Prednisone Made My Tinnitus Worse :(

Hi everyone,

I'd like to introduce myself and my story so far, in the hope that someone may reassure me that what I am experiencing is just a spike and not an increase in my tinnitus.

I was prescribed Wellbutrin in November of 2015 for depression. After 10 days of horrible side effects and experiencing anxiety attacks and itching I decided to stop the medication. 4 days later, I woke up with a horrible ring in my left ear. It subsided a bit after a few minutes but didn't go away. I immediately saw an ENT doctor that same day and he said I had a bit of hearing loss in my ear. very minor and that the ringing will subside over time. I felt horrible and became even more depressed but I had my sister help me go through it as she had developed tinnitus 3 years ago and knew what I was going through.

With time I started to habituate, I would get spikes but they would go back down within a day or two. Until 2 weeks ago when I went to a pub and the music suddenly got really loud. I put in my earplugs and left within 10 minutes but the damage was already done. The tinnitus was louder than it had ever been. I came on here and read that prednisone could help at the onset and I decided to take it. 3 days later I felt the tinnitus was spreading into my head and my right ear. i woke up that night with rapid heartbeats and anxiety and decided to take a smaller dose the next day so as to taper down and then stop. A day later the tinnitus got really bad and it has been 4 days and no sign of it reducing. My ears are sensitive and loud noise aggravates them. Nothing masks the tinnitus anymore and I can hear it while conversing, while driving, in loud places even. I'm even more depressed and feel so disappointed in myself for taking Prednisone. I take xanax to sleep and even then wake up with anxiety at night.

Has anyone experienced this with Prednisone or any other steroids and had the tinnitus go back down?

Really appreciate your feedback here as I am feeling so hopeless and depressed and don't know what to do.

 

In case it helps... I had a big increase in 2013 and that happened over a few days. The evening of the noise exposure I noticed that my tinnitus was louder, but it then seemed to increase further over the next few days. This was possibly anxiety related in me, but I think sometimes the effects of the noise exposure are not instant. So I think it is quite possible (indeed probable) that you did not harm yourself at all by taking Prednisone, even though it may seem that way. Anyway, it was a completely appropriate thing to do and has helped many so please, please do not beat yourself up about that - it would do no good at all and you really need to keep your feelings as positive as you can at the moment to support your body with healing.

Regarding your question about it going back down, I think mine did go down a little bit after the first few weeks. It certainly took on a less shrill and disturbing character once I was able to sleep for more than half an hour at a time.

Anyway, I really want to wish you well with this. I think we all here know something of how terrible you feel at the moment, but that does improve. You could try looking at the success stories to help with anxiety, or maybe look at options such as the AM101 clinical trial. The main thing is probably to look after yourself physically and emotionally as well as you can and to try your best to avoid patterns of negative thinking.

 

Hi dboy, thank you for your kind words and support. I have been scouting the Internet for answers and I came across a medical site that states the following: Glucocorticosteroids can cause tinnitus. Among them are prednisolone (Prednisone) and adrenocorticotrophic hormone or ACTH. - See more at: http://www.fortmyersbeachtalk.com/p...gs-can-cause-hearing-loss.html?nav=5048#.dpuf

If only I had done my research properly before. I wouldn't' have damaged my ears further. I am hoping and praying that the effects lessen in the next few days. I'm not saying don't take prednisone, just be cautious if you've already passed the period of opportunity. I know it has helped many who have taken it in the onset of hearing loss and tinnitus.

Also Just came back from an ENT and he said prednisone doesn't cause tinnitus. It's so confusing. He prescribed me a diuretic for a week and Gingko max pills for a month.. He said that it should remove any excess fluid in my ears and help my ear cells to heal as they are still within the window of opportunity. Of course I checked the symptoms of the diuretic(esidrex) and tinnitus is one of them. I'm terrified to take it. Think I will just wait this out and pray that it goes back to what it was before the prednisone. Has anyone else been prescribed a form of diuretic for their ears?

I can live with the ringing in my ear instead of the head. In the meantime I will try to stay positive. Many of your success stories have helped me keep a bit of my sanity intact. Thank you for sharing. I will let you know if the ringing subsides somewhat.

 

Whatever you do, inform the doctor who prescribed you the Wellbutrin of its side effects.
This drug is given out like candy, yet it appears that it might be the most dangerous "antidepressant" ever sold.
When a doctor advised me to take it, told him that he should look up its side effects, since I was aware of its ototoxic potential.
His response was like "Why, its metabolized in the liver, why would it hurt your ears?". Yeah, that was the response of an actual certified neurologist, university professor no less.

Concerning your current situation, I'd agree with @dboy. The prednisone is unlikely to have caused any damage.

 

Hi Abby, while it might be possible that the prednisone had some ototoxic effect, on the balance of what I've read on the topic it seems as though taking it was a chance worth taking - so please try not to go down the path of guilt/regret. In your position I would certainly have no hesitation asking my doctor for it and I am usually very wary of any medications. From what you've said, so many things are happening in your body and mind at the moment that direct cause and effect is going to be hard to pin down with certainty. I'd guess it is at least possible that anxiety and sleeping problems are intensifying the tinnitus in the same way they always do for me when I experience them. Not that I'm trying to contradict you, I just want you to be kind to yourself in how you think about this.

Regarding the diuretic, I don't know anything about that drug but I do know that if you are terrified to take it then that in itself is a big factor in its advisability. I think you are wise to do your own research and make your own decisions.

Best wishes and do let us know how it goes.

 

I have taken Wellbutrin once in 2007 for a week. That drug made me stay up 3 days, straight and I lost 7 lbs on it, it's like speed. I already had tinnitus, and when i took it, it made it much louder. After I stopped taking it do go back to its normal level. Everyone is different, but yours might decrease as well.

 

Hi @michaelbio,

Thanks for replying. Do you remember how long it took for the ringing to go back to what it was before Wellbutrin?. It's horrible that doctors refuse to believe that it causes tinnitus.

Glad to hear yours went down.

 

Tried to sleep without Xanax last night. 2 hours in and I was going to tear my head off. Even the rain and thunder outside couldn't mask the horrible whistling in my head. Masking doesn't help either. My tinnitus conpetes with the masking noises. When will it get better?

 

Hi Abby, how are you today?

 

Hi Gosia,

I'm much better now. The whistling is still there but I've gotten used to it and try not to focus on it. I don't hear it anymore when I'm distracted and busy doing things. It's there when I go to bed and when I wake up. But it doesn't affect me like it used to thankfully. There are still days where I wish I didn't have it as I can't go to concerts or parties anymore but the annoyance doesn't last too long. I take my ear plugs with me everywhere I go just in case. It is there as I am typing now but its not so bad. The AC noise helps. All in all I'm doing much better, thanks for asking. How are you doing?

 

I'd also like to add, I don't use anything for my tinnitus anymore. I.e. No more background noises. I'm living my life exactly the same before I had it except I don't subject myself to extremely loud noises anymore.

 

I had a viral infection in my ears, and that's when the Tinnitus started. After antibiotics, from my GP, I went to an ENT and he gave me prednisone and an anti-viral. Not only did my Tinnitus go to 10/10, but I had a horrible reaction to the high doses of prednisone. I've taken much lower doses, with no big problem, except maybe being "jiggerty". He started me at 60 mg, and tapered off. My ears opened up immediately, but I also got severely depressed, anxiety, tight chest, muscle twitches, etc. I'd had the Tinnitus for a month already, so it wasn't my reaction to that ... it was the prednisone. I ended up in the emergency room on the 5th day, and they said everything looked ok ... electrolytes, heart, etc. and recommended I tapper off the prednisone a little faster. Anyway, to make a long story short, after getting off the prednisone, things started getting back to normal ... but according to an article in "Mental Health Daily" .... "The time it takes you to fully withdraw from Prednisone will depend on individual circumstances. In most cases, the withdrawal symptoms should clear up within 3 to 4 weeks after your last dose. The half life of Prednisone is only 1 hour, but most people report post-acute withdrawal symptoms lasting well after the drug is cleared from the body. A full recovery can take anywhere from a week or two (lower doses) to several months."

http://mentalhealthdaily.com/2014/06/10/prednisone-withdrawal-symptoms-how-long-do-they-last/

By the way, I've never suffered from heart issues, anxiety, depression, etc. This is one powerful drug in high doses and can really mess you up.

Also, just a side note, my Tinnitus did go down as I got off the prednisone, and time elapsed, but I'm also testing out the hypothesis that my Tinnitus might have a somatosensory component. I figured it was a long shot, but I do have problems with my neck, and had really tight muscles in my neck/shoulders. I went and got a massage, and the girl also did the following:

Home Trigger Point Therapy for Tinnitus,...

It seems to have improved my Tinnitus a lot! I can't be sure because my Tinnitus bounces from ear to ear, goes up and down, and gets worse if there is a lot of noise around. I went places that normally set my ears off, and the Tinnitus was much lower afterwards than I was use to. Anyway, I've had mine for less than 2 months, so I'm still experimenting ... but my first ENT told me it wouldn't get better, and I just needed to learn to live with it. Well, it actually has gotten better, but it still annoys me.

I'm glad to hear that you're doing well and have adjusted!!! Good luck!

 

Thanks Mikie_Mike. I'm glad to hear yours is getting better. I finally got off lamictal after a 6 month really slow taper as I was on it for 3 years. At first the tinnitus spiked and then it went back down. I'm not sure if it's better than when I was on lamictal but it seems to be less noticeable, even at night and in the mornings. I'm hoping it improves over time. In the meantime I try my best not to let it get to me. Thank you for posting the video. All the best to you

 

Hey abby how are you feeling now ?

 

Hello, my name is Michelle and I am 14 years old. I've had tinnitus for a month now from a very loud concert. I also took diamox for a year two years ago which is ototoxic. Although, I did not develop tinnitus until the concert. I also developed ETD after the concert as I had a cold. I have recovered from the cold but my ears are still blocked. My hearing is very good and my tympanogram came out normal. My ent checked for sinus, tmj, etc. He said that my Eustachian tubes aren't working as well as they should but that I should be fine on a 24 hour flight. What should I do on a flight this long or do I have to cancel? I was prescribed with a small dose of prednisone for a week. Should I take it or will it make my tinnitus worse. Thank you!

 

You have to protect yourself from further loud noises. Buy earplugs and take them with you all the time in case you run into sudden loud noises. And for a flight that long you should really consider earmuffs because of all the noise.

And because your tubes aren't working propperly can also have effect on your ear pressure. Maybe someone else can elaborate on that since I'm not an expert on this.

 

Oh you have to take at least two weeks and while you do it the Tinnitus may go up to insane levels .. but it will go down after ..I took 250mg for three days then 150mg for another three and down to 5mg on the 19th day ... no other side effects .. just my experience .. mine got lowered a bit by the treatment with Prednisolone but not much .. but I had horrible days like four days where the sound was all I could hear ...

 

ENT gave me Prednisone for my tinnitus. The side effects of it makes you feel like your tinnitus is louder.
I think it's because my mind is focusing on the ringing when i am on the drug. after the drug wears off, the ringing becomes very quiet. i didn't feel like the drug works at all. all i get is the side effects without the benefit.

 

After 3 days on wellbutrin I got tinnitus

 

It was Wellbutrin that set off your progressive tinnitus? Was there something else that made it worse (noise exposure, other drugs, etc.)?

 

In clinical trials of the sustained-release Wellbutrin, tinnitus occurred at least twice as often as placebo (5%.) This equates to 1 in 40 people developing tinnitus *directly* from the Wellbutrin.

-
Clinical Trials Experience

Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in clinical practice.

Commonly Observed Adverse Reactions in Controlled Clinical Trials of Sustained-Release
Bupropion Hydrochloride

Adverse reactions that occurred in at least 5% of patients treated with bupropion HCl sustained-
release (300 mg and 400 mg per day) and at a rate at least twice the placebo rate are listed below.

300 mg/day of bupropion HCl sustained-release (equivalent to APLENZIN 348 mg/day):
anorexia, dry mouth, rash, sweating, tinnitus, and tremor.

400 mg/day of bupropion HCl sustained-release (equivalent to APLENZIN 464 mg/day):
abdominal pain, agitation, anxiety, dizziness, dry mouth, insomnia, myalgia, nausea, palpitation,
pharyngitis, sweating, tinnitus, and urinary frequency.

APLENZIN is bioequivalent to bupropion HCl extended-release, which has been demonstrated
to have similar bioavailability both to the immediate-release formulation of bupropion and to the
sustained-release formulation of bupropion. The information included under this subsection and
under the subsections 6.2 and 6.3 is based primarily on data from controlled clinical trials with
the sustained-release and extended-release formulations of bupropion hydrochloride.
-

 

I have had Methylprednisolone infusions. After that i had 10 days withdrawal period. It did make my T quieter. Bu it also changed it to a lot more disturbing sound and also it added one more sound(also terrible). So my experience with this drug is ... not so good i think.

 

oki so what you wanna say?

I know day after taking Voxra (Wellbutrin) I got small tinnitus but I continued and 3rd day it was raging

 

well we all get when we bite hard that out T goes up, and when release it goes down

 

I'm sorry to hear that, Christian. Does it flucuate in loudness?

 

I use trobalt to calm it and clonazepam, but trobalt kills it in morning so I don't take anything for after, just clonazepam sometimes...

It fluctuates based on stress and how tired I am or if i did not sleep long enough.

and progressively getting worse cos my brain they say is 147 IQ and i think too much and then brain is like under "constant stress" i don't know but it gets worse and worse

 

That's pretty awesome that Trobalt is working for you. How much does it reduce the T? Do have it stockpiled?

How long has it been getting worse? You think it's just stress and not related to any sound exposure, as well?

 

I have quite a lot stockpiled, and I've been using it 2,5 years. When my t was lower reduction was 95%, 35 times it increased cos of hearing loss and mostly stress (kidney stone pains too) and some medication

 

I've been away from this post but will update if anyone would like to know. A year after Wellbutrin and prednisone, my tinnitus got very low that it didn't bother me anymore at all. I could even go clubbing with earplugs and I was ok. I got sick in December and had to take a very strong antibiotic and it's been downhill from there. Even the mall aggravates my tinnitus and I just now started going to the movies again but with earplugs. It's been 7 months and I'm still recovering. So just be very careful with the meds you take because once you have tinnitus, it can get worse. I wasn't very careful the second time around as I thought it wouldn't get worse but noise makes it much worse for me now. And a lot of meds too unfortunately

 

Sorry to hear about what you are going through Christian78 ...hope your doing better now