by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.
© June, 2012
A man wrote,
I am a musician and have occasionally taken Beta Blockers to deal with particularly stressful concerts etc. I gave up taking them as I found that I had some form of hearing loss and the frequency with which I heard the pitches was also affected. I was using Propranolol. My doctor had no idea that this could be a possible side effect and was somewhat bemused by my account of it’s effects.
It has been several years since I have used any form of Beta Blocker, but because of the high-stress field I work in I was wondering if you could recommend a type of Beta Blocker that would not affect my hearing as obviously this is vital to my performance.
It’s good that you noticed a connection between Propranolol and your hearing loss even though your doctor said otherwise. The truth is that Propranolol is one of the Beta Blockers that is listed as causing hearing loss. Your doctor might not have seen this as hearing loss is not listed in the Physicians’ Desk Reference (PDR) that many doctors use, although it is listed in a couple of other drug reference books that I consult.
My question to you is why are you using Beta Blockers to control the results of your stress? There are other ways to control stress that are not ototoxic. Why don’t you investigate them rather than jumping on the drug bandwagon and then worrying about all the resulting side effects—which just further increases your stress level.
Find out which stress reduction techniques work best for you. It may be vigorous workouts, or meditation or prayer, or changing your diet to a low sugar diet, or getting more sleep, etc. Doing these kinds of things will help you bring your stress under control and improve your health at the same time. It’s a win-win solution as opposed to the win-lose results when taking drugs.
If you want to look up any drugs for yourself and see what their ototoxic side effects are, as far as I know, the only reasonably complete source of such information that is readily available in one place and is in an easy-to-read format is contained in my book “Ototoxic Drugs Exposed“.
How long did it take for your hearing to return to normal…I am experiencing the same problem.
Did your hearing and tinnitus improve at all after stopping propranolol?
hello sir,
i am satish my elder brother has been suffering from hearing loss since sept.2013 . he was given inderal( propanolol) 20 tablets after that again 20 tab. then he started inconvineance in hearing but we did’nt recognise it was because of that medicin. now he has imbalence and hearing loss but dr’s are saying it is not because of this tab. and it is becausr of mitocondreal disease you know that its a genetic disorder but there is no any family history ofsuch type now he is in so much tension and bleming us all fam. members about why we allowe hem to take this tab. so plz. guid me. can i claim against that dr. he is neurosergeon
Hi Satish:
Propranolol can cause hearing loss in a some people, but it is not very common. It is more common to have distorted hearing, rather than a hearing loss. There is no way I can say whether his hearing loss was caused by this drug or not.
Dizziness and vertigo are two side effects of this drug–so his imbalance could be caused by this drug–no matter what the doctors say.
The only way you can claim against this doctor is to find another qualified doctor that can prove this drug caused your brother’s ear problems–and that is hard to do.
Cordially,
Neil
This PPI can inhibit any proton pump in any cell they dont stay in stomach including mitochondria in ears
I dont take any medications at all. I carry propranolol with me to help with anxiety if i am in a situation that requires it. I take it around 2-3 times a month… roughly.
I had acute sudden hearing loss recently and im wondering if the drug could be related to it.
Hi Jeff:
Propranolol is listed as causing hearing loss, so it is possible that your sudden hearing loss is related to taking this drug. However, I don’t know how likely it is. There could be a number of other factors that caused the hearing loss apart from the Propranolol. At this point, you haven’t given me enough information to definitely point the finger at the Propranolol as opposed to other causes.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
I am wondering if you can refer me to a source that says that propanolol can cause hearing loss
Hi Megan:
Published sources include my book, “Ototoxic Drugs Exposed”, the “Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties” (CPS) in Canada and AHFS Drug Information put out by the American Society of Health-Syntem Pharmacists. In addition, there is the FDA’s database on drug side effects which contains hundreds of reports of hearing loss, hyperacusis, tinnitus, balance problems, etc. for Propranolol.
So there is no question it causes hearing loss. It’s just that the data is hard to find. You really have to dig for it.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello, my daughter was prescribed hemangeol to treat her hemangiomas. I immediately noticed that she babbled less and reported to the doctors. I later stopped treatment for other reasons when she was about ten months old. Two years later she is quite delayed in speech and her tone is muffled. We will have her hearing tested at the children’s hospital in a week. I was wondering if her history with propanerol is Relevant. I am not looking for litigation. Just an appreciation of her medidiv history and an idea of how to treat it moving forward. She has no history of ear infections. Thank you, Lauren
Hi Lauren:
Propranolol (Hemangeol) is ototoxic and certainly does cause hearing loss and other ear & balance problems in numbers of people. So it may well have caused your daughter’s supposed hearing loss. I list it as one of the high-risk (for ototoxicity) Beta Blocker drugs.
Let me know how the hearing testing goes.
Cordially,
Neil
Ive just started Propranolol a week now. ive not had hearing loss but worried about it.i didnt even know that was a side effect. im on 10 mg.for migraines and blood pressure due to stress. is there anything else i can take for blood pressure besides this an migraines. i do not want to loose my hearing.
Also..ive taking this medicine for a week now 2ce a day an my blood pressure is still up some.its running 145/94 or 103 at times..i dont think it helps that well what should i do.what would be best for me with out alot of side effects..the only side effect ive had so far is the diarreah.an so tired i feel like if i walk from 1 room to another im give out.and cant breath hardly.HELP i dont really want to be on prpranolol…i just need somt to lower my blood pressure.i can take somt else for my headaches.
How long have you taken this to have that happen to u. ive been on it a week an im worried now. my dr didnt tell me anything about hearing loss w this medicine..now im like freaking out..so how long do u have to be on this for it to cause hearing loss?
Hi Brandy:
Propranolol can and does cause hearing loss in numbers of people. Of all the beta-blockers, it is the fourth highest in causing hearing loss and tinnitus. Therefore, I’d suggest you ask your doctor to switch you to one of the beta-blockers with a very low incidence of hearing loss and tinnitus that will still do the job. These beta blockers (in order from the least ototoxic) include Dilevalol, Levobetaxolol, Oxprenolol, Levobunolol, Celiprolol, Esmolol, Pindolol, Carteolol, Betaxolol, Acebutolol and Nadolol.
How long it takes for hearing loss to show up (if it is going to) varies from person to person and depends on the dose and a number of other factors. That is why it is good to be cautious.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi. Is bisoprolol one of the common beta blockers causing hearing loss. I’ve been on it for just over a month but had a dose increase to 5mg last week and have noticed significant hearing loss. Waiting on my cardiologist to call me to discuss. I’m worried it isn’t reversible or will get even worse. Thanks
Hi Abi:
Compared to Metoprolol, there are actually 5 times more reports of hearing loss from taking Bisoprolol than from taking Metoprolol when comparing the number of prescriptions written vs the number of reports of resulting hearing loss. If you didn’t factor the number of prescriptions into the equation, the results would be reversed and it would look like Metoprolol was 9 times worse than Bisoprolol.
So there are two things you can do. 1. Ask your doctor to switch you to Metoprolol. 2. Go back to the old dose on the Bisoprolol. Often, a low dose doesn’t have any ototoxic side effects show up, but just increasing (doubling in your case) the dose and all of a sudden side effects such as hearing loss and tinnitus show up.
Cordially,
Neil
I notice paracetamol is ototoxic and i take 1mg everyday for my recurrent headaches. Pls can you reccomend a pain relief for my headache that’s is not ototoxic?
Hi Nicholas:
Paracetamol (Acetaminophen over here) can be ototoxic over time, that’s for sure. Unfortunately, as far as I know, all painkillers are ototoxic to some degree. Therefore, the trick is to find one that is not very ototoxic, yet will do the job. Ask your doctor for 3 or 4 other painkillers that might do the job and I can tell you which of them is the least ototoxic in my opinion.
However, the real solution is not to deaden the pain, but to find the fundamental cause of your migraines and eliminate it–then you won’t need painkillers in the first place. Unfortunately, doctors are focused on the symptoms rather than the cause–hence they prescribe drugs instead of looking for the real reason for your migraines.
Cordially,
Neil
I just recently started taking Propranolol for a hand tremor and I already have hearing loss and wear hearing aids, however since i started taking the medication my pre-existing tinnitus has become significantly worse. Could this be because of the medication? Should I talk to my doctor?
Hi Sophia:
Many people have reported to the FDA that they got tinnitus (and other ototoxic side effects) from taking Propranolol. Since your tinnitus got louder after you began the drug, it would seem that it is very likely to be the culprit. If your tinnitus is now bothersome, I’d talk to my doctor about stopping this drug.
Personally, I wouldn’t take it for hand tremors since Propranolol is a “heart” drug (beta blocker). How is it supposed to help a “nerve” condition? I don’t see the connection. Is it controlling your hand tremors? If not, why take it?
If it completely controls your hand tremors, then you have to decide which you’d rather have–the hand tremors or the increased tinnitus.
Seems to me there should be other alternatives.
Cordially,
Neil
I have just googled the link between propranolol (which I’ve been taking for years for anxiety) and tinnitus/vertigo. I have been diagnosed with Ménière’s but wonder if it’s just the propranolol. I have a very ‘full’ right ear and dizziness and I’m taking betahistine. If I stop taking propranolol, will it go away?
Hi TM:
It is true that Propranolol has the four symptoms of Meniere’s disease–hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo and a feeling of fullness in you ear. So its possible it could fool doctors into thinking you have Meniere’s.
I think that at least some of these symptoms would go away if you stop taking the Propranolol. It’s worth a try to see. If it goes away, you know it is the drug. If you need a beta blocker, I’d suggest one that is way down on the ototoxicity list such as Betaxolol, Acebutolol, Nadolol or Labetalol if they’ll do the job. See what you doctor thinks.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi. I’ve been searching online for a possible relation of propranolol and tinnitus and hearing loss. I started taking Propranolol to treat my anxiety and it has been two weeks. However I am bothered because suddenly two week ago, I had a sudden ringing in my ears. I rarely had ringing in my ears. This new one is recurring several times in a day everyday. And it is louder than I am used to and sometimes I can’t sleep because of it. Yesterday, I had a audio hearing test and the result was I have a mild hearing loss. I do not know if this hearing loss is recent or it started a long time ago. All i can tell is the ringing started the same week I took my Propranolol Inderal. I want to stop it because if it is making my hearing loss worse than I do not want to risk it. The only problem is, from where I am at, we have a community quarantine and it is not easy to go out we need to secure quarantine pass from different government departments.
Hi Yana:
Propranolol can indeed cause tinnitus and hearing loss in some people. Since your tinnitus started soon after you began the Propranolol, it seems reasonable to assume that you are one of the unlucky people that got tinnitus from taking this drug.
It would probably be a good idea to get off this drug. If you can’t get to your doctor, or phone him, you might want to try tapering off this drug with your remaining pills.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi there, my daughter was just diagnosed with moderate to severe hearing loss. She is 3 mo old. She’s been on propranolol for two months due to her hemangioma. I’m waiting to speak with her ENT and hematologist about the concerns surrounding propranolol causing hearing loss. I’m hoping we are not too late in possibly reversing the hearing loss by stopping the medication. Do you think there is a high chance the meds caused her hearing loss? She has a fraternal twin who did not take propanolol, does not have a hemangioma. Thank you.
Hi Jean:
Why has her doctor on a beta-blocker if she has a hemangioma? I don’t see the connection.
Propranolol certainly does cause hearing loss in numbers of people, but not the majority of people taking it by any means. Why do you think this drug is the culprit?
One of the interesting things about Propranolol is that it can distort your perception of music so that you hear music in the wrong key.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you. They told me propranolol has been used for many years in children to treat hemangioma. I was trying to figure out what could’ve caused her hearing loss because we do not have any hx of hearing loss in the family. Preliminary genetics test came back negative of any genes that are jnown to cause hearing loss. I was googling if propranolol was in anyway the culprit and came across beta blockers research and your website. When i reached out to the hematologist And cardiologist who signed off on propranolol they advised they had not heard of causal relationship between propranolol and hearing loss. Thank you.
The hearing loss caused by the Propranolol is permanent? my wife is taking these pills for migraine
Hi David:
I don’t have any firm information on whether hearing loss caused by Propranolol is permanent or not. But I do know that distorted hearing can be temporary and goes away a few days after you stop taking this drug–at least in some people.
Cordially,
Neil
I started having tinnitus after few weeks of taking propranolol. Jesus my doctor didn’t tell me this is a side effect, it even got worst when I took sudrex. Please will this tinitus go away if I stop taking propranolol?
Am scared now
Hi Emeka:
With Propranolol you could expect your tinnitus to go away after you stop taking it. It may not work in every case, but I think there is a good chance it will go away.
Cordially,
Neil
Does the tinnitus gradually go away or abruptly go away
Mine tinnitus started when I was on the 2nd month of this drug,,, was taking 40mg daily for anxiety as prescribed
Sudden tinnitus and mild moderate hearing loss detected ( don’t know whether it was pre existing) but didn’t feel any difficulty hearing at all but tinnitus which started which was sudden
Mild hearing improvement also observed after 9 months of stopping this ddrug
Tinnitus has improved say like from 8/10 last year to 5/10 this year
Hi Clerean:
Drug induced tinnitus can go away suddenly (e.g. overnight) or it can gradually fade away. Or it may fade to a lower level and then stay at that level permanently. And it may just stay at the same high level permanently.
It looks like you fit into the third category. You can learn to habituate to your tinnitus so it no longer bothers you and may fade into the background for hours at a time so you are not even aware you have tinnitus. But it tends to flare up when you are anxious so calming down and ignoring your tinnitus by focusing on the loves of our life are important parts of tinnitus therapy.
In contrast, tinnitus more often can appear suddenly, or slowly ramp up over time the longer you are on the drug.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you
Thank you
I have already stopped taking the drug last year in April 2023 and no any drugs like these ever since
I do not take drugs now which affect hearing and tinnitus after researching on internet even though being prescribed
I can see the tinnitus going down completely to a hiss and sometimes even fading into the background ( like 2/10) and a brief silence for a few mins was observed a few days ago as well and also flared up when I had a congestion in sinus ( I suffer from Sinusitis and nose block issues and grade 3 adenoids were removed last year)
I definitely do not want it to be permanent even at a low level
I feel it Looks like it is gradually fading away, I can see the tinnitus right now at 1/10 -2/10 and observed that when I am thinking about it it is at 4-5/10 max
I’ve been going through 6 Ent specialists and they say that if its improving then definitely chance is there for going away as well
Looks like my hearing is also improving gradually and praying to God as well
what do you think?
Hi Clerean:
You can be habituating to your tinnitus and thus it is fading away. But every time you think or write or read about tinnitus, you can expect it to flare up for a few minutes. That happens to me every time. Like right now, my tinnitus is quite loud, but as soon as I turn to answering another post that is not about tinnitus, withing 5 minutes my tinnitus will disappear or I won’t be aware I have tinnitus. So you can expect the same.
I wouldn’t expect more of your hearing to come back at this late date, but your tinnitus can certainly keep fading away even now.
Cordially,
Neil
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for your valuable replies
Sometimes I think that the drug has not caused this tinnitus and sometimes I think this has caused by the drug – as I am completely confused
Also getting slight off balance feel while I walk when I look up or look sideways
Don’t know whether it is my neck or posture related issue
And also doubt ETD can be the case while on drug – the onset of the tinnitus was mostly in he period in between when I took the drug the previous night- nothing happened but it happened in the next evening suddenly
I mean to say the balance issue happens sometimes only and not everytime
Hi Clerean:
If your tinnitus is not caused by the Propranolol, what would you think it is caused by?
As I said previously, Propranolol can and does certainly cause tinnitus in some people.
Also, it causes various kinds of balance problems so feeling off-balance can be another ototoxic side effect of taking this drug. I’ve received several stories from people experiencing this from taking this drug.
Side effects don’t have to turn up right away, they can appear hours, days or weeks later.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for your replies Doc
I’ve several questions
1. When can I expect respite atleast from the tinnitus which has reduced from last year but slowly going down as days pass by?
2. As per hearing test my higher frequency hearing at 8k has recovered from 90dB to 40dB after 9 -10months of stopping the drug
Similarly the 1k frequency has recovered from 50dB to 30dB
Other frequencies have shown mild improvement
So does this mean my hearing is improving?
3.when can I see my ears completely healed from this effect and is Vitamin D deficiency to blame as well?
4. I’m mostly not listening to any white noise at night and letting my ears ring as they want
Although I get sleep after meditating for a while…
So does this mean I’m recovering from this effect?
Hi Clerean:
1. Your tinnitus is slowly fading away. There is no set time it will take because so much depends on how you view your tinnitus. If you view it as a threat to your well-being it may never go away, but if you view it as NOT a threat, but just a useless background sound that is safe to ignore, and then you ignore it, it will fade away much faster and not bother you. So forget about your tinnitus and focus instead on the loves of your life.
2. Yes your hearing has certainly improved dramatically. How much more will come back in the future is unknown. I wouldn’t expect much more to come back at this late date, but there may still be some gradual improvement.
3. I don’t know if your ear will ever return to normal. Only time will tell. As for Vitamin D, your Vitamin D3 levels should be between 60 and 80 ng/ml. If your levels are below 30 ng/ml, you are low. The only way to tell whether low Vitamin D3 is affecting your hearing is to get you D3 levels up and see what happens.
4. It probably means you are habituating to your tinnitus so it no longer bothers you as much. When you are habituated, whether you hear your tinnitus or not, it won’t bother you. That should be your aim.
For example, I’m completely habituated to my tinnitus–my ears are ringing away quite loudly at the moment because I am thinking about tinnitus as I answer your questions, but before I started I wasn’t even aware I had tinnitus, and within 5 minutes of completing this post, again I won’t be aware I have tinnitus (unless I answer another email or post on the subject. That’s how habituated I am. You are on your way to being the same.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for your valuable replies Doc
My tinnitus seems to fade away but some days it is high slightly and some days it’s low like it’s fading away,..is this common while the tinnitus is going away?
Hi Clerean:
Yes, I’d say so. You have good days and bad days intermixed. Hopefully, as time goes on, you will have more and more good days and fewer and fewer bad days. For some people their tinnitus remains more or less constant and then slowly fades away. For others like you, its good and bad days and the bad days get fewer as time goes on.
Cordially,
Neil
I started taking Propranolol at the lowest dose to treat migraines in February of 2021. I then was prescribed amitriptyline for the night time. Propranolol was increased over time to 120 extended release pills and the amitriptyline dose was doubled. My migraines did lessen but a couple months ago, ringing in left ear started. ENT said hearing loss was “borderline mild” and to monitor the tinnitus. Had multiple MRIs, MRAs, blood tests. All normal. I am 40 years old. Please tell me my tinnitus is from the meds I have been taking this past year. None of my drs (primary, neuro & ENT) have said anything about the correlation of the meds and tinnitus.
Hi Marisa:
Both Propranolol and Amitriptyline can cause tinnitus in people, but it is more considerably more likely with the Amitriptyline.
Furthermore, the higher the dose the more likely the tinnitus with Amitriptyline. You previously took a single dose of Amitriptyline and apparently you didn’t have tinnitus, then your doctor double your dose and your tinnitus started.
If you still need the Amitriptyline, there is a good chance that if you reduce the dose back down to its old level, you tinnitus may go away or be reduced. Ideally, you should get off the Amitriptyline an see what happens to your tinnitus after a month. You may find what dose your body can tolerate without causing tinnitus. See what you doctor says.
Cordially,
Neil
I took propanol 10 mg tabs before playing the organ at weddings many years ago. After a while I noted that I couldn’t hear after taking this very low dose (I am a nurse and saw many patients in the hospital on much higher doses taken regularly). I only took it rarely but the effects of were so noticeable I had no doubt as to the cause. I felt like my ears were closing and popping and couldn’t hear to play the organ. I haven’t taken my it for many years but now I have chronic tinnitus which may or may not be related to the propanol.
Two years ago, my neurologist started me on propranolol for migraines. I did not have high blood pressure. The tinnitus began within a month. I called my doctor and let her know, and stopped the propranolol. Saw an ENT who told me the tinnitus may or may not go away. Two years later, it’s still here. Louder when I’m stressed or when ambient room noise is higher. Sounds like cicadas in the summertime.
“Cicadas in the summertime” its exactly how i thought about the noise in my ears! Started propranolol in February this year (already had some tinnitus due to inflammation in my brain post covid). I feel better now but this noise is still here. Plus high pitch noise non-stop. 80 mg twice a day. Now i’m gonna think about tapering it down. Never thought it could be a beta-blocker…
After taking Propanolol for about two years for anxiety , I developed tinitus. I stopped taking it for about a year and still suffer from tinitus. I wonder if this drug results in permanent damage or if it can be reversed.
Hello, I’ve been using it for about 1.5 years ( half tablet 20 mg) and I have a constant tinnitus in my ears for ten days. Is your tinnitus gone? I hope it’s gone 🙁 I need to hear this. Sorry for my English.
Hi,
I take propanolol for my anxiety and for the first time, took 80 mg. The first couple of hours I felt dizziness and then loud tinnitis. I had to lay down and sleep it off. Its been a week and even tho 80% has gone down, i can still here 20% of it at ambient noise. it has definitely decreased my quality of life.
Its been a week now, did I permantely damaged my hearing? When is the threshold that it could be permanent, will it subside in a couple of months? Or years?
Hi Carolyn:
It’s hard to predict what will happen. The good news is that your tinnitus dropped 80% in volume after a week. The bad news is that you still have 20% volume. This sort of pattern is common with some drugs–you are left with a lower level of permanent tinnitus.
There is a chance that it will drop further in the coming weeks/months. However there is no way to predict how soon that may occur, or if it will ever occur.
The best thing to do now is to totally ignore your tinnitus and focus on the loves of your life. Treat your tinnitus as a totally unimportant, useless background sound that it is safe to ignore, then ignore it. In time if will fade into the background and hours will go by without your being aware you have tinnitus.
However, if you treat your tinnitus as a threat to your well-being and causing a decrease in the quality of your life, then you are focusing on your tinnitus and it will tend to get worse and worse. So begin now to ignore it and focus on other things.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you so much for answering back Dr Neil.
two days ago, there was the time where my ears kept popping in and out. and the tinnitus in my right ear had become completely silent. and my left ear was left with a very low intermintent pitch. (something manageable). Next day, it came right back but then i woke up at 2am with complete silence from both ears, the low humming came back in about 5 minutes.
In addition, every time I blow my nose or “scratch my ear hole”, it would disappear and my hearing would be clearer” My hearing has become muffled but when I do this the surrounding sounds come back clear.
Could there any underlying issues to may have caused me quite a respite from the humming?
I need hope that my tinnitus could recover given the circumstances.
I appreciate your feedback and will try my hardest to look at the positive side of things.
CJ
Hi Carolyn:
Probably what has happened is that your trigeminal nerve has been aggravated/hyperactivated by the Propranolol so that you now have the strange things occurring that you are experiencing–your ears popping and your tinnitus disappearing when you touch the side of your face/ear, etc.
Since your trigeminal nerve also innervates (runs) your Eustachian tubes you can get that popping or blocked feeling. When it is hyperactivated, you can experience tinnitus too (the somatosensory kind). When you touch your ear, you give your trigeminal nerve something “real” to attend to, and I think it momentarily then forgets about the tinnitus stuff to do it’s real job and your tinnitus momentarily fades away. Since your trigeminal nerve also innervates your eardrum, the same sort of thing happens–you can have the muffled hearing feeling, and your hearing clears when your trigeminal nerve is distracted by the real sensations it is supposed to look after. That’s my guess.
So the secret is to get your trigeminal nerve to calm down again and these sensations should disappear.
Your body’s main calming neurotransmitter is GABA (gamma-amino-butyric acid). If this is a continuing problem, talk to your doctor about taking GABA supplements–not drugs like Pregabalin, Gabapentin, etc. as they have their own side effects you don’t want.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello, I have been using propanolol for about 1 year and 3 months due to the tachycardia problem caused by the MVP problem in my heart. I use half a tablet every day. I have been having constant ringing in my ears, especially in the left ear, for about 10 days. Do you think this could be caused by propanolol? I had a similar situation about a year ago. However, I was perceiving the sounds differently beyond the ringing, and it passed after a few days, and it was not continuous. And a year later this ringing thing happened to me. Do you think it might have something to do with it? What should I do ? Is it possible to be permanent? Sorry for my English, I use google translate. Thank you from now.
Hi Zehra:
Numbers of people have reported getting tinnitus from taking Propranolol so it is likely that your tinnitus is also from the same cause.
I don’t have enough information on Propranolol to know whether tinnitus is likely to be permanent or temporary. Some people find their tinnitus drops way down after stopping this drug, while others find their tinnitus stays the same volume and persists for years.
Normally, I’d recommend you get off this drug, but maybe you really need it for your heart. If you need to take a beta blocker drug, I’d suggest Labetalol as being the least likely to cause tinnitus. See what your doctor thinks.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you doctor. Well, don’t you think it’s strange that this side effect appears so late? I was looking at other comments. Almost everyone talked about the side effects that occur in a short time. like 1 week. like 1 month. I have been using this drug for 1.5 years without a break.
Hi Zehra:
For some drugs, tinnitus doesn’t appear for a decade or longer. For other drugs it can show up within 7 minutes. So there is great variability.
It is true that for Propranolol, most people develop tinnitus within a month, but the odd person may not develop tinnitus for a couple of years. For example, one man reported, “I developed tinnitus after taking Propranolol for my anxiety for about two years. I stopped taking it about a year ago and I still suffer from tinnitus.”
Cordially,
Neil
With your permission, I would like to add one more thing. I made an appointment with cardiology and will discuss this with my doctor. However, there is no preparation of the active substance labetalol in pharmacies in my country. What other non-ototoxic beta-blockers or anti-arrhythmic drugs can you recommend? ‘Cause I look like I’ll use it for a lifetime.
Hi Zehra:
I don’t know of non-ototoxic BP drugs. Thus, you want to find the least ototoxic drug that will do the job you want it to do.
Other beta blockers you might try if they are available are Carvedilol or Nebivolol, or the ACE inhibitors–Lisinopril or Benazepril.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks doctor. So what is the degree of ototoxic effect of metoprolol? More than propanolol? My doctor suggested metoprolol.
Hi Zehra:
I rate Metoprolol as more ototoxic than Propranolol so if I had to take one of those two drugs, I’d choose Propranolol–all things being equal.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Bauman,
Have you seen a lot of SSHL cases? I recently woke up deaf in my right ear, with intense vertigo and pressure. I am 29 years of age and do take propanolol (about once or twice a week as needed) and hydroxyzine. I am currently trying to figure out what may have caused my episode and am also almost done with my course of prednisone. Do you have a separate page on SSHL? And have you seen any reoccurrences by any chance? The prednisone has helped so much but I am terrified it will come back. Thank you.
Hi Vivian:
Numbers of people get sudden sensorineural hearing loss each year.
When it happens suddenly overnight without any previous symptoms, and is accompanied by balance problems such as vertigo and often a feeling of fullness or pressure in your ear, to me that means you likely had a viral attack on your ears.
Did you have an active virus in your body at that time, or had a cold in the previous week or so? If so, a virus would be a likely suspect.
I’ve not heard of people having a second occurrence of sudden hearing loss like you experienced. If it does happen, it must be quite rare in my opinion. So I wouldn’t worry about that occurring. Furthermore, although both Hydroxyzine and Propranolol are both ototoxic to some degree, I doubt that they were the culprits from what you have said. I’ve never heard of anyone getting SSHL from taking either of those drugs, but they can cause hearing loss over time in some people.
How much of your hearing has come back now?
I’ve written at least 18 articles on sudden hearing loss. And for some of them there are a number of questions and comments below them with my replies. You’ll find a wealth of information there.
You can access all of these articles at https://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/topic/ear-problems/sudden-hearing-loss/
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Bauman,
Thank you for getting back to me.
What’s strange is that it really did happen out of the blue and I’ve been trying to retrace my steps to see what may have caused it. I did catch a virus, but that was back in November. Could it be possible that the virus lingered on for that long?
Can seasonal allergies trigger it as well? I do have worse allergies during the spring. But, I’ve had allergies my whole life and never had SSHL before.
I experienced SSHL on the 4th of February upon waking up. Before that, I did notice some balance issues here and there. Along with the vertigo and fullness, I also experienced a roaring/low humming tinnitus that was unlike the usual tinnitus I usually experience (the high pitched “eeeeeeeee” that comes and goes). It drove me mad! I was only able to get it to stop after being prescribed 60 mg of prednisone for 7 days, and then tapering for 7 more days. I am currently on my last day (the side effects are absolutely horrid ha).
I didn’t get my hands on the steroids until a few days after so I know for a fact that the prednisone alleviated my most severe symptoms (they were not budging before I started prednisone). Since prednisone helps with inflammation, do you think that my auditory nerve was inflamed? I am so desperate to find a possible cause because my experience has been a bit traumatizing. I didn’t realize just how much I needed my hearing for daily life so I want to do my best to educate myself and take preventative measures.
I believe a good portion of my hearing has come back; I haven’t had my follow up appointment with the audiologist yet. My hearing has been fluctuating, however. Is that normal during recovery? The fullness comes and goes as well. Also, can earbuds like the AirPods Pro cause SSHL?
And with the propanolol and hydroxyzine, if I only take them here and there, could they still cause hearing loss?
Thank you so much. I will be binge reading the articles this week.
Respectfully,
Vivian
Hi Vivian:
I doubt it was a virus from months ago. Typically it would be in the framework of one to two weeks previously.
It could also be from having shots such as the Covid jab. Did you have any vaccinations recently?
Allergies can mess up some people’s ears, but if you haven’t had problems in the past, I doubt it is causing your problems now.
Another possibility is that you are developing Meniere’s disease or one of its variations. Meniere’s has four primary symptoms–periodic attacks of vertigo, hearing loss that accompanies these attacks, then often improves between them (thus they call it fluctuating hearing loss), tinnitus that typically gets worse during the attacks and often gets somewhat better between attacks and a feeling of fullness in the affected ear.
Note that Meniere’s normally only affects one ear.
The cause of Meniere’s is the vestibulo-cochlear nerve being pinched by your top two vertebrae in your neck being out of proper alignment. Thus, it is easy to “cure” by going to an upper cervical spine chiropractor and getting precisely aligned. Conventional chiropractors don’t do this.
I doubt the drugs are affecting your hearing if you only take them now and again.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Bauman,
I actually have not had my Covid shot yet due to the fear of the side effects.
I was thinking that it could be Meniere’s… After the severe symptoms of my right ear went away, I noticed that the fullness and fluctuations began in both ears, however.
I did get an MRI lately and am waiting on the results. Could an MRI show if my C1 or C2 vertebrae is out of proper alignment?
Also, I have noticed that I am developing pain while chewing, I believe it is my TMJ that is acting up. Do you think that it is related to whatever that is going on with my nerve? I have never had pain there before. All of these symptoms are coming out of nowhere and I am truly exhausted.
Thank you so much for your input. I have already begun my search for a cervical spine chiropractor in my area.
Might I also mention that along with these pains, I am experience brain fog, fatigue, headaches, and pain in my occipital region. If you have any input on this as well, please let me know. I am not sure if it’s because I have come off of prednisone and am still suffering from the side effects or something else entirely. Thank you, again.
Respectfully,
Vivian
Hi Vivian:
I think you are wise to be cautions about taking any more shots because of their high risk of side effects.
From what you say, I still don’t think your have Meniere’s, but if you go to an upper cervical chiropractor and have them take their precision x-rays, they can tell you. I don’t know whether an MRI will show exactly what these upper cervical guys are looking for. I think most radiologists don’t see these small subluxations or don’t see them as a problem as you could only be out a small amount such as 3 degrees. That was my case, I was out 3 degrees in one direction and 3 degrees in another direction for a total of 6 degrees out, and that was enough to cause me periodic bouts of vertigo. After two treatments, combined I was out less that 1 degree–and I’ve never had another bout of vertigo in the past 6 or 7 years since then.
TMJ is indicative of things not in proper alignment both in your jaw and probably your spine also, so an upper cervical chiropractor can help in many cases.
You can find an upper cervical chiropractor by going to http://www.upcspine.com/ and clicking no the “Practitioners” tab along the top.
When you go to the upper cervical guys, be sure to tell them about all your other symptoms–headaches, brain fog, etc. because these things can be related to things not being in proper alignment and thus pinching critical nerve fibers.
Once they have got you in proper alignment and the adjustments are holding their proper positions (they tend to fall out fairly easily at the beginning so you may need several treatments until they finally hold their proper positions), then give it a few weeks for the nerves to recover and then see what problems you have remaining (hopefully few if any). If you still have problems, let me know and I’ll see what I think then that will help you.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Bauman,
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with me. Was there anything in particular that caused yours to be out of proper alignment? And could the vertebrae not being in proper alignment also cause SSHL?
I have been extremely down about all of this and have been googling like a madman to educate myself on this matter. The doctor that I saw stated that I had Sudden Hearing Loss and that was about it. I kept asking for possible underlying issues but he said that it’s called sudden hearing loss for a reason; nobody knows why it happens. I do believe him, but this whole experience with losing my hearing (along with all the other symptoms) upon waking up has been traumatizing so I want to at least do what I can to feel better. Not to mention, I am still suffering from the side effects of the Prednisone and would rather not have to take it again. He did order an MRI to rule out a possible tumor I believe, and I have been waiting on the results.
Thank you very much for providing me with that link. I was able to locate a few not too far away from me with it.
Respectfully,
Vivian
Hi Vivian:
I think it happened more than 50 years previously when I came up under an overhang rather forcefully. That could well have knocked my head off kilter. Almost knocked me out. One of the interesting things about Meniere’s and other related conditions is that the cause is an average of 25 or so years previously. Some come to light much sooner, and others take much longer like in my case. So you have to think way back to what might have caused the problem. One common cause is whiplash from a car accident years before.
Your doctor didn’t want to speculate–but there are a number of know causes of sudden hearing loss. For example, a viral attack on your ears, or a blood clot, or certain drugs.
I doubt you have any tumor–and in my experience, tumors don’t cause sudden hearing loss–the resulting hearing loss from tumors comes on more gradually over weeks or months, not overnight or within 2 or 3 days.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Bauman,
Oh my goodness. Well I am glad you have recovered from that. That is very interesting, indeed. I have not had any actual head trauma in the past. However, I do a bit of boxing here and there for fitness. I have only done VERY light sparring just for fun as I do not compete. I also haven’t actually been hit in my head though as I told my coach that I am in school and do not want any head injuries so we stuck mostly to light body sparring (I’ve only had light taps). Could even light taps to the head do damage would you say? If so, I will refrain from any type of sparring from now on.
The only other thing I can think of is I did work on the flight deck while in the military. I, thankfully, did not experience any blows to the head. However, I did work in an extremely loud environment and the work was very strenuous and my hearing was damaged from all of the noise exposure. Could that have played a role in developing issues within the inner ear?
Also, would an anti-inflammatory diet be beneficial?
Thank you very much.
Respectfully,
Vivian
Hi Vivian:
I recovered eventually, but I had a sensitive spot on the top of my head for another 20 years. But it’s all gone now.
I assume you are wearing head protection when you are sparring, right? I’d think that would be enough for lite sparring, but to be safe, just tell your sparring partner that your head is off limits.
Your military service probably wouldn’t have put your neck out–but then again, I don’t know what kind of strenuous work you had to do and what contortions you might have gotten yourself into.
However, the loud sounds on the flight deck could certainly damage your hearing, giving you both “visible” hearing loss and hidden hearing loss such as cochlear synaptopathy. This makes it hard to understand speech in noise.
An anti-inflammatory diet is beneficial to your good health and will likely benefit your ears too. So go for it. Eating lots of raw vegies is a great way to get started. I try to eat half of my food raw (and organic).
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Bauman,
I’m glad to hear that it’s all gone. That’s definitely scary!
Yes I do. I will do that then, thank you.
I just remember having to carry heavy loads for long periods (most of the times, the heavy chains were pretty close to my neck) but I cannot remember any head trauma. However, I did have a TON of tightness and pain on my traps and neck. My traps and neck are tight all the time even nowadays. Could that play a role?
That makes sense… My hearing is definitely worse after the SSHL episode that I had :(. Also, it’s been over a month since I had my encounter with SSHL and my ears are SO sensitive still. Normal sounds that used to not bother me now aggravate my ears (such as dishes lightly clanging together), have you seen that in a lot of patients that have had SSHL?
Wow that is a really good diet! I have been eating cleaner than I normally do and have quit caffeine altogether. Thank you!
Respectfully,
Vivian
Hi Vivian:
If your neck/shoulders/face muscles are tight, they can pull your vertebrae/jaw out of proper alignment and that can “pinch” certain nerves that control your ears and Eustachian tubes resulting in a feeling of fullness in your ears, pain around your ears, somatosensory tinnitus, etc. So it is a good idea to see a chiropractor and make sure all is in proper alignment.
Ear sensitivity to higher frequency sounds like cutlery and dishes is a sign you have some degree of loudness hyperacusis. It can also occur if your SSHL was caused by a virus. Over time, you can expect these sounds to normalize. I’ve heard from numbers of people with SSHL and all other kinds of hearing loss too.
I quit caffeine a long time ago–52 years ago since I had my last cup of coffee. I normally only drink water.
Hi Dr. Bauman,
That makes a lot of sense! I will be seeing the ENT for my follow up this week and I will ask if I can get a referral to chiro. If not, I’m willing to pay out of pocket so I can at least be more at ease.
I really do hope these sounds will normalize soon because it’s quite strange having hearing loss but also being extremely sensitive to regular sounds that used to not bother me.
That is amazing! I aspire to be like you. I have been going through caffeine withdrawals (I didn’t think I would have withdrawals like this since I only consumed about a cup or half an energy drink per day) but I am powering through. The diet part has been a bit difficult but I am definitely eating better than I was before.
Thank you so much for answering my questions! I haven’t been able to get many answers at the VA hospital so I truly appreciate all of your help.
Respectfully,
Vivian
Hi Vivian:
I’ve never heard of medical doctors giving referrals to chiropractors. They should, but don’t in my experience. But medicare pays for chiropractic if you go directly to them–at least for a certain number of treatments per year.
Being hypersensitive to sound or some sounds is hard for people with normal hearing to comprehend.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Bauman,
I had my appointment at ENT the other day and asked for a chiropractic referral and they told me to ask my primary care doctor so I will do that. He looked very skeptical when I mentioned my top two vertebrae possibly being misaligned haha. I am a believer that everything ties together, especially with all of the nagging injuries that I have had.
Also, I guess SSHL happens more commonly than I thought? They told me that they would see about 2 cases per month and that they have no idea what causes it.
I don’t have a clue how medicare works but I will look into that! Thank you!
I can definitely see that. I get really weird looks when I tell people a particular normal sound bothers me.
Respectfully,
Vivian
Hi Dr. I suffered from carrying tinnitus this year and it finally decreased from ringing to hissing. Today I took 5mg of propanalol for the 1st tike for a heart issue and a few hours later I hear ringing. Can it be permanent after 1 small dose? I won’t be taking this again.
Hi Uli:
It depends. For some tinnitus is temporary and for others it is permanent. Since you took such a low dose and only took it once, I’m hopeful that your increased tinnitus will drop back down to what it was before in the next couple of weeks.
Cordially,
Neil