Ciprofloxacin 0.3% Ear Drops — Are They Safe or Ototoxic?

Hey, I've been sick for about a week and while physically I feel better my ears hurt and my tinnitus is spiking terribly

Anyway I went to my GP and she said that my ear canals are a bit red and prescribed me with Ciprofloxacin ear drops. I started taking them today but then I've read mixed information about how safe it is. Any ideas? Should I stop taking it? I don't want to make things worse...

 

The infection needs treating and will outweigh not using them.

Most drops are ok, mainly only intravenous meds are more problematic.

Just finished a course of ear drops too...

lots of love glynis

 

Thanks

 

@Nati

My advice would be to use consider something else. Chances are you will be fine but if you are one of the percentage that can have a bad reaction to a "floxie" drug the consequences of Cipro (including ear drops) can be catastrophic.

A couple months ago my ENT prescribed Ciprofloxacin drops, but I was aware of the new FDA warnings released in July 2016 about Cipro so I researched and found a different ear drop that does the same thing, called Cortisporin. My ENT was fine prescribing it instead, and I got it at the CVS drugstore.

This Facebook group is great to find out about the downsides of "floxie" drugs (including Cipro):

https://www.facebook.com/groups/floxies/

Here is the FDA warning on floxie drugs (including Cipro). It is very recent so most doctors are not aware yet:

http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm513183.htm

 

If I'm not missing anything it's only talking about pills and injections but not ear drops.

 

Yes, I think that is right. But this is all evolving - until that FDA warning this summer, it was considered fine to use Cipro pills for many conditions. So, things change.

If you google about it, you will find plenty of horror stories of people who have had problems with Cipro ear drops, especially children. It is really hard to know what to do. A friend of mine got terrible permanent ear damage from just one Cipro pill, and she even testified before the FDA about it. She warned me against all forms of Cipro, including the ear drops.

Good luck however you proceed. Odds are you will be okay with the Cipro drops if you stick with them. If you are worried about them, I would recommend joining that Facebook group and doing a search on discussions about Cipro ear drops.

 

I have this dilemma now.

I've been prescribed Ciloxan and I don't know if I should or shouldn't take it. Lots of horror stories (mostly by pill form if ciprofloxacin).

I don't know what the f*** to do!

 

Allan in Australia all fluoroquinolone antibiotics, which is what ciprofloxacin is require an Authority script, meaning the Doctor has to call the TGA and ask permission to prescribe these drugs, including why he is recommending them instead of non authority antibiotics...

That is not to say they are not beneficial for some people, but you are right lots of people have had many bad adverse effects from this class of drug mainly oral form... Ciloxan is only available by authority here also for the Treatment of chronic suppurative otitis media.

Antibiotic eardrops kill the bacteria faster and more completely than oral antibiotics. Your body may not absorb ear medicine in amounts large enough to get into your bloodstream so more medicine reaches the infection. And they are much safer than the oral version. Most horror stories are from oral form as they travel through the blood stream...

 

Long story short I've had tinnitus for seven weeks now, and only today been diagnosed with Pseudomonas infection in the ears. I've been prescribed Ciprofloxacin 0.3% drops for the ears to treat them, but aware that Ciprofloxacin is on the ototoxicity list.

Is this safe to take? Or am I at risk of permanent tinnitus from this? Does anyone know any safe alternatives?

 

Pubmed has data:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25363170
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11589975

Type "ciprofloxacin ototoxic" in the search bar and dig in.

 

Thank you @GregCA, this has given me confidence in using ciprofloxacin without worry. Do you know of any further studies?

 

I've found quite a few on pubmed. I was researching it because the doctor had prescribed Ciprodex drops for my daughter after ear tube surgery. After that surgery, your ear drum is, by design, perforated, so the drops will make it to the middle ear, and possibly the inner ear, so I looked into it on pubmed and felt better about it. She's used those drops and hasn't had any problems with them.

Cipro as a systemic treatment is different though. I've refused that 6 months ago and got an alternative instead, but that was for a totally different condition.

 

Any other experiences with these ear drops?

I got them prescribed to me as a preventive treatment after getting a bit of water in my ear which has a hole from a recent intratympanic injection. Obviously afraid of using any medication that could possibly risk worsening my tinnitus.