Arcoxia and Hearing Damage / Tinnitus

[Rings-a-Bell]

I recently was prescribed 7 days of anti-inflammatory painkiller pills for a pulled shoulder that wasn't healing on it's own. I researched the painkiller --Arcoxia-- and it appeared to be like Ibuprofen but with less known ototoxic effects.

I take hearing tests all the time using my noise cancelling Boise headphones and a cellphone app. My worst hearing damage is in my right ear... It's a 45 dB drop drop at 4000 Hz... right where my tinnitus is. My hearing loss test is stable and repeatable... has been for years now.

5 days into the painkiller I noticed my tinnitus was spiking HUGE. So I stopped. It's been 4 days now and the spike continues.... What's worse is it appears my hearing loss has increased. The 4000hz tones I used to be able to hear at the 45 dB setting I now cannot hear at all. At 50 dB I can just barely hear them. Strangely enough, only the area where the worst of the damage already was got affected. Only my worst frequency measurement on my worst ear.

So now what do I do? The tinnitus is crazy. My partial habituation is gone. I am taking Magnesium and Fish Oil but they aren't doing anything. Considering a short term blast of prednisone. No idea of prednisone helps for ototoxic hearing damage vs noise induced.

 

[Bill Bauer]

There is still a chance that it will fade...

Damn! I see that it is listed on
http://hearinglosshelp.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/tinnitusdruglist2013.pdf

It is Not listed on
http://hlaa-sbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Ototoxic_Brochure.pdf

 

[Rings-a-Bell]

To be honest, I knew that tinnitus was a rare side effect of the drug... But it was supposed to be less dangerous than Ibuprofen (which I use on occasion without any problems) so I figured I could do it for a week without taking too big a risk. Still hoping it subsides but the hearing loss scares me. I get spikes from loud noise exposure too but never additional hearing loss. That is new.

 

[Bill Bauer]

Still hoping it subsides but the hearing loss scares me.

I've read posts on this forum describing people regaining some lost hearing after a while. I hope this will be your case!

 

[Gman]

I took Arcoxia for around 3 days last year after minor surgery. I can't say definitively that it had an effect on my tinnitus, but around that time I had a total meltdown that included worsening of tinnitus. So not sure if Arcoxia had an impact or weird complications from the surgery. Recently I was prescribed another COX-2 inhibitor but didn't touch it. I wouldn't touch these or any other nsaid ever again. They're all ototoxic. Enduring pain without drugs is the only way for me now, maybe a tiny amount of acetaminophen.

 

[Rings-a-Bell]

Just to complete the internet documatation on this, it's now been a couple of weeks and my hearing test value at 4000hz has returned to baseline! T is also at baseline! So it was not a permanent effect.

 

[JohnAdams]

Yet again another FDA approved tinntius generator. They should be paying for people to get the cure when if and when it comes out.

 

[Rings-a-Bell]

Actually the FDA hasn't approved it due to potential cardio-vascular issues. It's used in plenty of other places though...

 

[JohnAdams]

Actually the FDA hasn't approved it due to potential cardio-vascular issues. It's used in plenty of other places though...

Ah you're right.