by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.
A man explained,
I have recently been a victim of a vicious assault which has injured, among other parts, the skin of my face. Dermatologists have recommended that I undergo Botulinum toxin treatment to aid healing. There are anecdotal reports on the Internet that the use of Botox on the face and near the ears has led to hearing loss. As a professional musician I do not want any treatment that may even possibly result in the decease of my sensitivity or impairment of my ability to hear. Please give me your opinion of its use given my fears.
Botulinum injections sure wouldn’t be my first choice for treatment. Some people do indeed lose their hearing after receiving Botulinum treatments. Hearing loss is listed as a side effect of Botulinum injections in the Physicians’ Desk Reference (USA), the Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties (Canada), and on a Botox website itself. In addition, I have 3 anecdotal reports in my files of people who suffered hearing losses after getting Botulinum injections.
The resulting hearing loss may be temporary in some people but has proven to be permanent in others. In addition, Botulinum treatments can result in tinnitus (You don’t want that either!), and some balance problems such as dizziness and vertigo.
Knowing the above, and taking your fears into consideration, I suppose that pretty much rules out your getting Botulinum injections, doesn’t it? However, ultimately, it is up to you to decide whether you want to risk it or not.
Personally, I wouldn’t take Botulinum injections in any case. These treatments are not as safe as they make them out to be. People have died from Botulinum injections—and when you’re dead, you don’t hear very well either!
To learn which other drugs can damage your ears, see Ototoxic Drugs Exposed 3rd edition. This book contains information on the ototoxicity of 877 drugs, 35 herbs and 148 chemicals.
What is the mechanism by which a botulinum injection can cause hearing loss?
Sorry Andrew Cu M.D., but since the toxin leaves the body over a period of months, a mechanism exists that allows movement of the matrix or medium in which the botulinum is suspended. That a precise mechanism isn’t known, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. A statistical association may be something to look at, to see if there is a correlation. That is all that was necessary for a cancer warning on cigarette packs.
I received a Botox injection in the back of my neck for headaches. Two days later, I lost the hearing in my left ear. I wish I had checked out the side affects of Botox before I had the injection. It had only been 3 weeks and I am hoping after the Botox is out of my system, I will regain my hearing.
8 weeks ago had botox, 8 hours later severe migrane (I do not normally have migranes) Next day woke up with my ear feeling “full” almost like i was under water. Then developed severe pulsatile tinnitus (feels like my head is inside a semi truck.) I’ve had an MRI, carotoid U/S, CTA – all clear.
My case feels pretty severe – Doctors are also convinced this is from botox, but they don’t have answers on prognosis. Have you improved?
Hi did you’re hearing come back?
If so after how long? I have the same.
The same thing happened to me. I had botox for migraines (head, neck and above ears) and woke up totally deaf in my right ear. The hearing never came back. I was wondering if anyone has thought about pursuing legal action against suppliers to help instigate research for ultimately having this as a warning on their labels? Please let me know if so.
Lisa, I agree. Something needs to be done.
Did your hearing return? I’m so sorry that happened to you and am very curious to find out if it returned?
Thanks!
Jana
Did u regain ur hearing?
Hey did you ever get better with your hearing?
Did your hearing return? Please let me know. I have severe tinnitus after botox.
I am 2 years out from botox injection and still have tinnitus. I believe it’s here to stay.
Emily please consider reporting this side effect to your regulatory authority as it is unexpected. You cant rely on doctors to report this as they should (they usually don’t because they are not compensated to do so, they will think of an excuse not to, for example that its unrelated, or they don’t know that they should even) because there is immense underreporting post market. Without reports like yours, the medical community and the public will continue to be oblivious about the side effects of botox and dysport as they get injected into millions of people.
I have ear pain, right side is paralyzed and. Bad headaches after Botox last week!!!
I had botox just over 2 weeks ago….4 dsts after i hsd the wordt migraine and tinnitus. The headache is under control with painkillers but the tinnitus persists. I hsve NEVER had ear problems before. I sm extremely scared and worried this wont improve. Its debilitating. My surgeon wouldn’t see me until 3 week follow up. I sm going to my gp Monday. .before i seevmy surgeon. I KNOW botoc caused this and i will never have it again . but i desperately want the tinnitus to go. Did anyone who experienced the same improve. I am praying for god news. Help?
Hi Diane:
The reports I’ve seen show that hearing loss is the main problem. However, tinnitus often accompanies hearing loss and if the hearing loss proves to be permanent, so typically does the tinnitus.
If you didn’t get any hearing loss, then you can be hopeful that your tinnitus will prove to be temporary. Do not worry about your tinnitus or you will only make it worse. Rather, treat it as a totally unimportant environmental sound and ignore it. Often, this is all it takes for your tinnitus to fade into the background and not bother you any more–even if it is still there.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr Neil, I am so glad I found this site. I am having an MRI this week to see what is happening on my ear, but after reading this post, I am convinced my tinnitus and fullness on my left ear are related to the Botox I’ve been receiving for my bruxism. I am wondering if the MRI is necessary or if that test is bad for my ear as well. I would like your opinion, but I am not sure I will receive an answer before the test. Thank you very much for opening this place for people to share their experiences.
Hi Ana:
MRIs without contrast are probably not bad for your ears IF you are wearing proper ear protectors. The best way is to wear the foam ones in your ear canals and the earmuff style over your ears. Then your ears are protected as much as they can be.
But, as I said before, if the problem is due to the Botox, then I wouldn’t expect the MRI to show anything out of normal, but you never know what else it might show.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr Bauman , just like you said the MRI was normal and nothing wrong was found. However the Tinnitus continues. I would like to know if anyone suffering from this after Botox had any improvements. Thanks again for bringing light into this problem.
Hi Ana:
Based on the people that have contacted me about their ear problems related to Botox, most said their tinnitus was permanent, but one said it went away in 6 months and for others, the inference was that their tinnitus reduced. So there is hope that your tinnitus can go away or at least reduce in volume, but there are certainly no guarantees.
Cordially,
Neil
8 weeks ago had botox, 8 hours later severe migrane (I do not normally have migranes) Next day woke up with my ear feeling “full” almost like i was under water. Then developed severe pulsatile tinnitus (feels like my head is inside a semi truck.) I’ve had an MRI, carotoid U/S, CTA – all clear.
My case feels pretty severe – Doctors are also convinced this is from botox, but they don’t have answers on prognosis. Have you improved?
Did you get better I had botox at the begginging of Nov 5 days later I got labyrinthitis, it’s a very bad case of virtigo, tinnitus etc, I have been off work 3 months, un balanced, due to see ent specialist in March, this is definitely botox related, I’m in proving but I’m guessing till the botox totally clears my system, I’m not going to be my old self again, I was treated for blocked euthasine tubes, waste of time
Did you improve one the botox left your system? The same thing happened to me.
Hi Dianne did your tinnitus ever fade after the botox? I have the same from 3 weeks ago. Please let me know. I’m desperate
I had Botox on Saturday. About six hours later I developed hyper sensitivity in my right ear. It was terrifying. I couldn’t bear any sounds and especially bass sounds. I had acupuncture the next day and without a doubt it helped the condition to improve significantly. It’s still sensitive but I hope it will go. I recommend trying acupuncture. My acupuncturist thought it might be because the swelling had impinged a nerve
I had my first and last botox treatment 5 days ago. As I drove away from the procedure, I had a nose bleed and my ears felt like they needed to pop. The nose bleed cleared up right away but my left ear still feels full of pressure and I can’t hear low tones (along with a persistent ringing). The botox brand name is Allergan and I found a pdf online from them stating that this is a serious side effect reported by patients post FDA approval. They are literally playing with poison and they now know and have documented that hearing loss is a side effect. These botox companies need a lawsuit to make them come clean on side effects and make sure patients have full disclosure before we decide to try something so dangerous. I have am seeking medical help.
I also received botox & it affected the low tones of my hearing … for example the showerwas on and I could barely hear it along with the fan in the bathroom. After 2 rounds of antibiotics & steroids it had improved . I discussed the Botox as the culprit . My ENT said he’d never see my ear be that bad before … just curious how you are doing now . I also still have the ringing in my ears as well .
Thanks!
I have this too.. after Botox injections for migraines I had injections every few months for 2 years. The Pulsatile tinnitus descriptions spot on. And the ringing volume in my Ears is 9/10. It’s terrible!! My head is never quiet!! How do we get This to go away?
I had botox injections again yesterday for migraine. I have been getting Botox injections almost every three months for 8 years now and have never experienced anything like what is happening now. Last night I woke up with severe inner-ear pain and it has gotten worse throughout today. The pain is in my right ear only. It’s really bad.
Hi Annette:
Ear pain is one of the ototoxic side effects of Botox. Numbers of people have reported getting ear pain after having Botox. Interesting that you have taken it for 8 years without problems. Were the Botox injections near your right ear or on the right side of your head? That could be a clue that the Botox is the likely culprit and not some other factor.
Cordially,
Neil
I have menieres disease. Diagnosed in 2009. With Lysine 500 mg daily, excercise, and Gods healing hands, I am functioning very well and can do things again I once couldn’t when I was first impacted. I want botox for wrinkles. Is this a bad idea for me? I have tinnitus and losing hearing in my right ear. Almost completely. Thanks for any advice.
Hi Michelle:
There is no reason for having Meniere’s anymore since we now know the cause and how to readily fix it. You can read my article on it at http://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/atlas-adjustments-alleviate-menieres-disease/ if you are interested.
As for the Botox, personally, I’d never consider it. I don’t like the side effects I hear it can cause. But you are free to make up your own mind. I just don’t think the benefits are worth the risk to your ears and other parts of your body.
Cordially,
Neil
Oh Dear Dr. Bauman. Do you find people ever suffer ear pain, hearing loss or tinnitus who have never had botox?? Not ver scientific to assume the two are necessarily related, especially as these side-effects are so very rare. Many millions of botulinum toxin treatments are performed annually around the globe. Perhaps, being in your speciality you only hear about cases such as this handful on this forum. I’m not saying g these symptoms cannot be related to treatment with Botox, but it cannot be assumed, particularly since Botox can be used as an effective treatment for some kinds of tinnitus….
Hi Emma:
If you think that the few cases reported here are all the cases of side effects from Botox, you are sadly mistaken. You may think that these are coincidences–and it is always possible that the odd case is. However, when you get a lot of these “coincidences”, you begin to see a pattern–that Botox is indeed ototoxic.
How many of these “coincidences” would it take for you to change your mind–10?, 100?, 1,000? In case you are interested, I have reports of more than 1,400 reports of side effects due to Botox–and that is far too many for them to be coincidental. And this is just those I’ve run across. Who knows how many thousands I never hear about from other places in the world? So it is not a negligible number like you seem to think.
It is true that I hear more about these cases because people report them to me, so I hear disproportionately from people with side effects. But that still doesn’t negate the validity of these reports.
I challenge you to show me reports of tinnitus being successfully treated by Botox injections. I doubt you can find any. There may be some reports of Botox being used to treat somatosounds such as tonic tensor tympani syndrome, but these are not true tinnitus sounds.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr Neil I had masseter botox in April and I got tinnitus the next morning. I changed nothing in my routine and I know it was the botox. It is now December and unfortunately it remains.
Please help, I have what I describe as fullness in both ears after botox 4 weeks ago, I can’t hear its horrific
Hi Sooz:
What were the Botox treatments for?
Is the feeling of fullness the only symptom you have after the Botox treatment, or do you have hearing loss too? Do you have tinnitus as well (ringing, roaring, buzzing, hissing, humming or knidred sounds) in your ears?
Cordially,
Neil
Hi, if the botox is causing the ear pain, then what can be done. I am in the same situation
Hi Angie:
If the Botox caused the ear pain, what’s done is done. I don’t really know what to tell you as I’ve not come across that before. You could always take pain killers, but such drugs can cause ototoxic side effects themselves so you want to be careful that you don’t compound your problems.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi annette, iam experiencing the same thing. I just had botox injection about 10 hours ago and iam having severe ear pain that won’t stop!! What helped you and how long did it take for you to get better? Thank you
Sara
I had a Botox treatment in between my eye brows. A few days later I developed tinnitus in both ears. It has been this way for 4 months. Do you think this could be from the Botox?
Hi Liz:
Numbers of people have reported getting tinnitus as a result of taking Botox. So what you are experiencing is consistent with what others have experienced. If there were no other changes in your life at that time, then it could very well be that the Botox was the culprit.
Cordially,
Neil
I too had 2 botox treatments on my forehead and
Between the brows. But about 8 weeks later I suddenly developed severe pulsative tinnitus on my right ear.
The dr. Insists that its not from Botox since it developed much later.
I’m not sure what to think and continue to suffer. Is there anyway to treat this.
Hi Rachel:
Botox treatments can cause pulsatile tinnitus, so your pulsatile tinnitus could be from your Botox treatments. Thus, I wouldn’t rule it out just because your doctor thinks too much time has passed. But, on the other hand, your pulsatile tinnitus may be from another cause. I sort of lean towards it being from the Botox unless you can come up with another likely factor that caused it.
As far as treatment goes, your best bet is a vascular surgeon. If he can locate the exact spot causing your pulsatile tinnitus, he may be able to eliminate it, but there are no guarantees.
Cordially,
Neil
I’ve had Botox in my forehead and around my eyes. First time I developed severe vertigo about 2 weeks after the injection. It subsided a month later. The second time I developed tinnitus 2 weeks after treatment. Now it’s been a month after treatment and during this period the sounds have gotten louder and I hear them all the time. It makes me anxious and depressed. I’ve done hearing test and my hearing seems not to have changed. Will this subside? Will the sounds disappear when the Botox effect subsides? I’m devastating. It feels like I’ve ruined my life.
Hi Malin:
As you have found out to your sorrow, taking Botox is not without risk of various ototoxic side effects. Personally, I’d never take it because I think the risks are not worth the benefits.
I can’t say whether your tinnitus is going to be permanent or temporary. Only time will tell. However, I can tell you that your anxiety and depression are making it worse and can let it take on a life of its own. That is why you need to actively deal with your tinnitus and not let it bother you. You do this by totally ignoring your tinnitus and focusing on the loves of your life. This means you have to accept that tinnitus is NOT a threat to your well-being in any way, but is just a useless background sound that you can safely ignore. Chapter 16 in my book, “Take Control of Your Tinnitus” shows you how to do this. It also gives you many other ways to help you deal with your tinnitus. You can get it at http://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/take-control-of-your-tinnitus-heres-how/ .
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Malin what was the outcome with your ears? Did the ringing stop?
Hi Cb my tinnitus is still there after 1.5 years but I don’t notice it anymore
Hello. I have bottox injection around the eyes 7 months ago. After 3 months of injection i suddenly, in 1 hour lost hearing in one ear 100%. MRI and other tests didnt show anything wrong with me. I had shots of steroids, hormones and stimilators, but nothing worked. Can it be affect from the injection after this long time? Thanks
Hi Irene:
Numbers of people that receive Botox injections have ototoxic side effects in the next few hours. For some it is a few days and up to two weeks. But people have also reported sudden hearing loss like you experienced after one month and two months. So I see no reason why it could not also happen after 3 months. Thus, I’d think that in your case, the Botox very likely took out your hearing at three months.
This further emphasizes that Botox is just not a safe treatment for some people.
Cordially,
Neil
I also had my 3rd Botox (Xiamin) to my jaw and forehead about 1 week ago at the different clinic, and within a few days I’m having the same problem as someone mentioned. My right ear feels like I’m under the water, and feel like needing to pop . I had a mild TMJ, but I never had this inner ear problem even during the flight. And even I tried to pop, (by holding my nose and push the air to the ears), it does normally to both ears. So, I know this is not air pressure problem. I’m wondering if any of inner muscles to hold inner ear structures are affected by Botox injection.
If that’s the case, this German Botox will last longer than other Botox, it’ll continue for next 4-6 months. I wonder if there is anything to reverse this effect.
Has this subsided ? I too had xeomin around my eyes and have full feeling ears and feel dizzy. It’s only been 2 weeks but very worrying.
I had Dysport in my forehead and crows feet and developed tinnitus in both ears 2 weeks after. I have had Dysport before with no issues. I am praying and hoping the tinnitus will dissipate as the botox does. I will try acupuncture also. Has anyone’s tinnitus reduced over time as the botox wears off? I know there is nothing to reverse the effects immediately. I will never have another botox injection and am horrified that this side effect is not listed on the consent forms. It is the most toxic substance on earth and it’s promoted as such a marvellous beauty -aid, but is really dreadful.
I just recently had 12 shots of Botox in my face, jaw and neck for trigeminal neuralgia. I’ve been in more pain than ever before. Virtigo, severe ringing in my left ear. My balance is very off, my eyes are sensitive to light. I feel worse than before I had the treatment. I called my doctor, she said I must have caught the flu or something. It’s not the flu.
Hi Kate:
Botox is ototoxic so I’d never recommend it. Your doctor sure is ignorant if he thinks Botox ototoxic side effects are “flu”!
If you have trigeminal neuralgia, the good news is that it is often caused by your top neck vertebrae being out of proper alignment–and if so, the solution is quite simple. I suggest you investigate treatment from a special kind of chiropractor that specializes in the upper cervical spine (UCS). These people are able to work wonders for certain ailments and they are very gentle–not the bone cracker kind. They focus mostly on your top two vertebra (C1 (Atlas) & C2 (Axis). If this joint is “off” then you can experience trigeminal neuralgia. This is the first thing I’d do if I had this condition.
You can find a chiropractor specializing in UCS by going to the following URL and entering your location. You can also read about the things these special chiropractors can do for you at this same website. Here is the URL.
http://www.upcspine.com/
Choose the “Practitioners” link along the top to find the one closest to you.
Cordially,
Neil
I have been receiving Botox injections about 100 units for eight years to treat Blepharospasms and Meige syndrome. Without the injections I could not function because my focal dystonia is very severe. That being said, I was recently tested for hearing loss and I have lost 20% of my hearing in the last five years that is permanent. I already had some hearing loss, but now it is profound hearing loss. I will be talking to my doctor in February when I go in for injections . I suppose not being blind is better than going deaf. I am 54 years old .
Hi Katherine:
If Botox is the only treatment that works for your conditions, then giving up hearing for vision is probably a good trade-off–especially if cochlear implants will work for you and give you hearing again. I think that is what I’d do in your situation. I’d check out whether you are eligible for cochlear implants. You may be amazed at how well they can work.
Cordially,
Neil
Would love to hear from anyone who suffered, to know if they improved fully after botox wore of completely and how long it took, please would atleast give me hope for the future
Hi Ann,
Did your symptoms improve?
My tinnitus after botox improved with medication but has not disappeared after 7 months
After botox treatment for frow lines , my ears closed. Only by bowing deep with my head upside down , my ears opened again. It was horrible, as soon as i stood up straight my ears closed again. It took a year to recover from it. No botox for me anymore !!!
I had botox done 2 weeks ago and now I have lost hearing in both my ears I have a zooming noise in my ears I tried drops and wax cleaner and when I try to clean my ears I get dizzy .the person that perform this told me that nothing will happen he put 200mg of botox on my neck to try to fix my muscle spasms that are very severe but what it did was mess up my ears
Hi Max:
I’ve heard from numbers of people who have had hearing loss after Botox treatments. I’d never use Botox. I just don’t think it is safe.
If I had muscle spasms, I’d look at things such as chiropractic, massage, magnesium supplements, etc. rather than drugs.
Cordially,
Neil
I had Botox several times before but last one which I have done couple of weeks ago left me with zooming sound and moderate hear loss in my right ear. My ENT told me that it can’t be Botox and that it is just coincidence but I know almost 100% it is the Botox injection around my eyes. I have no history of any sickness, working in the noisy environment, family history of hearing loss etc.. after recognising that something is wrong I have googled it and to my surprise I found a lot of similar cases. That’s amazed me that no one really is aware of it including ENT as a very dangerous symptom of Botox.
I hope that we all have some chances for recovery in the near future. I order to stay optimistic.
Hello. I had Botox in January 2020(crows feet) and still have ringing in my ears.
Will this go away?
I hear so much about the problem but no follow up on any sites.
Hi Karyn:
Few people bother to report back if their tinnitus and other side effects go away so it appears that their tinnitus is permanent, whether that is true or not. In your case, if your tinnitus is still at the same volume it was back in January when it started, it sure seems to be permanent.
If it is bothering you, you can seek help from a tinnitus clinic to get it under control. Otherwise, just ignore it and let it fade into the background in time.
Cordially,
Neil
I had Botox over 5 weeks ago.
a couple of days later I felt dizzy and I developed tinnitus. The tinnitus seems to be more intense every day, the injector over injected Botox on my forehead. The FDA has no warnings about Botox and the tinnitus side effect. Does anyone know if a lawyer could do something about this problem?
Hello,
Thanks for sharing your stories here, I thought I was going mad about the buzzing ear and dizziness. I’ve complained to my maxilofacial but they just told me it’s not due to the botox. I spoke to my GP they can’t see me, so It has been living hell since I was injected botox for my tmj. I am nearly 3month living this nightmare, I hope that the botox will wears off tomorrow and I go back to normal, but reading some of the comments looks like it may not happen. I also suffer with swollen turbinates and makes my symptoms 3 times worse.
I’d like to report that my tinnitus has stoped 6m later. I think also my Botox migrated to near by area that affected my ear, my neck and gave me wobbly head. I had Botox for TMJ, so close to the ear and neck and the symptoms started one week after the Botox was injected. The past six months has been living nightmare, but thankfully slowly is getting better. I don’t think I’ll ever have Botox again as it affected my vision as well.
Hi Juliana:
Thanks for the update. Your experiences just reinforce the experiences of others that Botox is not a safe treatment and you need to be aware of this before you choose to take it.
Juliana,
Almost exactly happened to me. Thanks for all the people who are posting in this site and thanks to the person who started this.!
Male, age 30:
25 units of dysport in forehead/between eyebrows. Next day; loss of hearing in right ear similar feeling to descriptions of “under the water” or clogged ear. Shamefully waiting for it to get better, it was a cheap way to look younger and feel older at the same time. The 1st time I had tox injections there was no issue. Now I have a big problem.
Has it improved since you got it? I got Botox for my crow’s feet yesterday and woke up this morning with my ear feeling “under water” and clogged. I wonder if it could be the Botox but it seems crazy because I was told that the Botox doesn’t even “kick in” for a few days.
Hi Sofia:
I think you’ll find that Botox side effects can kick in far faster than “they” say. True, it is often a week or more later, but some people have had resulting side effects before they even got to their car from the doctor’s office–so some side effects can occur within the hour.
Since everyone is different, you may be one of the “speedy” ones.
Cordially,
Neil
I had Botox for years with no issue. Then tried Dysport and within one hour severe tinnitus for three months which finally went away. I will never do either again. Was debilitating.
Hi Wendy. Did it go away permanently? How did you manage it? Same this has happened to me.
Hello, I just came across this blog when searching for “Botox and hearing loss”. In 2002 I started getting Botox injections for frown lines. I got severe anxiety and panic attacks and then about the 8th time I got injected, I developed severe hearing loss and tinnitus. I immediately stopped using Botox and had scans and other tests done. At that time Botox was new and every doctor I saw said it isn’t related to Botox. I finally saw an immunologist who said it is most likely caused by the Botox. Well, my hearing loss continued to get worse and the tinnitus never went away, and I finally had to get hearing aids because the hearing loss is so bad. I’m 57 years old. It has been 16 years since I last used Botox and my hearing never returned. I’m left with 50% hearing in one ear and – little less than that in the other. Botox is poison.
its really important that you report your side effects to your regulatory body. If you are in the US, it would be the FDA. Dont assume that doctors will report unexpected adverse reactions because they mostly dont sadly as they dont get paid to do so and will think of any excuse not to. Without post marketing consumer reports like yours, more and more people will fall victim to pharmaceutical unexpected side effects and the medical community will be in the dark.
Dr. Bauman, please help me
Years ago around 2012 I suffered vertigo, since then my right ear has not been the same, sometimes a bit deaf but it would come back after 2 or 3 days… not to worry too much.
But now for the first time in my life I had botox in my forehead (just between my eyebrows to stop frowning) 3 or 4 days after I started loosing my right ear hearing, now I have tinnitus and I’ve lost high frequencies.
This time it is totally different than before.
I can’t understand people talking, i hear the buzzing, and it feels totally clogged. There is no infecction, no vertigo, no nothing but hearing loss.
Could botox in forehead cause this?
This is not as close to the ears as other procedures in other areas of the face. But, could it be possible? And, most importantly, from your experience in this blog…is it going to go away??!
They are talking to me about steroid shot in my nerve.. but MRI is all clear.. I am afraid of that invasive treatment.
Hi Veronica:
Unfortunately, you are having some of the nasty side effects of taking Botox. I’ve heard from other people that have had similar problems from having Botox injections between their eyebrows too. So you are not alone in this.
For some people the symptoms prove to be permanent, but the good news is that some people find their tinnitus fades away after a number of months.
Personally, I don’t know what positive effects having a steroid shot now is going to produce. If it were me, I’d not have this shot unless they can almost guarantee positive results–not just let’s try this and see if it helps kind of thing.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello…i have severe tinnutus after botox injection in December,went to Cancun right after that and as we were landing it felt like my ears exploded.Been to ENT ,had hearing test ..all clear.Had Mri of brain. and was clear .Hopeful tinnitus will clear,it has been horrific along with ear fullness.
Hi Nancy:
I’ve heard from numbers of people that got severe tinnitus from Botox injections. You are lucky as numbers of people also have hearing loss along with the tinnitus.
I think people are playing with fire when they accept Botox treatments. The results can be nasty if things go wrong.
Cordially,
Neil
Did it go away? I have tinnitus from Botox but no hearing loss. It’s been just over 6 weeks
I’d love to share my experience. I live in Thailand. I’m 35years old. I had botox (German origin) 30iu at both jaw line on 29/09/22. I felt dizziness and heard eccho sounds in my left ear on 6/10/2022. I went to see ENT on 8/10/2022 , doctor exam with otoscope and audiogram test. The test result:my left ear partial hearing loss . Doctor said suspected acute hearing loss. Doctor prescribed me Prednisolone immunosuppressive dose (1.3mg/kg/day 4tabs*3times) I went to follow up again on 14/10/2022 but another ENT doctor. I tested audiogram again and the result was better hearing but still less than right ear. Doctor lowering my prednisolone dose too fast (4tabs*3times to 2tabs*2times). On that night, I had prednisolone withdrawal syndrome : insomnia, severe fatique, muscle aches, mild joint pain.
Last time I went to see ENT doctor+ audiologist on 22/10/2022 , the result was improved, both ears can hear the same. I still on Prednisolone but slow taper dosage and I still have withdrawal syndrome too.
I started receiving Botox for my bruxism last year 2022 and on November I started to feel fullness on my left ear that developed into tinnitus. I searched for Botox causing tinnitus and I couldn’t believe I found this post. I just read some of the posts and some of the side effects are exactly what I have experienced. I am having an MRI this coming week and. I won’t be surprised if nothing shows in there. I won’t do the MRI with contrast because there are serious side effects also to the injections they do for that type of MRI.
Hi Ana:
When you felt the fullness in your ear, that was almost certainly some degree of hearing loss and then the tinnitus followed it. Your hearing may have come back, or you may still have some hearing loss–likely in the frequencies above 8,000 Hz where they don’t test.
You are wise to refuse the contrast dye unless it is absolutely necessary and in your case it probably isn’t as they probably won’t find anything wrong with your ear.
Cordially,
Neil
I am 109% positive that Botox was the reason my ears got messed up 10 years ago. I did Botox and a week later (maybe two weeks later) my head was a mess. Lost hearing, had humming inside my head, had horrible migraine but 24/7 . Felt like my head was floating, dizzy all the time. To this day I’m taking migraine long term meds for the rest of my life. It’s better with the meds but as soon as I stop and they have worn off it all comes back. I literally woke up to all this one day. I will say I kept continuing Botox even after all this and one time I lost all hearing in one ear but it came back w prednisone. I still get it to this day and I have had no other change. But nothing has gotten better if meds wear off. Be warned ,
I decided to expire meant to see the results and it is now a life long thing. So , although it hasn’t gotten worse , it’s definitely not improved . Meds are all that saved me unfortunately.
I did 80 units of dysport in my forehead and immediately after a few hours experienced tinnitus. The Dr said he thinks dysport is unlikely the cause although possible. I can tell this dr (and most other doctors are lazy and only care about their wallets) has no desire to report this to the regulatory body as he should sadly, so i will have to do this myself. I see that there have been numerous post marketing reports about dysport and tinnitus although rare (1%). Its been since July and still tinnitus continues (1.5 months). I do however have a history of tinnitus with effexor and cannabis usage, and even loud music, but it would always go away, sometimes tinnitus can take a long time to go away (more than a year), but im accustomed to having tinnitus that i mostly zone it out, although its annoying as hell, and id rather not have it, or have it at a low volume.