Tinnitus from Vioxx (Rofecoxib) — Now 20 Years Later My Tinnitus Is Paralyzing

My tinnitus occurred in 2002 as a side affect from taking COX-2 selective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (Vioxx), which has since been taken off the market. I only took the drug for 2 days.

My doctor assured me the ear hum would go away. Well, it didn't.

For years the noise was just a low hum, and I easily ignored it. Fast forward to 2020. The noise in my left ear is sometimes paralyzing. I have sought the advice of many ENT specialists. Only to be told that I'll just have to live with it.

I have joined the American Tinnitus Association. Their journals read like a science fiction magazine (too technical).

With all the conflicting stories about different drugs, I am scared to use them!

 

Did you try a week's course of Prednisone and Xanax?

Don't get hooked, it's simply to intervene and maybe get the baseline tinnitus down. IT IS NOT a permanent solution (Xanax may be good for a break every couple of weeks for a day).

 

So sorry that happened to you. I hope you're feeling better. I know mine is driving me crazy these days, as it seems to have gotten louder, at least sometimes. It's hard to know how to react to such a situation. Today I took a tryptophan pill, to help me sleep, and that seemed to make it quite a bit louder. But I'm losing a lot of sleep over a separate health situation, and so am worried what taking a second tryptophan this evening, if I decide to do it, might do.

Life is just one big adventure, isn't it?

 

Is Xanax for a week a strategy for somehow rebooting the brain?

 

@Psych I recently read that L-Tryptophan CAN help lower tinnitus and with sleeping issues. I’m going to investigate this further.

Have you taken it again?