Tinnitus After Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine — My ENT Has Seen Many Patients with the Same Issue

I'm glad I found Tinnitus Talk.

I went and received the first Pfizer shot and am due for the second one today.

My tinnitus started about 10 days after the first shot. I've not had any stress, blow to the head or anything else the ENT asked that might have contributed to the tinnitus. I went to see the ENT as I thought I'd rather have some professional advice and my primary care doctor didn't believe me at all that this could have come from the vaccine.

I can tell you that I specifically asked my ENT and he said he had seen "SEVERAL" patients that are having the same issue and he does believe it's from the vaccine.

His reasoning is wrapped around inflammation and everyone reacts to it. Tinnitus is just that, a reaction to that inflammation. I had no other symptoms or side effects and had no hearing loss so he didn't think prescribing me anything was a good idea. His exact words on the second shot, "I'd rather have tinnitus than die".

Yep, he said I should get the second shot, what else could be worse.

My tinnitus is now bad enough that I hear it over conversations, which was not the issue early on.

The ENT does believe it will get better or perhaps enough that I can ignore it.

I did find an odd YouTube video that I downloaded and play and it turns the tinnitus into a dull buzz or completely quite for a small period. It's better than nothing and if you want the link, I'll post it next.

I'll be getting the second shot today and will keep you updated.

 

Please keep us posted! I've decided not to get my second shot due to the increase in tinnitus after the first one, but I understand why some feel that they'd rather take their chances with the tinnitus than get COVID-19. Good luck!

 

Will do.

I'm 54 and have never been more nervous about getting a silly shot but I just feel I need to get as much protection as I can. People out where we live are starting to push the limits with not wearing masks and in general just don't believe it's a serious thing.

Here is the link to the YouTube video for the neuromodulation. I know it's going to sound odd but I listen to it and it's been the only one so far that brings relief.

4 Hours of High Pitched Tinnitus...

Listen at your own risk by the way.

 

I have delayed my second Moderna shot for the max time period (48 days from first shot). I still have tinnitus and I am unwilling to risk it getting worse.

 

Same here! It's been over three weeks for me, and even if it clears up, I'm not taking the risk of it coming back and being even worse!

 

I had my second dose yesterday and it went well, I didn't feel a thing.

Arm didn't hurt till morning, no other side effects. I will say that my wife and I did the same thing as last time, took a walk and stayed active. Tinnitus is about the same so I can't say anything definitive about that.

I'll keep you posted but from the news today, glad I received both Pfizer shots.

 

I received the same reaction from my primary doctor. He only suggested I get my hearing checked.

 

Here's the follow up from the second dose.

My wife was hit pretty hard with fatigue the next day.

I was fine and have been with no increase in my tinnitus as of yet.

It did take about a week, so if something comes up I'll post that but so far I'm glad I have both shots out of the way.

I will say that I may never take another vaccine but that could change.

We live in Ohio and east of Columbus and more and more people are just no abiding by the COVID-19 rules.

I get it but it's just not worth the risk I guess having known someone who lost their life to COVID-19.

 

The ENT gave me a hearing test and it was weird that I felt like the tinnitus was so loud I could barely hear anything but they said the results showed no hearing loss.

I really can't tell yet if it's getting worse or not because I'm nervous about some symptoms that might creep up on me.

 

The same thing has happened. I had my first Pfizer shot on March 12, 2021. About a week later I work up one morning, and thought someone had left a pot on, the kind that makes the noise when the water is hot. I walked through the house, and realized the sound was coming from me. At first I didn't tell anyone what I was experiencing. A week later my Dad received his second vaccine, and started complaining that something was wrong with the television, and we needed to call Dish to fix it. That's when I told him, it's not the TV, the sound was coming from him, then I told him I am experiencing the same thing. His lasted one day. Mine has been constant for over a month.

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I went to see an ENT Physician, and a hearing test was done, then he told me about his tinnitus, said there was no cure, and tried to see me a $5,000.00 hearing aid.

At that point I still didn't make the connect between the Pfizer vaccine and tinnitus. The connection was made the day I took my second vaccine, and was told by a relative of the connection. Now I'm scheduled to see a tinnitus specialist at the Medical University of South Carolina next week, and I hope he/she will be able to help me. This is driving me crazy, and I don't know how much more of this I can take. I never thought of suicide before, and now I know what some people feel when they think of ending it all because of this.

Lawsuits need to be filed against Pfizer and other makers of the vaccines because tinnitus was not one of the side effects listed for taking the vaccine. They failed to forewarn the public.

 

Hang in there. Most people will get a lot better. Mine was screaming like hell at the one month mark. It’s now been almost 6 months and it’s much more manageable: more crickets and not nearly as loud. It could completely go away for you. Keep in mind though that you’re likely in for the long haul and will have to be patient - improvement should happen over months rather than weeks.

 

Hang in there, buddy. I live relatively close to where you are (one of the neighboring states) and, like you, I feel that the locals are totally wrong when they ignore medical advice and fail to follow appropriate COVID-19 precautions. I lived, by the way, in Columbus for two years (that was about 20 years ago - the city probably changed somewhat since then) .

You do need to get good hearing protection when you go out because sounds in your home/around your home or in your workplace/while shopping can exacerbate your condition. I personally use Loop Experience Pro earplugs when I go out shopping or drive (the noise in the car cabin can easily get close to 90 dB when driving on a busy highway), and sometimes 3M 1100 earplugs and/or Peltor X5A ear muffs if I need to work in the backyard when a neighbor mows the lawn, etc.

From my experience, ENT doctors know relatively little about tinnitus; audiologists would likely be the ones to help you more. But, yes - they will try invariably to sell you hearing aids/maskers.

My tinnitus was mild for 9 months and then got much louder after a single Aspirin pill, and then was made even worse by the Pfizer vaccine. What I noticed was that certain foods affected it (especially those rich in MSG or free glutamine, which, in the US, includes about 90% of all frozen, packaged, fast foods, dairy, canned foods, etc.). Mine also reacts to certain sounds (I play electric and acoustic guitars as a hobby and even at bedroom volume - around 65 dB - I get spikes. Lawn mowers also give me bad spikes and so do sharp clicks, metallic twangs, etc.). But - beware pills, especially NSAIDs, quinine, any antibiotic ending on "mycin," etc.

There will be better days - the effect of the vaccine may weaken in time in your case.

 

JCA, any update on your tinnitus? I got tinnitus 7 days post first dose of Pfizer. 2/10, and I have delayed my second dose for 3 weeks until I better understand the risks of a second shot. These blogs seems to be the only source of this kind of data. Hope it worked well for you.

 

I did get the second Pfizer shot on 4/12. I did not have any side effects or symptoms as of yet and can't say it's made my tinnitus any worse. My wife was very fatigued the day after we both received that second shot.

She got better but now is having some unexplained fatigue. I really was going to delay or not get the second dose but I wanted the full protection, for which apparently we need a 3rd shot. I will say, I'm not getting any more shots. If 2 shots doesn't offer me the required protection, I can't imagine getting a 3rd or 4th and not having something else creep up. My wife regrets getting the second one and will never get another.

We're pretty much clean and neat freaks so we'll just keep our distance and cleaning.

But hey! We have the card with both shots so we are going to travel.

 

Please report your tinnitus from the Pfizer vaccine in VAERS:

https://vaers.hhs.gov/esub/index.jsp

 

I had a reaction 5 days after my first Pfizer shot with vertigo that quickly resolved, I coincidentally was diagnosed with strep and fluid in both ears. 10 days after my second shot I started having extreme vertigo. I had to hold on to walls and was throwing up, I started a steroid pack. I absolutely believe yours could be a result of the vaccine. Hang in there, hydrate, eat well and take supplements with plenty of rest.

 

Received my first Pfizer shot in early March and really didn’t notice the tinnitus until after the second. Only side effects from first was sore arm. The second was a lot worse with flu like feelings that lasted about 2 and a half days. That’s when the tinnitus started. I also feel like there’s a hearing loss. Not sure if that’s true or it’s just the ringing in my ears that’s distracting.

 

Thank you for your update JCA. It's very helpful to get follow up from these events.

I'm still planning on getting my second dose. I will deal with COVID-19 first and then deal with tinnitus. Still a hard decision though. My tinnitus seems to be diminishing slowly. I would hate to lose ground. Finger crossed.

 

What about the Moderna vaccine? Does it cause or worsen tinnitus?

I already have tinnitus, I am not risking it at all. I will wear my mask. Hopefully this COVID-19 will go away soon.

 

This might help some of you that have not yet had your first vaccine shot and are trying to decide between the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines should you have that option.

The most recent report that I can find comparing them in regard to the severity of side effects:

Covid-19 Vaccine Side Effects Showdown: Pfizer vs. Moderna | by Safelyhq | Mar, 2021 | Medium

 

It never will.

 

This is an interesting article, thanks for sharing it. The article lists a wide range of possible side effects, with the lowest being reported by 0.4 percent. I thought it was interesting that tinnitus and hearing issues are not even on the list. It seems it was not a provided side effect list for survey participants because there’s some repetition between vision problems and blurry vision.

 

Well I got my second dose April 29, 2021. One of the toughest and scariest decisions I've made, especially after reading some of the dose 2 side effects from Tinnitus Talk. It's been over a week now and I can say that, aside from the stress, I've had no significant increase in my tinnitus. I actually had a big reduction for one day after the shot. I think that was do to resolving the conflict in my mind between getting the shot or not. What a crazy unknown door to have to choose to pass though or not. These vaccines have side effects, and that while they aren't affecting the population greatly on a statistical way, they are debilitating to the few that get them. I just figured that I got the tinnitus from dose 1, I might as well get the long term benefit of dose 2 and deal with the side effects.

I've done a lot of internet research to try to figure out what is going on. My quick answer (hope) is it's our immune response and not the vaccine. This is a good thing because over the course of the immune response the response to the antigen (vaccine spike protein) will diminish over time. 1 to 3 months after the second dose. My hope is our the antagonist to our Vestibulocochlear Nerve will be down regulated as the antigen is no longer a threat to our immune response. Kind of like a bee hive calming down after being disturbed.

Chapter 15 - Cranial Nerves

What is the antagonist? Well, I read tinnitus has many unknowns and causes but I see that it can be causes are in 3 general categories, physical injury to the auditory system, chemical injury to the auditory system (ototoxic), and a category labeled idiopathic, unknown. I don't believe it's the first 2 so I researched the idiopathic for the cause.

This is where it gets a little interesting, and again all internet conjuncture on my part, just trying to help myself cope.

I've broken the idiopathic into physiology, psychology, and focused on the physiology. Stress is always a factor but I'm looking for the antagonist. Long story short, I feel this is an immune response.

Innate and Adaptive Immunity

So what part of immune response has the capability to cause a problem with a normal functioning auditory system? Maybe Mast Cells. I haven't found a paper linking mast cells and tinnitus yet, but mast cells sure look like they can cause a lot of problems if they are over-stimulated. In short mast cells release lots of chemicals.



One of which is histamine, and in the upper left you can see Vertigo/CNS. I think you can add tinnitus to the list.

 

COVID-19 can give you tinnitus too, I'm one of the lucky winners of that lottery.

 

Well, tomorrow will be 2 weeks from my second dose. I have had tinnitus now for 7 weeks, beginning one week after the 1st dose of Pfizer. Still hopeful this will resolve itself.

I've been taking flax oil for inflammation, CoQ10 100mg, and a multi vitamin.

I keep a log and that helps me cope during bad times. I can look back and know that it gets better during the day. It starts off right after I go to sleep. It rings though the night and in the morning (2/10) till about 10 am. Then on good days it drops off, sometimes to a 1/10 (can't hear above ambient outdoor noise) for 2 days out of 7, for the better part of the day. Then it comes back while watching TV. When I lay my head down on my pillow to sleep it can be quiet, then the tinnitus slowly builds. It's not in my ears. I wonder if there is a Melatonin component? Thank God I slept well every night since I've had it. I just fall asleep while listening to the ring. I say prayers that it will go away too. Then off to dream land. I dream a lot.

A 1/10 is at ambient. You know it's there but you can't hear it. How do I know it's there? It fogs up my head/thoughts. When it's gone I feel like I have a clear head. A noticeable difference. A 2/10 I cope but I hear it over ambient, 3/10 is beginning to be loud and not good. I've never had it worse than 3/10. But, 2/10 for a long time can be pretty bad too.

Today it's mostly around 2. It's weird, if I am focused on something I don't notice it, but I only notice that I didn't notice it after I stop focusing.

I went swimming at the gym today for the 1st time in a year since COVID-19. Now that I have been vaccinated, I can go back and exercise at the gym. I hope it helps.

I hope others suffering from this get better as well.

Just found this: ref at bottom of article.
https://drtorihudson.com/general/melatonin-tinnitus/

 

You'll probably need a booster every time there is a mutation... like the flu vaccine.

 

Did your vaccine-induced tinnitus ever get better or go away? I remember you’re another unlucky one.

 

It hasn't gone back down. It's been about 7 weeks now. Thanks for checking in though =)

 

That sucks. Sorry man.

 

I'm getting used to it, even though it still is rough.