Acquired Tinnitus After a Tetanus Shot

Hello everyone. I wish I could say I'm glad to be here.

A few weeks ago I received a dog bite. I headed to the ER, received some stitches, and had a tetanus shot. A couple days later I woke up with a high-pitched ringing in my head with the occasional faint click in my right ear. From poking around this site, I started taking some supplements. B12, NAC, Magnesium, Ginkgo Biloba.

The only other issue I've had with my ears is landing from a flight 2 months ago triggered a sharp pain in my right ear, followed by loudish crackling when swallowing and some fullness. It resolved itself after a couple weeks.

I've yet to see a doctor thanks to our struggling medical system here in Canada. I'm trying to stay positive.

 

Some medications, including flu vaccines and tetanus shots, have been known to cause the onset of tinnitus. If this has happened in your case, then hopefully it will be temporary. However, I think you should try and rule out one of the most common causes of tinnitus which is exposure to loud noise.

Listening to audio through headphones at too high volume can cause tinnitus. This includes earbuds, headsets, noise-cancelling and bone conduction headphones. People that use these devices are often unaware they are listing to audio at too high a volume. Frequently attending clubs and concerts where loud music is played can cause tinnitus too. If this is the case, then the tinnitus may have already been present but operating at a low-level, enabling your brain to easily ignore it. Therefore, it's possible the tetanus shot could have highlighted the tinnitus that was already there in the background.

You may also have an underlying medical problem within your auditory system that is causing the tinnitus. Tests at ENT will reveal if there is a medical condition causing the tinnitus. Please go to my started threads and read my post: New to Tinnitus, What to Do?

All the best,
Michael

 

Hi @FrankFoe!

I'm not sure which part of Canada you live in, but in Mississauga there is a Rapid Access Clinic, which you may find helpful; though an audiologist might be more helpful. I was able to get an appointment with an ENT in less than a week. There is also a tinnitus clinic (Metro Hearing and Tinnitus Clinic) nearby. I hope you find the help you need.

 

I also got tinnitus after a tetanus shot (and an antibiotic) following a dog bite. I went back to the doctor, who took me off the antibiotic, but the tinnitus remained. My guess is that I would have gotten tinnitus at some point or another but that the dog bite and the meds were the trigger that started my tinnitus.

Wishing you the best.