Last post Sun, Nov 18 2007 10:03 AM by InnerGlow. 7 replies.
I was wondering about people who have had experience with ototoxic drugs including antibiotics that have destroyed your hearing. Did your physician explain this possible side effect to you beforehand? Or were you too sick perhaps to have a say in the matter?
Those who already have hearing loss, has your dr given you a list of ototoxic drugs to avoid additional loss? Whenever you are prescribed a new medication, do you ask about this possibility?
Please tell me more about this. I have never ever heard of Ototoxic drugs. That is really scary!
Dr. Timothy Hain's website has a list of ototoxic drugs. I will have to look for that website for you.
An acquaintance of mine had meningitis and was treated for it with strong antibiotics. In the course of a couple of days she lost all her hearing in both ears from the meds. She recovered from the meningitis, but was now deaf. Unfortunately for her, she was a dancer and choreographer and lost her career and basically her identity with the loss of her hearing.
I'll get back with you on that website.
about 3 years ago i started having ringing in my ears with a little pounding sound like a pulse, it didn't go away so i went to an ear,nose and throat specialist. they tested me and said i had tinitis, i had never heard of it before. i did not take any medication for it but after awhile the pulse noise went away, the ringing in my ears comes and goes. i am on levequin right now and there is ringing in my ears, i had no idea this may be related to antibiotics.it doesn't hurt ,and i thought it's just something i will live with. i'de be interested on learning more about this..
Debbie, I googled levequin and it does have more than its share of negative side effects, but I didn't see tinnitus or hearing loss as one. You should ask your prescribing physician or pharmacist about this.
Tinnitus can be caused by lots of things - stress, caffeine, exposure to loud noise, aging, viral issues, TMJ (jaw pain) and hearing loss. It may be a temporary thing. Some people have found help taking Vitamin B complex/niacin, gingko biloba, wearing earplugs around loud noises, avoiding caffeine, alcohol and smoking or using masking devices (white noise machines) may help. Tinnitus Retraining Therapy may help. See an ENT if your other doctor thinks this would benefit you.
But in some cases it is just something you have to learn to live with, as annoying as it may be. I have it 24/7 and it is extremely loud! The American Tinnitus Assn. www.ata.org has great information, can send you literature, and you can subscribe to their magazine.
The ototoxic drug link is http://www.tchain.com/otoneurology/disorders/bilat/ototoxins.html by Dr. Timothy Hain.
I also have tinnitus, and have been listening to it for about twenty years. In my case, it just started without much warning. The intensity varies, and sometimes taking 250 mg of niacin in a time-release capsule can quiet it when it get really bad--that is, with loud ringing, sensations of pressure, and serious loss of hearing in the affected ear. My doctor told me the most common and available ototoxic drug: aspirin. If you take aspirin for pain or inflammation you risk tinnitus. It goes away if you stop taking aspirin. I guess from Rush Limbaugh's experience with oxycodone we need to worry about the more potent pain relievers, too.
mason and hawkeye, thanks for the great information that you gave me,i don't have the ringing 24/7,and it comes and goes.... i'm sorry it's seem like a big inconvenience in your lives.i was around loud music most of my life so maybe that's how i got it. i will check out the sites, you were a great help!
I have bouts of tinnitus from time to time with all the meds I take, especially the NSAID's, however the need outweighs the risk. When I did some research on tinnitus, one of the more successful "treatments" I discovered was a hearing aid that plays a certain frequency of sound to basically mask the sounds you are hearing. It's not a simple solution, but this condition can be devastating for some.
