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Hearing Loss from Autoimmune Disease Drugs?

by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.

A lady asked:

I have been diagnosed with two autoimmune disorders (celiac disease about 15-years ago, for which I follow a gluten-free diet without any problems) and, more recently, rheumatoid arthritis. I’ve been taking Methotrexate by injection, as well as a daily dose of Meloxicam (an NSAID) for about a year now.

I’ve had remarkable improvement in my arthritis symptoms, but have noticed a real change in my hearing on one side—loads of tinnitus and moderate hearing loss in high and low tones. I’ve read that the medications I’m taking can be ototoxic (although my physicians don’t seem to know anything about that).

Is there some way to determine whether my symptoms are the result of my medications, or whether this could be autoimmune related hearing loss?

Good question. Both of the drugs you are on can definitely increase your tinnitus. If fact I have heard from women who have taken either one of your drugs which resulted in loud tinnitus when they took them—so I suspect the drugs are likely causing the loud tinnitus in your case as well.

I have not seen any information specifically linking Meloxicam to hearing loss. (Incidentally, Meloxicam belongs to the Oxicam drug class. It is not a NSAID.) However, two other drugs in the Oxicam class can cause hearing loss, so it is possible that Meloxicam can also cause hearing loss—just that it has not yet been reported in the literature.

Methotrexate may or may not cause hearing loss. The results of one study I saw were inconclusive—some people got hearing back and others lost more.

Have your doctors tested you for AIED (autoimmune inner ear disease)? The standard treatment for AIED is Prednisone. If your hearing comes back when you take Prednisone, they say you likely have AIED, and if it doesn’t, then you probably don’t.

Unfortunately, there is no easy way to pinpoint the source of your hearing loss when there are several factors involved.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jackie says

    November 18, 2012 at 6:19 PM

    I was wondering if Meloxicam was causing my weight gain but not knowing this could be the reason my hearing is getting worse.

    Reply
  2. Neil says

    November 19, 2012 at 7:14 AM

    Hi Jackie:

    Meloxicam can cause weight gain. It can also cause severe tinnitus, but I’ve still not seen anything linking taking Meloxicam to hearing loss.

    Regards

    Neil

    Reply

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Neil G. Bauman, Ph.D.

1013 Ridgeway Drive, Lynden,
WA 98264-1057 USA

Email: neil@hearinglosshelp.com

Phone: 360-778-1266 (M-F 9:00 AM-5:00 PM PST)

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"The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life [which also includes perfect hearing] through Jesus Christ our Lord." [Romans 6:23]

"But know this, in the last days perilous times will come" [2 Timothy 3:1]. "For there will be famines, pestilences, and [severe] earthquakes in various places" [Matthew 24:7], "distress of nations, the sea and the waves roaring"—tsunamis, hurricanes—Luke 21:25, but this is good news if you have put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, for "when these things begin to happen, lift up your heads [and rejoice] because your redemption draws near" [Luke 21:28].