by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.
A lady asked,
If an ototoxic drug is the cause of tinnitus, how long would it take to resolve once you stop taking the drug? I know that’s a difficult question to answer since every one is different but I’m wondering if you have some sort of idea based on your experience.
This is an excellent question, but like you said, there is no easy answer. This is because so much depends on the specific drug and on your emotional makeup, among other factors.
For example, you could expect tinnitus from taking a lot of Aspirin to go away within a day or two after you quit taking the Aspirin. However, with some drugs, such as the Aminoglycoside antibiotics (e.g. Neomycin, Gentamicin, Tobramycin, etc.), you may find the resulting tinnitus is permanent and will never go away—although you can learn how to habituate to your tinnitus so it won’t bother you.
Most drugs fall somewhere between these two extremes. As a rule of thumb, I say give it a couple of weeks after you stop taking a drug before you worry whether your tinnitus might be permanent or not.
Note this well. Whether your tinnitus persists and bothers you depends a lot on your emotional makeup. If tinnitus is no big deal to you, your tinnitus will likely disappear or fade into the background fairly quickly.
However, if your tinnitus elicits a strong negative emotional reaction from you, and you subsequently form a strong negative emotional bond with it, your tinnitus can take on a life of its own and become a self-perpetuating condition. In such cases, the thing that triggers your tinnitus in the first place (a drug) may have nothing to do with whether your tinnitus persists or not.
Thus, the trick is to remain emotionally neutral towards your tinnitus and ignore it. Treat it like a totally meaningless sound, such as fridge noise—something you actively have to listen for before you can even hear it because it is so meaningless to you. If you can treat your tinnitus the same way to treat “fridge noise”, you should not have much of a problem with your tinnitus.
Ignore it like the fridge? The fridge isn’t screaming inside my head.
Hi Warren:
We’re talking about the principle of the thing–not the volume. You need to learn to ignore your tinnitus just the same way you learned to ignore (and now ignore) the noise your fridge makes. (I didn’t say it would be easy.)
Cordially,
Neil
I lost my job (15 years as a high speed voice transcriptionist for Thomson Reuters) and subsequently my health insurance due to lexapro in 2016. I could not sleep and just got irritable at work… felt tired and frustrated with ALL SOUNDS. Soon facing homelessness if I cannot find work where I can handle the noise and stress. I cannot make friends with this noise and I have tried. Your suggestions are for a more subtle form of tinnitus and not the ringing bell kind.
Hi MB:
If you cannot get control over your tinnitus by yourself with the things you have tried, then you need professional help. Don’t try to do it alone.
Cordially,
Neil
I have tiinitus in my right ear got it 2 days after I got J& j vaccine on steroids now doesn’t seem to be helping
I have terrible tinnitus after taking ED drugs. Even after discontinuing the drugs my tinnitus is roaring for the past 7 years since taking the ED medicine. Thankfully, I retired before this terrible ringing started. I can’t imagine working with this condition. I have been on Clonazepam and Gabapentin to help me cope with this condition. My Audiologist tested my hearing and the tinnitus is the worst he has seen for the last 20 years. The drugs I take for tinnitus has lowered and made it more bearable. Best of luck for anyone with tinnitus as bad as mine.
Did it take both those meds to help your tinnitus? I’ve been listening to this squealing for 3+ years!!!
Which ED medication did you take, and what dosage and how often did you take it?
Hi Dr. Neil. I took cymbalta for 5 months and develop tinnitus in my left ear. I left this drug for about 2 weeks and the tinnitus is still here. Will the tinnitus resolve itself with time? I really need an answer. Please, it’s really important.
Hi Andreia:
Duloxetine (Cymbalta) causes tinnitus in good numbers of people. However, I have no information on its permanence. I’m sure that sometimes it is permanent and other times (maybe most times) it is temporary and will fade into the background in time. There is no way I can predict (accurately, that is) whether yours will go away or not. But I can tell you that if you do not consider your tinnitus as a threat to your well-being and treat it as you do any other constant background sound (totally ignoring it), in time it will fade into the background an no longer bother you–if you even hear it.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi again Dr. Neil, but can you tell me if you know some people who actually had that side effect and it eventually went away with time? I really want to believe that tis is just a bad time. We start takin a medicine and we are totally clueless about what’s going to happen. We just don’t. If I did know that I wouldn’t take this drug at all. So Dr.Neil, you say that most of the times it just disappears? Best wishes
Hi Andreia:
I previously told you I have no specific information on the permanence of tinnitus after taking Cymbalta. This includes no one telling me their results. Therefore, I am just giving you my speculations based on what I already know about drugs in general. Furthermore, whether tinnitus remains bad or fades into the background so it does not bother you depends on how you react to your tinnitus.
If you treat your tinnitus as “no big deal” and do NOT attach any importance to it (in other words do not regard your tinnitus as a threat to your well-being in any way), then you can habituate to it and it will fade into the background and not bother you.
On the other hand, if you attach importance to it (thinking it will affect your well-being) then it may never go away. So much depends on you. If I were you, I’d treat it as the sounds your fridge makes (you totally ignore them) because they are a “useless” environmental sound and you do not need to hear them.
Cordially,
Neil
I’ve gotten tinnitus after taking levothyroxine. My doctor put me on it because I’m pregnant but now says I probably didn’t need to be on it because my tsh levels were in the normal range. I’ve been off levothyroxine for 6 days now and the tinnitus comes and goes every other day. It lasts the whole day when it’s there. Is this something that should go away when the drug is completely out of my system? I have a theory that my thyroid is basically going up and down with it’s hormones as the drug is leaving my system which is why I have tinnitus one day and not the next. Could this be it?
Hi Megan:
I always think it is good news when you have intermittent tinnitus. This proves that it is not constant and probably not permanent. So I think your tinnitus will go away in time. Your theory may be true, but only time will tell. I’ve never run across a situation like yours before.
Cordially,
Neil
I have been experiencing increased tinnitus in the last 2+ weeks since beginning Atorvastatin and Rogaine. Which is most likely the culprit? I would be grateful for any advice. Thank You
Hi Chuck:
That’s easy–Atorwastatin has 21 TIMES the number of tinnitus reports than Rogaine.
Cordially,
Neil
Good afternoon Doctor, I developed tinnitus about 18 months ago while at home due to the lockdown from the pandemic. Last week I came to the conclusion that it may be due to the propylene glycol ingredient in the Rogaine (generic form). Initially I attributed this to my statins (rosuvastatin), seeing how I started that regimen along the same time when the tinnitus started. However, after 8 months without statins, my tinnitus still persisted, although not as bad as it had been when I decided to drop it (I reached a point where I could not even concentrate in my own thoughts). Seeing how dropping the statin did not “cure” my tinnitus, I started to think about other things that coincide with the onset. I landed on propylene glycol after seeing it as an ingredient of the generic Rogaine and remembering that I had also adopted the regimen in a much stricter fashion during the lock down because I was home and able to use it twice a day. I don’t know if the mix of statins and Rogaine are particularly bad or if they both individually are toxic to the ear and I just happen to land on the specific regimen that destroyed my sanity. I’m hoping this ailment subsides now that I plan on not using Rogaine, regardless, what is your experience with propylene glycol and tinnitus? Am I hopelessly thinking this can be cured now that the damage is done?
Hi Chris:
I think the Rosuvastatin is the most-likely tinnitus culprit. Your tinnitus could be permanent from this drug. Your tinnitus dropped in volume after you stopped taking this drug, but unfortunately it did not completely go away.
There is a chance the Minoxidil (Rogaine) caused your tinnitus, but my gut feeling is that it was the Rosuvastatin.
I doubt the Propylene glycol is the culprit because I do not have it listed as causing tinnitus. It can mess up your middle ears, but so far, I don’t have any reports of it causing tinnitus.
If you stop the Rogaine and your tinnitus stays the same after a few months, then you know it was the Rosuvastatin that caused it. If this is the case, then you need to switch from trying to get rid of your tinnitus, to habituating to your tinnitus so it no longer bothers you. And if it doesn’t bother you, who cares whether you have it or not? It’s no longer a factor in your life. This is how I successfully deal with my tinnitus. You can do it too.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil: I have previously existing quiet tintinus for six years. I learned to habituate to. Sometimes it gets louder or noticeable if I have too much coffee or induced by loud noises. I believe it was triggered in 2016 by Aspirin/ Advil combination when I threw out my neck. Recently my doctor prescribed Astrovastin and within 4-5 hours of taking first dose I started hearing my ears ringing again in the noticeable range. I am day 4 on this statin and I am still hearing the noticeable tintinus vs the quiet version. Is it possible to have this response from a Statin within 4-5 hours of first dose? What are odds the statin has reactivated my previously habituated low level ringing to be loud version? What is typical next steps?
Hi Jeff:
It was probably the Advil (Ibuprofen). I’ve had more complaints of tinnitus after taking Ibuprofen than for almost any other drug. Tinnitus from Aspirin is typically temporary while you are taking it and goes away in a week or two. Tinnitus from Ibuprofen can be long-term or permanent.
I assume you mean Atorvastatin (not Astrovastin). You can get tinnitus pretty fast with some drugs. The shortest record I know of is just 7 minutes. I don’t have specific information on Atorvastatin causing tinnitus that fast, but hundreds upon hundreds of people have reported getting tinnitus from taking this drug. I wouldn’t be surprised that the Atorvastatin caused your tinnitus in 4 or 5 hours, but more commonly it takes a few days.
It is a good possibility that the Atorvastatin has made you tinnitus ever so much worse. I hear that too from people.
Since the Atorvastatin almost certainly caused your tinnitus to get worse, the obvious solution is to stop taking this drug and hopefully your tinnitus will slowly return to its old level (no guarantees though).
Cordially,
Neil
I was taking losartin for high blood pressure. I noticed the ringing,chirping in my ears(mainly the left) Called my doctor and he switched to another. I was on Losartin for about 3 weeks. Will it hopefully go away?
Hi Celeste:
Give it time. One man found it took about 3 months for his tinnitus to reduce in volume somewhat. So you can be hopeful yours will do the same. However, there are two things to consider. First, the BP drug your doctor switched you to may also cause tinnitus so your tinnitus may not die down if this is the case. Second, a lot depends on how you perceive your tinnitus. If you think of it as a threat to your well-being in any way, your limbic system won’t let you habituate to it. So, instead, think of it as a totally useless, unimportant background sound that is safe to ignore, and then ignore it as much as you can, and over time you will habituate to it so you won’t even be aware you have tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Chuck, hopefully you can see this comment, curious, did you stop either or both the statin and Rogaine? Has your tinnitus improved?
You can walk away from your refrigerator making the noise. You can’t juust leave your head in the other room. Of course the person saying to ignore it is one that is not plagued with never hearing silence ever again.
Hi Jerome:
You missed the whole point. You don’t walk away from the fridge noise because you habituate to it so you don’t hear it. That is the way you need to treat your tinnitus noise.
And you’re wrong when you say the person saying to ignore it never hears silence. I’ve never heard silence because my tinnitus is always there–but I’m not “plagued” by it because I learned to habituate to it and didn’t let it control me. I wish you would learn to do the same.
Cordially,
Neil
I decided to make friends with my terrible tinnitus. If I couldnt beat it I’d join it. I find myself trying to mimic the high pitched pulsitile squealing inside the left side of my head. At least I can keep an ear on my heartbeat. I do have hearing aid in my left ear with the tinnitus masking. Cant say that it helps but If I leave the sound of wind chimes turned on I eventually pay attention to the chimes more than the pulsitile ringing………
Hi Robert:
Cool. But the whole idea of the tinnitus sound therapy is that you ignore both your tinnitus and the sound therapy sound (not focus on the sound therapy sound–you just passively hear it) so you learn to ignore your tinnitus at the same time.
However, do what ultimately works best for you.
Cordially,
Neil
I have ototoxic tinnitus and I deal with this now for most of this year, I believe that if you don’t attach to it and like the doctor says ignore it. It does fade . Depends on your emotional make up. I am quite headstrong and will not allow it to take over my head. I switch it off and it does work. If you go to tinnitus therapy.. this is just the same . I decided not to go and just ignore it and it does fade .. over time I guess it will still be there but I don’t hear it hardly.
Typical response. Just ignore it. Get real! I also can’t ignore my fridge. It lives in the garage as the hum makes me dizzy and physically sick. Stop telling people to just ignore our tinnitus. It’s NOT that easy.
Hi Miranda:
You don’t ignore something by telling yourself to do that. It can’t work because in order to know what you want to ignore, you have to bring it into your mind–and thus you just focused on it–not ignored it. You’ll notice I don’t leave it at “ignore it”. I also tell you how to do that, “by focusing on the loves of your life”. When you focus ALL your attention on something else, your brain doesn’t have any cognitive “horsepower” left over to decode your tinnitus and thus you don’t hear it. But as soon as you think about your tinnitus–there it is, because you quit focusing on the “loves of your life”.
I never said doing this was easy. I just said it NEEDS to be done. Those that overcome their tinnitus all do this one way or another.
And if you your fridge makes you dizzy, etc. you need to find out why. Is it because you are sensitive to the electromagnetic radiation (EMR) it gives off? Is it all fridges that affect you or just the particular one you have?
And if I stop telling people the truth about tinnitus, what am I supposed to tell them–lies? You see, tinnitus is a psychosomatic condition–so you have to treat both the physical component and the emotional component–and if push comes to shove, the emotional component is the more important component. so that’s obviously what you need to work on.
Cordially,
Neil
I have been on blood pressure medication Ibesartan or about 7 year. In the last two weeks I developed tinnitus. Do you know if the cause of ringing in my ears come from the blood pressure medication. If so, do you think this side effect is permanent or temporary ? Thanks in advance for your input
Hi Bob:
Irbesartan can cause tinnitus, but I have no information to indicate that it causes tinnitus after being on it for 7 years. The only reports I have resulted in tinnitus in the few days following beginning on this drug or increasing the dose, not appearing years later.
While the Irbesartan may be the culprit, I tend to think there is another cause apart from this drug. Until you know the cause, it is hard to say whether it will be temporary or permanent.
But in any case, you should be able to habituate to your tinnitus so it is “no big deal”. When this happens, whether your tinnitus proves to be permanent or not won’t matter, because your tinnitus won’t bother you so won’t be an issue.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr. Bauman, Do you have information about toradol? My daughter went to her school health center for migraine pain. The doctor gave her a 30mg shot of toradol. Three days later, she started to have severe titinius in both her ears. Two weeks later, one ear is okay, but the other ear still have titinius on and off. Do you know how long toradol induced titinius can go away? Do you know any good doctors in New York can treat this issue. Thank you so much for your advice!
Hi Jenny:
Ketorolac (Toradol) can (and does) cause tinnitus in some people. I don’t have any specific information about how long tinnitus lasts, but your daughter’s tinnitus is going away as one ear is now ok and the other has intermittent tinnitus. To me that is an excellent sign that it is going away. I’d just give it more time. There is no medical treatment that will be effective. Typically, doctors will just want to prescribe more drugs–and all of them have tinnitus as a side effect, so it can just make things worse, not better.
Instead, have your daughter learn to ignore her tinnitus and focus on other things. Worrying about it will just make it worse.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you very much!!!
How is your daughter doing today?? Has her tinnitus resolved?
Hi Jenny, I’m curious to know if your daughter’s tinnitus has resolved, as well. I’m in a similar situation- I received a Toradol injection and developed tinnitus a day or so after. I have been dealing with the tinnitus for several days now and can’t find much information to suggest if this will resolve at all. I am also female, in my 30s and went to the Dr. for a persistent headache. Let me know if possible:)
Dear dr Neil. I’ve been reading a lot of the posts here from those poor people with tinnitus. Well, I’ve had it for a few years but 6 days ago I started taking 2 l.ARGANINE tablets in the morning with breakfast just as a supplement and I want to say the ringing in my head is now just a very very slight noise. Almost a memory of what it was. Is this a fluke? Is it going to last? I don’t know. But thought I should offer this up in case it could help anyone else. Thank you.
Hi Jo:
Thanks for your report on L-Arginine. Since L-Arginine relaxes your blood vessels so more blood can flow though them, IF your tinnitus is due (at least in part) to lack of blood flow to your inner ears, then by taking L-Arginine, more blood flows to your inner ears and thus tinnitus from this cause goes away or reduces in volume. L-Arginine may also have some other effects on our ears that also helps.
However, I doubt most people have tinnitus from this cause, so for them, I doubt L-Arginine will help their tinnitus. But it is always worth a try to see whether it will help. Even reducing your tinnitus by a certain amount is still a blessing.
Cordially,
Neil
I have been taking Kratom recently because I’ve been suffering from terrible pain from my days in the NFL and now I have this constant ringing like I have a cricket in each ear. I can’t sleep because I can’t relax with such bad ringing. I also get really dizzy from it.
I have tried to stop the Kratom but it is surprisingly difficult to stop because of the withdrawal. I’m at my wit’s end and my Dr is stumped as was the one who recommended Kratom after years of hard pain pills.
Advil doesn’t even touch it. It has to be the Kratom because I don’t take any other medications. Now I’m stuck and a little embarrassed that a former pro athlete is hooked on Kratom.
I should have done more research in the matter and got a second opinion but I was kinda desperate for relief. At first I thought it might be CTE related but tests proved otherwise, thank God. I’m very reluctant to go to rehab or anything like that because the press would run with that and i don’t want to be labeled as a junky of sorts. Can I get some advice.
I strongly advise anyone to please do all the research if you want to try Kratom because the problems certainly outweigh any positives. Yes it helps with pain–a lot actually, but at what price? I might be stuck like this for good and knowing I did it to myself really sucks.
Hi FT:
Kratom has a bunch of nasty side effects, besides being addictive, so it is not a good drug for pain as you now know.
I understand your reluctance to go to a rehab facility, but maybe that’s what you have to do. A GOOD pain doctor would be my first choice. You need to learn how to deal with the pain without loading up with pain drugs.
My wife’s cousin is a sports injury/pain doctor. He once told me that those that have chronic pain and take pain pills have the same amount of pain after 3 years as those that have the same chronic pain and do NOT take pain pills, but seek to manage the pain through other means.
In other words, if you take pain pills and suffer their side effects including addiction, at the end of three years you still have the same amount of pain as if you hadn’t taken any pain pills. So you’d be just as far ahead by getting off the Kratom and learning to manage your pain without pills.
If the Kratom is causing your tinnitus, you want to get off it and hope that your tinnitus will reduce in volume if not completely go away. It’s hard to treat tinnitus if the drug you are taking is causing it in the first place.
In a lot of respects, successfully managing tinnitus is like managing chronic pain. You can habituate to it so it no longer bothers you, whether you hear it or not.
I’ve had tinnitus now for more than 70 years, but I do not let it bother me–even though my ears are ringing away quite loudly right now because I am thinking about tinnitus. The trick is to think of your tinnitus as a totally unimportant, useless background sound that it is safe to ignore–then ignore it by focusing on the loves of your life. When you do this it will tend to fade into the background. This is know as becoming habituated to your tinnitus.
In contrast, if you think of your tinnitus as a threat to your well-being in any manner, then your limbic system has to bring it to your conscious level so you can deal with this threat (even though it is phantom). That’s one of your limbic system’s jobs. Thus, you can never habituate to your tinnitus until this threat is removed.
That is why you need to think of it as a useless background sound that is NOT a threat to your well-being. This gives your limbic system permission to let it fade into the background and you will habituate to it.
Finally, don’t beat yourself up. You took the Kratom with good intentions. Beating yourself up doesn’t help anything and just makes things worse. Instead, put it all in the past and now focus on the future–what you need to do to overcome both your pain and your tinnitus and live a happy fulfilling life again.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello,
I used to have tinnitus on and off for almost 20 years. It started with a fasting diet during a ceremony. Learn to ignore for most part. Recently started BP medicines. Initially had Amlodipine and thiazide. Shifted to Delitazam and Telmirstatan. Now I am only on Propanolol 20 mg. Tinnitus again roaring for a month. Is it due to Beta blockers. Thank you. Sundar
Hi Sundar:
All the drugs you mention can, and do, cause tinnitus in numbers of people. They also can cause hearing loss. So the trick is to find the drug that lowers your blood pressure but does not make your tinnitus worse.
Propranolol also has another interesting side effect. I can cause you to hear music in the wrong pitch.
Probably the best blood pressure medication in regards to not causing tinnitus is the ACE inhibitor–Lisinopril. A close second is the Beta Blocker–Labetalol. You might want to try one of these if your doctor agrees.
Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that your tinnitus from taking the 4 drugs you have tried will go away or drop in volume. It may, or may not.
Cordially,
Neil
I had a similar problem with my tinnitus and a newly prescribed blood pressure tablet .Ears got very loud. Got it changed to Bisoprolol (which I had used occasionally for arrythmia ) Took quite a while but the ears did quieten down again.
Dr. Bauman, I totally get what you are saying. I have tinnitus and it WILL make you crazy if you dwell on it. For something that might have no known cure, this is the best possible solution.
What he means is you need to learn how to get into a different mindset. The way i feel that i hear it is when i sit there listening for it and waiting to hear it. If you treat it like the sound of an air conditioning or like he said a fridge noise like something you dont pay attention too and dont even notice its making a sound until you listen for it. This mindset may not come quickly but in time you can train your brain into thinking its a meaningless sound that doesnt bother you. In other words if you keep thinking of it then you will begin to recognize it more. But if you ignore it or drown kt out with other noise to get you mind off of it then it could go away.
If your tinnitus is mild , maybe it will fade into your background. If its sounds like a freight train going by or standing next to a tornado siren it’s pretty hard to ignore.
What couple of weeks mean to decide that tinnitus is permanent?
Hi Andrew:
All I meant was that if you suddenly hear tinnitus, wait a couple of weeks before getting all upset over it and see if it goes away in that time. If it doesn’t, then it may be time to learn how to effectively deal with your tinnitus so it no longer bothers you.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr Neil,
I’v been taking AED drugs: Tegretol and Vimpat (lacisamide). Tegretol for many years, lacisamide for 2 years. Can this AED induce tinnitus? The other side of the story that now lacosamide makes the ringing lower.. Can this AED cause tinnitus, then when it is not taken or dose is not raised tinnitus gets worse? Of course now tinnitus is now some combination of this and stress level/anxiety…
Hi Chris:
Both of these drugs are reported as causing tinnitus, although the Carbamazepine (Tegretol) is far worse than the Lacosamide (Vimpat) in this respect.
When you say “lower”, you mean your tinnitus gets softer correct, not lower in pitch. One of the interesting things about Carbamazepine is that it often makes sounds lower in pitch. Numbers of musicians note this when they take it.
You can take some drugs, notably the benzodiazepines, for a long time without getting tinnitus, then, when you stop taking them you are hit with tinnitus. I don’t have any information indicating whether the two drugs you are taking have this property or not.
You are right that anxiety and stress can cause tinnitus or can make existing tinnitus worse.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr Neil,
I’ve been takint Tegretol very long time.. In chronologic order:
I had a very little tinnitus in 2018 then it almost disappeared could not notice, only with hard jaw movement.
The weird in the tinnitus is that in left and right ear the noise appears independent and almost every type of the noises (changes itself in these days too) can be modulated (pitch and volume goes up) by body movements. For example turning my head left or right, pulling my jaw back. But it’s focused on the left side. I had neck MRI and it shows protrusio disci but not extrusio – office work for many years.
After 2019 I’ve started taking Lacosamide (Vimpat) too. In may 2020 appeared tinnitus and disappeared like in 2018..
In the summer 2020 I broke my left clavicle. I had titanium elastic nail (TEN) in my clavicle until last week. But before that in march 2021 appeared this tinnitus quite permanent. Vimpat makes the noise disappear for a few hours (or for half day), which I should take 2x200mg pro day. (Tegretol 2×200 too)
Do you have any opinion how to judge these signs? I started TMJ examinations but parallel should I also try to forget Tegretol too? Or it is simply because of the stress/anxiety during the spring.
But now I realised that I must learn to tolerate these noise to be able to sleep which is quite hard during the nights…
Thank you,
Christian
Hi Chris:
From the sounds of it you obviously have somatosensory tinnitus, probably due to your neck being out of proper alignment. You said the MRI showed a bulging disk. Which vertebrae was this–between C2 and C3 for example? (Note: there is no disk between C1 and C2.) Or is it at C5 since that is one that has degenerated so much?
Tinnitus sounds can vary in volume and pitch, and which particular sound you hear depending on body movements that can pinch various nerves.
I really can’t tell you how much (if any) the drugs you are taking are contributing to your tinnitus, vs. the somatosensory tinnitus you have from bones being out of proper alignment.
Stopping taking the drugs may make no appreciable difference to your tinnitus if your somatosensory tinnitus is still active. You’d have to remove both sources to make a difference. And conversely, treating the somatosensory tinnitus may not make much difference if most of your tinnitus is due to the drugs you are taking.
Is it safe for you to stop taking the Tegretol? If so, I’d try both to see if you can get your tinnitus to go away, or at least reduce its volume.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr Neil,
C.V. mild circular protrusio,
A C.III. discus small medialis protrusio,
myelon normal,
too small curve in neck lordosis,
nerve root compressio not visible is the result.
Result of Pushed forward posture.
I know it’s hard to modify on the AEDs but will try it with my neurologist.
How frequent is that tinnitus sound pitch can be manipulated by body movements? One doctor said that this is common even if it is not somatosensory tinnitus.
Which AED are safe not causing tinnitus? (or not too much)
Kind regards,
Christian
Hi Chris:
Many people with tinnitus can change the pitch or loudness of their tinnitus by clenching their teeth. This could be a form of somatosensory tinnitus superimposed on your regular tinnitus, or just somatosensory tinnitus.
I can’t tell you which AED are the least ototoxic because I don’t know which drugs doctors might use to try to treat this condition. However, if you get a list of drugs your doctors thinks might work in your case, I can put them in order by their degree of ototoxicity (in my opinion).
Cordially,
Neil
My thoughts exactly! My fridge is about 60db lower on the register too. Frequeny is much higher as well. My tennitus is a ringing sounds like crickets or high pitched tea kettle whistle in my ears that gets louder and louder. It’s so; annoying.
I so agree! I feel like I have a out sink off key symphony playing in my head when it is really at it’s worst.
This it’s the best thing I had read in a long time, seriously. I know the difficulties of what you are telling, but I think you are right. I’d wish that a treatment,
makes the trick to cure the tinnitus… by the way, my mother has an hearing device (audiphone) that has a “program” for tinnitus. She says that is very good. It’s not a cure, but makes his life better.
Doesn’t mean too much if it sounds like you are sitting next to a jet engine. Such as my case. Have tried to retrain my brain with music and a few other techniques but no progress.
My doctor put me on Cymbalta for nerve damage and pain in spine. Took one dose and became very depressed. (Not on any other meds.) By the 2nd day dose, I was suicidal and planning my funeral. I had a sense of total hopelessness and no desire to live. I was about to carry out my suicidal thoughts when I finally fell asleep around 5 am. The next day, my friends and family were furious with me for scaring them and making suicidal threats. It was not a threat. I would have went through with my plan – had I not finally fallen asleep before I could implement it. But, I was so hurt by my friends and family’s insensitivity to my situation, that I took note of the situation and asked myself what had caused this sudden change in my emotional state. I googled “Cymbalta” to see if others had experienced extreme depression and suicidal thoughts and immediately saw that I was not alone. Apparently, from all the posts, it was an epidemic! I immediately stopped the Cymbalta to thwart suicide – after only taking 2 pills (one each of the 2 days). The next day, I woke up with loud ringing in both ears. I continued to have pretty bad depression for about a week, but it eventually subsided. But, the constant loud ringing and buzzing in my ears has not stopped for one minute for 5 long months now. My family doctor sent me to an ENT specialist. A hearing test showed that my hearing had been affected, but he said that there was NOTHING that would stop the ringing in my ears. His only advice was to turn on some noise like a tv or radio at night to drown out the ringing so that I could go to sleep. That does not help. I try to take a Benadryl every night because if I forget, I wake up after a couple hours sleep and cannot go back to sleep because of the very loud ringing in my ears. It sounds like a very loud alarm or sirene going off and cannot be shut off. Besides now being tired and sluggish from lack of sleep, the ringing is getting on my nerves really bad and driving me crazy! I have other major physical problems, but the ear ringing is about to put me emotionally over the edge – nerve wise. Wish I had never taken the Cymbalta and am now very depressed wondering if this ringing will ever go away. Now I am stress eating because of it and gaining weight. If people think this is a minor problem, THEY HAVE NEVER HAD CHRONIC LOUD EAR RINGING (as if a thousand buzzing bees are trying like mad to get in your ears and will not go away – EVER!) I know that I quit cold turkey from the Cymbalta, but did not know that only 2 little pills would give me the suicidal ideations and then would be dealing with tinnitus for 5 very long months non-stop. I am also getting headaches from the stress of the constant loud ear ringing. Can anyone give me hope of a cure? Praying for a miracle! (Will never take another drug no matter how damaged my spinal nerves are – nothing (except an accompanying migraine) is as bad as constant ear ringing with no relief. Thanks for any suggestion. JEG
Hi Elaine:
Duloxetine (Cymbalta) has a LOT of side effects. Depression is a very common side effect of this drug. In fact, it is the 4th most common side effect of this drug reported to the FDA.
And thinking about suicide is very high on the list too. Thousands upon thousands of people get this side effect–but it is mostly hidden so you don’t see the true figures.
Tinnitus is another side effect of this drug thousands more struggle with the effects of their resulting tinnitus. One of the nasty things is that tinnitus can start AFTER you stop taking this drug.
I have two suggestions for you. First, have you tried Arches Tinnitus formula. It is basically the herbal Ginkgo biloba–but at a therapeutic dose. It works for a number of people–particularly those in your boat–who have tinnitus from taking one of the many ototoxic drugs.
Note that it doesn’t necessarily work immediately so you have to take it for 3 months before you evaluate whether it is working well for you or not.
Second, where is your spine bad? If it is in your upper neck, then I’d suggest you go to an upper cervical chiropractor, not a conventional chiropractor, and make sure that your C1 and C2 (top two vertebrae) are in proper alignment. If they are out, it can result in tinnitus too.
And you are right about intractable tinnitus being HARD to live with. In fact, the top three conditions that are most difficult to live with are in order–intractable pain, intractable vertigo and then intractable tinnitus.
I wish you well.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr Neil does the mg.of cymbalta make a difference where tinnitus is an issue? I’ve had T for 3+ years and was on 120mg of cymbalta for a very long time. Now I’m on only 30mg and still have tinnitus. I’m not sure if cymbalta is what caused it but I sure wish someone would have told me cymbalta can cause it cuz I would have never started taking it. This tinnitus is on the verge of making me suicidal!! I need answers! Please help!
Hi Cindy:
A lot of people experience tinnitus from taking Duloxetine (Cymbalta).
As a rule of thumb, the lower the dose you take, the lower your risk of getting tinnitus and other ototoxic side effects.
However, once you get tinnitus from taking this drug at a given level (like your 120 mg), then reducing the dose may or may not let your tinnitus drop to a lower level. If tinnitus is always temporary, you may notice a difference, but if the drug causes permanent tinnitus, you may find that the tinnitus level remains the same even after you have greatly reduced the dose like you have.
Since your tinnitus is really bothering you, you need professional help. You don’t have to let it drive you buggy. You can learn how to bring your tinnitus under your control. My book “Take Control of Your Tinnitus”, especially chapter 16 will show you how you can do that. You can get this book at https://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/take-control-of-your-tinnitus-heres-how/ .
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Cindy:
I have no specific data on whether Duloxetine (Cymbalta) is dose dependent or not as regards to tinnitus, but I suspect it is–just like many drugs are.
However, if your tinnitus was caused by a high dose, your tinnitus may not drop just because you are on a reduced dose now. That’s just the way it is sometimes.
Why don’t you get off the Duloxetine. Ask you doctor for a different drug and see whether that lets your tinnitus drop.
Since you are feeling so overwhelmed by your tinnitus, you should seek professional help. I’d suggest a counselor versed in Cognitive Behavioral therapy in relation to tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi
I have tinnitus I think fro m my hearing loss
Was bad went on Trazadone 25 to 50 mg for 2 weeks . I got suicidal and went off by 2 days 25 then 3days 25mg doctor said I could just go clod Turkey
Well my tinnitus is now booming do you think for coming off trazadone low dose caused this? Is it perminate
Hi Cyndi-Lou:
Trazodone can certainly cause tinnitus, or make existing tinnitus worse. I think your tinnitus got worse from taking the Trazodone in the first place, not so much from coming off it too fast.
I have no information to indicate whether it is permanent or temporary. My feeling is that if you basically ignore your tinnitus and don’t treat it as something that affects your well-being, it will fade into the background in time. However, if you focus on it and worry about it, just the opposite will happen.
Cordially,
Neil
This is good advice! I was taking a combination of acetaminophen and aspirin, not knowing that the aspirin was at such a high dosage. I thought the tinnitus was from the acetaminophen, even though I wasn’t abusing it at all. I’m going to learn to focus my attention elsewhere!
My problem is that I don’t notice it so much when I am awake, but it wakes me up and keeps me awake during the early morning hours so I end up just getting up at 5:30 am before I have gotten an adequate amount of sleep and then I find myself exhausted during the day.
Hi Marilyn:
You could try going to bed earlier. (I’m at my desk by 5:30 every morning.) Or put on a fan or background music or environmental sounds to listen to. That often masks your tinnitus enough that you can go back to sleep or stay asleep.
Cordially,
Neil
I had a sinus infection and given antibiotics that didn’t work. Tennitus started soon after treatment. I related it to the infection but after surgery and cleaning of the sinus . Tinnitus remained and an additional treatment if antibiotics after surgery, tennitus got worse.
I have finally figured it out to be caused by the antibiotics.
Is this permanent damage?
Hi Brtii:
Hard to say of course, but tinnitus from antibiotics tends to be permanent, although your emotional state has a lot to do with whether it will fade away in time or not. If you consider tinnitus as a threat to your well-being in any way, it will tend to be permanent and get worse. If you treat your tinnitus as a useless environmental sound and so don’t pay any attention to it, it will tend to fade away.
Cordially,
Neil
I have ignored mine with sound machines but you cannot hear people in normal conversation in a public place. I quit lexapro in October of 2016 and am patiently awaiting any kind of improvement. Can’t we sue Forrest Pharma for Lexipro or our doctors for not warning us of oxotocity? #LexiproLawsuit
I have same issue.. Can also drug be of help… How long you have this… It’s week for me my email is viewsunny589@gmail.com please reply
Lasix caused mine been on it since 2007. I’m going to try herbs for edema hopefully it will leave. Is it possible?
Hi Nikki:
Your tinnitus may or may not be permanent. Unfortunately, only time will tell. Apart from your tinnitus, using herbs and other alternate treatments for edema would appear to be a better solution than taking powerful drugs like Lasix that can permanently harm your body/ears.
Cordially,
Neil
I unwittingly discontinued Abilify early after using it for months and am now experiencing dizziness and tinnitus in my head. Should I continue to stay off of the medication or should I resume taking it in order to get rid of the tinnitus?
Hi Brian:
Unfortunately, there is no way to know in advance whether going back on the Aripiprazole (Abilify) will get rid of your tinnitus and dizziness or not.
As you know you have two choices–1) stay off it and tough it out, or 2) go back on the drug. Here’s how I look at these choices in order to decide what to do. So much depends on how much time has passed since you stopped taking the drug and how severe your symptoms are.
1. If you have been off the drug for some weeks or months AND the symptoms are slowly getting better, then I’d suggest staying off–as you already have passed through the worst of the withdrawal symptoms. Actually, if the symptoms are getting better, no matter how long you’ve been off the drug, you might want to tough it out. It also depends on whether you think you can tough it out or not. If your symptoms are debilitating, you might not want to do this, but for milder symptoms that you think you can handle, you might choose to tough it out.
2. If you went off the drug just a few days ago, you might want to go back on the drug and then taper off it slowly–especially if your symptoms are severe. The same applies if you are not making any progress in reducing your symptoms and some weeks have gone by.
Cordially,
Neil
I was put on Etodolac for about 3 months. It worked great, but now my ears ring constantly. I had no idea it could have come from the medication until I looked up causes for ringing ears. I’ve been off the etodolac for almost 3 weeks. No sign of improvement in the ringing yet.
Did your situation ever improve? I just now realize my tinnitus is from the Etodolac I’ve been taking for my back pain. I am discontinuing the med starting today.
Hi Randy:
Etodolac can certainly cause tinnitus in some people, and the resulting tinnitus can be permanent so quitting the Etodolac may or may not affect your tinnitus. Here’s hoping it will.
Cordially,
Neil
Does it mean if it causes tinnitus it is permanent? I only took 3 tablets as my doctor adviced me and i developed tinnitus. Cut off immediately but i’m so stressed to think it stays forever. Can it be reversible? Can we do sonething about it?
Hi Basak:
If you take Etodolac and get tinnitus from it, the resulting tinnitus may be temporary or permanent. Probably, for most people the resulting tinnitus goes away in time. Whether this happens depends on a number of factors. The most important factor in my opinion is your emotional attitude towards your tinnitus. If you think of your tinnitus as a threat to your well-being, you will have a tough time dealing with it. However, if you treat it as a unimportant, totally useless background sound that is safe to ignore–and then you do ignore it by focusing on other things, then you have an excellent chance of bringing your tinnitus under control so whether you hear it or not makes no difference to you because it is a non-issue. This is called becoming habituated to your tinnitus.
You need to calm down and not be stressed out over your tinnitus. That is exactly the wrong thing to do if you want it to go away.
Cordially,
Neil
My wife took amoxicillin about a year ago for an infected tooth and has had tinnitus ever since. I just finished six days of the same and tonight my ears started ringing as well. Can’t believe this is that uncommon. We both had great hearing at 30db’s. But now who knows. It sucks.
Hi Curtis:
I’m hearing from more and more people all the time that are getting tinnitus as a result of taking Amoxicillin.
Cordially,
Neil
One morning I woke with with ringing in my ears, I don’t recall being exposed to any loud noise. I then realized well, maybe it has to do with my medications. I evaluated what I was taking, well to find out Allegra D causes ringing in the ears, so does aspirin and Ibuprofen. So therefore I got off the Allegra D and for several weeks now I still have ringing in one ear. It sucks, It is hard to sleep at night, focus on things and concentrate as it draws my attention and makes it hard to perform. It does cause stress and anxiety which I never had before. All I do is pray it will alleviate at this point.
Hi Robert:
My money is on the Ibuprofen for causing your tinnitus. I hear from numerous people about their woes with tinnitus after taking Ibuprofen. So that is the drug I’d dump and hope the tinnitus is not permanent.
Tinnitus from Aspirin is almost always temporary. Allegra can cause tinnitus bet not all that often.
Cordially,
Neil
So tell me if you are a severe chronic pain patient with screaming tinnitus how exactly does one manage their pain when pretty much every drug can cause tinnitus?
Hi Aleshia:
If the pain drugs you are taking are causing your tinnitus, then you need to take the least ototoxic one with the lowest dose that will do the job and for the shortest time. But taking drugs for pain is only a short term solution. You need to learn how to manage pain without drugs. My wife’s cousin is a “pain doctor” and he told me that if you take two people with severe pain and treat one with drugs and the other one doesn’t get drugs, at the end of a year or so, both will have the same level of pain, but the one without the drugs will not have all the side effects of the pain medications and will be further ahead of the person taking the drugs. So maybe you need to start looking at non-drug ways to deal with your pain since the drug method obviously isn’t working for you.
Cordially,
Neil
I’m being treated from sudden sense neural hearing loss. Developed tinnitus but it faded away as my hearing was getting better. Then I took Pepcid 40mg at night and pantoprazole 40mg next morning for acute gastritis due to prednisone. Tinnitus came back suddenly very loud. I stopped these meds right away for 2 days now but the tinnitus is so bad! Any hope it will fade again?
Hi Neveen:
Although Famotidine (Pepcid) can cause tinnitus, my money is on the Pantoprazole (Protonix) as the likely culprit.
Hopefully your tinnitus will fade away in a couple of weeks, but if not, do what you did before to habituate to it (and don’t take those drugs again). Basically, don’t focus on your tinnitus, or think of it as a threat to your well-being, and you should find yourself habituating to it again.
Cordially,
Neil
I took amoxil and keltrak week ago.. Is tinnitus permanent?
Please reply sir
Hi Manzar:
Amoxl is Amoxicillin, but I don’t know what Keltrak is. What is its generic name?
If you get tinnitus from taking Amoxicillin, it seems that it is often long term.
Cordially,
Neil
I had two low dose ketamine injections last Tuesday and Wednesday for depression relief. As of Thursday of this week I started noticing tinnitus in both ears. If it was the Ketamine, would it take that long to cause tinnitus or could it be related to another cause?
Hi Zach:
I have not found any reference to tinnitus from taking Ketamine, so I rather doubt that it was the Ketamine. However, I could have missed it, or it has not yet been reported. So don’t rule out Ketamine as the cause of your tinnitus, but at the same time, don’t assume it was the Ketamine. There could have been other factors. For example, depression. People with depression are more likely to have tinnitus than the general population. Did you expose your ears to loud sounds in the past week or two? That could be another cause.
Tinnitus from taking drugs may happen within 5 or 10 minutes for certain drugs. For others it may not happen for 6 months or longer. And for others it may only happen when you stop taking the drug. So the time ranges all over the place. Normally, you would expect tinnitus to start within 2 to 4 days of beginning a drug–but as you can see, that is not a given.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks for the response Neal. I stopped Lexapro in November and there is evidence that it can cause tinnitus.
Hi Zach:
Yes, Escitalopram (Lexapro) can and does cause tinnitus in numbers of people so it is good you are off it.
Cordially,
Neil
Well it’s been a little over 2 years since I stopped the escitalopram and the tinnitus that started then is still present although I do not think about it much and deal with it without worry. It does get lower if my sleep is better and stress levels are down. I only notice it when the room is completely quiet. I do not believe that the Ketamine trial was the culprit. Many others have it when stopping the escitalopram from my research. Over the years some people have it go away, others are not so lucky. Thanks.
Hi Zach, how did your T evolve after quitting Lexapro ?
I also swear that Ketamine troches (400mg) caused tinnitus for me. I never noticed it until taking these troches, and I had done 14 infusions prior to taking these.
You may want to research more. Your doubts are unfounded.
Hi Michael:
You are correct. I wrote that about 5 years ago, and since then I have come across information on the ototoxicity of Ketamine. It includes a few cases of Ketamine resulting in tinnitus. It sounds like you are one of the “lucky” ones.
Cordially,
Neil
I started taking ketamine therapy for depression two weeks ago and it absolutely made my ears roar for three days afterward, and now I am about to call the doctor and stop it. Obviously it is oto-toxic and if your depression and anxiety gets better but the noise is doubled, what;s the point of taking the drug because you’re back where you started, only far worse.
Hey did your tinnitus go away?
Hello,
I took Inderal for two weeks as I had high heart rate. Also my vitamin b12 is 212 Pg/ml. Do you think Inderal (proponal) can cause tinnitus also I took it for two weeks only.
Also I took Inderal(10 mg) twice a day for two weeks then to taper off I took 10 mg once a day for three days and then I quit it.
Is it good enough ?
Hi Bisma:
Propranolol (Inderal) can cause tinnitus in some people. As near as I can tell, tinnitus as a side effect is not very common. So it is possible your tinnitus is a result of taking the Inderal, but it could also be from other factors. From what little you have told me, I can’t tell one way or the other.
I don’t know whether you tapered off too fast or not. Since you were only on it for two weeks, maybe your fast taper was ok. One way to tell is if you didn’t suffer any side effects from quitting the drug, it probably was ok–but if you really want to know, check with your doctor.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi. I was prescribed rosuvastatin for borderline high cholesterol. I am also on viberzi 75mg 1/day and 10mg prozac per day for IBS. After a month on the statin, I noticed my ears ringing. The doctor advised me to stop taking the statin, wait for the ringing to stop, and then attempt to take it once or twice a week. Ten days later, I’m still waiting for the ringing to stop and am very hesitant to take that drug ever again. I looked online at drug interactions, and one site stated that viberzi can exaggerate the effects of rosuvastatin. Could this be what caused the problem? Do you think this ringing will go away at some point? Thank you for any advice.
Hi Cheryl:
Rosuvastatin (Crestor) can indeed cause tinnitus. I have no information on whether the resulting tinnitus is temporary or permanent. I agree with you that it is not a good idea to take it in the future as it may make your tinnitus worse.
As far as I know, Eluxadoline (Viberzi) is not listed as causing tinnitus. I rather doubt it was the Viberzi that made your tinnitus worse.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi, I was taking the Naproxen 500mg for 4-5 days to treat ny headache. And then my ear start ringing. Now almost a month and still ringing and get wrose these two days. It makes me anxiety. Its so loud that make me so sick, felt like i cant handle this nosie no more. Will it be temp or long term? Anyone anyidea pls help.
I just went to ER with no treatment available . Gosh. How can there is no pill to fix it?!
Hi Kelvin:
Tinnitus (ringing in your ears) is a fairly common side effect of taking Naproxen. Sometimes the tinnitus goes away in a few days to a few weeks, and sometimes it doesn’t. Since it has been a month now and you haven’t taken anymore, it may be permanent.
Why would you expect there be a pill to fix your problem. It was a pill that caused it in the first place. Typically, taking pills is not the answer to problems–they just cause you more problems as you have unfortunately found out.
Even if your tinnitus doesn’t go away, take hope. The future doesn’t have to be bleak. There are many things you ca do to help bring your tinnitus under your control so it won’t bother you. I’ve had constant tinnitus for many decades now, but it doesn’t bother me–I don’t let it. For example, my ears are ringing away right now, but it’s no big deal.
You can get a lot of help from my book on tinnitus–Take Control of Your Tinnitus–Here’s How. You can get it at http://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/take-control-of-your-tinnitus-heres-how/. I’d especially recommend carefully studying chapter 16.
Cordially,
Neil
I was taking Aleve for my back pain. I took it on and off for about two weeks. Last Sunday I woke up with tinnitus. It has been 5 days now. I noticed that it got better since Sunday, but not much better for the last 2 days. Is tinnitus from Aleve usually permanent? I’ve also been experiencing stress and anxiety for the last 3 months, so that could also be the cause, from what I’ve read. I want to give another week or so before I go to a doctor. I’m hoping this is only temporary. It’s not too loud, I only hear it when I’m in silence. But still..
Hi Paulo:
It can be permanent or temporary. Those that find it temporary find it goes away within 2 weeks–so you still have to give it more time to be sure whether it is temporary or not.
If you go to the doctor, what do you expect him to do? Put you on drugs that have even more side effects? Or what?
Cordially,
Neil
I have had buzzing in my ears since starting an antibiotic following voice surgery last week. I was on Tylenol 3, cephalex and prednisone. Do you think it’s from the medication?
Hi Maryanne:
Was Cephalexin the only antibiotic you took? Cephalexin can cause tinnitus in some people, but I don’t think it is too common. I had a course of Cephalexin this past year and it didn’t cause any change to my existing tinnitus.
Acetaminophen (Tylenol) can also cause tinnitus in some people. So can Prednisone.
So it could be any of the three, or perhaps a combination of the three.
Another possibility is the tinnitus is a result of trauma from the surgery that resulted in somatosensory tinnitus. If it was this kind of tinnitus, often pressing on parts of your neck or face will make it stop or change temporarily.
Cordially,
Neil
Can single pill of naproxen 550 mg cause tinnitus?
Hi Jorge:
I wouldn’t be surprised if it could. One lady took two 220 mg pills (one each day) which resulted in her ear ringing very loudly. So taking more than double the dose at one time probably could do the same.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Doctor. I was recently prescribed ciprofloxacin for a bout of food poisoning. After 2 days (4 tablets of 500mg in total) i an hearing ringing noises. It is causing me insomnia now. What’s the chances of it going away?
Hi Nixon:
Tinnitus from taking Ciprofloxacin unfortunately can be permanent. If this is the case with you, then you need to learn how to take control your tinnitus so it doesn’t drive you buggy. There are a lot of things that you can do. I give the details of these in my book, Take Control of Your Tinnitus. You can get it at http://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/take-control-of-your-tinnitus-heres-how/
Cordially,
Neil
I took one pill of cipro and now I have ringing in both ears. I was on sulfameth for three days with no problems.I stop both of them. Do you think that it is peremant or temporary?
Hi Cheryl:
Cipro is one of those drugs that can cause tinnitus from the very first pill. Sometimes it proves to be permanent. It’s much too early to know at this point. Let’s hope yours is temporary.
Cordially,
Neil
I went to the ent and everything is normal. He said it should go away in a few weeks. I gave me steroids for the time being. Hopefully it works out for me. Thanks
So it has been a month now and I still have the ringing. It has gone down a lot even sometimes it goes and comes but still low. Is there still a chance of it going away?
Hi Cheryl:
You are on the right track–volume greatly reduce and disappearing for some hours at times. This is all good. In time, hopefully it will fade away completely, but even it a bit remains, it shouldn’t bother you at all–so just ignore it.
Cordially,
Neil
I developed ringing in my ears (high pitched) two weeks after stopping Citalopram cold turkey. I was only on it for three weeks. Do you think the cause was the Citalopram? Have you ever heard of cases where there is a delay in the onset of the tinnitus after stopping? I had no ear ringing problems while I was taking it a part from the last day I took it but it was fleeting. The ringing started approximately 15 days after the last usage (10mg). I’ve been told by numerous people it should of been out of my system by then but I’m still paranoid it was the cause since I’ve had no noise trauma or ear infections. I do have an ear wax build-up but only in one ear.
Would really appreciate your thoughts on this.
Hi Sean:
I’ve not heard of people getting tinnitus after stopping Citalopram, but I would not be surprised if it happens. I say this because this is true with the Benzodiazepine class of drugs. You can take them for years without getting tinnitus, but the minute you try to get of them, you are hit with tinnitus.
Thus I see no reason that other classes of drugs might do the same thing.
And just so you know. I receive more reports of Citalopram causing tinnitus than for any other drug. So tinnitus is a very COMMON side effect of taking Citalopram.
Cordially,
Neil
As a seasonal allergy sufferer I’ve had frequent inner ear fluid, vertigo, sinus problems, fullness & pressure in my ears.. feeling like I’m underwater, ears popping, etc. Was prescribed Doxycycline twice last year and twice this year already. Finished the 2nd script on March 30th and woke up with low humming & buzzing in both ears. Also have buzzing & vibration in my ears when loud trucks or cars go by. I’ve been researching tinnitis on the net since March 30th for help when this happened.. I’ve been on Atenolol for 15 years. Saw an ENT & audiologist last Friday and I have moderate hearing loss in both ears.. He gave me the name of an app to download for sound therapy. Don’t know my options or where to turn now. I’ve read about sound therapy, exercises, trying anti-anxiety meds, and possible help thru chiropractor. Can you help me or give any advice? Thank you.
Hi Tricia:
Doxycycline can cause tinnitus (and hearing loss). So there is a good chance that all the Doxycycline you have taken has done a number on your ears.
I don’t know whether that is responsible for the vibration you experience when loud vehicles go by, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if that was the case.
Atenolol can make your ears do “funny” things too–especially after a number of years on it.
I’m assuming that your hearing loss is a result of taking drugs. Ditto for your tinnitus–but since tinnitus often accompanies hearing loss, your tinnitus could be secondary to your hearing loss–so indirectly related to the drugs.
If your tinnitus is bothering you, then having background sounds to listen to helps you deal with it.
Personally, I’d stay away from anti-anxiety meds as they just cause even more problems. Better to deal with the root cause of your anxiety and let it go. A good counselor can help you with that. Chiropractic (upper cervical chiropractors, not conventional chiropractors) can help IF your neck is out of proper alignment, but if your problems have arisen from taking drugs, then chiropractic probably won’t help.
If it were me, I’d not take any more antibiotics for allergies. Go for natural remedies so you don’t damage your ears more than you already have. I’d go to a Naturopathic Doctor (ND) for help.
Cordially,
Neil
I’ve been taking Wellbutrin for 8 days and have stopped as I’m getting bad side affects. I noticed over the last 5 days I’ve had really loud ringing in my ears so loud I can’t sleep. As I’ve only been on it for such a short amount of time and have stopped could this be permanent?
Hi Rebecca:
There is no sure way to tell whether tinnitus from taking Wellbutrin will be temporary or permanent. For some people the tinnitus drops considerably in volume or goes away after they stop taking it. For others, it is permanent.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi, I have been taking Triamterene HCTZ for over 6 years now. For the diuretic side, no blood pressure….for about 6 months I have had a very high pitched shrill in both ears. Could it be the meds?
Hi Jan:
I have no information indicating that Triamterene is associated with tinnitus so this drug is probably not the culprit.
Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) is also not listed “officially” as causing tinnitus, but I have heard from several people who got tinnitus from taking it–so it may be the culprit. The good news is that it seems the tinnitus goes away (or back to its old level) when you stop taking this drug.
One suggestion is to ask your doctor to put you on pure Triamterene and leave out the HCTZ and see if your tinnitus drops in volume. If it does, then you know the HCTZ is the culprit.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi.
I was prescribed citalopram by my GP for anxiety/ blushing. 20 mg a day X1 tablet. I’m 36 year healthy – ish male.
I noticed after x2 days that I had very faint ringing in my ears. I would only notice the high pitched distant noice when alone and quite. Different matter on day 20 after taking the medication each day. The volume increased dramatically and enough to wake me up. Since then I have had constant volume at various frequency. I stopped taking the cit the day the volume increased, it has been 10 days now and still no improvement. At first it scared the hell out of me ( I’m not usely freaked out ) I have now chilled a little and accepting the constant head and ear buzz as either way life goes on!!, it gets a little tougher and distracting at night when trying sleep and still wakes me up early.
Really disappointed as I felt the cit had really helped with the blushing and general anxiety and felt really good.
I have been back to GP a few days ago and she prescribed beta blocker propranolol 40 mg to be taken x1 a day to start.
Im a little nervous and have not taken the prop yet in case it raises the volume of tinnitus so thought I’d give it another week or so to see if the T improves.
If I’m prone to reaction with one drug am I prone to others too? Would you advice that I stay clear of any drug that causes reaction?
Do you think my ears will return to ” normal” after taking cit for 20 days?
The T varies in pitch and volume but affects both ears.
Also I like to keep fit and use ear phones when running – can ear phones damage the ear further?
(Sorry for long post!!)
And thanks in advance
Hi Kirk:
You may be interested to know that I’ve heard from more people regarding getting tinnitus from taking Citalopram than any other drug. So you are not alone in getting tinnitus from taking this drug.
The general feeling is that if you are sensitive to one drug, you may be more sensitive to other drugs as well. But that does not mean that if you take other drugs you will get worse tinnitus for example, but you may.
Propranolol does cause tinnitus in some people, but definitely not as high a percentage as does Citalopram. From this point of view, it would be a step in the right direction to try the Propranolol if you need to take a drug.
There is nothing wrong with listening to music via earphones when you’re running. What is wrong is if you have the volume too high. You should keep the volume to a level that is similar to what you hear people talking at. When you do that, you greatly reduce the chances of damaging your ears from loud headphone sounds. In any case, if listening to your headphones make sure tinnitus worse, you know you’ve got the volume set to high.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi I have hypertension blood pressure and I am on medication for it, and I have allergies , my doctor told me it was ok to take Claritin.
My wife bought me Claritin D extra strength, I had ringing right away but did not realize it was from the Claritin I took it for 21 days before I found out on line that I’m not supposed to take it and ringing in the ears was a side effect. I even had pressure in my head and confusion and very nervous , and my close vision was extremely blurry. I’ve been off it for about 45 days my vision is almost back to normal I still have ringing in my left ear and when I take my dog for a 15 minute walk I feel like I’m stoned and get vibrations in the back of my head and it takes about an hour and a half of sitting before my head goes back to normal but I still have the ringing.
And sometimes the ringing gets very high pitch and breaks up a bit and I can almost not notice it but then the next day it will be extremely loud again I’ve had it only like that a 4 times in the past 45 days where I can almost not notice it, The last time where I could almost not notice it was after about 43 days of not taking the Claritin other than that it’s been very loud. Well my head clear up when I move around? And will my ringing fade away ? And all only sleep about 12 hours a week I’ll sleep one or two hours for two nights then I’ll stay up all night because I can’t sleep and then I might get one or two hours the next night after that and so on.
Hi Rick:
I’m hopeful that over time your tinnitus will fade away. It’s always a good sign when time goes by and you realize you haven’t been aware of your tinnitus. The big thing is not to focus on your tinnitus or worry about it. You have to treat it as a sound that is not even worthy of your attention. If you treat it as a threat to your well-being, then it likely never will go away.
Thus, there is a lot you can do to help get control over your tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil
I have hypertension high blood pressure and I’m on medication for it and I also have allergies my doctor told me it was OK for me to take Claritin so my wife went to the store and bought me extra strength Claritin-D , when I started taking it I got ringing right away but never knew it was the Claritin my vision got blurry my brain got really hazy and I got vibration in the back of my head , after 21 days of taking it I went online and found out that I am not supposed to take Claritin-D and ringing was one of the side effects so I stopped immediately, my vision has gone back to normal but I still have ringing in my ear and when I move around I get vibration in the back of my head and pressure and I feel like I’m stoned if I take my dog for about a 15 minute walk it takes about and hour and a half before my head gets clear again with me just sitting or lying on the couch, even if I move around in the house doing some housework I get the same way. I notice my ringing sometimes gets extremely high tone and breaks up a bit where I hardly notice it there that has happened to me about four times the last time was about three days ago and the next day I will wake up and that ring is extremely loud again and I’ve been off Claritin for about 25 days.
Is that a sign there ringing will go away when it goes to a high pitch where I can almost not notice it?and all the pressure and the vibration and the feeling like being stoned go away when I move around ?
Hi Rick:
To me, whenever your tinnitus takes a break for whatever reason, it’s always a good sign. You can be hopeful that in time your tinnitus (and other symptoms) will fade away completely. There’s no guarantees of course, but hopefully that is what will happen.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello, I recently developed ringing in both ears. I’m trying to figure out the reason. I was on Prevacid for 3 months, no problems. Started taking Allegra in the last month of Prevacid treatment. Still no problems. Stopped the prevacid, 2 days later the ringing started. I stopped the Allegra 3 days after that. Do you think this permanent tinnitus? Or should I expect it to go away?
Hi Tara:
Lansoprazole (Prevacid) can certainly cause tinnitus in some people.
Fexofenadine (Allegra) can also cause tinnitus in some people.
I don’t have enough information to know whether the resulting tinnitus from either of these drugs is temporary or permanent, but I’d hope it would be temporary.
So much of whether tinnitus is permanent or not depends on your own attitude towards your tinnitus. If you treat it as a threat to your well being in any way, then it will stay. But if you treat it as “no big deal”, typically it will fade into the background and not bother you. So in the meantime, learn to ignore it by focusing on the loves of your life.
Cordially,
Neil
well reading all comments instead of felling better i feel more insecure about my condition.. i explain..i was going through anxiety after been home for long time after selling my busyness and take a little time off , after visiting my doctor for couple time she asked me if i want to get therapy for my anxiety and I said why not! after been with my psychology for couple therapies she decide to put me on 10ml of Escitalopram , but she told me to start of with half pill (5ml) for the first couple days but after the first half the next day iiI noticed that icy ears were really sensitive to the noise around but didn’t pay to much attention and after couple days feeling the same i decidedto call my doctor and see what she say about that feeling, she replied saying that never heard about that before and asked me to keep taking the medication for one more week , now the 2 weeks pass and the same citation was in plays with the ringing in my ears , I called her one more time and she told me to stop taking the medication and also told me to not worry about the noise because if that was a result of the meds it was going to disappear after the side effect goes away , … That was in January and now the ringing is getting worse , i was force to go to a ear doctor last week and now waiting for a hearing test nest week , my anxiety is killing me , people say that is going to be permanent and sometime i feel hopeless thinking how and why.. why me on top of my anxiety which i know is playing a role on me feeling more desperate thinking about my future with this… any idea what is going on and what can i do to minimize this feeling…??
Hi Danny:
In my opinion, taking drugs for anxiety is the wrong way to treat this, because so often, drugs can just make things worse.
One of the side effects of Citalopram (a close cousin of Escitalopram) is hyperacusis–exactly what you are now experiencing–your ears are more sensitive to sounds than they should be and you perceive some so loud that they hurt.
So now you have to deal with anxiety AND hyperacusis. Before you only had anxiety.
What I’d do if I were you is find a good counselor that has success in helping people get their anxiety under control through non-drug means.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Dr Niel,
I took Atenolol 25mg/d for 4 weeks. I developed vertigo, hearing loss and tinnitus in my lest ear.
My doctor has taken me off the drug. I fear I have ototoxicity What are the chances of my symptoms improving over time?
regards John
Hi John:
Pretty good actually. Numbers of people find that when they go off Atenolol their hearing improves and their balance issues fade away. It’s not guaranteed of course. For some the side effects are permanent. The problem is you don’t know which class you are in. But you can be hopeful that things will improve in the next few weeks.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Niel,
Thank you so much for the quick reply. It has only been 4 days since stopped taking Atenolol so I will take some consolation and hope from your opinion. I have only been getting about 3 hours sleep each night . So have been in a bit of a state!Is there any thing I can do to help the process?
Thanks again John
Following brain surgery, I had serious nerve pain in my head. For the past 15 years I have taken Amitryptiline, which although not ototoxic, is known to affect tinnitus. Will stopping the drug also stop the tinnitus?
Hi Elee:
Amitriptyline is indeed ototoxic. As you mention, it causes tinnitus–one of the ototoxic side effects of Amitriptyline. It also causes a number of balance problems.
I don’t have enough information to know whether stopping the Amitriptyline will result in your tinnitus going away after all these years. I do have reports of people getting screaming tinnitus whenever they take this drug–but it goes away when they stop–so there may be hope for you too.
Cordially,
Neil
Currently prescribed azithromyacin and I want to know if it causes hearing loss ita been two days but I am ready to discontinue it’s in my left ear. I’m also taking prednisone and bromfel for my cough
Hi Angel:
A good number of people now have hearing loss as a result of taking Azithromycin. So, if your hearing is dropping, it’d be a good.idea to not take Azithromycin anymore, or any of the other macrolide antibiotics for that matter. Obviously your body is sensitive to them. You should ask your doctor for a different antibiotic if you need it.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil, ive been using topical regaine foam 5% Minoxidil for 3 months. I noticed a terrible pain in one ear and then weeks later it went into the other. I feel pressure in my ears and clicky sound when swallowing. Im constantly yawning to try and unblock or ckear pressure. And in the last 4 weejs have developed tinnitus. It started off as a hush but now higher. Do you think it will reverse? I have discontinued using regaine a week ago.
Hi Kerry:
Minoxidil can cause ear infections which could be giving you the pain and the clicking. It can also cause hearing loss and tinnitus. Apparently this is what is happening to you, indicating you are sensitive to this drug. So you’d be wise not to take it in the future.
I have no information to indicate whether your tinnitus will prove to be permanent or just temporary. However, you can be hopeful that your tinnitus will go away in time.
Cordially,
Neil
I took minoxidil for 1 month and then started spironolactone simultaneously. A week after starting spironolactone, I had an acoustic trama from a speaker’s loud feedback next to my ears. I only felt from the acoustic trauma some feeling of pressure in the ears. Only 1/2 weeks after the acoustic trauma I got tinnitus. I then found out how minoxidil and spironolactone can impact tinnitus and stopped taking them 12 days ago. I had a few days of huge improvement but then took brufen for a few days and it’s bad again.
What do you think I should do? Will it be permanent?
Hi Mariana:
Ibuprofen (Brufen is a brand name) causes tinnitus in a lot of people. I think your loud tinnitus is now the result of taking this drug, rather than from the two previous ones you mentioned which seem to just have caused a temporary increase in your tinnitus.
Tinnitus from taking Ibuprofen can be temporary or can tend to be permanent. There’s no way to tell ahead of time. So I sure wouldn’t take any more Ibuprofen and hope your tinnitus will fade away in time.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
I develpoed Tinnitus in my right ear two weeks ago. It then moved to both. I was on codeine for about two years. Also took ibuprofen every now and then for headaches. As soon as the tinnitus started I researched what it could be and found out they are both ototoxic.
I stopped taking them right away which left me a little ill for a few days due to withdrawal symptoms I suppose.
My doctor thinks I have Eustachian Tube Dysfunction which I dont think I have.
The strange thing is, twice in the last two weeks the tinnitus has gone away completely for about 5-6 hours each time. Why could this be?
Ive started to take Vitimin B complex and potassium tablets to see if it helps but me being a pessimistic I dont think it will.
Yesterday was probably the first time I thought to myself, I’ve got this for the rest of my life, and im 34. It really upset me.
Hi Dan:
My money would be on the ibuprofen as causing your tinnitus, rather than on the codeine, although codeine can cause tinnitus and some people, but I don’t think it is too common.
Whenever tinnitus goes away for a few hours, I always think that is a good sign. This shows that you tinnitus may not be permanent and is getting ready to go away.
Why does your doctor think that your tinnitus is caused by Eustachian tube dysfunction? Personally, I don’t see any connection.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil, what are your thoughts on xifaxan causing tinnitus. It’s been close to 5 months since I stopped taking 550mg three times a day for 14 days.
Thanks for your help and time
Hi Eddie:
Rifaximin (Xifaxan) is listed as causing tinnitus in less than 2% of the people taking it. I have no information on whether the resulting tinnitus is temporary or permanent.Since it’s been five months since you last took this drug, it appears that your tinnitus, unfortunately, may be permanent.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil. This is Tina W. I started taking Xifaxan, thinking it was safe. My T spiked after the second pill, noticeably. I took one more pill, and it spiked again. Obviously I stopped. Now it’s the day after and I’m praying that this goes away. If you look at the tinnitustalk forum — several people had bad experiences with this drug. I think the ototoxicity must be underreported. Now I am praying and fighting back tears bc my T was much lower after an ENT found and resolved a sore on my eardrum, just about 6 weeks ago. Tina
Hi Tina:
Of 11,636 reports to the FDAs data base of side effects from taking Rifaximin (Xifaxan), there were only 23 reports of tinnitus, so I don’t think it causes tinnitus very often.
I couldn’t find any reports of tinnitus due solely to Rifaximin on TinnitusTalk, only cases where a person took the Rifaximin in conjunction with Neomycin–and Neomycin is know to be highly ototoxic.
I still think Rifaximin is only mildly ototoxic. Unfortunately, you could have been one of the rare people that had bad tinnitus from taking it.
Cordially,
Neil
Started taking Isosorbide 15mg and started ears ringing. I am scared to think I will have this the rest of my life.
Hi Kay:
Isosorbide can cause tinnitus in some people. I don’t have any information that indicates whether the resulting tinnitus is temporary or permanent, so don’t assume you’re going to have to put up with it for the rest of your life. however, there are a couple things you could do.
With your doctor’s permission, you might try cutting the dose and see if there’s a level below which your tinnitus goes away.
Another option is to ask your doctor to switch you to a drug that doesn’t cause tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Cervical spine problem can this cause tinnitus also had open heart surgery 3 years ago I am taking baby adprin 81 mg metropolo 25 mg and pravastain 40 mg what can it be have had tinnitus for22 months
Hi Ronald:
Yes, upper cervical spine misalignments can result in tinnitus.
Numbers of people who take Metoprolol report getting tinnitus as a result. The good news is that when they stop this drug, often their tinnitus goes away. You might want to get your doctor to switch you to another drug and see if this happens to you too.
Pravastatin can also cause tinnitus, but it’s probably not all that common compared to Metoprolol. So I’d get off the Metoprolol if you can.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil, a doctor prescribed me e-mycin for acne, 2 tablets a day. After 10 days, I started getting bi-lateral tinnitus. I kept taking the tablets for a week then realised it was caused by the tablets so I stopped. I’ve had the tinnitus for two 2 weeks now (so been off the tablets for a week but no improvement). I know it’s hard to say but do you think it will subside? Thanks 🙂 Jacq
Hi Jacq:
I think you have better than even odds that your tinnitus will fade away in time since you were not taking it for long and don’t have any other ototoxic side effects. The best thing to do is just ignore your tinnitus and treat it as any other unimportant sound you hear. Don’t think about it. Don’t worry about it. When you do this, you definitely improve your chances of it fading away.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks Neil, appreciate your response, have a wonderful day! 🙂
Hi Neil, I also wanted to mention to you, and others, that I was taking Nexium at the same time. Not sure if it could have been the combination of the two drugs. I have never had a problem with Nexium before.
Hi Jacq:
Esomeprazole (Nexium) causes tinnitus and other ear problems in numbers of people. So you can’t rule on the effects of Nexium on your tinnitus or in combination with the Erythromycin.
Cordially,
Neil
Does ibuprofin-aggravated tinnitus tend to improve over time after you stop taking ibuprofin?
Hi Elizabeth:
Yes and No. When some people stop taking Ibuprofen, their tinnitus either gets softer so it does not bother them, or it goes away altogether. For other people, their tinnitus stays the same volume and is permanent.
This may have something to do with the dose you take and how long you take it. Doses over 800 mg per day seem to cause tinnitus more than doses below 400 mg per day. So always take the lowest dose that will do the job and for the shortest time possible. That will hopefully put the odds in your favor.
Cordially,
Neil
Can Cellcept, spironolactone, or finasteride
contribute to tinnitus? Thank you!
Hi Elizabeth:
Mycophenolate (CellCept) is listed as causing tinnitus in greater than 3% of the people taking it. The other two are not listed as causing tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you so much for your responses. This should be my last question. I was prescribed high doses of ibuprofin and took 800 mg per day for a week or so, then experienced an increase in tinnitus volume. For this type of medication-induced tinnitus, what is the average time line for improvement for those patients who do improve? Is it in terms of days, weeks or months?
Hi,
I was taking 100 mg of Spironolactone for around 7 years and started having stomach problems so I quit taking it around 2 months ago and have had tinnitus ever since. It doesn’t prevent me to sleep, but a fan has helped. I’m starting to get headaches now and am wondering it it could be caused from the tinnitus. Have you ever heard of stopping taking a diuretic causing tinnitus? My blood pressure has been a bit high since I quit taking the drug as well.
Hi Katie:
I have no information that taking Spironolactone causes tinnitus. Nor any information indicating that stopping taking it could cause tinnitus either.
The only link I can possibly see is that when you stopped taking the Spironlactone, your blood pressure went up somewhat. Higher blood pressure can result in tinnitus. So this may be the reason. But there could be other factors at play rather than the higher blood pressure that is the reason for your tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
I had open heart surgery and symptoms (Whooshing) started after the surgery. I thought it was related to surgery. Doctors felt it was not because surgery was successful. I did not relate to medication, but realized after I stopped taking Spironalactone because I lost 25 pounds and was not retaining fluid, the whooshing stopped. I didn’t connect it initially, but when I started taking it again, then I got the pulsating tinnitus (whooshing). I stopped and the symptoms stopped. My blood pressure is fine.
Hi Mary Ann:
Thanks for the report. Interesting that Spironalactone caused your whooshing tinnitus. I’ll add that fact to my knowledgebase.
Cordially,
Neil
Does methylprednisolone cause tinnitus? If it does, does it tend to go away or be permanent? Is either prednisolone or methylprednisolone safer to take?
Hi JR:
At this time, I have no information that Methylprednisolone can cause tinnitus. I have only one reference to Prednisolone causing tinnitus. I have no information on whether resulting tinnitus is temporary or permanent. From the information I have, Methylprednisolone would be marginally safer to take than Prednisolone, but either of these are only mildly ototoxic so it probably doesn’t make much difference which one you take.
Cordially,
Neil
I had two Medrol injections into the shoulder, about a month apart. Can locally injected Medrol cause tinnitus? If so, does it tend to go away?
On a separate note, I’ve also read that oral methylprednisolone can help tinnuitus. Should I avoid that, given my recent Medrol injections?
Hi Jan:
I have no information that Methylprednisolone (Medrol) results in tinnitus. It may, but at this point, I’ve not seen any reports indicating that it does. Why do you think that your tinnitus is a result of taking the Medrol?
NO drug has been approved by the FDA for treating tinnitus. Thus, none are proven effective for this purpose. But doctors are free to use them “off-label” if they so choose. Personally, I wouldn’t take drugs to treat tinnitus. This is just asking for other side effects. There are other good ways to deal with your tinnitus. I explain many of them in my book, “Take Control of Your Tinnitus”. You can get this book at http://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/take-control-of-your-tinnitus-heres-how/ .
Cordially,
Neil
My tinnitus volume increased after being injected twice with Medrol- that’s why I asked. I called the doctor and was told that Marcaine was also in the shot. Marcaine has tinnitus liated as a side-effect. Do you have any knowledge about Marcaine-induced tinnitus? Thank you.
I took 3 days of metronidazole and got tinnitus in my left ear 3 days now, is it permanent, I stopped taking the drug when it atarted
Also I had to take moviprep today for a colonoscopy and it has seemed to get louder, so they have a common ingredient propylene glycol. Could this be the culprit , and is it permanent, If it’s this loud tomorrow morning I don’t think I will do the second dose and just cancel the colonoscopy, not gonna have it get even louder
Hi Ron:
I have no information indicating that propylene glycol is associated with tinnitus although it can cause a number of other ear problems such as hearing loss, ataxia and cholesteatomas. So it is certainly not outside the realm of possibility that it could also result in tinnitus.
If you have good reasons to believe it is associated with your tinnitus, you do well to be cautious.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Ron:
Metronidazole can cause tinnitus is some people. I don’t think it is too common though. There is a good chance that the tinnitus will be temporary, but there are no guarantees.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello, any info on Meloxicam causing tinnitus? Was on it for over a year and then developed tinnitus, stopped to about 3weeks ago and no relief any chance it could still resolve??
Hi Tray:
Meloxicam does indeed cause tinnitus in numbers of people. The resulting tinnitus can be permanent, but fortunately for some people, the volume reduces with time. Other people are not that lucky.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Dr. I was wondering if my tinnutis is going to be permanent? If there is something I can do about it? I also feel like a tackling sound in my left ear every time I swallow? Also, I feel like I have my ear clogged. I was on ciprofloxacin 500 mg for a week. It has been 3 weeks now since I stop taking it. The sound has reduced. I just hear it now when I am in a quiet place (bedroom or library). My doctor said that most of the times it goes away with time. But I still have it. I am really worry.
Hi Lupe:
Ciprofloxacin causes tinnitus and hearing loss (along with other ototoxic side effects). Tinnitus resulting from taking Ciprofloxacin in many cases is permanent–so is the hearing loss–you you are lucky that your tinnitus is fading away.
Have you had your hearing checked? Typically, the clogged feeling you have is indicative that you have a hearing loss now. Since tinnitus very often accompanies hearing loss, you may find your tinnitus won’t go away–but since it is at a low level, you should be able to easily ignore it and let it stay in the background.
The crackling sound you hear when you swallow is almost certainly caused by “gunk” in your Eustachian tube. Every time you swallow, your Eustachian tube momentarily opens and air tries to get in or out (depending on which way the pressure differential is) and as it “forces” its way through the “gunk”, you hear this as a crackling sound. This will go away naturally as the “gunk” drains from your middle ear and Eustachian tube.
Cordially,
Neil
I was on Accutane for a little over 3 months and noticed a ringing in my ears and I stopped taking the med immediately. My tinnitus has gotten better and worse sometimes. It’s been going on now for a little over a month. Will it be permenant.
Hi James:
Isotretinoin (Accutane) can indeed cause tinnitus, not to mention permanent hearing loss, so maybe it’s a good thing you quit taking it before that happened.
It’s hard to say whether it will be permanent, but to me, it’s a good sign that you have good days and bad days. Hopefully the good days will become more frequent in the future and the bad days less and less frequent until it finally fades away.
Cordially,
Neil
I did get my hearing checked and they said I had perfect hearing which is good news. I just hope the ringing noise goes away. Thanks so much for your input.
Hi James, did the ringing ever go away?
Hi, I was on Ostevelamir (Tamiflu) for 10 days and Cefpodoxime for 5 days after contracting swine flu. Two weeks after finishing both courses my existing mild tinnitus has flared up since the past 2 days. Any chance of it going back to the volume it was at before the meds?
Hi Natasha:
I have no information showing that Oseltamivir (Tamiful) is associated with tinnitus. Also, Cefpodoxime seems to only rarely cause tinnitus. Therefore, I can’t say that your increase in tinnitus is related to these two drugs (but, on the other hand, I can’t say it’s not).
I think that you have reason to be hopeful that your tinnitus will fade back to its old level unless you had a hearing loss from getting the swine flu.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks Neil.
Good to know both meds are not known to cause it.
Back to Homeopathy for me. It may or may not help but won’t leave me worse off. Hopefully the effect of the swine flu will wear off in time.
Hi Neil,
I developed tinnitus after being prescribed Z-Mycin for a sinusitis. I took 2 courses of 3 days ans the tinnitus started on the 2nd day of the 2nd course, this was 10 weeks ago now. I still have the sinus infection and my tinnitus is loud with fullness in the ears often throughout the day.
When it started I was prescribed some steroids which made no difference
I have tried and am still having auricular acupuncture, neurofeedback, magnetic therapy, osteopathy, taking gingko biloba and a nasal spray. I am also being treated my an ENT but no positive result as yet!
The tinnitus is still there and I keep hoping that it will go away and not reaching the 6 months mark when it gets harder to get rid of!!
I should add that I am not experiencing any hearing loss!
Can you please give me your professional opinion on my case.
Many thanks.
Hi Claudine:
Taking Azithromycin (Z-mycin) can indeed result in hearing loss and tinnitus. In fact, hearing loss is reported about twice as often as is tinnitus. So you are fortunate that the Azithromycin did not affect your hearing.
I’ve heard from others that have gotten tinnitus from taking Azithromycin for a sinus infection, so you are not alone.
You seem to have tried a number of tinnitus reduction therapies to no avail. One of the secrets to getting your tinnitus under control is to believe that tinnitus is not a threat to your well-being. As long as you believe it is a threat to your well-being, your limbic system (the seat of your emotions) will continue to flag tinnitus as an important sound that is to be heard. And the more you worry/dwell on/obsess over your tinnitus, the worse your tinnitus will get–independent of the drug that caused it.
Thus, the solution is to treat your tinnitus as a totally unimportant environmental sound that you just happen to hear (like the sounds your fridge makes) which you totally ignore.
In like manner, you don’t have to let your tinnitus ruin your life. You can take control of it so it won’t bother you much or at all. I explain how to do this in my book, “Take Control of Your Tinnitus” (http://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/take-control-of-your-tinnitus-heres-how/ ) especially in Chapter 16.
In your case, getting your tinnitus under your control is something you’ll have to do for yourself rather than it being something you take or others do for you.
Cordially,
Neil
Such a nice description of how to put tinnitus in its place!
Q: My doctor wants me to take xifaxan for SIBO – what risk does it pose for hearing loss and tinnitus, both of which I already have?
Hi Shulamis:
Rifaximin (Xifaxan) is somewhat ototoxic. According to my information, it can cause hearing loss is some people (probably not too common) and tinnitus is more people, as well as dizziness, vertigo and ear pain. I rate its ototoxicity as a 2 out of 5.
You can try it if you want to, but keep an eye out for any of the above side effects occurring.
Cordially,
Neil
I’ve been on several antidepressants for many years. I have a number of psychological issues. I try to keep my appointments for counseling and med checks. But I sometimes have to put them off for days at a time. Sometimes I run out of meds and the tinnitus starts within a few days. When it starts it is unbearable. I can’t hear much else with it. I get sick to my stomach and become very depressed and irritable. I could calm myself if I didn’t have such severe tinnitus. Is there an otc herb like melatonin that could help the severity?
Hi Juanita:
One herbal is Ginkgo biloba. Just be sure you take a proper therapeutic dose of 480 mg per day. To be effective this dose should be standardized to contain a minimum of 24% flavone glycosides, 6% terpene lactones and 2.6% bilobalide. One source of Ginkgo that meets these standards is Arches Tinnitus formula.
Ginkgo works for about half the people who take it, so it could be worthwhile trying it. Be aware that it may take a month to 3 months before it becomes effective, so don’t just try it for a week and then think it doesn’t work. Take it for 3 months, then evaluate it’s effectiveness.
Cordially,
Neil
I’m on tegretol for 4 year I didn’t have any problem for taking it but last week I started hearing my ear vein on my left ear
I went to the doctor he told me that I have tinnitus so can tegretol course tinnitus??
Hi John:
Carbamazepine (Tegretol) can cause tinnitus in some people. But the kind of tinnitus you have is called pulsatile tinnitus and is often the result of high blood pressure or clogged arteries and may be totally unrelated to Tegretol. However, Tegretol affects how your heart works, which affects your circulation and thus whether you experience pulsatile tinnitus. Tegretol can cause slow, fast or pounding heartbeats, for example.
Cordially,
Neil
I was on vimpat 7 months and started getting tinnitus.. Have been off it for 3 weeks. For me – vimpat made my life like ai was living a helllike death. Will the tinnitus go away.? I am 62 years old. Was on it for epilepsy and haven’t had a seizure for 42 years – yet neuros insisted I be on it. Now I was put on valium it seems the tinnitus got lower (in loudness). Yet constant.
Hi Beni:
Lacosamide (Vimpat) can cause tinnitus in some people as you have found out. I don’t have any information whether tinnitus from taking Lacosamide is temporary or permanent.
Diazepam (Valium) can also cause tinnitus in some people. You may find that your tinnitus stays at a lesser volume on Valium than on the Lacosamide.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi! I have Meniere’s disease and my tinnitus was quite avoidable for the past five years. However I have been drinking for the past 6 months heavily and at the same time I am on nexito forte and Sizodon to help me sleep better. But in the past two months I have realised that my tinnitus has skyrocketed. To the extent that no noise can mask it. Can it be due to ototoxicity? Also, what should I do in order for the T to get back to its usual self? I have quit drinking though.
Any advice is really appreciated
Hi Abhinav:
Risperidone (Sizoden) can cause tinnitus (and hearing loss) in some people.
Nexito Forte is a combination of Clonazepam (Klonopin) and Escitalopram (Lexapro). Clonazepam causes tinnitus in numbers of people. So does Escitalopram.
If it were me, I’d cut out both of these medications and see whether your tinnitus drops in volume. (Run it by your doctor of course.) It may take a number of months for this to happen.
You could try herbals such as Valerian to help calm you down so you can sleep.
Cordially,
Neil
I have read so many posts here and am glad that Neil is so supportive. I am now wondering if it is in the air, LOL. Seriously, cellphones and other signals that our parents and grandparents never encountered at this level?
I mean, I bought a new cellphone, new WiFi smart TV after my father passed away and then started Lexapro at that time too. Too many drugs listed here and so it might be worth consideing something larger at work here. The same phenomenon is not happening in other countries from what I’ve seen.
Hi MB:
There are ever so many drugs that can cause tinnitus such as Escitalopram (Lexapro). There is no doubt that drugs are the culprits in many cases of tinnitus.
However, we are now surrounded by micro-wave electrosmog from cellphones, wi-fi, smart meters, etc., etc. and this all has negative effects on our health. Some people are very sensitive to this electrosmog and have resulting health problems. Other are much less sensitive.
If you think you are sensitive, then you need to reduce the electrosmog in your environment. For example, don’t use Wi-Fi–use Ethernet cables instead. Leave your cell phone on airplane mode except when you want to use it. Keep it away from your head–use speakerphone mode.
I’ve not found electrosmog a problem for me (as far as I know), but I have been proactive in keeping my exposure to a minimum. For example, my phone is on airplane mode 99% of the time. My wi-fi is turned off and all my devices are hooked up via Ethernet cables. I only use Wi-fi when traveling–in motels and coffeeshops, etc where you are surrounded by this electrosmog whether you use it or not.
And yes, this is a problem in other countries too. Some of them have put laws in place to try to curtail it. We haven’t done that here.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr.,
I have been on clonazepam .5 mg twice a day. I have taken it for about 3 years for pre-Medipause. I have weened myself to once a day and now I am off of it. The ringing in my ears started when I stopped taking the medication. I am thinking the ringing in my ears is a side effect of this. After going to my GP, and a massage therapist for the ringing, I can’t figure anything else out.
Some days it is louder than others…and sometimes I don’t notice it at all. It is annoying and is effecting my daily activities. Any advice?
Hi Kerry:
Clonazepam is one of the benzodiazepine class of drugs. Once you form a dependence on such drugs, you need to taper off VERY slowly in order to avoid certain side effects. I’ve heard from others that got off the benzos too fast and the result was loud tinnitus.
It sounds like you did a very fast taper. A slow taper to me would be 1/3 of 1% per day–thus taking 300 days to get off it.
What’s done is done. However, the good news is that you have good days and bad days and even days without any noticeable tinnitus at all. I say this is good news because your tinnitus isn’t there solid and severe all the time. If it can vary like it is, to me this indicates that in the future you will have more and more good days and days where you don’t notice your tinnitus.
The secret is to continue to ignore your tinnitus as much as possible–don’t focus on it–even on the bad days. Focus on the loves of your life instead. Hopefully, in time, it will fade more and more into the background and not bother you–even if you do hear it.
Cordially,
Neil
Can tramadol cause this? They are not ringing, but feel very full and painfull a few hours after taking them. It has happened twice now, lasting two or three days. Could this be a start of tinnitus?
Hi Ellie:
Tramadol can cause a number of ototoxic side effects including tinnitus and ear pain which you are experiencing.
The fullness/ear pain is a separate condition to tinnitus, but anything that causes some degree of hearing loss can also result in tinnitus.
I’d be careful about taking Tramadol in the future. Your ears are obviously sensitive to it and you don’t want all the other ototoxic side effects to surface.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi, just a few days ago I noticed a ringing in my ears, and it has not gone away for a few days now. I have been taking Tetracycline (a low dose) for maybe 18 months, and then I stopped for maybe 2 weeks and started again. Shortly after that I noticed the ringing. What are your thoughts on potential permanence?
Hi Zac:
That’s a hard question to answer with any accuracy. Tetracycline can and does cause tinnitus in some people. However, I do not have any information regarding its permanence.
Do you have any accompanying hearing loss? If so, then the tinnitus will tend to be permanent, because the hearing loss will be permanent. If you have no hearing loss, then the tinnitus may prove to be temporary once you get off the Tetracycline. Only time will tell.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Bauman,
A couple of weeks ago, I was feeling like my left ear was clogged like when you can’t pop your ears. I had very slight nasal drip, but no other symptoms. After taking an OTC decongestant for a couple of days, it went away. A few days later, my hearing was impaired again. I was prescribed ipratropium 0.03% nasal spray. The first time I used it, I developed tinnitus, but didn’t know that’s what it was until after day four of using it. I was taking a decongestant as well (store brand Sudafed). After researching it on the internet and finding your website, I must ask your opinion. I’m assuming I should not use the nasal spray anymore, but do you think there is permanent damage? After the second night of using the spray, I had a couple of hours of silence, but it was back the next day.
Hi Kim:
Ipratropium is listed as causing tinnitus in some people. It seems you are one of them. So it is probably wise not to use this drug again in the future as it will likely make any existing tinnitus worse or cause tinnitus again.
It’s also possible that the Sudafed had an effect on your tinnitus, but I don’t think that is too common.
I’d think you have a reasonable chance of your tinnitus going away–especially if it becomes intermittent.
Cordially,
Neil
I had flu and tried to blow my nose and had my ear full of air pressure so I visited my ENT and he prescribed augmentin and actifed (triprodline2.5mg, and pseudoephedrine 160mg) after 3days I had high level of tinnitus. I dont know if it has anything to do with the drugs bcs the flu is gone but the tinnitus remained. If I stop the amoxicillin will the noise stop?
Hi Ben:
Amoxicillin can cause severe tinnitus in numbers of people. Unfortunately, t appears that the tinnitus can be permanent. Thus, if this is your case, stopping the Amoxicillin won’t make your tinnitus go away—but it sure doesn’t hurt to try in the hopes that it will.
Cordially,
Neil
Whenever I swallow saliva
I get a thumping sound In my ears and sometimes it’s a creaking sound I dont know if that’s normal or if mucus is stuck in the inner ears or something
Hi Lord ben:
Personally, I’d think it has something to do with your Eustachian tubes. Perhaps they are clogged?
Cordially,
Neil
Dr.Bauman. is it normal to hear sticky sounds in the ear when swallowing
Hi Ben:
It’s normal to hear a brief clicky or sticky sound as you swallow and your Eustachian tube opens up, especially if you had a little bit of saliva at the end of your Eustachian tube at that time.
if your middle ear or Eustachian tube is called up, then you will hear crackling sounds every time you swallow or yawn. This is air trying to get through all the gunk in your Eustachian tube to equalize the air pressure in your middle ear with the outside air pressure. Once the gunk drains out of your middle ear and Eustachian tube then you should not hear this anymore.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks a lot sir for the info am now relieved. Its now a waiting game between me and the tube
Hi DR. Bauman, my ears keep popping and making noises like air trying to pass through mucus when I swallow. But when I do the vasalva molanouvre I dnt feel any friction as air goes into the eustachian tubes could it be that there is liquid stuck in the inner ears or problem with that eardrum.
Hi Jenny:
If your ears are popping and making crackly sounds, this means that your middle ear (not your inner ear) and/or your Eustachian tubes are clogged with gunk. When this gunk drains out your ears will clear and all the popping and crackling sounds will stop.
the Valsalva manoeuver doesn’t always result in crackling sounds. It basically works if the air pressure in your middle ear is less than the outside air pressure. If the air pressure in your middle ear is already higher than the outside air pressure, then doing the Valsalva manoeuver is not going to force any more air in, so you won’t hear crackling sounds.
Cordially,
Neil
I have ringing and echoing in my one ear and was recently on a round of Doxycycline for flu/pneumonia. Is this permanent or will it go away in time? If so, how long?
I saw a doc about it and was told it was a side effect.
Or could it be tied to a sinus infection with fluid buildup in my inner ear? I do have a lot of mucus if so, is there something else I can do besides taking a decongestant bc it doesn’t seem to be working?
Hi Melissa:
Tinnitus as a result of taking Doxycycline may be temporary or may be permanent. There’s no way for me to know which it will be in your case.
If your tinnitus is the result of your middle ear (not your inner ear) being filled with gunk, then when the gunk drains from your middle ear and Eustachian tube and your hearing returns to normal, the tinnitus should go away.
So, you have two possible causes of your tinnitus, or maybe some of each. Only time will tell whether it proves to be permanent or not.
Cordially,
Neil
Greetings. I have tinnitus from what I believe to be drug withdrawal from 8 weeks of ambien. I’m now on month 5 of Tinnitus. I do have almost silent days. My dr put me on lexapro after I complained of tinnitus. Staring it was anxiety induced with no hearing loss. Now I’m reading lexapro can cause T. Should I stop taking it?!? Lexapro has eliminated my anxiety issues, I don’t feel lexapro caused the T since I had it before taking it.. but now I’m so confused. Maybe the lexapro is prolonging my tinnitus? Drugs are just awful!
I began having symptoms from Tinnitus since December 2015. It varies in how severe it is but most nights its easily muted by a fan next to my bed. On occasions it is more severe and I can often hear my pulse through my ears along with the constant ringing. I went to an ENT and they checked my hearing and everything was good. They also tested my ears for pressure differences and found that my left ear pressure is 30% weaker than my right ear. I have also been experiencing mild motion sickness while boating and riding in the rear of a vehicle.
Recently I started to look into the vitamins that I take daily and the medications that I have been prescribed and none were known to cause Tinnitus. I did find that Zyrtec (cetirizine) is known to cause Tinnitus. I have stopped taking it now for 3 days but the Tinnitus is still affecting me, I’m hoping in a few weeks or a couple months the symptoms will subside. I have taken Zyrtec now for about 5-6 years for my allergies. Has anyone else experienced Zyrtec?
Other prescriptions include Avapro (Irbesartan) – BP medication, Protonix (Pantoprazole) – Acid Re-flux medication, Align daily probiotic
Vitamins I was taking: Vitamin World Brand – Joint Soother, Niacin, Flax Seed Oil, CoQ10, Phytosterol Complex, UltraMan Multi-Vitamin, and Biotin
Hi Robert:
If you have taken Zyrtec for 5 or 6 years, I doubt that it is the cause of your current tinnitus, although as you know, it can cause tinnitus.
Irbesartan can also cause tinnitus and hearing loss.
Pantoprazole causes tinnitus in numbers of people, and hearing loss in even more people.
Did the start of your tinnitus correlate with either of these two drugs. If so, that drug is likely the culprit.
Some people get tinnitus from taking too much Niacin.
So there are some things to consider.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for the reply, neither of the two drugs or the niacin correlate with the tinnitus. I have been on Irbesartin for several years before I noticed it and will confirm the actual date with my cardiologist at my next appointment. Hopefully we can experiment with a different medication to exclude it from the list. I started taking Pantoprazole sometime around 2014 or 2015 but I know I was not symptomatic until December 2015, I will also discuss options with my docotor.
I’ve stopped all vitamins and supplements except for Align, Irbesartan, Eliquis and Pantoprazole for about two weeks and I am still suffering from tinnitus.
If one of the medications that I am taking is causing the tinnitus, will it eventually stop once it is out of my system or will it be something that is permanent?
Hi Robert:
Whether you stop a drug and your tinnitus goes away or stays is often a mystery. Some drugs seem to cause permanent tinnitus, others cause temporary tinnitus and some may do either. And with some your tinnitus drops to a much lower level once you quit taking them–but the tinnitus never goes away–but basically is no longer a problem. It’s then just a meaningless background sound.
Align shouldn’t cause you any problems. Neither should the Eliquis. Just be aware that Irbesartan does cause tinnitus in numbers of people and Pantoprazole in hundreds and hundreds of people, so you might want to dump it too and see how your tinnitus responds.
So the only way you can tell is to stop a drug and give it a month or so. If the tinnitus drops to a lower level or goes away, then you know it was that drug, and you now know how it affects you.
Cordially,
Neil
Doctor, how long do I wait before the thick gunk in my ears drains out? Cus its driving me crazy. Anytime I swallow air sometime gets trapped in my ears and I have to swallow again to relieve pressure.
Hi Jenny:
It varies, but it can take two or more months before all the gunk drains out of your middle ears and Eustachian tubes. Of course it can also happen much faster too.
Cordially,
Neil
I am so happy I found this site! I have been taking Atenolol for about a month after being diagnosed with Hyperyhyrpidism. I started having severe ringing in my ears , along with pressure and slight dizziness because of it. I plan to call my Dr. first thing in the morning to put me on a different medication. Is this typically temporary or permanent when caused by Antenolol? I am trying my best to ignore it but it is so loud and distracting and it is hard to hear anything over it. Thank you in advance!
Hi Kelly:
tinnitus from taking Atenolol can be pretty severe as you have found out. However, the good news is that some people find when they stop taking Atenolol their tinnitus drops to a low level and may fade away. So you can be hopeful that your tinnitus will fade away or at least drop to a manageable level when you change your medication. That’s assuming that your new medication doesn’t also cause loud tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
I developed tinnitus in my left ear after being on prednisone for 2 months. I’ve now tapered down to 7 mg a day, but it will be slow going for I have been on it a year. Is my tinnitus permanent?
Hi Denise:
I have no information that indicates whether tinnitus from taking Prednisone is permanent or not. You can be hopeful that in time your tinnitus will fade into the background and either go away or not bother you. You can hasten this by treating your tinnitus as an inconsequential background sound such as the noise your fridge makes. You totally ignore the noise your fridge makes, so treat your tinnitus the same way, and you will likely find that you won’t hear your tinnitus either unless you specifically listen for it.
Cordially,
Neil
I first noticed tinnitus 11 years ago following two shoulder operations. The first operation generated just a little bit of background noise that I only notice at night. The second operation (both to repair damaged A/C joint) triggered high, steady pitch tinnitus that has lasted for 11 years. On Nov. 28, I had a colonoscopy and was given propofol as a sedative. About 16 hours later, I awoke in the middle of the night to much louder tinnitus at slightly different pitch. I told the Dr. about this and warned the doc and the anesthesiologist about my prior history of surgery induced tinnitus. The doc said it should dissipate quickly, however there has been no change all day and I suspect I’m now going to have much louder tinnitus for the rest of my life. I’m 61. Is there any drugs that can counter act anesthesia induced tinnitus?
Hi John:
Propofol can, and does, cause tinnitus in some people. I have no information on whether the resulting tinnitus is permanent or not, although I suspect in most cases it is temporary.
You need to give it at least a couple of weeks before you decide whether your tinnitus might be permanent or not. It takes time for any drug to get completely out of your body and let your tinnitus calm down. Some people will notice their tinnitus drops in a matter of hours others they noticed that the next day and still others don’t find any difference for two weeks, so give it time.
I’m not aware of any drug that stops tinnitus, and so far the FDA has not approved any drug for tinnitus. However, if you want to try a non-drug solution, I’d recommend trying Arches tinnitus formula. This formula is made from the herbal Ginkgo biloba, so it is not ototoxic. According to Barry Keate, the owner of Arches, this works well for drug-induced tinnitus, so you might want to give it a try. The website is https://www.tinnitusformula.com/ .
Cordially,
Neil
I have been having tinnitus for about a month now. I really started to notice it after I started trintillix for anxiety but don’t know if it is directly related to this med or not. I also have the clicking when I swallow so I am not sure if it is just fluid in the tubes or what. It is always worse at night when I lay down and quite. I do have allergies and I have taken nasal allergy spray for a while thinking it would help but hasn’t. Was just wondering what you thought. I really am having good luck with the trinttellix and my anxiety so I really hate to have to stop it but if it is contributing to the tinnitus I don’t want to continue. What do you think. I did notice some tinnitus here and there but was usually sound induced or when my ears were clogged.
Hi Lisa:
I have no information that indicates that Vortioxetine (Trintellix) causes tinnitus. It may, but I’ve not seen anything that suggests it does.
Your tinnitus may be related to your allergies in that when your ears are clogged up, the result can be tinnitus. Anxiety can also make tinnitus worse. But from what you have said, I don’t really think that the Trintellix is causing your tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Aloha Doctor,
I’m on a 12 week prescription for Zepartier and I started getting tinnutus. Is this a result of the medication and, if so, can I look forward to its demise when my course of medication is finito?
Hi Ellen:
I’m assuming you meant Zepatier, not Zepartier, correct? If so it is a combination of two drugs–Elbasvir and Grazoprevir. I have no ototoxic information on these drugs so I can’t say whether they might have caused your tinnitus or not.
Cordially,
Neil
I was given a lumbar epidural and two steroid injections in my lower back within 2 weeks of each other and was prescribed dyclofenac 75 at the same time. I started having tinnitus and felt very tired and achy. I stopped the dyclofenac after week 3. At week 4 I was given another lumbar epidural and was sent into a tail spin. The T got worse and I started having dizziness and eventually had to go to the ER from an extreme vertigo attack. I have been off the shots for 5 weeks and the dyclofenac for 7 weeks and still have T. Its not as loud and the dizziness is gone. What is the chance it will go away?
Hi Deborah:
What drug did they use in the epidurals and what drug did they use for the steroid injections?
Diclofenac not only causes hearing loss and tinnitus in hundreds and hundreds of people, but it can also cause all sorts of balance problems to thousands of people including dizziness, vertigo and various balance disorders.
I don’t have much information at all on whether tinnitus from taking Diclofenac is temporary or not. The good news is that your tinnitus is now less in volume. It’s entirely possible that this will continue and in time you won’t even notice it unless you specifically listen for it so it will not bother you. Thus whether it goes away or not won’t matter as it will be a non-issue.
Cordially,
Neil
Doctor is it possible for saliva or mucus from a flu to for up the eustachian tube when blowing the nose?
Hi Marcus:
I’m sure it is. If you are stuffed up and blow your nose, you often hear a crackling sound as the air is forced up your Eustachian tubes through the gunk and mucous.
Cordially,
Neil
What if the eustachian tubes is filled with dry mucus is it responsible for the crunchy sound heard when swallowing(opening of the eustachian tubes)
Hi Marcus:
Mucous never gets dry and crunchy in your middle ears or Eustachian tubes. It is always wet–like think gunk. The crackling sounds are actually pockets of air popping and moving along though the gunk. It sounds dry, but it’s not.
Cordially,
Neil
When I swallow sometimes my ear feels clog then I have to swallow again to relieve the pressure. I also have sudden sharp tinnitus I dnt know if these symptoms would go on their own or if I need medication doc?
Hi Shirley:
If you have a cold or sinus problems, that will clog your ears and it takes time for the “gunk” to drain out and the clogged feeling to go away.
Tinnitus can accompany clogged ears because the clogged ears give you a temporary hearing loss that causes the tinnitus. I don’t know if that is your problem or not.
How are you feeling now since I see it’s been 3 weeks since you posted your question.
Cordially,
Neil
My tinnitus started 5 years ago after getting a colonoscopy. Just thought if was a coincidence that it happened on the same day. Well I just had another colonoscopy and it had gotten much louder. So I decided to do some research and discovered that if was caused by the Propofol that I was given for sedation. For the most part I have been able to tune it out. But sometimes it is so loud that it gives me a headache. I don’t think that my emotional state is going to fix that.
Hi Christy:
Propofol can (and does) result in tinnitus in some people so you could be particularly sensitive to this drug.
It’s good that you can tune it out most of the time. That shows your emotional state is working properly. When it get loud for some reason, just continue “ignoring” it as best you can and let it pass without getting upset with it. That is what I do with my tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Dr. Neil, I started taking Acetazolamide yesterday and several hours later I noticed high pitch ringing in both of my ears. Will this ringing stop if I stop taking it?
Hi Rita:
There are not all that many reported cases of tinnitus from taking Acetazolamide, so you may be particularly sensitive to this drug. However, once you get tinnitus from taking it, there’s no sure way to know if it will go away if you stop taking it–unless you stop taking it and see what happens. I know one person still had her constant tinnitus 8 days after she stopped taking it. Unfortunately, you may find yourself in the same boat.
Cordially,
Neil
I was given zoloft from my PCP and after 4 days I developed high pitched constant tinnitus. I had my hearing checked and I have no hearing loss? I was told I may have myofascial dysfunction in neck that may be causing it from another doc. Currently doing dry needling. This has been going on for almost 2 months now. I don’t know what to do. Could 4 days on zoloft have given me permanent tinnitus?
Thanks for any help you can provide.
Hi Ken:
The short answer is yes. Some drugs can give you permanent tinnitus from the very first pill. Sertraline (Zoloft) doesn’t seem to work quite that fast, but a few days on Zoloft is enough to get your tinnitus started.
Myofascial dysfunction in your neck and face and also cause tinnitus–but it seems that your tinnitus coincided with taking Zoloft, not omyofascial problems didn’t it?
Cordially,
Neil
Doctor, Tinnitus caused from zoloft can be temporary or permanent?
I have taken it for 5 days and it caused my tinnitus.
Should I discontinue it? What can im
Hi Julian:
Side effects from Sertraline (Zoloft) can be permanent according to the reports I’ve received from people, but I’m sure they can also be temporary. If you decide to quit taking it and your tinnitus goes away or greatly reduces in the next 2 to 4 weeks, you’ll have a good clue that it is temporary in your case.
I can’t tell you whether you should get off it or not. That’s your decision, but I can tell you that I sure wouldn’t take that drug myself.
Cordially,
Neil
I started tinnitus 1 month ago after having my two wisdom teeth taken out , I took ibuprofen as prescribed which I think it’s a really high dose! 600mg of Motrin 4 times a day
I hear a hissing sound in my left ear … doctor says it’s going to leave but who knows…
Hi Mindy:
Taking that much Ibuprofen in a day can certainly bring on tinnitus. Some people get tinnitus from only taking 800 mg per day, and you were taking 2,400 mg a day.
For some people the tinnitus is temporary and for others it is permanent. Only time will tell which camp you’ll be in, but you can hope that it will drop in volume even if it doesn’t fade away completely.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi I developed Tinnitus what seems to be in the center of my head and sounds like a high pitched constant tone 24/7 on 12/15/2017, I have no idea what could have caused it because I had so much going on at the time. I had a Lumbar Puncture done on 12/08/2017 for a headache that started on 12/04/2017 and was diagnosed with a mild case of Viral Meningitis (never had any other symptoms though no fever or stiff neck) my life seemed to go down hill after that spinal tap though I had SO MANY bad side effects from that I ended up getting a SEVERE post dural headache that lasted about 5 days which was the followed by EXTREME head pressure, my GP put me on Amoxicillin assuming I may have had a sinus infection which I stopped after about 4 days because it seemed to be making me short of breath (I believe I noticed the ringing very loudly the day after I stopped the antibiotic) but I was also in the midst of a series of panic attacks and extreme anxiety when I truly noticed the ringing, during that time I was also taking ibuprofen 600 mg as needed as well since the spinal tap. I went to an ENT a few days after the ringing started he checked me and said I looked fine and there was no sinus infection but told me to try Prednisone in case I might have ETD, which I stopped after 4 days because it made things worse. Eventually the pressure in my head went away but the ringing in my head remains along with some popping of my ears often especially when I am driving also I head a lot of crackling when I swallow and yawn which might be due to the my sensitivity to sound right now, I already suffered from health anxiety and anxiety in general so you can only imagine what I am going through at the moment it has sent me into a severe depressive state. I have a app at PENN in philly to rule out a slow CSF leak since I did have the headache that is associated with it and then the unexplained pressure in my head which I read on CSF.org can be a cause of pressure/ear popping/tinnitus. I saw a neurologist who kinda shrugged me off and said Tinnitus perceived “in the head” isnt “true tinnitus” and it was most likely caused by stress/anxiety. As of right now the only thing that gets me through the day is Xanax but I obviously can not take that forever. I am so lost and confused because there were SO MANY factors that could have caused my tinnitus. I am so saddened by all of this. Also I forgot to mention I had a blood patch done on 12/19/2017 in hopes that it would help the tinnitus but it seemed to make things worse I ended up going back to the ER that night because the pressure in my head was so INTENSE, it ended up subsiding the following day after given medicine through an IV at the hospital. I was not given any clear instructions after the blood patch either I did not lie down long after and did a lot of moving around afterwards. I am so lost and scared and there is no hope in any of the drs and internet.
Hi Dominique:
Like you say, there are so many things happening at once that it is hard to pinpoint exactly what is causing your tinnitus, or very likely, a combination is causing it/making it worse.
For example, Amoxicillin can cause tinnitus so that may have been the culprit, or the initial trigger. But your extreme stress, anxiety and depression can all make your tinnitus worse, or trigger it in the first place.
I have a problem with your doctor who said that tinnitus perceived “in the head” isn’t true tinnitus. Where do you think you perceive anything–it’s all perceived in your head! So that doesn’t make sense.
You want to be careful with the Xanax as it also causes tinnitus in numbers of people.
You need to work to get your stress and anxiety and depression under control. I think that is your first step. A good counselor would be the way to go. Hopefully, that will allow your tinnitus to reduce in volume. That, in turn, will make things easier for you to deal with.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for your reply and yes I had a problem with What he said as well because my friend who had post concussion Tinnitus heard it in the center of her head as well it went away after 7 months. It’s all very frustrating and depressing when you just want it to stop but it won’t, I’ve looked in supplements started using magnesium oil and will be picking up chelated zinc today and perhaps some niacin as well. As far as the Xanax I am going to try to taper off in a couple weeks but as of right now it is the only thing allowing me to function somewhat, I wanted to perhaps start an anti depressant but it seems they all worsen tinnitus. I have also been drinking apple cider vinegar and steaming everyday just in case the crackling I hear may be from a clogged ET? But my hearing doesn’t seem muffled.
Hi Dominique:
Typically, hearing crackling sounds is from semi-clogged Eustachian tubes. The other possibility is bones in your neck cracking–but you should be able to tell the difference from crackling in your Eustachian tubes.
If you want to take a non-ototoxic anti-depressant, you might want to consider the herbal, St. John’s Wort. It works as well as the prescription anti-depressants, but does not have all the bad side effects prescription anti-depressants have. I know numbers of people who have had very good success with St. John’s Wort.
If you do decide to take it, make sure it says on the bottle that the active ingredient “hypericin” is “standardized” to somewhere between “0.3% and 0.7%” Commonly, it is 0.7%. If it doesn’t say all three things, forget it. You don’t know what you are getting in that case.
Cordially,
Neil
It definitely seems to be coming from my ears (the crackling) also my ears seem to feel full here and there and pop in the car a lot it’s weird because I’m not driving in the mountains and Thank you so much 😊
Hi Dominique:
I’d say you have clogged middle ears/Eustachian tubes that are causing the crackling sounds. Hopefully this will go away as the gunk drains from your middle ears/Eustachian tubes.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi
I read with particular attention your paper about ototoxic drugs and possible associated tinnitus. I am 46 yo and have a La peyronie disease so took Cialis 5mg every day for 6 months until I started to have Tinnitus but no hear loss. I would appreciate very much your opinion on the following :
Would you believe that Tinnitus induced by erectly disfunction drugs would occur so late after i took the first pill ? I have no hear loss only Tinnitus. I start to believe that my high blood tension and anxiety are the real root not the Cialis. This is also what my ENT doctor believes (but he was not aware of relation with ED drug and Tinnitus).
Thank you so much in advance for your answer.
Hi F:
Tinnitus can occur shortly after you begin taking a particular drug, or it can occur several weeks later, or several months later or even several years later. I don’t have any specific information on how long it takes Tadalafil (Cialis) to cause tinnitus.
I do not know whether tinnitus is the result of hearing loss from taking Tadalafil or directly because of taking Tadalafil. In any case, numbers of people have reported tinnitus as a result of taking Tadalafil and even more have reported hearing loss.
You say you don’t have a hearing loss. How do you know? Did you have a hearing test? And if so, did they just test your hearing to 8,000 Hz, or did they test you right up to the upper limit of your hearing (typically around 20,000 Hz)? You could have hearing loss above 8,000 Hz and not be aware of it, but your brain is, and that can result in tinnitus.
It is entirely possible that your tinnitus is not the result of taking Tadalafil, but due to yeur high blood pressure and anxiety as you suggest. Or it could be a combination of that AND the Tadalafil. There is no way for me to know with the information you have given here.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks a lot for your answer ! Much appreciated. Let me give you some more details I have done a hearing test indeed and it was stopped at 8000Hz. When testing my T I believe it is actually near 11000Hz so I might have hearing loss at this frequency indeed (will ask at my next visit). It looks strange to me that Tadalafil can have such hearing loss or / and T issues so long afterwards. How this would be explained ? It is tough to live with T and even tougher with T and limited sexual life… Not sure who I should contact to know more about Tadalafil long term effects.
Thanks
Hi Fabrice:
Some drugs get into your system and stay there for weeks or months so they can affect your ears months after you stop taking them. The aminoglycoside anti-biotics are an example of such drugs. I don’t know the mechanism that Tadalafil uses to affect hearing–just that it does.
I don’t know who would know about Tadalafil’s long-term effects either.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Doctor,
I have used 2 days of 5mg of Lexapro 6 days ago. I noticed that it has been improving a lot, mostly in the morning a bearly here anything for the first three hours. Mostly it gets louder during the day. Though I see improvements throughout those moments of the days as well. Do you give me good chances of remission? Is there a specific reason why it tinnitus gets louder during the day? Should I stay in a quiet room to have the highest chances of remission?
Hi Roger:
Escitalopram (Lexapro) certainly does cause tinnitus in numbers of people. The good news is that tinnitus from Lexapro typically goes away in a few days to some months later. The fact that your tinnitus is milder at times is a very good sign that it will likely fade away in time.
I don’t think you have to stay in a quiet room to help your tinnitus go away. Just stay away from really noisy venues.
I’m not sure why your tinnitus gets worse as the days progresses. I think it has to do with your “wearing out” or being more stressed out as the hours go by. And you are recharged each morning. That’s my guess.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks Neil,
I have the feeling that is progressing again lately. Sometimes I have the feeling it is really all inside my head.
Now I even hear (1/10) anyting until 8 PM. It always heals somehow during the night.
Three more questions:
I am planning to use fluvoxamine instead of Escitalopram. Will this cause tinnitus again?
So instead giving it days, I should give it weeks to recover fully?
So it is normal that the tinnitus really ”waves” away? Good and bad times, but the good become more often. Never a bullet stop so to say.
Kind regards,
Hi Roger:
Of course your tinnitus is all inside your head. Where else would it be? After all, it is a phantom sound so it is only perceived inside your head.
I have 10 TIMES as many reports of people getting tinnitus from taking Escitalopram than from taking Fluvoxamine so Fluvoxamine would be definitely easier on your ears than Escitalopram.
There are no guarantees that your tinnitus will ever go away. Nor is there any hard data that says that tinnitus from a given drug will go away in some many days or weeks. Everyone is different. That is why I say to give it time. It may take days or it may take months or longer. This is just another way of saying you need to be patient and put your tinnitus out of your mind so that it can fade away in time. If you worry about your tinnitus and see it as a threat to your well-being, it will NEVER go away. That is why you need to view it as an unimportant, useless sound that you can safely ignore–then do that.
Again, everyone is different. For some they have good and bad days. For others it slowly fades away so imperceptibly they don’t really notice it at the time. And for a blessed few, they wake up one morning and their tinnitus is just gone.
I can’t predict which category you fall into, but it seems you may be in the first group and have the good days/bad days scenario.
Cordially,
Neil
I started Wellbutrin 150 one time a day on Monday, also I developed a sinus infection the same day I started it. Wednesday night I went to bed and noticed a ringing in my ears like I had just gotten home from a loud club or concert. The ringing was still there on Friday so I went back to the doctor who put me on methylprednisolone, ammoxicillin, and Flonase. She told me to stop the wellbutrin and go back to my regular doctor at a later date if it persists. I have now been off the wellbutrin for 4 days but am still taking the antibiotics and steroids. I still have the tinnitus and my ears still feel kind of blocked along with sinus symptoms still persisting. I also took Tylenol and Advil at the recommended doses due to my headache from my sinuses before I started the antibiotics. I feel like everything I have taken now is a recipe for disaster. I have major anxiety already and now I feel so depressed because I hate noises to begin with and I hear it all night in bed even over my air purifier and over my TV. It’s a high pitched ringing. Did I curse myself by taking all of these?
Hi Nicole:
Bupropion (Wellbutrin) is quite ototoxic and does cause tinnitus in numbers of people who take it. For some people, their tinnitus drops in volume when they stop taking it. For others, their tinnitus seems to be permanent at full volume.
You should also be aware that Ibuprofen (Advil) causes tinnitus in a good number of people. Advil is sort of like Wellbutrin in that the resulting tinnitus may be temporary or permanent.
Amoxicillin and Fluticasone (Flonase) also cause tinnitus in numbers of people.
So basically, all the drugs your doctor put you on can cause tinnitus. However, Bupropion and Ibuprofen are the most likely culprits in your case.
At the same time, your sinus infection may have played a part too. The virus may have gotten into your inner ear and caused the tinnitus and muffled hearing (really a degree of hearing loss). Thus, it is hard to point the finger at just one drug or the sinus infection. Your ear problems may be from any combination of sinus infection or drugs.
The best thing to do now is to learn to ignore your tinnitus and let it fade into the background in time. The more you worry or obsess over your tinnitus, the worse it will become and it cannot fade away while you are doing that.
If you need help sleeping, masking your tinnitus with a fan, music or CD of environmental sounds may really help you. You’ll have to try and see what works for you. You may also find the herbal Valerian helps you calm down in the evening so you can sleep.
Cordially,
Neil
I am taking erythromycin and advil for dental\al surgery. My tinnitus woke me up such that i decided to google and found this site at 4am. Things is, purely out of instinct and guessing, I stretched my neck and jaw muscles-to some relief but no avail re: tinnitus. Then, since I am a yoga teacher, I had the urge to try, in my bed, to turn my head upside down as if the prepare a headstand. The stretch felt wonderful-and the ringing stopped. All the while, with my head upside down and my chin tucked in the ringing stopped. I got up, google searched this page and will followup with my search for asanas- including headstand-to treat tinnitus. i look forward to returning to bed once the awake phase passes. It seems there is an imbalance involved inside the ear-either way-I don’t care-the wringing has ceased for tonight.
Hi Loretta:
The Ibuprofen (Advil) could have been the cause of your tinnitus as a lot of people get tinnitus from taking it. It can be permanent or temporary.
Your tinnitus could also be the result of the way your head/neck were positioned for the dental work–resulting in somatosensory tinnitus. When you get your muscles, ligaments, tendons realigned properly and relaxed, the tinnitus can go away. I wonder if that is the more likely scenario in your case.
Cordially,
Neil
I believe I got tinnitus as a result of taking Valacyclovir for a fever blister.
I took it for 5 days then the tinnitus started. I immediately stopped the medication 2 days ago, but the tinnitus persists. Do you think it’s permanent?
Hi Charlotte:
Valacyclovir does indeed cause tinnitus in numbers of people so you are most likely correct that it caused your tinnitus. I have no information indicating whether it will be permanent or not. However, if you ignore it and focus on the loves of your life, and let it fade into the background, it will typically become less and less of a problem as time goes by.
Cordially,
Neil
Do you about how long this could take? I am having difficulty sleeping. Will it happen naturally or do I have to have some kind of therapy? Thank you!
Hi Charlotte:
A lot depends on your emotional make-up. If you can deal with it yourself, then you don’t need any outside therapy. However, if you can’t, then you should seek help.
If you have trouble sleeping, there are a few things you could try. One is to have a fan running in your bedroom. Just that bit of sound can help mask your tinnitus so you can sleep. Some people find listening to fractal music, or any music, or listening to environmental sounds on a CD help them sleep. Whatever sounds work for you.
Second, you could try the herbal Valerian. It can help calm you down so you can sleep and yet doesn’t leave you drowsy in the morning.
See if either or both of these help you gain control of your tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you, Neil. My tinnitus has started to quiet down since its onset a week and a half ago. Last night I tried some noice cancellation headphones (Bose) to listen to 2 thirty minute podcasts on low volume. My tinnitus was worse this morning when I woke up. Do you think there is a connection? I thought these headphones would help, but maybe it’s the technology. I guess I will have to stay away from all headphones forever?
Wow been reading all of your comments and it just hurt me because I took some Amocicillin to get over something and to hear that it’ll more than likely be permanent really sucks
I had a sinus infection in May 2017 and was given doxycycline. Almost as soon as I started it, the very low level tinnitus I had became a very loud roar. I put it down to the sinus infection, which was draining into both ears (have never had ETD, though). It eventually went away, I assumed with the sinus problem.
In November 2017, I had two dental implants placed and was given doxycycline. Again, my “regular” low level tinnitus became a roar, but again, I failed to “connect the dots.” That, too, cleared up.
Now it’s February 2018, and I had another dental implant placed. After three doxycycline tablets, I DID connect the dots. I stopped it (only took five tablets of twenty prescribed). Have been off it not quite twenty-four hours, and my ears are still roaring, though I can hear. I am hoping it will resolve in time since it did so the last two times. I feel so stupid! I should have realized!
My tinnitus, whether low level or this roar, seems to be worse on awakening. Can you tell me why? And do you think my chances of this being temporary are possible since it went away two times previously? Thank you.
Camille
Hi Camille:
Doxycycline does indeed cause tinnitus–and hearing loss too. I’d suggest in the future you take a different antibiotic since obviously Doxycycline affects your ears. You might want to consider one of the Cephalosporin class of antibiotics. I’d definitely stay away from the Fluoroquinolone class of antibiotics such as Ciprofloxacin.
I hope your tinnitus will drop back to its old level–I think you have a good chance–but there are no guarantees.
Some people’s tinnitus gets worse overnight and drops in volume once they get up and start moving around. This can be due to your neck being out of alignment and when you get up and move around, you “shake” it back into alignment enough that your tinnitus drops. A change in pillow thickness may make a difference if this is so.
Or it could be due to the quietness of the early morning hour–and when you start making noise and focusing on things, it seems softer in relationship to the other sounds and the fact that you are thinking about what you are doing, and not focusing on your tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
My tinnitus started suddenly in late December followed by pain in all of my teeth. My hearing check showed some hearing loss but no change in the last 15 years. After talking to my doctors and cutting back on medications (methotexate, meloxicam for RA)(Gabapentin for nerve damage)(Keppra for seizures), I found that I had been incorrectly dispensed several Levaquin instead of Keppra and possibly taken as few as 6. My doctor took me off the meloxicam, another cut the Keppra in half and the Gabapentin from 3 – 300 to 2 – 300. My teeth still hurt and there’s no change in the tinnitus after one month. Any thoughts on my situation Dr. Bauman? Is there still hope that the tinnitus will pass? It is unbearable.
I should also note that my tinnitus goes from ear to ear, then both ears and sometimes neither particular ear, but I still hear it. It pulsates at times and at times it is a constant sound
Thanks, Frank
Hi Frank:
Before your tinnitus began, did you have any recent (in the past month or so) changes to your medications–did you add a drug, or change a dose?
I suspect one or more of your drugs caused the tinnitus–and it could have been the last one added or dose changed, so knowing that would be a good place to start.
Of the drugs you are taking the three most likely culprits are Gabapentin (most ototoxic), followed by Methotrexate and Levofloxacin (tied for 2nd most ototoxic), so that is where I’d start. The Meloxicam was only about 1/3 as ototoxic as the 2nd place drugs and Levetiracetan brings up the distant rear at only 1/30th of the 2nd place drugs.
Assuming that one of the top three ototoxic drugs are causing your tinnitus, if you totally stop taking it, there is a chance that your tinnitus will drop in volume or fade away, but there are no guarantees.
Cordially,
Neil
Potassium Citrate for kidney stones was started back in early October. All of the other medications I have been taking for at least a year and a half, except for those Levaquin I should not have been taking and it appears I took those just days before the tinnitus started. Update: Since I originally wrote the above, my family doctor put me on cyclobenzaprine to relax my jaw and my teeth pain has almost completely stopped. The tinnitus is still there. It’s bad and I am concerned about how I am going to deal with it.
Also, my recent hearing test since the tinnitus began showed no changes to my hearing over the last 15 years. I do have some high pitch loss, but no change over that time span. Without additional hearing loss, could ototoxicity still be the cause of the tinnitus.?
Hi Frank:
Tinnitus from taking ototoxic drugs can show up almost immediately after you start taking them, or it can take days, weeks, months or years. So I still lean towards one or more of your drugs as being the basic cause of your tinnitus. But of course, there might be other factors you haven’t considered.
Cordially,
Neil
I’ve been using Travatan for a couple of months for Glaucoma. This morning I got up with a very loud ringing in my ears. I read that this eye drop can cause ringing in the ears. If I stop using Travatan could the ringing stop. I also use Simbrinza.
Hi Karen:
Travoprost (Travatan) can indeed cause tinnitus, but its not all that common.
Simbrinza is a combination of two drugs–Brinzolamide and Brimonidine. Brimonidine can also cause tinnitus in a few people.
So either the Travatan or the Simbrinza or both could be causing your tinnitus (or some totally unrelated factor). I have no information that indicates whether any resulting tinnitus is temporary or permanent. Hopefully it will prove to be temporary if you stop taking the Travatan (if that was the cause).
Cordially,
Neil
Hi, have you heard of anyone experiencing severe tinnitus after taking the antibiotic Xifaxan? Thank you.
Hi Teri:
I’ve not heard personally from people that have taken Rifaximin (Xifaxan) and gotten tinnitus, but tinnitus is listed as a side effect in the PDR. So it does happen, but probably is not all that common. Are you one of the “lucky” ones?
Cordially,
Neil
Hi! I’ve been struggling with depression for a while now and things got bad at home so I just took a shitload of pills hoping to not wake up the next day (clearly I did) and now I realized what I took. ( Aspirin and Ibuprofen) I have a really loud continuous sound in my ears and I only hear it well when its a little bit quiet. Its very annoying and I’m worried its permament. Can you tell me is it? Thanks.
Hi Adalina:
I hope things are going better for you. You need help dealing with your depression.
To answer your question, Aspirin typically causes TEMPORARY tinnitus–so if the aspirin caused your tinnitus it should go away in 2 or 3 days. However, Ibuprofen can cause permanent tinnitus–and I think that drug was the likely culprit.
Now you have to deal with the results of this tinnitus racket. There are a number of things you can do. First, you need to NOT be upset with your tinnitus. You need to treat it as an UNIMPORTANT sound such as the sounds your fridge makes and as much as possible ignore them just like you do fridge noise. If you think of your tinnitus as a threat to your well-being, it will stay loud and annoying. However, when you treat your tinnitus as just another useless background noise, and NOT a threat to your well-being, it can then begin to fade into the background and not bother you even if you do hear it.
To help you, you may find that having background sounds on–radio, TV, etc. to give your ears some real sounds to listen to and this helps mask the sounds of your tinnitus.
In time you will become habituated to your tinnitus so you won’t even know it is there much of the time and it won’t bother you even when you do hear it. Just to show you, I’ve had tinnitus for more than 60 years, yet it doesn’t bother me. In fact, I can go for hours without even being aware I’m hearing it unless I am thinking about it–like right now I just began hearing my tinnitus for the first time today. You can learn to do the same.
Note, you want to deal with your depression as depression makes tinnitus worse and harder to ignore.
I wish you well.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello, over the past couple months I’ve been noticing some health issues, so I decided to head to the dentist, got some teeth filled, got put on etodolac for inflammation. Was on it for a week, 3x a day. Didn’t really notice any difference except a bit of hypersensitivity in my ears. 8 days ago I went to see my Dr who prescribed me Zoloft 50mg, took it for 3 days at 50mg, at the 3rd day I began noticing a loud ringing mainly in my right ear, called my doc and they suggested I cut my dose in half. The next 2 days I took 25mg, ringing got even louder, so I stopped taking it. It’s been 3 days since stopping and the ringing is still roaring like 8000 crickets in my head turned up x2 speed. Wondering if it was the etodolac? The Zoloft? A combination of both? Doctor wants to see me tomorrow, going to tell him I don’t want to be on any prescriptions. Thanks in advance.
-Owen
Hi Owen:
Etodolac can definitely cause tinnitus is some people. So it is possible your tinnitus is a result of taking the Etodolac.
Sertraline (Zoloft) causes tinnitus in hundreds and hundreds of people so it is a more likely culprit. Since your tinnitus didn’t start until 3 days after you began the Zoloft, I’d think you can safely blame the Zoloft.
I’m with you in not wanting to take any more drugs. My policy is to tough it out and only take drugs when it is essentially a matter of life and death or extreme pain–things like that. But if it is more of a minor discomfort, I don’t take drugs–period.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
I got tinnitus 2 months ago, after seeing a video about tinnitus. It has been something that I was always afraid of. 6 weeks before I had a very bad cold, and I used codeine (1 pill per day for 4 days) and 1,5 week before I got tinnitus I went to a party (i wore earpluggs) and the day after I used ibuprofen (400mg) and asperin(1000mg). I take 400mg Ibuprofen sometimes(1-2 a month), always 1 pill of 400mg. I sometimes wondering if this is the reason I got it. I went to the doctor and he said my ears look great and my hearing is better than average (i hear too much). So now I wonder, is it stress(I had a lot of stress), anxiety, that I have hyper focus on normal sounds or the medicine. What would you say? Best, Anne
Hi Anne:
Tinnitus can definitely be brought on by stress. Furthermore taking ibuprofen or large doses of aspirin can certainly bring on tinnitus. In your case, I wouldn’t be surprised that your tinnitus is a combination of taking the drugs and being under extreme stress and anxiety at the same time.
Incidentally, more people complain to me about getting tinnitus after taking ibuprofen that almost any other drug.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Neil,
Since my 20’s I have always had a mild form of tinnitus because of loud music. I have learned to live with it and scored it a 3 or 4. Considered it my own fault for listening to high volumes.
For the last couple of days it has gotten a lot worse. I’d score it an 8 or 9. Perhaps not a coincidence since I just finished a 10 day prescription of Metronidazol for several types of bugs in my colon.
Do you have any knowledge of Metronidazal causing tinnitus to worsen? And of coarse…. Would you consider it permanent of temporary?
Ray
Hi Ray:
Numbers of people have reported tinnitus as a side effect of taking Metronidazole. I don’t have much information on its permanence, but at least one person reported his tinnitus was temporary. So you can hope for the same and that you tinnitus will soon drop back to its old level.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Neil,
thanks for your reply. It still is very loud unfortunately. My ears feel very ‘full’ and my balance is also somewhat impaired.
I’m hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst…
I hope you can help.
I took topamax , two 25 mg pills two times daily for 3 days. I have ringing in my ears that won’t quit. Is this permanent?
Hi Stancy:
Topiramate (Topamax) causes tinnitus in numbers of people. However, I don’t have any information on whether it is temporary or permanent. Only time will tell, but I’d give it two weeks anyway to see if it will fade away before you begin worrying about whether it will be permanent or not. Some drugs take several months. In the meantime, ignore your tinnitus as much as you can and focus on other things. This will help it fade into the background where it won’t bother you.
Cordially,
Neil
I took Celexa for depression for 6 months or so at a low dose. I’ve always had tinnitus at a really low level but with this drug it increased 100 fold and now is loud, roaring, ringing. I got off Celexa 3 years ago and tinnitus has not gotten any quieter. Doctors are useless
Hello there,
I was taking 4 days of Cipralex for GAD and fear of social situations. I took 5mg per day that 4 days. So its a very low dosage.
The 4th morning i woke up with very loud tinnitus. Its been months now and i sometimes have notices that it’s not as bad i don’t thimk but sometimes it gets bad. And yes, emotions have something to do with it.
I also had some feeling of fullness in my right ear for a few weeks after taking the drug and also pain that lasted a few seconds many times a day for weeks but both of these have stopped.
I think slowly month by month my tinnitus might get fixed. Or im getting used to it. But i have noticed emotiona also play a big part in tinnitus.
I have noticed that moving my jaw, head and neck/shoulders affect on the volume and pitch of the tinnitus.
Not sure what to think? Perhaps some of my tinnitus is somatic. I don’t know.
Its very hard to keep my head off the tinnitus sometimes. My doctor said for many weeks it should disappear.. but also said basicly that its impossible that the drug caused permanent ototoxic reactions.
She didnt even know of ototoxcity or the meaning of the word. And this is a phychiatrist.
I had a hearing test done i could hear even -5dB sounds a few so no hearing loss here. I quitted Cipralex immediatly the tinnitus started.
Maybe some strong antioxidants could work?
Hi Nico:
Hundreds of people have reported getting tinnitus from taking Escitalopram (Cipralex) and thousands more other ototoxic side effects. One man got severe tinnitus from just taking one pill. It took 3 years for his tinnitus to begin to fade away.
Your tinnitus may go away faster, especially as it is already fluctuating now.
Since you can change your tinnitus by moving your head and neck, I’m sure you have some degree of somatic tinnitus caused by your top two vertebrae, your TMJ and associated muscles/tendons/ligaments not being in proper alignment. Getting them all in proper alignment may not make your tinnitus go away, but your existing tinnitus will no longer change in volume with head movements.
Your doctor is obviously very ignorant of ototoxic drugs in general and obviously knows nothing about the ototoxicity of the drugs she prescribes.
I doubt that antioxidants will help now since so much time has passed. If I were going to try something, I think I’d try taking Arches Tinnitus Formula for 3 months and see whether it helps. Between that and focusing on other things and thus letting your tinnitus fade into the background, you may find your tinnitus no longer bothers you.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi
I’ve had very bad sciatic nerve pain on standing / walking for 6 weeks now which has greatly hindered my ability to walk for more than a few minutes at a time. Initially I was occasionally (maybe once or twice per day, but not 4 hourly) trying to obtain relief using Voltarol Pain-eze Emulgel (Diclofenac diethylammonium) which I believe is 1.16%. More recently, for the best part of 2 weeks, I switched to using Votarol 12 hour Emugel 2.32%, which I also applied either once or twice per day, but at the appropriate interval. High pitched constant tinnitus started about a week ago. Googling the condition I found it could be caused by taking anti-inflammatory drugs and went on to discover that whilst the initial gel I was using did not report tinnitus as a potential side effect, the 12 hour version did, along with headache, blurry vision and dizziness, all of which I have also experienced to some degree over the past week. Am I right in therefore presuming that even the localised external application of a topical gel can be sufficient to trigger tinnitus as opposed to taking oral / injectable medication? Obviously I immediately ceased using the gel 2 days ago and yesterday I noticed the tinnitus had stopped. I was hopeful my quick action had reversed it; however, it woke me up again at 4am this morning. Do you feel my tinnitus was likely caused by the Voltarol and may subside? I wonder why they do not mention this as a contra indication on the leaflet inside the pack! Many thanks for any advice.
Hi Alan:
I sure know what sciatic pain is like. I had it for a number of years. I never took any pain meds for it though–just toughed it out. Finially I had enough and had back surgery to remove the part of the herniated disc that was pressing on my sciatic nerve. The result? Instant pain relief. It’s wonderful to be pain free again. And the really cool thing is that I never even took a painkiller after recovery. I woke up in the recovery room after the surgery and after I got my bearings again, I got up and walked around pain free. Went home an hour or so later.
Now to answer your questions about Diclofenac (Voltarol). Yes, anything that is rubbed on the skin can and will be absorbed through your skin and into your blood stream where it will be transported throughout your body. Then it can cause problems with your ears–such as your tinnitus. I know of a person who had a burn on his leg and put an antibiotic on it–and next day it took out his ears. So it does happen. You are lucky it didn’t cause hearing loss because Diclofenac is reported to cause hearing loss more than it does tinnitus. And it messes up your balance far more often that it affects your hearing.
The fact that your tinnitus went away for a bit is a good sign, and indicates that stopping this drug will likely result in your tinnitus permanently going away–but there are no certainties that it will do so, or stay away, but it looks hopeful that it might.
The reason they don’t mention tinnitus on the package is either they don’t believe the drug causes tinnitus, or they don’t think it is a problem (this in the face of the hundreds and hundreds of reports that it does cause tinnitus). If they listed all the side effects they’d scare people away from ever using their products.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for taking the time to respond. I guess from reading your earlier comments that generally improvement should be noticed in 2 weeks if there is any chance of tinnitus not being permanent, or maybe it can vary depending on the drug and the individual? I’ve so far only had the one occasion when it seemed to go away for best part of a day. Not sure though why this tinnitus should sometimes appear louder than others. There are times when I think it’s faded a bit, then it comes back louder again. Plus I have the same high pitched tone in both ears, but it feels like I can hear one or other side periodically and briefly cycling through a louder phase and then settling back to where it was. You mentioned a herbal option somewhere above, which I guess may be worth investigating. My thanks again.
Hi Alan:
If a drug is causing your tinnitus, you should see changes in your tinnitus in a couple of weeks or sooner, but since everyone is unique, this can vary all over the place.
Be careful not to focus too much on your tinnitus–is it getting better or worse–as the more you focus on it, the worse and more permanent it becomes. Better to just focus on the loves of your life and thereby ignore your tinnitus. Review your changes once a week or so, not every few minutes as that is really counterproductive.
Your tinnitus can switch from ear to ear to both from time to time, but that is nothing to worry about either. Mine does that, but mostly stays in both ears.
And if you want to try a herbal, I’d suggest Arches Tinnitus Formula. Again, you want to take the long term view and take it for 3 months before worrying whether it is affecting your tinnitus or not.
Cordially,
Neil
I thought I should post an update to my earlier questions. It’s just over 2 months now since my tinnitus started. It’s still with me, so I’m guessing it’s probably here for the longer haul; however, things have moved on. For the most part now it doesn’t bother me; that is to say whilst I would value some respite, I find it much easier to blank it out and sleep is not usually the issue it originally was. When I can’t help but focus on it, the high-pitched sound seems weaker and even higher than it used to be, which I think strangely helps. Also, and here’s the interesting thing, the high-pitched whistle has now disappeared on several occasions (11 in total) which, on the face of it, one would assume is very encouraging. However, I don’t get to hear silence. From the third time the whistle disappeared it has always been replaced by what I refer to as a ‘ticking clock’. This sound is quite loud, rhytmic and fast (approx 200 ticks per minute) much akin to the ticking of an old-fashioned wind-up alarm clock, if you remember those? Because I hear it in both ears with a slight echo; in truth it more accurately sounds like I’m in a room with more than one ‘ticking clock’. The first few times this happened I was encouraged because I felt the sound of a ticking clock was more natural than that of a referee’s whistle and thus easier to cope with, but now that the high-pitched tone is a bit fainter than it used to be I think it may be that sound that gets my vote instead. I never properly hear both sounds together except perhaps for a brief period before they are due to change over from one to the other. I don’t therefore really know if both sounds are intermittent or permanently co-exist and merely swap dominance. The time interval between the switch of sounds has also settled into pretty much a perfect rhythm – 3 days of whistle followed by 1 day of ticking clock. The first day of a whistle cycle is usually the loudest and worst; maybe because I have to get used to it all over again. Curiously, whilst the ‘ticking clock’ sound can start at any time of the day, the whistle will only ever start while I’m asleep at night.
Trawling the internet for this phenomenon, the only references to ticking clocks and tinnitus are usually those suggesting you buy a loud ticking clock as a distraction technique. There are references to ‘clicking sounds heard’ (not always rhythmic) and I wonder if this is other people’s interpretation of what I hear. Interestingly, one website suggests that “clicking tinnitus is commonly due to drugs or problems in the middle ear. A high-pitched continuous tone is commonly the result of a nerve or inner ear injury.” Based on that, I still believe that the Diclofenac in the Voltarol may be to blame. I’ve also read that ‘clicking’ can be due to muscle spasm in or around the ears, which may be possible to correct with a muscle relaxant.
I had a hearing test, which proved slight hearing loss in both ears. I’ve therefore been referred to an Audiologist who I’m hoping will be able to advise more about the sounds I’m hearing. In the meantime I thought I’d share this with you in case it was of interest and on the off-chance that you are aware of any significance attached to what I’ve described.
Regards
Hi Alan:
Continue to ignore your tinnitus as much as possible–as you can see it is having good results and your tinnitus no longer bothers you as much.
You tinnitus regularly changing from one sound to another is unusual. I don’t think I’ve encountered this before. Various tinnitus sounds can come and go–but I’ve not encountered a person who has such a regular pattern.
I wouldn’t say that clicking tinnitus is a common side effect of taking drugs, but it certainly can be a result of middle ear muscles going into spasm.
I don’t think your clicking is the result of muscle spasms. It seems to be too fast and too regular to be from that cause. I have no reason to disagree with you that the Diclofenac is the real culprit.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello,
I have had reactive arthritis for about 8 years now after getting an infection. I was initially put on sulfasalazine and was taking a lot (3 to 4 a day) of Voltaren (Diclofenac) for about 6 months. Being a dumb young male i felt better after that time and just suddenly stopped taking anything for the next 7 years or so, until recently when i complained about some flare ups in my heels and hands, back and inflammation in my eye. I am now back on sulfasalazine (4 a day).
Thing is, I have tinnitus in my right ear, i THINK i’ve had some level of it for as long as i can remember (even as a kid) that i could hear in my head/body that i habituated to, but recently in the last few years, i have a hissing high pitched tone which sounds more directly inside my ear as well as the tone i’m mostly habituated to.
This tone comes and goes and on some days I only hear the old tone i’ve had for years and feel great, and then next day my ear will be hissing again. My question is, do you think the tinnitus is from the sulfasalazine, the arthritis, or just stressing about it a lot?
And what does it mean that on some days I don’t hear the hissing at all? Does that mean it’s NOT damage from the drugs?
Any advice would be appreciated, thanks!
Hi John:
Let me be sure I have this straight. You had a basic tinnitus most of your life–before you began taking the Sulfasalazine. And it didn’t change when you were on the Sulfasalazine back then? Now you also have a hissing tinnitus. When did it start in relation to your starting the Sulfasalazine this time–before or after? If it started before, then the Sulfasalazine is off the hook.
It is true that Sulfasalazine can cause tinnitus in some people, but I think the risk is pretty low.
Now let’s talk about the Diclofenac. When did you take it in relation to the first and second times of the Sulfasalazine? Diclofenac is quite a bit more ototoxic than Sulfasalazine and a lot more people get tinnitus from taking it. So could it be the culprit?
From what you have told me, I don’t have enough information to figure out where your tinnitus came from. Certainly stressing can make tinnitus worse. I’ve never heard of arthritis as such causing tinnitus, but drugs used to treat it could.
I always say that if you have varying tinnitus, that’s a good sign as the tinnitus is not solid. So there is a chance your hissing tinnitus may go away–once you figure out what is triggering it. It could be as simple as your stressing is causing your body and neck to tighten up and cause the tinnitus. Learning to relax lets your muscles in your neck and face relax and if that caused the tinnitus, it could fade away.
There are so many possibilities that need to be assessed.
Cordially,
Neil
I was taking both sulfasalazine and diclofenac and developed tinnitus and now have hearing loss in both ears.
Hi Ray:
Both Sulfasalazine and Diclofenac can cause hearing loss and tinnitus as you have found out. Both of these drugs are more mildly ototoxic, but who knows what synergistic effect they may have when taken together.
Cordially,
Neil
hello,
I started taking doxycycline about a year and a half ago to treat acne and have recently gotten off of it but have switched to accutane. My tinnitus started around the same time, so I believe it is the direct culprit. I plan on getting off of accutane as clear skin is not worth it. It is a high pitched ringing in both ears that is constant but sometimes can, seemingly out of no where, increase its pitch and volume in one ear (changes ear each time). I’m worried that since I was on the medication so long, it is now permanent. Can tinnitus caused by doxyxyline go away eventually if I stay clear of the drugs, or is the damage permanent? Thanks.
Kind regards
Kaiya.
Hi Kaiya:
Both Doxycycline and Isotretinoin (Accutane) and ototoxic and both can cause hearing loss and tinnitus. If anything, Accutane is more ototoxic than Doxycycline.
You said you were on Doxy for about a year and a half then switched to Accutane. You said your tinnitus started about then. What did you mean–your tinnitus started soon after you began taking the Doxy, or soon after you started taking the Accutane?
If the former, then your tinnitus is related to the Doxy. If the latter then Doxy is off the hook and you can blame the Accutane.
In either case there is no way to tell whether the tinnitus will be permanent or temporary in your case as it may be either. If you’ve quit both drugs, you need to allow times for your tinnitus to go away (if it will). I’d give it a month or so.
But at the same time, you mustn’t focus on your tinnitus and keep checking to see if it is still there. That is one sure way to make it become permanent. Instead, you need to totally ignore it by focusing on the loves of your life. When you do that, you give your brain permission to ignore it and let it fade into the background.
Cordially,
Neil
hi I am at a suicidal state. Approx 4 years ago I was switched to methadone for chronic pain from a car accident I had. After about a year of taking it, with out adding any other drugs to the mix, I started getting a loud pounding in both of my ears. It was about once a week and would last for hours and hours like some kind of torture. It has gotten progressively worse and I am living with this severe pounding in my ears every day. I have gone to ear specialist and there is no ear damage, no hearing loss, no clogged arteries, I had mri ,mra and no one can find the cause of my Pulsatile tinnitus. It is like an extremely loud drum beat as loud as a concert that goes along with my pulse. It is driving me insane, has caused me major depression and worsened my anxiety which is off the charts. I forgot to mention I take ativan for anxiety and now i take it to sort of alleviate the loudness of the pounding. I have the sneaking suspicion and gut feeling that it is the methadone. It seems to be the loudest when i first take it and then seems to get quieter by night time, but it will only stop for a short while if I load up on ativan or xanax. If it is indeed the methadone, will it go away if I stop taking it? Also do you think the methadone could be the culprit? I discounted it as the cause for a long time because as I said, the first year I had no pounding in my ears from taking the methadone. Could the methadone have become ototoxic? What do you think?
I forgot to add that I did a test to see if it was the ativan that was causing the pulsatile tinnitus by switching to xanax for about 6 months and vice versa and it made no difference. As I said the benzos are the only relief I get when this horrible pounding occurs which is now almost 24 /7. I just wanted to let you know i eliminated Ativan as the culprit and I eliminated Xanax as the culprit.
Thank you, I need help I am desperate.!
Hi Jeanie:
Methadone certainly causes tinnitus in numbers of people. However, I don’t have any information whether it causes pounding tinnitus. Since you suspect it of causing your pounding tinnitus, why don’t you get off it for a week or so and see what happens to your tinnitus.
Since you say it is louder after you take it and it gradually quietens down somewhat as time goes by, I agree with you that maybe the Methadone is the cause of this pulsatile tinnitus.
Note that tinnitus doesn’t have to start as soon as you begin taking a drug. Sometimes it begins within minutes with certain drugs. For other drugs it takes a few days. For still othes it could be weeks, months or years before the tinnitus begins. So even though you were on this drug for a year or more before you noticed your tinnitus, this doesn’t mean that it wasn’t caused by the Methadone. It could have been.
If you choose to quit the Methadone for a week or two to see what happens with your tinnitus, I’d love to know your results.
Cordially,
Neil
Dear Dr. Neil, I thank you so very, very much for getting back to me so quickly. Thank you for your expertise and advice and that is indeed what I intend on doing. Saying is much easier than actually getting a pain Dr. in the town where i live! I really secretly hope it is the methadone because if it is and I quit the methadone and the pounding in my ears goes away, it will be two years of hell solved. I am in the process of finding a pain Dr. who will understand i need to switch medicines and not think I am some drug addict looking for some new fix. They are so suspicious of everyone these days. Long story short, It is a hill I have to climb but I am willing to climb mountains to get rid of this horrible pounding in my ears. Thank you again, and I will let you know the outcome! God Bless you, Jeanie
Hi Jeanie:
Just a note on the pain meds. If you practice pain reduction strategies (other than medications) you are further ahead than if you just took pain meds for the two years (and you have the drug side effects to deal with too). You need to find a pain doctor that does not prescribe pain meds for longer than a couple of months, but uses the many other techniques to reduce the pain and get you in control of it.
Cordially,
Neil
I had quit taking Wellbutrin but stopped and had bad headaches and ringing in my ears. I started taking Wellbutrin again and it helps my depression and anxiety but now I have a low humming in both ears. What should I do.
Hello Dr. Bauman ,
My urologist prescribed me Avanafil (Spedra) , a PDE5 inhibitor class of drug , after a prostate surgery , close to 2 days ago I took the smallest recomended dose of 50 mg , cut the 200 mg pill in 4 , and while it worked as intended it also turned my mild tinnitus that I have for a couple of years into something much worse and very loud and intrusive , to my knowledge I have no sudden hearing loss or any noticable loss of hearing , according to my urologist and my ENT it would be extremely rare that the drug is the culprit and see no real corelation , it would be the first case he heard about in his many years prescribing these drugs .
To my opinion and common sense the coincidence after stable tinnitus for many years is too great , have you heard of these type of drugs increasing tinnitus and/or is there a fair chance my tinnitus will return to the habituated base level in a few days to weeks ?
Thanks .
Hi Bart:
I’d say your doctors don’t know much about Avanafil. Officially, Avanafil causes tinnitus in around 2% of the people taking it–and that figure is low, because it is only the reported results. Typically fewer than 1% of side effects are ever reported, so you can expect the real results are much higher.
Incidentally, he can’t have prescribed this drug for “many years” because it was only approved by the FDA less than 6 years ago.
Unfortunately, I don’t have any information on whether tinnitus from taking Avanafil is usually temporary or permanent. Probably you’ll have the tinnitus as long as you are on this drug if it is the culprit. But if you quit taking it, there is a chance your tinnitus will soon revert to its old base line.
What drugs did they give you for your surgery–antibiotics, etc–because any of those drugs and antibiotics might also have caused your tinnitus–or a combination of them and the Avanafil.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks for the fast reply ,
The surgery was done several years ago and I co not know and/or remember what they gave me back than .
My doctor meant that he prescribed this class of drugs, ED drugs for many years and never heard they gave people hearing problems even though they are very rarely asociated with sudden hearing loss and tinnitus , the mechanism are unknown and it is is impossible to link those incidences with the actual drug .
I took Levitra before (vardenafil) and that had no effect on my tinnitus but gave me other side effects as headaches and flushing, so my urologist decided to prescribe me the relatively new Spedra, wich is generally well tolerated and should give less side effects , but my tinnitus reacts very badly to it, i only hope it is temporary .
I just took a one time small dose and threw the rest of the box away
How long does it typically take beore adverse reactions like tinnitus subside after ceasing a drug ?
I was under the impression that once the drug leaves your body any side effects should stop ?
Hi Bart:
That is really variable depending on the drug–sometimes the next day, sometimes a couple of weeks, sometimes longer, and sometimes never.
Then to complicate things, a lot also depends on your emotional state. For example, if you focus on your tinnitus, it may take on a life of its own and never go away. So you have to learn to ignore your tinnitus and not worry that it will affect your future well-being in any way in order to give your limbic system permission to let it fade away.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
I stumbled across your website today and am grateful. I’ve read many of the postings and have found them helpful.
Does Adderall (regular) and Adderall XR cause tinnitus? Also, I saw that you’ve noted that people on specific allergy medications have experienced symptoms. Does Zyrtec happen to be one of those brands? Thanks for your help and I look forward to your response.
Thanks again,
Meredith
Hi Meredith:
Yes, Adderall and Adderall XR can cause tinnitus in some people. The drug that does it is the Amphetamine in the Adderall. I don’t think it happens too often as compared to a lot of other drugs, but it does happen.
Cetirizine (Zyrtec) is also ototoxic and can cause a number of ototoxic side effects, more so various balance problems than cochlear problems such as hearing loss, hyperacusis and tinnitus, but numbers of people have reported them too.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello, I took adderall for 3 months and within the first week I developed tinnitus (the third day of taking it). It would come when the medication was wearing off. As soon as I would take the medication, the tinnitus would go away. I didn’t know it could possibly be permanent or that it was even that bad. I also experienced other things while on the medication that seem to still persist like body aches, headaches, and pressure in my head. I never experienced a headache in my life until I was on that medication. I went off of it because my side effects were too unbearable (extreme headaches, could not sleep for 24 hours, was only get 4 hours of sleep at most). It has been 5 and a half months since and I still have this massive ringing in my ears. I feel like it is getting worse just this week and there is a slight pressure in my head. I’m 24 and I never use to get headaches or pressure ever. My ears kind of feel like they are uncomfortable as well. Could the tinnitus possibly have anything to do with mitochondrial dysfunction? I have been recently reading about how amphetamines can cause oxidative stress which can mutate your mtDNA, and cause mitochondrial disfunction. Apparently a high percentage of people with autism actually have mitochondrial dysfunction (80 percent). People with ADHD and OCD fall in that realm to, I have both ADHD and OCD. I’m not sure if that is why or how I would really test that. Also, I have had bad ears in the past, i’m half deaf in one of them and cannot get water in them. Any information you have on adderall with tinnitus would be really helpful because I told my doctor about it and she did not know anything. I’ve been trying to find out why adderall causes ringing in the ears? I’m really afraid that it is something really bad. Is it something to do with oxidative stress (mitochondria dysfunction), or your ear hair follicles? I’m really scared that it has caused mitochondria dysfunction because that would make me prone to a plethora of diseases as well as aging fast.
Hi Hannah:
Amphetamines (Adderall) can and do cause tinnitus in some people. Interesting that in your case, the tinnitus came as the Adderall was wearing off, rather than the other way around.
Tinnitus can be temporary or permanent. Unfortunately, I don’t have any information to indicate whether it is permanent in the case of Adderall.
Since Amphetamines are stimulants, they increase your brain activity and thus could also increase auditory activity that results in tinnitus.
I have never heard of tinnitus being associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, but it could be. At the cellular level some health experts believe that all disease is due to mitochondrial dysfunction. Thus, in order to be healthy, you have to keep your mitochondria healthy. One way, as I’m sure you know, is to reduce oxidative stress.
Tinnitus almost always accompanies hearing loss, and since you have hearing loss, that could also be a reason for your tinnitus. But obviously the Adderall had something to do with your tinnitus too.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Doctor,
I developed unilateral tinnitus a few months ago. I had been on a lower dose birth control, Yaz, for 1 year at the time. Due to insurance change, I had to change the birth control to a higher estrogen but same progesterone , Yasmin, and 3 weeks after starting it, I developed tinnitus in my other ear which was previously unaffected. I cannot find any correlation between the two, but could it be possible that the shifting in fluid dynamics with all the estrogen could have induced T? I am also under severe stress at the moment. Thank you in advanced, you are amazing !
Hi Sana:
Both Yaz and Yasmin can and do cause tinnitus in some women, so that could account for your tinnitus in both ears. Severe stress could certainly exacerbate your tinnitus as well.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Dr Bauman: Stopped 20 years of Prozac because of all my older family members are getting memory issues – and they are on antidepressants. Tinnitus has persisted for 7 months so I’m guessing I need to learn to ignore it!
Hi Scott:
Did you get your tinnitus while you were on Prozac, or when you stopped taking it?
How fast a taper did you use when coming off the Prozac?
And yes, you need to learn how to successfully deal with your tinnitus. If you can just ignore it and let it fade into the background, more power to you.
Cordially,
Neil
One question – ever hear of tinnitus from intermittent fasting? Also, could a lower carb diet, lower insulin, cause tinnitus?
Thanks!
Hi Scott:
Not in people that regularly do intermittent fasting like I do. But if you are used to three squares a day and suddenly stop eating one, your body gets low on sugar and for some people this triggers tinnitus. However, if you slowly build up to intermittent fasting with a ketogenic diet so your body burns fat when the readily-available sugar stores are used up, you shouldn’t have any problems. Years ago, I’d get headaches if I missed a meal. Now I can go for 20+ hours without any problems with headaches or worsening tinnitus or anything else. I normally go 18 hours without eating anything.
I don’t think a lower carb diet itself causes tinnitus, but if your body gets low on sugar you could get tinnitus as mentioned above. And you can get tinnitus from a high sugar diet too.
Cordially,
Neil
I’m so glad i found this site. My doctor prescribed me Cephalexin for a sinus infection and prednisone for cluster headaches. I just started taking the Cephalexin three days ago (500mg 3 times a day) and the prednisone two days ago (20mg 2 pills in the AM). I’ve noticed a whoosing/seashell noise in my right ear ever since taking these meds and I began to google. I do not plan to take either of them anymore but if you could please give me more info on my story I would really appreciate it.
Hi Dominique:
Cephalexin can cause tinnitus (the whooshing sound) in some people. However, it could also be from the Prednisone as it also can cause whooshing tinnitus. Since you took them together, there’s no way to be sure which drug is to blame. I’m hopeful that it will soon fade away. Just ignore it and focus on the loves of your life. When you totally ignore it, you give your limbic system permission to let it fade away. The opposite is true if you focus on it.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Doctor. Are there any SSRIs/antidepressants that do not have potential risk of causing tinnitus? I know a lot of them have been listed here but are there some with less of a risk than others that you can recommend? thank you so much for your help.
Hi Ilan:
As far as I know all the SSRIs and antidepressants can cause tinnitus. Of the SSRIs, Fluvoxamine has by far the fewest reports of causing tinnitus. Citalopram or Fluoxetine would be my next choices.
However, if you are depressed, I wouldn’t take any of them. My choice would be to take the herbal St. John’s Wort. It is not ototoxic, is available without a prescription at many drug stores, health food stores or On-line.
A number of studies have shown that it works as well as, or better, than prescription drugs for mild to moderate cases of depression.
If you choose to get it, just be sure it says on the bottle “standardized” and then give what it is standardized to. You want something that says, “standardized to 0.3% (or up to 0.7%) hypericin” which is the active ingredient.
That’s what I’d take if I were depressed.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Doctor Bauman, wanted to thank you so much for your response. I hope you had a great thanksgiving, I am grateful for you and this website! Thanks again.
Dear Dr. Bauman, I have ringing in my ears and it’s very annoying. I take Atorvastatin and Hydrochlorothiazide could either of these drugs be the cause of my tinnitus? I’m tempted to stop both to see if I notice and improvement. Thank you
Hi Ellen:
Both can cause tinnitus and hearing loss, but Atorvastatin is definitely more ototoxic than Hydrochlorothiazide, so that is the one I’d start with and see whether eliminating it will let your tinnitus fade away.
Cordially,
Neil
Dear Dr. Bauman,
I got the flu shot three days ago and my tinnitus got really bad – intermittently. The volume varies from near zero to much worse than ever. I believe that gentamicin (in a “trace amount”) might be the culprit. I really hope the increase is not permanent. I’m trying NAC (1000 x 2 daily), to see if that helps. Prednisone (used asap) seems controversial and is apparently mainly for sudden hearing loss (vs. tinnitus)? My hearing seems OK so far. I’m going to see an ENT / audiologist soon. My instinct is to wait it out.
Some history…
I’m 67. I’ve had tinnitus for 10 years. I have minor high frequency hearing loss in my left ear. I had a CT scan, MRI. I never found out the cause. I suspected this herbal sleep aid (with Valerian, Hops, Passionflower and Catnip). I’ve read about the effect of benzodiazepines on GABA receptors and how Valerian has a similar effect. I know that some foods (with salicylates) make it louder. But after a gruelling 10 day water-only diet late in 2009, my tinnitus remained. So I concluded that salicylates / foods aggravate (but don’t cause) my tinnitus.
I would compare my tinnitus sound to that high pitch whine you hear from cicadas in the summer. It ebbs and flows a bit, but it isn’t pulsatile.The sound does drastically increase in volume when I clench my jaw. Very rarely, I get a crystal clear solid tone in my right ear, but that hasn’t happened in at least a year.
My health is good otherwise.
Some relevant links:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/how-gent … QH_k5GiE0Q
https://www.tinnitusformula.com/library … uary-2009/
What is the best way to make the best of a bad situation? NAC, prednisone, other? Wait it out, to see what happens?
Many thanks for your informative articles and for your advice.
Michael C
Hi Michael:
I’ve received numerous reports from people that have had hearing loss and tinnitus from taking the flu shots. Actually, hearing loss reports outnumber tinnitus reports by a ratio of 3 or 4:1.
Hearing loss and tinnitus can show up as soon as one hour after the flu shot, although more typically it is 2 or 3 days later, but side effects can take a week or two to show up.
From the stories people have told me, their tinnitus is often permanent. Hearing loss may or may not be permanent.
I doubt the Gentamicin in your flu shot was enough to damage your ears, but I certainly could be wrong. Taking high doses of NAC is a good idea, but there are no guarantees it will get rid of your increased tinnitus.
The fact that your tinnitus shoots up whenever you clench your teeth indicates that your tinnitus (at least in part) is the result of your neck and/or jaw are out of whack. I’ll bet you have the same effect if you turn your head all the way left or right too. A good upper cervical spine chiropractor can generally fix that.
If you really suspect the Gentamicin as the culprit, you’ll notice in the first of the two links you mention, that Gentamicin can persist in your inner ear fluids for up to a year and continue doing damage during that time. Barry Keate, in the second article suggests taking NAC for 2 weeks. Obviously he is not aware of just how long Gentamicin can persist in the inner ear.
Taking Prednisone may or may not help you. It could help bring back lost hearing, and that alone could reduce your tinnitus volume, but I don’t think Prednisone will directly affect your tinnitus.
I think you’ll just have to wait it out for your increased tinnitus. But seeing an upper cervical spine chiropractor could really help your underlying tinnitus. You’ll know when it works as clenching your teeth or turning your head all the way left or right won’t cause your tinnitus to spike much at all. Sometimes you’ll also need head and neck massage in conjunction with the chiropractic treatments.
Apart from this, learn to ignore your tinnitus so it doesn’t take on a life of its own. Instead, focus on the loves of your life–like your film-making and let your tinnitus fade into the background.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Bauman,
I have been taking diazepam suppository (10 mg) for 1 month for pelvic floor pain. My doctor started me on 300 mg of Gabapentin. I took the first dose, and the next morning the tinnitus started. I never took another dose of Gabapentin. During this exact time, I had a problem with my tmj slipping out of place. The tmj problem and the tinnitus are on the same ear. I also feel like my ear is full and clogged and I have ear pain on both ears. I am slowly tapering off the diazepam. I have seen countless ENTs but no one takes it seriously.
Can you please tell your opinion on this and any advice would be helpful. Is there as my natural things that could possibly help me? Thank you!
Hi Mary:
It is possible that the one Gabapentin pill you took started your tinnitus. I’ve heard from another lady that had exactly the same thing happen to her with her first Gabapentin pill. So that is one possibility.
It is also true that TMJ can also cause tinnitus. Unfortunately, when they happened together, its hard to determine exactly who is the culprit, or whether both are.
Personally, since your ears also feel clogged and you have pain, and have TMJ, I’d go to a upper cervical chiropractor and make sure that your C1 and C2 are properly aligned. That could be the underlying cause of your TMJ, ear fullness and ear pain.
But it is also true that taking Gabapentin can cause ear pain, ear blocked feeling and Eustachian tube dysfunction–although I wouldn’t have expected those side effects to appear with the first pill you took.
As far as I’m concerned, the most natural thing you can do is go to an upper cervical chiropractor. You can find one at http://www.upcspine.com/ and then click on Practitioners. That would be my first step.
Cordially,
Neil
I will look into that. Based on everything (the single dose of gabapentin, the stopping of Diazepam) do you think this could be reversible? Is there any test to rule out a Eustachian tube dysfunction? I’ve had 2 hearing tests done and my hearing has not been affected.
Thank you!
Hi Mary:
I’d check out the upper cervical chiropractor first and see if that resolves the problem. It it doesn’t, then it is time to rule out other things, but I think good things will happen at the upper cervical spine chiropractors.
Cordially,
Neil
A lot to consider. Thanks so much!
Hello Dr. Bauman
4 days ago I tried MDMA (Ecstasy) with a friend of mine for the second time. The first time I did that was more than 10 years ago and everything went well.
So I developed some sort of tinnitus. This isn’t actually anything new to me because sometimes when I was trying to sleep, this ringing would come but it wasn’t always present and I wouldn’t get it every single day. Now it’s there all the time and it’s louder. On the second day after I did MDMA, the ringing was louder than ever but I’ve noticed that it has been decreasing in intensity.
I don’t do drugs, and I don’t take any sort of pills. The last medication I took was 5 or 6 years ago for the flu.
So my question is, can tinnitus be induced by MDMA? And if so, it would be a permanent, long term or quick recovery from it?
I was stressing with it for the last few days, but now I feel like it’s ok. Only problem is to get asleep at night, but overall I feel like it’s slowly fading away. I’ve also seen reports that tinnitus went away when people tried MDMA. What do you think? I don’t plan to repeat the experience anytime soon but if this subsists, do you think it would be bad try it again for a second time 2 or 3 months in the future?
Best regards
Rick
Hi Rick:
I don’t have any information that says that MDMA causes tinnitus. More likely it is that when you take MDMA, you may be in a noisy place such as at a concert or listening to loud music–and that probably causes the tinnitus.
Some people believe that MDMA can stop tinnitus. I’ve not studied that to see if it is true or not.
Personally, I wouldn’t try MDMA again. If it did cause your tinnitus, you might be worse off than you are now. There are better ways to treat tinnitus than to take dangerous drugs such as MDMA.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Bauman,
I’ve been on Accutane for 3.5 months. Several days ago I began to notice a high pitched ringing in my ears, which I self-diagnosed as tinnitus (seemingly louder in the right side). I can’t tell if it’s gotten any worse or if it simply manifested and has remained constant––but I notice it prominently at night (before bed), and at random times during the day.
As I’d been aware from reading the drug info, ‘hearing changes’ are a known side effect of the Accutane, so I took to the web to see what I could find, spoke to my dermatologist, and subsequently visited an ENT.
Unfortunately, none were much help. My dermatologist is on vacation and advised me over the phone to cut my dosage in half for a week and check in with him then; the internet is scarce in information regarding the relationship between tinnitus and Accutane; and the ENT literally googled “Accutane & hearing problems” while I was sitting in his chair, and said “[he] would stop.”
I am desperately looking for advice regarding this situation. I’ve already gone through 3.5 months of [relative] torture from this drug and only have a month and a half left of treatment until I’m done forever. I am trying to figure out if it’s worth it to just finish the treatment or if I should just STOP and have to waste the last several months of this miserable drug therapy (and a life free of acne).
Every piece of advice I’ve received thus far has been inconclusive. Although I know nothing is certain, I am thankful to have stumbled upon this page, and would truly appreciate your expertise––I’m just looking for some answers.
If I decide to just finish the treatment: is it likely to get worse in that month and a half? If so, *how much* worse could it get? What are the chances/do you have any knowledge or data regarding the likelihood/rate at which Accutane (or similar tinnitus-causing drugs)-related ototoxicity tends to reverse following treatment of the drug?
Have you ever had other patients/experiences regarding Accutane and these hearing issues before? Overall, what do you think I should do?
Thank you so very much for taking the time to read this and answer my questions. I’ve been going crazy the last few days, and like I said, I’m just looking for answers right now––nobody I know has ever experienced this and I’m really just scared. Thank you again, I truly appreciate your time and effort.
Best,
JW
Hi JW:
Isotretinoin (Accutane) can certainly cause hearing loss and tinnitus in numbers of people. About twice as many people report hearing loss as do tinnitus.
Sometimes the hearing loss is temporary and other times is permanent. I don’t have any information on whether tinnitus from taking Accutane is permanent or not. Probably if you have permanent hearing loss, you’ll find the tinnitus to also be permanent since tinnitus often accompanies hearing loss.
I cannot say whether your tinnitus will get worse if you continue on the Accutane or not.
Probably, what I’d do in your situation is go to an audiologist and have a complete audiological evaluation. That may help you decide, because if you have any hearing loss, continuing the Accutane could make it worse. If there is no evidence of any hearing loss, you may decide to continue the Accutane for the next month and a half.
Note: hearing loss may be in the high frequencies above 8,000 Hz where they do not normally test. If the audiologist has an audiometer that can test higher than 8,000 Hz, have him test you to the highest frequency it goes to. This will give you a better idea whether the Accutane is affecting your hearing since drugs typically first damage hearing in the highest frequencies you can hear and then progress down to lower frequencies.
So far, I’ve not received reports from others having ear problems from taking Accutane, so I don’t have specific information to go by.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Neil,
I have been taking hydrocodone acetaminophen for one year. 20mg a day. Just a week and half ago I woke up with a high pitched noise. I don’t know if it’s in both my ears or my head. I do have arthritis in my neck and have received injections in my neck and shoulders awhile back. I don’t know if the medication is causing this continuos ringing or my neck or the loud noises I heard outside my house when construction men were working next door outside. Or is it a combination? I just find it strange that I would experience this side effect a year after taking this med. I contacted my doctor and he says he does not know of this med causung this kind of issue and to get an ear exam before I wean off to determine if anything is wrong structurally with my ears. I’m 34 years old and can’t imagine hearing this noise for the rest of my life. Any input as to what you think may have caused this and if it is reversible is appreciated. I have an ear exam with an ent next Thursday. I’m scared.
Oh and my three year old daughter bumped my head with hers the night before this all started.
Hi Michele:
You have a number of factors that may have caused your tinnitus. However, I suspect that it is the Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen (Vicodin) that is the cause. If you have been taking this drug every day for one year, I wouldn’t be surprised if your tinnitus is a warning that this drug is already damaging your hearing–probably up in the high frequencies where such damage usually starts. With this drug, damage can show up in a few months, or it may take a year (or years) to show up. Thus, you might not suspect that this drug is the culprit.
This typically happens to people who take high doses for several months. Now, you haven’t been taking high doses (such as 20 pills a day), but you have been taking them for 12 months. Even taking Acetaminophen twice a week for a year increases your risk of hearing loss by 100%.
Here is a quote from my book “ototoxic Drugs Exposed”
People can develop progressive, irreversible hearing loss from taking “extremely high doses of Acetaminophen for a little as 2 months, or after taking clinically acceptable doses for as long as 10 years”. At regular dosages (e.g.: up to 4 pills a day), when taken two or more times a week for more than a year, Acetaminophen can cause hearing loss. For example, in a study of 26,917 men between the ages of 40 and 75 at the beginning of the study, men that used Acetaminophen at least twice a week had a 22% increased risk of hearing loss. However, when only men under the age of 50 were considered, the risk factor skyrocketed to 99%.
This fits you as you are only 34 years old.
For your information, in just 9 years, the FDA received 18,308 reports of ototoxicity from this drug.
Here’s more information from the as yet unpublished 4th edition of the above book.
Doctors have discovered that Acetaminophen depletes your body’s stores of glutathione, a powerful natural antioxidant that helps protect our hearing from the effects of free radicals that are produced when our ears are exposed to loud noise, to prescription drugs and to various chemicals. When glutathione levels are reduced, the free radicals floating around in the cochlea zap (kill) the hair cells, resulting in some degree of sensorineural hearing loss.
Since Acetaminophen depletes the body’s supply of glutathione, then it follows that taking glutathione at the same time as taking Acetaminophen (or many other drugs), helps protect your ears from any resulting hearing loss, not to mention preventing or reducing damage to your liver. Note: since glutathione is not easily absorbed through your stomach, a good alternative is to take N-acetyl-cysteine (a major building block of glutathione) instead, and let your body convert it to glutathione.
So that’s something you might want to try and try to stop any future hearing loss.
Tinnitus usually accompanies (or precedes) hearing loss, so this may be a warning to you. I don’t want to scare you, but this is one very real possibility. Taking pain killers is something you do for a week or two, but after that, you need to find other ways to manage pain if you want to avoid ear (and other) problems.
This is what I suspect is happening to your ears rather than the bump on your head, or the workmen outside, or even the arthritis in your neck which could cause a misalignment of the C1 and C2 vertebrae and thus result in tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi , i Took Trihexyphénidyle 5mg for three days on a raw, first day 1pill, second day 1/2 pill, third day 1/2 pill. The third day at night tinnitus started in my ears, it’s been now 4days , i saw today an ORL , he said that my ears are good. I’m afraid that could be permanent, please give me your opinion
Hi Anis:
There are only a handful of reports of Trihexphenidyl causing tinnitus–so it can happen, but it is not very common. I have no information on whether it is permanent or not, but I think it will be temporary–all things being equal. So don’t worry about it, try to ignore it and hopefully it will fade into the background in the next few weeks.
Cordially,
Neil
I took Vimovo for arthritis for about a week on & off more off than on and after feeling better I stopped and ringing in my ears started. I noted the date & time and it has been now going on for 5 days. Of course it has been making me uncomfortable and I started doing my research to find that Yoga would help. After doing it for a day I slept better but having also to include taking a melatonin drop before going to bed. It’s very light sound but annoying to say the least. I do make it to sleep but if I have to get up during the night it starts again. So it seems like any movement keeps this going until I lay down. I also notice a nasal drip which also makes me think that I have some sinus issues. My hopes is that this will eventually go away. I do have an appointment with an ENT this week but from all the reading/research I don’t see that there is any solutions. What do you think? Am I on the right track?
Oh BTW I forgot to mention that I have been taking Tumeric as it is good for inflammation along with Vit C. I stop going to the Acupuncturist which had me in the best health, because of work schedule so I’m thinking I should re-visit them since I do have back issues. L4/L5 disc problems
Hi Roz:
Vimovo is a combination of Naproxen and Esomeprazole. Both of these drugs are well known to cause tinnitus. Hundreds and hundreds of people have reported getting tinnitus from taking this drug. Sometimes the tinnitus is temporary. Esomeprazole is even worse. So who knows what the results are of taking them both together?.
Obviously, you are sensitive to these drugs and probably shouldn’t take them in the future or you could experience worse ototoxic side effects.
If your tinnitus bothers you when you wake up in the night, you might want to put on some background sounds to help mask the tinnitus and give your ears some real sounds to listen to. Some people find a fan in the room is all they need. Others like to listen to environmental sounds on a CD, etc. Use what works for you. It doesn’t have to be loud–as long as you can just hear it.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Dr. Neil ,
I was prescribed the generic variant of Cialis (Tadalafil) for erectile problems .
While the drug does what it is suppose to do the side effects are quite bad after taking just a single 10 mg pill (recomended starting dose) .
I allready had tinnitus for several years and it was quite managable , mostly due to habituation .
I took one pill last and several hours after taking the Cialis it signicantly ramped up in volume , it doesn not seem like my hearing is affected, just the tinnitus is much louder and more pronounced , I could hardly get any sleep last sleep because of it .
This iq quite disconcerning , my doctor thinks that it is temporary and than it is a very rare side effect , with permanent tinnitus even rarer , maybe because I allready had tinnitus that I am more susceptible to a further increase ?
Do you think there is a fair chance that it will return to it’s previous level , and how long is it suppose to last before I can notice any improvement ?
Thanks .
Hi Steve:
Numbers of people have reported tinnitus from taking Tadalafil (Cialis). Even more have reported getting hearing loss from taking this drug. I have no information on whether the tinnitus will be temporary or permanent, but for hearing loss, it seems about 1/3 of the hearing loss cases were temporary. So it is likely true that tinnitus may be temporary for numbers of people as well.
Personally, I’d give it a couple of weeks to see whether you tinnitus goes away or lessens in intensity before you worry about whether it will be permanent or not.
In the meantime, don’t focus on your tinnitus, but focus on the loves of your life and let your tinnitus fade into the background.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks for the reply ,
I just returned from the ENT doctor and the test showed no sign of sudden hearing loss , tinnitus is very severe though but he was confident that it was temporary from a single pill , he advised people with tinnitus to stay away from PDE5 inhibitors though . I am starting steroids tomorrow and will hope for the best .
Hello Steve,
Has your tinnitus gone now? Also got tinnitus from cialis about 2 weeks ago
Hi, I have been on Vancomycin for about 8 days now and am almost done. I started hearing ringing on day 7. Very low but still there. Is this common for this antibiotic?
Thank you 🙂
Hi Ted:
With Vancomycin, tinnitus is certainly not uncommon, but often it is a precursor to hearing loss. In fact, hearing loss is much more common than tinnitus for people taking Vancomycin.
Cordially,
Neil
hello, so i am about to take Bicillin shots for lyme disease it is penicillin G whitch i read that is a natural AB so i guess it is safe for my ears right ? I had azitromycin and other ototoxic meds in the past and now i have a very mild ringing in my right ear but it comes and goes, i have it for 4 days, hope it goes away…..when i yawn it becoes louder.
Hi Alex:
Bicillin is one of the forms of Penicillin. It is mildly ototoxic, but probably is less ototoxic than most antibiotics, so is a reasonable choice.
You might also want to take certain essential oils for your lyme. You can read about in in this article by Dr. Mercola at https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/12/17/essential-oils-for-lyme-disease.aspx
Since your tinnitus isn’t very loud/bothersome, just ignore it as much as you can.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you sir, i will check out the oils. God bless !
Hello again,
so, i took a shot of bicillin 1500000 IU. (i have to take a shot per week, don’t know for how long) and the ear pain is still there, the ringing comes and goes, it ring like 2 – 3 times per day and just for a few seconds, is that a good sign ? i still think it is from the other ABX i took a few weeks ago, those were : Azitromycin, Bactrim, Clindamycin, Ciprofloxacin and Minocyclin. I took those in combination for 4 months……now i only take the shot + samento oil and other suplements like goldenseal , milk thistle, ginko biloba, vit C, and so on…
Hello again,
so, i took a shot of bicillin 1500000 IU. (i have to take a shot per week, don’t know for how long) and the ear pain is still there, the ringing comes and goes, it ring like 2 – 3 times per day and just for a few seconds, is that a good sign ? i still think it is from the other ABX i took a few weeks ago, those were : Azitromycin, Bactrim, Clindamycin, Ciprofloxacin and Minocyclin. I took those in combination for 4 months……now i only take the shot + samento oil and other suplements like goldenseal , milk thistle, ginko biloba, vit C, and so on…
Hi Dr Neil
Does low dose, less than 1mg, oral minoxidil cause or make tinnitus worse? Also, does stopping a drug for 2 weeks enough time to know if it was the problem?
Thanks
Hi Sam:
Minoxidil can and does make tinnitus worse for some people. I can’t say what dose does that as everyone is a bit different. If you were particularly sensitive to the drug, a lower dose could affect your tinnitus. But I don’t think most people get tinnitus at all from this drug.
Often two weeks is long enough to tell whether stopping the drug lets your tinnitus drop. But for some drugs it may take longer. It probably varies between people and between drugs so there is no definitive answer.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Doctor,
I am 30 and weigh about 54kgs.
I was on 800 mg cefixime and 1000 mg Azithromycin for 8 days when I developed Tinnitus on the 8 day. The ringing went away in a day. But after 3 days I was exposed to loud noise at a family function with DJ for about 30 mins when the ringing came back 2 days after the event. It’s been 12 weeks since then but it has not gone. Have you heard of any such cases? Any idea if this could be permanent or temporary?
Hi Jazz:
Cefixime is not reported to cause tinnitus. In contrast, hundreds of people have reported getting tinnitus from taking Azithromycin.
So likely the Azithromycin caused your initial tinnitus. Then the loud noise three days later further damaged your ears while they were still in a “delicate” state from the Azithromycin damage and that caused your tinnitus to come back again.
Since it is now 12 weeks later, it is quite possible that your tinnitus will be permanent. So you now need to learn how to successfully deal with your tinnitus so it no longer bothers you. My book “Take Control of Your Tinnitus” ( http://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/take-control-of-your-tinnitus-heres-how/ ) particularly chapters 16 and 17 will really help you with this. I’ve had tinnitus for more than 65 years now, but I do not let it bother me. It is just “there” in the background, and hours go by without my even being aware I have tinnitus. This is called habituating to your tinnitus–and it should be your goal. Then, whether you hear your tinnitus or not is no big deal.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for this information and any further insights you might offer me. I had a penis injury and was prescribed Cialis 7mg daily to help with healing. I had tinnitus previously due to exposure to loud noises during work. After my second day taking it I woke up the next mornin and instantly noticed I was hearing the ringing even though I had noise in the room (a fan). I then looked up potential side effect for Cialis and the FDA did issue a warning for hearing loss and tinnitus. I’m also taking 15mg Meloxicam daily, an NSAID that can ALSO result in permanent hearing damage. There is no way for me to know which cause this issue but I’ve taken NSAIDs before (Naproxen) without noticing this side effect. That leads me to believe that it is the Cialis but I’m stopping them both for now. However, I need them to treat my injury! My understanding is that treatment for sudden tinnitus needs to be within the first 14 days. Is there any clinically proven treatment for this? I know corticosteroids are sometimes used, are these injected or oral? If they are injected, does this affect the rest of the body? Is it JUST effective locally?
I worry about the possible effects of a corticosteroid on my injury since it can supposedly affect soft tissue and organs. I also have low-normal testosterone and my understanding is that corticosteroids can affect function of adrenal glands, which could potentially adversely affect hormone problems. I read that if one has contraindications for corticosteroid use then it should not be used for this purpose. Doctors can’t know everything, an ENT doctor is not going to know how a corticosteroid might affect my other conditions. It seems like they will not be able to offer any treatment to actually reduce prevent permanent damage like they might have been able to if they could prescribe a corticosteroid like prednisolone. Is it even worth going to a doctor for this? What are they likely to do in my complicated case? I think they will just say to wait and see…
I would never risk permanent tinnitus just to take a non-essential medication!!!
that’s why it’s important to know if the tinnitus that you develop when you first start taking something if there’s a chance it’s going to become permanent, then obviously I would stop taking it immediately! I don’t want to risk it becoming prominent if it’s not a liife-saving saving medication. its more mportant to not have tinnitus for the rest of your life
is it generally considered that amitriptyline will cause permanent or reversible tinnitus?
Hi Harry:
It can cause either. I don’t know the percentages of each. But it can be reversible–so that is good news for some people.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Doctor.
I was recently prescribed Nitrofurantoin 100 for a UTI. After 12 days (4 tablets of 100mg a day) i an hearing ringing noises.a month has passed and In the left ear was created.What’s the chances of it going away?
Thank you
Hi Hilary:
I don’t have any information on whether tinnitus caused by taking Nitrofurantoin is permanent or temporary. The information I have indicates that tinnitus is not a very common side effect from taking this drug, but unfortunately it does occur in some people.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Doctor,
I had taken Phentermine for about 5 weeks for weight loss. At about 4 weeks I developed tinnitus could Phentermine be the cause? Is it permanent? It is starting to drive me nuts. The noise isn’t 24/7 I do have short periods of time during the day that I don’t notice it, and then it gets loud again. Any suggestions?
Hi Mary:
Not many people report getting tinnitus from taking Phentermine, but a few do. You could be one of the few unlucky ones. I’d stop the drug and see whether your tinnitus fades away in a week or two.
Continue to ignore your tinnitus as much as possible. It is a good sign that you don’t hear it all the time. You may find that having some soft background music or other real sounds on helps take your mind off your tinnitus so it continues to fade away. The big thing is not to focus on your tinnitus. Focus on the loves of your life instead.
Cordially,
Neil
I still have the tinnitus. Some days it drives me nuts and other days it is hardly noticeable. It has been over two months. Should I see a doc. If yes, what type of doc?
Hi Mary:
The problem with going to a doctor is that few doctors know much if anything about tinnitus so they typically either prescribe drugs (which don’t do anything for your tinnitus), but just make it so you don’t worry about it, or they tell you to go home and learn to live with it. This isn’t exactly helpful when they do not tell you how you are supposed to do this (and they don’t know either).
Therefore, I don’t think you’ll get much help going to a doctor.
You might do better yourself in tracking down why it fluctuates so much. Do you see any pattern why it is bad on some days? On those days (or maybe the day before) is/was there some pattern–for example, eating certain foods, taking any OTC medications, extra stress/anxiety/depression, exposing your ears to louder sounds, etc.–anything that might influence your tinnitus to get louder.
I’m wondering if your tinnitus was related to the Phentermine at all. Looking back, do you still think that is the most likely cause?
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you so much for your responses. I will try to track the severity and when it happens. The only problem with that is that I get busy and forget. Maybe it wasn’t the phentermine, but if not I have no idea what may have started it.
Hi Mary:
Keeping track of your tinnitus should only be a once a day effort. You don’t want to track it more often than that or you’ll be thinking about it too much, and your brain will then focus on it and that is not what you want.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello again,
so, i took a shot of bicillin 1500000 IU. (i have to take a shot per week, don’t know for how long) and the ear pain is still there, the ringing comes and goes, it ring like 2 – 3 times per day and just for a few seconds, is that a good sign ? i still think it is from the other ABX i took a few weeks ago, those were : Azitromycin, Bactrim, Clindamycin, Ciprofloxacin and Minocyclin. I took those in combination for 4 months……now i only take the shot + samento oil and other suplements like goldenseal , milk thistle, ginko biloba, vit C, and so on…
Hi Alex:
If you have intermittent tinnitus, to me it is always a good sign because it’s not there 24/7. Your tinnitus could well of been from previous drugs you’ve taken but since you took about five different ones and all of which can cause tinnitus it’s hard to put the finger on which one was the likely one. I’d put my money on Ciprofloxacin as the most likely culprit, next would be Azithromycin, then Bactrim, then clindamycin and bringing up the rear would be the Minocycline.
Cordially,
Neil
thank you very much for the reply, the tinnitus is almost gone, but the ears are still sensitive to loud noise…i think it is a good idea to stay away from parties for a while….
Hello doctor,
I have tinnitus from citalopram for several years now. I went to a neurologist for another issue and he prescribed gabapentin. I am nervous about taking it due to my bad experience with citalopram. I find I am afraid of most drugs now. My General doctor recently gave me an Rx for vistaril and I am nervous about it too so haven’t taken. Have you heard anything about either of these drugs causing or making tinnitus worse. Thank you for any info you have.
Hi Theresa:
Hydroxyzine (Vistaril) can and does because tinnitus in some people. Hundreds and hundreds of people have reported to the FDA that taking Gabapentin caused their tinnitus. So both these drugs can and do cause tinnitus in some people.
I don’t blame you for being nervous about taking drugs. My policy is that you only take drugs as a last resort. When you’ve tried everything else including alternative medicine and nothing works. Unfortunately, doctors prescribe drugs as their first line of attack, and that leaves you open to all the ototoxic and other side effects.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Doctor,
I recently had my meniscus repaired and they put me on Percocet (5mg of hydrocodone/325mg acetaminophen) taking 2 every 6-8 hrs. My surgery was on a wedsneday and Saturday I started having ringing in my ears. It seem to start out in both ears then to one ear then to both ears again. Now it is only in my right ear. I had a hearing test and it came back fine.
I also have Afib and my doctor told me to take ecotrin (325mg)everyday which I have been doing for 5 years plus now. I am also on metropolol Succinate (50 mg) per day and propafenone (900mg) per day. I also have o.c.d and take 40 mg of Prozac and occasionally .05 mg of Klonopin per day. , also I have high cholesterol and take astorvastatin 40mg per day.
Yesterday I had ringing in both ears and today it’s a low pitch in my right ear. I am praying that it is not permanent because I feel I will not be able to take it. Is there any advice you can give me? Also what about marijuana or cbd drops in the ears? I am making an appointment with an ear specialist on Monday.
Thanks
Also to follow up I have stopped taking astovastatin and ecotrin ….do u feel this will be permanent
Sorry one more thing during surgery they gave me Fentanyl and propafol
Hi David:
Both Fentanyl and Propofol can cause tinnitus, but they are not reported to cause tinnitus near as often as the other drugs you are taking. So I wouldn’t think they are the culprits (but they are still a possibility).
Cordially,
Neil
Hi David:
Good to hear you got off the Ecotrin and Atorvastatin. That was definitely a step in the right direction in getting off some drugs.
It’s hard to say whether your tinnitus will be temporary and fade away once you are no longer taking the Percocet and it all gets out of your system, or whether it may prove to be permanent. In any event, the more to focus on other things and thereby totally ignore your tinnitus, the better off you’ll be.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi David:
You are taking a lot of drugs and all of them can cause tinnitus by themselves. Who knows what the combination you take can do. It could be that the Percocet was the last straw. Apart from the Propafenone, the rest of the drugs you are taking are reported to cause tinnitus in hundreds upon hundreds of people. So I’m not surprised you have tinnitus.
I have no experience with CBD drops in the ears. Seems to me getting off drugs, not adding more would be the way to go.
Cordially,
Neil
In your opinion would Klonopin cause tinnitus? What I have read thus far seems there is no real answer. My ringing is now a low pitch in my right ear. Hopefully that’s a good sign it is going away, but I’m very anxious and stressed that it will return.
Hi David:
Clonazepam (Klonopin) can cause tinnitus. There is no doubt about it. Hundreds and hundreds of people have reported this fact to the FDA. Whether it will affect you that way is unknown, but the risk is there.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello doctor ,
i’m about to do IV vitamin C, is it safe for the ears ? Can it cause problems ?
Thanks you very much !
Hi Alex:
As far as I know, high doses of vitamin C do not hurt our ears.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Doc.
I was prescribed Finasteride to help lessen the effects of Hair Pattern Loss, and have been using it for almost 5 months now. I am 23 y’old and have never suffered of any systemic condition and or cardiovascular problems.
Yet I developed a pulsating tinnitus in my right year since a couple weeks. It isn’t constant. Sometimes is there, and will go away, sometimes it lasts until I compensate (I’m not native so i’m not sure this is the right term to describe the procedure: basically closing my nose and exhaling air with it to even out the pressure in my ears).
Can this be caused to finasteride in any way? I do get 1mg per day.
Thanks a lot for your time.
Hi Jamie:
I have a few reports of tinnitus from taking Finasteride, but no information whether any were pulsatile or not. At this point, I don’t see a connection between your taking Finasteride and your pulsating tinnitus–but there might be one.
You could always stop taking the Finasteride for 2 or 3 weeks and see whether this pulsating tinnitus goes away. If it does, that could be an indication this drug is the cause.
Cordially,
Neil
I have a similar question. I started taking finasteride for male pattern baldness earlier this year and over the summer I’ve developed a loud ringing in my left ear, mild ringing in my right ear. I wondered if the finasteride had something to do with it. ENT said I have some slight hearing loss in left ear which may be causing it. I’d like to try going off it to see what happens, but I’m not sure if I should wean off or cut cold turkey. A google search for finasteride and tinnitus gives several scary results. Apparently, tinnitus is a possibly permanent side effect?? Speak comforting words, doc!
Hi John:
It’s always possible that the Finasteride caused your tinnitus. tinnitus is listed as a side effect of Finasteride, although I don’t think it is all that common. Unfortunately, I don’t have any information indicating whether tinnitus from taking Finasteride is temporary or permanent. Nor do I have any information on whether quitting cold turkey is okay or not in this regard. I can tell you this though, I took Finasteride for more than a year and then quit cold turkey with no ototoxic side effects and it didn’t affect my tinnitus at all.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr Bauman. I recently starting taking Benadryl 12.5 mg as a sleep aid plus melatonin. My T was fading but after 3 days it has now spiked. Could the Benadryl be the cause? I’m concerned I may have messed up a good trend….
Hi John:
Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) has been reported to cause tinnitus in numbers of people. So it is possible that you are one of them. Why not try stopping the Benadryl and see if after a few days to a couple of weeks your tinnitus drops back to its old level. If so, you know that your ears are sensitive to Benadryl.
Cordially,
Neil
Experienced exactly the same thing but on the 4th day. What happened after you stopped takin the Benadryl? Did it fade away?
Thanks, Dr Bauman. Is diphenhydramine effect temporary if there is one?
Hi John:
I don’t have any information on this so I don’t know–but you can be hopeful that it will prove to be temporary–and you may be right.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr Bauman. You were correct. My T dropped back and is fading again! Thank you so much for your advice. The doctors in my area are totally ignorant about tinnitus and it’s nice to know there is an expert who we can reach out to who understands the condition. There are so many meds that are ototoxic, and many can not be avoided. Does your book advise on the severity of ototoxic It’s?
Hi John:
I give each ototoxic drug a rating between 1 (low) and 5 (high). This is my own subjective rating, but if you don’t have a clue, its a good place to start. I also tell what I know of each drugs specific ototoxic effects. And if available some anecdotal reports that people have sent to me.
Taking it all together, you can come up with a reasonable risk factor. The new edition (4th) that will come out in a couple of years will give FAR more information, and will be in two volumes as it will be around 1,500 pages or so.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks. I’m coming off 7 weeks of Lexapro 5 mg. I’m taking it for anxiety over recently acquired tinnitus. I see theanine suggested for tinnitus anxiety. Is theanine otosafe? My T has faded quite a bit since coming off Xanax and lowering Lexapro, but it seems to have leveled out.
Thanks in advance for your sage advice.
Hi John:
As far as I know, L-theanine is not ototoxic. Just make sure you take L-theanine and not D-theanine. Don’t expect it will help your tinnitus, but it will help calm your anxiety down so you can better bear your tinnitus.
Furthermore, it is not something you want to take daily “forever” as it apparently quits working well if you do that. Better to cycle in and out of taking it. In other words just take it when you really need to, then give your body some days off it before you take it again. For example, you might want to take it for two weeks, then give your body a week or more off before taking it again.
So learn to ignore your tinnitus so you can habituate to it so it won’t bother you anymore.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello doctor,
is it OK to fly an airplane if you have ear problems ? Does wearing earplugs help or make it worse ?
THANK YOU !
Hi Alex:
What kind of ear problems? Don’t waste my time making me drag information out of you. Tell me what kind of ear problems you have so I can give an intelligent answer.
Cordially,
Neil
hello
i have tinnitus, does flying have any negative effect ? and also, is CBD oil safe for ears ?? thank you !!!
Hi Alex:
Normally, flying doesn’t bother your tinnitus–unless you have reactive tinnitus. But most people don’t. I’ve never had any problems with flying in regards to my tinnitus.
So far, I don’t have much information on CBD oil, but it is listed as causing ataxia and dizziness in some people.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr Bauman. I recently tried l-theanine to reduce anxiety from my T. I’m coming off Lexapro and I’m hoping the theanine can work as a limited anxiety buster. Well, it has no effect, So I was wondering about gingko biloba. Is gingko otosafe?
Thanks again for your safe advise.
Hi John:
Ginkgo is not ototoxic as far as I know, but I don’t think it will help with anxiety as such. However, it may make a difference to your tinnitus and that could indirectly help reduce your anxiety.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr Bauman. I’m taking the gingko…I hope it work.
Recently, my T is fluctuating daily even before gingko. One day it’s gone, then next, it’s back. How can one habituate to something so variable..
Thanks again for your help.
Hi John:
Well, I think it is great news that your tinnitus is fluctuating so much. To me this indicates that it is probably going away. So you may not have to habituate to it. But you habituate to it the same way as you would if it were always there–ignore it and focus on the loves of your life instead.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr Bauman. I understand your attitude towards prescription drugs but sometimes natural just does not work. Can you please tell me which anti-depressants and anti-anxiety drugs show up the least in regards to affecting tinnitus? Thank you
Hi Sam:
I don’t know which drugs your doctor thinks will do the job. So often, drugs are prescribed off-label so I don’t know which drugs are on the “list” for these two conditions.
However, if you give me a list of all the drugs that might work in your case according to your doctor, I can certainly put them in the order of reported ototoxicity from best to worst.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks Dr Bauman. This is the list of the drugs.
Xanax, Klonopin, Serapax, Mirtazapine, Lexapro, Zoloft and Doxepin
Hi Sam:
From most likely to cause tinnitus to least likely to cause tinnitus the drugs are:
Alprazolam (Xanax)
Clonazepam (Klonopin)
Sertraline (Zoloft)
Escitalopram (Lexapro)
Mirtazapine
Oxazepam (Serapax)
Note that Oxazepam may not be prescribed as often, hence the fewer reports. Thus, I don’t know if it is in the “right” place in the above list. You can try it, but I think the safest bet for not causing tinnitus or making it worse would be Mirtazapine–given these choices.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr Bauman, will drug induced tinnitus will eventually lead to hearing loss? thanks
Hi Dilan:
If tinnitus is the first ototoxic side effect you get, it may be a warning that continuing to take that drug or taking it in higher doses may cause additional ototoxic side effects including hearing loss.
Then again, tinnitus may be the only ototoxic side effect you may experience–and that’s it–it will not lead to hearing loss.
So the answer to you question is a definite “maybe”. It just depends. Thus I would tend to dump any drug that causes my tinnitus to get worse before it has a chance to take out my hearing too.
Note: tinnitus does not cause hearing loss, but hearing loss very often results in tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr. Bauman
First thank you for this forum!
I was given Andriol Testocaps oral tablets to increase my level of testosterone, I took it for 40 Days (one pill morning and one evening)
I started to have ringing in my ears, went to check my ear and did the audiogram with the ENT, and dr. said ears are fine, no issues with ears.
i stoped taking those pills immeadiately after the 40th Day. but now its been 10 days and the tinnitus is not going away, in my case is it going to be permanent?
Thank you Doctor!
Thomas
Hi Thomas:
Taking Testosterone (Andriol) can indeed cause tinnitus. However, I do not have any information whether the resulting tinnitus is temporary or permanent. It can take more than 10 days for numbers of drugs so be patient. You can always be hopeful that it will fade away–especially if you totally ignore your tinnitus. On the other hand, if you focus on it and worry about it, the chances are good it will be permanent and can get worse. So focus on the loves of your life and forget about your tinnitus. And don’t take any more Andriol if you don’t want to make your tinnitus worse.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for your prompt Response!
its outrageous that doctors who prescribe these medicines fail to warn their patients!
Lets hope for a cure Doctor! its not that easy…
Hi Dr. Bauman,
Thank you for answering so many questions, it is very generous of you.
Eight days ago while going to bed, a loud high pitched sound appeared in my head and wouldn’t go away. I had never experienced anything like this before. I had been taking Etidolac the week prior (about 200-400mg 5X that week). Prior to that, my Etidolac intake was about 200-400mg 1-2X per week with long breaks (for about the last two years). . . I was also drinking about two cups of coffee daily and taking 10mg Adderall XR, 3X weekly.
I had also recently done a three week spiritual retreat in which I consumed the substance 5-meo-dmt in moderate amounts about 19 of 23 days. There were several awakenings that were very taxing on the mind/body, yet it was also very relaxing at times, with little worries about life’s responsibilities. There was no ringing during that time. The ringing started three days after my last usage. Since the ringing started, I consumed 5-meo-dmt once more and the ringing got about 5X stronger. I will discontinue consuming it.
I was also consuming cannabis in moderation – so there were a variety of substances flowing through my body. I’ve discontinued all substances since the ringing started (except for 5-meo and cannibis one time each – they both increased the volume greatly).
I went to see an ENT yesterday. The audio test showed normal hearing in my left ear and moderate loss in my right ear (he said it was in the normal loss range for a 49 year old). The ringing is stronger on the right side of my head and part of me thinks that interfered with my ability to score well on the audio test. The Dr. blamed hearing loss in my right ear, yet was stumped why it suddenly appeared very intensely with no prior occurrences, loud noise exposure or injury.
The ringing intensity comes and goes. During the workday and in nature, it can settle down and at times disappear briefly. Yet my mind keeps checking to see if it is still there. I am trying to continue doing things I love. It gets louder when its quiet and I greatly miss doing Yoga and meditation with a quiet mind. I just don’t like it now. I have a lot of meditation and I’m practicing to be still and at peace within the sound. Yet it is very challenging. Ironically, it seems my ability to be very aware and present in the moment seems to make the sound more apparent.
My questions are:
1. What might be the most likely cause?
2. Do you think it is better to engage in more activities that will mask/distract from the sound? For example, riding my bicycle outdoors rather than yoga/meditating in quiet indoors.
3. Sometimes my mind goes into worrisome stories about the ringing – regret of the past and worrying it will never go away. I try to let go of those stories. If the ringing continues, do you think it may be beneficial to create a new story and relationship with it? – such as the sound is a connection to spirit and is comforting?
4. Do you think there is a decent chance it will fade away?
5. Do you think Reiki may help?
Thank you for any thoughts you may provide. It is appreciated.
Hi Roger:
1. Etodolac and Adderall can cause tinnitus in some people, but I don’t think it is all that common. So you can’t rule them out, but they are probably not the tinnitus culprits at this time.
It seems you’ve already pinpointed the culprits when you wrote, “(except for 5-meo and cannabis one time each – they both increased the volume greatly”. So it seems they are making your tinnitus worse, and may be the cause of your tinnitus in the first place.
I don’t have any ototoxic information on 5-meo-dmt so I can’t give you any specific information on it.
2. Doing things that require a fair amount of your cognitive “horsepower” are good activities. That way you focus on them and not on your tinnitus. And having real sounds around you helps keep the tinnitus from standing out from the quiet. Instead, it tends to get buried in the other sounds.
3. Focus on other things–not your tinnitus. See 2 above. You don’t want stories with tinnitus in them–that is just focusing on your tinnitus–which is the opposite of what you need to do.
4. If you stop taking all the mind-altering drugs, and stop focusing on it, there is a good chance. Or at least it will fade into the background and not bother you much, if at all.
5. I’ve never heard of Reiki helping people with tinnitus to get their tinnitus to go away.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for your insights Neil. I’d like to share a follow up experience. Last night during meditation, the high pitched sound got very loud. It was a swirling mix of high frequency. I tried to use it as grounding and simply observe in stillness. I then turned on the below audio and there was an immediate shift. The sound in my head shifted to match the background static of this audio. Most “masking” audio seems to cover up or distract – yet this audio shifted a loud high pitched sound to a low volume hissing sound. I literally couldn’t tell if the hissing was coming from inside or outside my head.
Having the ability to shift the frequency from annoying high pitch to a gentle hissing is a game changer that gives so much relief. It’s not that big a deal now. Since last night, it has been mostly low volume hissing. A couple times the high pitch has creeped in and the audio knocks it down in seconds. I start high enough that I can hear the hissing, then slowly reduce it so I can barely hear the robot beeps. I believe this is back to where my baseline level was before the high pitch started. I’m sure I’ve always had a low baseline hiss, yet never noticed it. I find a low background hiss to be much less bothersome than a high pitch swirling siren and I’m much more able to let it go as “whatever” and get back to life (I’ve already gone a couple 30min. stretches without thinking about it and anxiety is reduced by 90%).
My plan is to listen to this audio periodically through the day in hopes my mind/brain will get reconditioned to the low background hiss and that the background high pitch fades away (which already seems to be happening).
The audio:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKo4jYDO9FQ
Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and time with us on this forum. It is a loving thing to do and it is appreciated.
Hi Roger:
If the audio works for you–great. I listened to it and is it ever an irritating, horrible sound to me. Just shows how what works for one person doesn’t work for another. It’s made my tinnitus worse! I’ll not be listening to that again.
That is why you have to try various treatments and see what works for you. I’m glad you found something that really works well for you.
Whether you hear you tinnitus in one ear, the other ear, in both ears or in your head without reference to your ears doesn’t matter. Mine shifts around all the time.
Cordially,
Neil
hi doc, i developed tinnitus a month after using minoxidil. when i stopped it took a week for the tinnitus to clear then i resume the minoxidil in just a few hours the ringing returns. why is that when it took a month to developed?
and why most minoxidil users dont get tinnitus if its ototoxic? thanks
Hi Dilan:
With some drugs tinnitus comes on in minutes–as short as 7 minutes. With other drugs it takes a number of years. And for most drugs it is somewhere in between. Why? I don’t know specifically, but there are a lot of factors involved in tinnitus.
My information says that Minoxidil doesn’t cause tinnitus in many people–at least not many have reported it as having caused their tinnitus. You seem to be one of the “lucky” ones.
With most ototoxic drugs, only a relatively small percentage of people taking the drug get a given ototoxic side effect. Why? Again, I don’t know.
What I can tell you is that often whether you get ototoxic side effects or fly under the ototoxic radar has to do with three factors. First, some drugs are more ototoxic than others, so taking a drug that is mildly ototoxic reduces your risk of getting those side effects as compared to taking a drug that is severely ototoxic.
Second, dosage is a major factor. If you take a low dose, often you fly under the ototoxic radar. But if you increase the dose above that “magic threshold”–the ototoxic radar picks it up and wham–you are hit with various ototoxic side effects. So the trick is to stay below that magic threshold. The reason I call it a magic threshold is because it probably varies with each person and you don’t know where it is. You only find it by trial and error.
Third, the longer you take a drug, the greater the risk of ototoxic side effects showing up. For example, taking the Minoxidil for only 2 weeks didn’t give you tinnitus, but taking it for 4 weeks did.
Now as to why it took a month to get tinnitus the first time and then stopped for a week and your tinnitus went away, then you started again, it only took a few hours, here’s what I think may be a factor. Let’s say that it takes a month for the drug to build up in your body to levels that cause tinnitus. When you stopped, your levels dropped to below that magic threshold within a week so you tinnitus went away. When you started taking it again, you were just below that magic threshold and adding the drug in quickly put you above the magic threshold and there is your tinnitus back again.
Note that just because you stop taking a drug doesn’t mean your tinnitus will stop. In your case it did after a week. You may find that others taking the same drug get permanent tinnitus. That’s the way it is and I don’t know all the factors of why that occurs.
It can even happen with the same person. One man took a drug that caused tinnitus. He stopped taking it and in a few days his tinnitus went away. So he assumed that this would happen in the future. So he took the drug again and got tinnitus. However, when he stopped, to his horror he found that he now had permanent tinnitus.
There’s still just so many uncertainties and unknowns regarding ototoxicity and our ears. That is why you have to be so careful and only take drugs when you really, REALLY need them if you want to avoid side effects.
Cordially,
Neil
thank you so much Doc you’ve been such a great help. ototoxic drugs are really scary stuff and tinnitus it brings.
Thank you so much for this site.
I have had tinnitus for about a year now, which I was just habituating to. But three weeks ago I developed a lower and much more noticable ringing, which is driving me crazy. My doctor wasn’t of much help, but after getting on the internet I knew it had to be the vimovo I had been taking for five weeks. I immidately stopped taking it, hoping I was one of the lucky ones and it would disappear. Which it did. After three days the new, and to me intolerable sound was gone. I was extremely happy. But it came back, and has been back now for two days on and off. I’m now on the 9th day of being vimovo-free.
I’m currently also on Neo-mercazole, Mirtazapine, Myanserinchloride and up until 9 days ago on Pranolol. I started weaning myself off of the Mirtazapine and Myanserinchloride on the day the tinnitus came back. So what I was wondering is if it’s possible to get tinnitus as a “withdrawal” symptom? And if I should then wean myself off it slower?
I was anxious to come off of all the drugs I have been taking (apart from the neo-merc. , which I need for my thyroid disorder) as soon as I found out about ototoxicity – but abviously not if it’s going to make my tinnitus worse…
Thank you in advance!
Hi Anna:
Taking Naproxen (Vimovo) causes tinnitus in hundreds upon hundreds of people. The good news is that some/many of those people find their tinnitus goes away a couple of weeks after stopping taking it. However, some people get permanent tinnitus from even just taking one dose of this drug.
One of the nasty side effects of Mirtazapine is that when you stop taking it, you can get horrible tinnitus. So you need to taper down slowly. Mianserin is very similar to Mirtazapine and thus may also cause tinnitus when you stop taking this drug, so it may be wise to taper off this drug slowly too.
The Carbimazole (Neo-Mercazole) and Propranolol (Pranolol) probably aren’t the culprits (but there’s always a chance).
You are on the right track.
Cordially,
Neil
A lot of things to be cautious of then, But it’s really great to know what the likely culprits are, thank you.
Do you know whether the tinnitus accompanying the weaning off of Mianserine and Mirtazapine is likely to be permanent or temporary?
Hi Anna:
I don’t have any specific data on that, but if you learn to ignore your tinnitus there is a good chance it will fade into the background so hours will go by without your being aware you have tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr Bauman. It’s been a few weeks since I posted here. My tinnitus is till fluctuating but now I have zero tinnitus followed by bad tinnitus followed by zero tinnitus. Every other day fluctuating. Not sure what this all means. I guess this is a good sign? I find it hard to habituate because of the fluctuations
Hi John:
I take fluctuating tinnitus as a good sign. See if you can correlate the bad tinnitus days with anything–but alternating each day is definitely weird.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Dr Bauman, I am grateful to have found this site. I have hide tinnitus since 2017 and had my first substantial spike a few months ago. 10 days ago I was prescribed Doxycycline for a tick bite. After 5 100mg doses I noticed my tinnitus was affected by it. The T increased in volume and a new sound appeared. I stopped the Doxy and am now facing a tough decision. Do I start taking Amoxicillon or not? I am worried it too will make my tinnitus worse. There is a natural herbal route I can take for the tick bite but my doc really recommends the antibiotics. I’d appreciate your opinion.
Hi Jon:
For your information I have about twice the reports of getting tinnitus from those taking Amoxicillin than from those taking Doxycycline. So your chances of making your tinnitus worse with Amoxicillin are about double–BUT since it is a different class of drug, you may not be as sensitive to it. There is no way to know apart from trying it.
Personally, I’d try the natural herbal route if it has a good chance of success and avoid making your tinnitus worse–not to mention avoiding all the other ototoxic side effects both of these drugs have. Does it have as good a chance as taking one of the antibiotics? If so, I’d go for it.
Cordially,
Neil
Dear Dr. Bauman,
Thank you for the opportunity of inquiring advice. It is encouraging to see that you consistently provide help to anyone asking for it.
Unfortunately I too acquired tinnitus roughly half a year ago. I am absolutely certain that is has been caused by the use of Cialis, although I did not use it frequently and in relatively low doses.
I understand that it is almost impossible to say anything about the perseverance of this condition. However, do you have experience with cases of PDE5 inhibitor induced tinnitus that are resolved or diminished? Moreover, is there a theoretical possibility that it might worsen?
In addition, I have a slight pain/uncomfortable sensation in my inner ear that is almost constantly present, also some sounds are now more uncomfortable to hear. Is this usual and do you have any experience with such cases that might have been resolved?
I can practically feel the change/damage to my ears, I am just hoping somehow this might be healed, although I understand that this is not usual and it would be more likely it already occurred within half a year, if it would.
Thank you and best regards,
Tristan
Hi Tristan:
Tadalafil (Cialis) and related drugs such as Sildenafil (Viagra) and Vardenafil (Levitra) can cause hearing loss and tinnitus among other ototoxic side effects. My information that hearing loss is about twice as commonly reported than is tinnitus.
I don’t have any information regarding the permanence of the resulting tinnitus. However, if your tinnitus accompanies any resulting hearing loss, you can expect the tinnitus to last as long as your hearing loss–so if your hearing loss proves to be permanent, you could expect your tinnitus would be permanent too.
I don’t see that theoretically your tinnitus should get worse if you no longer take this drug–at least not from this cause.
One of the ototoxic side effects reported for this drug are ear pain/discomfort–so you come by it honestly. I don’t have any information on how long it might last.
If you hear sounds sharper/louder than normal, this is called hyperacusis. A few cases have been reported for Sildenafil, so I wouldn’t be surprised that the same would also eventually be reported for Tadalafil. Hopefully, this would eventually fade away as your ears heal as much as they can.
However, since this all happened 6 months ago and these various ototoxic side effects haven’t faded away, unfortunately, it would seem that they will prove to be permanent.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
Thank you for your elaborate response.
I only remain with the question if you know if there is anything that can still be done, besides maintaining a positive coping strategy?
In addition, I endure headaches quite frequently. Is that common and is there anything that can be done about that? Could it be part of my brain adjusting to the damage in my ears, after which it might fade away?
Thanks again.
Best regards,
Tristan
Hi Tristan:
I don’t think there is anything you can do now after all this time to “fix” your ear problems. But you can learn how to best cope with them.
My expertise is in ears, not headaches so can’t really help you there.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello, Dr. Neil. I took multiple and by multiple I mean 8 or 9 maybe 10 aspirin this morning for a toothache. About 6 hours later my head started killing me and my ears were ringing horribly bad. Mind me I do not take this medicine a lot. Very rarely. But I felt I needed it. So does it matter how often I take it or not will my tinnitus go away?
Hi Coleton:
That’s a lot of aspirin to take at a time. You shouldn’t be taking more than about 2 aspirin every 4 hours or so.
You risk your stomach bleeding when you take so much. And as you know, that much aspirin can give you screaming tinnitus, and also hearing loss.
The good news is that when you stop taking Aspirin, in a couple of days your tinnitus should go away and any lost hearing return. There are no guarantees, but this is typically what will happen.
Cordially,
Neil
One more question. What’s the chance my stomach is bleeding and how serious would that be?
And how will I know if my stomach is bleeding?
Hi Coleton:
Those are questions to ask your medical doctor. I’m not a medical doctor and its outside of my areas of expertise.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr Bauman, my doctor prescribed Mobic which I am scared to take. I know all NSAID are bad for tinnitus but are some safer than others? Thank you for all your help.
Hi Sam:
I put out a special report showing the relative ototoxicity of all the NSAIDs by their various classes. For example, Melokicam (Mobic) is the most ototoxic of the Oxicams, so any others in this class would likely be better choices. You can get this report at http://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/the-relative-ototoxicity-of-non-steroidal-anti-inflammatory-drugs/. This report breaks the NSAIDs into 7 different classes so you can see the least ototoxic drugs by class.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks Dr. It is bad enough that so many drugs cause or make tinnitus worse. But know I’m reading about drugs that can cause tinnitus when you stop taking them!? How and why on earth does this happen? It’s too much.
Hi Sam:
I think that typically if you get tinnitus from stopping taking a drug, it was likely a psychotropic drug and you stopped cold turkey or tapered off it too fast–within a month or so. A slow taper over a year or so will probably not result in tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Can Metronidazole cause tinnitus? Started having ringing in my ears two days after starting it. It’s so loud now (after four days of use) I’m having a hard time hearing high pitched things. As a band teacher, I need to get to the bottom of this. Thanks!
Hi Paige:
Yes, Metronidazole can (and does) cause tinnitus in numbers of people. It also causes hearing loss. It may be that the drug causes the hearing loss which causes the tinnitus. In any case, the good news is that it may take a month or two, but for some, at least, the hearing returns and the tinnitus goes away.
Cordially,
Neil
are there supplements that can protect our ears from ototoxic drugs?
Hi Ben:
Researchers are working on it–trying to find exactly what a given ototoxic drug damages and then finding ways to prevent that damage. This is a slow process so they are only working on a few drugs so far.
But the military has discovered they can protect against noise-induced hearing loss to a large extent by taking certain supplements for a few days before the expected “firefight” to a few days after. They’ve had very good results.
Some ototoxic drugs may do much the same damage as noise does. Therefore, for good ear health, you probably want to take zinc and magnesium supplements and higher doses of N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), the main building block of glutathione, the body’s powerful anti-oxidant. This is because when taking glutathione, your stomach breaks it down before it can be adsorbed. However, if you could get your doctor to give you glutathione shots, the glutathione would bypass your stomach and go directly into your bloodstream.
The reason taking NAC or glutathione is important is because many drugs cause free radicals to form in your inner ears. These free radicals zap hair cells and other components of the inner ear and can damage/kill them, thus giving you permanent hearing loss and other ear problems. If you take high doses of anti-oxidants, the anti-oxidants can neutralize the free radicals before they zap your ears, and thus protect your inner ears from ototoxic damage.
That’s the theory. But I don’t know how well it works out in actual practice. It could be worth a try.
Cordially,
Neil
Dear Dr. Neil,
You have provided me with expert information before, which really helps me. At this time I have some additional questions if I may. I have tinnitus and ear pain accompanied with other symptoms resulting from tadalafil. I have gotten used to the tinnitus but the ear pain tends to be the most difficult to overcome. I also have the impression that it is worsening, but maybe that is only due to the fact that I earlier was under the impression that it will subside, but it turns out to be the contrary. I already went to the ENT doctor twice, but they are not able to do anything for this, nor do they understand the problem.
I was wondering the following:
– Do you know anything about the nature of the damage that Tadalafil might induce in the inner ear? What parts are involved? Can it include the nerve? I sometimes have a sensation around the eyes, cheek bone and experience slight stabbing headaches at the side of my head, I suspect that somehow the nerve is involved. (This all leads to a diminished energy level as well).
– Will the damage done by Tadalafil show on an MRI scan, or is it useless to further try and pinpoint the place of damage to my ears?
– I can live with the tinnitus, but do you know of anything that might help with the ear pain and accompanied symptoms, if not with medication, are there any supplements or lifestyle changes that might help?
My apologies that I take up so much of your time, but currently you are the only one that understand my difficulties.
Thank you very much.
Best regards,
Tristan
Hi Tristan:
You have some excellent questions. I can tell you that Tadalafil (Cialis) has similar side effects to both Sildenafil (Viagra) and Vardenafil (Levitra). Apart from dizziness, hearing loss is the most commonly reported side effect, followed by tinnitus, whereas ear pain is much less frequent.
You are lucky you don’t have hearing loss from taking this drug since you got the tinnitus and ear pain.
I don’t specifically know what causes the ear pain from taking Tadalafil, but I have a good idea based on my research into pain hyperacusis. I think the mechanism is the same as for pain hyperacusis (loud noise), but the cause (damage from taking ototoxic drugs) is different. In people that experience noise trauma, ear pain is common, as is pain/numbness on the face and around the ears, headaches, etc. which you also have. It makes sense that they are all related.
When you expose your ears to loud sounds, the loud sound can damage or kill some of the outer hair cells in your inner ears. The same thing can happen when you takes drugs such as Tadalafil.
In your cochlea, there are nerve fibers that send sound signals to your brain. But recently researchers have discovered there are two kinds of these nerve fibers. They call them simply Type I and Type II nerve fibers. The Type I send the sound signals to your brain via your auditory nerve. However, the Type II nerve fibers do not send auditory information to your brain. Rather, they play two other roles—-first, they detect tissue damage in the inner ear, and second they convey damage signal reports to the brain.
Type II nerve fibers can do this because they are nociceptive. Nociceptive (no-sih-SEP-tiv) is just a fancy medical term that comes from the Latin word “noceo”—hurt, pain or injury. Thus, these Type II nerve fibers strongly activate and send signals from your cochlea to your brain whenever any of the three rows of outer hair cells are damaged. Their purpose is to quickly alert your brain in order to prevent further damage from loud sounds (or in your case–from the damaging effects of drugs).
These pain signals are sent to the brain, but not through the “normal” sound signal (Type I) nerve fibers. Rather they go through a non-canonical pathway. The output of these Type II nerve fibers is routed to a special class of pain receptors located in the cochlear nucleus—the first processing center in the auditory system where pain is processed.
Based on how people with pain hyperacusis describe their pain-—burning, stabbing and out of proportion to the intensity of the stimulus—-hyperacusis pain may be neuropathic, at least in part. If this is so, then pain hyperacusis may be treated the same way as is done in people with severe and disabling chronic pain. This also applies to your kind of ear pain.
Some of the pain you experience comes from inflammation and neuronal irritability—-a hallmark of neuropathic pain. Thus treatments aimed at reducing neuropathic pain may help you with your ear pain.
You may find that drugs that increase Gamma-Amino-Butyric Acid (GABA), such as Gabapentin (Neurontin) and Pregabalin (Lyrica) helpful. Doctors consider drugs such as Gabapentin and Pregabalin their first-line choices for treating neuropathic pain, but they are still not all that effective. One study revealed there are only 30% effective in 30% of patients. This means they only reduce the pain about 1/3 in 1/3 of the people taking these drugs—the majority (67% get no relief from pain). Thus, in my opinion, you might be better off taking readily-available GABA supplements and avoiding the side effects of the prescription drugs.
I rather doubt that any damage will show up on an MRI. I answered your other questions above. Your doctors may not even know about the function of the Type II nerve fibers as it was only published in 2015. But I think the above applies to not only pain hyperacusis but also to ear pain caused by drugs such as Tadalafil.
Cordially,
Neil
Dear Dr. Bauman, Dear Neil,
Thank you for your very elaborate answer. Your answers really fit in how I perceive the problems with my ear (I also have some minor hearing loss, but still manageable). Your feedback really helps me in understanding the problem, and I will use it to try and explain the situation to my doctors as well, wherever needed.
Thank you very much again.
Warm regards,
Tristan
Lexapro is making my tinnitus louder, should I stay on it?
Hi Chris:
That is up to you. If your tinnitus doesn’t really bother you and the drug is helping you significantly, then you may choose to stay on it. If your tinnitus is bothering you, then there are 3 choices you can make–reduce the dose and see whether your tinnitus drops in volume or goes away, dump the drug or try another drug that doesn’t bother your tinnitus.
Escitalopram (Lexapro) is reported to cause tinnitus in hundreds and hundreds of people so changing the drug is probably a good idea.
Cordially,
Neil
My tinnitus came on suddenly 3-4 months ago, which is about the same time I began daily claritin. I stopped claritin about 3 weeks ago, but my tinnitus continues. Today I had an hearing test showing mild (threshold about 30) loss in the 6-8 mhz range. Assuming claratin is the cause, will my tinnitus go away or is it permanent?
Hi Richard:
Loratadine (Claritin) can (and does) certainly cause tinnitus in numbers of people. I have no information as to its permanence when you stop taking it. However, if this drug caused your hearing loss, then the resulting tinnitus may tend to be permanent, assuming you hearing loss is also permanent.
Having said this, it doesn’t mean that you can’t successfully deal with your tinnitus so that you habituate to in and thus are seldom aware you even have tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for the prompt response. You seem to suggest that my hearing loss may not be permanent. Are you aware of instances of temporary drug-induced hearing loss? -Richard
Hi Richard:
I don’t have specific information on whether hearing loss from taking Loratadine is temporary or permanent, but in many cases with ototoxic drugs it is. It really depends on the drug. Hearing loss from some drugs tends to be temporary and for others it tends to be permanent.
Only time will tell what the truth is in your case.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
I started taking lexapro about a month ago. Then ringing in my ears started. Saw the ent and my hearing is perfect and my ears were good no infection or fluid in them. I’m going to stop lexapro tomorrow. Do you think my ringing will stop??
Also one more thing the ringing is only at night when my ear is pressed against my pillow. I have no ringing any other time.
Thank you so much for all your help.
Hi Kelly:
Escitalopram (Lexapro) can and does cause tinnitus in some people. The good news for this drug is that, at least for some people, a few days after you stop taking it, the tinnitus fades away.
So if you roll over, then the tinnitus goes away, or do you hear it in the other ear that is now in the pillow?
Sometimes you only hear tinnitus when it is very quiet and an ear in the pillow doesn’t hear much.
Cordially,
Neil
It’s in both ears. If I turn to my other side the ringing is still there. I’ve never had any kind of ear problems like this before with any medication but since starting the lexapro and a few others because of headaches it started the ringing. Thank you so much for your reply. Hoping to get off the lexapro and the ringing will fade.
And it’s always the ear that’s in the pillow. It’s so strange. I really wish doctors would be forthcoming about the certain side affects of these drugs. Because of my headaches my doctor was quick to put me on 3 meds that I’m sure caused this. Metoprolol that I’m now off thanks to your info here, lexapro, and baclofen for my neck to relax it. I thought since they were only 10 mg doses it would be ok. But I was wrong. 🙁
Hi Kelly:
I think that is because the ear in the pillow can’t hear anything else, so it concentrates on your tinnitus. So if you lay on your back, does your tinnitus go away since both ears can then hear?
Most doctors don’t have a clue about the side effects of the drugs they prescribe, especially concerning ototoxicity.
Metoprolol certainly does cause tinnitus in large numbers of people. Baclofen, although mildly ototoxic can cause tinnitus in some people. But I wouldn’t be surprised that the Metoprolol was the culprit in setting you up for tinnitus.
Generally, the lower dose you take, the less chance of ototoxic side effects showing up, but some people are more sensitive to drugs than others, so even low doses can cause ototoxic side effects in some people.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr, i started tinnitus 3 weeks after general anesthesia. I also took keflex(cephalexin) for 2 weeks after surgery.
Hi Chris:
It’s possible either gave you the tinnitus, or it could have been something entirely different.
Keflex certainly causes tinnitus in numbers of people, but it is not a given you’ll get tinnitus from taking it. I’ve taken it and it never bothered my tinnitus–but I did not take it for two weeks. (The longer you take a drug, the greater the risk of ototoxic side effects.)
Cordially,
Neil
I was taking sertraline for 6 days and developed a ringing in my ear and some pressure. On the last few days. I immediately stopped and still have ringing after a week. Any chance this will go away and is there anything I can do to prevent permanent tinnitus?
Hi Cody:
There’s always a chance your tinnitus will go away. You might want to try Arches tinnitus formula (Ginkgo biloba), but it could take 3 months before you’d find out.
I’d take zinc and magnesium supplements as they are important for your ear function.
And I’d forget about your tinnitus and focus on the loves of your life instead. If you worry about your tinnitus it just makes it worse and it tends to be permanent when you do that.
Cordially,
Neil
Dear Dr
I’m currently taking entecavir and losartan. Does any of these two drugs causes tinnitus?
Hi Christopher:
Both are ototoxic to some degree. The information I currently have indicates that Losartan is much more ototoxic than Entecavir. So your tinnitus is probably caused by the Losartan.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for your reply. Is the ototocity likely to be reversible caused by losartan
Hi Christopher:
I only have very limited information on whether side effects are permanent or not for Losartan. My feeling is that your tinnitus will probably reduce in volume over time, but may not go away completely.
A lot of what happens to your tinnitus depends on your emotional/psychological make-up. If you see your tinnitus as as threat to your well-being, chances are it will never go away. However, if you see your tinnitus as just a totally unimportant background noise that you can safely ignore–and then do so–your tinnitus will most likely fade into the background and you probably won’t even notice it most of the time.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
Approximately five weeks ago I developed tinnitus and pain in my right ear, and then in both ears. Whilst the pain was not significant and eventually subsided, the tinnitus is still present in both ears. It becomes particularly loud during stressful periods, such as during examinations I sat a few weeks ago. I had taken trimethoprim approximately two weeks before the tinnitus and pain started, and was also on the progesterone-only mini pill (Microlut). I have read online that both trimethoprim and levenogesterol have been linked to tinnitus. Do you think either of these medications caused the tinnitus?
I have spoken with my GP and ENT surgeon. Results of an audiogram show I have a mild bilateral hearing loss, which my doctor believes is genetic.
Thank you in advance for your help, I really appreciate it!
Hi Jessica:
Trimethoprim causes tinnitus in numbers of people and ear pain in similar numbers of people, not to mention hearing loss is double the number of people according to the reports to the FDA on this drug. So it is possible that your symptoms could all relate to this drug. Levonorgestrel also is reported to cause these same 3 symptoms but has far fewer reports than Trimethoprim. Who knows what the synergistic effects might be of taking both together.
Are you still taking both of these drugs?
Tinnitus is exacerbated by stress so you could expect it to get worse under the stress of taking examinations.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Niel,
Thank you so much for your response, I very much appreciate it! I only took 1x300mg of Trimethoprim each day for one week (so a total of 7x300mg). This dosage is within the normal range. The tinnitus began two weeks after I stopped this antibiotic. I am no longer taking Microlut either. If the tinnitus has been caused by the antibiotic, do you believe it is temporary or permanent? And would this drug have caused hearing loss (as well as tinnitus) or simply just the tinnitus? My audiogram results indicate I have a mild hearing loss but my ENT believes it is a genetic hearing loss. It has been a total of 7 weeks now.
Kind regards,
Jessica
Hi Jessica:
There is no way to know for sure whether the Trimethoprim caused your tinnitus two weeks later or not. I tend to think not. I’d more put it down to your stress of exams, but it could be a combination of several factors including the drugs.
Tinnitus also accompanies hearing loss. Even mild hearing losses can result in tinnitus, so that could be another cause.
The Trimethoprim could have cause your hearing loss, but I don’t know how likely it is. Why did you doctor think your hearing loss was genetic?
Since it has been 7 weeks, I’d think your tinnitus will tend to be long term–but if you just ignore it and not worry about it, as time goes by, it should begin to fade into the background and not bother you. This is called becoming habituated to your tinnitus. I think this will be your likely scenario.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
Thank you so much for your response! I really appreciate your guidance and knowledge. My hearing loss is in the mid-tones (the “cookie bite” hearing loss), which my ENT said is typically genetic, especially because I never noticed a hearing loss until she told me I had one! She mentioned that ototoxic drugs tend to cause hearing loss in the higher frequencies (where my hearing is in the normal range). I suppose the drugs could have caused just the tinnitus in isolation, and not contributed to my hearing loss. I am now beginning to suspect I might have had a viral inner ear infection, which could explain both the pain and tinnitus. I had a common cold and sore throat approximately ten days before the tinnitus and pain began. Do you by any chance know if tinnitus caused by a viral ear infection is temporary or permanent? My apologies for another question, I promise this will be the last!
Kind regards,
Jasmin
Hi Jessica:
Your ENT is generally correct about genetics and a cookie-bite hearing loss, and also that most drug hearing losses start in the high frequencies. This is what typically happens, but in a given case, that may not be true. For example, a few drugs cause hearing loss initially in the speech range, not the high frequencies.
Since you had a cold/sore throat 10 days before the ear symptoms began, that begins to look suspiciously like a viral attack. I’ve heard from numbers of other people that developed such symptoms in that same time frame.
Tinnitus from viral attacks may or may not be permanent. Typically, I’d say it is permanent if there is any hearing loss involved, otherwise it may be temporary. But only time will tell, as again, that is only “typically”–not necessarily what will happen with you.
Cordially,
Neil
I took two 5 MG doses of Cialis. My ears have been ringing for two days now. Will this go away? When should I seek medical care from an ENT? I do not want to go the ENT if it is not needed. I was not sure if Tinnitus gets worse the longer I wait to see an ENT.
Hi Michael:
Tadalafil (Cialis) can indeed cause tinnitus and it may be permanent–especially if it also causes hearing loss.
I doubt seeing an ENT will be helpful. He will probably just tell you to learn to live with it as there is nothing he can do.
You tinnitus won’t get worse as time goes on unless you focus on it and become anxious and worry and obsess over it. If you just ignore it and get on with your life, it will tend to fade into the background with time.
Cordially,
Neil
I was on Escitalopram manufactured by Apotex for 6 weeks. I developed severe ear pain and tinnitus from this drug. After I discontinued it, the ear pain went away but the tinnitus remained permanently to the extent it interferes with my ability to hear people when they quietly speak, and it’s affected my career. When I looked at clinical trial studies for this drug, and ear pain and tinnitus were listed as side effects. It appears multiple people have developed the same issue after being on it’s name brand equivalent Lexapro, and all other forms of Escitalopram. It’s time to launch a class-action lawsuit against these companies for the permanent damage they’ve caused so many people, because a hearing disability caused by a drug is no laughing matter.
Hi Sandi:
I actually have listed not jut two, but 22 different ototoxic side effects for this drug.
And don’t forget that Escitalopram was developed from Citalopram in a move to essentially extend their patent. I have 26 different ototoxic side effects listed for Citalopram.
I’m not aware of anyone who has successfully won a case against the drug companies. They have enormously deeper pockets than you and I have, but if you want to challenge them, go for it.
Cordially,
Neil
I was prescribed minocycline for an acne reaction, I was supposed to take it for 3 months, the first month I was fine, mid the second month I started noticing a high pitched noise during the night and then it got noticeable all the time I stopped taking minocycline a week after the tinnitus started as I was unaware it could be a side effect of this drug. I have been off the drug for almost 5 days now but the tinnitus remains. I was reading through the other people’s stories and I understand it is unknown if this is permanent or not but I am wondering if you have reports of anyone where the tinnitus went away as I didn’t find many stories talking about a recovery. I am really hoping I this will go away at some point.
Hi Andres:
Although Minocycline seems to be one of the least ototoxic antibiotics, it is still ototoxic. A few people get tinnitus from taking it.
I don’t have any specific stories of people’s outcomes after taking this drug, but one reference to this drug says it tends to have temporary side effects. So if he is right, your tinnitus will probably go away in time.
However, taking antibiotics for longer periods of time than say 10 days or so increases the risk of side effects. In your case it took 6 weeks before side effects showed up. If you had only taken it for 2 weeks to a month, it looks like you would have been fine.
Cordially,
Neil
After investigating more about this I realize I took another drug called Gastridex which contains esomeprazole magnesium trihydrate 3 days prior the tinnitus started, I found out yesterday this drug can also be a cause of tinnitus, I am thinking the combination of both is what triggered the tinnitus? I stopped taking minocycline 6 days ago but my last gastridex was yesterday so that means I should wait at least 15 day from today to see what happens?
Thank you for your reply. If I recover at some point, I will definitely let you know or I will give you an update later on.
Hi Dr. Neil
Just wanted to give you an update 13 days after my last minocycline and 8 days after my last Gastridex, the tinnitus remains, it is constant but the intensity of it varies through the day. I started taking vitamin B complex as I read it could help but I have not noticed any improvement. Thinking about the time when the Tinnitus started I think I had multiple factors for it. A lot of stress, loud noise from my neighbor’s dog barking all day and of course the antibiotics. I will attend sound therapy this week, hoping it will can help a bit. Any references in regards sound therapy?
Hi Andres:
What kind of sound therapy are you considering? There are a number of different therapies out there. Just be aware that sound therapy by itself is of much less value, than sound therapy combined with proper counseling regarding your tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Andres:
How is your tinnitus doing nowL It’s a couple of weeks later.
Esomeprazole certainly can cause tinnitus. It has been reported to the FDA to do so hundreds and hundreds of times. So it may be the culprit, or one of them.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Neil,
After 13 days without antibiotics, I had to do a 7 day cycle of doxycycline because I was recently diagnosed with an STD. Today I finished that cycle. I had taken doxycycline before so I felt somewhat safe although I know it may also cause Tinnitus. The Tinnitus remains to this day, in 2 days it will mark 5 weeks since it started. I have tried not to have a negative feelings towards it but it has gotten a hold of my thoughts all day long to the point where I feel tired some days. It’s hard to cope with the idea that because of a pill I might have to listen to this high pitched sound for a long time and possibly the rest of my life. If it goes away at some point I will let you know.
Thank you for your time Dr. Neil
Hi,Dr.Neil,
I have pulsatile tinnitus that developed14 months ago. It sounds like the rhythmic beating of wings of a swarm of bees with metal wings. The sound is with me 24/7, however I can make it diminish almost to the point of disappearing by either opening my mouth very wide or by hyperextending my lower jaw. I was started on Zantac a few weeks prior to the tinnitus beginning. However, as I can alter/stop the sound by moving my jaw, I feel the cause is mechanical, rather than the medication. What do you think? Is Zantac a known cause of tinnitus? I stopped the Zantac after 3 months.
Thank you!
Hi Virginia:
Is your pulsatile tinnitus in unison with your heartbeat? From what you say it doesn’t sound like it is.
When you can modify/stop your tinnitus by moving moving your jaw or neck that is a good indication that you have somatic tinnitus caused by something misaligned in your head/jaw/neck. When you get things in proper alignment, this kind of tinnitus typically goes away.
I’d go to an upper cervical chiropractor and see what he finds “out” that needs proper aligning, or go to a dentist that knows about temporomandibular joint problems.
Ranitidine (Zantac) has been reported to cause tinnitus by hundreds upon hundreds of people, so it definitely happens. But just because it can cause tinnitus doesn’t mean it did in your case since your tinnitus seems to be somatosensory rather than neurophysiologic in origin.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Dr,
I started taking Zyrtec and Xafaxin (For sibo) around 10-14 days ago and my tinnitus is now louder. Which of these is more likely to be amplifying it?
Thank you
Steve
Hi Steve:
I’d go for the Rifaximin (Xifaxan). Far fewer reports than for Cetirizine (Zyrtec).
Cordially,
Neil
I went to the doctor for bad sinus pressure/burning in my nose and got put on cephalexin and Prednisone. That same day, they had to clean my ears, due to impacted ear wax. I was on the Prednisone 4 days and quit, due to bad side effects and quit the antiobiotics on 5th day. The Prednisone gave me pounding heart, bad nervousness and anxiety one whole month after I stopped taking it. After that, I noticed my ears ringing and this is one month after I stopped the Prednisone. It was a mild ringing for week then my smoke alarm went off and the next day I noticed the ringing was so loud. It was loud for several days then calmed down some. It has now been 2 weeks and my ears are still ringing , but not as bad . However, there are some says where I do have loud spikes. So , the strange thing is, in a quiet room, I either don’t have no ringing or very little. Have you heard as such as this? What could be going on?
Hi Monica:
I suspect your tinnitus was going away then the fire alarm episode caused acoustic shock and your tinnitus flared up and spikes with louder sounds and quietens down in quite places. This is called reactive tinnitus. Hopefully it will fade away as your ears “heal” from the loud noise.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr. Bauman, if this is what my issue is, would my ear heal if I am.around everyday noise or would it be better to wear ear plugs around noise? Also, how long is this healing , if I have acoustic shock? Could it take up to a few months?
Thank you.
Hi Monica:
The easy answer is to only wear ear plugs when you are around truly loud sounds–greater than 85 dB or so. Everyone should wear ear plugs when around these louder sounds.
However, if you perceive some everyday sounds as so loud that they hurt, then initially (and temporarily), when around them your wearing ear plugs is a good idea. But only wear them when you find you really need to.
You want to let your ears heal, so they will appreciate less sound rather than more sound for the first month or two, then gradually expose them to louder, but still everyday, sounds as they are able to bear it. But ALWAYS in the future protect them from the real loud sounds so this doesn’t happen again. (I know there are unexpected loud sounds that are beyond your control–but clap your hands to your ears if at all possible to protect them as much as possible.)
This all takes time–from weeks to months and maybe up to a couple of years–depending on how bad the acoustic shock was and on your personality, etc. There is no set time–it is not a race–just continue on day by day as they heal.
Cordially,
Neil
I am sorry, just seeing your message. Thank you for responding. Since my last comment, my ringing has been fluctuating. Some days it is minimal ringing in the left ear and some day it is low in the right with no ringing in the left. Also, I notice around noises, that the ringing is not as loud as before. Yesterday, I had very low ringing in my left ear and a few times I noticed for a second , there was no ringing.
Had tinnitus in 2013 , was very loud and annoying at that time , but got used to it and its intensity seemed to have reduced but just a week ago took rabeprazole for my gerd and the intensity of the tinnitus has increased many folds, will it go back to the same intensity as it was before after stopping the medicine and how much time will it take?, it has already been a week now.
Hi Shashank:
How long did you take the Rabeprazole–just one week? There is a chance that your tinnitus will go away in a few days after you stop this drug, but it is not guaranteed. I’d give it about 2 weeks and see how loud your tinnitus is then.
Cordially,
Neil
Did take it for a week ,my tinnitus is as loud as it was when I first got it, hopefully It should settle down
Hello Dr Neil
I was prescribed ramipril 2.5 for high blood pressure I noticed ring in my ears at once but continued for 4 days before I halved the dose for a further 3 days then stopped altogether. At first it came and went and I thought it was going but 9 days now and ringing still with me. Seems to return when I lie down at night. Could it have damaged my ears in such short a time? my hearing is fine otherwise.
Hi Steve:
Probably why you hear your tinnitus at night is it is quiet compared to the daytime racket around you, so it stands out from the quiet and you really notice it. Many people find that increasing the sounds in the bedroom reduces this contrast with quiet and thus their tinnitus doesn’t bother them the same.
Continuous, soft background sounds such as a fan running are often all it takes. Or listen to a recording of nature sounds such as waves lapping on the beach, or a babbling brook or rainfall or waterfall sounds. These are naturally relaxing and help take your mind off your tinnitus.
Tinnitus doesn’t physically damage your ears. Rather, it is a symptom that your brain is processing sounds differently due to being more active in certain regions of your brain than is normal.
That is why you can habituate to it. If there was physical damage, you couldn’t habituate to it the same.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello,
I got my tinnitus in October 2018 after I went to a music concert the first time in my life. Although my audiogramme was totally good, it didn’t go away. Other analyses of vessels, brain and etc were good too. Any doctor could find anything or treat or at least make my situation better. I got used to it after a couple of months and continued leading a normal life. But this year in February I started taking Accutane (with a main substance Isotretinoin). The only side effects I had were dry face, lips and arm skin. But recently (a month ago, ~5th of July) I started noticing the differences in my tinnitus (a metallic sound appeared in my left ear and after to the right one). After a couple of days it became awful so I panically started googling what could happen when I found some reports about Accutane super rare side effects related to tinnitus. I stopped taking it immediately and went to a doctor and did audiogramm again. It was good too, although it didn’t measure frequencies above 8000 (I can’t find more in my city). My audiologist and I decided that it was ear nerve irritation and she gave me a receipt for injections of Mexidol and Combilipen. After a week of withdrawal of Accutane and injections of those two it significantly subsided but didn’t return to the previous state. I mean I still have new metallic sounds with the previous hissing ones. Moreover I hear this metallic sound as the answer to some other noises as fridge or water flow or car noise that really freaks me out as I can’t mask it now.
I’m very interested in your opinion about my situation and what I can do more… whether Accutane really can damage irreversibly hearing… because as I explored and read, it should totally recover after withdrawal. For now I’m going to visit some more doctors to check my situation and also I think I will need to take antidepressants again.
I’m also interested whether in the world some best hear health clinics exist that investigate this topic and maybe can treat it in any way. Maybe in Germany, or Japan, or China, I don’t know…
Just whether doctors and scientist are at least investigating it and trying to invent something to treat it? Or maybe some surgical operation theoretically can help?
Thank you very much,
Anna
Hi Anna:
If you got tinnitus from the music concert, you almost certainly also had some hidden hearing loss due to synapses breaking in the spiral ganglion. This kind of hearing loss does not show up on audiograms so you were given a clean bill of health, hearingwise, but that was not so.
Isotretinion (Accutane) can cause hearing loss and tinnitus and other ototoxic side effects. I sure wouldn’t call it super rare when hundreds upon hundreds of people report these side effects.
I don’t have any information that indicates whether tinnitus and hearing loss are temporary or permanent.
Tell me more about how your metallic tinnitus interacts with certain sounds. Do you mean as the sounds get louder, your tinnitus gets louder along with them? Or do you mean just the presence of certain sounds makes your tinnitus louder? Please explain more.
Are you, or were you taking any other drugs since the music concert?
Researchers are working away on tinnitus, but so often, they are just trying to find a drug to fix it, not working on a real cure. I don’t believe that a single drug can fix all kinds of tinnitus.
Better for you to learn how to live with it and habituate to it like you did before the metallic tinnitus came along. That is what I have done myself so my tinnitus doesn’t bother me although it is always there.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello,
I’m very grateful for your answer.
1. When I started hearing those light unusual metallic sounds from almost everything around (from cars, fridge, water flow, etc), I really wondered whether they were phantom or real existing sounds. Considering the fact that I didn’t mention those sounds before, I started to recorder them with voice recorder on my phone in order to check it by myself and turn it on to my friends. When I “rechecked” those recordings, I mentioned that the sounds belonged to the exact seconds of recording. The majority of my friends said me that they hear those metallic sounds too from these recordings but very imperceptibly. This gave me an idea that they aren’t phantom, but that my sensibility to those sounds grew up although they are quite similar to those I have in my ears sometimes. Yes, the louder the noise, the more remarkable to me those sounds are. Also when I scratched my ear in a full silence, I heard metallic sound-response appear too.
I’m really curious about what it is.. because it behaves in a new strange way to me… and in which way this drug impacted my inner ear. Whether it’s more about synapse damage? (Because the frequency that it sounds like I hear perfectly in the audiogram) I would be very grateful if you shared your opinion on this.
2. I suppose that after I first faced the problem of tinnitus and got this high-pitched sound after the concert, I could have the damage in the highest frequencies above 8000hz that I wasn’t measured. Currently I’m working on finding the clinic where I can get the extended audiogram. For now I realized by myself due to one video with frequencies in YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuLjsvMrCOM) that i cannot hear the frequencies above 14500hz for left ear and 13500hz for the right one in my airpods with a minimum volume (the maximum volume – I can still hear some). Meanwhile some of my friends could hear up to 16500hz with the same minimum volume. So, according to my self-made audiogram, i have deficits with some higher frequencies. This gives me an idea that my first sound could be provoked with high frequencies hair cells damage +/- synapses damage. I’m very interested in your opinion about this.
3. To be honest, it’s very hard to adapt to this again for now as I almost can’t mask it anymore and hear it from anywhere. I think I need to start taking antidepressants again and tranquilizers for now… But I really need to be sure about the safety of this and exclude the tinnitus aggravation side effects. My psychiatrist and I are thinking about Brintellix and Atarax. Please, could you share your knowledge on those drugs and whether are they safe to take because I didn’t find any tinnitus side effects from prescriptions.
4. No, I didn’t take any drugs during the period I got the first tinnitus sound after the concert and recently, except for Accutane.
Also I forgot to mention that I took small dosages of Amitriptyline during 1,5 or 2 months, that was after 7 month I got the first high-pitched sound. I didn’t have any side effects but one day immediately decided to withdraw it (I thought I didn’t need it anymore)
Thank you very much for your answers and work!
Anna
I’ve experienced a worsening of tinnitus from a ketamine therapy IV. I emotionally developed tinnitus after quitting a 10 year marijuana habit. I developed post acute withdrawal syndrome which can take 2 years for the body to heal from the absence of the drug addicted to. So with the withdrawal came tinnitus. It got quiet and tolerable and then I did the ketamine therapy and it caused it to get very loud. It’s been a week and a half and still is very loud. Could this be permanent? I haven’t seen ketamine as ototoxic and it has been studied to help tinnitus. There have been reports of it temporarily worsening tinnitus. Do you have any insight into the possible permanent or temporary effect it could have?
Hi Benjamin:
Ketamne (Ketalar) is mildly ototoxic. It is reported to cause tinnitus in a few cases. Here’s one such example that sort of parallel’s yours. A man reported, “I started taking Ketamine for depression two weeks ago and it absolutely made my ears roar. If your depression gets better but the tinnitus is doubled, what’s the point of taking the drug because you’re back where you started, only far worse.”
Unfortunately, at this point I don’t have any information regarding the permanency of any tinnitus resulting from taking Ketamine. If you stop taking the Ketamine and your tinnitus changes for the better in the next two months, that would be a good sign it may fade away in time. If there is no change by then, it could prove to be permanent.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Benjamin, I’m experiencing a similar situation – tinnitus onset after a ketamine therapy session. I was wondering if yours ever subsided?
I am now 23. I suffered from schizophrenia, it’s been five years and lastly recovered, also my medication are over. But due to first 2 years of medication, tinnitus and visual snow originated. Though my visual snow has largely reduced. Could my tinnitus go away too.
Hi Rohit:
How long has it been since you stopped taking medications? If it’s been a year or more, then probably your tinnitus is permanent. But that’s not to say you can’t do things to help yourself learn to habituate to it so it doesn’t bother you, and you won’t even be aware of it much of the time.
If you tell me what drug(s) you took, I can look it up and see what the deal is about tinnitus and that drug.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr Niel,
It’s been 3 months I stopped taking medication. Also I till now continuing my herbal treatment from last two year, my uncle referred me. At the first two year I was treated by my first doctor he gave me Olanzapine , but it didn’t helped me this is the time when tinnitus visual snow first originated. Then I consulted my 2nd doctor he prescribed me Risperdone and I recovered. My tinnitus is not loud , it’s sounds like T……And now it’s like white noise
Hi Rohit:
White noise like sounds are also one of the many tinnitus sounds. So you still have tinnitus, it just changed sounds. This happens relatively commonly. I hear my tinnitus as one of 4 different sounds. One sound is dominant, but the other three come and go almost at random.
Cordially,
Neil
Can amphetamine cause tinnitus .. and what is your advice ?
Hi Salomon:
Yes, Amphetamine has been reported to cause tinnitus in some people. So it is a possibility, however I don’t know how likely it is.
If you think it is the culprit–your tinnitus began just after you began taking Amphetamine–then the best thing to do is quit taking it and see whether your tinnitus begins to fade away.
Cordially,
Neil
Actually I stopped it now for one week put i still have tinnitus .. usually how much time takes until tinnitus starts to fade away after I stoped amphetamine ?!
Hi Salomon:
I don’t know specifically how long it takes when you stop an Amphetamine, but for other drugs it varies all over the place. Some people notice a difference in a couple of days, sometimes it takes a couple of weeks, and for others several months. And for still others it may take a year or more as it slowly fades into the background. You need to give it more time.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Dr. Bauman,
I wish I had know all of this sooner. I have had tinnitus for about a year (constant, and only in ONE ear), so I assume it is unfortunately permanent. What I was wondering is whether there are any hair loss shampoos (not Rogaine) that could cause hearing loss? The only ‘new’ thing I was doing right when the tinnitus suddenly started was to use this special shampoo. After I got the tinnitus, I stopped the shampoo, because I could not think of another reason for the sudden tinnitus in one ear. I had an MRI done – no tumors or anything. Then about 2 weeks ago I thought I would try the shampoo again, and this may be a total coincidence, but the tinnitus started to become louder, and I started getting increased hyperacusis symptoms. The shampoo does help the hair loss, and I would like to use it if the connection to the tinnitus is all in my head (figuratively as well as literally!).
The other possibility is that I was on doxycyclene for many years (for acne) and then STOPPED it about 1-2 months before the tinnitus started? Could stopping it cause the problem?
So this leads to a second question – what is the likelihood that drug induced tinnitus would affect only one ear?
And the third question – in your opinion, is Lipoflavonoid or Ginkgo Biloba more likely to provide relief? Or both?
I appreciate any thought you may have on this.
Hi Michele:
It sure seems coincidental that you got tinnitus and exacerbated your existing tinnitus when you used the shampoo. I’d say you don’t want to risk using that shampoo again.
I doubt the Doxycycline caused your tinnitus because from the anecdotal reports that a people of sent me they got tinnitus quite soon after starting the Doxycycline not a couple of months after stopping it after having used it for a considerable period of time without any problems.
Drug-induced tinnitus just like drug-induced hearing loss can be in one ear were both ears. It doesn’t seem right because you think that the drug would be in your whole body and therefore it would affect both ears equally, but this is not necessarily so.
If you want to try and get rid of drug-induced tinnitus, my money would be on the ginkgo biloba. However, you have to take proper therapeutic dose which is 480 mg per day, and that needs to be standardized to certain percentages for three different ingredients. The only one I know of that meets the standards is Arches tinnitus formula. Normally you would expect to take it for three months and then stop and evaluate how your tinnitus is doing. If it hasn’t made any change in your tinnitus after three months probably it’s not going to.
Cordially,
Neil
Dear Dr. Bauman,
I read that propofol and other drugs used during anesthesia such as fentanyl/diazepam/nitrous oxide are ototoxic and can cause tinnitus, or worsen tinnitus in some people who already have it. I have an upcoming breast reduction surgery that is not medically necessary (my life would not be in danger without it) but would help relieve occasional pressure on my neck and back (which would increase my quality of life). I am worried about the potential for these drugs to permanently worsen my tinnitus. I wouldn’t want that to happen and wonder if it is best not to have this surgery given that it is not worth the risk of exacerbating my tinnitus.
So I wanted to ask you if the likelihood of worse tinnitus from general anesthesia is high? And, can anesthetics make hyperacusis worse as well?
Would it be advisable to take NAC prior to and after surgery (if I decide to have it), and if so, what is the minimum effective dose and for how many days before and after should I take it? (The study mentioned here
https://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2019/10/04/n-acetyl-cysteine-a-warning-shot found NAC can promote the growth of tumors, so I am guessing proper dosing is especially important to avoid that kind of side effect).
Lastly, what would you recommend for treatment of hyperacusis? Some noises I am unable to tolerate are dishes/pots and pans being used without care, sink faucets on full blast, and cars/trucks. I wear passive noise-cancelling headphones outside to protect my ears from street noise, but would like to be able to be in the kitchen with other people. I don’t know how to go about desensitizing my ears to these “everyday” noises. For background info in case this matters, I am 34 years old, female, in good health, and my hearing test was normal for all frequencies. The hyperacusis began in May and the tinnitus began in August of this year.
Thank you deeply for your help,
Steph
Hi Steph:
In general the anesthetics have a lower risk of tinnitus than a number of other drugs. And since they are just given one time–and not daily like a lot of other drugs, this gives a pretty low risk of exacerbating tinnitus and hyperacusis. So if it were me, I wouldn’t be too worried about it bothering my tinnitus. In fact, I had back surgery 3 years ago and the drug combination they used on me didn’t bother my tinnitus/hyperacusis.
I know NAC is good for stopping noise damage from wrecking your ears, but I haven’t heard of it being so efficacious for general surgery. If you are going to take NAC, I’d stay below 2400 mg/day as I’ve heard that it can go from an anti-oxidant to a pro-oxidant in doses higher than that. I usually suggest taking around 1,800 mg/day for 3 or 4 days prior and 3 or 4 days afterwards. You don’t want to take it for weeks before and after.
As for NAC causing or exacerbating tumors, I think those studies weren’t looking at all the right factors. Since cancer is a metabolic disease and if your cells have healthy mitochondria that kill the cell if it starts to go rogue, they should have been looking at the health of the mitochondria, not the NAC in relation to tumors getting started.
It would help me immensely if you explain what occurred that produced the hyperacusis, and the tinnitus 3 months later.
Typically, hyperacusis is caused by exposing your ears to loud sounds, the same as tinnitus. Both can be the result of taking ototoxic drugs too. And both are strongly influenced by your emotional state, especially anxiety. Also hyperacusis can lead to tinnitus and vice versa.
When you have hyperacusis you have to be VERY careful not to overuse ear protectors or you will just make it worse. You only wear them when you NEED to, not just in case you encounter a louder sound. I suspect you are overusing them outside.
You would do well to read my new book on dealing with the various kinds of hyperacusis. It will be coming out in the next couple of weeks (the printed version), and the eBook version should be out by the end of this week if all goes well.
I know you just purchased the old edition, but the new edition is greatly expanded–like from 40 small pages to 540 large pages–so contains MUCH more information on understanding and successfully dealing with hyperacusis. If you want this new edition, let me know and I’ll give you a discount equal to the cost of the old edition on the new edition.
Cordially,
Nei
Thank you, Dr. Bauman. That was very helpful. I will definitely purchase the updated edition of your book and am grateful for the discount.
To answer your question, some sensitivity to certain sounds began in May after having felt an extreme level of anxiety about COVID-19 for months. Since February, I had been terrified of getting COVID and succumbing to it, even though I don’t have any underlying health conditions. The virus seemed so unpredictable and dystopian that I couldn’t calm my mind with the logic that if I did contract it I would probably survive. I also feared that someone close to me would get it, and unfortunately, in May, my friend who was quite young, died from complications of the virus. I was grief stricken, and also continued to live in a state of fearful anticipation about contracting the virus. I usually don’t feel anxiety in general – it is typically triggered by a specific event, but the pandemic was so protracted that I began feeling anxious every minute of the day.
Around that same time in May, I noticed that when my sink faucet was at mid range, it felt too high-pitched to tolerate. I chalked it up to irritated nerves from the stress of the pandemic. But looking back, I am guessing I may have already had some damage to the hair cells in my ear that I was unaware of, as I’ve ridden the New York City subway nearly every day for the 8 years I’ve lived here, attended some loud venues over the years where people were yelling, and have used a standing air conditioner/fan for the past year that seemed quite loud even before the noise sensitivity began. Even still, the only sound that really bothered me was the faucet.
In June, many people in NYC began setting off firecrackers as the city became enveloped in protests and riots. One night during a walk, a firecracker went off maybe a quarter mile away from me (it’s hard to tell because I didn’t see it, only heard it explode). It wasn’t as loud to my ears as it was startling to my brain, since I wasn’t expecting it. As the weeks went by, the only sound that continued to bother me was the sink faucet; other moderate to loud everyday noises such as walking by cars and trucks did not faze me. My COVID-induced panic also began to subside.
In July, I went swimming in a pool and briefly underwater a couple of times, and my ears started to feel a bit irritated and there seemed to be too much wax.
In August, I started doing an aerobic exercise (with soft music only – I never listen to loud music) that involved a lot of jumping and turning, which I’d never done before. Previously I just walked/biked/ran occasionally. After doing that exercise for the second time that week, which lasted only 15 minutes, I felt noticeably dizzy for hours afterward. Bilateral tinnitus in the form of a high-pitched constant hissing began within a matter of days. The hissing was more pronounced in my right ear, with an additional ringing noise that sometimes seemed farther away and other times I perceived to be coming from within my right ear. This additional ringing noise also got louder in response to machine noises such as cars or fans. I ceased doing that exercise again as I thought perhaps it had hurt my neck and triggered the tinnitus. I also considered the possibility that the tinnitus was from wax buildup, so my ENT removed the excess wax via suction, though the tinnitus did not stop. The audiologist then conducted a hearing test, and it was normal.
After the wax was removed, I instinctively thought to wear earplugs whenever I was outside because it felt like I had lost some of my natural ear protection and the NYC streets can sometimes be above 85 decibels. I didn’t wear plugs indoors, but noticed when my husband spoke too loudly it bothered my ears a bit, though nothing drastic. I was more bothered by the tinnitus (though I am slowly habituating).
Two things then happened. The first was in mid-September, my husband was cooking and accidentally set off the smoke alarm, which felt unbelievably loud, like an acoustic shock. It took me approximately 25-30 seconds to leave the apartment building, so a relatively brief exposure. After that, all sounds became amplified. Ambulance and fire truck sirens nearby became intolerable. At the same time, I developed an infection in the canal of my left ear after having reused the disposable ear plugs since mid-August, regrettably. I then stopped wearing the plugs, and the ENT prescribed acetic acid drops, which temporarily exacerbated my tinnitus for the few minutes that it took to be absorbed into the ear, but cleared up the infection. But without ear protection, I couldn’t stand to be outside–the sounds felt too loud. I absolutely must have further sensitized my ears by wearing plugs outside all the time as you pointed out.
Since the alarm went off, I’ve had to ask people to speak more softly and handle dishes more carefully. My own voice hurts my ears if I’m tired. Phone calls hurt my ears even on lower volume, though it seems like my own voice bothers me more than the person’s on the other line. I am slowly re-habituating to moderate noises by sitting outside in the backyard away from street noise, and when spending time with friends asking them to speak more quietly for the first hour or so, so that my ears can adjust. I now try to wear passive noise-cancelling headphones only when I’m on busy thoroughfares with trucks/ motorcycles.
As for the tinnitus, I’m not sure if the smoke alarm was a catalyst for change in my perception of the tinnitus, or it is just a coincidence, but after the alarm, I noticed the tinnitus doesn’t “react” as much to machine noises. If I encounter a car or fan for example, the sound of the machine will obscure the sound of the tinnitus. The tinnitus stays fairly constant, though it has reduced in volume since I began a daily vitamin b12 and magnesium supplement, and gets louder if I’m under stress. The only sound that the tinnitus seems to “react” to now is the fridge–it will occasionally flare up a bit when the fridge is emitting sound and return to baseline when the fridge turns off.
To summarize, I wonder whether or not I had hair cell damage from long term noise exposure, and then the aerobics and anxiety of the pandemic put me over the “threshold” causing tinnitus, and if the tinnitus, anxiety, acoustic shock and overuse of earplugs caused the hyperacusis. Is hair cell damage a necessary condition of tinnitus/hyperacusis, or can extreme anxiety be causative in itself?
I realize this was a very long message, but wanted to provide enough detail. I want to desensitize my ears to moderate noise so I can participate in daily life and only protect from objectively loud sound above 85 decibels. Would TRT be the right treatment for my hyperacusis, and is it possible that TRT could exacerbate my tinnitus/hyperacusis? I am weary of putting sound generators in my ears that it seems TRT requires. Can hyperacusis be improved by listening to the pink noise on an mp3 player instead?
Thank you again Dr. Bauman,
Steph
Hi Steph:
My new book “Hypersensitive to Sound?” is now available and you can purchase it at https://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/hypersensitive-to-sound/ . There is a 10% discount until the end of 2020.
You’ve given a excellent account of your progression into the world of tinnitus and hyperacusis. As you know, you did some bad things (wearing ear protectors unnecessarily at times) and filling yourself with anxiety. But you have done some good things too that is really helping you. Getting your anxiety under control, not overusing ear protectors and slowly trying to improve your tolerance to sounds.
What you have experienced is tinnitus and loudness hyperacusis. Both of these are psychosomatic conditions (although we don’t call them psychosomatic as such–but that doesn’t change the fact that they are).
You may have damaged your inner ear hair cells to some degree with past noisy incidents, but not enough to cause hyperacusis. What put you over the top to start your tinnitus and hyperacusis was your extreme anxiety.
The episode of the fire alarm going off caused you acoustic shock and that exacerbated your tinnitus and especially your hyperacusis.
To answer your question–no, you don’t need hair cell damage to get tinnitus or hyperacusis. Anxiety/stress alone may cause it. But normally, there is some underlying noise exposure damage whether it is obvious or hidden.
You seem to be doing well now–making good progress. If you use TRT, it can help if you need it, but be aware that standard TRT is for tinnitus. When you also have hyperacusis, you have to modify it to treat your hyperacusis FIRST, and then your tinnitus, although often your tinnitus will reduce along with your hyperacusis without having to do anything else for it.
If TRT is initially set for your tinnitus, you can exacerbate your hyperacusis. All this is explained in detail in my new bock mentioned above.
You don’t have to wear ear level sound generations. They are convenient, but you can do the same thing with pink noise on your mp3 player. And hyperacusis benefits from having some device playing pink noise or whatever sound turns your crank in your bedroom while you sleep.
You’ll learn all this and much more when you read my book.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you so much, Dr. Bauman, for dedicating your time to giving me such a thorough explanation. I can’t overstate how much you’ve helped me in demystifying tinnitus and hyperacusis. I now feel more optimistic. I am looking forward to reading your book.
Sincerely,
Steph
Hello Dr. Brauman,
I posted back earlier around July, telling you I had ringing in my ears, either due to Prednisone and then the smoke alarm went off. But then in August, I found out I had fluid in my ears. So I guess, the ringing came from that? Here it is November 8th and I still have ringing. It is so strange though. For a couple of days, my left ear will have low ringing then it will stop and go to my right ear and it will ring for a few days . Then , it seems like both ears ring. Fans cause the ringing to get louder. What is going on with one ear for one or two days then switches to the other ear, then it will be both ears. And does it take fluid months before it drains because I have had it since August ?
Thanks
Monica
Hi Monica:
You get fluid in your MIDDLE ears from two basic causes–congestion from having a cold and mucous (what I call gunk) from the back of your throat getting sucked up into your Eustachian tubes whenever you yawn or swallow. It normally drains out when the cold goes away, but if the gunk is thick, it could take up to 2 months.
This gunk can get infected and the infection can last for a considerable time. But your doctor will typically give you antibiotics to kill the infection, then the gunk drains out and you are back to normal again.
Have you been back to your doctor to see if you still have fluid in your ears? Some doctors “see” this fluid when it isn’t even there. I think in some cases, they “see” what they want to see/expect to see, not what is really there.
After all, this gunk is behind your eardrum, and your eardrum is only translucent to some degree, not transparent–so its more of an educated guess than them actually seeing fluid. They may see your eardrum bulging out and inflamed so assume you have fluid behind it that is causing this. But your eardrum could be bulging out because your Eustachian tube is not working properly.
If fans running is causing your tinnitus to get louder, you have a form of tinnitus called reactive tinnitus which is basically a combination of both tinnitus and loudness hyperacusis.
Your tinnitus switching ears is an interesting phenomenon. Your brain sits inside your skull in silence and darkness. It only knows what is going on around it by what your sensory organs tell it (ears, eyes, etc). From the signals it receives it makes a best guess as to where the sound is coming from. Sometimes it’s best guess isn’t very good depending on the signals it “hears”.
Thus sometimes it thinks it is coming from your left ear so you “hear” the tinnitus in your left ear, and sometimes it’s best guess is that it is coming from your right ear- so you “hear” it in that ear. And sometimes you hear your tinnitus in both ears, and sometimes you can just hear it inside your head without reference to either ear.
So a lot depends on how well your brain interprets the very complex sensory input it receives. Thus whether you hear your tinnitus in one ear, both ears, no ears doesn’t really mean anything as far as you are concerned.
Having said that, a lot of the time your brain gets it right. So if you had a blow to your left ear, you hear tinnitus in your left ear. It’s only when the signals are ambiguous that your brain has a tough time making its “best guess”.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Doc,
I had a big, big question in regards to prednisone.
I was given some several times to use to see if it helped with my tinnitus.
Each time I couldn’t conclusively say it was the prednisone, but after reading a bit on here I’m 100% convinced as I’m taking no other drugs (save occaisional zopiclone to sleep through this)
Can you provide the source of your prednisone related tinnitus and to its permanence? (Low-frequency seashell sounds, extremely loud).
Hi Michael:
For some people, Prednisone helps their sudden hearing loss, and since tinnitus often accompanies hearing loss, by improving hearing loss, it also helps improve tinnitus.
At the same time, Prednisone also can cause tinnitus. So if Prednisone makes your tinnitus worse, stop taking it. And if taking Prednisone doesn’t make any difference to your tinnitus, there’s no point in continuing to take it.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello doctor.
Is the Running and gym bad for tinnitus ? The impact of running on Inner ear crystals is true?
Hi Igor:
No, running and doing gym exercises does not affect tinnitus as such. What causes problems is the noise level in the gym. Some gyms have the music FAR too loud and that can affect tinnitus for sure.
Normally, the impact of running shouldn’t bother the crystals in your inner ears at all.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Dr,
I started to have tinnitus since for a week-10 days. Continous, two sided, not bothering during the day, but really affecting night and morning during silence.
Last month, I used lidocaine patches for back pain for two weeks. And I am currently using Pentaprozolone since for a week for reflux, which now I will try to discontinue and see after reading its potential side effect.
I have a scheduled appointment with ear specialist soon, but I was wondering if you have any idea about the effect
of short use of pentaprozole for tinnitus? Does it cause temporary or permanent tinnitus?
Thank you!
Hi Selin:
Pantoprazole certainly can cause tinnitus and does so in numbers of people. I don’t have specific information whether it is permanent or not when you stop taking it, but I suspect it likely is temporary in numbers of people.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Doc ,thanks for the info. It has been 8 months since the tinnitus and balance disorder started .. i was taking Omeprazole for the past 1 year. After three months on omeprazole ,the tinnitus and balance disorders began. Then, the tinnitus changed to a high pitched cricket tinnitus. Only yesterday i understood the cause of all this was omeprazole. Now, I am off of omeprazole. My Question is, Will the cricket tinnitus stop or is it permanent?
Thank You.
Hi BK:
I don’t have specific figures on tinnitus, but one report indicated that 35% of hearing loss cases are permanent and the rest are split between hearing returning to normal and some hearing improvement.
Since tinnitus typically accompanies hearing loss, it would seem that you have better than even odds that your tinnitus will go away or at least improve somewhat.
However, for this to happen, you need to treat your tinnitus, not as a threat to your well-being, but rather as a totally unimportant background sound which you can safely ignore. And then do that–ignore it and let it fade into the background where it either will finally disappear, or not bother you even if it still is there.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr Bauman. I developed tinnitus about 7 weeks ago after experiencing chills, body aches, fatigue and a headache. No ear pain noted. On day 2 I took medication called Gen-Payne which has the ingredients paracetamol, codeine and ibuprofen. I took 2 capsules in the span of 3 hours (recommended is 1-2 capsules every 4 hours). The doctor said that I might have a middle ear infection because of my symptoms and prescribed Cilodex ear drops, which I took for a week. I also had an earwax extraction as my doctor thought the tinnitus was caused by the large amount of earwax I had. The tinnitus didn’t go away. An audiologist who gave me a hearing test said my hearing was perfectly fine (not sure which range was tested) and that the infection seemed to have cleared up. To cope with the anxiety, I have been taking Adco Alzam 0.5mg on and off only when I feel like my anxiety is too high for me to bear. I am wondering if this medication is only worsening my tinnitus? Could the Gen-Payne medication have triggered my tinnitus? As I said, it’s been almost 7 weeks and I was hoping that the tinnitus would have disappeared by now but no luck and I’m losing hope. Thank you for your consideration.
I forgot mention that I had just stopped taking Yaz Plus when I experienced the chills and body aches. I was taking Yaz for more than 2 years prior. I haven’t started the pill again and since you’ve mentioned that Yaz can cause tinnitus I do not know what to think. It seems everything could have caused tinnitus.
Hi Jessica:
I take it you caught a flu or similar virus 7 weeks ago? If the virus gets into your inner ear, it can cause all sorts of things to happen including hearing loss and tinnitus.
Taking the Gen-Payne may have caused some or all of the tinnitus too as Ibuprofen causes tinnitus in many people.
Cilodex is basically the antibiotic Ciprofloxacin that is quite ototoxic and causes tinnitus (plus lots of other ototoxic side effects) in numbers of people.
If you tinnitus was caused by earwax, then removing it should have returned your hearing to normal and your tinnitus should have gone away, so I don’t think the ear wax is the ultimate culprit.
Adco Alzam is the Benzodiazepine drug Alprazolam. It also cause tinnitus in numbers of people.
I doubt the Ethinyl Estradiol (Yaz) is the culprit although it can cause tinnitus is some people.
You are right that most of what you have taken can cause tinnitus, either singly or or when combined synergistically. And your anxiety is another factor that can cause tinnitus, make existing tinnitus worse, and prevent tinnitus from fading away.
Since you are not taking these drugs anymore except for the Alprazolam, I wouldn’t be surprised if your anxiety isn’t the main culprit now. You need to learn how to control your anxiety and learn to relax. There are lots of relaxation techniques available on the internet. Don’t overlook breathing exercises while your at it. They are a form of relaxation that you can do whenever you feel your anxiety rising.
Cordially,
Neil
Do fluoroquinolones cause tinnitus? I took a two week course of oxyfloxacin about a month ago and have some mild to moderate ringing in my ears..will this likely go away on its own..tnank you
Hi John:
I think you mean Ofloxacin don’t you? There is no such drug (as far as I know) called Oxyfloxacin.
Ofloxacin can indeed cause tinnitus in some people and hearing loss too. Since hearing loss can be reversible, I wouldn’t be surprised if tinnitus also proves to be temporary–but I don’t have any concrete proof. But you can still be hopeful–and in the meantime totally ignore your tinnitus by focusing on the loves of your life and not your tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi all
I had the sudden onset of an increase in my tinnitus in one ear.
I had a drumming sound that then just turned into crickets and now has an underlying high pitched ring.
I was on Dexilant but I stopped it 3 weeks ago and it has not gotten any better.
My questions are:
-How long until I except that it might be permanent?
-What’s the correlation between the incessant drumming and the resulting cricket sound now (the drumming has since stopped)
I am really struggling at the moment emotionally, mentally.
I just wanted to add that I have always had ringing tinnitus (never this chirping, intermittent cricket sound though)
One more thing, Dr Bauman
I was on the Dexilant only 3 weeks. I go on and off that kind of medication from time to time but I hadn’t taken it for a while. The other thing I was taking is Avamys, the nose spray
I went to my ENT doctor and he was useless. Sucked some wax and some crust out of my retracted ear drum and sent me on my merry way!
I just don’t understand why all of a sudden this high pitched cricket sound. It’s a nightmare
Appreciate any help anyone can give
Thank you
Hi Luciano:
Dexlansoprazole (Dexilant) can certainly cause tinnitus or make your existing tinnitus worse.
Another man had a similar experience to yours. He wrote, “Four weeks ago I started taking Dexilant and all of a sudden I have a new noise—an intermittent crickets sound.” So I’m almost certain that the Dexilant caused your cricket tinnitus (plus the other tinnitus sounds).
I don’t have any information regarding the permanence of tinnitus from this drug. Therefore, if you still have it at the same level after 2 months or so, I’d think it will be permanent. If the sound is slowly reducing since you stopped this drug, then you have a chance of it disappearing in time.
Although Fluticasone (Avamys) can also cause tinnitus, my money is on the Dexilant, but there is always the chance that the Avamys was a contributing factor.
You can have several different tinnitus sounds at the same time. And these sounds can come and go, so I wouldn’t read much into your having both drumming and cricket sounds and then the drumming sounds have stopped. If anything, that is a good sign that in time, your cricket sounds may stop too.
If your tinnitus is driving you buggy, try having some background sounds on to help take your mind off your tinnitus. This can be especially helpful at night if the crickets are keeping you awake. Water sounds are particularly helpful as they are naturally soothing.
Cordially,
Neil
I started taking Atorvastatin and about a month in I started getting dizzy at times when I stood up. Then 2 months in came the ringing in both ears. I stopped the medicine and the dizzy spells were gone right away, however I still have the ringing in my ears. I have been a month off the statin. Do you think it is the Atorvastatin and will this take time to go away? I do stress over it a little bit, I am sure that doesn’t help.
Thanks so much for your help!
Pam Nichols
Hi Pam:
Thousands upon thousands of people report dizziness to the FDA from taking Atorvastatin and more thousands report other balance problems.
Furthermore, hundreds upon hundreds of people report getting tinnitus from taking this drug so the Atorvastatin could certainly be the cause of your tinnitus.
I don’t have enough information to know whether tinnitus from Atorvastatin is typically permanent or temporary, but for one woman at least, she reported that her tinnitus was slowly getting better. Thus, there is hope for you too. If it is going to go away, you should see a big difference by the end of two months.
Don’t stress over it. Basically, ignore it and thus give your limbic system permission to let it fade away.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you so much. So nice of you to give your advice and opinion free of charge! Very refreshing in today’s world!
This did happen 2 weeks after the Moderna vaccine. Is there a chance it could be the vaccine?
Thanks Again,
Pam
Hi Pam:
I just compiled a bunch of reports on the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines and it seems that people can have immediate reactions, or often on the 3rd day or at 1 or two weeks after the shot. So you two-week delay is right on target as compared to others that have experienced the same thing.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
I was on Neomycin and Xifaxan for SIBO. I only took 3 doses of neomycin and then stopped it because I had some popping and crackling in my ears. I continued the Xifaxan for about 5 days and then stopped the Xifaxan too because my ear symptoms did not resolve. I have popping/crackling in my ears every time I swallow and some popping when I am at rest. I also have some bilateral ear aching. I stopped the Xifaxan yesterday and it will be about a week since I stopped the Neomycin. Will this go away?
Hi Cheryl:
Normally, when you take Neomycin, I’d expect you to have hearing loss, tinnitus and balance problems. Ditto for Rifaximin (Xifaxan). Typically, crackling and popping in your ears indicates that you have “gunk” in your middle ears/Eustachian tubes usually associated with a cold and congestion. Did you have a cold recently or have sinus problems or allergies that would clog up your Eustachian tubes? Ear pain can also be the result of the normal air exchange not working because of being clogged up so pressure builds up in your middle ear and hurts.
The crackling sounds are the air trying to get through the “gunk”.
What is happening to your ears now since it is 12 days later?
Cordially,
Neil
I still have crackling and popping in my ears. I do have allergies. I use Nasonex and claritin daily and I have had sinus problems in the past. I did not recently have a cold though. I do have post nasal drip often. I had two instances last week when my throat hurt and I looked and I had thick green mucous in the back of my throat. My ENT offered antibiotics but I didn’t want to have to take them unless I was sure that was the problem because I have stomach issues. Do you think I need antibiotics now since it has been so long and has not resolved on it’s own?
Hi Cheryl:
If you have green stuff, that is a sign of infection. If it won’t go away naturally, then it seems antibiotics are a necessary evil.
Cordially,
Neil
The popping and cracking is still there. I haven’t had a cold. I normally have allergies. I use Nasonex and claritin daily. I was told that the crackling and popping is tinnitus.
Hi Cheryl:
If the popping and crackling is in your middle ear/Eustachian tubes, then it is NOT tinnitus. Whoever told you that is wrong. It is just the result of your middle ear trying to equalize the air pressure.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
the ENT did a nasal endoscopy and didn’t see anything in my ears, do you think it could still be an infection that he just couldn’t see? Now it has been almost 7 weeks since this started and no improvement.
Hi Cheryl:
A nasal endoscopy isn’t looking in your ears–but in your sinuses. I’m assuming he also used an otoscope to look in your ears and didn’t seen anything out of the ordinary.
When do these popping and crackling sounds occur–just when you swallow or yawn, or randomly?
It’s possible that your ENT missed this infection (if that is what it is) as they can’t see what’s going on in the middle ear. The can just look at the eardrum and from that see if it is red/inflamed and whether it is normal, bulged out or sucked in. They sometimes can see there is fluid behind your eardrum, but I think a lot of it is open to interpretation exactly what they think they see.
Cordially,
Neil
I meant the can’t see the middle ear with the endoscope? Is there any way to see it?
Hi Cheryl:
To see in the middle ear, they make a small incision in the eardrum and insert an endoscope. As far as I know, that is the only way to see inside the middle ear.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
Yes the popping and crackling is just while I swallow and yawn. I also have pressure in my ears. So they can’t see the middle ear with the otoscope?
Hi Cheryl:
No, but the eardrum is somewhat semi-transparent so they can see the shadows of the inner ear bones and sometimes whether the middle ear is filled with fluid.
They can use an endoscope to see the bottom part of the Eustachian tube, but I’ve not heard that they can go up the Eustachian tube to see inside the middle ear that way.
Cordially,
Neil
Cordially,
Neil
My Dad is 88 yrs old and took Pantoprazole for Gastritis. He first took 40mg 2 X daily for one month and was off of it for 3 weeks. No problem. Then the doctor wanted him to take 40mg 1x daily and after 3 weeks he had a bad case of vertigo and he stopped the meds and 1 week later he had loud Tinnitus. I researched Pantoprazole and it can cause vertigo and Tinnitus. It’s been three weeks he has been off the meds, do you think it will be permanent Tinnitus? He is really suffering with the loud noise. Do you have any suggestions. He went to the ER and had a CT and that came back fine and I took him to an ENT and he cleaned his ears and said he will have to live with it. I really think it all started with the Pantoprazole. Do you think over time it will go away?
Hi Theresa:
Pantoprazole can indeed cause tinnitus and vertigo. Hearing loss is actually even more common than the vertigo and about twice as common as tinnitus.
I have very little information on the permanence of resulting tinnitus, but in some cases I think it goes away, and in other cases, it may be permanent.
One of the best solutions for dealing with tinnitus is to learn to ignore it and focus on things that use more cognitive “horsepower”–i.e. focus on the loves of your life and thereby ignore your tinnitus. The more you focus on your tinnitus, the worse it becomes.
Some people find that taking a therapeutic dose of Ginkgo biloba over time helps reduce tinnitus caused from taking ototoxic drugs. You need to take a brand that contains the therapeutic dose. The one that meets the German E commission standards is Arches Tinnitus Formula that you can find at https://www.tinnitusformula.com/store/arches-tinnitus-starter-kit/ or for a single bottle it is https://www.tinnitusformula.com/store/arches-tinnitus-formula/ . Just be aware that herbals work slower than harsh drugs so taking it for 3 months will give you a good idea how well it will work for you.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi dr,
Please help me out im incredibly depressed and suicidal 3 days ago i went to local dr for a covid checkup, he took blood work and covid test and prescribed me paracetamol, azithromycin, and a cough syrup (terabutaline sulphate, btomhexin hcl, guaiphenesin and menthol syrup) the azithromycin was 500 mg of dose after taking the 1 and 2nd dose of two 500mg tablets i immediately started hearing a static sound in my left ear is it permanent what are the chances did the azithromycin cause this or something other can i also damage my right ear in the days to come? What can i do know to prevent it from going bad any drugs, or vitamins or should i go for a ENT or CT/MRI, I have heard that CT causes radiation which would be better at diagnosing the issue if at all? Also the tinnitus is accompanied by increased ability to sense low sound is it a bad sign? Also my left affected ear is feeling heavy and weird like, also should i go for the vaccine as many people are reporting that vaccine are accentuating tinnitus in my country India the vaccines are covaxin and covishield, plz reply dr your my last hope
Also I can’t sleep at all doctor i keep waking up
Hi Amit:
Azithromycin can indeed cause tinnitus in numbers of people. It can also cause hearing loss and tinnitus can accompany the hearing loss.
Of everything you mentioned, I’d say the Azithromycin is the most likely culprit for causing your tinnitus. Your tinnitus may prove to be temporary while you are taking this drug, but I don’t have any firm data on this.
If you have to take this drug, there are three things you can do that can help. Take the minerals zinc and magnesium. My choices are zinc picolinate and magnesium threonate. In addition, take N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) to help your body produce more glutathione, your body’s powerful anti-oxidant. This is important because drugs cause your body to produce free radicals that “zap” your inner ears and cause damage. While you are on the Azithromycin and for a few days afterwards, I’d take high doses of the NAC (up to 2,000 mg per day).
I don’t see having either an MRI or CT scan. I doubt they will show up anything significant. That’s just my gut feeling.
All vaccines have side effects. But between the two, from the little I know about them, I think the Covaxin is the least harmful to your ears and body. That’s my feeling, but remember, I’m not a medical doctor.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi, Do I still have time to habitats my tunnius after 10 weeks ,it gets really load at times.Can I really get rid of this buzzing in my head. It makes me so nervous.
Hi Connie:
There is no time limit on when you can habituate to your tinnitus, although it is probably easier to habituate to your tinnitus before your brain has sort of set it in stone.
Habituating to your tinnitus doesn’t mean you no longer hear it (although hours or days may go by without your being aware of it), but that it no longer bothers you anymore.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi, Dr, is hydroxyzine ototoxic? Can’t find out.Im taking it and now I have tunnius for 10 weeks. Thanks
Hi Connie:
Hydroxyzine is ototoxic to some degree, but not too bad. I rate it as a 1.5 out of 5. Even so, numbers of people have reported getting tinnitus from taking it. So it is possible that Hydroxyzine is the cause of your tinnitus. When did you start taking it in relation to your tinnitus starting?
Cordially,
Neil
Hi, Dr I started taking hydroxyzine about 12 weeks ago and the tunnius began about 10 weeks ago
Hi Connie:
Sounds like your tinnitus is probably related to the Hydroxyzine then.
Cordially,
Neil
Good morning Dr. Bauman I have been suffering from anxiety for 3 months I started 25 mg of atenolol January 13,2021 I also used minimal amounts of lorazepam since then. 3 weeks ago I began 1 mg of lorazepam at bedtime and two weeks ago began 5 mg of Trintellix at breakfast. The last three nights I have had a sore left ear while laying on it on my pillow. I had some ringing and soreness in ear again last night . It subsides once I turn over and take left ear off pillow. I have also used ear buds at low volume while falling asleep to a meditation for last couple months off and on which I have now discontinued…Would you have any thoughts on cause …I also cut dose of lorazepam to 0.5 mg at bedtime on 2 occasions this week as I don’t want to be reliant on lorazepam. Thank you for your time
Hi Steve:
Ear pain/ear discomfort is a side effect of both Atenolol and Lorazepam with Lorazepam having about 3 times the number of reports as Atenolol per prescription filled. So far, I have nothing on Vortioxetine (Trintellix) in that regard.
As far as tinnitus goes, Lorazepam has about twice the number of reports per prescription as does Atenolol.
So I’d try to get off the Lorazepam and see how your ears feel then.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello, a few questions if I may.
I recently became allergic to our two cats (also have seasonal allergies), and am now taking allergy shots monthly, Avamys spray daily, and antihistamines daily. After 1 year 4 months of this, I have have developed tinnitus, mostly in my left ear. I don’t know if this came from my Avamys and antihistamines, or from some other source (in my opinion, I don’t listen to music at elevated levels on my headphones). My hearing test was normal. I would like to prevent this from getting worse. So, my questions:
a) Could you please rank these antihistamines in order of tinnitus risk: cetirize, loratadine, desloratadine, diphenhydramine, chlorpheniramine, and Doxylamine. I typically take a 24 hour antihistamine, and supplement with 1st generation antihistamine.
b) Could fluticasone (Avamys) worsen my condition?
Thank you
Hi Phillip:
All the drugs you list have been reported to the FDA as causing tinnitus except Doxylamine. I don’t have much information on it, or on Chlorpheniramine so either they are the least ototoxic by far, or they are not prescribed much so consequently there are few reports. I don’t have the number of prescriptions per year for them so can’t compare them.
Of the drugs that have prescription figures available, here’s how they stack up
Fluticasone is the least ototoxic for tinnitus.
Cetirizine is right behind it in second place with 2% more reports.
Loratadine (and Desloratadine?) is in third place with reports about 30% more numerous than for Fluticasone.
Diphenhydramine is way down and brings up the rear with reports about 760% more numerous than for Fluticasone.
Although Fluticasone is the least ototoxic for tinnitus for the drugs that I have figures for, there are still hundreds upon hundreds of people reporting tinnitus from taking it, so it could easily be the cause of your tinnitus too.
Thus, maybe changing to Doxylamine or Chlorpheniramine as a test (if they will do the job for you) would tell you whether Fluticasone is the culprit.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you very much, Dr. Bauman. I will try first to remove Diphenhydramine, and then Fluticasone if possible.
Again, thank you for your reply, Dr. Bauman.
Dear Dr. Bauman,
First, I just wanted to thank you for advising me in an earlier post not to over-protect my ears; rather protect them only from objectively loud sounds (85 decibels+). By following your suggestion and no longer wearing noise-cancelling headphones everywhere I went, I was able to improve my tinnitus and hyperacusis noticeably—the tinnitus became much lower in volume and my ears became less sensitive to “normal” sounds.
I got the first shot of Moderna on March 28, and two to three days later I noticed an increase in my tinnitus volume. I chalked it up to a random spike, but the increase has held constant this past week, with some fluctuation throughout the day. I read on a website that documents pharmaceutical side effects that many people have developed tinnitus, or worse tinnitus, after the first injection of Moderna/Pfizer. I’m wondering if you think the vaccine’s impact on tinnitus is permanent or is it possible that it is temporary? I very much hope so. I also read that having COVID likely has a worse impact on tinnitus than the vaccine, so it would make sense to get the 2nd dose, right? I ask because I’m worried that the 2nd dose could have an even worse impact on my tinnitus than the 1st. Is there anything you would recommend doing or any supplements I should take to combat the potential ototoxicity of the vaccine?
Lastly, I wanted to ask you what you think is the likely culprit for the tinnitus spike—the body’s immune reaction to the mRNA technology, or the other ingredients in the vaccine, or both? According to this source, the ingredients in Moderna are as follows (copying and pasting from the site):
• mRNA – mRNA technology to build antibodies against COVID-19.
• Lipids – The Moderna vaccine also requires lipids to help deliver the mRNA to the cells.
• SM-102
• 1,2-dimyristoyl-rac-glycero3-methoxypolyethylene glycol-2000 [PEG2000-DMG]
• cholesterol
• 1,2-distearoyl-snglycero-3-phosphocholine [DSPC]
The remaining ingredients (below), including acids, acid stabilizers, salt and sugar all work together to maintain the stability of the vaccine after it’s produced.
• Acids
• Acetic acid
• Acid Stabilizers
• Tromethamine & Tromethamine hydrochloride
• Salts
• Sodium acetate
• Sugar
• Sucrose
Thank you so much for your insight, Dr. Bauman.
Sincerely,
Steph
Hi Steph:
I’m glad your ears are improving following my suggestions for your tinnitus and hyperacusis.
I don’t have enough information to know whether tinnitus is permanent or not after the COVID-19 vaccines.
Here are two people’s experiences with their tinnitus following the Moderna shot.
One person explained, “After my first dose of the Moderna vaccine, I experienced tinnitus, dizziness and other symptoms. The tinnitus, which I’ve never had before, increased by day 3 and has not stopped! Nearly 6 weeks later, and after 3 doc visits, Prednisone and an antiviral, it still won’t budge.”
A lady wrote, “I would not have gotten the second Moderna shot if I knew I would be 3 weeks in with the dizziness and tinnitus. First shot I had no problem. The second has been horrible.”
As you can see, there is even more risk by getting the second shot, so it’s up to you to weigh the risks and supposed benefits. Personally, I don’t like all the risks, so I’m opting out of getting this vaccine.
As for supplements, I’d suggest zinc, magnesium and Vitamin D3 for three. Zinc picolinate at 30 mg per day is a good choice for zinc. Magnesium threonate is the most bioavailable magnesium available. As for Vitamin D3, you want your blood level to be up around 70 ng. Most people’s is down around 25 to 35–much to low for optimal health. Personally, I take 10,000 IU per day.
At this point, I don’t know exactly what the culprit is that causes the tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you, Dr. Bauman. This is very helpful. Your point about Vitamin D levels is well taken – I am certainly deficient! (In the 30 range last I checked). Is there a specific kind of Vitamin D you could recommend (perhaps the one that you take)? I ask because I read somewhere that certain types of Vitamin D are ototoxic (?) If so, I want to make sure I take the one that isn’t.
I also wanted to ask your opinion on sublingual glutathione as an alternative to the glutathione building block, NAC. Do you think taking glutathione directly is advisable?
Thank you as always,
Steph
Hi Steph:
I don’t worry about the brand, but you need to be sure it is D3 and not D2 or DL or just D (alfacalcidol). I’d get the D3 form called Cholecalciferol (which is what I take), not the Calcitriol version of D3 as the latter is synthetic. Ergocalciferol is D2 and can be ototoxic in higher doses. Paricalcitol is a synthetic form of Vitamin D2. Dihydrotachysterol is another form of Vitamin D.
Since glutothione is largely destroyed by your digestive juices, most people take NAC instead. However, sublingual glutathione–since is is absorbed directly into your bloodstream from your mouth as long as you leave it under your tongue until it is totally dissolved–should be perfectly fine.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you, Dr. Bauman! I will be sure to get the Cholecalciferol.
In case anyone else asks about this topic of vaccines and tinnitus, I just wanted to mention that the tinnitus spike I experienced following the first dose of Moderna has diminished as of two weeks out. It is not back to its pre-vaccine level yet, but close.
Thank you so much for all your help,
Steph
Hi, I wondered if you’d mind advising please. I’ve been on prednisone and amitryptilline for 11 years and have recently developed hearing loss in both ears and pulsatile tinnitus in my right ear. The audiologist said these meds may be the culprits. Would you agree? I’ve tried to research myself but found limited information. Thank you
Hi Caroline:
Side effects of Amitriptyline can show up in the few days following starting this drug. But the amazing thing is that side effects can also show up many years later. You’ve been on it for 11 years and another lady found side effects showing up after 12 years.
Amitriptyline has been reported as causing hearing loss in hundreds upon hundreds of people, so your hearing loss could be a result of taking the Amitriptyline. But in the intervening years, its also possible that there are other possibilities for your hearing loss.
Prednisone is also a possibility for hearing loss. As with Amitriptyline, Prednisone has also been implicated in hundreds upon hundreds of cases of hearing loss. However, at the same time, doctors commonly prescribe Prednisone to try to restore hearing. So this drug sits on both sides of the fence.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi thank you for taking the time to respond. I’m hoping once I’ve weaned off both medications that the pulsatile tinnitus will subside. That’s far more bothersome than the hearing loss. Its astounding to me thinking about it that I’ve been prescribed both for so long with no monitoring of the situation. Thanks again for replying
Regards
Caroline
I’ve had tinnitus for almost 10 years (got it from a loud concert) which I eventually habituated to, as it became quieter and less high pitched over time. But I’m on day 3 of a 7 day course of moxifloxacin and now my tinnitus is out of control. It hasn’t bothered me this much in years. I’m so upset wondering if it can ever revert to the level it was at before I took this antibiotic, which I still have to finish.
Hi Carol:
You already know the secret to habituating to your tinnitus so it doesn’t bother you (or not much). There is no reason that you can’t do the same thing with your current louder tinnitus and bring it under control again.
Moxifloxacin can certainly cause louder tinnitus. But I have some information that indicates that this louder tinnitus fades away in time, so you can hope it will drop back to its old level in time.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi, Dr. My Dr put me on 10mg of Celexia, will this drug cause tinnius. Getting off Hydroxyzine and Trinlex, seeing if Hydroxyzine was how got buzzing. I also have hearing loss.Im cofused
Hi Connie:
There is no way of knowing whether you personally will get tinnitus from taking Celexa. But I can tell you that hundreds upon hundreds of people have reported to the FDA database of getting tinnitus from taking Citalopram (Celexa).
Furthermore, I have received more reports of people getting side effects from taking this drug than for almost any other drug.
I certainly wouldn’t recommend getting hooked on this drug. Once you get on it, its hard to get off again.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello, Dr. Bauman
I have tinnitus in both ears, caused by loud music.
My question is, do covid-19 vaccine (Comirnaty) cause worsening of tinnitus?
I am a physiotherapy student and would love to be vaccinated against covid-19 due to constant contact with patients, but I have heard from some audiologists and ent doctors that some people who have never had tinnitus have developed it after vaccination and I have heard that people who already had tinnitus had their tinnitus worsened (a small number of people).
I’m interested in your opinion, is it wise to get vaccinated or not? Do you have any experience with patients who have been vaccinated against covid-19 and developed any ear problems?
Hi Tony:
Yes, all COVID vaccines can cause tinnitus or make your existing tinnitus worse. In fact, I read somewhere that tinnitus is the third most common side effect reported to VARES–the vaccine side-effect gov’t. database. It is does affect a significant number of people.
My personal opinion is that it is NOT wise to get vaccinated. Much better in my opinion is to keep yourself healthy–don’t eat junk food–and make sure your Vitamin D3 blood levels are up around 70–not way down in the 20s or 30s like most people’s are.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for your reply.
Dr. Bauman, I’m just still wondering if vaccination against Covid-19 becomes mandatory, how to protect yourself from the harmful effects of the vaccine on the auditory system?
I don’t understand why audiologists have a divided opinion, why do some support vaccination and some don’t support vaccination? Even some tinnitus associations support vaccination against Covid-19, despite the fact that many people report tinnitus as a side effect or worsening of current tinnitus.
Hi Tony:
I’m not sure you can protect yourself against the side effects of Covid-19 “vaccination” if you go ahead and do it. I doubt it will become really mandatory, but life will be difficult if you can’t do certain things if you are not vaccinated. Let’s cross that bridge if it ever happens.
People are are both sides of the fence. Those pro vaccination believe that the news media is giving the truth about the vaccine and its side effects. Those that read alternate sources to get the side that the news media totally ignore come to a different conclusion. So you get people on both sides of the fence in audiology departments and in tinnitus associations depending on what they believe to be true.
Personally, I err on the side of caution–and in this case, great caution as these vaccines have not been proven safe in any studies. No safety studies have yet been completed so how can anyone know they are safe yet?
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr Neil – I purchased your book on ototoxic drugs. I sustained a spinal nerve root injury (two roots) in a surgery 6 months ago. The nerve and neuropathic pain is severe – I have become disabled and bedridden. I have also developed tinnitus from drugs – in many ways tinnitus is the least of my challenges! That said, I had thought the tinnitus was from cymbalta but now think gabapentin is the issue. I went off cymbalta. However, I an going to need to add it back in or increase gabapentin (i hate this drug bc it makes me feel sick but then most drugs do) I would never take such drugs but I cannot stand up without them now. I was formerly an active yoga, qigong teacher and bodyworker. My question for you is between gabapetin and cymbalta, do you have a sense of which is more ototoxic? I was surprised in your book to see gabapentin rated as more problematic. As tinnitus from some drugs is not ear damage as much as neurotransitter based, i am trying to get an idea if one or the other of these two meds is more an issue for ear health. I cannot choose nothing, as I need to be able to get to the bathroom etc. and the only meds are gabapentinoids, cymbalta, or one of the TCAs. Thank you!
Hi Jennifer:
Based on the number of prescriptions issued, for tinnitus, there are about 3 TIMES as many reports of getting tinnitus from taking Cymbalta as compared to Gabapentin. For hearing loss they are about equal.
Remember, these are averages, and you may not be average so may have completely different experiences with these drugs.
However, when looking at the anecdotal reports I’ve received, I’ve received none for Cymbalta but a number for Gabapentin. So maybe people get more severe problems if they have reactions to Gabapentin as compared to Cymbalta.
You might want to go off one drug for a couple of weeks or more and see what happens, then go back on it and go off the other drug for the same number of weeks and see if you feel any different.
Or try different drugs in the same classes. For example, Duloxetine (Cymbalta) also has Desvenlafaxine, Milnacipran and Venlafaxine in the same class.
Perhaps Pregabalin would work in place of Gabapentin, or Carbamazepine or one of the other similar drugs. Talk it over with your doctor to find what drug works best for you with the fewest side effects.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Doctor,
I had noticeable tinnitus for the past week. I think I might have had this before and thought the source was simply external. I live in the tropics so I believed it was insects – crickets and cicadas or some construction going on nearby during the daytime.
When I went inside a newly constructed house with my dad I noticed the same ringing, hissing sounds I heard in my house was also there and my dad said that’s tinnitus. Since I looked online about tinnitus now I’m obsesssing over it and I have been suffering for about a week. I have been taking herbal medicine for some months now like Valerian Root, Sambong, and Chanca Piedra and rarely Omneprazole when I have acid reflux and I’m wondering if these or one of these are responsible for my heightened tinnitus? I have stopped taking them for a couple of days now. This feeling is insane it sounds like a dentist’s drill in my head. I wish and prayed it would go away.
– James
Hi James:
Your tinnitus could be due to the Omeprazole. Other people have reported hearing “crickets” from taking this drug.
Valerian is rarely reported as causing tinnitus. I don’t know anything about the other two herbals you list.
Obsessing over your tinnitus is a sure way to make it louder and more intrusive. Instead of obsessing over it, you need to do the opposite and treat your tinnitus as a totally unimportant, useless background sound that is safe to ignore, then ignore it by focusing on the loves of your life. This will allow your tinnitus to fade into the background.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for the response Dr. Neil. I have not been taking anything now for the past 3-4 days.
Yesterday for the entire day the sound subsided to low fuss and I could almost ignore it however this morning its pretty bad again. One thing I forgot to mention is that I was diagnosed with chronic Rhinitis in 2013 and also felt/hear pressure in my left ear which my tinnitus is bothering me right now. I am curious if this has any factor to it.
Hi James:
It is always a good sign when your tinnitus volume/intrusiveness drops–even for a few hours or a day. This may indicate it is beginning to fade away. Hopefully, you get more and more good days and fewer bad days.
If you have pressure in one ear, it is possible that the ear is getting plugged up with “gunk”, giving you a bit of a hearing loss, so your tinnitus gets louder. When the gunk clears, your hearing returns and thus your tinnitus drops in volume or goes away. This is one scenario that may apply in your case since you have chronic rhinitis.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Bauman,
I hope you can help me shed some light on my situation. It’s a long story. I’m 39 now. About 15 years ago, I developed tinnitus after a concert. The screeching sounds were truly horrible at first, and certain types of background noise (like the hum of a refrigerator) only made it worse. Eventually though, after some months and years, it quieted down and became two different faint high-ish pitches in each ear that I hardly thought about anymore.
In October of last year, I started taking metformin and 1000mcg B12. I also started having trouble sleeping around that point, so I thought it was maybe due to the metformin.
In mid-April of this year, I started taking 60mg propranolol extended release to address my high blood pressure and anxiety.
In late May or early June, I started wearing earplugs to sleep because of my husband’s snoring, and I became aware of the sound of my tinnitus again. Over the next weeks, I started fixating on the sounds of my tinnitus and “checking” them to see if I could hear them in certain environments and to see if it was getting worse.
I stopped the metformin in mid-June hoping it would help me sleep better. (Stopping it didn’t seem to help improve my sleep, so I restarted it again recently).
About a month ago, I was laying there one morning fixating on my tinnitus in my left ear, and I started noticing a very high pitched wavering ringing sound in my head. At first I chuckled to myself thinking that I was obsessing so much about my tinnitus that I was creating new sounds in my head, and I got up and didn’t think about it anymore till that evening as I was trying to go to bed. My insomnia struck again, and it was made worse by the fact that the new high pitched ringing was back. I didn’t sleep at all that night.
The next week or so was pure torture. My ears were ringing terribly with this new high pitched sound along with my old sounds, and I had terrible insomnia and anxiety and stayed up for days at a time. I was also under a great deal of stress because of an upcoming cross country move in late June. I briefly tried Ambien and Trazodone and Unisom but didn’t stick with them because they weren’t helping me sleep (and they’re ototoxic so I didn’t want to take them for long). I also stopped taking the propranolol because I discovered that it was ototoxic. I started taking l-arginine for my blood pressure instead. I also resumed my B12 and even added an extra B complex vitamin in the hopes that it would help with the tinnitus (but I think they were just making my insomnia worse, so I stopped them all).
I saw an audiologist who checked my hearing and it was normal (although I know for a fact that I have hearing loss in the very high frequencies because of noise exposure in my younger days). I also saw an ENT who said that my tinnitus was likely due to stress because of the move and that it would probably go away after the stress dies down (although I had forgotten to mention to him that I had taken propranolol for 2 months prior to the ringing starting).
I’ve had this new tinnitus for a month now. I stopped the propranolol several weeks ago. Strangely enough, at this point, my new tinnitus most bothersome when there’s lots of background noise (especially constant loud-ish droning noises like a loud AC unit or driving on the highway or a bathroom fan). I can hear the high-pitched sound above all the din, and it makes it seem especially loud in comparison. I’m most comfortable when it’s quiet. It also seems to be coming from somewhere inside my head, but moreso from the left ear (which is the side I had been fixating on because of my worries about my old tinnitus in that ear).
I am also a very anxious person, and I have been very stressed and depressed and losing sleep over this new tinnitus, which I’m sure isn’t helping. We are also still in the midst of our messy cross country move with 3 kids, which has been adding to my stress.
I know there are many biological and psychological factors going on that could be contributing to my tinnitus. I guess what I want to know is whether you think my new tinnitus can be reduced or even eliminated if I can learn to manage my anxiety and sleep better. Also, what supplements or “mental tricks” or dietary changes or exercises would you recommend to help with my situation?
Thanks so much,
Diana
Hi Diana:
The good news is that you habituated to your tinnitus years ago. Now you want to do it again.
Metformin can and does cause tinnitus in numbers of people.
Vitamin B12 comes in two forms–methylcobalamin and cyanocolbalamin. Cyanocolbalamin is the synthetic form and numbers of people have reported tinnitus from taking in. I take the methylcobalamin form of B12 and have not had any ototoxic side effects from it.
Propranolol causes tinnitus in some people. but I hear from people that find that Propranolol alters their pitch perception.
wearing the ear plugs while sleeping may have helped you sleep through your husband’s snoring, but by cutting out sounds during the night, you could have made your ears more sensitive to sounds so you began to hear your tinnitus again. And by focusing/fixating on it, just made it louder and louder. That was exactly opposite of what you should have been doing.
And the stress of moving across the country certainly didn’t help. So you stress, anxiety and fixating on your tinnitus no doubt made this new bad tinnitus sound–or at least had a major part in your developing it.
In the process of all this, you have also developed loudness hyyperacusis to go along with your tinnitus. That is why your tinnitus gets louder when you have constant louder background sounds. This is called reactive tinnitus. You can read about it in my comprehensive article on the subject at https://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/reactive-tinnitus/ . Reactive tinnitus drops back to its “normal” level in quiet–hence your desire for peace and quiet.
Hyperacusis, like tinnitus is largely a psychosomatic condition and anxiety/stress can set them both off. So getting your anxiety/stress under control will go a long ways towards successfully dealing with your reactive tinnitus. There is a lot more information on this in the above-mentioned article.
Probably the best thing to do now is to learn to relax. Learn relaxation and breathing exercises. You can practice them almost any time and any place when you feel your anxiety levels rising.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Bauman,
Thank you so much for your quick and detailed reply! The reactive tinnitus article sounds like it was written about me. I also bought your book, and the Negative Emotions chapter really described me to a T. I absolutely agree with you that there is a strong psychological component to my tinnitus, both the old sounds and the new ones.
I have always been an anxious person, but in my younger days, my anxiety wasn’t as intense as it is now. When I first developed my old tinnitus at the age of 24 (15 years ago), it would react to certain background noises (such as the refrigerator running), but it hadn’t done that in many years. For a long time, the old tinnitus barely crossed my mind, and I almost never noticed it or thought about it, no matter how stressed I was and no matter what sounds (or lack thereof) were in my environment.
However, ever since I started wearing earplugs and fixating on my old tinnitus again, it has not only gotten louder, but it has also started reacting to background noises again in a way that it hasn’t done for many years. And then on top of that, I’ve started noticing this new tinnitus. I’ve still been noticing my old tinnitus more loudly than before, but it no longer causes me distress the way my new one does.
I’ve been trying to analyze how I developed this new tinnitus and why it has persisted. Do you think it’s possible that I’ve actually had this new tinnitus sound for a long time now, but I just never noticed it until I started focusing and fixating on the sounds in my ears? Maybe once my brain realized this new sound was there, it turned up the volume on it, especially because it came about precisely during a highly stressful time (i.e. when I was worrying about my old tinnitus and an upcoming messy cross country move with 3 kids and having insomnia for days at a time, and the resulting anxiety and depression from everything going on). Maybe my brain is having trouble tuning this new tinnitus out, because it associates this sound with danger (my recent intensely negative feelings and experiences). Also, this new tinnitus is very high-pitched, so it doesn’t blend in as well with other sounds in my environment.
Some mini successes: I carry a lot of tension in the muscles of my upper body (especially my jaw and neck and shoulders and back), and when I make a conscious effort to relax my muscles, my tinnitus seems to become quieter and less reactive. I have also noticed that when I am in a happy or relaxed mood, I both hear it less and care about it less. I am planning to try belly breathing and mindfulness meditation in the hopes that it will help me relax and manage stress better.
I’ve also been sleeping better in recent days, so I’m no longer as sleep-deprived as I was when I first developed this new tinnitus. I was hoping that getting more sleep would make the new tinnitus go away completely, but unfortunately it seems to be sticking around for now. However, I am now able to go for minutes or maybe even an hour or so without thinking about it. I can’t tell if it’s because it’s actually quieter or if it’s because I’m getting better at tuning it out, or both.
Anyway, thank you so much for reading this far. The way you’ve explained things makes so much sense, and I really appreciate you taking the time out of your day to help people like me. I hope you’re having a wonderful Sunday!
Sincerely,
Diana
Hi Diana:
That reactive tinnitus article was written for people like you. Ditto for the tinnitus book. When you see yourself in my writings, the good news is that you now know what you have and more importantly, what you can do to “fix” it.
You obviously had habituated to your “old” tinnitus–which is good. And you can do the same with your new tinnitus. It is the same process.
Wearing ear plugs unnecessarily can sure do a number on your ears and result in hyperacusis, worse tinnitus, etc. That is why you should only wear ear plugs when you are around ear damaging levels of noise.
You new tinnitus developed in part at least, from all your excess anxiety and worry. In addition, your tight muscles in your face, neck and shoulders are making it worse.
As you have discovered, learning to relax and changing your attitude can make a great deal of difference. So can sleeping better.
As you put these principles into practice you are once again habituating to your tinnitus. You are well along in the process, but you are not there yet. You will succeed in time. Just keep on doing what you are doing–and follow the things I’ve described in my article and tinnitus book. You now know what to do and you are making an effort to do them–that’s the secret–and don’t give up.
If you can go a minute or an hour without being aware of your tinnitus, you can lengthen that time in the future as you focus on things other than your tinnitus.
That’s what I do. I’ve been at my desk for 2 or 3 hours now–and I wasn’t aware of my tinnitus until just now–answering this comment of yours. Now my tinnitus is screaming away because I am thinking about tinnitus. But here’s the good news. I am going to go on to another topic and within 5 minutes, I won’t be aware I have tinnitus anymore. That’s how it works for me. You can do this too. (Unfortunately, I have to think about tinnitus a lot in order to help people with tinnitus–so I don’t do exactly what I preach–and my tinnitus flares up as a result. But even so, I don’t worry about my tinnitus and treat it as “no big deal” and so even though it is screaming away at me right now, its still no big deal, and I can safely ignore it–and soon it will calm down or disappear.
Cordially,
Neil
Doctor: The ringing seems to be in left ear. I take drugs for HIV, diclofenac for broken knee and regulary use Afrin for clogged nose and Wellbutrin for depression; loratadine for allergies. I smoke marihuana daily for all sorts of reasons physical and mental. I am a trombonist and musician. I listen to music but now, not too loud. I have childhood trauama and recent three years of noise trauma from living on a main road in Mexico. I have moved. I use the A.C and fans but last six months, never ending Tinnitus. I have done better with the noise trauama in a quiet neighborhood, but that and deporession/anxiety are still easily triggered; the year or so of the pandemic likely exaggerated all of our own personal issues. From what I can tell sir, the marijuana amps up in volume/intensity the ringing. I took a day off and not only did my music suck I just felt flat. I chocked that up to drug withdrawls from weed. A day later (today) I smoked because I felt bad. The softer iinnitus I awoke with is coming on like gangbusters now after three hits of weed. Ringing and reverberation. In your professional/experiential opinion, does the marihuana induce if not cause the tinnitus (or certain cannaboids relative to what I am smoking) or, rather, is it merely exxaggerating it? I ask because the weed helps me eat and “get into the day.” It is medicine for me. But I don’t want to be crazy enough to kill myself anymore and if taking say, two weeks off will help? Is it a matter of choosing my own hell? The illness from not smoking weed or the insanity from weed-induced or exxagerated tinnitus? Lasty, is in your opinion, marihuana a or potentially an “ototoxic drug?” Thankyou so very much. I anxiously await your reply.
Douglas
Hi Douglas:
A lot of drugs can cause/exacerbate tinnitus. For example, Diclofenac and Loratadine cause tinnitus in some people. Wellbutrin causes tinnitus in hundreds upon hundreds of people. And marijuana also causes tinnitus in some people. It is the THC in the marijuana that is the culprit, not the CBD.
It seem that you are particularly sensitive to getting tinnitus from smoking marijuana. It’s also possible that the marijuana in combination with one or more drugs you are already taking is setting you up for the tinnitus sensitivity.
Cordially,
Neil
I think my tinnitus started from taking a sleep aid and it’s going on 2 weeks now. For me it’s maddening! I am trying to ignore it but at times it consumes me and on occasion it seems to be gone. Mine is stronger in my left ear and sometimes pulses with my heart beat. Thanks for the encouragement!
Hi John:
Probably you need to get off that sleep aid and try something else instead. Hopefully, your tinnitus will fade away then. It’s a good sign that sometimes you don’t hear it. Continue to ignore it as much as possible and focus on the loves of your life.
Cordially,
Neil
About 5 years ago I took Cephalexin for an infection in my arm . About one hour after taking the first pill my chronic tinnitus completely disappeared for 2-3 hours. Over the course of 2 days it gradually returned to the previous level..
Since this experience I’ve wondered if there is a component in this drug that could developed and used for alleviating tinnitus.
Hi Joel:
I assume you took the Cephalexin for several days, yet according to you, only the first pill had any effect on your tinnitus and your tinnitus came back over 2 days even though you were (supposedly) still taking the Cephalexin. So it didn’t seem to keep on working with subsequent doses. Thus I wonder whether some other factors were a play in causing your tinnitus to disappear for a short time rather than the Cephalexin. Furthermore, Cephalexin is known to CAUSE hearing loss in numbers of people, so it seems unlikely it would do the opposite in other people.
It’s an intriguing question though. If other people report similar reactions to Cephalexin, then there may be something to it that should be investigated.
Cordially,
Neil
It was exciting to have my hearing back to what seemed to be that of a 16 year old.. Yes, tinnitus gone for only a short period after taking the first pill and I took them for 7-8 days..
Thank you for the reply Sir.
PS: I was thankful for modern medicine as the infection started around the inner elbow, and spread near my hand and shoulder before I started to take drug.
Hey, I just wanna say thank you for the endless patience you’ve shown answering everyone’s woes.
Hopefully this can provide some useful information, but tinnitus from Amoxicillin can potentially be temporary.
I thought I had an infection a few weeks ago so the doctor gave me a 5 day course (2 a day) of Alphaclav Duo Forte.
The actual course of the antibiotics didn’t bring on any tinnitus, but I did get it about 5 days after stopping.
It was quiet enough to where I couldn’t hear it over other noise, but loud enough to still be annoying. Weirdly enough it didn’t bother me at night like it does for other people.
Anyways, it’s been about a week and a half since the tinnitus onset, and last night it was the best it’s been – Fading almost completely for several hours in the evening, and barely returning at night.
I thought it was a fluke when it came back this morning, but the same thing happened as yesterday with it fading. Hopefully I’m not jumping the gun, but hopefully this can help a bit with your research.
Hi Jayden:
Thanks for the report of your tinnitus beginning to fade away. How is it doing now? Still getting better?
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks for the reply, and I think I may have jumped the gun a little.
It’s now 3 weeks since the Tinnitus onset, and it’s only gotten slightly better since my initial post.
I’m at the point now where I’m going to have to accept it’s probably permanent, but given that I’ve gotten more used to having Tinnitus, and that it’s less intense since the onset, I don’t mind it being permanent as much as say last week.
It’s easy enough to just ignore it now, and I really hope anyone else who reads this who has longer lasting Tinnitus can be the same
Hi Jayden:
Continue to ignore your tinnitus and you’ll probably find that hours, or even days, can go by without your being aware you have tinnitus–unless you think about it or focus on it.
Cordially,
Neil
My Dr .put me on Atorvastatin 80mg after I was taking 20mg. after using it for 4 weeks I developed Pulsatile Tinnitus. Is it possible you lose your hearing eventually in the long run as I read it does. What do you think?
Michael
Hi N:
Increasing a drug dose above your “magic threshold” causes ototoxic side effects to show up. So reducing the dose back to where it was may cause your tinnitus to fade away.
You seldom lose ALL your hearing. That is a myth. But hundreds upon hundreds of people have reported losing some degree of hearing from taking Atorvastatin. For Atorvastatin, hearing loss is reported about double the incidence of tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Dear Dr.Neil,
I got tinnitus Aug 20th, 2021. My primary care try to treat as otitis media with Amoxicillin for 10 days. No improvement still have the ringing. No other symptoms. I have migraine and usually take 2 Excedrin migraine pills. I would say I get migraines every 2 weeks mostly. Have been taking Excedrin for 8 years now. Do you think my tinnitus cause by this Excedrin pills? Is my condition is permanent?
I’m Asian Indian women 42 years old.
Kindly please advise and safe my ears.
Regards,
Suganes
Hi Suganes:
Excedrin is a combination of Aspirin, Acetaminophen and Caffeine. I doubt the amount of Aspirin in 2 Excedrin pills is enough to cause tinnitus. Ditto for Acetaminophen if you only take it every two weeks or so. The fact that you have been taking Excedrin for 8 years without causing tinnitus leads me to believe that your tinnitus has another origin.
So what was happening/different in your life in the couple of weeks prior to Aug. 20th? Did you have an active virus in your body back then? Or cold? Were you under excessive stress? Felt depressed or anxious? Did you take any other medication? Exposed your ears to loud sound or sudden sound? Do you have a hearing loss? Were your ears checked for hearing loss? Why did your doctor think you had otitis media?
Maybe the answers to those questions may give me a clue as to the cause of your tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Bauman,
Great article. Truly appreciate what incredible research you are doing to help patients. We need more heroes like you. Been on sertraline for 8 weeks, then switched to lexapro for 2 weeks, then went on bupropion 150 mg and upped to 300 mg XL for 3 months, with 5 mg adderral on top of that. Was in a very windy and cold city is when I first noticed pulsating whooshing sound like a heartbeat in left ear, had that for 1.5 weeks. During that time, I had a panic attack and suddenly had onset of tinnitus or loud high pitched ringing in both ears. Since then I have stopped all medication. Although in the past I have taken insaids to relieve headache or pain. I had this ringing for a month now. Mri showed no results. My ENT suggested I try cyclobenzaprine in case I have TMJ but I see it is on the list of drugs that are ototoxic and can cause tinnitus. Is that true? Also been taking gaba, l the anine, ashwagandha, chamomile, b12 supplements, are those ok? What Signs should I look for to see if this tinnitus is temporary or permanent? Could this be medication induced if so how long would tinnitus last from that?
Also, any thoughts on coffea cruda helping patients or any other techniques or supplements to try like ginkgo or at John’s wort?
Hi Brianna:
Sertraline, Lexapro, Bupropion and Adderall can all cause tinnitus, with Bupropion being the most likely culprit–especially when you increased the dose to 300 mg.
Cyclobenzaprine is also somewhat ototoxic and can result in tinnitus. Incidentally, Cyclobenzaprine, although classified as a muscle-relaxant, is closely related to the tricyclic antidepressant Amitriptyline.
I wouldn’t take it IN CASE you have TMJ. I’d find a professional that knows TMJ and can determine whether you have it or not before I’d take drugs “just in case”. That way you avoid all the possible side effects.
Taking the GABA, l-theanine, ashwagandha, chamomile, B12 should all be ok as long as you don’t go overboard on them. I wouldn’t expect coffea cruda to cause tinnitus, but don’t know whether it helps either.
St. John’s Wort is for depression, not for tinnitus.
Ginkgo biloba can help tinnitus IF your tinnitus is caused by a lack of blood flow to your inner ears, otherwise, not so much.
If you tinnitus fluctuates–drops way down at times or goes away completely for some minutes or hours–that is a good sign that it may not be permanent. If it never changes volume and is always there, that can be a sign it is more likely to be permanent–in which case you want to try some of the various tinnitus treatments to get it under your control.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi, I was prescribed Dapsone + Daraprim in lieu of Pentamadine nebulising. Within my first month on D+D I acquired Tinnitus. We have withheld the D+D for 2 weeks and the Tinnitus is unabated. Do you have an opinion on how long it might take for it to abate, if at all. D+D is the suspect, but coincidence might be in play too.
Hi Geoff:
Both Dapsone and Pyrimethamine (Daraprim) can cause tinnitus in some people although it doesn’t seem to be very common. I don’t have any information as to whether the resulting tinnitus is temporary or permanent. So much depends on your emotional (pyschological) attitude towards your tinnitus and your level of anxiety as to whether your tinnitus goe away or not.
I’d give it a full month to see what happens regarding your tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks for your response. The withholding period for D & D has been extended until my next clinic; which will be 7 weeks off D & D. I’ll let you know cessation (or lack of). I’m pretty relaxed with it at this level, but concerned that it might worsen if D & D is the culprit. Cheers Geoff
Hi again, I’ve been off D&D for a month now and the tinnitus remains. It’s ignorable and I’ll attend clinic in 2 weeks when we’ll review the suitability of continuing those drugs. Thanks for your informative response. All the best. Geoff
Hi Dr Bauman,
I was wondering if nitrous oxide can cause a rapid change in inner ear pressure and thus cause a buildup of earwax and consequently causing pressure in ear and slight tinnitus. Thankyou
Hi Eric:
I’ve never heard of nitrous oxide causing a change in inner ear pressure. But even if it did, that would have nothing to do with any build-up of ear wax. Ear wax is produced by the sebaceous glands in your ear canal. Some people produce wax quite fast, and other hardly any at all.
Cordially,
Neil
I use to take Hydroxychloroquine a few years ago but stopped. My new rheumy recently put me back on the medicationa and I couldn’t help but notice the sudden tinnitus two months into taking the medication. I suspected that it could be coming from the medication because that is the only new change in my life. I did some research online and came across a few forums that suggested that antimalarial drugs such as Plaquenil could cause tinnitus. Do you think that if the drug is discontinued, it would reduce or even remove the tinnitus all together?
Hi Monica:
Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) can cause tinnitus in some people. It can also cause hearing loss. My information says that the hearing loss can be temporary, so I think there is a good chance that the tinnitus could be temporary too. The only way to know for sure, would be to get off the drug and see whether your tinnitus goes away or reduces in volume in a couple of weeks or so.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you so much for your resoponse! I am glad to hear that it could be temporary as that gives me hope of things going back to normal once removal of the drug. In the mean time, how do I cope with tinnitus as it is very disturbing, especially at night.
Hi Monica:
There are two aspects of dealing with your tinnitus. First, do not focus on your tinnitus. Do NOT think of it as a threat to your well-being. Instead, treat it as a totally unimportant background sound that is safe to ignore, and then do that–ignore it by focusing on the loves of your life.
Second, when it is quiet and your mind is not focused on activities as is the case when you are trying to sleep, provide some background sound to reduce the contrast between your tinnitus and total silence. This makes your tinnitus seem not so loud and intrusive. For some people all it takes is a fan running in their bedrooms, but you can use any background sound. An ideal sound is one of the various water sounds–rainfall, waves on the beach, waterfalls, babbling brook, fountains, etc. These sounds are naturally relaxing and easy to habituate to.
Doing both of these things can make an enormous difference in your perception of your tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
I appreciate the advice. Redirecting my attention to something more soothing and relaxing sounds like it could be helpful and beneficial in helping me cope with my tinnitus. I could only hope that one day it would lessen or vanish all together but until then, I shall practice refocusing. Thank you for you time and advice!
A few years ago, I took Phentermine for weight loss, and developed high-pitched tinnitus. When it started, the emotional component was the most difficult adjustment. I still experience and notice it from time to time, sort of like having floaters in my eyes. But the brain will eventually tune out some of the noise and accept it. Be patient with yourself.
What I found to be most helpful during this process of discovery was avoiding the idea that by taking the medication that I somehow caused it. The reality is that many people develop tinnitus merely as a consequence of aging. So, when we come to this point of acceptance in our emotions, then we are able to focus our energy on more productive endeavors. There seems to be a pattern with regard to personality types and how the manifestation of tinnitus has a negative affect on psychological wellbeing. When I was struggling with the noise in my head, I found valium to be very helpful. Unfortunately, most doctors won’t prescribe valium now because of the liability and potential for being sued, even though it is a very effective medication.
Hi Steven:
Why did you have to deny that by taking this drug, you caused the tinnitus, when it was likely that the drug did cause your tinnitus? How is believing a lie helpful? The truth is that some people do develop tinnitus from taking Phentermine. For example, one lady took “very little” Phentermine. She reported, “I have had loud ringing in my ears ever since. It’s been at least 3 weeks since I stopped taking the drug.”
It is true that some people develop tinnitus as they get older–not because they are getting older–but as a result of the hearing losses they acquire as they get older. But ascribing your tinnitus to another cause is not the way to become stable emotionally.
How about explaining the pattern of personality types in relation to tinnitus coping. I’d love to learn more as I have thought the same thing myself, but I’ve never seen it explicitly explained.
Although some people do take drugs in the Benzodiazepine class for their tinnitus, this is not a good idea because, as otologist Dr. Nagler explains, “All things being equal (and they never are), in general, you are better off not taking benzodiazepines than taking them. The challenge lies in the fact that your anxiety level is apt to increase considerably as you come off a benzodiazepine because 1) the drug tends to be habit-forming; 2) the drug tamps down overall anxiety; and 3) the drug decreases tinnitus-associated distress without effectively addressing the underlying cause of the distress.”
Furthermore, taking benzodiazepines actually prevents you from habituating to your tinnitus unless you are on a very low dose.
In addition, NO drugs are approved by the FDA for treating tinnitus. If any drug showed promise or was a “very effective medicine” for tinnitus as you assert, you can be sure the drug manufacturer would be pounding on the FDA’s door asking to get the drug approved for treating tinnitus.
Finally, all drugs have unwanted side effects, so you are risking more side effects from taking drugs such as Valium, including tinnitus as hundreds upon hundreds of people have found to their sorrow.
Thus, you can’t truthfully say that Valium is a “very effective medication” for for treating tinnitus. At the most, it may temporarily help suppress your emotional state, but it does nothing for your tinnitus in the long term. Nevertheless, numbers of people take various benzos to try to treat their tinnitus with varying degrees of success (and failure by making their tinnitus worse).
Cordially,
Neil
Hi DrNeil. I have hyperacusis with burning pain and loud tinnitus that I can hear driving my diesel pickup with the window down. I have decided to take hydroxyzine to help with sleep and Anxiety. I have tried about everything supplemtal, Valerian root spikes the tinnitus. What are your thoughts about the hydroxyzine. I had a severe accustic shock and already had high frequency hearing loss prior to. Hopefully it will get better, it’s been 14 months
Hi Duane:
Hydroxyzine is a kind of antihistamine, so I’m not clear why you’d want to take it for anxiety and sleep. It is only mildly ototoxic and has a few reports of people getting tinnitus from taking it.
If it were me, I wouldn’t take it, but I’m not you. What does your doctor think about this?
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Dr. Bauman,
I had prostate cancer and had a radical prostatectomy back in October of last year. About 5 weeks ago, I took one minimum dose (2, 20 mg) of Sildenafil. You could take up to 5, but I only took 2. The morning after taking it, I woke up with ringing in my ears. It has continued to this day, although it has went away about 7 or 8 times since it began. Do you think there is a possibility that it will not be permanent and will eventually go away?
Thank you.
Hi Richard:
It’s always a good sign when tinnitus goes away–even for just a short time. The fact that you have had it go away 7 or 8 times in 5 weeks is a very encouraging sign that eventually it will go away permanently, or at least, fade into the background and not bother you anymore.
Sorry, I don’t have any specific information about the permanence of tinnitus from taking this drug.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Bauman,
Thank you very much for your quick response back.
It actually went away this morning, but then came back in a couple hours. As a general rule, it has generally went away for about a day, give or take, but then it has always come back. It appears the volume is generally decreasing as well, but again, just hasn’t completely disappeared yet.
Hi Richard:
I’d say good things are happening and your tinnitus is going away. Just keep ignoring it and focusing on the loves of your life and let it go away on its own.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi there. I have had mild tinnutis the last few years.
This last 5 months I have had medical problems come up and have been on two antibiotics Doxy and Amoxicillan.
I also got on Lorzapan for anxiety dealing with my healthmental state during these problems. Was 1 mg and down to .25.
The tinnutis is as bad as ever and unsure if it was the antibiotics or anxiety medication that caused it to get worse but here we are.
The problem is in my left ear. When i drop my head to my right shoulder it disappears. When i drop it to the left shoulder it gets worse.
I know i cant live with my head on my right shoulder lol but wondered if you think it could be another medical condition or problem causing it since it can be changed that easily.
I have went to an ent and they did a cat scan and mri and have found no problems in the ear.
Thank you for any help
Hi Mike:
Whenever your tinnitus can be modulated (changed) by movements of your head, jaw, neck or shoulders or even arms/hands or legs, you know you have somatosensory tinnitus. Tinnitus caused by taking drugs for example is neurophysiologic (auditory) tinnitus. Of course, you can have both, and you likely do.
Somatosensory tinnitus is often caused by misalignment of your upper vertebrae, and/or your jaw. The muscles can be tight and thus send excess (pain) signals to your brain, or the nerves can be “pinched” by the misalignment of your vertebrae and again can send signals to your brain. Neurons in the lower parts of your brain send some of these non-auditory signals into your auditory system (maybe because they are overloaded by all the “inflammatory” signals they need to process) and thus they get interpreted as tinnitus.
What I’d do is go to a chiropractor (I strongly suggest an upper cervical chiropractor) and show him your problem and get him to align your vertebrae properly and this should go away.
Note that CAT scans and MRIs don’t show the tiny subluxations (misalignments) I am talking about–at least the radiologists don’t know how to see them or assume they are so small that they are not the problem. Hence my recommendation for an upper cervical spine chiropractor. They can see subluxations as small as 1 degree off.
I went to one once for periodic vertigo and he found my C1/C2 were off by 3 degrees in two different directions for a total of 6 degrees. That was all it took to cause my vertigo. After two treatments he measured again and I was off by less than 1 degree (combined) and I’ve never had another vertigo attack and that was 5 or more years ago. The same can be true for somatosensory tinnitus.
You can find an upper cervical chiropractor by going to upcspine.com and clicking on “Practitioners” to find one near you.
Once you are properly aligned and it is holding its correct position, your somatosensory tinnitus should go away. Then see whether you have any neurophysiologic tinnitus left (possibly from the drugs you were taking). You may find it is just faint tinnitus that will fade into the background.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Dr. Bauman
I have these last few months suffered from sensitivity in my ears. Noise that seems to be normal to others cause pain for me. The pain usually last little less than few hours, sometimes more. But three weeks ago the pain didn’t go away so I decided to try some eardrops to relief the pain a little. The eardrops that I used for my left ear included cinchocaine hydrochloride. Immediately after I had put the drops my tinnitus started.
Right now after 18 days I still do have the tinnitus in my left ear. What comes to the pain, it is sort of gone, but often after noise that I consider loud it becomes back. However the good thing is that I did go to a doctor and she said that my ears looks fine. I have also been careful with noises so I don’t think that’s the reason, but of course it can be a possibility since it is impossible to avoid noises.
I know that it has been only a short amount of time and it is hard even impossible to say whether my tinnitus will be permanent or temporary. I find it wrong to even complain about my tinnitus and earache, considering what’s happening in the world right now.
But I have to admit the tinnitus really bothers me and I am frustrated to be scared of noises because of the possibility of having pain in the ears.
I have my finals coming and I am really stressed and anxious right now. Honestly I am scared of the fact that I don’t know how long I have to listen to the constant ringing in my ear and how long noises cause pain. This is obviously not helping the situation.
As I said it is hard to give any answers, but would you mind to give some thought about my situation? I wonder is it okay to use earphones?
Thank you so much in advance, I would really appreciate your help and thoughts.
I also want to apologies for my english, it’s not my native language, that’s why there might be errors.
Hi Helena:
You have been experiencing one or more of the various kinds of hyperacusis–pain hyperacusis for one and probably loudness hyperacusis.
I don’t have much information on Cinchocaine, but just from its name, I wouldn’t be surprised it can cause tinnitus in some people.
It seems that you have a kind of reactive tinnitus such that when you hear louder sounds, your pain hyperacusis kicks in. The short-term solution is to avoid loud sounds while you ears “heal”.
Your stress and anxiety are only making things worse–so you need to get them under control. I know it is hard when facing final exams, but learn to practice relaxation exercises and techniques to calm yourself down when you feel your anxiety rising.
In the short term, you might find it helpful to wear ear protectors when you are around louder sounds. Just be careful not to overdo it and wear them when they are not really necessary or you will make the hyperacusis worse.
Once your exams are over (maybe already over now), you need to learn how to successfully deal with your tinnitus and hyperacusis, because you can bring them under control so they are no longer a problem.
If you can’t find anyone to help you with this, you’ll find the information you need in two of my comprehensive books on tinnitus and hyperacusis. You can get these books from
https://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/take-control-of-your-tinnitus-heres-how/ and https://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/hypersensitive-to-sound/ . I suggest you get the eBook versions if you live outside the USA as postage cost more than the printed books do.
Cordially,
Neil
Tinnitus now for 14 months after AZ vaccination, along with several other problems.
Why do people trust these doctors so much? They deal out toxic drugs to people because they feel a sense of power over others, enough to play around with our health. They do not want to know us when their treatments fail and cause irreversible damage. Then they label us as emotionally unstable which gaslights us to keep us quiet and confused. Stop trusting money grabbing doctors and drug companies who see your wallet, not you. Seek out natural methods and trust time, exercise, and good nutrition. God bless all injured by toxic medicines.
Hi Matthew:
Don’t blame it all on the doctors. They are mostly brainwashed in medical school to be sure, but they are also under pressure to conform to what the politicians and bureaucrats in outfits like the CDC and NIH and the WHO decide what they want us to do whether it is in our best interest or not.
However, you don’t have to do what “they” suggest and try to coerce us to do. I certainly don’t. I hope people pay attention to what you have said.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello, a doctor prescribed me neomycin to be used twice a day, 3 drops in each ear, the medicine had 3.5mg of neomycin per milliliter. I only used it for two days as I went to another doctor and he told me I didn’t have any ear infections. In addition I also used two ciprofloxacin pills 500mg per day (for two days too).
I stopped using this medication yesterday, my tinnitus is higher than normal. Will the effects be permanent? If not, how long would it take on average for my tinnitus to get back to the volume it was before? Thank you very much in advance.
Hi Marcus:
Doctors are much too free with those two drugs in my opinion. I would never take either of these drugs except in cases of life or death–in other words really serious problems that cannot be helped by other drugs.
Ciprofloxacin can cause horrible tinnitus after taking even only 2 pills. The tinnitus may go away in time, or it may be permanent.
With Neomycin, more people complain of hearing loss than tinnitus, but with Ciprofloxacin, it is the opposite.
If your tinnitus is going to fade away, it could take several months, but of course, it could be faster.
Cordially,
Neil
why do people complain more about hearing loss than tinnitus when using neomycin? doesn’t hearing loss almost always lead to tinnitus? I thought neomycin was the biggest cause of tinnitus.
Do you consider that the dose of neomycin used by me was high or low?
And if my tinnitus in this current volume is permanent or takes months to improve, what can I do to live with it? I saw some people talking on the internet that TRT is the same thing as a placebo, is this true?
Hi Marcus:
Probably because it bothers them the most.
You are correct that hearing loss almost always leads to some degree of tinnitus. I wouldn’t say that Neomycin is the biggest cause of tinnitus, but it is very definitely ototoxic.
People can have ear problems with low doses of Neomycin, so whether your dose was low or higher isn’t relevant. It is still risky.
People on the Internet are entitled to their opinions, but that doesn’t make them true. Studies have shown that TRT works for many people, but like with any treatment, there is always some degree of placebo effect and the Hawthorne effect too, but these effects don’t account for most of the success of TRT.
One of the big secrets of successfully dealing with tinnitus is psychological. If you treat your tinnitus as a threat to your well-being in any way, then your limbic system has to bring it to your attention–just like it does all other threats. Thus, you cannot habituate to your tinnitus.
In contrast if you think of your tinnitus as just another useless, unimportant background sound that is safe to ignore, and then you ignore it by focusing on the loves of your life, then you can habituate to your tinnitus. So this is what you want to do whether or not you decide to go on a TRT program or not. In fact, for many people, this is all they need to do in order to bring their tinnitus under their control.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for replying.
Is there any medication for anxiety that is not ototoxic?
And do you have tinnitus? How did you get used to the noise?
Hi Marcus:
No drugs of which I know, so you either take the least ototoxic ones, or you stay away from drugs completely and go the “natural” route. There are a number of herbals that work with anxiety such as Valerian. Also, counseling with a counselor that is expert on dealing with people with anxiety to get at the root of their anxiety, then examine the cause and deal with it, then let it go is an excellent way to deal with anxiety.
Sometimes anxiety is caused by problems with your brain. If so, I’d suggest looking into SPECT imaging at one of Dr. Amen’s clinics. (https://www.amenclinics.com/) They have helped many people deal with anxiety and kindred conditions using holistic treatments.
Yes, I’ve had tinnitus that I can remember for more than 70 years now. I basically ignored it and got on with my life–just like I explained in my previous reply–by not treating it as a threat to my well-being, but just a totally unimportant background sound that is safe to ignore.
Of course, back then I was so young, I couldn’t articulate that strategy–but I called it “the sound of silence” since it was what I heard when I couldn’t hear anything else.
Cordially,
Neil
I have never found valerian for sale here in my city. Here it is more common to find passionflower, is this substance ototoxic?
I’ve seen people using cannabidiol oil to avoid having to use a synthetic drug like paroxetine, but CBD is ototoxic like other synthetic anxiolytics, right? so it shouldn’t be worth using this (besides the fact that it’s illegal in several countries)
Hi Marcus:
The only side effect of Passionflower I’ve found is that a few people get a bit dizzy, so it seems a safe substance from an ototoxic point of view. See whether it works for you.
The only side effects I have listed for CBD is ataxia and dizziness, so again, from an ototoxic point of view, it is pretty safe. It is the THC compound that is the ototoxic one and can cause tinnitus, auditory hallucinations and various balance issues.
Cordially,
Neil
I developed Tinnitus after discontinuing Percoset post back surgery. It came with the withdrawals and never left. Now I think it is permanent because I’ve had it since 2019. Very annoying thing that is.
Hi Jorge:
Percocet is a combination of Oxycodone and Acetaminophen. Both of these drugs are ototoxic. You’re lucky you only got tinnitus because hearing loss occurs about twice the rate of tinnitus for both of these drugs.
I agree it appears to be permanent–but that doesn’t mean you can do anything about it. You can learn how to habituate to your tinnitus so it no longer bothers you. That is what I’ve done with my tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Bauman,
I’m going to fly on a small airplane tomorrow (1h 45 min flight) and I’m freaked out a bit. I’ve had tinnitus for two years and it’s gotten much better over time. I haven’t flown ever since developing tinnitus and I’m worried that flying could set me back in my progress. I read that it’s important to depressurize one’s ears during descent by chewing gum and to wear noise canceling headphones during the flight to buffer the sound, as well as sitting as far away from the engine as possible. Is there anything else you would recommend doing to prevent a spike? Is flying something you would recommend people with tinnitus should generally avoid?
Sincerely,
Steph
Hi Steph:
I’ve flown in numerous planes from small 2-seaters to big jets and many sizes in between, plus in helicopters. The good news is that I have never had any problems with my tinnitus getting worse from all that flying over the past 62 years. So I don’t see any reason for you to be upset.
You don’t want to fly if your ears are congested unless you take a decongestant both before takeoff and before landing. But you don’t mention that is a problem.
Apart from that chewing gum while ascending and descending is a good idea to pop your ears regularly.
If noise is a problem with your tinnitus, then wearing ear protectors is a good idea. Or noise-cancelling headphones would work just as well. (I’ve never worn ear protectors when flying, but then due to my hearing loss, I don’t find the noise a problem.
If you can, sit ahead of the engines as it is quieter there. But if it is a small plane, the motor may be at the front so you can’t get away from it.
Above all, don’t worry. Worry and anxiety can make your tinnitus worse just by itself.
Personally, I’d just sit back and enjoy the flight, and apart from doing the above, don’t worry about your tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks so much Dr. Bauman. Your advice and insight always puts me at ease.
Hello Dr. Bouman,
My sleeping hours and sleep pattern had changed a lot after my tinnitus spiked. Due to covid, anxiety, stress or exhaustion.
My tinnitus is still louder than normal. My question.
Monday i took one oxazepam pill 10mg, which helped sleeping immediatly. However next Day i noticed a higher pitch tonal sound, increased stress, anxiety, sweating and even suïcidale thoughts about the situation.
Could one oxazepam pill cause tinnitus to.spike, or is it ototoxic? Or am i.just allergic to benzo’s, or withdral effects??
Hi Johan:
Oxazepam belongs to a nasty class of drugs called benzodiazepines. All the benzos have a bunch of nasty side effects. Every person is different in their reactions. Some people react with the very first pill they take and others can take them for months without apparent side effects, but eventually side effects do show up.
The side effects you report are almost certainly from taking the Oxazepam. For example, tinnitus is one known ototoxic side effect. Other known side effects of which I’m aware are increased anxiety and suicidal thoughts. I’m not sure about the sweating, as I basically only track ototoxic side effects, but it could well be another side effect.
It seems that you and Oxazepam are not on good terms, so you might want to consider not taking it in the future.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for your quick reply. I appreciate. This stuff should be illegal or only taken in emergencysituation. I quess this spike Will subside.. (although i hope)
I just started on duloxetine for my tinnitus 3 days ago. 5 hours later my tinnitus got louder and hasn’t stopped. Is this the right medication for me to take?
Hi Gail:
There is NO FDA approved drug for tinnitus.
Hundreds upon hundreds of people have reported to the FDA that taking Duloxetine caused their tinnitus.
Drugs are NOT a good treatment for tinnitus, but they are a good way to GET tinnitus.
Effective tinnitus treatments depend on the cause and kind of tinnitus you have. It’s not a one treatment fits all proposition.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for this thread of questions/answers. This has for sure been a great site to read about all of this going on. I have a question for you and see what you think, i recently went to a urgent care for a possible UTI.. urine test came back negative and good and the doctor said it could be potentially the beginning of a infection and she’d send it off for testing as well as possible STI. In the meantime she wanted me to start Doxycycline Hyclate 100 MG for 7 days until results came back. I took one tablet and within a hour or two felt a band tightness around my head followed with anxiety and somewhat foggy brain. I immediately discontinued and called the next day to mention my side effects, i’m a anxiety prone person so it may have simply been that, but still being safe wanted to stop taking it further. They told me to try to continue it and if symptoms persisted call back and change antibiotics. I still didn’t take it and within a few days my culture came back with an STI i wasn’t aware of, it’s a curable one and was then put on 2 500MG Azithromycin 1 time take both and done. I took those 8/30 and within 24 hours noticed a higher pitched ringing in both ears with a slight clogged feeling in my left ear. I’ve always had a lower constant ringing when focusing on it from exposure to concerts, and earphones growing up to which it was bearable daily. it didn’t stop me from going to sleep at night in a quiet room or even watching tv, ext.. though since this onset of it becoming louder i feel as if it’s all i hear and seems to be constant. Do you think the Tinnitus is a side effect from taking the antibiotic? Is it something that you think should fade away or more permanent situation? Any insight or explanation would be amazing. I haven’t spoken with the doctor since the prescription. My partner also took the same dosage 2 days following me and has had zero side effects. Not sure what’s going on but starting to make me anxious i can’t shake it. Thanks so much!
I also wanted to mention, i’ve also heard much more louder crackling, popping, and whooshing when i move my jaw and flex my ears, also when i drink or eat. I don’t have any vestibular problems along side this since taking the medicine on 8/30 but i do have vestibular migraines diagnoses from a couple years back, i don’t think that runs along side these symptoms thankfully. It almost feels like a head cold and both my ears are clogged but the left one slightly more. Want to also mention that. Thanks doctor!
I feel like the clogged feelings and ringing goes back and forth my left will feel clogged then my right will feel clogged the next day. but the ringing is in both ears. sometimes one may seem a little louder than the other so it seems to change tones. it’s been exactly a week i took the Azithromycin 1,000 mg.
Hi Matt:
Numbers of people report clogged or blocked ears/Eustachian tubes after taking these drugs. Once your ears clear, the crackling/popping etc should go away. Again, it could take a few weeks.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Matt:
Azithromycin can certainly cause tinnitus, hearing loss and a clogged feeling in your ears, among other things.
Doxycycline can do the same. Incidentally, Doxycycline can deplete your body’s stores of magnesium. This can lead to worse ototoxic side effects. Therefore, if you are going to be taking Doxycycline, taking magnesium supplements at the same time and for 2 or 3 weeks afterwards is probably wise. Note: Magnesium threonate is the most bioavailable form of magnesium. Avoid magnesium oxide as it is the least bioavailable form.
Everyone is different. For example, I’ve taken Doxycycline without having any noticeable side effects.
Who knows what the combined effects of both the Doxycycline and Azithromycin can have on your ears.
Hopefully, once you get off the drugs and they get out of your system, your tinnitus will drop in volume. It may take from a couple of weeks to a month so don’t worry about it. Worry and anxiety just make tinnitus worse and can make it become permanent. So focus on the loves of your life and not on your tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for taking the time to reply to all of these comments. This thread has been incredibly informative.
I have had an ear infection for the last 4 days. It’s an outer ear infection, but it’s fairly bad. I went to go see an ent doctor yesterday and she gave me ofloxacin drops and amoxicillin. I told her I didn’t want to take the amoxicillin because I knew it could worsen tinnitus, but she gave it to me anyway. (I’ve had tinnitus for three years, originally caused by working in an insanely loud bar, but I also had tons of ear infections as a baby. I’ve habituated to it, but I still fear it getting worse
I’ve been using the ofloxacin drops but I have not started the amoxicillin. I live in rural Thailand and don’t speak the language, so it’s very hard to get a second opinion or properly communicate my concerns about certain drugs. Do you think a bad outer ear infection will respond to just oflaxacin drops or do i need to rush the amoxicillin?
Hi Nick:
Whether a drug is effective or not depends no the specific “bug” you have. It may be that your doctor doesn’t know so is prescribing two different ones so that one can hopefully kill the bugs.
I don’t see anything wrong with taking one first and if it doesn’t work, then try the other. So if the Ofloxacin is doing the job, no need to use the Amoxicillin.
Both Ofloxacin and Amoxicillin are ototoxic, but Amoxicillin has far more reports of ototoxicity than Amoxicillin–but that is likely because it is used much more than Ofloxacin.
If your eardrum is ruptured, you don’t really want to put any antibiotics in your ear canal as they can get into your middle ear and cause hearing loss, etc.
Personally, I’d use hydrogen peroxide 3% diluted 50% with water, or use a combination of apple cider vinegar 50% and isopropyl alcohol 50%.
Cordially,
Neil
What ototoxic level 1-5 (5 being worst) would you give clindamycin?
Not sure if my recent tinnitus is related to my recent clindamycin. (Took it for 9 days due to root canal)
Hi Len:
Currently, I have Clindamycin rated at a class 2.5.
It’s interesting that there are about 3 times as many report of hearing loss from taking Clindamycin than for tinnitus.
Was your root canal on an upper molar or a lower one? There is much more likelihood of having hearing loss, tinnitus, etc. on an upper molar since they are closest to your inner ear.
Symptoms often show up in 3 or 4 days or so.
Cordially,
Neil
I appreciate the response.
This is day 4 since I stopped taking Clindamycin (I took 9 days worth, stopped one day early)
It would be 11 days since the root canal procedure.
The tooth was the farthest back bottom molar.
(Difficult procedure, had to keep my mouth open as wide as possible for 2 hours, very tough)
I believe the tinnitus started not long after the procedure. (started clindamycin same night following root canal)
The last 3 days were non-stop high frequency pitch very noticeably in right ear. Surprisingly, today it reduced and came back multiple times. It reduced to the point where I hear mild tinnitus in both ears, more like a white noise. (couldn’t even hear the left side before, right side was so loud).
Seems currently to be holding this way for now.
It’s interesting that you seem to be more of the opinion that it was caused by the procedure itself instead of the clindamycin.
I would actually hope so because I would think there’s more likelihood it could be temporary if that’s the case.
I’m not so sure though considering I am also getting the stuffy (congested) ears also.
Any additional feedback, I would appreciate it.
Thanks
Hi Len:
You state that the tinnitus started BEFORE you began taking the Clindamycin if I understand you correctly. If so, then Clindamycin is off the hook as the CAUSE of the tinnitus, but still could have exacerbated it.
Again, from what you say, I think it could have been that your tinnitus was caused by holding your mouth open for two hours. That could have caused somatosensory tinnitus. I’d expect it to fade away as the muscles and nerves in your jaw calm down. In fact, it seems to be happening already. So give it more time and don’t focus on it in the meantime.
Cordially,
Neil
Fyi, I started taking the Clindamycin immediately after the root canal procedure and the symptoms started within a day or two.
An interesting development… the tinnitus went away completely for 2 days almost. Beginning Saturday morning. I slept perfect Saturday night. It was gone all day Sunday then returned Sunday at 10pm and still continues now.
Can you make anything out of that?
Hi Len:
I see that as good news. If your tinnitus can go away completely for a few hours or a day or more, then there is no reason it can’t do that again. In other words your tinnitus doesn’t have to be permanent. Let’s hope it does that more and more in the future.
Cordially,
Neil
Neil,
just wanted to give an update…
Coming up on 2 months now after taking Clindamycin after a root canal.
Tinnitus continues.
I went to urgent care 4 weeks ago (2 different times) and they saw fluid in my right ear (same ear I’m having tinnitus in) both times.
1 week ago I went to ENT specialist and they did not see any fluid in the ear. They performed a hearing test which came back normal, no hearing loss.
I’m wondering if Clindamycin caused tinnitus but no hearing loss? Is that possible?
I would have thought if the ear cells are damaged, there would be hearing loss in addition to tinnitus.
Any thoughts?
Hi Len:
Tinnitus can, and very often does accompany hearing loss. “Normal” hearing doesn’t mean no hearing loss. It means you can have up to 25 dB of hearing loss in the frequencies below 8,000 Hz and massive hearing loss above 8,000 Hz where they don’t check. Thus, you can have enough hearing loss to result in tinnitus and have “normal” hearing.
I’m sure it is possible for Clindamycin to cause tinnitus without any obvious hearing loss, but the FDA records indicate that hearing loss is reported 3 times as much as is tinnitus.
Since a couple of months have gone by and your tinnitus is still there, it appears it is likely permanent. Therefore, if your tinnitus is bothering you, it is time to begin a program to learn to habituate to your tinnitus. If it is not bothering you–is just “there”, then the best thing to do is just ignore it and get on with your life.
Cordially,
Neil
An alert to everyone. If you have Tinnitus do not get a facial that uses radio waves. It aggravated my Tinnitus. It got better but then I had to take an antibiotic and some Advil last week and hope that the side effects, this loud high pitched screaming is not permanent. I take B12, Riboflavin, and Magnesium. I recommend Magnesium when you are stressed. Also, God is the only one who understands what you are going through. Tell Him you know that and ask Him to put you to sleep which is one of the best things to help lessen the sound. Knowing you are not alone in your struggle because of God is the best way to cope. Nobody can know what kind of day you have had except God. The first time you give your struggle and trial to God can be hard because we so want to put everything in our own hands. but, a load is lifted once you truly do it. Stay busy. I now have Hyperacusis, too, which is worse to cope with than the Tinnitus. Don’t take Glucosamine Chondroitin. I think that was the trigger for the Hyperacusis. I will keep you all in my prayers. Please pray for me, as life seems to be changing because of these issues.
By the way, I have had Tinnitus for over 20 years. Just in one ear until I got the Pfizer booster a year, ago.
Hi Terri:
I’ve not heard of radio frequency facials making tinnitus before. How long did it take your tinnitus to return to baseline after the treatment?
Also, why do you think Glucosamine Chondroitin caused your hyperacusis? Normally, loudness hyperacusis is caused by exposing your ears to sudden loud sounds or sustained loud sounds. I’ve never heard of Glucosamine Chondroitin being implicated in loudness hyperacusis.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi I am 39 and in the UK
12 months ago i never had any ear issues in my life i was happy in the car listening to music and all of i sudden my right ear started to crackle and become muffled until i turned the volume down
i thought it would go away or it was wax so i went in for wax removal and they said theres no wax there
I was sent to an ENT and he put a camera up my nose, looked all in my ears and nothing wrong, but he did a pressure test and a hearing test and said i have hearing loss at high frequency in both ears and the pressure test for my right ear the ETD one came back as abnormal
So he diagnosed me with ETD and sent me for an MRI scan which ive now done, he will update me on that in 3 months when i see him next, hes just given me amays nasal spray for these 3 months and i am on all these groups learning about it
Its been 12 months since my hearing was normal and since then for the past 12 months ive felt ear fullness in my right ear, like its clogged, but now i think thats the pressure not equalising in the middle ear
and reduced and muffled hearing in that ear, and now for 10 days ive had tinnitus in that ear
no idea what happened but its a life changer and i am seeking answers
ENT said I have high frequency hearing loss in both ears, but my right ETD ear feels full, where as my left ear feels and hears normal to me anyway, even though both ears have the hearing loss
Hi Matt:
Did you used to listen to loud music in your car? If so, that could be the cause of your ear problems. Did your audiogram show a “noise notch” at 4000 Hz? If so, that sort of confirms that you listen to music excessively loud and have damaged your ears.
It’s possible that your right ear experienced sounds louder than your left ear and thus was damaged more–you could be experiencing acoustic shock syndrome as a result.
If your tympanometry results were abnormal for your right ear, it could be due to it being clogged, or it could be because acoustic shock caused your trigeminal nerve to malfunction and not “run” your Eustachian tube properly.
Cordially,
Neil
I was wondering if Gabapentin causes permanent tinnitus. I took it for 5 years for RLS and sleep. I abruptly stopped this med and shortly after got permanent ringing. Not sure if this was related. I also have been on SSRIs for 30 years. I ask because my other Doctor wants to try this for nerve pain and I am scared.
Hi Allen:
Never a good idea to quit a drug cold turkey after taking it for a considerable time. I’ve heard of others that did that with Gabapentin and had the same results–loud tinnitus. So I wouldn’t be surprised if your tinnitus is from this cause.
Like you, I’d be hesitant to take it again, especially when he says, “Try this and see if it helps” because it might not, and you’ll likely have worse tinnitus when you try to get off it again.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi, at the moment I’m sitting near a low Hz noise PC and my head is making high Hz noise. However, when I change the position of my neck to the left or right, it disappears. What is this? Also, I’ve been using Minoxidilum and Finasteride for 16 months. My tinnitus started 10 days ago, in background i always hear wind noises. Should I stop taking the medication? I also noticed that fasting/keto diet helped reduce my problem by 90%, but after cheat day and the next morning I started hearing a new loud ringing noise in my left ear, which only went away today after vomiting.
Hi Shaggy:
Both Minoxidil and Finasteride can cause tinnitus, but if you have been taking them for 16 months, I sort of doubt that they are the cause of your tinnitus since your tinnitus only began 10 days ago.
The fasting/keto diet seem to be helping you so I’d keep it up. I don’t see it as a cause of your tinnitus.(I do intermittent fasting/semi-keto diet myself). I think on your “cheat” day, you ate something that was toxic in some way, that caused the new tinnitus sound and went away after you threw up the toxic material.
When you turn your head left or right, for most people with tinnitus their tinnitus spikes for a moment then returns to their normal level. In your case, it is backwards and stops. To me this indicates either you have tinnitus related to blood flow–and by turning your neck you temporarily stop/slow down the blood flow and the tinnitus goes away, or your cervical vertebrae are out of proper alignment thus pinching a somatosensory nerve resulting in tinnitus, and twisting your neck relieves the pressure on the nerve so the tinnitus goes away.
I really need more information to try to figure out what caused your tinnitus. One clue would be what you did in the days just before your tinnitus began that might have caused. Did you do anything out of the ordinary in any way?
Cordially,
Neil
I had prostate cancer surgery and developed ED from this. I had an issue with Sildenafil causing ringing in my ears. I have read that L-arginine and/or L-Citruville can help with ED as well, but without the side effects.
Have you heard, or are aware of L-arginine and/or L-Citruville causing hearing loss or ringing in the ears?
Thank you very much.
Hi Richard:
As far as I know, L-Arginine is not listed as being ototoxic in any way. So it would be much safer for your ears than Sildenafil. The same goes for L-Citruville.
So if this combination works for you, go for it.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr. Bauman,
Thank you for your quick and insightful reply. It’s very helpful and much appreciated.
Richard
Hi – 30F here. Was on Luvox for 5 months with no problems and my doctor added Wellbutrin 150mg. On day 2 I developed insane tinnitus and stopped both drugs immediately. I took two days off Wellbutrin total. It’s been 5 days and I have severe ear pain and ringing. I cannot focus or sleep. I’m trying to stay calm but I cannot believe this is real. Is there any hope for me? I cannot live the rest of my life like this.
Hi Sam:
Bupropion (Wellbutrin) can really do a number on your ears as you have unfortunately discovered. If you had just stayed on the Fluvoxamine (Luvox) at your current dose, you probably wouldn’t have had any problems.
Personally, I’d refuse to take any more Bupropion. Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that by doing this, your ear problems will completely go away. But the good news is that numbers of people find that when they get off the Bupropion, their ear symptoms drop down to a manageable level. Let’s hope that you have this experience.
Cordially,
Neil
I began methotrexate for psoriatic arthritis in August 2022. About three months ago the tinnitus began. My doctor has switched my meds to a biologic. I am wondering if you have any insight as to how long it can take for tinnitus to go away? It is better after no methotrexate for three weeks, but I understand that it can take 3-6 months for the blood level of methotrexate to fully leave my system.
Hi April:
Hundreds of people have reported getting tinnitus from taking Methotrexate. There are no guarantees that your tinnitus will ever completely go away. Only time will tell. But it is great that your tinnitus has gotten much better since you got off it. Hopefully, it will continue to fade away in the future. In the meantime, just ignore it and focus on the loves of your life so it will not bother you.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you. I actually woke up yesterday with just a slight ring in one ear. It did get a little louder (in both ears) as the day went on, but hoping it continues to diminish. I have found that when I am at work, or on the boat, or just busy, I do not notice it. I find that when I am alone and grading I do not notice it unless I think about it….which I am doing now…LOLOL. I even notice it less in different rooms of my home. I always get the rare side effects or drugs. HAd I known I would get tinnitus I would have never taken the methotrexate. that is one symptom that is not mentioned when you start the meds. Nausea, mouth sores, not of which I had. Any thoughts on why it took nine months to show up?
Hi April:
Tinnitus is not a problem if you do not notice it because your are busy with other things. The trick is to not focus on your tinnitus and let it stay in the background where it is not a problem. So continue doing that and all will be well.
Now, as to why it took 9 months for tinnitus to appear, the short answer is, “I don’t know.” Some drugs can produce tinnitus it less than 10 minutes after you take it. Others require a day or two. Some take a week or two, other a month or more and some don’t show side effects for years or even a decade or longer. Furthermore, everyone is different, so you may take a drug that takes 9 months to show up tinnitus and I could take the same drug and get tinnitus the next day.
There are so many factors that may be involved. That is why I warn people about taking any drugs unnecessarily–because there ARE side effects that can show up that spoil your life and you never know whether you’ll be the “lucky” one who gets those side effects.
Cordially,
Neil
So the last two mornings I woke up with no tinnitus in one ear. Sunday in left ear, today in right. As the day went on it did come back not as loud as it used to be at all in both. Does this mean perhaps it will go away permanently. I am four weeks methotrexate free on Tuesday
Hi April:
It sure sounds promising. I can’t predict the future, but continue to ignore your tinnitus and hopefully, you will have more and more tinnitus-free days in the future, and softer tinnitus when you do hear it.
Cordially,
Neil
Well two months later and my tinnitus comes and goes. I am three months off the methotrexate. I will have three or four days with no tinnitus and then it will come back. It is not nearly as loud as it used to be. I am hoping more time off the drug will take it away permanently. I did hear that methotrexate can remain in your system for up to 3-6 months after taking it. The half life says 55 hours, but I would imagine after nine months there is a blood level built up. So hoping to give a little hope to some people here that for me, stopping the drug did help immensely and i have had numerous tinnitus free days. At the lower pitch. even on the days I have it, I do not really notice it unless I think about it. So you do habituate to it. I did also cut down on caffeine and add a vitamin B complex and Zinc, so maybe that helps as well.
Hi April:
Tinnitus coming and going is a good sign that the tinnitus from the Methotrexate won’t be permanent or a problem. Ditto for the fact it is greatly reduced in volume. Continue to ignore it as much as possible and let your brain habituate to it.
Cordially,
Neil
I began taking Celexa for hand pain and tingling (prescribed by my PCP) and after a week began having intermittent tinnitus and over the past 24 hrs it has become loud and constant. I see some reports that this could be a side effect of the Celexa. Have you heard of this causing tinnitus and when someone ceased taking the Celexa, it stopped?
Hi Christine:
I’ve received more anecdotal reports of people getting tinnitus from taking Citalopram (Celexa) than for any other drug. Besides, hundreds of other people have reported to the FDA that they got tinnitus from taking Celexa.
Unfortunately, no one that has reported to me has gotten relief from their tinnitus after quitting taking Celexa. So it doesn’t look good for your prognosis–but I’m sure that people do find their tinnitus goes away after they stop–but so far, no one has contacted me and stated this, so I don’t hear about an “success” stories.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you. I just realized I put the wrong drug name. It was Celebrex prescribed for my hand issue. I did Google “Celebrex + tinnitus” and found there’s a 20% chance Celebrex can cause it. Hopefully it will go away now that I have stopped taking it.
Hi Christine:
Celecoxib (Celebrex) has caused hundreds upon hundreds of cases of tinnitus that have been reported to the FDA. Some people find their tinnitus permanent, others not so much. I don’t have any figures to say how common the permanence is. Some people find that their tinnitus drops in loudness when they stop taking Celebrex, but it doesn’t entirely go away.
Cordially,
Neil
Here I am again. Have you had reports of Tylenol and Advil reactivating tinnitus? I was almost tinnitus free, some days with no ringing at all. For over a week, I have been taking max dose of Tylenol and alternating with Advil while waiting for a root canal. The tinnitus is in full roar. If it was the methotrexate, why is Advil and Tylenol now making it worse when they never gave me a problem before?
Hi April:
Ibuprofen (Advil) is notorious for causing tinnitus. So that is probably the culprit. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) certainly does cause tinnitus too, but not as much as Advil. So I’d dump the Advil and hopefully your tinnitus will drop down again.
You may be taking higher doses that is causing the tinnitus now. Sometimes there is no rhyme or reason why certain drugs cause tinnitus one time and not others.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello, I started taking Pantoprazole in March…. I started noticing that I my tinnitus was really spiked by the beginning of July… I didn’t make the connection until recently and I’m now on my 4th day off of it… I had taken it for roughly 6 months… 40mg a day. The tinnitus is still pretty loud. Would you say there’s a good chance that it will get better in time. It also brought on some anxiety and headaches with it too. Had I known I would have stopped taking it at 8 weeks like I’ve been reading but my docker never told me to. I’ll never take another drug without researching it first. Thanks
Hi Chris:
Everyone is different, but there is hope. One man reported, “After 14 years of daily Pantoprazole 20 mg, I stopped. 5 years ago I started having tinnitus and loss hearing (left side) and balance on and off. 1 year ago episodes of vertigo were added to the mix. For the past month, I’ve had continuous tinnitus and loss of hearing. Today is day #5 since I stopped taking Pantoprazole. Everything is back to normal! No tinnitus and hearing is back. Fingers crossed! For GERD, I only eat a light soup at 6 pm. I go to bed at 11 pm with a licorice herbal tea. No need for Pantoprazole!” So there is hope your tinnitus can go away too.
Note that Pantoprazole can deplete your body’s stores of magnesium. This can lead to worse ototoxic side effects and make tinnitus worse. Therefore, if you are going to be taking Pantoprazole, taking magnesium supplements at the same time is probably wise. Note: Magnesium threonate is the most bioavailable form of magnesium. Avoid magnesium oxide as it is the least bioavailable form.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you that helps a lot I got some Magnesium (power form) it should be good.. I’m still having headaches on day 5 of being off of the medicine and anxiety with muscle aches… I’m assuming it just takes a while to get the nutrients back to normal if they’ve been deficient for a couple of months or longer. Thanks soo much for your quick reply.
Hi Chris:
Yes, getting your ears back to normal can take considerable time–up to two years depending on a lot of factors. Or things can return to normal in a week. It varies all over the place–so don’t get discouraged if things seem to take a long time.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Doctor,
I started treatment for SIBO with Uva Ursi and i was taking it in normal doses for 13 days but i developed low pitch sound in my right ear. The dose that i was taking was around 500mg and i checked that tinnitus is a side effects in doses 10 times higher than i took but i still developed it. It’s been 3 days since i developed this and i am very scared. Before the sound started i had a tingling sensation behind my ear on the left side and when i laid down on my right side i felt some warm feeling that became wormer and wormer and then k stood up and that feeling went away but since then i am able to hear this low pitch sound that went away for a short period of maybe 1 hour but came back. Do you think that i could possibly have damaged my ears permanently?
Hi Danijel:
Everyone is different in their tolerance to various herbals and drugs. Since Uva-ursi can cause tinnitus in high doses, if you are more sensitive to it, you may develop tinnitus at lower doses. Since you are concerned that your tinnitus was due to this herbal, just quit taking it for two weeks or so and see whether your low-pitched tinnitus goes away.
If it does, then you know that the dose you were taking is too high for your ears and you either need to stop taking it permanently, or use a reduced dose that doesn’t affect your ears. Discuss this with your doctor of course.
Furthermore, it is not recommended that you take uva-ursi for longer than 2 weeks in any case. Some say only for 1 week at a time.
I doubt you have cause permanent damage to your ears and hopefully the tinnitus will go away when you go off this herbal and it clears your system.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
6 weeks ago I was given gentamicin IV, I developed ear fullness within an hour. I noticed that I had hyperacusis a couple of days later and then tinnitus. I also have a bit of facial numbness and tingling. The tinnitus appears to be getting worse, is there anything I can take or do to try and prevent the situation from escalating?
I’ve got a newborn child whose cries are very loud, should I be protecting my ears?
Your advice is appreciated.
Thank you
Hi Jessica:
Gentamicin can do a number on your ears for sure. It normally affects balance more than hearing, but in your case the opposite seems to be true.
One of the nasty things about Aminoglycosides such as Gentamicin is that when they get into your inner ear fluids they can stay there for weeks or months and continue causing damage.
Also, be aware that exposing your ears to loud noise while you are on Gentamicin—or even up to a year after to stop taking it—can make the ototoxic effects worse than if you are not around loud noise when taking this drug. Therefore, since your child has loud cries, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to wear ear plugs to partially reduce the sound levels when he is crying/screaming. Take them out whenever you don’t need them as wearing them too much can make your hyperacusis worse. I’d keep the ear plugs in your pocket and put them on before you go to pick him/her up if he/she is crying.
Gentamicin can deplete your body’s stores of magnesium. This can lead to worse ototoxic side effects. Therefore, if you are going to be taking Gentamicin, taking magnesium supplements at the same time and for 2 or 3 weeks afterwards is probably wise. Note: Magnesium threonate is the most bioavailable form of magnesium. I’d avoid magnesium oxide as it is the least bioavailable form.
Current research indicates that it is not the AMINOGLYCOSIDE antibiotics themselves that destroy the hair cells in our hearing and balance systems. Rather, the by-products of these drugs cause free radicals to be formed. It is these free radicals that cause the ototoxicity.
Therefore, taking anti-oxidants is a good way to help protect your ears. My choice would be glutathione, the body’s powerful natural anti-oxidant. Unfortunately, unless taken as injections, your stomach acids destroy it. Thus, a better alternative is to take higher doses of N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) one of the main building blocks of glutathione so your body can make more of this needed anti-oxidant. You can take up to around 2,000 mg of NAC a day. So taking 3 600 mg tablets a day should be a reasonable dose spread throughout the day. (Personally, I take 600 mg a day just for good health.)
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks so much Neil.
I’ve also got a weird ear fullness sensation, I can kind of equalise but it still feels full. Could this just be a temporary response to damage?
I also have a numb feeling on one side of my face.
Thanks,
Jess
Hi Jessica:
Did these symptoms come on just after the Gentamicin injection, or did you have them before to some degree?
What was the Gentamicin for?
To my way of thinking, neither the ear fullness nor the facial numbness is likely due to Gentamicin. Rather, it sounds like you have problems with your neck that are pinching your facial and trigeminal nerves causing these symptoms. Are you neck muscles “tight”? Does this seem likely to you?
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Bauman, I developed tinnitus in both ears about a week ago (though, no hearing loss), and I suspect it might be from my recent use of Cialis. I’ve taken Cialis in the past, and this never happened. The only common thing that has happened to me the last time I took Cialis and previous times is that I would get facial flushing and some pressure around the temporals. I don’t take Cialis very often (only 5 mg about once a week sometims less). My question is, my tinnitus is going on for a week, what is the likelihood of it going away? Have you heard of anyone who took Cialis and developed the tinnitus then stopped taking it to see if the tinnitus would go away? I stopped taking it 5 days ago. Thanks.
Hi Ren:
Tadalafil (Cialis) has almost twice the number of reports of tinnitus than it has of hearing loss.
I’ve only heard from one person who got tinnitus from taking Cialis. He wrote, “My existing tinnitus has gotten significantly worse since I started taking a 5 mg daily dose of Tadalafil. I have now stopped taking the drug, but the worsened tinnitus persists.”
The thing is he doesn’t say how long ago he stopped taking it, so there is no way to determine if this is long term tinnitus or it was for just a week or two.
If you don’t notice any change in your tinnitus in two weeks, you might be headed for long-term tinnitus, or your tinnitus may not be from the Cialis at all (especially since you’ve taken Cialis before with no problems). There may be another factor in play.
Cordially,
Neil
I got tinnitus 30+ years ago from being on Flecainide. I was pregnant so they could not stop it. I was going into A-fib. It is so loud that if its quiet I get nauseated. I have to sleep with two fans going to drown out the noise. Is there any hope?
Hi Toni:
Are you saying that you’ve had this loud tinnitus for 30+ years now? And it hasn’t changed at all in all this time?
Apart from running the two fans, what have you done to try to get your tinnitus under control?
Are you still on the Flecainide? Or on any other drugs?
I like to think there is always hope–but you have to do the right things for your kind of tinnitus in order to bring it under your control.
Cordially,
Neil
I have taken aspirin and all kinds of drugs for blood pressure and been alive a long time but didn’t get tinnitus until I unfortunately took Buspar last December. It was an instant effect but only lasted a few hours after I would take it, so I thought it was a side effect but not permanent. One day in March, 3 months later, I noticed it was there whether I took it or not. I immediately stopped the drug of course but nothing has helped. I’ve tried inhalers, ear drops, ear vitamins (Quietum) etc. and my doctor has it too and isn’t concerned. My ear doctor (also has it) says my hearing is fine (so far). I’m flabbergasted no one has figured out EXACTLY how Buspar is causing tinnitus, so there could possibly be a way to retain healthy hearing again. I’m sad now and was before a very happy person.
Hi Sandra:
Buspirone (BuSpar), a drug taken for anxiety, has a number of ototoxic (ear damaging) side effects, among them tinnitus and hearing loss. About twice as many people report tinnitus as hearing loss.
Unfortunately, you can get permanent tinnitus from the very first pill you take as one man found, or you can get temporary tinnitus to start with as you discovered.
Since your tinnitus was initially just temporary for a few hours, you logically concluded that it would be temporary if you take it in the future too. This may be true for some drugs and for some people, but that is not always the case as some people have found to their sorrow. Thus, if you experience any tinnitus from taking a drug, the better part of valor is to stop taking it right then and never take it again if you hope to avoid permanent tinnitus.
There is no magic pill that takes tinnitus away. Part of this is because tinnitus is a psychosomatic condition–meaning there is a “physical” component and a psychological component. Even if a pill could “fix” the “physical” component, the psychological component is “you” and how you respond to your tinnitus.
That is why taking drugs, vitamins, supplements, etc. seldom work. The trick is how you think of your tinnitus that makes all the difference. Thus, if you think of tinnitus as a threat to your well-being–whether physically, mentally, psychologically, financially, spiritually, etc.–it won’t go away.
However, when you think of your tinnitus as just an unimportant, meaningless, useless sound that you can safely ignore (and then ignore it), you habituate to your tinnitus and it no longer bothers you so whether you hear it or not makes no difference to how you live your life.
Your two doctors apparently have tinnitus and are obviously habituated to it. Thus, they treat it as no big deal. I’m in the same boat–have had tinnitus for basically all my life, but I do not let it bother me.
You can learn to do this too. You don’t have to let your tinnitus ruin your life and make you sad. You can choose to live a happy, fulfilling life in spite of your tinnitus like I have done.
My book, “Take Control of Your Tinnitus” shows you how–especially chapters 20 and 21.
Cordially,
Neil