Can Piroxicam (an NSAID) Make Tinnitus Worse?

I finally saw the ENT yesterday. My ear drums are fine. My hearing is excellent. He does not think the antidepressants caused my tinnitus as it stopped when I quit taking it. Weeks later it started again though.

So what caused it? He thinks the biggest factor is my TMJ which also flared at the same time. Also within the month prior to onset, after strenuous exercise at Camp Gladiator, I had two ear episodes. Intense pressure that wouldn’t subside with swallowing or popping. It eventually settled both times but he said that could’ve also set this in motion. He said he has a lot of weightlifters come in with tinnitus.

He wants me to take Piroxicam for a month. He said some patients get so spasmed and it pulls on all the muscles and such. I have had a lot of muscle spasms from my shoulder up to my neck and into my ear so to speak. Some patients can’t get it calmed down and relaxed without pharmaceutical per doc. He did say this does help some of his patients, maybe 50/50. I said I was worried about it making it worse. He looked it up and did not see tinnitus listed as a side effect. However it is an NSAID.

Any thoughts?

 

https://nvrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Drugs-that-Cause-HL.pdf

It is ototoxic.

No experience with that specific NSAID, but I’ve taken a single pill of Diclofenac and it spiked my tinnitus considerably for a couple days. Also made my TTTS worse. @Flyingsheep had a similar experience.

 

Did the spike from Diclofenac resolve?

 

Yeah, for me it was just a couple of days as far as the spike in volume. I can’t give an exact time frame for the worsened TTTS symptoms. It was longer than a few days though. I took a single 75 mg pill. This happened over a year ago in my case.

@Flyingsheep seems to have had a worse reaction. Here is the thread they made about their experience:

Diclofenac Is the Devil: DO NOT Take It If You Have Tinnitus or Hyperacusis