Tinnitus and medication

While relatively few drugs exist to treat tinnitus, there are over two hundred drugs which might cause tinnitus as a side effect of use. The technical term for medications which are known to cause tinnitus, or a ringing in the ears, is ototoxic. These medications are damaging to the cochlear or vestibular ear structures. Sometimes ototoxic meds will cause more than tinnitus – dizziness, vertigo, and actual hearing loss are also risks involved with taking these medications.

tinnitus treatments

If you are experiencing tinnitus, and are on prescription drugs, those drugs might be your culprit. A consultation with your doctor and possibly some tests may confirm that your tinnitus is the result of ototoxic medications, in which case your doctor will most likely switch your medications, unless the risks of doing so outweigh the benefits. While there are extensive lists of drugs that list tinnitus as a side effect, some have only manifested systems in as few as a single patient; this means two things: do not fret if you have tinnitus and are taking a drug on the list, as it may not be the cause, and two, just because your medication is not on the list, does not mean it couldn’t be a cause of ringing ears.

Known Examples of Ototoxic Medications

• Antibiotics: Several antibiotics have been identified as tinnitus causing medications. Some examples include chloramphenicol, aminoglycosides, erythromycin, vancomycin, and tetracycline.
• Aspirin is among the most commonly associated with tinnitus side effects. Effects usually appear with regular, heavy use, such as six to ten doses of aspirin per day. Others include some nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, especially Relafen, or nabumetone, with which tinnitus is reported as a side effect in as many as nine percent of users.
• Ibuprofen related tinnitus is reported in less than three percent of users.
• Individuals who take BuSpar, an anti-anxiety medication, report tinnitus as a frequently experienced side effect.
• Lariam, an antimalarial drug, has some of the highest instances of tinnitus side effects.
• Methazolamide, also known a Neptazane, Glauctabs, or MZM also has a high percentage of tinnitus reported as a side effect of use. MZM is a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor to treat glaucoma among other uses.
• Many chemotherapy drugs are implicated in tinnitus cases, including vincristine, bleomycin, mechlorethamine, cisplatin, and methotrexate.
• Almost seven percent of Xanax users report tinnitus among side effects. Interestingly, Xanax can also be extremely helpful in the treatment of tinnitus. This tranquilizer is commonly used to treat anxiety disorders, but showed efficicacy in the treatment of tinnitus in double blind studies. Careful, though; Xanax can be addicting.
• Beware of some loop diuretics such as ethacrynic acid, bumetanide, or furosemide.
• Xylocaine, a local anesthetic in frequent use, has some of the highest percentages of tinnitus in users. It is commonly employed as a dental anesthetic, or for minor surgeries. It is also used topically to alleviate pain from skin inflammations and related burning, itching, and pain.

Tinnitus is actually quite common, affecting over 50 million American adults every year. But of those 50 million, only about 12 million will actually seek ringing ears treatment. For some, tinnitus is just an annoyance, but for others, it can affect your ability to live a healthy and happy life. These are the patients that will seek medical care.

One of the main causes for tinnitus is loud music or noise. There is a larger incidence of ringing in the ears for those who work where the noise level is high or those who consistently listen to loud music. This is why it is so important to use sound-blocking earphones when working in a high noise level area.

There are a number of conditions that can lead to tinnitus, including ear blockages due to wax build-up, ear infections, a perforated eardrum, natural aging, Meniere’s disease, temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ), otosclerosis, injuries to the head or neck and certain drugs. There are over 200 drugs that list ringing in the ears as a side effect. Tinnitus can get worse if you drink alcohol, have too much caffeine, smoke or feel stressed.

If Tinnitus is suspected, the physician will begin with a thorough physical examination. Next, a hearing test will be administered. Although ringing of the ears is sometimes associated with hearing loss, this isn’t necessarily the case. In fact, some people report that their hearing is extra sensitive and they need ear plugs to block some of the sound. A CT-scan and/or a MRI may be ordered to rule out a tumor. Although rare, tumors may sometimes lead to ringing in the ears.

The physician needs to find the condition that has led to tinnitus. Once the condition is pinpointed, then a treatment for the ringing ears can be decided. For instance, if the ringing of the ears is due to wax build-up, then the physician can remove the wax and further prescribe better methods for keeping the ears clean. Some conditions that may lead to ringing in the ears will not be able to be treated. For instance, as people age, ringing in the ears becomes more common. Unfortunately, Tinnitus may be a nuisance and sometimes it cannot be cured.

One unconventional ringing ears treatment is to supplement your diet with niacin. Some doctors feel this helps, but there is no scientific proof that it does. Patients should use caution when adding a niacin supplement since it can cause skin flushing.

There are a number of ways to prevent ringing in the ears. As mentioned above, wearing noise-reducing headphones when working in high level noise areas is very important. Also, do not put anything in your ear, especially cotton swabs. These can push the earwax further into the ear and lead to tinnitus. Make an effort to protect your ears from loud noises by carrying ear plugs when you will be somewhere that you know will have unusually loud sounds. For instance, ear plugs can help at music concerts and air shows.

Since there isn’t a lot of ringing of the ear treatments, it is important to take all the measures possible to lessen the severity of tinnitus. There are a number of ways to do this, including avoiding all loud noises and sounds, keeping your blood pressure in check, decreasing your salt intake, reducing anxiety, adding more exercise to your daily routine, avoiding caffeine and nicotine, getting enough rest and avoiding fatigue and trying to keep your mind occupied. You can also play music or leave the TV on to attempt to mask the ringing in your ears. If you are listening to other sounds, you may be less aware of the ringing. Also, check which medications you are taking. If possible avoid all aspirin and aspirin-type products.