Tinnitus After Doxycycline for Lyme Disease (+ Type 1 Diabetes)

[denstar]

Hi everyone,

In late October, I developed a rash and was later diagnosed with Lyme disease. I was prescribed Doxycycline, 100 mg twice a day, every 12 hours, for 20 days. After about 1 week, I started experiencing tinnitus, but it was mild at first and easy to ignore. Over time, it became worse. I'm allergic to other antibiotics, so Doxycycline was my only option.

It's been 9 days since I finished the antibiotics, but the tinnitus remains. Sometimes it's louder, sometimes quieter, but it's present all day.

When I turn my head to the left or face forward, it almost disappears. When I turn the other way, it becomes very loud. Does anyone have recent experience with this, and did it eventually go away? My doctor told me it should resolve, but since I have Type 1 diabetes, everything tends to take longer.

I'm feeling really desperate. It disrupts my entire day, and I don't see any improvement yet.

 

[zeukin]

There are some medications that are ototoxic, and a quick online search does point to Doxycycline as having ototoxic potential. It can cause mild tinnitus in some cases, but based on available information, this is typically temporary.

Give it some time, since Doxycycline can take up to about 5 days to fully leave your system. At 9 days after finishing the medication, you are still within a reasonable window for symptoms to linger. I am confident you will continue to improve.

 

[denstar]

There are some medications that are ototoxic, and a quick online search does point to Doxycycline as having ototoxic potential. It can cause mild tinnitus in some cases, but based on available information, this is typically temporary.

Give it some time, since Doxycycline can take up to about 5 days to fully leave your system. At 9 days after finishing the medication, you are still within a reasonable window for symptoms to linger. I am confident you will continue to improve.

Thank you very much for your reply. I truly appreciate it.

This is the first time in my life that I have ever experienced tinnitus. I had not taken antibiotics for nearly 20 years, so I had no idea this could happen. I can listen to loud music, shouting, or noise in general, and I have never had any problems with my ears. My doctor said she had never encountered tinnitus with Doxycycline before, but it started about a week into the treatment, so I am certain it is connected to these antibiotics. The last two nights it has been very loud, and I have only slept about 120 minutes, and I am so exhausted!

I try to stay active throughout the day and keep myself busy just so I do not hear it. When I am falling asleep, I watch YouTube, but as soon as I turn onto my right side, it becomes unbearable. With diabetes, everything heals more slowly, including nerves, and even the spot on my leg from Lyme disease has not completely disappeared after a month.

Thank you once again.