Tinnitus refers to a constant sound in the ears. Certain medications, including pain relief, chemotherapy, and malaria medications, can cause the condition.
People often describe tinnitus as a ringing noise, but it may also present as a buzzing or roaring sensation. The condition’s underlying causes are unclear but may include exposure to loud noises, hearing loss, ear infections, or head injuries. Tinnitus can also develop as an adverse effect of ototoxic medications, which are drugs that affect the inner ear.
Aminoglycosides are antibiotics that can treat a wide range of infections. They prevent bacteria from producing certain proteins, which damage their cells and kill them. Several types of aminoglycosides can be ototoxic in different ways, which may lead to tinnitus.
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- amikacin
- neomycin
- kanamycin
- tobramycin
However, the review notes that there is no specific test for tinnitus. This makes it difficult for researchers to assess how common it is as a side effect of aminoglycosides.
Chemotherapy drugs target and kill different types of cancer cells. The type of chemotherapy drugs someone takes depends on their cancer diagnosis. They may cause a range of side effects, one of which might be tinnitus. The risk of tinnitus is particularly high with chemotherapy drugs that
These drugs include cisplatin and carboplatin, which may cause
These over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications
Analgesic drugs with links to tinnitus can include:
- aspirin at high doses
- acetaminophen
- ibuprofen
- naproxen
- diclofenac, when taken as ear drops
- celecoxib
- mefenamic acid
- etoricoxib
- etodolac
Pain relief medication use in the United States is extremely common. According to a 2020 review, tinnitus due to NSAIDs and other pain relief medications generally reverses when a person stops taking them.
Drugs to treat malaria, a mosquito-borne infection, may carry some risk of tinnitus.
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According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), over 200 medications and chemicals are ototoxic. Tinnitus is often the earliest sign of exposure to ototoxic medications.
Usually, there is no proven way to prevent tinnitus while taking ototoxic drugs. However, the tinnitus effects of some of these drugs are reduced or stopped when someone cuts their dosage or stops taking them.
However, it is important to monitor hearing and check for tinnitus so that a doctor can advise on stopping or changing the medication if the risks outweigh the benefits. Many drugs have alternatives that treat the same condition. An audiologist, who is a hearing specialist, should measure baseline hearing levels with tests before starting ototoxic drugs.
Often, the benefits of taking a medication outweigh the risks. People need to attend regular hearing tests and speak with a doctor about tinnitus symptoms if they cannot stop taking a tinnitus-inducing medication.
Individuals can try to manage the tinnitus directly if they need to keep taking an ototoxic medication. However, no single therapy works for everyone with the condition. These nondrug approaches might include:
- cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or counseling to help people cope with the tinnitus
- tinnitus retraining therapy, which uses sound therapy to help the brain tune out tinnitus
- hearing aids, if tinnitus occurs alongside hearing loss
Ototoxic drugs, including various medications for cancer, malaria, and infections, as well as pain relievers, can cause tinnitus and hearing loss as side effects. Higher doses are often more likely to cause tinnitus, which often stops when people pause or stop taking the medication.
It is crucial to consult a doctor about side effects before stopping medication. For some conditions, the risks of not taking medication are higher than living with the side effects. Ongoing hearing testing and consultation can help people manage ototoxic tinnitus.