that the ototoxic side effects will always be temporary. I have heard from people who took Ibuprofen and have had tinnitus ever since as a result. Thus you still want to be careful with this drug.
In addition to hearing loss Ibuprofen (Advil) can cause tinnitus, dizziness, nystagmus and vertigo. A lot of people don’t realize that Ibuprofen is quite so ototoxic.
Note that as in your case, drug-induced hearing losses sometimes are asymmetrical, i.e. they only affect one ear, rather than both ears as is more common.
Ibuprofen may also affect people with cochlear implants. Recently a man explained, “I’ve had recurring back problems and take NSAIDS [including Ibuprofen] to get it under control. I’ve noticed from time to time that the sound from my cochlear implant seems a little fuzzy or muddy and now realize that it may be during the times when I’m taking those drugs that it happens.” A lady with a cochlear implant also commented, “I have been taking Advil [Ibuprofen] for the past ten days. In that time I have not been able to understand on the phone as well as I usually do. It might be the Advil.” Four days after completing her 10-day course of Advil, this lady exclaimed, “Today I can hear fine on the phone again! I never associated my hearing loss with taking Advil.”
Thus, if you have a cochlear implant and are taking Ibuprofen (or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs]) and your hearing seems worse or “fuzzy”, it could be the drugs that are causing this. If anyone else with a cochlear implant has had similar experiences, I’d love to hear from you.
I had a noticeable drop in hearing acuity after a 7-day course of Ibuprofen for post-surgical pain. I took 800 mg every 6 hours for about 7 days. My hearing loss was then apparent after I stopped taking the Ibuprofen. I have much more tinnitus and it feels like my ears are full of wax or water. Discontinuing Ibuprofen did not bring back my hearing.
I had hearing loss before I took Ibuprofen, and this makes it so much worse.
Hello Jim, did your hearing ever come back?
I got a hearing loss after taking Ibuprofen for about 2 weeks when I had knee problems from walking so much on a tour in Israel. That was 3 years ago and I still have the hearing loss. Is it reversible or do you think it is permanent? I didn’t realize it was the Ibuprofen. I had never taken it before, but I do take it now when I have pain. I will stop and hope and pray my hearing returns.
Hi Violet:
If your hearing has not come back after three years, your hearing loss is permanent. My rule of thumb is that after you stop taking a drug, the hearing you have left after 30 days or so is what you will be left with.
Hearing loss from taking Ibuprofen may be temporary or permanent, but obviously in your case, it is permanent based on the elapsed time. It seems Ibuprofen is a drug you should stay away from if you want to save your hearing in the future.
Regards
Neil
Dear Dr Neil Can I ask if the gel form of Ibuprofen would have the same effect on hearing loss. My mother has been rubbing this gel on an arthritic leg for several months and her hearing went totally just before Christmas. She only have 40% of hearing and wore an hearing aid just in one ear as the other one does not work. The information with the gel gives no mention of hearing loss as an issue.
Hi Julia:
In order for Ibuprofen to “work”, it has to be absorbed through the skin and thus it gets into the bloodstream and can be transported all over your body. So you have to assume that no matter how you “take” a drug, it can ultimately reach your ears and do it’s dastardly deeds there.
Cordially,
Neil
I am a physician who has been taking 800 mg of ibuprofen 3 to 4 times a day for severe back pain for a month. At one point two weeks ago, I added 220 mg of Naprosin because of the pain severity. I have now marked right ear hearing loss in my right ear that came on over just a few days. Obviously, I have over done it with the NSAIDS, although I was finding it hard to function in my practice without the medication. I have read many studies that quote the percentage of people that have hearing loss with NSAIDS, (which is substantial). However, I have seen no studies that quote 1.) the percentage of people who recover when stopping the meds, and 2.) the time on average it takes to recover if they do recover. Do you have some info on those two questions? Thanks so much!
Hi David:
I’ve never seen such studies either. I wish I had them so I could tell people the answers (at least the probabilities), but no such luck.
The only information I have is anecdotal reports iF people tell me after their hearing returns or tinnitus goes away. Unfortunately, most people want help when they notice the hearing loss or tinnitus, but do not bother to report back on the results weeks or months later so I know.
So all I can tell you is that in some cases the hearing loss and tinnitus is permanent, and in others, it is temporary. Sorry I can’t be more helpful.
Cordially,
Neil
I took Aleve a year ago and developed pedal edema and tinnitus. It resolved 3-4 weeks after stopping the drug. Now, a week ago, I took two Advil gel caps for headache and within 2 days the tinnitus returned. This is the same ear I had tubes inserted about 6-7 yrs ago. When will it stop?
I took Advil Liquid gels for pain and inflammation after a work injury and developed reverse slope hearing loss and Tinnitus in my right ear. It feels like my right ear is under water and it has been 3 months since this happened, so I feel it is permanent. Despite trying prednisone (I started 3 weeks after diagnosis) nothing has changed. I am trying to get Worksafe BC, the Workers Compensation Board, to recognize that NSAID medication can cause permanent hearing loss and if the medication is taken due to a work injury the hearing loss as a result of taking ototoxic medications for the injury should be compensatable. I am aware of the study published in March 2010 in the American Journal of Medicine. If you can please read it. Thanks… Lois
For some reason I got it in my head to check google to see if me taking ibprophen for 4 years caused my hearing loss. I had a cochlear implant 15 years ago and I though it might have gone bad or something. It just seem like I woke up and the hearing in my right ear was diminished. I went to the ear doctor and he said ” well your 40 and these things happen ” I felt he was rushing me thru so I did some research. I thought for sure it was the viagra. I had not taken ibprophen for a while and just stared back up recently and notice my hearing had got worse. I woke up this morning after have some kind of dream or awakening and was lead to do this google search. Now I am sure this is why I have hearing loss.
Went to the hospital 2 weeks ago for back pain. I was put on Advil 600mg 3 times a day after several days I remember hearing loud cracking noises and loud flapping of what sounded like huge butterfly wings. Several days after that I noticed no hearing in my right ear at all. The doctors put me on a high dose of prednisone for 10 days. No difference my head feels foggy all the time and my balance seems really off. Might my hearing come back
i’ve been taking ibroprofen 800mg daily for 4 months, as i was getting headaches, the headaches were caused by my high tooth and grinding at night, they need to inform us more of the side effects of IP. i have tinnitus and thought it was from loud music but only have it in one ear. been of IP for 3 days and its still there, IP is the devil. my best mate has just qualified as a pharmacist and she didnt even knoe the side affects. i hoping my hearing will return. just thought i wouls share my plight
I too have hearing loss aggravated by taking Advil. Have read all the comments but no one has offered a safe pain medication substitute for ibuprofin. Does anyone know of an acceptable replacement?
I have been taking IB 800 for years with no trouble till a few weeks ago
I have this ringing in my ear. I stopped taking them in hopes it will stop.
I go to the ENT doctor next week. My IB 800 are RX from my doctor, can
That be the cause for this?
Hi Tami:
Did you take more Ibuprofen this time than you have in the past? A higher dose can cause tinnitus and hearing loss to occur. On the other hand, some people have had the same experience as you–take Ibuprofen for a number of months without any problems, then out of the blue it causes tinnitus. Ibuprofen seems to cause tinnitus in a good number of people that take it.
Regards
Neil
@TAMI — any update? Did the tinnitus go away after you stopped taking it?
I’ve been taking one 200 mg. ibuprofen at bedtime for the past 10 to 12 months for general joint achiness. Over the past 3 months, I’ve slowly developed tinnitus and am now losing my hearing. Can an amount that small be responsible?
Hi Barbara:
200 mg is a relatively low dose. Most people that tell me their woes with Ibuprofen are typically taking more like 800 mg a day or even higher. However, dose is only one aspect to any ototoxic reactions. Another is how sensitive your body is to Ibuprofen. And a third factor is your cumulative dose (how much for how long). And assuming you have taken 200 mg for 300 days your cumulative dose now exceeds 60,000 mg.
Some people get permanent tinnitus from just taking 800 to 1,600 mg. You’ve taken more than 60,000 mg in less than a year. Putting it like that, you can see that even a low dose of Ibuprofen over a number of months can indeed cause things like tinnitus and hearing loss.
Even just taking Ibuprofen 2 times a week increases your risk of hearing loss by 33% according to one big study. And you are taking it 7 times a week–month after month.
Cordially,
Neil
I very I frequently use any medication s but a week ago, on the insistence of my daughter I quaffed 2 X 200mg nurofen zavance for an excruciating ear ache which came in after contracting a good the flu in AU, and wihin hours I had tinnitus. On waking the next day, my hearing in both ears was reduced to muffled sounds and a week later there is no improvement. Not sure if it is the flu virus which has damaged my inner ear or the nurofen/ibuprofen which is to blame… Perhaps a combination though not having used ibuprofen and then having this side effect, guess which way I am leaning…
Hi Annette:
I hear from many people regarding taking Ibuprofen and the most common side effect by far is tinnitus. So your tinnitus could be from taking the Nurofen Zavance. However, you lost hearing (muffled hearing) as well. Thus, I tend to believe you hearing loss was related to the cold virus you had. Since tinnitus very often accompanies hearing loss, your tinnitus could be a result of your hearing loss and not the Ibuprofen.
Or, more likely, it was from a combination of both.
Cordially,
Neil
I have had a serious flu and am just getting over it now(about one week). During which time I have taken 400mg of ibuprofen three times a day. I had notice some temporary hearing loss off and on during the week. This was predominately in my left ear which I had previously had surgery on, a drilling of my auditory canal due to bone blockage. At that time my hearing tests were excellent. I’m grateful for all this information posted as I will now stop taking the ibuprofen and try some diclofenac, but I will have to research that first too!!
Hi Chris:
Yes, you want to investigate Diclofenac because it, too, is ototoxic. It can cause hearing loss and tinnitus in some people, as well as ataxia, dizziness vertigo and ear pain. So you don’t want to take too much and for too long.
Cordially,
Neil
About 13 days ago, I had ringing in my right ear and then lost hearing in it. I was not otherwise ill, but was taking 600 mg ibuprofen, 3X/day, for inflammation in my elbow. I have not used ibuprofen since then. Also had prednisone treatment (oral and injection). But no return in hearing. Have you learned of any further treatment that might help me regain hearing?
Hi Richard:
Many, many people get hearing loss and tinnitus from taking high doses of Ibuprofen. For some people, their hearing comes back and their tinnitus fades away in the days or weeks after stopping taking Ibuprofen. For others, their hearing loss and tinnitus seem to be permanent.
One thing I’ve learned is that since taking Ibuprofen causes reduced blood flow to the inner ear, you might be able to help offset its harmful side effects by taking a vasodilator to increase blood flow to your inner ear. Two good natural vasodilators are the herbal Ginkgo biloba, and Vitamin B3 (Nicotinic acid). They might be worth a try–but there are no guarantees.
Cordially,
Neil
So many moving pieces for me…but a few years, I experienced a badcase of vertigo randomly out of no where. After that I noticed tinnitus and also a slight change in hearing. Doctors told me it would go way, to just live with it, etc. Historically, I have taken advil monthly (600 mg/day x 5 days) since I was 18 years old due to menstrual cramps. I was getting scared about taking too many of these, so my obgyn recommended getting on the IUD birth control to see if it’ll alleviate the cramps. Well, it took a whole 6 months for my body to get use to this foreign object in my body and as a result the cramping was mild but it lasted everyday (vs severe pain for 7 days). As a result, I was on 800 mg ibuprofen almost every day for about 6 months. Now, I take one 800 mg ibuprofen once a month vs. 20 a month. Just recently out of no where, I had a louder case of tinnitus and then shortly after my ears started getting full. Went to doctor and they gave me nasal spray. Then I lost my hearing on one side. I freaked out, went to doctor and demanded I see a specialist. The specialist diagnosed me as SSHL. We tried prednisone for a week but it didn’t bring back my hearing. Then we did the steroid ear shot and it didn’t bring back the hearing either. Yesterday, I took a pepto for food poisoning, noticed an increase in ringing and ear fullness, and read the label and saw that pepto can cause tinnitus/hearing loss. Then did more research and saw the possible links to ibuprofen and advil. Maybe those are the culprits all these years that is causing all of this. I have no idea if I’ll get my hearing back. I’m going to focus on eliminating sodium, caffeine, take some ginkgo and vitamin b3 and pray it gets better. Thank you for this article!!
Hi Steph:
Vertigo doesn’t just come out of “nowhere” although it may seem like it. There is a cause. In your case, it might have been because you were taking Ibuprofen each month. Ibuprofen can cause a lot of ototoxic side effects. I hear from most people because it gives them tinnitus. Other report hearing loss and a few report vertigo. But in truth, the FDA has received hundreds and hundreds of reports of people getting vertigo from taking Ibuprofen.
When your ears feel “full” often this is because you have had a sudden hearing loss–and as I just said, hundreds and hundreds of people have also reported hearing loss from taking Ibuprofen, and hundreds and hundreds more get tinnitus. Thousands more have reported balance problems. So I wouldn’t be at all surprised that your ear problems all these years has been from taking drugs, and specifically Ibuprofen.
Bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol) can certainly cause hearing loss and tinnitus, but no where near as often as is caused by taking Ibuprofen.
I doubt that any hearing will come back. If the hair cells are dead, your hearing loss is permanent. However, taking ginkgo may bring your tinnitus under control. I’d suggest Arches Tinnitus Formula as it has the therapeutic dose required to affect tinnitus. Most other formulations of ginkgo don’t have enough of the active ingredients to make much of a difference. Vitamin B3 is good too. I don’t think limiting sodium and caffeine will make much difference in your case–but you can try and see.
If I were you, I’d never take another Ibuprofen tablet again. You are obviously sensitive to them and the more you take, the worse you’ll hurt your ears.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
I am on the second round of steroid shots for my hearing loss. My doctor wants to do 3 rounds to see if it will help my hearing recover. My hearing seems to be getting worse and dizziness is getting worse. I am coming to terms that I may be deaf in one ear but the dizziness is really affecting my day to day. Do you know anything I can do to help with the dizziness or if it will ever stop?
Hi Steph:
Are you off all drugs now? You want to make sure that no drugs are causing the increasing hearing loss and dizziness.
Another possibility is the Prednisone is causing your dizziness and increasing hearing loss. Thousands of people report getting dizziness from taking this drug, not to mention hundreds and hundreds getting hearing loss, so that might be the culprit.
If taking a course of Prednisone didn’t work, I don’t see that taking another and another are going to do any better–and you risk the side effects of this drug. I’m not saying this is what is happening, but it is a definite possibility.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr Bauman, thanks for this post. I see it has been going for years now. I just found it now but I wish I had seen it before.
A few years ago I was diagnosed with SHL; lost 60% of my hearing on my left ear. I take IB occasionally and try to stay around 400 or 600 mg when I do; perhaps once every six weeks for sinus headache or some other reason. I had flown out of the country and somebody gave me one prescription IB pill, I assume 800mg for a headache i had. Woke up next day with SHL and did not get any hearing back even after steroids treatment. I was told I started steroids too late since it was about 2 weeks before I got back to the U.S.
Four days ago, I flew across the U.S. and had a sinus headache. I took 10mg Loratadine with 600mg Ibuprofen. Next day, I have lost all my hearing on my left ear and about 50% on my right ear. I hear a constant fan blowing inside my head and the sounds are muffled. About 48 hrs later, I got prescription for Prednisone and have taken 600 mg per day for 2 days.
I will look for Arches Tinnitus Formula and B3 tomorrow and start right away. Is it best to stop Prednisone while taking Arches and B3?
Also, how can we make FDA aware of potential hearing loss issue caused by IB? It seems there are enough terrors to merit at least some caution on the bottles.
Thanks again for maintaining this blog. Hopefully it can help some people before it’s too late for them.
José
Hi Jose:
I don’t think you have to worry about taking the Prednisone and Arches tinnitus formula at the same time. As far as I know, they do not interfere with each other.
Hundreds and hundreds of people have reported to the FDA that get got hearing loss from taking Ibuprofen. Hundreds and hundreds more have reported getting tinnitus from taking Ibuprofen. Not to mention thousands and thousands more reporting various balance issues. So the FDA is aware of Ibuprofen’s ototoxic side effects.
Having said that, whenever you experience an ototoxic (or other) side effect from taking a drug, make sure you file a report with the FDA. (You can do it on-line.) When enough people complain, maybe they will finally listen. And it never hurts to write them a letter and ask them to require a warning on the package insert.
Incidentally, if you have clogged sinuses or ears, it is not a good idea to fly. I hear reports of people losing their hearing when they do that. If you have to fly, take a decongestant an hour before take-off and then again an hour before landing. That seems to help numbers of people.
Cordially,
Neil
I just came across this blog. I lost my hearing a little over a month ago. High dose steroids and four rounds of steroids in the ear. Hyperbaric oxygen and now IV vitamin infusions. No return of hearing. I take three ibuprofen 600’s a day for arthritis, etc. No one has ever mentioned that Ibuprofen could have caused the loss. Is it too late to quit and see if any hearing returns in my right ear?
Hi Gina:
Hundreds and hundreds of people report hearing loss from taking Ibuprofen.
I think you still have a chance of getting some hearing back if you quit taking the Ibuprofen for say two weeks and see whether you notice any improvement in your hearing. Hearing loss can be temporary for some people and permanent for others. Let’s hope you at least get some hearing back.
Cordially,
Neil
Sooooooooooo is there nothing to eat or drink that would reverse the symptoms of ringing in ears and dizziness after just two doses?
Hi Peggy:
Nothing that is guaranteed. What you can try is Arches Tinnitus Formula. It works for numbers of people who have tinnitus from taking drugs. This formula is the only one I know that contains the therapeutic amounts of the necessary ingredients from the Ginkgo biloba plant.
Cordially,
Neil
I stopped taking Advil and take 900 mg of Tylenol each day and also glouthione. To protect my ear from Tylenol. Is that a good idea ?? Any do you know of any oain med that doesn’t effect ears?? Lastly I have cervical disc issues and not sure if neck is affecting ear. I’m hearing a hissing sound in one ear. I just had hearing test only slightly less the 5 years ago but what causing hissing??
Hi Michael:
Taking Tylenol (Acetaminophen) is easier on your ears than Advil (Ibuprofen), but it is harder on your liver. Taking glutathione to protect your ears is a good idea as far as it goes, but unless you get it by injection, your digestive system breaks it down so you don’t get the benefit of it. Better to take N-acetyl-cysteine and let your body synthesize the glutathione from it.
All pain medications can affect our ears to some extent or other. So the trick is to take the least ototoxic one and at the lowest dose that will do the job and hope you thereby fly under the ototoxic radar.
The hissing sound is one of the many tinnitus sounds, typically indicative of high-frequency hearing loss. It could be from your neck being out, but there are lots of other causes too such as ototoxic drugs, noise damage, etc.
Cordially,
Neil
I have been prescribed 9 pepto bismol tablets a day for 8 weeks for microscopic colitis. I am starting to hear very high ringing in a quiet room. If this is being caused by the pepto, is this reversible? My colitis is horrible, and I don’t want to stop the pepto if this is just temporary. Thank you!
Hi John:
Pepto-Bismol (Bismuth subsalicylate) is basically a salicylate, just as aspirin is. And like aspirin, Pepto-Bismol can give you temporary tinnitus. Generally, you could expect the tinnitus to fade away a few days after you stop taking the Pepto-Bismol. There are no guarantees, but I think this is what you will find will happen in your case.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi
I woke up today with high pitched whistling sound in one ear, could it be due to the 800 mg Advil i took yesterday for my migraine headache?
It’s annoying, would it go away? Is there anything i can do?
Hi Susan:
It’s certainly possible. This is a common side effect of taking Ibuprofen (Advil). Hopefully, it will go away in a few days, but there are no guarantees. At this point, I’d suggest you just ignore it and see if it fades away in the next few days.
Cordially,
Neil
Dear Dr. Neil,
I have had significant hearing loss about 10 years ago from taking aspirin for dealing with myofacial pain. No one warned me or told me about that side effect. Even when I confronted my doctors with this information the response was “it shouldn’t cause permanent damage”. And while my hearing almost fully recovered after several months, two years later another doctor prescribed a quinine drug, again, without pointing out any side effects. This resulted permanent damage around the 6k range and a tinnitus in both ears. Since then I have stayed away from any ototoxic drugs and only take ibuprofen occasionally when I am in a lot of pain. For me even baby doses are effective i.e. 100mg at night. I have taken this dose 2-3 times a week for about 6 months. My tinnitus suddenly got a lot worse but it happened after I stopped taking it and I was fine while I was on it. Could there be a cumulative or delayed effect ?
I should add, I’m also hearing less since the tinnitus got louder started. Subtle noises like walking on carpet or folding laundry don’t seem to register. My acupuncturist says it’s allergies but I have not had any tinnitus increase or hearing loss with allergies in the past. She gave me some herbs 4 weeks prior to the increased tinnitus to help with inflammation in my body but swears it would not cause hearing loss. I am skeptical because I have not taken anything except of the herbs (which I’m still taking) and the ibuprofen. Could Chinese herbs cause hearing loss?
Hi Sandra:
Your doctors are right–that it “shouldn’t cause permanent damage”–well, almost right. I think it more accurate to say it “seldom causes permanent damage”. The conventional wisdom is that Aspirin typically causes temporary hearing loss.
And since you “almost fully recovered” your hearing after a few months, that sort of proves the point that Aspirin seldom causes permanent hearing loss–but it can at times.
Quinine drugs are a different story. They can cause permanent hearing loss as you found out to your sorrow.
Some people can get tinnitus after stopping a drug. For example, one man took Ibuprofen for a month, but his tinnitus only began two weeks AFTER he had stopped taking it. So your tinnitus could be acting the same and starting after you stopped taking the Ibuprofen.
I doubt the Chinese herbs caused any increasing hearing loss. My money is on the Ibuprofen. Increased tinnitus could be a sign of increased hearing loss and the increased hearing loss could be residual continuing damage from the Ibuprofen. Not saying that it is, but it could be.
You were taking a low dose of Ibuprofen compared to others I heard from that got tinnitus/hearing loss from this drug, but since you are sensitive to drugs, this may be the reason it hurt your ears, even at low doses.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you so much for your the fast reply. It’s much appreciated. Might the hearing come back on its own or does the increased tinnitus and slightly more hearing loss mean that I already have irreversible damage? Is there anything I can do to help it come back?
Hi Sandra:
Ibuprofen is one of those drugs that sits on the fence regarding temporary/permanent ototoxic side effects. For some people, their ototoxic side effects seem to go away in time, but for others they are basically permanent so its hard to tell what is going on. I suspect that you have some permanent damage, but you may also have some temporary damage that will reverse in time. But that assumes that you stay off the Ibuprofen completely.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you so much for responding. It means a lot to me. I have had many doctors in the past minimize my concerns and even try to imply I was overreacting. I will see my physician today to see if I can get an audiogram. What concerns me the most is that I feel like it has gotten even worse over the past week and I don’t know why. I have stopped taking ibuprofen about two weeks ago and I feel like it should be getting better not worse. Thank you again.
I have also been using a ketoconazole shampoo for a while and now I’m worried that that may contribute to my hearing loss. I am so scared. Everything I do to help myself ends up hurting me. The hearing loss has been traumatic.
Hi Sandra:
There have been a number of reports of hearing loss from taking Ketoconazole. I don’t know that the amount in har shampoo will do that or not. Ketoconazole isn’t all that ototoxic. I rate it as mild (a 1 or 2 out of 5), so the likelihood of it causing your hearing loss is pretty low. Just be aware that it can happen.
Did you try apple cider vinegar to see if it would do the job. The acid in the apple cider vinegar can kill some fungal infections. And it is not ototoxic. Sometimes it’s worth trying some simple home remedies before trying prescription drugs.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi, I woke up one day with sudden hearing loss in one ear with tinnitus. I had been taking a lot of ibuprofen for a bruise and that was the only med I had taken so I stopped it and my hearing slowly came back in a few days and the tinnitus suddenly stopped after the hearing returned. My question is about the medicine in Aleve. Does that also have a risk of hearing loss?
Hi Martin:
You are lucky that your hearing loss and tinnitus were temporary after taking Ibuprofen. I’ve heard from numerous people who were not so fortunate.
Naproxen (Aleve) is also ototoxic and causes hearing loss and tinnitus among other ototoxic side effects. As compared to Ibuprofen, Naproxen is not quite as ototoxic, so it is a small step in the right direction.
Cordially,
Neil
After a dental procedure i had severe pain after a day that kept escalating. I used 600mg of ibuprofen 3 times a day for five days and stopped the dose without any problems. However a day later there was sound distortion/echoes in my left ear
Hi Stephen:
I’m not surprised. Ibuprofen causes tinnitus in many people that take it. And along with tinnitus, can be hearing loss and other ear problems like you have experienced. Hopefully, you ears will get back to normal in time.
Cordially,
Neil
In 2006 I took Avil PM. The next day I had onset unilateral hearing loss. Completely deaf in Right ear. Went to see an ENT immediately. All test / blood work ruled out a tumor. Had the max of perfusions/ steroid injections into the right ear. The onset of the hearing loss was traumatic. Vomiting, Dizziness, Fuzzy ,falling , etc. Endless hearing test. Unfortunately my hearing never returned. Nurse asked if I had taken any medication the day prior to losing my hearing. I told Advil pm. She said never take that again.
Hi Patsy:
Ibuprofen (Advil) can certainly do a number on our ears as you have found out. That is why I urge people to go light on the drugs. You don’t know ahead of time what kind of ototoxic side effects you might experience for the rest of your life.
Thanks for sharing your story. It will serve as yet another warning of what can (and does) happen.
Cordially,
Neil
I started having tinnitus 1.5 weeks ago. I’ve taken ibuprofen, 400-600mg, for probably ~5 days / week for the past year or so.
I just stopped taking the ibuprofen 2 days ago and my tinnitus feels slightly better today. I’m also very young and healthy (mid 20s).
Do you think this is probably temporary? If it is temporary, it often times takes several weeks to recover?
I’m trying to exercise every single day to increase blood flow to the inner ear to help it heal. Is there anything else I can take to help it recover? Is that Arches Tinnitus Formula legit? Any success stories I can read up on / any studies done on it?
Hi Isaac:
I’m having trouble reconciling your statements that you are “healthy” and that you have taken Ibuprofen 5 days a week for the past year. If you are healthy, why do you need Ibuprofen?
And taking the amount of Ibuprofen you are taking regularly is risking your hearing as well as tinnitus.
Ibuprofen is one of those drugs that really varies from person to person. One person can get permanent tinnitus from just taking one pill, and another takes the drug for years without getting tinnitus.
Tinnitus can go away completely or reduce in volume and then stay that way in the future. The only way to know for sure what will happen is wait and see. If you have some hearing loss from taking the Ibuprofen, then your tinnitus may prove to be permanent, but perhaps at a lower level.
Some people find their tinnitus fades away slowly over a period of months or years, for others, it occurs much faster. I can’t predict what will happen in your case.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Bauman, I recently had cochlear implant surgery, right ear implanted and not activated yet. I came across this article, it is very interesting to read, that Advil/Tylenol can also change the CI patient hearing. Post surgery we are allowed to take Advil 400mg every 4-5 hours or Tylenol Extra strength every 4-5 hours. For up to 2-3 weeks. Will this have any effect on how I will hear with the cochlear implant on activation day?, which is 4 weeks post surgery. I’m thinking, now I’m feeling less pain behind the ear, and 12 days before CI activation day, I can stop taking those meds, and let it clear out of my system. And hopefully on activation day, my hearing won’t sound fuzzy/muddy. Any ideas? Thank you.
Hi Bella:
Who knows whether the Tylenol will affect your hearing or not. But there is that distinct possibility. So reducing the dose and only taking the drug when you really need it is a good idea if you want to reduce that risk.
So it makes sense that if you do this, you improve your chances of a better outcome on activation day.
I can’t say whether it will make a difference or not, but by getting off the Tylenol, you’ll then know that you’ve given yourself the best chances of a good outcome.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you so much, but there was no no one said what would be alternative painkiller to be save for ears 👂
Hi Vlad:
Ibuprofen is commonly used as a painkiller, but it is also ototoxic so you have to use caution when taking it, and only take it when it is really necessary and then take the lowest dose that will do the job.
The higher the dose and the longer you take it, the greater the risk.
Since probably all painkillers are also ototoxic, the trick is to take the painkiller with the lowest risk of ototoxicity that will do the job. Or even better use non-drug solutions for pain such as rest, ice-packs, etc. or just tough it out if the pain is not too severe. These latter things are what I do rather than taking painkillers. I’ve done this for the past 4 surgeries I’ve had.
Cordially,
Neil
In 2015 I started hearing my heartbeat in my right ear. Made a Dr. appointment. About two weeks later, I lost all hearing in my right ear. Made my Dr. appointment and was told that my hearing could have been saved if I had come in earlier. Oh well. I am now deaf in my right ear and about 50% in my left ear. After reading these articles, I realized that I’ve been taking Ibuprofen for years for pain from construction work. I now have Bicros hearing aids. I thank God for the hearing that I do have. No more Ibuprofen for me. Thank you for the information.