Can Methylprednisolone Make Tinnitus Worse?

I've had tinnitus for five months. It's sound reactive tinnitus so it's been loud and low all these months.

I already took prednisone 11 days after I came down with tninitus. It did not change anything.

A couple weeks ago I went to the doctor and he gave me methylprednisolone to try. He felt that if there was a little inflammation it might help my tinnitus.

So I took it, and about the third day after starting it, my tinnitus volume and tone changed and is now louder than it's ever been. It's a constant awful sound and hasn't gotten lower at all. It's been about a week now.

Could this be a permanent effect from taking methylprednisolone?

 

I take prednisolone as a glucocorticoid when i'm exposed to sudden loud noise ( it's rare tought), but all anti inflammatory like cortisone, prednisone, prednisolone har a tendency to stimulate, excitate our brain and increase tinnitus temporarly.

Do you have fluid in your ears?

 

Quentino, thanks for responding. I don't have fluids in my ears. I'm hoping this noise goes back down, but it's just that it is so different from spikes I've previously had. It's like I have three different sounds all at once...a hiss, screech and loud whistle. It's making me worried that my t has worsened. I have a doctor appt next week and if it does go down by then, I am considering asking for some kind of medicine for the anxiety it is causing. I haven't taken anything for my T other than the prednisone and methylprednisolone, but I'm getting a bit desperate now.

 

I have taken Prazepam for anxiety last year. Just a little when I had difficulties to sleep. Works well.

My tinnitus is louder now, for one week (don't know why, thought I have some clues but not sure) but I'm still cool. So I'm sure you will get better soon.

But if you have no fluid, why did your doctor gave you this? No sign of inflammation = anti-inflammatory is useless, or maybe it's something I don't know.

 

The doctor said sometimes there is a little inflammation you can't see, so he said I could try it. I didn't think it could make tinnitus worse since I read people take when they first come down with tinnitus. I'm sorry I took it but not much I can do about it now. I just hope this isn't permanent. It's really so loud.

 

Isn't prednisolone supposed to help with tinnitus?

I took it a little while back and it seemed to help me.

 

Karl, that's what I thought. But mine totally changed tone and volume. It's been six days since I took the last pill and tinnitus is still loud.

 

I think any med could make your tinnitus worse but it depends on the person because everyone is different and reacts to different things. Don't worry, it probably isn't permanent.

 

Barbara, did your tinnitus ever return to normal (previous level or better) after increasing on methylprednisolone? I began a course of this steroid yesterday and I'm now having a similar experience to what you described. Please tell me this was not permanent for you. I'm very anxious... which could also be causing the spike.

 

These drugs have very potent and very disruptive effects to the endocrine system / HP axis.

The reason they're supposed to help is that they shut the immune system down, so if you have tinnitus from some kind of ongoing inflammation, it will dull it.

On the other hand, if it increases your tinnitus... well, these drugs don't do anything toxic to the ears, as far as I know, so that might imply that some kind of hormonal regulation problem is connected to your tinnitus.

It can take a while for your body to return to normal baseline after taking steroids; I would try not to stress about it. It seems very unlikely that you've done any permanent damage.

 

Probably the most common ototoxic drugs are anti-biotics, chemotherapy drugs and diuretics, but I have seen glucocorticosteroids listed in some places. The most common reactions occur with long term use though.

Hormonal changes are definitely associated with changes in hearing. If you look on any forum for people with endocrine issues, you'll find lots of people that develop tinnitus as a symptom.

 

I am on a medrol pack for an upper respitory infection and joint pain. Is this safe for us tinnitus sufferers?

 

It should be, as its usually given to patients with hearing loss and tinnitus. So maybe your tinnitus could even improve.

 

@Barbara777, did your tinnitus ever go back to how it use to be as far as loudness after taking methylprednisolone?

My tinnitus has gotten louder since I started taking the Medrol pack on Tuesday. I hope it goes back to baseline when I am done.

 

Since then, did your tinnitus go back to normal level or not?

 

It did go back to normal, but I think I may now have made it worse with Omeprazole...

 

How many days did it take for your tinnitus to go back to normal?

I took Prednisolone for 4 days, one pill per day because my tinnitus went worse because of a brutal sound. Now I feel very bad because I hear my tinnitus louder than ever on this ear. I'm really feeling bad.

 

It will take a couple of weeks to go back to baseline, no worries, just ride it out.

 

Did your tinnitus go back to baseline after the prednisolone?

 

Can this make my tinnitus worse? The ENT prescribed this for my fullness. My fullness has been getting better. But he still wants me to take it. Should I? I'm scared to make my tinnitus worse.

 

Personally, when I take prednisolone, my tinnitus improves dramatically. Usually for weeks afterwards as well.