Tinnitus After Using Neomycin for ETD (Eustachian Tube Dysfunction)

Hi All,

Quick background - I've been hearing hissing and ringing noises in my ears since last night after using Neomycin and Polymyxin B sulfate drops in my ears. I was prescribed the drops for Eustachian Tube Dysfunction. I've had ETD for over a month and have tried almost everything (antibiotics, Prednisone, antihistamines) but I still have ETD. I have significant popping in one ear whenever I swallow and going down the elevators is quite painful. It's gotten me quite depressed and I'm not sure how to defeat this. Is this popping permanent?

To make matters worse, went to the ENT and I took the drops he prescribed. The dosage was three drops per ear for 7 days and since the 2nd dose last night I've noticed the ringing. The ringing sound is only noticeable when I put my finger close to my ear, I can feel it quite well.

I am concerned because this hissing sound has not gone away and I hope to god this isn't tinnitus caused by the medicine. Could just a few drops of this drug cause tinnitus for a long period of time, or will it go away soon? Will this end if I stop the medicine, or is this permanent? I really hope it goes away soon, as it's been about 8 hours and I'm freaking out. I don't want to have this forever just because of a doctor prescribed drug. If anyone has tips on how to overcome ETD as well please tell me. Appreciate it!

 

Go to your ENT and ask him to do a Google search on the -mycin class of antibiotics and hearing loss / tinnitus.
Or make him read the leaflet - and I quote...

Then you may do whatever best suits your character I suppose.
- Stab him in the ear with his pen
- Sue him
- Cry and ask him how can he be that stupid and ignorant
- Rape him using some sort of office appliance

Or hope that the antibiotic did not do any permanent damage and wait it out. Maybe you'll be ok in a couple of days.
They say that large doses of NAC (~1200mg) taken as early as possible could protect the cochlea.
Also intravenous cortisone as soon as possible might prevent any further damage.

I'm not saying you have permanent damage, there is no way to know that, I'm just showing you some options.

 

I got tinnitus from Neomycin. I suggest you to stop using it immediately. Neomycin ear drops are a bitch if you have undetected ear drum perforation.

 

Immediately stop the ear drops, Neomycin is notorious for being ototoxic.

I would recommend going on some form of oral corticosteroid (like Prednisone/Prednisolone) straight away to limit any damage that might have been caused by the ear drops, and as someone else has already mentioned in the thread, supplementing with NAC would also be a good idea. You could also supplement with magnesium and niacin, but the most effective measure you could take at the moment would be a corticosteroid.

Be careful exposing yourself to loud noise in the mean time.

I would consider going to a different ENT than the one who prescribed you the ear drops with Neomycin.

What were your ETD symptoms and why were you cycling through so many different drugs in a such a short period of time?

The symptoms could very well be temporary, so try to stay positive and get as much rest as possible.

 

Update - 6 months later and the ringing has not gone away. It is more pronounced in my left ear than right ear. Sometimes it oscillates from low level hiss but the ring in the left ear is high frequency and it fluctuates.

Can anything be done? I still have ETD and some TMJ problems but if this is due to the drops I am not sure what I can do at this point or whether I have to learn to live with it.

 

And this has been known for a long, long time. Your Doctor would have no excuse for not knowing this.

 

I feel for you. I have experienced the same. I was given Otomize ear spray which contains Neomycin and I got immediate tinnitus. I had no perforated ear drum.

Of course the ENT doctors say that it's not possible. They say that without a perforated eardrum the Neomycin cannot traverse the eardrum to the inner ear.

All I can say is my tinnitus was pretty much immediate on using this medication and so that is just too much of a coincidence given Neomycin is known to be ototoxic.

I've had my tinnitus for over 3 months now and like yours mine is also much stronger in the left ear.

 

Any update Craig? Did things eventually get better?