ED drugs and tinnitus - HORRIBLE experience!

[slo town]

Originally Posted By: Nick1994
I'm 23 and have been having some tinnitus. But i'm also now taking Gabapentin for my sciatica. I asked my doctor and she said it's not a real common side effect but could cause it, she says it won't permanently cause tinnitus if it's the cause, I'm not so sure. I quit taking it for a while and it seemed to get better but I'm back on it now and I still have it.

Anyone know if Gabapentin can cause this? Thanks.


It is important to remember that some drugs only temporarily excite tinnitus, and when you stop taking them the tinnitus will fade to what it was originally. That said, I'd still be cautious.

The biggest problem is that some drugs are "ototoxic" to your auditory system. These are the dangerous ones because they cause actual damage, which you may or may not recover from.

Here is a list of drugs that may affect tinnitus. https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/ototoxic-drugs-drugs-that-cause-tinnitus.455/

Scott

 

[loneryder]

Sorry to hear of your severe problem. After reading this, my tinnitus just increased in volume.
FWIW I've seen lawyers on tv advertising "if you have lost vision or hearing and you've taken ED drugs" call us.
As for that drug list, why don't they just say Most All Drugs!
Definitely report it to the FDA and the maker of Levitra!

 

[cjcride]

Hope it heals up Slo Town.

Surprising that the medical/pharmaceutical industry does not have a solution for tinnitus.

 

[toomanycars]

Slo Town, I'm sorry for your situation! I've had mild tinnitus for 40 years and for the last 3 or 4 severe in one ear along with deafness in that ear.

Try melatonin for sleeping, it helps.

Regards, Joe

 

[wpod]

I take a calcium, zinc and magnesium pill I get at Costco before bed I take 4 they seen to help. I don't know if it is a placebo though. At almost 68 years old I wake upsurpriced I am still alive.

 

[Jetronic]

Originally Posted By: Nick1994
I'm 23 and have been having some tinnitus. But i'm also now taking Gabapentin for my sciatica. I asked my doctor and she said it's not a real common side effect but could cause it, she says it won't permanently cause tinnitus if it's the cause, I'm not so sure. I quit taking it for a while and it seemed to get better but I'm back on it now and I still have it.

Anyone know if Gabapentin can cause this? Thanks.


It is important to remember that some drugs only temporarily excite tinnitus, and when you stop taking them the tinnitus will fade to what it was originally. That said, I'd still be cautious.

The biggest problem is that some drugs are "ototoxic" to your auditory system. These are the dangerous ones because they cause actual damage, which you may or may not recover from.

Here is a list of drugs that may affect tinnitus. https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/ototoxic-drugs-drugs-that-cause-tinnitus.455/

Scott

Ibuprofen is on that list. That's the most effective over the counter pain relieve in my case. Bummer

 

[ironman_gq]

I take a calcium, zinc and magnesium pill I get at Costco before bed I take 4 they seen to help. I don't know if it is a placebo though. At almost 68 years old I wake upsurpriced I am still alive.

careful with taking too much magnesium, it can cause issues with the electrical activity in your heart.

 

[RhondaHonda]

This is a 3 year old post. I’m curious if it got better for the OP. I can only imagine how miserable that is.

 

[slo town]

This is a 3 year old post. I’m curious if it got better for the OP. I can only imagine how miserable that is.

OP here:

I still have tinnitus and at times it's so overpowering I have to take benzos. Multiple medical specialists have told me if it hasn't subsided after 3+ years, it will never will. Every single second of my life is different now. It has changed my life forever.

Scott

 

[carviewsonic]

Thank you for the warning Scott. I have tinnitus which was caused by an antibiotic I was prescribed for pneumonia 17 years ago. My ears felt like they were stuffed with cotton for months after that. The tinnitus increases in volume from mild to frustrating after I've been briefly exposed to too much noise, and it lasts at that higher level for days. I get anxious at that higher level, and worry that it won't go back down.

I'm sincerely sorry to hear that your tinnitus has been so terrible.

 

[sxg6]

I'd be curious to look into how histamine affects it. Maybe eat less foods that are high in histamine or that release histamine, maybe see if it gets better or worse with something like claritin and famitodine. Would be curious to see what happens after taking a small amount of niacin/b3, the nicotinic acid kind that causes flushing because that releases histamine. A small amount to start like 50mg, because the flushing can be scary if you're not familiar with it, get hot, turn red, take with food to prevent that from happening.

 

[RhondaHonda]

OP here:

I still have tinnitus and at times it's so overpowering I have to take benzos. Multiple medical specialists have told me if it hasn't subsided after 3+ years, it will never will. Every single second of my life is different now. It has changed my life forever.

Scott

****. Sorry that it hasn’t improved. I really hope something works for you. At least you’ve warned others here.

 

[FordMan59]

I too have tinnitus and have had for between 25-30 years. Sitting here on the computer typing this I hear the ringing in my ears or when I go to bed at night and there's no other background noise. I worked in loud environments all my life up until I became disabled from a back injury. When I got out of school I worked in a loud factory environment for the first 8 years then went to work in the construction field until 2000 when I had my accident.

My wife doesn't complain about tinnitus all the time but she has occasions where she grabs her head and can't hear anything else for the ringing in her ears. She too worked in loud environments for about 20 years. When she started having problems she went to an ear/nose/throat specialist. The specialist told her to start taking time release Niacin 500mg once a day. She's been taking it for probably well over 15 years now and only has these loud ringing episodes on rare occasions now.

I'm not suggesting you start taking Niacin without first discussing it with you Dr. or a pharmacist but, it is something that might help. Niacin is also good for keeping cholesterol in check. If you do start taking Niacin be sure to get time release. Regular dosages of Niacin that are not time release often make people itch. I tried the regular Niacin as did my mother one time and it had that effect on both of us.

After posting this I saw that this thread dates back to 2017. I hope the OP got his issues worked out but I'm leaving this information in case anyone else ever has tinnitus problems and want to talk with their Dr. about using Niacin.

 

[ka9mnx]

I listened to the You Tube video. I too have that frequency with my tinnitus but I also have about 100 other frequencies. So many that it sounds like a rushing noise. Mine is pretty severe but I've had it so long, about 40 years, that I've learned to ignore it (obviously not as bad as yours). I also have hearing loss. Been around loud noise all my life. During one visit to the VA the audiologist, about 3 years ago, recommended and prescribed hearing aids. He said it would help my hearing and "could" help with the tinnitus (which also exasperates my vertigo). He said with bringing in more background noise it might help. Well, I hear better and with more background noise it helps mask the tinnitus. Vertigo and tinnitus, now that's a party!

 

[Ws6]

I could not bring myself to tackle that wall of text, but acoustic traumas are treated with vasodilators (sometimes IV) as well as heavy steroid taper doses, so it makes sense this could be an interaction, just from reading the title.

 

[PimTac]

ED drugs carry a large list of side effects and cautions. Tinnitus is one of those effects.

Working in a hospital I heard several stories of men having heart attacks when taking them.

Hopefully the treatments will help.

 

[Ws6]

Hope it heals up Slo Town.

Surprising that the medical/pharmaceutical industry does not have a solution for tinnitus.

Tinnitus is a neurological problem secondary to physical damage. Its incredibly complex.

 

[MoneyJohn]

careful with taking too much magnesium, it can cause issues with the electrical activity in your heart.

This is incorrect information. The mode of administration is more important. If you shoot Potassium or Magnesium salts IV, yes sure. If you take it orally, then no. There are so many checks and balances once you supplement or medication anything orally. As a matter of fact, a large proportion of the population is deficient in most 'good' minerals due to our habits and habitat. Plus, mineral testing methods are controversial because minerals are used in so many different compartments of the body systems for so many functions that accurate testing for certain location is impossible. Serum minerals are considered standard but just because it's in your serum does not mean it reaches where it is supposed to work, so on so forth.


In 2007, I started with daily migraines. The severity was so bad that I could not function without a daily dose of Advil. For 6 years, I tried every medication indicated and off-label for migraine, including $120/pill triptan. They did absolutely nothing and my quality of life was worst ever. When I discussed Magnesium with my neuro, he laughed off, but I figured, if a $120 pill can't do a thing, I am not losing much by spending $20 on a Magnesium supplement. Since then I have been taking 200mg of Magnesium citrate 3X a day every day. That one thing alone made a huge difference in the ferocity of my migraine. I still get them occasionally but I can function. It took almost 3 to 6 months of religious supplementation to notice the benefit.


Our sick care system is remarkably flawed. The nutrition aspect is never taken into account while administering the treatment. To the OP, I would recommend you look into your Zinc and Copper levels. Most likely, you are Zinc deficient. If you can access a functional healthcare practitioner, I would strongly recommend you. They don't have a quick 'take this tablet and be fine' idea. They take time, run tests, and can give you some ideas to improve your quality of life. Unfortunately, they tend to be expensive, and finding the right one takes time.

 

[Lubener]

I have had tinnitus with both ears (the exact tone as the OP's youtube) for over 30 years. My actual hearing tests are above average when I last was tested by my audiologist. He tried different meds and supplements which did not help. I still take a handful of certain supplements for ovverall health but not mega-doses. What I hear is at the same volume as the tv would normally be set at. I have been fortunate enough to be able to live with this condition. At night, I have to sleep with the radio on so that I am able to sleep and not concentrate on the ringing. It has worked for me for those 30+ years. I have read that many cases of tinnitus is due to osteoporosis of the skull. I always wondered if a hearing aid which could produce the same tone, 180 degrees out of phase, if that could cancel out the tone which is always present. Just something I always wondered.

 

[andyd]

I have had tinnitus with both ears (the exact tone as the OP's youtube) for over 30 years. My actual hearing tests are above average when I last was tested by my audiologist. He tried different meds and supplements which did not help. I still take a handful of certain supplements for ovverall health but not mega-doses. What I hear is at the same volume as the tv would normally be set at. I have been fortunate enough to be able to live with this condition. At night, I have to sleep with the radio on so that I am able to sleep and not concentrate on the ringing. It has worked for me for those 30+ years. I have read that many cases of tinnitus is due to osteoporosis of the skull. I always wondered if a hearing aid which could produce the same tone, 180 degrees out of phase, if that could cancel out the tone which is always present. Just something I always wondered.

Yah, I should try a radio, I use the TV. My deafness increases, but thankfully the tinnitus hasn't. I have been holding off on hearing aids, I don't want them if they increase tinnitus.