Hearing loss and thyroid medication: Is there a connection?

@ainsleigh Hearing loss due to a decrease in a medication prescribed by an endocrinologist does seem concerning.

You'll notice that I added this discussion to the endocrinology group.

May I ask what your providers/doctors have said about the hearing loss?

I am wondering if you had diagnosed hearing loss prior to your current situation. If so, was the doctor who put you on the thyroid medication aware of your hearing loss. You may want to find out if the medication you've been taking is ototoxic. People with hearing loss should be sure that all medical professionals who treat them are aware of it.

Hi Lacy2. No problem jumping in. So many of these topics overlap. It's hard to keep track of them all. Ototoxicity is a real issue. I don't know why it's not considered when doctors are prescribing medication. It seems like many good physicians just don't know enough about hearing issues to understand this. About 8 years ago I had an eye infection. My physician, an Ophthalmologist, prescribed a medication that I knew to be ototoxic. I told him that I was not comfortable taking that medication. It was like I punched him in the gut. He did not like my saying that, and argued with me about my hearing loss issues. It was awful. At the time, I had a brochure that included a long list of ototoxic medications. Thus, I was able to show him that brochure. Bottom line was that he had never considered this an issue. Thankfully, I was prescribed something different that worked for me.

Unfortunately, in some situations ototoxic medications are the only available options for a particular health issue. Mostly chemotherapy. It's a tough one. Tinnitus

Sadly, hearing loss has been disregarded in many medical situations over time.

According to information I've read over time, tinnitus can be caused by some medications. Most often though, it is caused by excess noise. There is so much to learn, and we are all different.

Arghh! Don't you hate when they say things like that? I am tolerating tremors because the risks of the anti-tremor med are not tolerable to me. And I agree about preserving eyesight - so much relies on it - I am absolutely vigilant about my glaucoma meds and appointments.
Sue

Here's a resource with information about ototoxic medications, along with a list of ototoxic drugs/medications. They are not all prescription drugs; many over the counter medications are on the list.

List of Ototoxic Drugs that Cause Tinnitus

Certain prescription drugs can, over time, have an ototoxic effect on your hearing, causing hearing loss and ear ringing from tinnitus. Ototoxicity may be reversible or may be permanent, depending on the type of medication used, dosage and duration of treatment. There are many medications that have been listed as potentially ototoxic drugs, including antidepressants, antibiotics, and many painkillers.

What are ototoxic drugs?
Ototoxic medications have a toxic effect on the nerve cells of your inner ears. Over time, long-term usage of certain prescription medications can result in tinnitus or hearing loss.

Please speak with your doctor before discontinuing or reducing your intake of any medication.

Here is a list of medications that can potentially cause tinnitus.

Salicylates – Aspirin and aspirin containing products
Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS) – Advil, Aleve, Anaprox, Clinoril, Feldene, Indocin, Lodine, Motrin, Nalfon, Naprosyn, Nuprin, Poradol, Voltarin.
Antibiotics – Aminoglycosides, Erythromycin, Vancomycin
Aminoglycosides – Streptomycin, Kanamycin, Neomycin, Gantamycin, Tobramysin, Amikacin, and Netilmicin
Erythromycin – EES, Eryc, E-mycin, Ilosone, Pediazole and new derivatives of Erythromycin, Biaxin, and Zithromax
Vancomycin – Vincocin
Loop Diuretics – Lasix, Endecrin, and Bumex
Chemotherapy Agents – Cisplatin, Nitrogen Mustard, and Vincristine
Quinine – Aralen, Atabrine (for treatment of malaria), Legatrin, and Q-Vel Muscle Relaxant (for treatment of night cramps)

Ototoxic drugs that worsen tinnitus
Many prescription and nonprescription medicines can worsen ringing in the ears (tinnitus).

Starting a new medication or increasing your dose of ototoxic prescription drugs can make symptoms of tinnitus more pronounced.

Medicines that commonly cause tinnitus or make tinnitus worse include some of the following:

Antibiotics
Antidepressants.
Anti-inflammatory medicines
Blood pressure medicine
Heart medicines
Local anesthetic agents
Medicines used to treat cancer
Medicine used to treat Parkinson’s disease
Radiation therapy to the head or neck.
Some vitamins or mineral supplements, such as niacin or vitamin A.
Water pills (diuretics)
The signs of ototoxicity, in order of frequency
Symptoms of ototoxic drug reaction include:

a) Development of tinnitus in one or both ears.

b) Intensification of existing tinnitus or the appearance of a new sound.

c) Fullness or pressure in the ears other than being caused by infection.

d) Awareness of hearing loss in an unaffected ear or the progression of an existing loss.

e) Development of vertigo or a spinning sensation usually aggravated by motion which may or may not be accompanied by nausea.”

It is strongly suggested that if any of these symptoms develop while taking any medication, call your doctor immediately.

Antioxidants help with tinnitus
If you must take ototoxic medications, it is a good idea to also take antioxidants, in order to lower your chances for developing tinnitus.

@ainsleigh, I'm wondering if you've had a chance to talk to your endocrinologist about the possible connection between your thyroid condition, the medication and worsening hearing loss?

Yes I did speak to her but she did not seem to think there is a connection.

Hi, I'm now in my 50s, and I've been on thyroid meds since I was age 30. I've never experienced hearing loss from the meds. I had Graves Disease, my thyroid was removed.

@julieo4 This is terrific and really valuable information -- thanks for posting it. Colleen - Would it be possible to set this info in a separate thread on Ototoxic Medications under the hearing group discussion so it isn't lost in this thread and is available for everyone to find? John Bishop recently asked what sources people went to and relied on for good medical information. One of my go-to sites is Worst Pills/Best Pills, which is a project of Public Citizen. Their independent doctors and researchers evaluate medications and often point out problems years before the FDA and others issue warnings. If I find his post, I'll put this information there too. Thanks!
Nancy

That's a great idea, Nancy. @julieo4, would you mind starting a new discussion about Ototoxicity and Hearing Loss and reposting the information you posted here?