Tinnitus from Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine — What Has Worked for Your Vaccine-Induced Tinnitus?

I started noticing my tinnitus about a week after my first and only Moderna shot back in February 2021. I'm 10 months in. Mild to moderate intensity. Hearing test was normal. Antihistamines didn't do anything for me. I take vitamin C, Zinc, vitamin D, Magnesium, Salmon oil, Ginger tea daily. I also have subtle muscle twitching since the vax although it occurs less frequently as time goes on.

Going to get some testing done soon. My neurologist ordered MRI and MRA of the brain and internal auditory canal. My allergist ordered mast cell activation test.

Has anyone found or heard of anything that might help with this kind of tinnitus?

 

Don’t waste your time with the MRI. It might make it worse. It’s very loud.

 

Did you wear ear protection like earplugs or MRI safe headphones?

 

Yes I wore earplugs. I got hyperacusis from the vaccine too, so the MRI was extra loud. Many people reported worsening from it. I was OK after.

 

This. I think people need to weigh the risks, but I see more often than not noise induced folks worsen from MRI.

 

Cognitive bias. Do you think the millions of people worldwide who have MRIs every year have their pre-existing tinnitus worsened? No. The cream of the crop come to the forums and usually it's when you're facing a shitty situation, not when your MRI went without problems.

 

Thank's for the warning, I'll see if i can wear both earplugs and headphones over them and if it still sounds too loud I'll stop the MRI short.

 

I think the argument can be turned the other way around too; I think there's a lot of people who do not join the forum and report their negative experience, especially if the worsening isn't very significant. Millions of people who may not find this forum, or mainly stick to Facebook groups or such. So how many are affected by MRIs is purely speculation, both ways.

What we do know though is that MRIs are objectively very loud, and the procedure can take quite some time. If the sound is loud enough, single protection isn't enough to protect from hearing damage, especially with exposure time factored in. Not to mention the increased risks of permanent worsenings of tinnitus or hyperacusis when hyperacusis is present.

If the tinnitus is purely unilateral, or there's other indications that the cause could be, for instance, acoustic neuroma, then yeah, there may be incentives to do an MRI. But if tinnitus began after kinda known trigger, well I agree with @Wrfortiscue that we really should weigh the risks here. In the absolute majority of cases, we're dealing with hearing damage, even if it doesn't show up on an audiogram. Society is insanely noisy, so no one goes free.

Stacken

 

If you really need to have the MRI done, I'd advise to look into some MRI-safe earmuffs. Headphones don't add any meaningful protection.

Wish you well,
Stacken

 

The MRI is very loud, even with earplugs on. I suggest a different approach: ask your doctor what he expects to find in the MRI and what would be the potential treatment for that. If there is not clear suspicion about an issue that is producing tinnitus and that can show in an MRI, and be treated and solved, I would not go for it.

Take into account too that in order to do an MRI test you will have to sign a few papers to give your informed consent. Clinics and hospitals would not do this if an MRI were a test that does not produce any side effects.

In fact, the possibility of developing hearing issues after getting an MRI, and the loudness of this test, are specifically addressed in the wording of the informed consent document.

 

I had two MRI scans last year @cherubrock.

I wore earplugs and the hospital-provided headset. I was in the MRI for over 55 minutes.

I never even thought about the effects on my tinnitus. I just knew it had to be done before my major operation in April 2021.

I was fine after both my scans.

This was long before my tinnitus magnifying in May this year.

 

@Eleanor89, what causes it to get worse?

 

Hello @Brian P.

I had major surgery in April. I had two growths removed and surgery was complicated but fortunately benign.

I was in considerable pain for over a year and my operation was cancelled due to COVID-19 this went on for over a year. I was not in a good place.

Four weeks after my surgery my tinnitus started and everything started to feel loud. I am now seven months in with tinnitus and hyperacusis and taking each day as it comes.

Stress, COVID-19, the operation which was four and half hours perhaps all contributed.

But I remain positive as I’ve been here before 26 years ago.

And it takes time but I’m improving slowly.

You will eventually too.

I have faith.

 

True, I meant folks with bad hyperacusis. I had tinnitus and played drums for years without issues.

 

If you have a choice, go for an open MRI. The closed ones are much louder but higher definition.

Ask your doctor if it's appropriate for what needs to be imaged. I did an open MRI to scan my brain about 3 years ago and with foam earplugs and the muffs they provide it didn't spike me at all.

 

Go for a 1.5T quieter MRI (as-if).

Use the best earplugs.

Take NAC, Vitamin C, and even some benzos an hourish pre-scan.

Tell the staff about your hyperacusis, ask for additional foam between your ears.

Don't be afraid to ask for breaks between scans.

Be STILL as SHIT so they don't have to redo scans.

Pray.

It is probably the loudest thing you'll do unless you work on jets.

 

If you must do imaging, I would ask for a CT without contrast.

Vaccines likely cause inflammation.

I would look at ways to lower TNF-alpha, a pro inflammatory cytokine.

E.g. high dose Curcumin, low-dose Naltrexone, Resveratrol, etc...