Tinnitus + Hyperacusis from Neomycin

Hi, everyone.

I'm a 43-year-old male that has been suffering from SIBO and developed tinnitus + hyperacusis after being prescribed Xifaxan (Rifaximin) and Neomycin. Since I took Xifaxan in the past with no problems, I'm presuming the Neomycin caused my issue, although I have seen some people say in this forum that Xifaxan caused them tinnitus issues. Kicking myself that I didn't research these drugs before taking them, especially the Neomycin. Kind of a nightmare dealing with one horrible health issue and now having a brand new (worse?) one on top of it.

However, I'm glad I found this forum, and I've been reading through the threads this weekend. I'm planning on taking the following immediate action:

1) Elemental Heal Diet, which I started today for SIBO. This will be an interesting experiment because, in addition to helping heal SIBO, the diet is supposedly very anti-inflammatory. I have no idea if that will help with the tinnitus + hyperacusis, but the website that sells Elemental Heal states, "A clinical trial has shown that an elemental diet was as effective as the anti-inflammatory steroid drug prednisone for rheumatoid arthritis."

2) Immunoglobulin supplements. This is for the SIBO, not the tinnitus, but I thought I'd list it.

3) Nicotinamide Riboside, N-Acetyl Cysteine, and Curcumin supplements.

4) Might order an LLLT device, but I'm not sure yet. I was also considering prednisone, but I'm scared of that one because I have an anxiety disorder + insomnia disorder, and I have had too many hellish experiences with prescription drugs to count. I know it is crucial to start this one early, but I'm not sure I will be able to handle the side effects, especially while I'm trying to heal my SIBO with the Elemental Heal diet. And maybe the Elemental Heal diet will do something similar with the anti-inflammation anyway? Wishful thinking?

My tinnitus so far is not great but tolerable, but the hyperacusis is pretty intolerable, and I'm not sure how easy it will be for me to return to normal outside life until that is reduced at least somewhat. For those of you out there with hyperacusis, do you feel any weird stuff going on inside your brain when you hear intolerable sounds? For me, it almost feels like my brain itself is sensitized to the sounds in addition to the ears. I can physically feel brain zappy type stuff going on up there, and I get kind of twitchy. Very strange feeling, and makes it hard to focus on things. I haven't really seen that listed online as a symptom of hyperacusis, so I was wondering if I had some other neurological thing happening up there.

Anyway, I just wanted to introduce myself to you seemingly lovely people.

 

Wow funny, I just looked up tinnitus and Rifaximin right now as I haven’t been here in a while. So a warm welcome, but sorry you are here of course. Lots of great people and resources here so you’re in the right place.

First things first, it’s not your fault and you can’t beat yourself up when you get some of these sides. The counterfactual thinking is of course going to happen, but honestly a lot of people take these things and are fine, and when you have SIBO I know how much you want to get it better. Tinnitus was just not part of the decision you were making.

Secondly, it gets better. I had bad hyperacusis. Like I wore earplugs in the shower and couldn’t use electric toothbrush bad, but now I am 95% better. Hyperacusis gets better on a scale of months, not weeks, though. Sounds like you maybe have something on the reactive tinnitus spectrum as part of that. As far as tinnitus goes, you will habituate even when you don’t think it’s possible. Mine is pretty bad but I’m comfortable with it now. There’s also a good chance yours just goes away.

Of course I can empathize with multiple chronic conditions, and acknowledge the mental work to get through all of it so hang in there.

Good luck with the elemental diet! I am going to try 2 weeks of Rifaximin to start, but willing to stop if it makes my tinnitus worse. I wouldn’t touch Neomycin with a ten foot pole but understand that Rifaximin is supposed to stay in the GI tract and is much safer.

 

Thanks for the comments, Andrew!

 

Hey MissingMusic,

Wondering if you have any updates on how you're doing.

I was also struggling with what I believe to be SIBO.

I also took Rifaximin and Neomycin. Both are supposed to not be absorbed well. 95% of Neomycin is supposed to stay in GI tract, and approx 99.9% for Rifaximin.

I had very quick tinnitus prior to doing these antibiotics, where it would last like a few seconds and happen once every other week.

Well, after 3 doses of Neomycin 500 mg, the 24/7 tinnitus appeared. I still took my 4th doses, thinking it was only temporary, and when it continued, I ceased Neomycin altogether (4 doses taken total).

I continued the Rifaximin for a week, and then ceased that, once I read another person here got ringing from Rifaximin alone.

I am wondering I'd your has lessened at all on loudness... I started neomycin on the evening of March 19th (1 dose), 2 doses March 20th, and 1 dose March 21st.

2 weeks later, then ringing continues, and doesn't appear to be lessening. (Moment of it being louder and softer, but no real trend up or down)

 

Did it get better for you? I also am a victim of Neomycin.

 

Hey Aline,

I had hyperacusis, but that has since gone.

I sadly do still have the ringing. I am tracking the intensity, hoping it will subside someday.

There have been moments where it has been very quiet... but right now it's fairly loud.

How are you fairing Aline? You take a lot of doses? What dose did it show up? Did you stop immediately or push through? What's your age?

 

Hey man, how is it going for you? I’m also a victim of Tobramycin ear drops. Can you pinpoint anything that helped the most?