Tinnitus Onset Coincided with Getting Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine

Hi — My tinnitus started in 2021 and is in the left ear only. I do not have any noticeable hearing loss. I do not have any dizziness or balance issues. Sometimes my left ear feels a bit full, but I had that problem well before the onset of tinnitus. The onset of tinnitus seemed to coincide with getting the first series of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines. The tinnitus did not seem to bother me much for quite some time but it seems to be getting worse. I mentioned the tinnitus at my physical appointment a few days ago and am now scheduled for a hearing test and an appointment with an ENT.

The other bothersome symptom which started in December 2022 is tingling or numb feeling on my face. The feeling seems more bilateral rather than just on the left side. I did start some additional exercises with hand weights at the time and am wondering if that might be contributing.

I also wear a mask a lot because I have not had and don’t want to get COVID-19. The mask seems to hold my jaw in an odd position. It sometimes seems that my tinnitus is worse if I am wearing a mask more frequently and for longer periods of time.

I also had my first ocular migraine in June 2022. I have had 5 ocular migraines since June 2022. I went to the ophthalmologist. I let her know I was very concerned about a brain tumor. She dilated my eyes and did not see any evidence of increased cranial pressure.

I have a hearing test at the end of February. The first available appointment with the ENT is March 20th. I am just so scared right now and concerned that the symptoms described above may all point to either acoustic neuroma or nasopharyngeal cancer.

My left ear tinnitus is worse when sitting or lying down. My tinnitus seems worse when I am stressed. I can ignore the tinnitus but when I am scared and focused on it then it can cause me a lot of anxiety.

Any advice or thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

Welcome to the forum. I hope you will get this checked to rule out any hidden problem. The numbness is not a usual symptom from tinnitus. If the symptoms persist, definitely have it checked. Take good care. God bless.

 

Hi all: I just wanted to provide a link to the article below. It looks like the issue of the COVID-19 vaccines causing tinnitus has finally made it into mainstream reporting and is starting to get the attention needed from the medical/research community.

Hopefully this means that the genie is out of the bottle and can’t be put back. Let’s hope it gathers momentum and they find the mechanism as to exactly how the vaccines cause tinnitus, which hopefully will lead to effective treatment(s).

Unfortunately, both my wife and I got tinnitus from our COVID-19 booster shots over a year ago.

New theories of possible link between Covid vaccines and tinnitus are emerging

 

That is an old recycled article from March 2022. I wish I read it before I got my tinnitus. Even though COVID-19 is not the cause of my tinnitus, maybe it could have saved me.

Do not expect anything to change, though. This world will continue to be drowned in noise. Many millions will need to suffer before something happens.

 

I'm sorry to hear that you're dealing with this. I believe, that if you see an ENT who is capable of being honest, that he/she will agree that it very well could have been from the vaccine and there is a quite possible correlation between the two. If you've already adapted to the tinnitus sound, you're doing great! I would urge you to please think twice about taking another COVID-19 vaccine. Please do not stress about cancer. Here for you!

 

I would think, given other side effects from the vaccine, like Bell's Palsy, that the cause is damage to the auditory nerve. If that is the case, then you could discuss a trial of anticonvulsants. Examples used are Pregabalin (prescribed by a London neurologist to a vax injured tinnitus patient) or Gabapentin. Other examples are Carbamazepine, Oxcarbazepine or Lamictal.

 

Hi — Thanks everyone for your responses - very helpful information. Tinnitus Talk is a wonderful resource and I feel very fortunate to have found this group.

I wanted to give an update on my condition. I had a hearing test which reported unilateral sensorineural hearing loss. In addition to unilateral tinnitus, this can be a symptom of acoustic neuroma (benign brain tumor). My understanding is that an MRI is the gold standard test to determine if you have an acoustic neuroma.

I visited an ENT who agreed to perform an MRI of my brain with and without contrast. The MRI results were normal.

I really appreciate Tinnitus Talk because it helped me to prepare for the initial appointment with the ENT. I had my questions ready and knew that I did not want to leave the appointment without a requisition for an MRI.

The ENT did not want to order an MRI. But I continued with my questions. I have unilateral tinnitus along with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss of greater than 10 decibels across three consecutive higher level frequencies which could be indicative of an acoustic neuroma.

The ENT ultimately agreed I qualified for an MRI. The MRI ruled out acoustic neuroma and nasopharyngeal cancer.

So I am relieved and can now focus on learning to live with the tinnitus. The ENT suggested I try Lipo-Flavonoid. He said that about 40% of the patients experience a reduction in their tinnitus after taking the supplement. I have difficulty swallowing pills, so I am not sure this will be an option for me. Does anyone have an opinion or experience using Lipo-Flavonoid?

For now, I am using meditation at night and low-level music during the day to deal with the tinnitus.

I am still wondering if the COVID-19 vaccines contributed to the increase in tinnitus. Maybe I was susceptible to tinnitus and the vaccine contributed to the onset.

I will say that within 12 hours after my first Pfizer vaccine, the tinnitus started. I received my initial Pfizer doses at a mass vaccination clinic in Cleveland Ohio. We were all signed up to received texts from VAERS. I reported the tinnitus through the VAERS system each time I was permitted.

Dr. Poland is a vaccine researcher who developed tinnitus after his initial COVID-19 vaccine. I have read several articles and listened to a few podcasts he has hosted. It seems as if the medical community is beginning to acknowledge that tinnitus can be a side effect of COVID-19 vaccines.

Thanks again to the community members for sharing such valuable information and opinions.

 

Hi @LasVegasGirl. I could have written the original post as although my tinnitus didn’t start right my vaccines, I had a lot of tingling and twitching in hands, legs, feet and sometimes head. My tinnitus started a few months after, however I am certain the vaccine was a contributing factor to unleashing widespread system inflammation. I am not anti-vax but I am certainly regretting getting the two vaccines I did.

 

Thanks for updating on your condition, good to know that nothing was seen on the MRI; the Lipo-Flavonoid may come in a powder form which would solve the issue of swallowing a pill.

Tinnitus is a listed side effect of the mRNA shot so the chances are it's the shot that caused the tinnitus onset.

Tinnitus Talk is a great source of information and support and I'm ever hopeful that one day we will hear silence again

 

My right ear (the one with the chronic tinnitus) rang quite loudly the day after my second Pfizer shot. I was also experiencing fever, muscle aches and nausea at the same time. Fortunately, the ringing and my other symptoms went away after 24 hours.