by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.
© Sep, 2009
A lady explained:
Because of high blood pressure, some previous mini-strokes and a family history of high cholesterol, I have been taking Lipitor [Atorvastatin]. My doctor feels my cholesterol needs to be under better control and has switched me to Crestor. I cannot find Crestor in your Ototoxic Drug book. Could you give me some information on it’s side effects? I would certainly appreciate any help.
Crestor (Rosuvastatin) is fairly new and not a lot of information about its ototoxic properties is readily available. The PDR lists dizziness as the only ototoxic side effect.
I suspect it has other ototoxic side effects that will become apparent in the future. This is because all the “statin” drugs belong to the same general drug family—i.e. they have similar chemical compositions. Thus you would expect them to have similar (not identical, but similar) ototoxic side effects.
On page 502 of my drug book, in the comparison table (section 11.3.2) you can see that all 6 “statins” listed there have dizziness as a side effect, just like Crestor has. However, 5 of the 6 also have vertigo listed, 2 have tinnitus, 2 have hearing loss and 1 has ataxia listed. So those are the most likely ototoxic side effects that Crestor may have.
Therefore, you might experience dizziness and/or possibly vertigo if you take Crestor, but only time will reveal whether Crestor will also cause side effects such as hearing loss and tinnitus in some people.
To learn which drugs are (or can be) ototoxic, see “Ototoxic Drugs Exposed“. This book contains information on the ototoxicity of 877 drugs, 35 herbs and 148 chemicals.
To Dr. Neil Bauman:
You should put a date in an entry or comment like this, because any reader like me cannot know if it is making reference to a situation of the past or if that’s the current situation.
Hi Fernando:
You are right. I’ll start doing that. The old system I used automatically put the date in, but I’ve changed over to a new system and it doesn’t seem to put a date in–nor did it put in dates to all the articles that were transferred over from the old system (including this one.)
Cordially,
Neil
Crestor is very bad I’ve have tinnitus for 7 years my left ear only could tolerate it very well doctor change my stand to Crestor from Pravastatin in the last four months they have gotten so loud I have it in the right ear now terrible medicine have to be very ototoxic
Hi, I will be interested to understand over time what other debilitating side effects statins have – I have lost 30% hearing and I think it is linked to statins as I have been taking it for 27 years and stopped 3 years ago due to poor quality of life due to the side effects (GERD, muscle aches and pains, sleeplessness, foggy brain…and now the link to hearing loss)….I am drug free and pain and side effect free since refusing to take statins again – go figure!
My vertigo is horrible with crestor
So have you got an update on the ototoxic side effects of Rosuvastatin as nothing has been posted for years ?
Hi JJ:
Yes, the latest on Rosuvastatin will be included in the 4th edition of “Ototoxic Drugs Exposed” which I hope to bring out in a couple of years.
But here is an update for you. As I suspected, Rosuvastatin is quite ototoxic–just like the rest of the statin drugs. Hundreds upon hundreds of people have reported to the FDA getting hearing loss from taking this drug. Ditto for tinnitus, and thousands of people have reported getting a whole host of balance problems such as ataxia (staggering gait), balance disorder, dizziness and vertigo, as well as various other ototoxic side effects.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil
I’ve googled and found only two people that have had spike in their tinnitus . Where is the evidence of all these thousands of people getting tinnitus on Rosuvastatin?
Regards .
JJ
Hi JJ:
I already told you the source–reports to the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in the USA.
Don’t assume that Google will give you this information. It is well hidden. You have to dig for it–and extract the ototoxic side effects from the enormous data pile, then compile it for each drug. And that is an enormous job. That is why few ever take the time to do it.
Cordially,
Neil
I guess you could have saved the link,, copy and paste, something so we could see what you saw.
I am one with hearing loss.
How do we see these FDA reports?
Hi Floyd:
If you saw what I saw, you’d have seen thousands upon thousands of lines of semi-raw data. I downloaded about 50,000 lines of this data that pertained to ototoxic side effects. Then I had to compile it all for each drug and then make my reports up.
You are mistaken if you think the FDA made up these reports. It took me months of work and I’m still not finished. If this information was readily available, I wouldn’t have to do what I do.
Cordially,
Neil
I have been on this drug rosuvastatin for 3 months and the ringing in my ears is horrific. My digging has led to this. I am stopping it today to determine if this is the cause.
Hi Wendy:
Other people have reported exactly the same thing–horrible tinnitus from taking Rosuvastatin.
Cordially,
Neil
What do you think about high cholesterol and tinnitus. Is there a relationship? Can reducing it with Statins also help?
Hi David:
There is a connection between cholesterol and tinnitus. Here is a quote from my book “Take Control of Your Tinnitus”.
Interestingly enough, the prevalence of tinnitus is higher among males, non-Hispanic whites, people who are overweight or those with a diagnosis of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, anxiety disorder or dyslipidemia (an abnormal amount of cholesterol or triglycerides in their blood).
If your tinnitus is pulsatile, here is another quote.
Carotid Artery Disease (CAD): CAD accounts for 17% of all diagnosed cases of pulsatile tinnitus. Carotid artery disease is the atherosclerotic build up of cholesterol on the walls of the large carotid arteries in your neck. This reduces the space inside the arteries, thus leading to turbulent blood flow that can be heard as pulsatile tinnitus. Sometimes this is called “carotid stenosis.”
Be aware that the statin drugs all are reported to CAUSE tinnitus to some degree. The two statin drugs with the highest number of reports of tinnitus to the FDA are Atorvastatin (Lipitor) and Simvastatin (Zocor).
Rather than taking drugs, I’d control high cholesterol via proper diet. A naturopathic doctor (ND) should be able to help you with this.
Cordially,
Neil
Dear Dr Neil I have pulsating tinnitus doctors have checked my arteries and my neck since I had open heart surgery 9 years ago they saved my arteries are less than 50%, and my neck what else can be causing my pulsating tinnitus people have to really pay attention to their medications I believe when I started taking Crestor about a year ago I started getting tinnitus on my right ear and it has made it very loud and worse than ever you really have to pay attention of what medication does just like what stuff you eat that might bother it a lot of people say that tea doesn’t bother it soda still doesn’t bother it but I have noticed in some situations when I’ll take and drink a soda here and there or some tea and makes it louder I’m tired of drinking water all day so once in awhile I change to these other drinks I believe Crestor has caused my tinnitus to be gotten worse but I need to take it my doctor said to stop it due to the fact you were hurting my body a lot but since I had art issues I take it twice a week maybe and body starts to weak and I know that tonight just gets worse the bad thing is that some of the stuff does damage to your ears and it stays there very rarely when they come down hope to hear something you for this terrible symptom I pray for us and I pray for you and God bless you for all your information amen
Hi Ron:
The first thing I need to know is whether your pulsating tinnitus is exactly in unison with your heartbeat, or it is pulsating randomly but not in unison with your heartbeat–a pseudopulsatile tinnitus–that can be easily mistaken for true pulsatile tinnitus.
What kind of tinnitus sounds did the Crestor make? Is it constant or pulsatile or what?
I like water–have drunk it almost exclusively for the past 25 years or so. But, like you, occasionally I get a yen to drink something different–a soda or tea or fruit juice.
Since Rousvastatin (Crestor) is causing your tinnitus to spike, see whether your doctor will prescribe Pitavastatin (Livalo). Some people find it is much better regrading tinnitus. See what you doctor thinks.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Dr. Bauman,
At the 4 to 5 month mark of daily 40mg Atorvastatin I began to experience tinnitus in my left ear. I queried my cardiologist about this side effect and he stated that he is unaware of such a thing. I see above your reference to the statins that are 14 times better. Can you suggest something I can put in front of him to backup my concerns and desire to switch statins?
Thank you so much,.
Hi Al:
Of the statin drugs, the FDA has received more reports of tinnitus from taking Atorvastatin than any of the other statins. And Simvastatin is close behind it. At the other end of the spectrum, the two statins that have received the fewest reports are Fluvastatin and Lovastatin which average about 14 TIMES fewer reports.
So, unless Atorvastatin and Simvastatin are prescribed more than 14 times more than Fluvastatin and Lovestatin, then these latter two drugs have a lower risk of tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks Doc, i spoke to the internist and the pharmacist and neither were aware of this. They were both willing to learn so they have put me on Crestor for 30 days to see if anything changes. Thank you again
Hey Doc, just an update. Month and a half into Crestor and no change in tinnitus so far.
I was researching cyclodextrin which is a large sugar molecule that entraps cholesterol and might be useful for reversing arteriosclerosis. It also might cause hearing issues. Knowing that statins reduce cholesterol checking here on that possible connection.
sections discussing ototoxicity of cyclodextrin.
Perhaps excessive reduction of cholesterol in the ear is bad news long term.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fncel.2017.00355/full
I too am taking atorvastatin. When the dosage was doubled to 40 mg. I started experiencing pulsative tinnitus, noises and music.
Hi Jen:
Are you sleeping better now that your body has had a few days on the new 300/300 dosage regime?
Maybe you need to start slowly tapering off this drug to get rid of the side effects.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Bauman,
I can be added to the list of statins causing a spike in my tinnitus, even at the lowest dose (of Lovastatin) cut in half. I’ve tried Lipitor, Crestor and Lovastatin. I am told lifestyle changes alone will not alter my cholesterol level enough to stop the serious medical consequences that are occurring even while on blood thinner and baby aspirin. Can you recommend an effective statin alternative that is safe?
Thanks so much.
Hi Jory:
I sure wouldn’t take any statin drugs. You may change your mind after you read the two articles at the links below.
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/10/15/statin-drugs-on-coronary-disease.aspx?
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/12/04/chemical-stress-test.aspx?
You’ll find a lot of other good information on the Mercola.com website. Just type in “cholesterol” in the search box in the top right corner and you’ll turn up many, many articles why statin drugs are bad for you, are ineffective, and what the natural alternatives are.
Cordially,
Neil
Cannot hear left ear.onset sudden 10 days ago. On Crestor now.Seeing ENT MRI being done. ENT says nerve damage
ANA labs. What do you think?
Hi Christine:
Rosuvastatin (Crestor) can definitely be ototoxic. Hundreds and hundreds of people have reported resulting hearing loss from taking this drug. How long were you on the Crestor before this sudden hearing loss happened?
Cordially,
Neil
Crestor has really made my tinnitus worse been taking it for 7 months now is so much louder I don’t know what to do I had open heart surgery and I need a stand but after my next blood work I think I’m going to take it every other day this is really getting bad never had it on my right here now I have it in my right ear
Reading peoples comments helps me a great deal as the doctors appear to have little knowledge between the link of statins and tinnitus. I too can relate to most of peoples comments.
have been taking rosuvastatin for one and a half months only 5 mg tablet and my tinnitus has increased 10 fold. was taking a newer drug called livalo and did not have nearly as bad the problem. going to contact my DR and switch back. tinnitus is very bad using rosuvastatin.
Can anyone comment on how long it took for the tinnitus to stop/calm down after stopping the Rosuvastatin medicine. I have been on this medicine as well and the tinnitus is absolutely nuts. My doc told me to quit for 2 to 3 weeks to see if the cholesterol medicine is the reason, I was hoping someone could say if the relief was right away or if it took a while (months or more).
Hi Lizzie:
I have no information on how long tinnitus from taking Rosuvastatin lasts after you stop taking it, whether days, weeks, months or longer, or whether it typically is permanent.
Just because you stop taking it for 2 or 3 weeks and your tinnitus remains the same doesn’t mean that your tinnitus wasn’t caused by the Rosuvastatin. It could be that the tinnitus was caused by the Rosuvastatin and is now permanent.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Lizzie believe me I’ve tried it I stopped it tinnities it’s just seem to have stayed at that pitch I believe once we start taking that medicine it really misses things up I’ve even tried stopping it for my leg pains and everything and they still hang around I believe this medicine hangs around for a long time in your system and we know we need it so sometimes we’re afraid to stop it so I hope I answered in my experience stopping in here and there doesn’t really make a difference anymore it just seems to get into your system and it stays there
I just want to join the list of people whose tinnitus spiked after taking Crestor. I was prescribed it last week and I took it for 4 days and it was like someone turned the volume of the tinnitus up as loud as it could go. I told my doctor about it and he discounted the correlation. I went to an ENT and he gave similar advice that ignoring it and white noise were the best option. As of this writing, I’d rather have a heart attack than this.
I have pulsating tinnitus my arteries have been light build up so I don’t know if that could be causing it
Tinnitus is much worse taking Crestor body aches like crazy I asked the Lord to help me I need to stop this medicine
I took red yeast rice for one month and my tinnitus has spiked . Does it make sense ? Do you think this is permanent ? I have Tinnitus from 10 years and it almost never spikes unless I am exposed to loud noise . I am freaking out !
Hi Sean:
Some people have tinnitus that is sensitive to molds (and yeast is essentially a kind of mold). So if that is your case, then that could be your problem. If that is your problem, then stopping eating this yeast should let your tinnitus return to its former level, so calm down. Freaking out just makes things worse.
Cordially,
Neil
Hey Neil , thank you so much for replying .
Red yeast is same as lovastatin . I took a about 3600 mg (= 15 mgs of lovastatin ).
Such a short term oral medication. Causing spike just doesn’t make any sense !
Hey Neil , do you have info of spike from short term use of statin is permanent or temporary?
Oral drugs in a very short term causing spike is just unbelievable.
Hi Sean:
Some drugs can cause tinnitus in just 7 minutes!
Statin drugs can make existing tinnitus spike within a day or two. This is not unheard of. And just taking a statin drug for 1 week can cause permanent tinnitus. Other people report their tinnitus spikes whenever they take their statin drug.
So the answers to your questions are all over the place.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you again Neil ! .
To be clear , are there reports of just having temporary spike that goes away in few days ? I did get quiet moments for few mins in last 2-3 days .
It’s around 10:00 pm and now I can hear the whistle . It’s not as loud but it’s there .
I guess only time can tell. I am just having panic attacks at night because of this .
Hi Sean:
There are such reports for various drugs, but I don’t have such reports specifically for the statin drugs. However, there are inferences such as, “Whenever I take this drug it gets worse.” So you can infer from this that the spike is temporary. Most reports on the statin drugs lead me to believe that the side effects don’t go away very quickly, if at all.
So only time will tell what you will experience in the future. But having quiet moments is a very good sign that your tinnitus can go away. The secret is not to focus on your tinnitus and worry about it like you are doing. This just makes it worse and more likely to be permanent.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you Neil . You are very kind .
Believe me or not I am a licensed Pharmacist but in pharma businesss from long time so I am not up on drugs nor I am able to intelligently read studies /reports.
Reports. infering “ when ever I take drugs Tinnitus gets worst “ is an excellent news .
My apologies for asking same questions. I just wanted to get definite answer but it seems we don’t have specific answer.
I know long term use causes Tinnitus on v few patients but only reason I am baffled because I took it for only one month .
Can I please bother you to check reports on patients who had Tinnitus and they had spike after they took any statin drug .
How is spike resulting from statin different from spike resulting from loud noise eg . Live music , concert etc .?
Hi Sean:
Depending on the drug, tinnitus can come on very fast, you don’t need to take it long term in order to get tinnitus. So getting tinnitus after taking a drug for a month is not unusual. For example, one man took Rosuvastatin and shortly afterwards experienced tinnitus. In contrast, a lady took Rosuvastatin and some months later developed tinnitus. So there is no set time–it can be soon after or a month or months later that tinnitus develops.
I’m not sure the tinnitus spike is different between taking an ototoxic drug and exposing your ears to loud sounds. The underlying causes may be different, but the resulting tinnitus sounds and how long it lasts can be the same. There are a number of factors that make a lot of difference, not the least is your emotional/psychological state of mind and that differs from person to person.
Cordially,
Neil
One more clarification- when you say , side effects on statin some times don’t go away , are you specifically referring to tinnitus or other symptoms ?
I know some meds like aspirin causes tinnitus and as soon as you stop ,Tinnitus disappears .
Hi Sean:
Since we have been talking about tinnitus, my remarks are directed towards tinnitus, but also apply to other side effects too. But most of the reports I get of statin side effects refer to tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Neil , when you say most report shows statin side effects don’t go away , are you talking specifically about tinnitus ?
You are a wealth of knowledge!
Hi Sean:
Typically, yes.
I don’t know about being a “wealth of knowledge”. There are ever so many questions I wish I knew the answers to relating to ototoxic drugs. It is true that I have been collecting whatever I can find on ototoxic side effects of drugs for the past 25 plus years–but the data is grossly incomplete and “hairy”. So typically, I have to talk in generalities, not specifics. For some drugs I have numbers of anecdotal reports to flesh out how the drugs actually affect people. For other drugs I don’t have any such reports.
There are remarkably few comprehensive studies on the ototoxic properties of given drugs–with a few exceptions, so getting definitive data is well nigh impossible.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil ,
There are so many drugs and so many reports . Impossible for one person to compile details . there are pharma companies hire PhDs in India to do their basic research .
Update —- just want to update if some one else has similar situation in future . My spike has subsided 50% . My Tinnitus is still much louder than before but I can mask it and slept good last night . I will post again in few days .
Neil – Thank you again !.
Hi Neil ,
Update – it’s been 15 days or so and my Tinnitus is still bugging me a lot .
First 3-4 days was v v bad but now I am getting anxiety at night .
Do you think this can improve over time ?
Question I have for long time is that can one have loud tinnitus 24/7 and still be ok and not be bothered by it ?
It is caused by statin for sure .
Hi Sean:
Why are you so anxious and having panic attacks? Rather than trying to drug them away, why don’t you go to see a psychologist that is good at dealing with people with anxiety and panic attacks and learn how to bring them under your control. Then you won’t have to worry about ototoxic drugs.
And yes, you can have loud tinnitus and still be ok. My tinnitus is loud a lot of the time because I am constantly dealing with people with tinnitus and writing about it. When I think about it, it’s there and often quite loud–but it’s no big deal. Who cares? That’s my attitude. Thus, my tinnitus doesn’t bother me even if it is there and loud.
When I am not thinking/writing/talking/researching tinnitus, hours go by without my being aware I even have tinnitus. That’s how habituated I am to it. You can do the same.
In order to do this, you mustn’t think of your tinnitus as a threat to your well-being in any way. Rather, consider it as a useless, unimportant background sound that is safe to ignore–then ignore it by focusing on the loves of your life.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil ,
I have been having panic attacks when I try to sleep .
Any idea which meds are safer to sleep ? Even OTC is ok .
Is melatonin totally fine ? I know anti histamines like Benadryl is not safe .
Hi Sean:
None of the sleeping pills such as the benzodiazepines are really safe for any use.
If I was going to take something, I try herbals such as valerian root. It works for some people so you might want to try it and see whether it works for you or not.
I still think you’d be better off seeing a good anxiety psychologist to learn how to get your anxiety under control. That’s the long term solution.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil ,
I have been through lots of up and down in life . Anxiety /panic attack this spike has caused has been worst ever .infact I never had panic attacks in my life .
I have made an appointment with a psychologist who specialize in Treating Tinnitus patients .
I realize that my main issue is that I see Tinnitus as a biggest threat to my happiness and well-being . My Tinnitus had subsided (2/10) from last 10 years . I only had occasional spike because of noise exposure but it returned to baseline in days or weeks . Longest spike was after a concert that lasted 2-3 months . I remember it was 2012 and it was so loud but i never had anxiety attacks from it . I was very annoyed every day but not a single anxiety attacks at night .
Yesterday I was scared to go inside my room .
If you feel there has been no reports of spike by Valerian root then as a last resort , i may give it a try . I just hate meds ( yes I am a licensed pharmacist 🙂 )
Best option is to have an attitude that even if Tinnitus is screaming loud and I just don’t want to care for it . Even if this spike subsides then in future I can have a spike that for what ever reason it might not subside so only way to deal with this is what you are saying that I should learn to see it as a useless noise . At this moment , I just don’t know how is it humanly possible to have a loud Tinnitus and just be ok .
Do you provide any type of consultation service ? I would love to have a phone session with you .
Thank you
Hi Neil ,
Just want to ask couple of questions in addition to above.
How do you define habituation ? A) Tinnitus volume subsiding so you don’t hear it OR B) Tinnitus volume is very high, one can hear it over every day noise ( TV , conversations) but are not bothered by it ?
Are there patients who have loud intrusive tinnitus ( they can hear it over TV , conversations etc ) and they just have your attitude where they see it as an useless noise .
I am looking forward your answer in regards to a phone consultation.
Hi Sean:
Habituation is actually a two-step process. Typically, you tackle B first–habituation of response–where you no longer get upset over your tinnitus. Once that is in place, then you move on to habituation of perception–where you no longer perceive your tinnitus as loud and intrusive.
Yes, people can have loud tinnitus–so loud they hear it over other sounds and yet are not bothered by them. For example, when talking on the phone, I wear a binaural headset so I can hear with both ears–and my tinnitus is so loud that I hear it over my own voice and the voice of the person I’m talking with–and that has to be loud as I have to have the volume turned up to more than 90 dB so I can hear the person. But, even so, my tinnitus doesn’t bother me–it’s just there. No big deal. Who cares? With that attitude, your tinnitus ceases to be a problem. But listening to the TV, when I’m not thinking/talking about tinnitus, I don’t even know whether I hear my tinnitus or not because I am focusing on what I am listening to. To tell you the truth, I’ve never even thought about it before–so you can tell its not a problem in the least for me.
And yes I do take phone calls and help people via the phone, or preferably I like using Zoom so I can also speechread the person at the same time. With Zoom I hear via a powerful amplifier hooked to my computer, have captions so I can read what I miss, and see the person to speechread. It works wonderfully well for me.
I’ll send you a private email to set things up.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil ,
I will wait for your email .
You don’t know how much hope your message has given me .
I am simply amazed that Tinnitus can be so loud and you are okay with it .
Today it seems Tinnitus is not as loud . It is louder than my previous baseline but it’s not driving me crazy . Last night I forced my self to keep repeating mantra so my mind is diverted and I can sleep . I slept like 4-5 hours so I feel some what good.
I remember having loud before and getting bothered but never ever I had anxiety /panic attacks where I was scared going to bed or going in to the room . It really terrorized me .
I actually took a screen shot of your previous message and saved it on my cell as it was so encouraging .
Please email me and we can set up something . I accidentally stumbled on this thread and I will read more about you on the website so I can know more about you and your company .
My goal is just not to give up hope . I am looking at Tinnitus as the biggest thread to my well-being .
Hi Sean:
I sent you an email and you still have not responded, so maybe you better send me an email in case I have a wrong email address. My email address is at the bottom of every page on this website.
Don’t give up hope. You can gain control over your tinnitus, BUT you have to quit thinking of it as any threat to your well-being–and certainly not as your biggest threat. That makes it impossible to habituate to. But you don’t have to do it all at once–slowly does it–one day at a time.
Cordially,
Neil
I have sensitive ears. I have been taking rosuvastatin (generic for crestor). I took it for a week (7 days) at 20mg a day. I have been having tinnitus because of it the last 2 days. I was prescribed it because of high cholesterol. I did not take it today. I am not planning on taking any new drugs until the tinnitus stops. How many days before the tinnitus stops? What cholesterol medication would you recommend that does not cause tinnitus?
Hi Mike:
I don’t have any data that indicates how long it takes for tinnitus to go away after stopping taking a statin drug, or whether it is permanent. As a minimum, I’d give it two weeks and see what your tinnitus level is then compared to now.
All of the statin drugs are reported to cause tinnitus, so the trick is to take the least ototoxic one. As far as tinnitus goes, Rosuvastatin (Crestor) is the one with the highest risk (as you have found out yourself). The one with the lowest risk is Pravastatin (Pravachol) and possibly a newer one, Pitavastatin (Livalo). It has the fewest reports, but that might be because it is the newest, although one man that took Pitavastatin and then Rosuvastatin reported that his tinnitus was much lower when he was on the Pitavastatin.
Thus my choice would be either Pravastatin or Pitavastatin–see which one works the best for you.
Cordially,
Neil
I faxed my doctor the two choices you gave.
You wrote “All of the statin drugs are reported to cause tinnitus”. I was wondering does all of the statin drugs (some more than others) cause hearing loss? If no, can you put up a list of the statin drugs that don’t cause hearing loss?
Hi Mike:
All the statins can cause hearing loss. Hearing loss caused by the statins almost exactly follows the same order as it does for tinnitus. So, if you use the statin with the lowest risk of tinnitus, you are also getting the lowest risk of hearing loss at the same time.
Cordially,
Neil
Pravastatin 80mg (generic for Pravachol). Take one pill (tablet) by mouth once daily. Would you say 80mg (for one pill) is a high dosage?
Hi Mike:
Here’s the data from Drugs.com
Initial dose: 40 mg orally once a day
Maintenance dose: 40 mg to 80 mg orally once a day
Thus, I’d call it a higher dose vis the 40 mg/day. The higher the dose, the more likely ototoxic side effects are to show up, so taking as low a dose as possible that will do the job is the way to prevent many ototoxic side effects from showing up.
Cordially,
Neil
Dear Dr.Bauman:
I have been taking rosuvastatin(crestor) for roughly 2 months. And 1 month after I take crestor, my ear started ringing all day long. I stop taking crestor 1 week ago, but noise in my ear doesn’t disappear.
I want to ask whether this tinnitus caused by crestor is reversible. And if it is reversible, how long will this noise disappear?
Thanks!!
Hi Zun:
I’ve received several stories like yours–tinnitus got extremely loud after a few weeks of taking Rosuvastatin. Unfortunately, I haven’t found any information on whether tinnitus goes away after you stop taking this drug.
My gut feeling is that it likely drops in volume as time passes, but I don’t know whether it goes away completely.
Even if your tinnitus doesn’t go away after stopping the Rosuvastatin, you can still reduce its impact on your life by various tinnitus treatments. One of the most important things is to not think of tinnitus as a threat to your well-being in any way. When you think of tinnitus as a threat to your well-being, this means your limbic system cannot let you habituate to your tinnitus as its job is to bring threats to your well-being to your attention.
Thus, you want to ignore your tinnitus, think of it as an unimportant background sound that it is safe to ignore, and then focus on the loves of your life and thereby ignore your tinnitus. In time, you will find that your tinnitus fades into the background and doesn’t impact your life–even if it is still there.
Cordially,
Neil
I was placed on Atorvastatin for high cholesterol. Within a month developed tinnitus in my right ear. I stopped taking it for a few months. When I saw my doctor again he said I should try and restart it, which I did. My original tinnitus had never subsided and when I restarted Atorvastatin again my tinnitus became much worse within 4 days. And is now pulsitile. In addition I am experiencing a feeling of fullness in my right ear with hearing loss. It is now 4 weeks later with no decrease in symptoms. I saw a ENT doctor yesterday. They did hearing test and he looked in my ears and said everything looked ok. Asked me if I wanted a cat scan for the pulsitle tinnitus? He really made out that it was no big deal and didn’t see an association with the medication. I am saddened, but thankful to know that what I am experiencing is real. I am going to try CoQ10 as I read it might help.
Hi Cathy:
You are not alone in blaming Atorvastatin for your tinnitus. Hundreds upon hundreds of people have reported this to the FDA’s database. And thousands more have experienced hearing loss.
If it were me, I’d dump that drug and never take it again if you value your ears.
It is well-known that statin drugs deplete your CoQ10. Thus, if you take a statin, you need to take CoQ10 supplements to replace what the drug destroys. No guarantees that it will stop the tinnitus and hearing loss through.
Cordially,
Neil
I have been encouraged to try Simvastatin to replace Atorvastatin. I am very reluctant as what I am experiencing with my right ear is really affecting my life. Any medium to loud noise borders on unbearable. I am wondering even if I don’t take any statin drugs should I take CoQ10? Are there other cholesterol lowering medication’s that are safer to take?
Hi Cathy:
All the statin drugs are ototoxic. As far as tinnitus risk goes, here is the order from best to worst–Pravastatin, Lovastatin, Atorvastatin, Simvastatin, Rosuvastatin and Fluvastatin. I don’t have much data on Pitavastatin, but I think it is also a good choice, so I’d be more inclined to try Pravastatin or Pitavastatin than Simvastatin.
Since you have taken the statins already, I’d take the CoQ10 to get your levels back to optimum levels. Personally, I take CoQ10 daily just for good health.
I don’t know which drugs doctors prescribe for cholesterol beside statins. If you know of others, send me a list and I can tell you their ototoxic status.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Niel I have come across your sight I am in a turmoil my doctor wants me to take statins and blood pressure tablets I am concerned if I should take them due to my tinnitus do Ezetrol (ezetimibe) 10mg for cholesterol cause tinnitus or hearing loss. What are the best blood pressure tablets To use
Can Ezetrol (Ezetimibe) 10mg cause tinnitus and hearing loss
Maureen
Hi Maureen:
Ezetimibe is reported to cause tinnitus and hearing loss in numbers of people. I rate it as moderately ototoxic. Who knows how it will affect you? You may find that the 10 mg dose doesn’t result in any noticeable ototoxic side effects.
As for the least ototoxic blood pressure meds, I’d suggest of the common ones Lisinopril, Benazepril, Labetalol and Carvedilol (in that order) are the least ototoxic in my opinion.
Cordially,
Neil
You can use niacin for cholesterol.
Hi Dr Neil,
I have taken Cholesterol Complete, by Biospect and has lowered my cholesterol to almost the normal range. It contains red rice yeast extract. Does REd rice yeast cause tinnitus?
Hi David:
I’ve not seen it listed as causing tinnitus so you should be ok there. However, it can cause balance issues in a few people.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks you, I read that.
Monacolin K, which is the same as the drug lovastatin, is the most abundant in red yeast rice. Because of this, it has many of the same effects and precautions as the statin drug. Except it’s not regulated and Monacolin K can vary. Thanks, you are awesome!!!
Hi David:
Thanks for the heads up on red yeast rice. Didn’t know that.
Cordially,
Neil
So, I guess it’s dangerous ?
Hi David:
It’s probably not near as dangerous as the prescription drug Lovastatin since it has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries and is a dietary staple in Asia. However, you still want to be careful. Make sure you know the exact dose you are getting as the level of the active ingredient (Monacolin K) can vary all over the place and too high a dose could be dangerous.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil, Are these cholestoral meds oxytoxic as well? Fibrates such as clofibrate (Atromid-S), fenofibrate (Antara, Fenoglide, Lipofen, TriCor, Triglide, Trilipix), and gemfibrozil (Lopid) mostly he
Hi Jim:
Of the three you mention, Gemfibrozil is the most ototoxic. Fenofibrate is about half as ototoxic, so a better choice.
I don’t have much ototoxic information on Bezafibrate and Ciprofibrate but they are very mildly ototoxic from what info I do have. The same for Clofibrate, it is only very mildly ototoxic.
I’d probably choose the Clofibrate as being the least ototoxic.
Cordially,
Neil
I’ve been on Crestor for two weeks and stopped because my tinnitus got really bad and I experienced hearing loss as well. Just two days now not taking it and I feel much better.
I just changed over 2 mths ago to crestor,
and I started getting that too! soo loud in both ears-‘Im going back to the pravastatin! and see if it stops? scary!I had nothing with pravastatin Its one of the safest Im so glad I tried to narrow it down to what I was doing different–and this was it!I hope??? Ill let you know.
.
!
Hi Georgie:
I’ve heard from a number of people that have taken Rousvastatin (Crestor) and gotten bad (loud) tinnitus.
Compared to Pravastatin, Rousvastatin causes a lot more (and worse) tinnitus, so you are wise to switch back to Pravastatin. Another drug you could try is Pitavastatin. It also has a much lower risk of tinitus than Rousvastatin.
Cordially,
Neil
Which two statins would you say have the LOWEST risk of tinnitus/have the lowest otoxicity of all the statins?
Hi Jaybe:
In my opinion, I’d say Pitavastatin (Livalo) and Pravastatin (Pravachol) are likely the two least ototoxic statins.
Cordially,
Neil
I have been taking crestor for about 6 weeks. I noticed some ringing in my ears but it would go away. Short intense bursts. But now my left ear is having spasms. Kind of like Tonic Tensor Tympan. Could crestor be responsible for this?
This happened to me years ago and I blamed the covid shot, but I had also been on a statin for awhile during that time. I’m thinking it’s the statins. I went off the statins during that time for other reasons and after months I recovered.
Thank you so much.
Hi Pam:
Rosuvasatin (Crestor) is definitely ototoxic. Most people complain of getting tinnitus from taking it, but it also can cause 24 other ototoxic effects. None of these refer to spasms such as TTTS, but I wouldn’t rule it out entirely. It’s possible, but I’ve never seen it reported up to now.
You could always go off the Rosuvastatin for a couple of weeks or so and see whether these spasms go away. Another possibility is to change to a different statin such as Pitavastatin (Livalo) and see if that solves the problem as well as your tinnitus while still being on a statin drug. Pitavastatin is not as ototoxic as Rosuvastatin and so should be easier on your ears.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you so much.
Pam
What would cause TTTS if it isn’t the medicine. Just curious can’t find too much on the internet about it.
Hi Pam:
TTTS is a startle reflex exacerbated by anxiety. So if you tend to be anxious, you need to get your anxiety under control and calm down and calm down the affected nerves.
Cordially,
Neil
I have also had muscle twitching since taking crestor. My ear feels like twitches inside could that be the case? That the muscle twitching from the medicine is making my ear muscle twitch? This has all been a little crazy. Ready to throw these statins in the trash.
Thanks for your time.
Pam Nichols
Hi Pam:
If the Crestor is causing these problems, personally, I’d dump it and see whether the problems clear up. I’d never take any statin drugs in the first place as their efficacy is dubious at best. In other words, the supposed good they might do is typically overshadowed by the harm they cause according to the latest research.
Cordially,
Neil