Pain Medications

Anyone have any tinnitus issues with pain meds like OxyContin?
I have a chronic condition that I try and deal with and not use the meds.
When I do take them my T which gets extreme, becomes tolerable.
It's a low dose, 10mg and I avoid everyday use but it's becoming harder.
It's supposed to be only a potential issue at much larger doses.
Am I nuts?

How do you know when it's ototoxic to you....that day, weeks later, years?
I've taken them on and off for over a year before I got tinnitus without incident, but I suppose they could contribute to worsening?

 

Interesting...when I take percs my T and H become intolerable. I have heard that pain meds and even Tylenol has helped lower others T.

No clue about permanent worsening, sorry :/

 

Hi Larry, I would avoid it as much as you can. Although I don't know how bad your pain is. Have you tried smoking mj? It is proven as great pain reliever and is a safer natural alternative.

 

I can't do Aspirin, Tylenol, Advil, Flexaril, Codeine, Imitrex, Fiorinal, Firoecet, Vicodin or the last culprit, Toridol. All these make the T shift ear to ear and double in volume and come in irritating waves. Heck maybe pills are the cause, not music. I was always taking something til I was 38 (I'm 56) when my migraines finally went away.

 

Everyone is different, some guys are able to tolerate most medicines fine while others find that even the smallest doses of anything will spike their tinnitus.

You could do some research into the long term effects of opioid use and hearing disorders. I haven't read many complaints in regards to Oxycontin (Oxycodone) and hearing loss/disorders; however, one opioid notorious for causing problems with hearing is hydrocodone (aka Vicodin, I think?) - I've definitely seen this one mentioned many times.

There was a point in time where I refused to take anything that I thought would damage my hearing, even something as simple as paracetamol (acetaminophen). However, I've been in few situations now where I've had to take some pain killers and I've found they've had no effect on me. I've taken paracetamol many times, also with codeine (and sometimes doxylamine succinate), and there was a week where I needed Oxycontin - none of these have had any effect on my tinnitus.

Having a chronic condition definitely complicates things a bit, try to stay on the lowest dose possible and try to space them out as best you can. If you're really concerned, maybe you can look into supplements that protect the auditory system just in case, a couple that come to mind and have been clinically tested are NAC and magnesium.

Also +1 for looking into cannabis. If you live somewhere where it is available legally, and of medical grade, it can very effective depending on what sort of chronic condition you might be experiencing. Just mind the temporary spikes in tinnitus from cannabis use, this is something that scares many users off if they don't expect it.

 

If a take the smallest dose I get some relief but T will surge back after a few hours.
If I take normal dose T won't do that.
It seems I'm always stuck with these kind of confusions.
I'm hoping I make it through today. Yesterday was hell. I resisted pain meds.

 

You mean you get relief from your T when you take pain meds?

 

@Telis
What I get is not a reduction of the sound of T. I get a calming of nerves and a tolerance to the noise. I can sit there with it blaring and feel largely unaffected.
That's an opiate for ya.
The problem is that after the drug wears off the tolerance to the noise is gone, but for me if my cycle of tinnitus is headed toward a quiet day it doesn't matter.
My quiet days are always followed by a hellish day.
My body and mind has a difficult time with this up and down ride. It's so extreme.

 

@Street Spirit
I never know what's making it worse because my cycle of T goes from completely gone to the next day which starts low and escalates to incredibly loud by afternoon and kills me till I sleep.
I am thankful for quiet days but the constant up and down is overwhelming.
What do you take for pain management?
I also take gabapentin for pain and anxiety.

 

Honestly, I drink a lot. Sounds bad but I do what it takes to get by. I am never hammered out of my mind but I keep a buzz going most the time. I don't drink anything too heavy, just beer and wine. I am getting body pain these days, never really had a lot of physical pain in my life unless I was injured or really sore from the gym but these things always healed and passed. With T, my body does seem to be in a different state. My neck gets so cramped (movement is pretty limited) and I just generally feel like a bag of shit. Alcohol helps combat the reaction I have to my T and also helps my body to physically relax. Aditionally I smoke a bit of weed for T related depression, this can however be a double edged sword. If you are not careful you can compound anxiety when it comes to your T, it does definately appear to be louder when I smoke at times, although I think this is just my perception. If I can keep my head about, I do quite well on it. I get my interest back in watching sports or whatever it is I like to do to pass time and relax, it just seems to generally help with my depression.

Oops, just realized that question was not directed at me. Oh well, there you go anyway Larry. Haha

 

Its Friday after reading your post I've decided to go out today hook up with some friends and have few cold beers I'll bring my ear plugs and get a buzz on....peace

 

That ok
Whatever gets you through the day.
Don't be hard on people who take meds to get through day.

 

I see Larry. .well I have T and H and whenever I take a perc within an hour it increases to crazy levels. I have had same experience in hospital on morphine drip.

I am managing pain ok atm. Just advil and clonazepam. Though a painkiller option be nice on many days but for me it's not worth the awful, awful spike...Last time I used it was when I was in so much stomach pain I couldn't drink water. .so it has to be pretty bad for me not care..and to be honest if the spike didnt include a significant worsening of my H, I WOULD take opiates. It's the H that is unbearable. .the T i can mask.

Anyways I have a cupboard full of meds to try and I am too scared. It's a problem. Gaba being one of them.

 

I'm not hard on people that take meds, I never have been. I'm hard on doctors that prescribe them when they are not needed and with little investigation into what is happening with their patient. If you need them take them.

I was just giving my opinion and trying to help, not tying to be hard on anyone here.

 

@Telis
No worries. I understand and agree with you. I remember quiet a few people's hard stance against taking meds to get by and lumped you in based on some previous statements that I didn't recall properly.
Sorry.
I think doctors often over prescribe as well, but mostly don't know how to prescribe when it comes to tinnitus. They also don't discuss the possible side effects or the long term consequences. It should be their responsibility to inform, especially with serious drugs.

 

I have no problems at all taking opiates prescribed to me. Addiction, I couldn't case less, when/if my pain is gone and I no longer need them, I will check myself in into a rehab center.