by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.
A man wrote:
Is it possible that Nexium has caused my sudden bouts of tinnitus, first in my left ear, and a week later in my right ear? I was taking 40 mg twice daily for about 6-8 weeks. Is there a chance that it will go away after I discontinue the medication? I think I’m going crazy with 2 different tones that will not stop!
Yes, it’s certainly possible to get tinnitus from taking Esomeprazole (Nexium). Tinnitus is listed as one of the side effects listed for Nexium, but it doesn’t appear to be all that common.
Although there is not much information on the permanence of tinnitus from this drug, I think there is a good chance that your tinnitus will go away a week or two after you stop taking the Esomeprazole. However, a lot depends on you, and how you are handling your tinnitus now. If you dwell on your tinnitus all the time, it will be much harder for it to go away, than if you treat it as a “non-person” and pretend it doesn’t exist—in other words remain totally emotionally neutral to it.
I’ve had tinnitus for 40 years or so. It never goes away, but I don’t let it bother me either. It is just “there”.
Any advice for a desperate man?
If I were in your shoes and knew a drug was causing me horrible tinnitus, I’d dump the drug in a heartbeat. I encourage you to either get your doctor to prescribe another medication that doesn’t cause tinnitus, or investigate alternate treatments for your condition. Here are a few to get you started.
Sometimes acid reflux is caused by certain vertebrae in your back being “out”. A chiropractic treatment can quickly fix it. (That happened to my brother so I know it works.) Sometimes acid reflux results because you don’t have enough hydrochloric acid (HCL) in your stomach and thus you need to take HCL supplements. (I know it seems wrong to treat acid with acid, but this works for many people). Another thing to consider is what you eat. Some foods cause problems and others don’t. So eating correctly can solve it easily. (My wife has problems at night with acid reflux whenever she eats certain foods for supper— especially if we have a late supper. The better part of valor is to avoid them altogether or eat them early in the day.) Finally, being obese can cause such problems. Simply reducing your weight can fix the problem.
So those are some of the things I’d consider. You might find your problems stem from a combination of several of the above and possibly others I haven’t mentioned.
If you are interested in learning more about what you can do to help bring your tinnitus under your control, you would do well to read my book, “When Your Ears Ring! Cope With Your Tinnitus—Here’s How“.
I have a serious case of Tinnitus in my left ear.I am and always have been deaf in my right ear. I take meds in the morning and in the evening before going to bed.20 MG, for my heart. I am quitting it to see if it is ic omeprazole and one 81MG aspirin may be the cause of my problem. Not only do I have ringing in the ear but a howling waterfalls sound also prevails.
Also I have recently undergone triple by pass surgery.
Any comments in this regard would be appreciated.
Hi Dick:
Omeprazole (Prilosec) can cause tinnitus is some people as can its close cousin Esomeprazole (Nexium). They can also cause hearing loss. If your tinnitus began to be louder and the new sounds occurred soon after your began taking the Omeprazole, then I’d think that drug is the likely culprit. Unless you are particularly sensitive to Aspirin, an 81 mg pill is unlikely to affect your tinnitus. (You’d typically have to take 5 or 6 times that much to get tinnitus from Aspirin.)
You are on other medications for your heart–and they could be the cause. So too could all the meds you took as a result of your triple by-pass surgery.
Your best bet is to think back to when your tinnitus started/got worse/new sound appeared, and see if that correlates to your beginning any new medication (or an increased dose of any medication) in the previous 2 weeks or so. If you can do that, you have likely found the culprit.
Regards
Neil
I was prescribed Nexium for heartburn and my tinnitus got worse. I stopped taking it but after two weeks the tinnitus is still worse. Will it get better?
Hi Nick:
It’s hard to say. Nexium can certainly cause tinnitus as hundreds of people can attest. Unfortunately, I don’t have much information as to whether it is permanent or not. The best thing you can do is ignore it and hopefully in time it will fade into the background and not bother you.
Cordially,
Neil
My husbands tinnitus started when taking asprin, reported tinnitus within the week, as he has heart failure, dr’s said nothing they could do, and continue to take asprin. 3 weeks ago new GP gave him NEXIUM within 3 days no tinnitus, and 3 weeks later still no tinnitus, he is saying the first time he has had a good sleep in 3 half years. A surprise to find others suffering tinnitus, feel for you as it is a nightmare.