by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. ©  Oct 11, 2007; revised Jan 9, 2019   A person asked: “Is Cipro ototoxic?” Cipro is one of the brand names of the generic antibiotic Ciprofloxacin. Ciprofloxacin belongs to the Quinolone class of drugs, all of which can be quite ototoxic. Ciprofloxacin can cause severe hearing loss, loud tinnitus, […]

 by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.  A lady wrote: I took 800 mg of Ibuprofen for pain relief for dental work and found I got tinnitus after that. As soon as I stopped taking the Ibuprofen, which was almost immediately following getting the side effect, the tinnitus stopped as well. Now when I need to use Ibuprofen, […]

by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.   According to a recent article in the American Family Physician, Falls are the leading cause of injury-related visits to emergency departments in the United States, and the primary cause of accidental deaths in persons over the age of 65 years. The article continues, “More than 90% of hip fractures occur […]

by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.   I had previously written an article called “Gabapentin Does Not Work for Tinnitus“. In response to this article a lady wrote: I had to respond to the article about Gabapentin. I had to see a new doctor for my migraines. Whereas my previous one, who moved away, had been quite […]

by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.   Drugs that affect our minds such as anti-anxiety drugs, anti- depressant drugs and anti-psychotic drugs can cause a host of unwanted side effects, and build up a kind of dependence that makes it very hard to get off them without even more side effects occurring, including unrelenting tinnitus. The secret […]

by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.   A lady asked, Just curious. When the doctor prescribes prescriptions, should I ask if this is an ototoxic medication and whether there is a substitute that works just as well? I want to be more prepared in the future. It’s a great idea to be prepared beforehand. If there is […]

by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. I recently received a phone call from a man who wanted to know about the ototoxicity of Gabapentin, because his doctor had prescribed it for his tinnitus. I explained to him that researchers have now concluded that Gabapentin (Neurontin) is no more effective than a placebo for tinnitus relief (1). Why […]

by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.   Millions of Americans take nasal sprays to try to alleviate the symptoms of the common cold. Unfortunately, in so doing, they become addicted to such drugs. When they try to stop taking these drugs,, their sinuses clog up, and they have trouble breathing. Thus, they go on month after month, year […]

by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. Each year more and more people are damaging their ears from taking ototoxic drugs. Why? Simply this. People are taking more and more drugs, and the law of averages says that the more you take, the greater your chances of having adverse side effects. Dr. John Abramson of Harvard Medical School, […]

by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A lady wrote: I was prescribed Fluoxetine (Prozac) for fibromyalgia. I took it for 7 days before contacting my Rheumatologist about the tinnitus and other disturbing side- effects. He seemed surprised that this medication would cause tinnitus, but said to stop taking it. Forty-eight hours later the tinnitus stopped and I […]

by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. “If it’s to be, it’s up to me.” This was one of the slogans I heard repeatedly in one multi-level company I was once a part of. The meaning is clear. If you want something to happen, you have to make it happen yourself. Don’t expect someone else to do it. […]

by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. Some people have suggested that I keep a list of the particularly good doctors for treating various ear conditions–and a separate list for the bad ones. I like this suggestion, but I do not have the time to do this either. Furthermore, it is not my focus. Fortunately, such a service […]

by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A lady recently took me to task for my reply in my article “Gentamicin and Balance Problems” (October 22, 2006) regarding “the article about the RN who used an antibiotic in her ear which had a hole in it and was thus severely damaged.” In that article I had quoted the […]

by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. Here’s an easy way to separate the doctors who are truly trying to help you from the doctors that just run “patient mills.” It’s based on the astute observation of J. Apley who, back in 1978, wrote: Doctors who treat the symptom tend to give a prescription. Doctors who treat the […]

by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A lady asked: Have you ever heard of epidurals used during labor and delivery being ototoxic? The reason I ask is because I met a woman whose child was born deaf 6 months ago. She had received 4 different epidurals during her labor and delivery because none of them seemed to […]

by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A man asked: It seems like everyone is getting vaccinated with the Twinrix Hepatitis virus vaccine. Do you know how safe it is? Does it affect hearing? I have no information indicating Twinrix causes hearing loss. However, it can cause dizziness, vertigo, tinnitus and middle ear pain–so you might want to […]

by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A lady asked: I found on your web site a statement about Maxalt causing ataxia. Do you have any idea how long it can last? This is one of the mysteries of ototoxic drugs—just how long an side effect will last. Some side effects only appear while you are taking the […]