Viagra/Sildenafil with Pre-Existing Tinnitus

Took Viagra ▼ got stuck with musical tinnitus.

First TV advert for Viagra to air in the UK

Luckily it was Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, and the song was about his friend coming up, making him smile, conquering things, and breaking every code!



Did wonders for his mental health.

 

Has your Viagra induced tinnitus gotten better? It seems that you've found other alternatives. Can you give any suggestions? Thank you!

 

Hello Johan001,

That makes sense. I am scared of taking Viagra too. But I wonder if the tinnitus resulting from taking Viagra could actually be the result of another drug. I'm saying this because there are two common scenarios with people who take ED medication:

1) Older men who might be taking other medications as well due to health conditions: blood thinners, diuretics, and a bunch of medicines that are known to be ototoxic.

2) Men who are relatively young but because of their sheer anxiety have a history of taking medications: ADs, benzos, etc. They also go to the doctor more frequently (they are hypervigilant of their body) and they end up taking a ridiculous number of medications.

Given the fact that tinnitus is so common (20%) and erectile dysfunction is even more, there should be a pandemic with people with debilitating tinnitus.

So, my question is, were you taking any other medication, besides Viagra by the time? Stress can also cause/spike tinnitus to suicidal levels (I know this fact myself, very well).

 

No I wasn’t taking anything and hadn’t been prior to that, so the pill and excessive use of headphones are the only two culprits.

In the meantime I managed to fix my problems naturally by addressing the psychological problems at first.

I totally understand that it’s very tempting to take the pill and ignore the risks, but apart from tinnitus it can cause myriad of other problems, it can mess up your vision too. So not worth it...

It did get better, yes. Regarding the ED stuff: first and foremost the psychological side of things - addressing the performance anxiety. In terms of supplements - anything that increases testosterone and lowers cortisol. You can look into the combination of L-Arginine and Pycnogenol too - but do research it first. Last but not least, if you are still worried, get a cock ring that fits you well - it will have a similar effect to pills but won’t cause you any side effects (unless you use a wrong size - so do research it too).

 

Johan001, thank you for your answer. To tell the truth, I believe there's a strong psychological component. I like this partner very much, been single for a long time (pre-pandemic), and my tinnitus has taken a huge toll on my life. I have less confidence in myself to function normally in society, and of course, I'm always worried about anything might spike my tinnitus.

I have taken Citrulline, and Pycnogenol. So far, I don't think they have greatly affected my tinnitus. No new sounds, nor anything like that. Just a lot of stress, which of course, causes my tinnitus to be louder. If didn't have tinnitus, I would've gone by now to my Primary Care doctor to ask for Viagra (I believe it works faster than supplements). I don't care about sudden death, seeing blue, as much as I fear catastrophic tinnitus.

I'm 44 and honestly I don't think that's old to have ED, but the pharma industry has done a fine job in instilling the thought that ED is here. Lots of ads with young guys (they look almost in their 20s, super fit and healthy, so that's damaging me as well).

The cock ring is something that scares me as it goes behind the scrotum. I know this is a tinnitus forum, but I guess tinnitus comes with other problems... :/

 

Has your tinnitus from Viagra subsided? Have you ever considered taking Viagra again?

I'd like to take a very low dose of Cialis, but seeing these posts make me terrified. It's a pretty cruel situation to be in. Either be able to get it up or increased torture!

 

Yes, those meds works like a charm, but they do increase my tinnitus. It always goes back down, so far, but it has made me very cautious about using ED meds. Anything that gives us a spike in our tinnitus should give us pause.

 

They are not ototoxic in the classic sense. They can cause hearing loss or tinnitus as the result of a vascular event, but it isn't like 'wearing down the veins until they burst' situation... That's not how it works. It either happens when the drug is in your system or doesn't. To put it another way, it's not a cumulative damage thing like noise or some other ototoxic medications.

 

Winner award to you both, for being the first guys on the forum to ever use the term "cock ring".

This thread finally has the seal of approval.

 

I read somewhere that mostly this is a blood flow problem. So you could try supplementing with Magnesium & Potassium, which are also good for the ears. May not be a short therm solution, but worth trying.

 

Lol, yeah, when I looked into the use of these devices, I was a bit surprised how common it was and that it actually has benefits when used appropriately (and dangers when it is not). So, I was not shying away from suggesting these things to @ErnieMassri

 

True, I may have used the term ototoxic not in the medically correct way, but as you mention, I am referring to the potential damage it can cause to the ears due to such vascular events.

 

So would taking NAC with small dose Viagra be OK? Aside from every other crap, I can’t even go to pound town

 

I suggest seeing a knowledgeable urologist. There are many people who can’t take these meds for other reasons than ears (strokes, heart etc.) and they still find their way to “pound town”. The meds are only one of the solutions out there. If you take it, you risk your tinnitus getting worse, no other way around it. You may be lucky once, twice but who knows when the luck is going to run out.

 

True... I don’t get it often anyways lol.

 

You are scaring people out of using a medication that may provide benefit to them. It would be best if he discusses the medication and concerns with an ENT. Also urologist, but ENT for the specific concerns about the medication and his tinnitus.

 

It caused my ear issues and also other people’s - there’s enough evidence on this forum as well, so I’m just warning people based off my first hand experience. It’s the same as telling people not to go to rock concerts or clubs, which is often debated on this forum as well. It has the potential of causing health issues and people should know the risks. Then ultimately everyone decides for themselves if the reward is worth it.

 

I'm sorry it caused your tinnitus. The cumulative effect of noise-induced damage is well known. If someone has taken the medication multiple times before with no issue or spikes in tinnitus, it's less likely to randomly cause tinnitus and hearing loss in that person. It's not a 'straw that breaks the camel's back' situation like it can be with loud noise or salicylates or other well known causes. I've had this very discussion with my ENT before.

That being said, I think Tadalafil is a bit safer than Sildenafil, but as you know they all carry risks.

 

If you Google it, there are very few anecdotal reports of people that got tinnitus after taking an ED drug. The mechanism behind it is not understood and the correlation is not proven, it could be due to any number of other reasons as well.

Personally, I think it's fine in low doses and taken very occasionally. The reported cases are extremely rare and very anecdotal.

 

Hey dude. I've been taking Viagra since 2018. From what I've learned, if it ever affects your hearing, it's usually both ears. i have a slight notch on my left ear, and the audiologist said it was unlikely that the Viagra did that. However, try to get smaller doses like 25 milligram and split it in half and hopefully that should be enough. It's what I've been doing to avoid the side effects. There's also a new one, I forget what it's called, where the side effects are even less, but it's expensive like Viagra.

 

I have had tinnitus from April 2017 and hyperacusis from October 2018. In the last 2 years my tinnitus was mostly 2/10, maybe sometimes 3/10, but after taking 75 mg of Sildenafil at the beginning of December 2022, my tinnitus became 7-8 /10. I feel so depressed right now but I had no idea that Sildenafil can cause a horrible tinnitus spike.

 

My tinnitus, which started only 10 days ago, happened while taking 5 mg of Cialis daily or every other day for BPH (Bening Prostatic Hyperplasia). Only had 52 tablets over about 2-3 months. But, I had recently taken 4 weeks of Levaquin and was taking 6 weeks of Bactrim concurrently for a prostate infection. Also, have had Levaquin and IV Vancomycin in the past.

The back story is that I have been using earbuds for 20 years, mostly for podcasts, but never at high volume. I have the usual history of a few very loud concerts and clubs at a younger age, and lawn mowers without protection. I live at 7500 feet and sometimes I didn’t wear head protection in the cold. I grind my teeth and have post-nasal drip. So, pretty much a straight flush of oto-nastiness.

My theory is that there are a limited number of insults you can inflict upon your ears before the damage finally becomes apparent. In my case, antibiotics and Cialis seem to have been the breaking point.

 

I'm sorry to hear that. Has your tinnitus improved, and, if so, how long did it take to improve?

 

Wish there was a safe boner pill. Can’t do anything with a floop lol.