Tinnitus can be caused by a variety of medications (Ringing in the Ears)

 Many prescription and over-the-counter drugs have the potential to be "ototoxic," or hazardous to the ears.

Tinnitus can be produced by ototoxic drugs, which damage the sensory cells in the inner ear. Balance and hearing rely upon those cells.

Tinnitus issues may go away if the medicine is stopped or the dosage is altered. Tinnitus caused by ototoxic medications, on the other hand, can be long-term or permanent in some cases.

Tinnitus does not occur in everyone who takes an ototoxic drug. Exposure to loud noise while taking the drug, for example, may raise your risk.

We'll go over several common ototoxic drugs in this article, as well as what you can do to avoid tinnitus.

Don’t stop taking prescribed medication without first consulting your doctor

If you’ve been prescribed an ototoxic medication, don’t stop taking it without first discussing an alternative with your doctor.

If you think you may be developing tinnitus as a result of the medication, your doctor may be able to prescribe a different dosage or a medication that does not have tinnitus as a potential side effect.

1. Pain medications (analgesics)

Analgesics are pain medications. They’re available as over-the-counter medications and by prescription. Your doctor may prescribe an analgesic for you to reduce pain caused by arthritis, tendinitis, and other conditions. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and acetaminophen are two types of analgesic medications.

Analgesic drugs that may cause tinnitus include:

high dose aspirin

acetaminophen (Tylenol)

ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil)

diclofenac (Voltaren)

naproxen (Aleve)

celecoxib (Celebrex)

mefenamic acid (Ponstel)

etoricoxib (Arcoxia)

Analgesics are taken by millions of people annually, without causing tinnitus. However, long-term moderate and high dose uses are both associated with this effect. Tinnitus caused by NSAIDs and acetaminophen is usually temporary and resolves once the medication is stopped. However, persistent tinnitus can also occur. A longitudinal studyTrusted Source of 69,455 women found that frequent, moderate-dose use of aspirin, NSAIDs, and acetaminophen were all associated with the occurrence of persistent tinnitus.

2. Antibiotics with aminoglycosides

Antibiotics called aminoglycosides are broad-spectrum antibiotics that are used to treat germs like E. coli. They function by preventing the bacteria from producing protein. Antibiotics of this class can be recommended for both children and adults. They're sometimes given as an injection. Aminoglycoside drugs can sometimes cause permanent tinnitus. There have also been reports of hearing loss. If you have a family history of this condition, you may be more susceptible to this adverse effect.

Antibiotics using aminoglycosides include:

gentamicin\stobramycin

paromomycin\samikacin\splazomicin\sstreptomycin\sneomycin\

3. Cancer chemotherapy medications

Chemotherapy drugs come in a variety of forms. The type of cancer you have will impact the sort of treatment you receive. Chemotherapy medications, particularly those based on platinum, can be extremely ototoxic. As a result, your oncologist may have your hearing checked during treatment to see if dosage adjustments or other changes are necessary. Chemotherapy medicines can induce hearing loss and tinnitus, which can be permanent or transient. You may be more susceptible to ototoxic consequences if you already have hearing loss.

The following chemotherapeutic medications can produce tinnitus:

Testicular, lung, bladder, cervical, and ovarian cancers are all treated with cisplatin.

Carboplatin is a chemotherapy drug used to treat tumours of the head and neck, lungs, ovary, breast, bladder, and other organs. Colorectal cancer is treated with oxaliplatin.

4. Diuretics with loops

Loop diuretics are drugs that are administered to treat fluid retention caused by disorders like:

heart attack, cirrhosis \sedema \shypertension

Tinnitus produced by loop diuretics is usually just transitory and goes away after the drug is stopped. Loop diuretics, on the other hand, can cause permanent tinnitus if taken in large dosages or in combination with other ototoxic drugs.

The following loop diuretics are known to have this effect:

furosemide is a kind of furosemide that is used to (Lasix) the drug torsemide (Demadex)

5. Malaria-prevention drugs

When anti-malarial drugs are taken at high quantities for an extended length of time, they are more likely to cause tinnitus. Tinnitus is rarely caused by short-term use, but it might happen.

Tinnitus caused by short-term anti-malaria medication is usually only transient.

The following anti-malarial medicines have been linked to tinnitus:

Quinine hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) is a drug that is used to treat autoimmune illnesses like Lupus.

Tinnitus prevention recommendations

• Consider restricting your usage of ototoxic over-the-counter drugs and adjusting your dosage if you take them frequently.

• Before starting treatment with an ototoxic medicine, consult an audiologist or an ear, nose, and throat specialist. A baseline hearing test as well as a balancing test can be performed by a hearing specialist.

• During treatment, have your hearing and balance checked to see if anything has changed.
• If you develop tinnitus, hearing loss, or balance problems, talk to your doctor about changing your dosage or switching medications. You may also be able to temporarily cease using a prescribed medicine to see if the tinnitus goes away.
• Consult a hearing professional about tinnitus control measures that will allow you to keep taking your prescribed medications. Hearing aids, tinnitus masking, and tinnitus retraining therapy are all examples of tinnitus therapy.

Takeaway

Over 200 drugs are ototoxic, meaning they can induce or exacerbate tinnitus or hearing loss. Analgesics like aspirin and ibuprofen, as well as chemotherapy medicines like cisplatin, are among them.

Tinnitus caused by ototoxic drugs can be either transitory or permanent. In many cases, your doctor may be able to adjust your dosage or prescribe a drug that does not cause tinnitus as a side effect.