Tinnitus After Taking ED Drugs

I have had severe tinnitus for the past 6 years. It started 1 week after my doctor started me on low dose Cialis. It was a minor buzz at first. I went back to the doctor but he was no help. Said I just needed to get used to it. I decided to quit Cialis and started on Viagra. I had taken Viagra before for several years and had no problems. After taking it again after Cialis my tinnitus became 10x worst. I was in shock. I couldn't sleep or eat. I lost 30 lbs over the next several weeks. i was even thinking suicide. It was the most horrible noise.

I went to an ENT and had hearing tests. I had steroids shot through my ear drums but that didn't help. The tests showed I had hearing lost in the higher range which is typical of drug induced tinnitus. I then decided to go to an audiologist and they did another hearing test to see how bad my tinnitus was. They put you in a sound proof chamber and then you match the volume of your tinnitus to the sound you hear in the chamber. The audiologist who is well known in the area and also has a PHD said that he has not seen a patient with such a high tinnitus in over 20 years (he didn't tell be what happened to that person). I bought a set of hearing aids that put out a musical sound to help the tinnitus. I tried it for a while but it did not help. I think it was because my tinnitus was so loud that the sound it put out did not mask it. I felt it was only making it worst. I also bought a set of musicians ear plugs which I still use when I'm in loud situations.

I was so desperate that I finally called my daughter (a CRNA) and she took me to an emergency room at a large hospital in town. The doctor ended up giving me Ativan for 10 days and told me to see the ENT. The Ativan lowered my tinnitus and calmed me down. I was at ease for the first time since the tinnitus started. My daughter took me to lunch which I enjoyed for the first time since the tinnitus started. I knew I needed something else since Ativan is very addictive if taken long term. My daughter searched the internet and found a study done by a Dr. Sherman (I think that is how the name is spelled). He had participants who all had tinnitus take a combination of Clonazepam and Gabapentin. I then went to my family doctor which had earlier given me an anitdepresant and sleeping pill (which didn't help). She prescribed .5 mg of Clonazepam and 300mg of Gabapentin 2x a day. After my 10 days of Ativan I switched to the new prescription. it was a Godsend. The Gabapentin and Clonazepam lowered by tinnitus and I started to lead a more normal life. I still had tinnitus but it was much better and tolerable. 6 years later I am still on it. It works best when taken at the same time. My tinnitus has changed for the better. I tried tapering off but my tinnitus would spike back up. I would only recommend the drugs for the worst tinnitus that is unbearable. Always see a doctor if you are in the same boat as me.

 

Welcome to the forum. Thanks for sharing what has worked for you. It has been said there are many roads to Rome when it comes to tinnitus and yours just prove that. Take good care. God bless.

 

Viagra / cialis cause sudden hearing loss & tinnitus.
That's a known side effect.

 

Probably was Dr. Abraham Shulman. Anyway glad that that combo is still working for you. I believe this was the study you were referring to:

http://www.tinnitusjournal.com/articles/gabapentin-and-tinnitus-relief.pdf

 

Your right. It was Dr Shulman. Bless his heart. I don't know what I would have done if it wasn't for this study. I have severe disabling tinnitus and this combination of GP and Clonazepam works best for people in my shoes.

 

I have severe disabling tinnitus too. I talked to Dr. Shulman years ago and was put on that combination. I need to try it again but getting Klonopin prescribed has been difficult. My noise was probably caused by a loud used grain vac. It was extremely loud shrill sound.

 

It is a very rare side effect: https://www.ehealthme.com/ds/sildenafil-citrate/tinnitus/

 

I have no overt hearing loss but a great deal of T for 2years after discontinuation of Cialis in Dec. 2016. Viagra was substituted only twice after the Cialis was discontinued, but blue vision problems quickly ended that. The Cialis was the real thing and not an import. The Viagra was imported. Generally I am able to hear through or around my T, which is quite loud. I use maskers and they help at times. Sometimes they are of no help. I was suffering from occasional severe back pain and sciatica during the period from Oct. 2015 to this day. I was using Tramadol, then Norco, and finally I'm on Percocet. No back surgery has been done. MRI and CAT imaging shows an older silent stroke (bleed). Is T a condition of stroke or is it most likely the stroke was caused by high BP from severe pain and the T was caused by the pain meds? I take Klonopin for the T and it helps.

 

Cialis makes my ears ring a lot too... It was real scary when it happened, because I didn't first understand that the ringing was due to Cialis, since I had never had tinnitus from like medications.

But ye have tried it again many times and always it makes my ears ring ...

"I went back to the doctor but he was no help. Said I just needed to get used to it."
What a guy (the Dr man).. seems like the same no-can-do Dr. has been a Dr of a many of us lolll

Btw how long time did you have between quitting Cialis and starting Viagra?

Good daughter you have tho, nice that she helped you that well you know? Congrats How long did you like you know "suffer" from T before you got prescribed Klonopin+Gabapentin and your tinnitus got better? I use Pregabalin+Valium and ye it makes a big difference in the ear ringing in a positive way

Nice story (is this a Success Story ;D)

 

@just1morething Well this is good news. Glad this combination forked for him. Have you tried it again since we last talked?? I'm going to see Dr. Shulman at the end of the month. Lets see what he recommends.

@dkota are you still a member in this group?? Is this combo of medications still working for you??