by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.
Here’s an alarming statistic. “The number of people hospitalized for conditions related to GastroEsophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) doubled between 1998 and 2005.” At the present time, “more than 20 million Americans have GERD”. (1) This has important repercussions for our ears. Let me explain.
“When you eat or drink, food and liquid move from your mouth to the esophagus, where a valve, called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), relaxes to allow the food and liquid to pass into your stomach. The lower esophageal sphincter then squeezes shut to keep stomach contents from backing up (a process known as reflux) into the esophagus.” (1)
As long as this valve stays tightly shut, you don’t have a problem. However, when it relaxes, the contents of your stomach can be forced into your esophagus and cause GERD problems there.
I just ran across an interesting article (1) that details some of the reasons for the LES relaxing. I think you’ll find it enlightening.
A number of drugs are the culprits. When doctors prescribe drugs to treat conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, depression and anxiety, the drugs they prescribe can cause GERD where none existed before.
According to Dr. Anil Minocha, drugs that can cause the lower esophageal sphincter valve to relax (and thus result in GERD) include calcium channel blockers, beta blockers, some antidepressants and some anti-anxiety drugs.
Here’s a list of several of the calcium channel blockers: Amlodipine, Diltiazem, Felodipine, Nicardipine, Nifedipine, Nisoldipine and Verapamil. The more common ototoxic side effects of these calcium channel blockers include ataxia, dizziness, tinnitus and vertigo.
Some of the beta-blockers include: Acebutolol, Atenolol, Betaxolol, Bisoprolol, Carteolol, Carvedilol, Labetalol, Metoprolol, Nadolol, Oxprenolol, Pindolol, Propranolol and Timolol. The more common ototoxic side effects of these beta-blockers include dizziness, ear pain, hearing loss, tinnitus and vertigo.
If you take any of the above drugs, you want to be aware that these (and other) drugs actually reduce lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure (that is, they relax this muscle located at the top of your stomach). As a result, the contents of your stomach can then back up into your esophagus, eventually resulting in GERD.
Not only are many of the drugs that help cause GERD ototoxic, but the very drugs that doctors prescribe to control GERD are also ototoxic. Thus your ears can get clobbered both coming and going.
You see, doctors often prescribe acid-reducing prescription drugs such as H2 blockers—Ranitidine (Zantac) and Famotidine (Pepcid), or proton pump inhibitors—Esomeprazole (Nexium) and Omeprazole (Prilosec) to try to control GERD.
Ranitidine is ototoxic and can cause dizziness and vertigo, while Famotidine can cause dizziness, tinnitus and vertigo. Esomeprazole—the little purple pill—can cause ataxia, dizziness, ear pain, tinnitus and vertigo, while Omeprazole can cause dizziness, tinnitus and vertigo.
Thus, when you use even more drugs to “cure” the side effects of other drugs, you can end up increasing the risk of damage to your ears (not to mention the rest of your body). Consequently, you always want to be sure the drugs you are taking aren’t causing other side effects.
Incidentally, in addition to the above drugs, certain foods also relax the LES, and thus are also conducive to causing GERD. Consequently, if you are prone to GERD, watch your intake of things like fatty foods, onions and chocolate.
Furthermore, if you are stressed out, get your stress under control BEFORE you get GERD. You see, stress also causes the LES to relax, again paving the way for GERD.
If you already have GERD, you might want to consider these 4 things:
- Get off any drugs that relax the LES.
- Cut out LES-relaxing foods.
- Get your stress under control.
- Take probiotics such as Lactobacillus acidophilus. These “friendly” bacteria reduce the harmful effects of acid in your esophagus. (1) You can naturally acquire Lactobacillus when you eat yogurt or kefir containing active (live) cultures, or you can purchase Lactobacillus tablets at your health food store.
I suggest reading my other article related to GERD . It gives you 12 points to help you bring acid reflux under your control. You can read it at https://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/acid-reflux-gerd-drugs-cause-tinnitus-heres-the-solution/.
You don’t have to let ototoxic drugs inadvertently damage your ears. To learn which drugs are (or can be) ototoxic, see “Ototoxic Drugs Exposed“. This book contains information on the ototoxicity of 763 drugs, 30 herbs and 148 chemicals.
______________
(1) Anil Minocha, MD. “Don’t Let Heartburn Turn Deadly” In: Bottom Line Secrets, June 9, 2010.
Dear Dr. Neil,
I have tinnitus and hyperacusis and have been suffering from severe Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Probiotics and altering my diet haven’t helped. Please, could you tell me if Imodium A-D is ototoxic? I am desperate for advice.
Thank you,
Florence
can tinnitus caused by GERD be reversed once the reflux is under control?
Hi John:
GERD, as such, does not cause tinnitus. Typically, it is the drugs used to treat the GERD that causes tinnitus. which drug were you taking for your GERD? If you are taking Nexium, I have no information that indicates whether the tinnitus will be temporary or permanent.
If your tinnitus is temporary, I would think it would disappear in three weeks or so after you quit taking the GERD drug.
Even if you’re tinnitus doesn’t go away, if you treat it as just a meaningless background noise that is not a threat to your well-being, and thus you totally ignore, your tinnitus will tend to fade into the background and not bother you. As you habituate to your tinnitus, hours will go by without your even being aware you have tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello:) I take Dexilant for Gerd. Prior to that medication I took Rabeprazole. Could these meds have caused my tinnitus? Thank you.:)
Hi Marie:
Yes, both are reported to cause tinnitus, so there is a good chance one or the other have caused your tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi,
Was prescribed Omeprazole after suffering from heartburn symptoms for a while. Tinnitus started 2 weeks after and have been using a steroid nasal spray as I’ve been told my eardrums are under pressure, with fluid behind my left ear drum which is causing the pain/tinnitus. I’m still taking Lanzoprazole as I was told the GERD could come back if I stop taking it (which happened after I stopped taking Omeprazole after 2 weeks). I’ve now got an appoint booked with an ENT, should I slowly stop using Lanzoprazole? They gave me a prescription for 1 month.
I’ve accepted the fact the tinnitus could be permanent, but as my ears are under pressure, I’m hopeful that it will reduce/disappear once the pressure is released.
Any help would be great 🙂
Hi Jack:
Were your eardrums under pressure BEFORE you began the Omeprazole and Lanzoprazole? This is important as both of these drugs have side effects that affect your middle ear such as ear discomfort, ear pain, middle ear infections, Eustachian tube dysfunction and kindred problems.
If so, then stopping all proton-pump inhibitors might be a good way to clear things up. Have you read the sister article on GERD to this one at http://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/acid-reflux-gerd-drugs-cause-tinnitus-heres-the-solution/ ? It may give you some good tips or your situation and what you can do about it.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi again Neil,
Thanks so much for your reply, couldn’t seem to reply directly so replying to my own comment.
I’ve had trouble with my ears before, and had been through a bought of stress so might have had some ear pressure. I often struggle to equalize when flying or scuba diving. I was given no warning the PPI blockers can effect ears, and there was no side effect warning of tinnitus on the medication!
I’m 21, exercise semi regularly and try to eat as healthy as I can. Any tips on reducing ear pressure? I can pop my ears but it doesn’t seem to help at all. My local doctors just keep telling me I’ll get better over time, but I’m struggling with work due to the ringing/pain.
Hi Jack:
My email address is at the bottom of any page on the website if you want to email me privately.
It’s typical to not have ototoxic warnings on drug inserts. They don’t think it is important enough or common enough or whatever. But it doesn’t change the fact that most drugs can cause ear problems one way or the other.
You shouldn’t be having GERD problems if you are eating properly.
Therefore, I think from what you have said is that we need to look further afield. Heartburn can be caused by your vertebrae being out of proper alignment. A chiropractor should be able to easily correct this. I know it sure worked in my brother’s case.
If your upper cervical vertebrae are out of proper alignment, you can get Eustachian tube problems that give you pressure problems. An upper cervical spine chiropractor can usually fix this.
Being stressed can tighten up your back/neck and make the problem worse so you feel it more when stressed.
As for your tinnitus, if you stop taking all drugs so they aren’t the cause, and get your neck properly aligned, a good way to deal with your tinnitus is to totally and completely ignore it and treat it the same as you treat the sounds your fridge makes. This gives your brain permission to not bring it to your attention and it will fade into the background and not bother you anymore–whether you hear it or not.
Cordially,
Neil
I am sorry but this is not true. Reflux can inflame the Eustachian tube. This can cause the same symptoms as “Eustachian tube dysfunction” including hearing loss and tinnitus. It can be treated with Cortison and PPIs. But of course there can be multiple causes for tinnitus.
Hi Stefan:
Exactly which statement are you objecting to. I’d like to correct it if it is wrong, but can’t figure out which statement it might be.
Cordially,
Neil
That tinnitus is only caused by the drugs, my hunch is it can be caused by the GERD “by itself” even if taking no drugs… 😐
Hi Roger:
What makes you think that? I’ve never heard anyone mention that before, nor seen it written anywhere. Personally, I doubt that GERD by itself causes tinnitus. I think you’ll find it is caused by the GERD drugs.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Florence:
As far as I can tell, Imodium (Loperamide)is not ototoxic so it should not affect your tinnitus/hyperacusis. Of course, there are no guarantees in this life, but I doubt you will have any problems.
Regards
Neil
Hello Dr. Neil, my son is 1 years old and suffers from silent GER. I’m hoping it is not the disease and am waiting to see if his symptoms get better when he starts walking/running around and or when I stop breastfeeding. It seems his symptoms worsen at night, he’s constantly waking up from the reflux. I’ve tried prescription zantec and omeperazole and there was no change in his symptoms. I went off of dairy when he was about 2 months old and that helped his gas but not the reflux. Since then I have cut out cruciferous veggies, acidic foods, spicy foods, coffee, tea and fried food….. All to the best of my ability. My main concern is #1 his pain #2 damage to his esophagus or other effected areas #3 that I’m causing it somehow. I’ve read a lot and he will be seeing his 3 rd doc soon. I wasn’t aware of the effect of chocolate, onions and stress so thanks for the tip…any idea why he rubs his eyes and pulls on his ears a lot. Im worried the acid will damage his ear and cause hearing loss. There is no infection but his ears seem to bother him…. I’m also noticing that he is snoring more…. Could this mean it’s getting worse…. I’m worried about the apnea the acid causes also….this poor kid I love him very much and just want to see him get better and us both get rest at night. One of my docs mentioned protein ( without) the fat causes the muscle to tighten when present in the stomache so I’m working on getting him to drink a shake for dinner. I also heard probiotics could help, the most natural way possible is what I’m trying to do here. He sleeps at an angle now but I am working on getting him a special bed so he doesn’t roll off all night. Anymore tips, info, suggestions, possible tests that can be done? Could it be food allergies? Thx for your help… Alicia and Micah
I think omeprazole worsens my Menieres. My doctor and pharmacist say no but I am still not convinced. Who is correct, please
Hi Phyllis:
I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Omeprazole makes your Meniere’s worse. The side effects of Omeprazole include hearing loss, tinnitus, dizziness and vertigo–all symptoms of Meniere’s.
Regards
Neil
My problem is wickedly high blood pressure. I worry about ototoxic medicine but without my verapamil and tenex, my ears really scream and I end up in the E.R. with a blood pressure around 224/115! Is there any hope for me! It looks like either way, I’m doomed.
Hi Dr. Neil: I started on blood pressure meds around Sept of 2012…tried various meds before current enalapril. Developed ringing in ear just prior to starting the enalapril and its constant (24/7). I also have acid refux and I am wondering which is the best acid reducer to take when suffering from tinnitus.
Due to moderate to severe lower esophageal inflammation from GERD my doctor prescribed Acephex. Since taking it I have experienced a significant worsening of what had once been a very low-grade, infrequently-occurring tinnitus. When I stopped Acephex for a few days, my hearing returned to normal; however, within a day of resuming the medication the tinnitus was again very pronounced. The other problematic side effect of the drug is diarrhea. Since the other PPIs prescribed cause worse stomach problems, is there any alternative? The gastroenterologist thinks I’m goofy and says I should “tough it out.” It’s now been 12 months. Any advice?
Iberogadt is a herbal remedy and can be used instead of PPI medication etc. Available in chemists in Australia and reccommended by pharmacists as a natural alternative.
Hi Andrea:
Interesting that the Iberogadt website itself doesn’t even mention or recommend that this herbal preparation be used for GERD. If it works so well for GERD, why doesn’t their website even mention this fact?
Cordially,
Neil
Hi doctor, I have been on Nexium for 2 years, and do get vertigo and tinnitus issues regularly. They are not severe, but do cause discomfort. My question is: if I stop my medication, will the symptoms go away or could the nexium have caused permanent damage?
I have been taking Omeporazole for about 14 years to treat GERD. 2 years after taking this drug I started with tinnitus and Sensineural hearing loss in both ears. ..,, with a notch of 50 dB at 2500. I raised the connection of Losec (Omeporazole ) in causing this problem and this was rejected by ENT specialists.
More recently I have experienced major sudden hearing loss of 40 db in my right ear 200 to 2 kHz. I have also suffered sudden hearing loss of 25 dB in my left ear which has been a devastating experience.
Again no acknowledgement from the medical profession here in Australia that Losec could be a factor. I am otherwise fit and healthy with no family history of sudden hearing loss. My case is regarded as unfortunate and Idiapathic.
More needs to be published on the Ototoxic effects of H2 drugs.
Hi Dr. Neil. I have also been taking Omeprazole for 14 years. Not even associating hearing issues that manifested within 3 years. I am very involved with music, so my hearing became a concern. Not only a concern, but there were times I had to go someplace quiet because I couldn’t take what the sound issues did inside my ears. It actually caused me to become confused, irritated, and feeling at times as though my eyes would shake with certain pitches of sound. I ended up getting surgery for what was diagnosed as semicircular canal dehiscence in 2008. After having the surgery and seeing no improvement, i did some research on Omeprozole and found that one of the side effects could be tied to hearing issues. I was ready to go back to get opened up again but brought it up to the surgeon, and I never heard from him again. Needless to say….I am right back to the same hearing issues as before.
My question is, is it possible to reverse the side effects if I am taken off the Omeprazole? How long would it take? And, can this be passed on to my children who 3 were born after i started taking the medication and 2 have hearing issues?
Hi Chris:
Hearing loss is not a common side effect of Omeprazole, but it does occur. Whether hearing loss is temporary or permanent is quite sketchy–but it looks like about 35% of the time the hearing loss is permanent, and for the rest, either some or all of the hearing returns.
Since you’ve been on Omeprazole for 14 years, my gut feeling is that your hearing loss would tend to be permanent.
Seems your diagnosis of superior canal dehiscence wasn’t right. Probably more caused by the drug that anything.
As for passing your hearing loss on to your children, I don’t think you have to worry in that regard. I don’t see that your hearing loss from this drug can affect your genes. Now if you had a genetic hearing loss like I have, that would be a different matter. In may case it is a dominant gene so each child has a 50% chance of having a hearing loss–and that is exactly how it worked out.
Regards
Neil
Hi Dr. Neil,
about 18 months ago, my otherwise healthy 14 yr old son developed a bad sinus infection resulting in ear infection and temporary hearing loss. It was about a three month battle to get rid of the ear and sinus infections. Since that time, he has continued to have ringing in the ears, crackling and popping sounds, and sensitivity to sound. We have seen three or four different pediatricians and three ENT’s. The current ENT has suggested it is due to GERD and just prescribed Prilosec (omeprazole). After researching this, I am hesitant to give it to him, but he is miserable. His school work is suffering because he can not tolerant the classroom noise or sound of the teacher’s voice. Any suggestions? Btw, the hearing loss was temporary, hearing ability is nearly normal now but eustachian tubes were nonresponsive in one test they did on him.
Hi Jessica:
Did he take any drugs or antibiotics to get rid of the ear infection?
The crackling and popping is gunk still in his Eustachian tubes. I can’t see how GERD would cause this. I know if it were me I’d NEVER take the Prilosec for this.
Prilosec isn’t going to address the sound sensitivity and tinnitus he is experiencing.
It can take considerable time for Eustachian tubes to completely drain.
Since his hearing came back, I would have expected his tinnitus to fade away. Has it gotten any better in the past months?
The sound sensitivity could have been due to a virus attacking his ears. This can be a real pain (no pun intended). It’s called hyperacusis. How long has he had this sound sensitivity–right from the start 18 months ago, or more recently?
Wearing ear protectors can help in noisy situations, but you have to be very careful to not overprotect his ear or you will make the sound sensitivity even worse. There is a very fine line to tread here.
Tell me more about this and I’ll see what I can propose.
Regards
Neil
Hi Dr Neil,
About 3 weeks ago I was in our car and the door slammed really loudly with the wind. I immediately felt a bit of ear discomfort but nothing awful. Over the course of 3 days it progressed to a fullness first in one ear and then the other clicking pressure and an inability to pop them fully. I get a small decrease in pressure on moving my jaw to pop them. Had my ears micro syringed 2 days ago and it is no better if anything slightly worse. Worst symptom is that everything sounds echoey and I cannot tolerate large shopping malls etc.
I am desperate and as both ears are affected am finding it intolerable. Have heard of EDT and am worried as the stories on the net are those of no sure.
Plese any advice
Hi Veronica:
I doubt that the slamming car door caused EDT (Eustachian Tube Dysfunction).
Did you have your hearing tested? Often when you have a sudden hearing loss, like may have occurred when the door slammed, your brain gives you a blocked feeling in your ears. This is not a pressure problem as such, but really a psychological feeling that your ears are blocked because your brain can’t hear as well as it used to–so it thinks your ears must be blocked. Thus I think you have a temporary threshold shift (temporary hearing loss), but it may prove to be permanent to some degree.
The fact that things sound echoey (distorted) and too noisy now indicates to me that you have had some degree of noise damage. Give it time to heal. I’d give it 2 or 3 months. These things don’t heal up in one or two days. Think of a bruise–it takes time to heal. Your ears were “bruised” by loud sounds–so they also take time to heal.
Try not to expose your ears to loud sounds during this time as your ears heal.
Regards
Neil
Sorry for typing errors using I phone and am an old lady of 62. Should be stories on net of no cure
regards
Hi Dr Neil,
About four months ago I noticed hissing in my left ear. My GP found that both my Eustachian tubes were blocked and after 6 weeks of medication these unblocked but the hissing has continued. I have since seen two ENT specialists who have both told me that they are not able to find the cause for the hissing, only that it could be related to some high frequency loss due to ageing – I am 66 years old, but my hearing was in the normal range when tested. My question is why is the tinnitus quite low one day and the next day the noise is louder. This seems to be a pattern repeated every two days. Can you tell me if the noise will ever go away. The specialists both told me that it may go away, but I am finding it hard to understand why there is a definite pattern for the way the noise seems to be the same one day and then a continuos hiss the next day? Are you able to tell me why. Do you think that this will stop, or will I have this condition for ever?I am also taking Pariet (rabrprazole) 10mg for GERD. Could this be causing the hissing. Thanking you in anticipation for a reply. Regards, jenniferbeatty2@gmail.com
Hi Jennifer:
Rabeprazole (Pariet) could be the cause of your hissing tinnitus. Think back to when your hissing tinnitus started. Was that soon after you began taking rabeprazole? If so, I would suggest it highly likely that this drug is causing your tinnitus.
One person in your situation found that when they stopped taking this drug, their tinnitus went away. Then they started taking the drug again and within a day, their tinnitus came back. You may find the same. If that is the case, I’d suggest you ask your doctor to change your medication to something that doesn’t bother your ears.
Regards
Neil
Hi Dr Neil,
Thank you so much for replying it is so kind of you.
Do you think what i am dealing with is acoustic shock as a result of the bang.
I was told of something called tonic tensor tympani muscle that can go into spasm. Is it possible this could be what happened as sometimes my ear feels what I describe as tight when I move my jaw to try to get relief from the pressure.
Is there any treatment for this and in your wide experience does it generally just resolve itself.
At the end of the day as you say it is early days still only 6 weeks I just worry that I can feel no easing of symptoms yet.
My ent examined my ear and did a tympanogram and said it was just etd laughed at me when I said it happened immediately after the door slammed.
Thanks again
Veronica
Hi Veronica:
It could be acoustic shock from the “bang” of the door closing. But there is another equal possibility and that is if the car was “sealed” and the air vents all closed, the sudden shutting of the door would have increased the air pressure in the car momentarily which would have pushed on your ear drums just the same as if you’d heard a sudden loud sound right by your ear. So it might have been the sudden pressure shock, rather than the volume of the “bang” as the door closed that caused your problem.
If you think you have tonic tensor tympani syndrome, you would do well to read my article on the subject at http://hearinglosshelp.com/weblog/do-i-have-tonic-tensor-tympani-syndrome-ttts.php and see whether what you are experiencing is consistent with what I explain in this article.
If your tympanogram was normal, then I don’t see how you could have Eustachian tube dysfunction. Furthermore ETD doesn’t happen as the result of a sudden loud sound–so your ENT doesn’t seem to have a grip on your situation at all. Of course, I only have your explanations, I haven’t seen his test results so maybe there is something going on that you don’t know.
Regards
Neil
Hi Dr Neil,
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to reply to people like myself. It is truly appreciated.
I was interested to see you mention it could be the pressure caused by the door closing quickly. All vents, windows were closed and it was on a busy road and my husband exited the car quickly.
What i wondered is would this mean a different treatment or will time heal I am now 7 weeks in and no difference apart from more clicking as I try to equalise pressure and perhaps they dont feel so constantly tight.
Regards
Veronica
What about Cimetidine (Tagamet)?
I don’t see it mentioned here so I’m curious.
Hi Luke:
Cimetidine is very mildly ototoxic. Ototoxicity from this drug apparently only affects a handful of people.
Regards
Neil
Thanks, Neil.
I actually took Zantac only 3 times resulting in permanent tinnitus, hearing loss and vertigo which has been with me for 2 years.
I have avoided all other H2 blockers and PPIs obviously.
During a recent bad flare up of reflux I cautiously took small doses of Cimetidine without any apparent effect on my ears.
The amount of people injured by these drugs is staggering I imagine and doctors will never acknowledge the connection.
Can omeprazole cause hyperacusis? I started off on ranitidine and was switched to omeprazole. I now have dizziness, tinnitus, ear pain, fullness in ears, and hyperacusis. No one can figure out what is wrong with me! Any ideas for getting off of omeprazole? The rebound is so bad. I feel like when I stop my problems are worse than before I started taking it!
Hi Jill:
I don’t have any information indicating that Omeprazole causes hyperacusis, although in may, but I have not seen it reported as doing that at this point. The same holds true for Ranitidine.
As for getting off such drugs, you are right–the rebound is a real problem that you have to deal with. One way is to slowly reduce your dose over a period of several months until you are not taking any. It takes time for your body to readjust itself so don’t try to get off too fast.
At the same time, you need to consider your diet and quit eating foods that cause acid reflux in the first place. If you are overweight, work on reducing your weight as well–and if necessary, sleep on a wedge pillow to keep your head higher than your stomach.
Regards
Neil
Hi Dr Neil,
Just to update, ears are getting slowly better you were right of
Course.
I am now suffering terrible gerd due to stress of all this. Is lanzaprozole ototoxic. I know many ppis are. Do not want to do anything to damage my ears.
Thank you
Veronica
Hi Veronica:
I wouldn’t take any of the proton pump inhibitors if I were you. Lansoprazole is ototoxic (as are the other PPIs). You risk hearing loss, tinnitus, dizziness and vertigo when you take such drugs.
There are much better ways to deal with GERD. For example, changing your diet. Not eating anything after 7 PM and preferably not after 6:00 PM. A good article talking about this and a number of other things you can do without resorting to durgs is found at http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/11/15/dangers-late-night-eating.aspx
Regards
Neil
Hi.Curious what you think about two things: First, is it possible that a bad ENT who really botched removing wax could have produced severe vertigo a few months later? i should add that said doc caused, besides an extrordinary amount of repeated pain during, one ear to bleed and later have pus and tinnitus and other ear to pop for 24 hours followed by intermittant pain (as well as pushing wax further in). By time i could bear to go to another ENT, there was no sign of infection in either ear. Second, what’s your opinion of vancyclovir and acyclovir as off label uses for recurrent vertigo (under hypothesis recurrent vertigo is from some herpes virus or other). both of those meds hurt my gut too much – found out when i had shingles – so i would need it by IV for vertigo since gut won’t survive another round of oral – and there’s no way anyone would approve iv acyclovir for vertigo, unless one had clear evidience of dissimenated shingles. Its too bad most docs won’t think outside the box. Finally, just wanted to mention that cyclizine, an antihistaminne, i guess an H1 blocker (?) works very well on my vertigo (much better than its cousin meclazine without upsetting stomach) BUT give me loud high pitch tinnitus. I find that intersting, though i think i’m very senstive to ototoxic meds. Years ago, i took too much motrin for my body weight in one day, which caused tinnitus for year. after that, even small doses of NSAIDS cause tinnitus and even small doses of aspirin give me vertigo. When i recently mentioned to a GI doc that H2 blocker likely would be ototoxic for me, i just sort of got a blank stare (translation: they didn’t teach me that in med school so i don’t have a response to it), and then he said his patients haven’t reported that. I wondered if his patients would make the connnection, even if it happened to them.
Hi Sammi:
Doctors that are rough in taking out ear wax can indeed cause balance problems as well as tinnitus and other things. However, in my experience, the balance problems occur at the time the wax is taken out, not months later. So I’m having a difficult time coming up with a reason for vertigo 3 months later from this episode. The one possibility I can think of is if he twisted your neck in the process and your atlas (C1 – the top vertebra is now “out”).
I’m not in favor of taking drugs for “minor” things and definitely not off-label uses where there is no evidence that such a use works. You risk all the side effects of taking any drugs and often times they are worse than the condition you took them to “fix”. I’ve heard from so many people that said, “If I’d have known these side effects could result, I’d have never taken the drug in the first place. The results are worse than my original problem and now I’m stuck with them for life” or words to that effect.
Why would you think the vertigo is related to the herpes virus? Do you have any other vestibular (balance) and cochlear (hearing loss, tinnitus, hyperacusis, etc.) problems? I would have expected the virus to cause more than one symptom if it is in your inner ears.
Cyclizine is listed in one drug compendium as causing tinnitus, but I don’t think it is very common. You could be one of the unlucky ones. Meclizine can cause tinnitus in greater than 1% of the people taking it, so you’d be more likely to get tinnitus from Meclizine than from Cyclizine (on the average).
Incidentally, Cyclizine and Meclizine are Piperazines, not H1 blockers–but both classes are antihistamines.
I agree with you. Too often people don’t associate the side effects they get from drugs as being caused by that drug. Unfortunately, many that do report it to their doctors and their doctors are adamant that the drug did NOT cause those side effects, when in actual fact they did. I hear such things all the time.
Regards
Neil
Hi. Thanks for the reply. I would have replied more quickly but for some reason I didn’t hit the refresh button and didn’t see it.
At the time of the ear doc event, there was some balance problems, some immediate dizziness, tinnitus, possible hearing loss, but the outright vertigo did not occur until recently. I had thought since meds can cause delayed ototoxic injury, started wondering about traumas as well- but will accept it is unlikely. Thanks for info.
Interesting about neck. As for the trauma itself, my head was rotated in atypical positions, but perhaps even more notably, the week before the vertigo i had sudden severe neck pain. the worst of it was over in 24 hours and didn’t really know what to make of it. I often see cervical causes listed for vertigo, though rarely with details as to the mechanism. artery insufficieny? I do have arthritis which caused some C3-C6 minor stenosis; don’t know about C1 (or didn’t back then). I do know carotids are clear, as per CAT scan in ER. I do have severe anemia which can impair oxygen certainly, though no evidence of stroke.
In terms of meds, I don’t consider vertigo minor, though i appreciate you at least put “minor” in quotes… Even if the cause is not life threatening, it’s a symptom that when severe and prolonged either makes one think one is dying or want to die, sometimes both at the same time. I in general share reluctance on meds and on another topic am familar with the long term damage done for example by bactericidal antibiotics, especially for those with certain common mitochondrial DNA variants. Am amazed at the number of people who take meds without at least trying all sorts of alterntaives first – common meds like PPIS, antihistamines for a runny nose, statins, antibiotics, and so on.
in terms of vertigo and herpes, a few things have made me think about that. One was own experience. In March I had shingles. Atypical presentation because it appeared in two places; one an unrelated chest dermatome (confirmed via medical doc), but the other on face – eyebrow swollen, a few on forehead, couple on face, hutchinsons sign, a little ear pain, and a strange pain on bridge of nose that i first mistook for a sinus issue (all of these things were on left side only) It started to give me a small amount of vertigo, mostly during night. Because i so despise vertigo, i tried very small dose of valtrex which took away the vertigo. it bothered gut, i stopped it, and vertigo along with that nose bridge pain returned. repeated that a couple of times and then finally stayed on it and acyclovir for 3 more weeks despite what it did to gut because i decided i’d rather mess that up than have vertigo. it did fix the vertigo and associated symtpoms (note I did not get any face drop or face weakness and cranial nerves seem intact at least by fast examinations)
Second reason for entertertaing connection between herpes viruses and (especially recurrent) vertigo are sites such as these
http://www.tampabayhearing.com/vestibularneuritis
(see section way down begging with “Viral Reactivation” and then section “antivirals in…”) as well as the original journal articles of the couple of researchers who have worked on this (and an email discussion with one of the researchers). They find evidence of herpes viruses with recurrent vertigo, including believing that some cases of menieres are due to herpes, and success with antivirals as treatmeent. Incidentally, i have had 2 prior extended episodes of severe vertigo, although this one has been different. In terms of other symptoms, ive had lasting balance problems since the 2006 attack. With this new vertigo, surprisingly not as much further impairement to balance that i would have thought (compared to what the previous episodes did), but some further impaiment. Increased sound sensitivity.
It would be interesting on this forum if you shared your thoughts on therpes and vertigo and antiviral work after you’ve had a chance to look at some of the research. There’s not tons, but i don’t think it should be ignored either.
Thanks on the cyclazine and meclazine info as well. (and thanks for reminding me they are piperazines). So far the tinnitus has faded a great deal off the cyclazine, and starts up again loudly one hour after taking even a small bit. I don’t recall meclazine doing that- i.e. did not give me tinnitus For both meds incidentally, I can tolerate only very small amounts – a fraction of less than 1/6th of a child’s chewable tablet. for meclazine, even that puts me in a very deep sleep (and does little for the vertigo at that dose). Not sure if i’m particular sensitive to peperazines-often, many meds in general have big effects on me – i dont’ think i’ve looked up if piperizines are dealt with by Cytochrome P450 and which enzymes are responsible for its metabolism; it’s on the list of things to do…Cyclizine has been discontinued in the US anyway, both script and OTC; in England, can get with a script only. Am down to my last few old supply.
Sorry to have gotten off topic. Thanks for all the info. Since i’m already off topic, will mention that one odd symptom that came along with this very severe vertgo has been an unusual autonomic activation where blood pressure and heart rate will suddenly rise- triggers are sleep, waking up from sleep, eating, and loud noise. I do not get panic attacks and have no anxiety issues. And one more item – I believe it was in your info that Tagamet was the H2 blocker with the least ototoxic effects? have resisted any sort of acid suprressors for years, though weight loss is now so great in case i have to do something so as not to end up on TPN, i may try tagamet if other ideas don’t pan out.
I can leave you with a final question which you are free to ignore since i’ve taken up so much of your time already. Do you find that once someone gets inner ear issues of one cause, they then become more likely to have further issues from another cause?
Thanks again.
Hi Dr. Neil, I suffered a sudden sensorineural hearing loss December 3rd of 2013. Went to bed the night before with normal hearing and woke up that morning deaf in my right ear. My ENT gave me two choices. Prednisone or intratympanic steroid injections. Having had horrible side effects from Prednisone in the past, I opted for the injections. I had a total of five over the period of a month. Each time my doctor would inject the drug, I would feel it running down my throat causing me to choke. Doctor was very surprised it went through my eustachian tube at that rate of speed! By the end of my treatment, I was experiencing severe burning in my stomach. I feel certain it was related to the Dexamethasone injections, although the doctors of course do not. An endoscopy revealed an ulcer and gastritis – no H-pylori present. I’ve been on Nexium ever since and have developed severed tinnitus and hyperacusis. Who knows if that would have happened anyway….. My question is this – Are there any PPI’s or H2 Blockers that do not cause these types of side effects? And also – What is your opinion on the steroid injections causing my stomach ulcer?
I never would have thought that something as minute, something that is a basic cure could cause such tinnitus! I have been taking tagamet, yet have a very difficult time finding it. So I figured I would try zantac. extra strength. First couple of days I noticed an increase in the crickets, then the next day the electric hum joined in the chorus…..and now, a few days later I want to bang my head against the wall.
at first I did not suspect the Zantac.I mean, over the counter good for your stomach.?? Finally decided to google.
Thank you for letting me know I am not going crazy….except for the sound of crickets, lawn mowers, electrical hum and seagulls.
it scares me to think what damage I am doing to the little (25%0 that remains of my hearing.
Dear Dr. Neil,
As mentioned above, carvedilol may cause tinnitus. My dad is on dilatrend 12.5mg, once a day for the past two years. Three months ago, his hearing decreased by 50%, blocked ear and ringing in his ear, hissing. MRI shows nothing unusual.
My dad was on valtrex and prednisoline for the first month suffering hearing loss. And follow by dexa-m injection four times on second month. and no sign of improvement.
He is on magrilan and nootropil for the past one week. as well as on xanax 0.5mg every night.
and ringing sound sometimes decreased and may disapear in the morning if he takes xanax at night.
Could it be due to carvedilol? I did check with his cardiologist. But, he said shouldn’t be as my dad has been on dilatrend dor the past two years.
Hi Yunita:
Dilatrend is a brand name of the drug Carvedilol. Just because you have been on a drug for a couple of years doesn’t mean if you have not noticed any side effects by then that they won’t happen. It does happen with some drugs. In fact, the delay can be several years.
Carvedilol is listed as causing hearing loss in a few people, but I don’t think it happens all that much. For example, tinnitus would be much more common. Personally, I’m with your doctor and don’t think this drug caused his hearing loss.
I think there were other factors involved. What happened to him 3 months ago that was different from normal. Did he have a cold, flu, viral infection, etc? How fast did he lose that 50% hearing–overnight? over a few days to a week or two? or over a month or longer?
Cordially,
Neil
I have been taking Omeprazole-Bicarb for about two years now for GERD. Out of concern for taking too much of this medication, my doctor suggested that I try alternating the Omeprazole-Bicard with a Zantac every other day. I have done that for a month and all of a sudden I have developed Tinnitus. If I stop the Zantac, will this stop the Tinnitus, or is it now permanent?
Hi Linda:
I do not have any specific information as to whether tinnitus from taking Zantac is temporary or permanent. But I’d think the better part of valor would be to stop taking the Zantac for a couple of months and see if your tinnitus goes away. If it does, you know Zantac and your ears do not get along. I’d ask your doctor for a different drug if you really need one.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Neil:
A week ago, I took Ranitidine 150 mg about two to three pills for two consecutive days. On the third pill I for the same day, suddenly, after 30 minutes from taking Ranitidine, I started having very loud tinnitus in the left ear and then started to decrease gradually till it reached a certain level and remained constant. My general practitioner gave me Claritine, where afterwards tinnitus started in the right ear.
I went to ENT specialist and he gave me Cinnarizine and Oxybral.
I also have been taking Ranitidine 150 mg once a day when necessary for the reflux but never exceeded that once a day except recently .
Is in my case the tinnitus reversible or there is a very high probability, that it becomes permanent?
Thanks
Hi Hesham:
Ranitidine can indeed cause tinnitus. I’ve heard from other people that have had similar experiences to yours. I can’t say for sure, but I think that if you stop the Ranitidine, your tinnitus will go away, or drop to a low level and stay there. The sooner you do this, the better. The longer you take a drug that causes loud tinnitus, the less chance that your tinnitus will go away when you stop taking that drug. This is because your brain forms tinnitus pathways and they can take on a life of their own. You don’t want that to happen.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr Neil,
This has been really interesting. I’ve had quite bad tinnitus for as long as I can remember (I remember listening to the noises as a child). I was diagnosed with barretts oesophagus mid last year and told I should take ppi’s for the rest of my life. I initially resisted this after googling the problems associated with these drugs, but during a stressful time over the last 8months where meals were late and erratic whilst I cared for my father during his fight with cancer, I had little time or energy to focus on myself. To cope with the heartburn, took a ranitidine tablet before bed. This worked for some months but when I had heartburn and difficulty swallowing again about 7 weeks ago, I conceded and decided to take pariet until I could sort things out. During all the months on ranitidine and now pariet, I noticed a huge increase in my tinnitus and had intermittent attacks of vertigo. I had it in bed last night when laying down, and fell back to the bed on two occasions when I tried to get up due to vertigo. This morning I looked around for the cause and found your article. It seems obvious now when I look back that these drugs are the cause of the increased tinnitus and vertigo, but I’m not sure what to do re: the barretts. Any suggestions would be hugely appreciated. In the long term I want to deal with the reflux by changing lifestyle but is there a less toxic drug to help with the reflux in the short term.
Thank you for the enlightening information.
Sincerely. Janet.
Hi Janet:
I really don’t see any drugs that would not cause tinnitus, plus balance problems. All the proton pump inhibitors can make your tinnitus worse. Since you tried one in this class and it was one of the least ototoxic regarding tinnitus and it made your tinnitus worse, I doubt any of the others in this class will be any better.
In the same class with Ranitidine, which also made your tinnitus worse are two other drugs Famotidine and Cimetidine. Both of them can make tinnitus worse, but they may be a bit better than Ranitidine, if you want to try them.
Have you read my other article on GERD? It talks about other things you can do besides take drugs. These are the kinds of things I really recommend, rather than drugs. I don’t know if they will help with your specific condition. You can read it at http://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/acid-reflux-gerd-drugs-cause-tinnitus-heres-the-solution/.
Cordially,
Neil
I underwent chemotherapy and radiation therapy which ended in 2014, and was diagnosed with Barrett’s Esophagus in 2015. I began taking Proton Pump Inhibitors including Omeprazole, Pantoprazole & stopped taking daily doses last Fall. I just recently began suffering from vertigo, dizziness, and extreme tinnitus after resuming (as needed) PPI’s. I originally had milder tinnitus, have had my hearing tested – they say it’s normal but it is not. I am very concerned about this as it has impacted my life dramatically causing me to lose my train of thought, forget what I am doing in the moment, causing me to forget things, in addition to the vertigo and loss of balance / coordination. I am very worried this is causing permanent damage. Will this get better by refraining from taking more PPI’s? Will I continue to have these side effects?? Can I do anything other than what you stated in your GERD article that can help? If I had known, I would never have taken them.
Hi Martine:
Both of these drugs can cause hearing loss, tinnitus, dizziness and vertigo. When you have balance problems you can work so hard consciously keeping yourself upright that you don’t have enough brain horsepower left over to do things like remembering things, or even getting them correctly into longer term memory in the first place.
I can’t predict the future, but I think it likely that things will continue to get worse if you continue taking these PPIs.
If you get off them, there is some chance that things will get better (at least to some degree, but you’ll likely have these problems permanently to some degree.
See my reply to Janet May for other things you can do. They are mentioned in another article I wrote. I give the link there.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr Neil,
I have recently come down with tinnitus mostly in my left year and a little in my right. ENT treating me for chronic sinusitis but is uncertain if related. I currently also take Bystolic 5mg (3 yrs) and Omeprezole 80mg. Originally started with 20 and 40mg but was increased to 80 6 months ago. The tinnitus started 2 weeks ago coincidentally when the sinus starting acting up but I’m now concerned it may be from the Omeprezole. What are your thoughts?
Thank you!
Hi Carlene:
Nebivolol (Bystolic) can cause tinnitus in a few people, but since you have been taking it so long without any problems, I rather doubt that it has affected your tinnitus.
On the other hand, Omeprazole is somewhat more ototoxic and causes tinnitus and hearing loss in numbers of people. You seemed to be ok on the lower dose, but got the tinnitus some months after increasing the dose to 80 mg. I wouldn’t be surprised if you went back to 20 mg that the increased tinnitus might go away.
You see, you have a “magical threshold” below which ototoxic side effects don’t show up. However, once you go above this magic threshold, ototoxic side effects such as tinnitus appear. I call it a magic threshold because no one knows exactly where it lies. In your case it is obviously somewhere between 20 and 80 mg, probably between 40 and 80 mg.
It could be that your tinnitus is related just to your sinus condition, and not the drugs, or it could be that the higher dose AND the sinus condition set it off. I rather expect this is the case.
If you clear up your sinuses and reduce the drug does, you may find your tinnitus reduces or goes away.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Neil,
Thank you for your response! I have reduced my Omeprazole to 40mg but unfortunately, still have the Tinnitus. However, I will slowly try to get it down to 20mg and try some of your other suggestions to see if things improve. In your opinion, is there another medication to treat Reflux that is not/less ototoxic?
Thank you!
Hi Carlene:
All the proton pump inhibitors are fairly ototoxic. You might try switching to Lansoprazole or Dexlansoprazole. They MAY be a bit less prone to causing tinnitus (but don’t bet the farm on that).
If you want non-ototoxic solutions, read my article at http://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/acid-reflux-gerd-drugs-cause-tinnitus-heres-the-solution/
Cordially,
Neil
I would like to clarify the lead article of this thread. I am reading this as GERD doesn’t directly affect the ears or hearing, but the drugs commonly used to treat GERD may, and it seems, has, in many cases. In addition, drugs used to treat, e.g. high B.P., and so on, may cause GERD which leads to the Rx ladder. So, to reiterate, GERD in and of itself, especially occasional reflux not treated by Rx, is not damaging to the ears and hearing…? Or am I getting this wrong?
Hi Robert:
You have it right. It is not the GERD itself that damages your ears/hearing, but the ototoxic drugs a person is taking–whether they cause GERD in the first place, or are being taken to treat the GERD.
Cordially,
Neil
Just a month ago, I can hear swishing sound inside my head (don’t really know if its in the head or in the ear). I had a visit with a neurologist because I felt it was inside my head, she initially diagnosed me with tinnitus but I doubt if it really it is. I can only hear those sounds when I am lying down on my bed. She told me to have an MRI just to further countercheck my brain status. MRI shows normal and no defects on my brain. Several days after, I have this very annoying sore throat with little color white discharge that seemed to constantly block my throat. for 2 weeks, even after taking decolgen, nothing has changed and the sound I used to hear when sleeping has worsen. I then decided to see an ENT for my throat and he discovered I have acid reflux. (I have enernous burping for the last 8 years, loud and frequent, and my family has a history on ulcer) . He told me that the sound I hear inside my head (or maybe ear) couldn’t be tinnitus because I don’t have any hearing problem. He rather told me it might be gaseous contents from my acid reflux. Currently Im taking pariet every morning and Raxide every evening before going to bed. (1 week already) The noise seldomly attacks, just every after 2 days. And my throat got better but is still there. Do you think my acid reflux has really something to do with the noise I hear?
Hi Mera:
Your ENT was woefully ignorant about tinnitus if he thinks that you have to have an obvious hearing loss in order to have tinnitus. That is just not so. Many people have tinnitus without a noticeable hearing loss. Tinnitus could be a result of any drugs you are taking. It could be the result of your neck being out of balance, and many other things.
Acid reflux can also be the result of your neck being “out”. When you lay down, your neck vertebrae and muscles and tendons are in a different position and that can make tinnitus worse or better–depending on how they are out.
If it were me, I’d go to an upper cervical spine chiropractor and get checked out to be sure all your vertebrae are in proper alignment. If certain vertebrae are out, this can cause the burping, etc. My brother had that at one time and a trip to the chiropractor instantly fixed it.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi
I was diagnosed with Menieres Disease but I am not convinced. I have bad vertigo tinnitus and hearing loss. I was wondering if this could be caused by Acid Reflux (I also had H-Pyroli) or indeed could it be from my spine being out as you say. Any advice would be great.
Regards
Paul
Hi Paul:
The drugs used to treat acid reflux such as Nexium can indeed cause tinnitus, vertigo and hearing loss.
However, to distinguish the effects of Nexium from Meniere’s, think back. Did the vertigo, etc. start just after you began taking drugs for the acid reflux (if you did take any drugs–I’m assuming you did)? If so, it is likely a drug side effect.
If it were Meniere’s, it wouldn’t have started with the acid reflux. Furthermore, with Meniere’s, you’d get PERIODIC attacks–with drugs it would be ongoing. With Meniere’s you’d get these periodic attacks of vertigo and a fluctuating hearing loss, often these are preceded by tinnitus or your existing tinnitus becomes worse.
If it seems to be Meniere’s, then I’d go to an upper cervical spine chiropractor and see if that clears it up.
Incidentally, acid reflux can be caused by your spine being out too. So you should have your whole spine, especially your thoracic spine checked.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr I have problem in my Ears some time it shows close I have also little problem of Post Nesaldrip but now i feel some time Vertigo I contact ENT Dr Yesterday he check my Ear hearing sound was perfect . he put an camera in my nose and said he did not saw sinuses .
He give me Tablet OMEPRAZOL 40mg and told that the Muscus which is coming might be a cause of (GERD). i have no continuously feeling of vomiting no heart burning but some time in month then i take one time one tea spoon Milk of Magnesia and it were finished.
I want to ask the Problem of my Ear closing and postnasal drip is the reason of GERD and what kind of medicine you advise .
Please divisive me . i will be grateful to you for this kindness
Faisal
Hi Faisal:
I can’t see GERD being your basic problem because I have never heard of GERD causing vertigo. There are two common causes of vertigo. One is taking any of the many drugs that damage your inner ear and result in vertigo and other balance problems. The other is from the two top vertebrae in your neck being out of proper alignment.
If I were you, I’d suggest going to an upper cervical spine (not a conventional) chiroproctor and making sure your C1 and C2 vertebrae are in proper alignment. That could fix your vertigo, your ear feeling full and your post nasal drip.
Taking Omeprazole on the chance it may help is not the way to go in my opinion. Besides the side effects could mess up your ears even worse. Doctors so often throw drugs at symptoms (such as GERD), rather than finding the fundamental cause and fixing that–for example, what is causing the GERD.
Cordially,
Neil
I was given Omeprazole for 30 days @ 2x day and woke up to “under water hearing” is this permanent?
Hi Lee:
The odds are in your favor for your underwater hearing (probably the result of hearing loss) to go away. About 35% of the cases of hearing loss from taking Omeprazole prove to be permanent. The rest either result in complete return of hearing, or at least some hearing returning.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr. Neil
I am a 36 year old female at the end of my rope. My tinnitus started back in 2013 following gall bladder surgery. I was walking through the store and it was like a switch was turned on in my head. I have permanent loud hissing sound in my left ear 24/7 with occasional pulsatile tinnitus. I have been taking inderal la 60 mg for about 10 years to help regulate migraines. I fear this is why I developed such bad acid reflux and gerd. Now after a few different medications including Nexium for a year, I regularly take Zantac twice a day. I can’t get relief, I can’t concentrate at work and have become so depressed. I have been to many specialists and none of them offer a bit of help. Just anxiety meds, hearing tests and diet changes. Please help me what can I do?
Hi Stephanie:
Don’t let go of your rope. Hang on. There is help for your tinnitus.
It’s possible your tinnitus was the result of the drugs you were given for your gall bladder surgery. Or from other drugs you have taken/are taking.
What are you taking the Ranitidine (Zantac) for? That can cause tinnitus in a few people. For example, a lady reported, “I never would have thought that something as basic as Zantac could cause such tinnitus! I began taking Zantac extra strength. For the first couple of days I noticed an increase in the sound of crickets. The next day the electric hum joined in the chorus, and now, a few days later, I want to bang my head against the wall. At first I did not suspect the Zantac. Finally decided to google it. I now know I am not going crazy—except for the sound of crickets, lawn mowers, electrical hum and seagulls.”
I’m not saying your tinnitus is related to Zantac, but it is a possibility.
In any case, you need to learn how to deal with your tinnitus so it no longer bothers you. One of the keys to doing this is to understand that tinnitus is NOT a threat to your well-being. As long as you consider it a threat to your well-being in any way, it will continue to be a problem. Once you realize that it is NOT a threat to your well-being, but is just an inconsequential background noise that you hear, you can begin to successfully deal with it. I’ve been doing this with my tinnitus for decades now. (My ears are really ringing away as I write this.)
I explain how you can do this in chapter 16 of the 7th edition of my book on tinnitus, “Take Control of Your Tinnitus”. You can get a copy at http://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/take-control-of-your-tinnitus-heres-how/ . In fact, this concept is so important that I named the title of this book after the title of this chapter.
As you put this concept to work in your life you will find that slowly your tinnitus will fade into the background and not bother you anymore (or not much) even though it is still there.
This book also explains many other tinnitus treatments you can try along with this one. I encourage you to get and read it. It will encourage you.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
I have been suffering from GERD for over a year now, and have just been diagnosed with Barretts . I had little response to omeprazole so the dose was increased to 40mg BD, for 6 months, for the last 2 months I have been plaqued with inner ear fullnesss and extreme discomfort and balance problems on mobilising ( I dont describe things as vertigo as the there is no spinning) but there is dizziness and visual blurring, the Drs are at a loss , after seeing ENT my hearing is “normal” although it feels very dulled to me, all ENT tests are normal including MRI, after tapering the dose of omeprazole I have finally stopped it 5 days ago but now started on ranitidine, I am really struggling to work with these symptoms. The Drs dont have an answer as to why I have intense pressure between my ears, could this be the medication? Is there any research to back this up that I could present to the Drs ? I would really like to get off all these drugs however I have done all the things mentioned eg (raising head of bed , not eating at night etc, etc but still suffer from volume reflux continually) . Any advice??
Thanks Karlene
Hi Karlene:
Omeprazole can cause dizziness and vertigo and ear pain and middle ear infections so I’m not surprised that you have similar problems after taking it.
In addition to the things you have tried, I list a couple more in another article on Nexium, a related drug. You can read it at http://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/can-taking-esomeprazole-nexium-cause-tinnitus/.
If I were in your position, I’d particularly try taking hydrochloric tablets and see what happens.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr. Neil,
My 2 1/2 year old daughter was born with severe GERD. She was on Zantac for the first year and nexium from age 6 months to 18 months. She currently only takes antacid as needed. She’s had only 2 diagnosed ear infections but I believe some infections may have been missed. The first infection was horrible to the point that it was too painful for her to continue to drink from her bottle. The second she had no symptoms and was caught by the Audiologist as part of a hearing test. She is seeing a speech therapist who believes she has a speech delay due to the hearing loss during the prior ear infections. She’s passed all hearing tests except the one that happened where they found the ear infection, but the speech therapist believes she may still have difficulty hearing either at times or all the time. It’s difficult because she doesn’t have the words to tell us what’s going on. My question is could there be issues remaining from the nexium or Zantac? I’m assuming things like tinnitus wouldn’t show up on a hearing test. What questions or testing should I be asking for?
Hi Amy:
A baby shouldn’t be born with GERD. If my child had GERD, the first thing I’d do is take him to a chiropractor that practices on children and have him adjust his vertebrae. When certain nerves are pinched (which could be from the trauma of being born) then the organs controlled by those nerves don’t work properly either. Getting the nerves unpinched so they work properly can almost instantly clear up the problem. Then drugs wouldn’t have been necessary and your baby’s health would not have been compromised by these drugs.
Ranitidine (Zantac) can cause tinnitus in some people, but it is not listed as causing hearing loss.
Esomeprazole (Nexium) is another story. It can and does cause hearing loss in addition to tinnitus, hyperacusis, ear pain, ear infections, and balance problems.
What makes your speech therapist think your daughter has hearing loss and thus needs speech therapy? Doesn’t she believe the results of the audiological testing?
To answer your questions. Yes, the damage to her ears from the Nexium could be permanent–but only time will tell–when she is older and they can do better testing. And you are correct–tinnitus will not show up on any audiological tests. In fact, she may be so used to it that she will never mention it and think it is just normal sounds that everyone hears.
I used to call my tinnitus “the sounds of silence” since that was what I heard when i heard nothing. I’ve probably had tinnitus from birth due to my severe hearing loss from birth.
You can test her hearing for yourself. Just stand behind her, maybe at some distance, and ask her a question that you know will always get a positive response if she hears it correctly, such as, “Do you want some ice cream?” If she ignores you, move in closer and repeat. That will clue you in.
You can also watch her when someone is talking to her or near her. Does she always look at their faces so she can speechread them? If so, that is another strong indication she is not hearing well.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for your reply. I wish I would have found you at the start of this journey.
My daughter has also suffered from milk soy protein intolerance since birth. Either due to the allergy and/or reflux she will regularly have signs of congestion like a stuffy and/or runny nose or sleeping with her mouth open. Not always but usually, the bursts of speech have come when she’s not having the stuffy or runny nose. But the hearing tests are normal at that time. I have done what you’ve said in asking a question from a distance, she responds to the question sometimes but not other times. She’s also inconsistent with watching faces.
In the audiologist office, when they do the test playing sounds to get her to look left or right, she will not look to the right. He chalked it up to her being a stubborn 2 year old and said there was nothing wrong with her hearing. It’s concerning to me that there was no mention that some issues wouldn’t be caught by the test. Thank you again for your kind and thoughtful reply. It has been extremely helpful.
I am H pylori positive & my GP thinks I should have it eradicated but I am afraid it’ll cause problems with my ears. I have laryngopharyngeal reflux & I think it has caused patulous eustachian tubes (I have autophony occasionally & the ENT said the opening around the eustachian looks atrophied). I was just started on PPI’S. I am doing all the diet & lifestyle things already. I took clarithromycin last year & that caused a lot of ear fullness (?otitis media). Since then I’ve heard my heartbeat in my ear.
The H pylori treatment involves PPI, amoxicilin metronidazole & clarithromycin. Or another option is PPI, bismuth sa salicylate 524 mg QID, metronidazole & tetracycline. Treatment time is 14 days.
If I take the PPI with no treatment I will likely get atropic gastritis which is a precursor for stomach cancer. I don’t know what to do.
Karen, I am suffering from the PET and i suspect its due to reflux as well. Lets connect since i wand to end this once and for all . Pls reply or email me
I hope I can pen this so that it makes sense. 2015-2016 I began experiencing pain in my stomach and acid reflux. I was taking Ranitidine twice a day for maybe 5 months and then forgot to take it one day and noticed I didnt have the stomach symptoms so quit taking it.
early June 2017 I woke up one morning and had ear fullness and possibly tinnitus that lasted about 5 days. one day during this time I went kayaking 7 miles, had caffeine, a few glasses of alcohol, and a big dinner. immediately after dinner my stomach hurt like it did in 2016. I popped a ranitidine. 4 hours later I woke up at 2 AM with severe vertigo and vomiting. The ear fullness and vertigo continued a few more days to another less intense vertigo episode then went away. I had one more bought of ear fullness/tinnitus that lasted 3 days and 1 episode of mild diziness (not sure I would call that Vertigo that time). I dont recall having stomach pain or acid reflux with the other 2 episodes of dizziness/vertigo and I havent regularly take Ranitidine for 8 months. Do you think I have a stomach issue causing my ear/vertigo problems? or is it truly menieres? my first ENT did an audiology exam after the first 2 episodes of ear stuff/vertigo and i had no hearing loss. I see another ENT next month for more testing. I have been mostly following a low salt and no caffeine diet for the past few weeks, although i have splurged a few times, with no effects that i noticed. any help is great! thank you!
Hi Stacy:
Personally, I don’t think you really have stomach problems as such. It seems that sometimes you eat various combinations of foods and alcohol that give you reflux. Changing your diet and lifestyle will make a difference there.
I think that Ranitidine is what is CAUSING most of your problems. Did you know that numbers of people get tinnitus, dizziness and vertigo from taking Ranitidine?
If I were you, I’d dump the Ranitidine and hopefully your ear symptoms will disappear. Then avoid combinations of foods that upset your stomach. Also, don’t eat anything after 6 PM so most food is out of your stomach before you lay down. This greatly helps avoid reflux.
Cordially,
Neil
i have been diagnosed with the acid reflux disease. the doctor prescribed for me dexpune, esose and fluxilon drugs. i have been swallowing for three days now but there are no changes while i have ear pains and my throat is still paining too much. should i continue with the dose for a while or should seek further medical assistance?
Hi Innocent:
Except in very rare cases, I don’t believe that taking drugs for GERD is the right approach, as you’ll know if you carefully read this article. And they are all ototoxic drugs so cause ear problems besides doing nothing to cure the underlying cause of your GERD.
Here is another article I wrote that gives a number of things you can do to help yourself get rid of your GERD without taking harmful drugs. This is what I’d do if I had GERD. Here is the link. http://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/acid-reflux-gerd-drugs-cause-tinnitus-heres-the-solution/
Cordially,
Neil
Dr. Neil, is diflucan considered toxic to the ears? Could it cause any issues?
Hi Kelly:
Fluconazole (Diflucan) is very mildly ototoxic and can cause dizziness and vertigo in some people. I don’t think it happens all that often, but it could happen.
Cordially,
Neil
I woke up a few months ago with hearing loss and a seashell sound in my left ear. The doctor said it was ETD and not to worry. It got a little better after a few weeks but then got worse again during a trip for work. I had been on Nexium for 5 years at the time of the initial onset. When it got worse (during the trip), I was on high doses of ranitidine in an attempt to get off the Nexium (which was successful). Meanwhile an ENT diagnosed cochlear hydrops. It took a long time but I made a connection that sometimes I would wake up and my hearing would be ok and then that evening after I took my ranitidine it would get bad. Could either or both of the GERD medicines I was taking have caused or exacerbated my hearing issues (which has now turned into balance issues as well)? My doctor said it was unrelated but I weaned myself off ranitidine and my hearing is much, much better, though my balance is still sometimes off. Can pain medicines cause meniere’s? I have been on pain meds on and off for the past few months and i wonder if that could have damaged my ear. I have been off all medicines for the past week and my hearing is much better and my balance seems to be better too. A coincidence? Or something I should revisit with my doc?
Hi Liza:
Esomeprazole (Nexium) is indeed ototoxic and can cause a number of problems with your ears including hearing loss, tinnitus and hyperacusis as well as a number of balance problems such as ataxia, dizziness and vertigo and other things such as ear pain.
Ranitidine (Zantac) is also ototoxic, but not as bad as Nexium, and can cause tinnitus, dizziness and vertigo.
Interesting that you found hearing loss related to the Ranitidine as I have no information of it causing hearing loss. But I wouldn’t be surprised if it did.
I think your doctor is totally ignorant of the side effects of these drugs if he said it was all unrelated. I definitely think it is all related to these drugs.
I’ve not heard of pain meds causing Meniere’s. But they certainly can cause the various symptoms of Meniere’s such as hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo and feelings of fullness in some people–depending on the exact drug.
I think you are sensitive to drugs and thus experience many of their side effects–at least the ones pertaining to your ears and your doctors are not looking at the drugs, but are looking elsewhere for the causes and thus came up with cochlear hydrops–a version of Meniere’s.
Cordially,
Neil
What about the connection with GERD, tinnitus, Ménière’s, hearing loss, list goes on with cervical misalignment? If alignmemt is (even stemming further than cervical and not allowing cervical to stay in a stable position) isn’t the entire body including organs, systems such as immune, muscles, nerves, joints all affected?
Hi Jara:
You betcha! All chiropractors will tell you that. That is why good chiropractors check every vertebra in your spine for proper alignment. Then they treat each of these to get them in proper alignment.
For example, if a vertebra in your lower spine is out, the vertebrae above it move to compensate and thus are also “out”. Let’s say the result is you have a pain in your neck. If your chiropractor just puts that vertebra back “in”, as soon as you go home it will go out, because he never properly aligned the rest of your spine–so it compensates again–and out it goes.
One good chiropractor I had in the past started at the bottom and marked and adjusted every “out” vertebra all the way up to the atlas at the top. That way, there is no need for any vertebra to move out of proper alignment to compensate for another that is already out.
The result is no nerves are pinched and all organs, muscles, etc. begin to work properly again.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi. I’ve been on Propranolol for almost 9 years, ranitidine for about 1 and Lansoprazole for about 3 months. I’ve suffered from unilateral tinnitus for about 3 years, which I’ve learnt to live with, but have recently started waking up with either one or the other ear with muffled hearing (as though your ear’s popped – but it won’t pop back, if that makes any sense!), which sometimes resolves during the day and sometimes doesnt. It’s also accompanied with regular spasms in my left ear (self diagnosed as TTTS). This is really beginning to get me down. I’ve asked my GP whether propranolol is to blame but they just dismiss it, I’ve got an appointment with ENT in March but am worried that they will also dismiss it. Could this be all down to the various tablets I’m on?
Hi Katy:
All three of the drugs you are on are quite ototoxic and could be the culprits.
Of the 3, Lansoprazole is the worst, Ranitidine the second worst, and Propranolol the least ototoxic–but still quite ototoxic.
Since your symptoms started quite recently and since the last drug you started on is Lansoprazole and since Lansoprazole is the most ototoxic of the three, I think the evidence points to the Lansoprazole as the most likely culprit.
I wouldn’t be surprised if most of your symptoms disappear if you get off the Lansoprazole.
Cordially,
Neil
I have been dealing with acid reflux, heartburn, and indigestion for a long time. I am 25 years old but it seems that since I put on some weight, I’ve been experiencing it more frequently. I am not obese, currently 170 and 5’6”. I just saw the doctor yesterday about my GERD and he prescribed me Omeprazole. It is now my second capsule today and I am now experiencing ear pressure. I see that many people have been taking these medications for many years but I am only on my second capsule. Is this normal or would you recommend calling my doctor and getting something else prescribed?
Hi Megan:
Omeprazole is quite ototoxic, not to mention bad for the rest of your body. I’d only take these kinds of drugs as a last resort. Tens of thousands of people report its negative side effects to the FDA and these only represent maybe 1% of the total occurrences so MANY, MANY people experience its side effects.
Here are some non-ototoxic (and non-drug) ways to get your GERD under control. Read my other article on GERD at http://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/acid-reflux-gerd-drugs-cause-tinnitus-heres-the-solution/
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr Neil,
I have LPR , which I control through diet, some bicarbonate when needed and Gaviscon with the sodium alginate so I can have the raft effect and protect myself against acid coming up. I am slim, and now lost a further 5 kg due to a very clean, fresh diet. My LPR symptoms are bearable as long as I don’t eat a trigger food, but what I started to get recently from time to time is warmth in my right ear, and sometimes in my left. So far, it comes and it goes. Would this be the pepsin rather than the acid eating away at my eustachian tubes? Other meds I take are diazepam for chronic anxiety, and I’ve been on these for 20 or so years. The other thing I take is a painkiller with 500mg paracetamol and 9.6mg codeine. I take these as required for chronic pain. I’ve always been a non smoker and non drinker. My diet has always been good, but now it’s excellent. So what is giving me the warmth sensation in my ear? I read where you stated GERD itself doesn’t do it, so I assume this includes acid from LPR. Could it be the pepsin? I did a test for pepsin in my saliva and it came back positive. I hope the pepsin is not digesting my ear cells. I’m very worried about this.
Hi Sylvia:
I really don’t know what is causing the warmth in your ears. Remember, I’m not a medical doctor so I don’t know all the ins and outs of how pepsin might or might not affect your ears. I wish I had some insight to help you, but at this point I don’t.
Cordially,
Neil
I’m having a hard time figuring out how a stomach acid suppressor medication can cause tinnitus. I take Famotidine, 20 mg once daily for GERD. I’m a bit pill paranoid and am only taking one pill a day instead of the 2 pill recommended by my GI doc. Diet and lifestyle changes are helping immensely. So how is it a stomach med is bad for my ears and tinnitus?
Hi Peggy:
When you take any medication, it doesn’t know what part of the body it is supposed to help. It is adsorbed into your bloodstream and is carried to all parts of your body. If it binds to certain receptors, it causes changes there. So for example, if it binds to receptors that influence stomach acid production that’s what happens. But the problem is that it not only binds to those receptors, but to others (sometimes MANY other receptors) throughout your body as well–so it causes other unwanted side effects that appear to be totally unrelated to the condition being treated. I’m no expert on this, but this is the gist of it.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr Neil. I am hoping you can help. In December I was sick… sinus, cold situation. By Jan, went to MD for sinus infection. Took antibiotics, steroids….All better, but a continually feeling of blocked ear, stuffy.
I developed EDT per 2 ENTs. Hearing test was perfect. I do have allergies, sinus issues. Take Antihistamine & Decongestants daily (Zyrtec D & Flonase).
No relief for ears. They recommended taking Zantac/Prilosec as it could be silent acid reflux.
Question: I am a healthy adult with allergies. My ears have been problematic with pressure forever… but never constant. Decongestants usually help with flying, altitude.
Now I have a plugged feeling in one ear for 4 months….
Any suggestions or resources?
Many thanks!
Hi Jamie:
If you really do have Eustachian Tube dysfunction (ETD) that is causing the blocked or plugged feeling, that is one thing.
If your Eustachian tubes are clogged up with gunk from a cold or allergies, that is a totally different thing.
Are you saying in the past that your allergies clog up your ears, a then they drain and everything is fine again until your allergies attack next time? And that this has been going on for years and years?
If this is the case, then you should have some degree of conductive hearing loss that an audiogram will reveal. Treatment, in my opinion, should address the allergies rather than just taking decongestants–as when you try to go off them, you can get the “rebound effect” where it just gets worse when you try to stop.
However, if your Eustachian tubes are not (and have not) been working properly for years, then you need to see why. The first thing I’d do is go to an upper cervical spine chiropractor (not a conventional chiropractor) and make sure your C1 and C2 vertebrae are in proper alignment. If they are not, they can be “pinching” the 5th (trigeminal) cranial nerve which is the nerve that “runs” your Eustachian tubes. If it is “pinched”, the proper signals don’t get to your Eustachian tubes and they don’t work properly. If you were ever in a car accident–even decades ago–this could be the underlying problem.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for the insight. I can say my ears have caused issues with popping, whooshing at various times… weather fronts, driving up hill, flying (my ears clogg and take awhile to clear). Even exercise has caused my ears to clog, pop, etc.
Now, since December, the fullness is always there. It started after a sinus infection. 2 ENTs checked me out & said wait 6 months & come back if still problematic & treat your allergies daily. I only had a hearing test & I think they check eardrum movement: all normal.
They made me feel like it’s a life long situation & allergy related, however, in the past it cane & went & sudafed helped. Now, Zyrtec D only relieves about 30% of the feeling… it’s always there. I noticed I cannot do most exercise that increases heartrate… example: rebounding (jumping up & down on trampoline) makes my head feel heavier and heavier…
it’s not a good feeling. Also getting my heartrate up seems to effect ears…. I hear heartbeat & fullness feels worse.
My PCP just looked in my ears while I was there & said they look perfect.
I am at a loss as to what to do further…. they don’t seem concerned but it’s not pleasant.
I wonder if you’d advise to go to Chiro you suggested or ask ND for anymore screenings?
Thanks again!!
I been treated with Omeprazole for years now. My ears are always seem to be plugged or blocked. Its affecting my ability to talk because it so annoying with my ears.
Not only that, I suffer from chronic migraines. Always start from the nose to behind eyebrows. I have scene two ENT’s one with had me do a MRI. Says am all good. No sinus issues. Scanned that too, nothing. Did an allergy test nothing.
The Dr. I saw two month ago says I have GERD. Could all my issues with my sinus and headaches be from GERD?
Do you suggest a plug in my ear. I have it in one ear.
Hi Rick:
Omeprazole is quite ototoxic. One of its many ototoxic side effects is a feeling that your ears are blocked. It would be good to get off this drug and see if your ears clear up in a few weeks. Just be aware you should not quite “cold turkey” as you can have rebound GERD as a result. You have to taper off slowly.
Ear pain is another quite commonly reported ototoxic side effect. I wouldn’t be surprised if you find that your migraines are also associated with this drug. Again, the way to find out is to stop taking this drug and other drugs in the same class and see what happens.
Rather than all your issues being from GERD, they could be from the drugs you are taking.
You would also do well to read my article at http://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/acid-reflux-gerd-drugs-cause-tinnitus-heres-the-solution/ that explains alternatives to taking drugs.
Also, I do not suggest plugging either ear. That can just cause you more problems such as hyperacusis.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi, I’ve been on omeprazole for some 19 years and have recently managed to taper off it, last one was two weeks ago. However in recent weeks my ears have really flared up, loud tinnitus and etd. Can you tell me if this is likely to be a transient issue please? Kinda thought getting off the stuff would make my health improve but so far it’s been a disaster! Rebound issues haven’t been too bad, couple of bad episodes but not as awful as I expected really.
Any help would be great, no help from gp here. Thank you
Hi Lesley:
How fast did you taper off the Omeprazole? If you come off it too fast you could have some of the same side effects that you might experience while on the drug. Hundreds and hundreds of people have reported getting tinnitus from taking this drug. And numbers of people have reported Eustachian tube dysfunction so I’m not surprised you are now facing these conditions.
I do not have any information regarding whether your symptoms are temporary or permanent. I tend to think the ETD will be temporary, but the tinnitus may prove to be permanent, but if you ignore it and focus on the loves of your life, you will find that it likely will become less and less intrusive as the weeks and months go by and it will fade into the background and not bother you.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
I am having reflux laryngitis and the acid even goes up to my ear and sinuses, so I feel dizzy. The Dr give me Pariet for antacid. But even when I am taking the medicine, I still constantly feel lightheaded and pressure in my ears and tightening at the back of my head and neck. Would these possibly cause by side effects?
Thanks
Hi Kathy:
Rabeprazole (Pariet) can cause all sorts of side effects including dizziness, a feeling of pressure in your ears, ear discomfort and many others.
Personally, I’d follow the suggestions I give in this article and not take any drugs. You may find your side effects go away when you stop taking this drug.
I don’t know whether your tight neck and head are due to this drug, or to your vertebrae being out of proper alignment. If they are a chiropractor can typically help.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr Neil,
Does Prevacid has impact on Eustachian tubes ? I usually take Pepcid for heart burn. About 5 days ago I took Prevacid and I felt slight pressure in my ears for the first pill. next day took second dose and my nightmare started. feels like someone pumped air in my ears. Strong Tinnitus and feels my tubes are damaged and difficulty blowing air into them. this happened immediately after the second pill. I went to the Clinique near my place and they have no explanation of what happened. I generally feel clicks in my ears when I eat some foods like Veggie Fiber, certain iced tea… when I take Pepcid, these clicks fade away. I wish I never tried Prevacid. I cannot explain why and what is relation between my ears and certain food or drugs taken. I am very worried from hearing loss since the tinnitus is the worst I ever had in my life. Its too strong and has a high pitch never experienced before. usually my tinnitus is low . Any idea or explanation from your end dr ?
Hi Moe:
Lansoprazole (Prevacid) can indeed affect your Eustachian tubes. Numbers of people have reported to the FDA of having Eustachian Tube dysfunction after taking Prevacid. And about 4 times as many report ear discomfort and about the same number report getting tinnitus, and even more report getting hearing loss so it’s not a good drug to take if you want to protect your ears.
Incidentally, Famotidine (Pepcid) also has all of these side effects too–but they are reported only about 1/3 to 1/2 as often as for Prevacid, so that would be a better choice.
I don’t know why/how Prevacid messes up your Eustachian tubes, but it does. You’d be wise to stay away from this drug, and indeed all the other drugs in this class of proton pump inhibitors.
Cordially,
Neil
My husband has Meinere’s Disease, which was diagnosed from an attack we belive was brought on from taking Omeprazole. He has stopped taking it, but his acid reflux hurts him quiet often, is there anything he can take to help with it that won’t bring on the Meinere’s?
Hi Jamie:
I need to correct a common misunderstanding about Meniere’s that almost all doctors have. Drugs do NOT cause Meniere’s. The fundamental cause of Meniere’s disease is from your top two neck vertebrae being out of proper alignment. You can read all about it in my comprehensive article on Meniere’s at http://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/atlas-adjustments-alleviate-menieres-disease/ .
What I think is really happening is that taking Omeprazole resulted in several side effects that just happen to be the same as symptoms of Meniere’s disease–namely hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo and a feeling of fullness in the affected ear. For drugs, I track 31 different ototoxic side effects that may appear. For your information, Omeprazole has 27 of those 31 reported, not just the four that are the hallmarks of Meniere’s disease.
Omeprazole is very ototoxic in my opinion. There are many thousands of reports sent to the FDA of people getting the various ototoxic side effects from taking this drug.
Has your husband tried all the non-drug suggestions I lay out in my article on GERD? You can read it at http://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/acid-reflux-gerd-drugs-cause-tinnitus-heres-the-solution/
Hopefully, if he follows them, he won’t have GERD anymore and thus won’t need to take this harmful drug.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Bauman,
I have been suffering for the past 18 months with a sensation of a clogged right ear, as well as various other ailments, such as dizziness, nausea, etc…I have been to 2 ENT’s had an MRI done, blood work, and audiology and everything comes back normal. Now I’m on to a Neuro and the only thing they can come up with is atypical migraines and want me to take Topamax. However, I started thinking about the one thing that has remained a constant and that is that I suffer terribly with acid reflux and I take 2 to 3 zantac a day and now Im wondering if this may be the cause to my issues? Any insight would help tremendously as my quality of life is severly suffering and I have had no other help. TIA
Hi Jenna:
Ranitidine (Zantac) can certainly cause a number of ear problems including dizziness (thousands of people report this) and other balance problems as well as blocked or clogged ears and similar things.
Did these ear problems exist BEFORE you began the Zantac or after you began taking it? If after, that is strong circumstantial evidence that the Zantac is the cause of your ear problems.
You could stop taking the Zantac and see if your ear problems go away in a couple of weeks. That would also help prove whether the Zantac is the culprit or not. This won’t be easy as your will most likely get rebound reflux.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Dr. Bauman,
I’ve had gerd for years.Ive had a fundoplycation to try and correct acid backing up into the esophagus back in 2012. I was on metoprolol xr, for issues with syncope for many years. I’ve since stopped taking the toprol. I’ve taken Ranitadine, Nexium, Omeprazole, Pantoprazol.
If I eat anything spicy,,garlic, onion, I suffer terribly with acid causing congestion, throat clearing, horsness and fluid in the middle ears.
At the end of January I came down with a severe case of sinusitis and double ear infection.
My GP first had me on 500 mg. Of amoxicillin 3x a day for 10 days.
I called him after the ten days to tell him I could not hear as my ears were blocked, burning and just everything sounds underwater. I have a sensation of pins and needles in the back of the head.
He then had me take clindamyacin 150 mg. 3x a day. It’s now been over a month and I still can’t hear very well. I have an appointment with my E.NT. on March 4th. 2019.
I often feel short of breath,! My gastro Doctor has me on dycyclomine and pantprozole.
Will my hearing ever return, I’m very worried.Im 66 year old male, and having trouble with hearing in a normal conversation. I have occasional ringing in both ears. On another note I’ve had a colon resection, and I know for sure that I have adhesions to the colon. My gall bladder was removed in 2014.
Thank you in advance for any insight as to what could be going on!
ppis aren’t good for you but they stop some people damaging the esophagus and can heal esophagittis. It’s not true that diet can cure acid refl, if your les isn’t working properly Or a hiatal hernia is present the only cure is surgery. A diet might help a little but ppis need to be taking to heal esophagus and stop progressing to Barrett’s esophagus and eating healthy will still not stop refluxing if les doesn’t function properly.
Hi Steve:
Proper diet CAN help your LES to work properly if you refrain from eating foods that relax your LES. Stopping taking any drugs that relax your LES can also stop acid reflux if that is the cause of your acid reflux. Keeping your weight under control also helps. So there are a number of things a person can do to get control of the acid reflux. However, I agree with you that if you have a hiatal hernia, you need medical intervention.
Instead of saying if your LES isn’t working properly you are going to have acid reflux (which is true), you need to be thinking about WHY your LES isn’t working properly in the first place and then take steps to get it working properly–and that is what I’m advocating by the things I’ve mentioned above.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi,
I have taken both Zantac and Omeprazole. About a month later i went to bed and woke up with SSHL. I can not hear out of my right ear. I have had taken prednisone and had steroid injections in my ear. Do you think the Zantac and omeprazole could have caused single sided hearing loss?
Hi Andrea:
Omeprazole (Prilosec) can indeed cause hearing loss. One man took Omeprazole for 7 days and experienced the same thing you did–SSHL in one ear. Hundreds upon hundreds of people have reported to the FDA of losing hearing from taking Omeprazole.
Ranitidine can also cause hearing loss but it is not half as ototoxic as Omeprazole. So my money is on the Omeprazole as the culprit in your hearing loss.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi,
I have severe GERD & need my meds to help. I take Nexium & pepcid. I read that tinnitus is a side effect of h2 blockers. The tinnitus started around the time I started Zantac. Sometimes I get pressure in my ears & ear pain, are those side effects of the meds?
Hi Emily:
Of the three drugs you have/are taking, the Pepcid is the easiest on your ears. The Zantac is next and the Nexium is the worst, or at least it has the most reports of ototoxicity.
All three of these drugs can cause tinnitus–Nexium is the worst then Zantac and bringing up the rear is Pepcid. Exactly the same applies to ear pain. Nexium is reported to cause ear pain in hundreds upon hundreds of people so it is not a rare side effect. Only about half as many reports of ear pain for Zantac.
There are not many reports of ears feeling blocked or pressured–only a handful–but even so Nexium in the worst.
So yes, Zantac could be causing your ear pain and feeling of pressure as well as tinnitus, but it is more likely that it is due to the Nexium.
Cordially,
Neil
I’ve been suffering gastritis was put on
Omeprazole
Take a small 10 mg daily
My gastritis was not healing
Been in bits it’s mild they say had endoscopy which was normal non erosive and no ulcer
I got bad on the ppi so stopped
Bern in and out hospital with gastritis issues
Prior I had h pylori which has gone but tummy needs to heal so hospital put me back on ppi
Small dose
I’ve lost so much weight to I do not smoke I barely eat as I can’t
So am back on them prior to that o had a lot of ear hissing ringing before ppi now day one it’s still hissing but wondering if it will go as I read it can make it worse I’m thinking is it inflammation in the first place from nit taking ppi to heal my tummy
I’m hoping the ear ringing goes
Tummy is nauseaus upper ab tender and wright loss from not eating as can’t feels tummy jittery as acid build up I think
I take in the morning and am terrified to now eat
Hospital yesterday said my tummy is not healing cause you are not taking nithing to help it
I’ve had weeks of this and can’t no longer cope
I’m scared thin bone and hoping this ppi starts to work please help
Hi Tina:
For my money, PPIs are not the way to treat stomach problems. Ultimately, I think they do more harm that good.
Have you read my other article on GERD at https://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/acid-reflux-gerd-drugs-cause-tinnitus-heres-the-solution/ . It gives you some natural ways to deal with stomach problems.
Cordially,
Neil
Is there any way to test the acidity in my stomach? Are there any H2 receptor blockers which are not oxotoxic? I had bad acid reflux around the same time my Tinnitus came along (a few weeks after) and I went to the ER because of the acidity to rule out a heart attack (which I did not have, but I have a heart condition so they take it very seriously). I think the reason for the acid reflux was I had recently been drinking a lot of a bottled spicey pineapple beverage before bed (4th ingredient citric acid) I did not realize could have this effect on me (which obviously I stopped).
After going to the ER for acid reflux I took 2 days of PPIs and read about PPIs making tinnitus worse so I stopped taking them after 2 doses and started drinking a lot of Kombucha especially when I ate that helped reduce the ringing for a bit but then after several days of way too much I started feeling really acidic. The reason I took bottled Kevita ginger Kombuchua is it seemed every time I eat, or burp the ringing comes back for a while and I thought ginger would help…since I stopped drinnking the Kombucha the ringing has become more frequent although not as bad.
Also the ringing starts up in the morning, although now at least I can sleep through the night without being woken up in the middle of the night… but the mornings I get really depressed.
I’ve tried juicing high alkaline type vegetables every day when I wake up and before bed – spinach, kale, broccoli, and that seems not to make things as bad. If I am woken up from the ringing I take one antacid and I that helps me get back to sleep..ringing is still there but not as bad.. One day I had chocolate and that was a bad day for the ringing and read later it was bad for opening the lower esophogeal sphincter.
I don’t feel acidity very often just ringing in my ears probably my ears either damaged or trying to heal, but it’s been weeks since the hospital acid reflux visit and over a month since I noticed the Tinnitus.
I need more energy, and my new diet (if you would call it that- I only eat some fish, chicken and high alkaline vegetables lately) doesn’t solve the problem completely. I can’t imagine living like this.
Do you have any thoughts on H2 receptor blockers? Should I try the apple cider vinegar? I don’t want to make my situation worse but I feel like even gas from my stomach may be irritating my eustacian tubes/cochlea or something… I realize the Tinnitus probably isn’t going away completely but I want to maybe reduce it or even possibly heal as much as I can. Thanks in advance.
Hi Colin:
You’ll have to ask your doctor or pharmacist about how to test your stomach acidity. That is out of my field of expertise.
All the H2 blockers are ototoxic so you need to choose the least ototoxic one.
If the Piperazine class of H2 blockers will do the job, you might want to try one of them as they have fewer ototoxic reports such as Cinnarizine, Cyclizine, Delavirdine, Flunarizine and Piperazine.
You shouldn’t be eating or drinking anything after 6:00 PM except water to calm your stomach down before you go to bed. I’ve been doing this for years and don’t have any problems. Sometimes it’s the simplest things that do the most good.
Do you know for sure that it is too much acid that is causing your problems and not that you are low on acid like is often the case with older people?
Did you read my article at https://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/acid-reflux-gerd-drugs-cause-tinnitus-heres-the-solution/ ? You may find some good tips to help you without resorting to drugs.
Cordially,
Neil
Between famotidine and cimetidine which one is less octotoxic for tinnitus (if you already have it). I think i’ve developed some acid reflux now due to anxiety stress from my tinnitus over the last 8 weeks.
Would you recommend one drug over the other (ideal i don’t want to take any), but i’ve already changed my diet, and trying some other stress management techniques.
Hi Bill:
Cimetidine has half the reports of tinnitus side effects than Famotidine and only 1/3 the number of reports for hearing loss, so is probably the better choice.
Cordially,
Neil
Could my tinnitus have caused my GERD? I used to have severe tinnitus which would wake me up in the middle of the night, frequently. I couldn’t go back to sleep right away and would generally toss and turn quite a bit.
Hi Steve:
Tinnitus itself doesn’t cause GERD. However, it’s possible that all the “tossing and turning” and associated anxiety/worry helped cause the GERD.
Cordially,
Neil