What Medications Cause Tinnitus?
Have you ever experienced ringing or whooshing in your ears? That’s Tinnitus, a medical term for hearing noises in your ears. The noises have no external source, and people hear several types of noises when experiencing it.
Tinnitus is a symptom of ear-related health conditions. It is not limited to ringing; people with tinnitus can also hear clicking, pulsing, humming, or other internal noises in their ears. It affects more than 50 million people in the United States.
Understanding the Link Between Medications and Tinnitus
Certain medications can be known to cause tinnitus for people taking them. This is because those medications are potentially harmful to your ears. They can cause damage to the sensory cells in your inner ear, thus leading to tinnitus. The tinnitus is simply a symptom of the inner ear damage, not the issue itself.
What is an Ototoxic Medication?
Medications that cause inner ear damage are called ototoxic. These medications can mess with the integrity of the hair cells that allow you to perceive sound. Some of these medications are common, and the risk factor depends on:
- The type of medication The dosage
- How long you’ve been taking it
- If you’re taking more than one ototoxic drug simultaneously
Common Medications That Can Cause Tinnitus
While the risk of tinnitus may be outweighed by the need for specific medications, it’s important to know if a medication you’re taking puts you at risk of inner ear damage and tinnitus. Some of these are available over the counter, but some require a prescription. In that case, you might already know about this side effect.
We’ve compiled a list of common types of medications that can cause tinnitus.
NSAIDs
Studies have shown that increased use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can increase the risk of experiencing tinnitus. NSAIDs also show a low risk of causing hearing loss. However, both of these side effects are reversible once you stop taking the medication. The risk of tinnitus with NSAIDs is correlated to the dosage taken. Low doses have not been shown to increase your risk.
Acetaminophen
A study of frequent acetaminophen use in women showed a greater chance of developing tinnitus. Frequent was categorized as taking acetaminophen six to seven times a week. Less frequent use was not shown to increase the chances of tinnitus.
Benzodiazepines
Drugs such as Xanax, Valium, and Ativan are used to treat conditions like anxiety. While they are not shown to cause tinnitus when taking them, there is a low risk of developing it when people stop taking these medications. Tinnitus is a rare symptom of benzodiazepine withdrawal.
Antidepressants
There have been reports of people experiencing tinnitus when starting or stopping certain antidepressants. Tinnitus has been linked to some tricyclic antidepressants, SNRIs, and SSRIs. This is a rare side effect; you may benefit from switching medications.
Antibiotics
Aminoglycosides are specific types of antibiotics known for ototoxicity. Aminoglycosides are especially risky for children. These antibiotics come in several forms, from intravenous to topical. It’s worth noting the topical versions do not carry the same risk of tinnitus as the infusions do. Extended use of macrolide antibiotics has also been reported to cause tinnitus.
Beta-blockers
These medications treat high blood pressure and other cardiac health conditions. Tinnitus has been reported with metoprolol and nebivolol, two types of beta-blockers. It can be challenging to know if tinnitus is being caused by the medication or the hypertension it is treating since it is a symptom. You may need to monitor your blood pressure if you’re experiencing tinnitus to see if it’s out of range. Normal blood pressure range is typically 120/80.
ACE inhibitors
Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are another type of hypertension medication that has been seen to potentially cause tinnitus. Again, it is worth reiterating that tinnitus might be a symptom of high blood pressure and not caused by the medication.
How To Manage and Prevent Tinnitus
If your tinnitus is medication-induced, you have a few options. You can either lower your dosage or switch to a different medication. If neither of those is an option because the benefits of the drug outweigh the risk of tinnitus, then you can do a couple of things to mitigate the effects.
Get a noise machine to help distract from the ringing in your ears. It may help reduce the tinnitus by giving you something else to focus on. You can also purchase in-ear noise generators that produce continuous white noise. These drown out any ringing or pulsing in your ears. There are also sleep options that go over your ear since sleeping with earbuds in isn’t recommended.
Get Your Hearing Checked with Beltone
If you experience ringing in your ears, consult your doctor to determine whether your medication is causing it. It’s also important to have your hearing checked regularly for any changes.
Consider getting hearing aids if your tinnitus is caused by hearing loss. These can minimize the sensation of hearing sounds in your ears. Beltone DFW can help you find the right hearing aid for your lifestyle. We offer in-office and online hearing tests for your convenience.
