Azithromycin and Tinnitus?

Was having a conversation with my uncle, who's been a pharmacist for something like 40 years, about what antibiotics could cause or worsen T. I brought up Zpack and he said he's never heard of it in the 1000s of scripts he's filled for it. What's you guys experience with this? I read Dr.Nagler from ATA say you shouldn't give a T sufferer erythromycin or azithromycin. I'm especially curious about this because I took Zpack right before my T started and probably will avoid anything but amoxicillin personally.

 

Hmm, it is on this list, but this list seems to have 'everything' (550 drugs)
http://hearinglosshelp.com/articles/pdf/TinnitusDrugList2013.pdf

 

Any antibiotic ending in -mycin is ototoxic. Hopefully, that should be standard knowledge for any doctor or pharmacist...

 

I was on azithromycin for two months. I did notice initial tinnitus but dismissed it as anxiety, it was only until I noticed hearing loss that I told my doc and stopped the med. It's been 48 hours and I'm still having mild ear pain and dizziness. I'm taking NAC, ALA, vitamin e + c as antioxidants, is there anything more I should do?

 

Hey I'm a victim of clarithromycin myself.

I tried prednisone when it was very acute (first week) it really did almost nothing for me, NAC somewhat helps to take edge off and I can't figure out if trobalt does anything for me or not as my tinnitus varies greatly through day.

How your sounds?
I honestly wish I could help you. Maybe post in HBOT thread and ask if its good idea to get this kind of treatment?

 

I haven't had my hearing tested yet, subjectively it feels like a 25% reduction. My worry is that the ear pain hasn't gone away completely.

 

I am experiencing an increase in tinnitus after 4 days (3x/d) of Neo-Poly-Dex eye drops (neomycin, dexamethasone) for chalazion. Was operating under view that eye drops do not have systemic impact and had to worry about impact on tinnitus only where AB drugs taken by oral or injection route. Seems that systemic introduction can occur through the nasolacrimal duct (tear duct) into the nasopharynx (back of nose) and thus into blood. My MD told me when putting drops in to put index finger in the corner of the eye near the nose to block off flow and keep eye closed for 2 min. Not sure I got it covering the tear duct and thus may have been leakage to system. Hoping it clears, but worried. Important when using these oto drugs to do these two things (Don't open eye and use digital occlusion of tear duct, both for 2-3 minutes). They can significantly reduce systemic absorption, but not eliminate it.

 

I was given azithromycin by my doctor, and I didnt read about it first. Now its worse, for sure. Wish I had read about it before I ate it and not now. Feel so stupid and helpless.

Is there anything I can do now to avoid my new T becoming permanent, or at least try to get it lower?

 

Try basic steam inhalation to unblock your tubes as sounds like the infection is hanging around in your system and ears.....lots of love glynis

 

@The_T has your tinnitus spike gone down from the Azithromycin? I recently had taken 6 250mg and experienced a spike that's still with me. Thanks

 

Just in regards to this book I keep seeing being referenced to just about everywhere on this site. I'm sure the author of this book is a really super nice guy, but he also has no qualifications in medicine, pharmacology or even audiology for that matter to be giving advice on pharmaceuticals. His study field was Theology, and his PHD was in Forestry - yes Forestry.

Ototoxicity means the medicine causes physical auditory damage which some drugs do (Certain Antibiotics...cin, Chemotherapy drugs etc). Many drugs like foods will only acerbate Tinnitus, but it will return to baseline after stopping the food or drugs (this is not the same as Ototoxicity).

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1574403/pdf/califmed00180-0085.pdf here is an old article in reference to some older Antibiotics to avoid which were Ototoxic not used much anymore I believe.

 

Thank you for pointing this out! This book terrified me, but then I realized many of these claims of ototoxicity are based on anecdotal stories that often overlook other conditions that likely were the contributing factor.

I prefer to check NCBI studies and resources that look at FDA reports. Sometimes we assume a drug is ototoxic, but if you look at the actual studies and reports you find that only under certain conditions such as older formulas used in the 1960s, when used in very high doses, in conjunction with the use of other drugs, or if you have certain health problems like kidney failure.

 

EXACTLY! And you know what anecdotal evidence means almost zilch - the person could have gone to a concert the day before, they could have many underlying other conditions and as we all know.. Tinnitus can just comes out of nowhere too!!

Its time we start getting our medical advice from trusted sources, well conducted clinical studies, and our medical professionals.

I don't know about you, but if I want a toilet installed I ask the person who would know - a plumber. Why do so many people not do this when it comes to something arguably more important - our health!!

 

Absolutely! I think there is value in sharing information about what works and does not work for us, but I think it's also incredibly important to look at that information from a rationale and analytical perspective versus letting anxiety guide our decisions.

I know I'm guilty of falling into anxiety based on anecdotal claims, too. Much of it goes against what ENTs, audiologists, neurologists and pharmacists have told me. It seems odd. Why do I trust an internet stranger versus a highly trained, knowledgeable and skilled medical professional?

Some of it often goes against even what I am told by people I personally know with hearing loss and tinnitus. Yet I've found that the people I know always give me advice that matches my doctors' advice.

 

Never feel guilty of this - Tinnitus at times makes us all irrational! We are scared, frightened, and want and need empathy. We are desperate and searching for answers and that silver bullet to fix all our Tinnitus problems. We want to believe we know more than the professionals

 

So true, again. Thank you for the reassuring words!