Ototoxicity-Induced Tinnitus — The Worst Kind?

[JohnK]

I've heard stories of recovery (or at least reduced volume) from people with noise trauma, infections, stress...but I don't think I've ever heard anyone getting better from ototoxic exposure. (I mean the real deal, from antibiotics and chemo, not stuff the goes away like asprin)...

Can anyone prove me wrong? (pretty please

 

[Telis]

I think you are right, I had light tinnitus until the real deal...ciprodex ear drops combined with other drugs. Mine has just gotten worse and worse. I'm having balance issues again, pain/pressure that never ends etc. it's been two years for me now. I have been hardened to pain in a way but my symptoms keep progressing. If I had it like this to start I don't think I could have taken it for a day.

I don't know what bothers me the most out of this mess, it's not just tinnitus, I feel like I'm constantly hit with electric zaps all over the brain and in the ear, the pain is in sync with the sound, a loud zap in the ear or brain and that electric pain feeling to go along. I still have my old T beeeeeeping in the background but hardly notice anymore. At night when I wake up I can't move my eyes because the zapping gets so intense. It's not good

 

[Mike TerMaaten]

Hi JOHN.

I think you're right, is what i say too..


Tinnitus has been HUGE in my life, since april 2013.

I'm now mostly all better.

I will be thinking of both you guys.
Hope that you heal.....

 

[JohnK]

You know, I had one or two of those electric "zap" things months before my T, when my only issue was anxiety.

Perhaps anxiety is a part of your case as well, and that is easier to resolve than ototoxicity in the long run....cold comfort, I know.

 

[Telis]

You know, I had one or two of those electric "zap" things months before my T, when my only issue was anxiety.

Perhaps anxiety is a part of your case as well, and that is easier to resolve than ototoxicity in the long run....cold comfort, I know.

Thx but I'm not anxious at all, I'm very calm, It's brain damage from drugs period. Not my imagination, I lost a lot of hearing as well.

 

[glynis]

Hi @Telis,
Have you had any up to date tests with your symptoms becoming worse ?
Sometimes ear problems can take a while to diagnose like Menieres ...lots of love glynis

 

[linearb]

I think it depends on the drug... Stuff like chemo drugs are just straight up damaging. But, tinnitus often shows up during use or withdrawal from anti depressants and benzos, and often resolves in those cases. At least, I know a lot more people who have had temporary tinnitus from those drugs, than chronic t.

 

[Karen]

Has anyone else here had tinnitus occur, or increase, as a result of blood pressure drugs? I had mild tinnitus before the drug, and afterward it was severe. It's been this way for five years now, and has not gotten any worse, maybe a little less bothersome, but is still there. I had hoped that getting off the blood pressure drugs would help it return to the old level, but that hasn't happened.

I also acquired pulsatile tinnitus when I was getting off the blood pressure drug.

 

[Telis]

Hi @Telis,
Have you had any up to date tests with your symptoms becoming worse ?
Sometimes ear problems can take a while to diagnose like Menieres ...lots of love glynis

Hi I've just had hearing tests, my hearing doesn't seem to be getting worse according to them. My ears (esspecially the right) feels pressurized and painful, I'm getting more bouts of dizziness and nausea lately as well. I get a dull pain feeling with hot red ears non stop and then stabbing pains randomly but very often, I haven't been careful with my ears, I go out and there and there will be a loud noise (say a dog barks) and my ears close up, sometimes to the point that I can barely hear, and then my hearing creeps back slowly over the next few hours. I've had this probably 20 times in 2 years and it seems to be becoming more frequent in the last few months.

I don't know, I'm worn out, it's been two years and I haven't had a good day. I'm not sure how much longer I can take it, I'm loosing that fight in me.

I want to try in ear noise generators but I'm not sure these will help, I can't seem to find a sound that puts my ears/brain at ease and helps cover the tinnitus. Ive searched and mixed sounds etc im at my wits end.

Im now pretty sure that I can't move past this loud drilling in my ears because I can't get past the pain and discomfort in my ears, not to mention crippling H. I can't get my mind off my ears for 5 seconds.

 

[glynis]

Hi @Telis,
Might be worth seeing ENT to rule out Menieres.
Tinnitus on top with Hyperacusis.
Ask your doctor about Betahistyine or Proclorperazine for Dizzys and nausia to help you in the meantime....lots of love glynis

 

[Michael Leigh]

Telis. If you are sensitive to sound, hyperacusis, in-ear white noise generators might help you. I once had very severe hyperacusis and wngs cured it completely. Just a suggestion.

 

[Telis]

Hi @Telis,
Might be worth seeing ENT to rule out Menieres.
Tinnitus on top with Hyperacusis.
Ask your doctor about Betahistyine or Proclorperazine for Dizzys and nausia to help you in the meantime....lots of love glynis

I've was diagnosed with menieres by one doctor but from what I understand, it is hard to diagnose and treat? I mean is any of this stuff really treatable ? Is there really anything apart from white noise gens and some mesds for balance issues? I can treat the balance problems with sports (I think). When I'm out playing tennis or ice skating my balance issues improve a lot. I haven't been doing either as the weather is in between right now.

 

[glynis]

Hi Telis,
Menieres is a progressive Disease but their are meds to help and some medical treatment also.
Great to hear your still doing sports and enjoying life....lots of love glynis

 

[Wendy A]

Hi Telis,can i ask are you still on any meds? i have some of the same issues after stopping mirtazapine 3 months ago,brain zaps on my ears and face,electric sounds ,way worse,wish i could go back and never touch a med.

 

[Telis]

Hi Telis,can i ask are you still on any meds? i have some of the same issues after stopping mirtazapine 3 months ago,brain zaps on my ears and face,electric sounds ,way worse,wish i could go back and never touch a med.

Hi Wendy, I'm off all meds now except for a few grains of Effexor. I'm hoping time will take a away the zaps and head pain, I get them right in my eye balls(when I move them side to side). Also my vision is effected, when I scan up and down, my vision bouces. I really hope all this stuff can get a bit better over time.

Same here, wish I never touched any meds at all.

 

[Wendy A]

I went to see a neurologist and he said they should clear up after 6 months of stopping ,im half way but no difference yet,but like you they disturb me more so than my t at times ,its like being in an eletrical thunderstorm at times ,i also feel the current running by my ears ,really fast at times ,i hope things get better for us both ,all this so i could get sleep for a few weeks because of t,wish my doctor had told me to exercise

 

[ampumpkin]

My T was caused a first by anti-depressants and the increase by antibiotics.

I'm happy to say that although it was very loud at first in both cases, I have habituated 99%. It never went away but it decreased at least.

 

[JohnK]

Glad to hear it at least decreased, @ampumpkin ! Very hopeful mine does the same...eventually.

@Telis I think there is a strong anxiety/depression component to your suffering. Especially since you say your dizziness goes away once you play a sport or otherwise manage to get your mind off it. The mind is hugely powerful and the number and intensity of symptoms that it can generate are nothing short of astonishing. Take a look at some anxiety forums and it seems like the brain alone can make you feel everything just short of literally dying!

Note I am NOT saying the whole T thing is all "in your head." I have no doubt there is a very real physical component to it. But the mind can make it better. So hang in there. Try medication. Try meditation too. Try everything.

 

[Telis]

Glad to hear it at least decreased, @ampumpkin ! Very hopeful mine does the same...eventually.

@Telis I think there is a strong anxiety/depression component to your suffering. Especially since you say your dizziness goes away once you play a sport or otherwise manage to get your mind off it. The mind is hugely powerful and the number and intensity of symptoms that it can generate are nothing short of astonishing. Take a look at some anxiety forums and it seems like the brain alone can make you feel everything just short of literally dying!

Note I am NOT saying the whole T thing is all "in your head." I have no doubt there is a very real physical component to it. But the mind can make it better. So hang in there. Try medication. Try meditation too. Try everything.

Thx man but no I lost a lot of hearing, my balance is always bad but when I use my balance often (and practice activities like sports that involve my balance) it improves.

I would think that if I had anxiety I wouldn't be able to sleep so well.

I've taken meds, they did nothing for me but make my T way worse and turn me into a moron. I will never take another med in my life.

 

[JohnK]

Anxiety takes a zillion different forms. It doesn't always have to mean not sleeping well

 

[Telis]

Yeah everyone tells me I'm anxious even though I don't act like it, or feel like it. It seems to be the go to these days with all the drug company brain washing. You could break your arm and the doctor would probably tell you that you are anxious and put you on ADs and benzos.

It's going to be like the Walking Dead soon with all the zombied out people high as fuck on pharmaceuticals. It's no wonder that every generation seems to get more useless and fucked up. These drugs are now more of a problem than street drugs in a lot of places in the world, not to mention more addictive than street drugs like heroin. Have you ever sat in emergency and noticed all the junkies pacing about waiting for their fix? Fucking drug dealing white coats. It's pathetic.

If these drugs save lives and make people feel better, so does alcohol, coke, heroin and all the rest. The problem with any junkie, you have to get clean at some point.

Having T and H plus being a junky thanks to the doc, I'm going to pass this time around, been there, done that. I will stick to my daily runs (which is found to be more effective thank taking pills) thx.

Important point: I don't blame anyone for getting desperate enough to pop pills. No judgement here, all just my opinion. Just know it's difficult getting clean once you start, you think you have anxiety now, wait until you try and quit these drugs.

 

[Dan H]

I'm not sure if this was the cause of mine or not. A few weeks ago I was on intravenous clarithromycin and metronidazole for tonsillitis. However I'm not sure if I first heard the tinnitus before or after this. However, yesterday I developed a second noise which is bothering me a lot more. It is a low humming sound which only seems to be heard along with other sounds, such as the noise of the fridge and other background noises.

I'm kind of hoping this is all being caused by the tonsillitis, as I have developed it again over the last few days. I'm now on oral clarithromycin and desperately hoping this doesn't make it any worse. Does anyone here know if bad throat infections can cause tinnitus that would eventually go away?

 

[mandi]

Mike TerMaaten, how did you improve your tinnitus? A positive story would be great for all of us! Thanks.

 

[Owen]

I can't give you a "yeah, it's all better now", but my tinnitus was from prescription drugs and it has definitely become a lot quieter over time. At its worst, I could have almost considered myself as going deaf, as it was so loud and broad spectrum that people had to talk loudly in order for me to hear them over it. Thankfully it is nowhere near as loud anymore and I hope it never is again!!!

 

[cathelee]

My tinnitus started shortly after i started taking prescribed meds for muscle spasms, diazepam. I had taken it for 8 years. Slowly the tinnitus became weirder until it seemed like it was also in my brain and not just my ear. Doctors started giving me other meds for neurological issues. I could not tolerate them, and started having serious vertigo and balance issues. Then I was DX with hyperaccusis in 2013. Told to keep taking the diazepam. I stopped the diazepam a year ago, and also the antidepressants. Now i find that i have bilateral hearing loss and bilateral vestibular hypofunction, which means my vestibular organs on both sides are damaged. Benzodiazepam type drugs are ototoxic. along with many neuro drugs and antidepressants. I feel like I have been harmed by medicine and doctors.

 

[Poyraz]

My tinnitus started shortly after i started taking prescribed meds for muscle spasms, diazepam. I had taken it for 8 years. Slowly the tinnitus became weirder until it seemed like it was also in my brain and not just my ear. Doctors started giving me other meds for neurological issues. I could not tolerate them, and started having serious vertigo and balance issues. Then I was DX with hyperaccusis in 2013. Told to keep taking the diazepam. I stopped the diazepam a year ago, and also the antidepressants. Now i find that i have bilateral hearing loss and bilateral vestibular hypofunction, which means my vestibular organs on both sides are damaged. Benzodiazepam type drugs are ototoxic. along with many neuro drugs and antidepressants. I feel like I have been harmed by medicine and doctors.

Same here cathelee

I took clonazepam for 8 months and quited abruptly. Then I got tinnitus. I'm now 4 months off the drug and tinnitus just got worse. It used to be in my ear but now I can hear it in my head. I do not expect it to go away. But I wonder why it just goes away for some people. I even know a person on Benzo Buddies she got rid of her tinnitus 6 years later! Ashton and Una also claim that withdrawal can take 7 years and they say if you never had T before w/d the you are not supposed to have it after. But I doubt it because I also know a couple of peoole have it even after 10 years.

 

[cathelee]

Thanks for your response Poyraz. My tinnitis is getting better, i stopped taking acetaminophen too, and have started taking turmeric and piperine, which are anti-inflammatory herb supplements. I used to get sandy zaps in my brain, but havent had any for about two weeks. I have had alot of strange sounds over the years. LOL. Hope it stays away.
I do think the turmeric is helping.

 

[Beste]

Thanks for your response Poyraz. My tinnitis is getting better, i stopped taking acetaminophen too, and have started taking turmeric and piperine, which are anti-inflammatory herb supplements. I used to get sandy zaps in my brain, but havent had any for about two weeks. I have had alot of strange sounds over the years. LOL. Hope it stays away.
I do think the turmeric is helping.

Hey cathelee
Can I ask when did you exactly realize an improvement in your T? And can you please describe your T? I have asked may people on BB about their tinnitus but not many of them have it as I do. Mine is not tonal. It is more like hissing, sizzling, sirens, electricity.

 

[cathelee]

Thanks for your comment and question Beste. I have only realized an improvement since i stopped taking acetaminophen and tramadol. When I quit diazepam and other drugs I still had sounds in my brain. It is like someone is scraping the inside of my brain with a sandpaper fingernail on a diagonal path from top to bottom. I can feel the movement with the sound, and hear the sandy textured electrical type zaps. It has been there for about four years. I mostly had it at night. before that I mostly just felt movement in my brain but without the sound. I also have hyperaccusis. I had other tinnitis in 2008 which was popping and squealing, but that came and went and finally was replaced by the sandy zaps.

 

[cathelee]

oh, and the sandy zaps quit about 2-3 weeks ago. when i stopped acetaminophen and started taking 500 mg of turmeric and 100 mg of piperine 2 x per day with some fats (like olive or, or egg yolk or?).