Share Your Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccine Experience: Any Impact on Your Tinnitus or Hyperacusis?

I had my first shot of Moderna in May 2021. After a few days I started getting pulsatile tinnitus. I found out the Eustachian tube had swollen shut and caused the fluid inside to build up.

After a month of steadily increasing hearing loss in that ear I looked up a way to 'uncork' the tube. I did so and noticed a major difference in the hearing. But the severe pulsatile tinnitus and hyperacusis didn't go away.

After several more months I found an article on Tinnitus Talk about taking Ibuprofen for inflammation. After a month of 3 pills a day during meals, my pulsatile tinnitus finally subsided. Hyperacusis is still bad but tolerable. It took nearly 6 months of bad pulsatile tinnitus and hypereacusis from the shot before I could get things under control and feel like things are normal again.

I do not plan on taking any more COVID-19 shots.

 

I had my third dose (Pfizer) almost 4 weeks ago.

The first two days after the vaccine I was ok. I remember the second day being a really good one.

On the third day, though, I had a massive spike that lasted for 3-4 days.
I don't know if the vaccine was the only one to blame, because that day I had a long walk in the city, for about 2 hours (the traffic was very loud), after that a looong day at work and a big fight with a good friend of mine.

I didn't hear any new sounds, but the old ones got very loud. I had to take Clonazepam in order to get some sleep (because for the first time, I heard that loud "eeeeee" non-stop for 3 days in a row. Before that, it used to come and go.)

I'm not gonna lie, it was bad.

But after 3-4 days I started to feel better (not as good as I was feeling before the vaccine, but still, it was better).

This lasted for 2-3 weeks and things got better and better to the point that, 5 days ago, I was feeling better than ever. Maybe the best moments in the last year.

That didn't last long because, after 4 hours of driving I had another spike that I'm dealing with now.

So a 3 day horror spike and a sore arm. That was my experience with the third dose.

 

So after much trepidation, and for those of you who have seen my other posts, you know what great trepidation I had going into this vaccine, I had my first dose of Pfizer Monday afternoon. This is something I have to do to keep my job and shut my husband up.

Other than a sore arm the first day and most of the second, it was completely uneventful.

I’ve been working with a therapist to try to get myself through this. I’ve been doing a lot of cognitive restructuring and telling myself that it doesn’t necessarily mean that I’m going to have a bad experience. So, I was relieved that I actually got the first shot over with.

However, last night I woke up around 1 o’clock in the morning and my right ear was screeching. I had the injection in my right arm. But my right ear is the worst of the two in terms of my tinnitus. It is always the one that will be the loudest of the two. My left ear seems largely unaffected from baseline - baseline being that I have fluctuating tinnitus that has been aggravated lately, so I’m not sure what my baseline is anymore.

Anyway, I ended up having to take two Clonazepam to try to sleep and even then I barely slept on and off. And I have the worst day possible at work today.
After a couple of hours my right ear went back to baseline. I know there’s a lot of debate on this website about whether or not Clonazepam lowers tinnitus. I know for many, it does but it has not really historically worked that way for me. It does help me manage my anxiety better though. Also, it did nothing for my left ear. I would think that if it was a benzo reaction both ears would very quiet.

I managed to get some Prednisone to keep on hand, as from everything I’ve read, it looks like the problem with tinnitus post inoculation seems to be related to inflammation. I realize that taking prednisone might be counterproductive to the vaccine, but I am primarily taking the vaccine to keep my job.

I should also note that I have had at least a few prior experiences where my right ear has gone completely crazy in the middle of the night. So I cannot say that this is truly related to the vaccine. It could be I guess 1 million other things as well.

My next jab is due on November 29. I will follow up if anything changes between now and then as well as document my experience post jab number two.

 

First Pfizer flared my tinnitus slightly but I didn’t think it was that. 2nd vaccine sent it soaring and gave me severe hyperacusis. It has not resolved since February.

 

Unfortunately, my tinnitus worsened after first AstraZeneca nearly 4 weeks ago. Trying to get an exemption from second dose, even if only temporary, hoping this reaction will settle down.

 

I took J&J vaccine 6 months ago. It hasn’t changed my tinnitus.

 

1st BioNTech vaccine 10/06/2021 - no impact on tinnitus.

2nd BioNTech vaccine 19/07/2021 - felt pretty rough and a few days of "slightly" increased tinnitus, but back to decreasing baseline in a week or so.

Tested positive for COVID-19 (Delta variant) 26/10/2021 - felt a bit rough for 5 days but pretty mild symptoms overall, maybe slightly raised tinnitus 2/10 or 3/10 for a couple of days rather than normal baseline 1/10. Also lost taste and smell for 48 hours but back to normal now.

Personally glad I had the vaccine as I have moderate asthma/hypertension and on day 3 of positive COVID-19 felt a few hours of COVID-19 hitting the lungs, increasing my wheezing, but then a few hours later it backed off and just back up to head symptoms of congestion/headache for the last days of symptoms. I read reports that, even though COVID-19 enters via the nose/throat, it eventually progresses south but often the vaccine kicks in by this time to contain it up top and this really felt like what happened to me on day 3. So no idea if the "mild" symptoms I experienced are due to the vaccine or not, but overall considering the above - pretty happy I went with having the vaccine.

 

With all of these new tinnitus cases and cases of increased tinnitus due to COVID-19, perhaps there might be some increased interest in finding a cure.

I had the first shot of Moderna in June. I developed tendonitis in the injected arm within a week after, as well as my hyperacusis increased considerably. It has not decreased since. Didn't seem to bother my tinnitus though.

No second jab for me.

 

I had my second Moderna vaccine on April 3, 2021.

I just had my booster today. I have not experienced any impact on my tinnitus or hyperacusis from any of the vaccines. I did not sleep well for a few nights after my second vaccine, but my sleep has been a problem for approximately fifteen (15) months.

The tinnitus and hyperacusis started a few months after the onset of insomnia.

 

Hi all - I got my second Moderna shot in May. I had ear fullness and things sounded a little muffled for a while but that seemed to resolve. Then a couple weeks later, the tinnitus began. I had never had any issue with tinnitus prior. It sounds like constant static with intermittent high pitched electrical buzzes. My sister has had the same reaction to the shot.

My quality of life has taken a nosedive.

 

First dose BioNTech/Pfizer in June, second dose in July. No effect on my tinnitus whatsoever, maybe things continued to improve slowly and slightly, but clearly not getting worse due to the vaccination!

 

Spent 6 months debating whether or not to get vaccinated due to fears it could make my tinnitus worse. I had a Pfizer shot yesterday and woke up today and the tinnitus in my right ear is oscillating like mad - much more than usual. Hopefully this is due to inflammation the vaccine causes and is just a temporary spike.

In the UK Novavax applied for approval at the end of October and they should (according to The Guardian) be getting approved soon. I won't be having another mRNA vaccine or the AstraZeneca one so hopefully the UK government allow mixing and matching as the Novavax vaccine has shown in studies to be very effective when used as a second shot to existing vaccines. If they don't allow this, then I'll wait until I can have two Novavax shots as the studies done so far show that it has less side effects then the currently available vaccines.

 

Zapped with Pfizer #3 today.

#1 and #2 were a day of feeling weird and tired, with what seemed like noticeable tinnitus spikes from days ~4-7 or so.

If I have a more significant experience than that this time around, I will report back again, otherwise I won't!

 

Got my booster shot of Pfizer a couple of weeks ago. So far no effect on tinnitus.

 

A week since my first Pfizer shot. My spike has gone down a bit in terms of volume and intensity the last two days, but still quite a bit over baseline. Hopefully things continue to improve.

 

I developed a bad spike the night of my first Pfizer shot but it was short-lived and went back to "baseline" before my second shot. I had no spike after my second dose (first week of November), but about two weeks ago I got a new tone in my left ear. This new tone is unlike my high frequency noise, but low pitch/hollow like a phone dial tone. It is low volume and I could only hear it in silence (probably because it blends in other environments), but it is definitely something new. I have also heard the same/similar sound sometimes with fleeting tinnitus. When I yawn, the new sound increases in my left ear whereas before it has always been the same high pitch increase in both ears.

 

I’ve had 3 Moderna shots. Two regular vaccines and the booster. No change to my tinnitus. I was scared for the first one but once I realized it didn’t have any negative effect I was mostly ok for the other two. I live in a very anti-vaxx area and a highly infected area so that’s what pushed me to get it. I have major anxiety surrounding making my tinnitus worse so you can imagine my fear.

 

I had the second Pfizer shot three days ago. Tinnitus unaffected. Only real side effect is somewhat of a sore arm so far.

 

I can't recall if I've already posted about my experience on this thread before, so I'll make a new post just so that I can include my experience for anyone who still has trepidation about pursuing vaccination.

I've had two shots of Pfizer and given the UK's current governmental legislation, I'll likely be having a 3rd Booster shot soon. As for my overall vaccine experience, I'm pleased to report that I suffered no side effects in regards to my tinnitus, and only dealt with a minor headache and sore arm for three days after both shots.

My minimal reaction to the first two leaves me with confidence that my third one, and any subsequent boosters I may need in the future (if it gets to that point, hopefully not!) should go fine as well.

 

Got my first vaccine in April by AstraZeneca .

Second vaccine in July by Moderna.

They had no impact on the tinnitus.

 

I developed tinnitus for the first time in my life (except for some fleeting ringing that would last a few seconds sometimes) after my 2nd Moderna shot. It is persistent but changes a lot too. Some days I am free from it, some days it goes on all day. I'm fairly convinced that it's connected to nerves in my neck because I can affect it with certain extreme movements, and I believe that the mRNA vaccine can in some people cause inflammation that triggers tinnitus.

Everyone I know is pro-vaccine, and some are quite politically militant about it. I know 3 doctors quite well, and two of them insist that it cannot be the vaccine, and seem unwilling to consider evidence for this possibility, but are willing to entertain other random hypotheses about its origin. This is frustrating.

I have decided that because of the social pressure, and because there is obviously some uncertainty, and because of some utilitarian moral calculations, I will soon perform an experiment on my own body and consciousness and get the booster. If the tinnitus substantially worsens shortly thereafter, then I plan to make drastic adjustments to my social life, possibly including breaking up with my girlfriend of almost 4 years who is in the category of frustrating people described above. I may give them the chance to apologise for their irrationality and lack of concern.

 

Just wanted to follow up with everybody. I had my second jab of Pfizer two weeks ago. I don’t think it’s done anything to my fluctuating tinnitus. I was pretty sick for about two days after the shot but beyond that, my tinnitus has been its usual annoying self.

 

I had my booster shot last weekend, here in Italy you can get the booster 5 months after the second dose. I got half a dose of Moderna while the first two were Pfizer.

Some sweating and maybe low fever during the first night, painful arm and some pain in the lymph nodes on the side of the vaccine. Second day most of that already passed. No change in tinnitus. Now I am happy to be done for a while.

 

I got the J&J vaccine in April with no change in tinnitus patterns. I scheduled a Moderna booster for later this month because of favorable reported mix-and-match protection. I am having serious (tinnitus-related) reservations, however, and may try to get J&J instead (although I am having difficulty finding it in NYC). While the efficacy of a double J&J course is likely lower, I feel better knowing that I had no adverse reactions the first time around. -G

 

I am in the exact same situation. I developed tinnitus for the first time after my second Moderna shot and also can change the intensity by bending my neck to extremes.

My ENT told me that my tinnitus was most likely caused by the vaccine but she told me that there was nothing she could do and we would just have to see if it would get better. I am on the fence about getting a booster. Would be very interested in hearing how this plays out for you.

 

As with the first two shots I believe the booster caused me an increase in anxiety, along with generally increased awareness of tinnitus, higher distress levels, etc. As with the first two shots this effect was obvious within 7 days and seems to be significantly reduced already by 18 days.

I would vastly prefer to not do this every six months indefinitely but continue to believe that COVID-19 and breakthrough COVID-19 when antibody levels have fallen, are a more significant risk to my ears than the vaccines, and it's not even remotely close.

If we don't have any alarming variants and case counts are low in six months, I will raise my eyebrow pretty hard before doing this again. It's not that much more inconvenient than tetanus vaccines (which have a different, but shitty set of side effects for me) but also I work with rusty metal a lot and tetanus is frankly terrifying, nearly rabies level frightening. Comparatively, COVID-19 scares me a lot less, but I'm also much more likely to be exposed to it than rabies. I get exposed to tetanus constantly and I get those shots like clockwork (and then grimace in pain for 4 days straight any time I need to use the arm that got zapped...)

 

It's been about 28 hours since my booster shot now. I am happy to report no significant change in tinnitus. It's actually been pretty quiet for the past 2 days.

I have been doing some "alternative" things to treat tinnitus after the 2 ENT visits didn't help.

One is I tried acupuncture. Not sure it does anything, but more on that later.

I started taking Ginkgo biloba supplements because I heard that is good for nerve cells.

I started getting deep massages, which may be really making a difference. I had accumulated a lot of tension in my upper back and neck probably for two main reasons: (1) Doing lots of chin-ups on my little door-hanger bar during lockdown, without much stretching or other exercises, (2) Sitting in front of a computer a lot.

So my acupuncture doctor is a definitely a hippy and "let your feelings guide you" kind of person, but he's also definitely smart and well-educated. He said he's had 3 patients with post-vaccine tinnitus, and he believes that sometimes, the mRNA enters the bloodstream (when it's supposed to mostly stay in the arm muscle), and gets absorbed random places and can cause inflammation there. This sounds pretty plausible to me. But it means that getting tinnitus after a vaccine depends on some random factors involving blood flow and possibly improper injection (into blood vessel rather than muscle tissue). Whatever causes tinnitus gets affected. (I'm leaning towards one cause, which I think applies to me, being inflamed nerves in the neck / spinal cord.)

I also have been taking a heavy regimen of some Chinese herbal tea that's supposed to reduce inflammation, starting 2 days before vaccination. I don't know what's in it, but it was recommended by a family member.

So, I'll keep you updated. The tinnitus is still there, and may get worse, but so far it's been a mild few days, with some hours of actual silence sprinkled in here and there.

 

I'm new here. Intense tinnitus since my second Moderna shot in February, 2021. My primary care doctor offered a Prednisone pack to see if it helped but it made no difference.

Not planning to get a booster at this point although I really don’t see how my tinnitus could be any worse!

I have not tried any other treatments. Interestingly, my PCP insisted I have a hearing test and I do have hearing loss in 1 ear that is new. Could be that it was hard to hear through all that noise!

Anyways, now they want to do an MRI. My ENT does think the vaccine has caused/aggravated my tinnitus but does not think there is anything to do but wait and see if it goes away. Super frustrating

 

It's now 5 days since my booster (Pfizer). No big change in tinnitus. No spike.

This morning I woke up a 4am with an 8/10 tinnitus on the annoyance scale, the worst since the booster, 10 being the worst I've experienced since onset. But now it's ok, back down to 2 or 3. I had some beers last night, which seems to be a trigger for me, so my beer drinking days are over.

Overall I feel like I am on a downward trajectory due to the alternative treatments, probably with the deep tissue massage playing an important role, and the Pfizer hasn't gotten in the way.

 

Hello Again;

I ended up cancelling my Moderna booster and instead opted for the J&J version (I was vaccinated with J&J back in April). I got jabbed yesterday and after 24 hours my tinnitus is unchanged (although I ache somewhat).

I received some good advice from a friend of mine who is an MD. Because I had no serious adverse effects with J&J when first vaccinated, he recommended I stick with it. Conversely, he would tell someone who had unpleasant side effects with the original immunization to then mix-and-match. He also assured me that odd side effects (such as tinnitus onset/worsening) are certainly idiosyncratic. So if you fared well the first time (in my case J&J didn't result in TTS, GB syndrome, or tinnitus worsening), the chances are good that you will do well the second.

I'll report back in a few weeks as to whether my tinnitus patterns are still within the normal range.

-G