Flonase and Tinnitus

[CrystalB]

I have had tinnitus for 6 months!
Don't know what caused it, it just happened one morning.
It's a very loud high pitch squeal, ring.
Static and a hum sometimes a clicking.

I have had a CAT scan and an MRI with contrast all comes back normal.
Also have had a hearing test which was perfect.

I recently went back to my doctor for a regular check up and she says I have fluid in both ears she thinks due to my bad allergies, she says she doesn't want to give up on me yet trying to get rid of the ringing, and every time I go she sees fluid.

She prescribed Flonase, I'm so desperate to get rid of this ringing!

I have taken Flonase for 4 days, and yesterday the ringing was the worst I believe it has ever been! It was so loud I couldn't even go into a restaurant to eat, I cried all the way back home because I wanted the Flonase to work. Why on earth would my tinnitus get worse due to Flonase?

I went to sleep last night feeling hopeless, and this morning I woke up it seems like it's back to its normal high pitch state.

My ears pop and crack all the time, started when my tinnitus started, they fill full.

The Flonase helped with opening me up with my Sinus and I fill more open and better, but why my tinnitus getting more louder with it? I just don't understand!

Could it be just a bad bad spike or the Flonase?

 

[BobK544]

I got a huge resurgence of tinnitus after taking NasaCort, so beware of any medications and those companies don't know how to test for tinnitus effects.

 

[Tinker Bell]

Flonase actually seemed to help my tinnitus, but I take Claritin along with it.

Maybe it seems worse because your sinuses are draining more, which could impact your Eustachian tubes and make tinnitus louder.

 

[Rafaa]

I've started taking a steroid spray, initially it was worse. But the sound has dampened. It could be fluid is moving about like the above poster has said?

I've just discovered doing the valsalva manuveour is a no go because it may push mucus back into the ear.

Did the ENT do an endoscope of your Eustachian tubes?

 

[annV]

Flonase doesn't have tinnitus as a side effect!

 

[CrystalB]

Thanks for all the input!
The ENT didn't do a endoscope of my Eustachain tube, he just keeps prescribing antidepressants or something to me, that I don't take because I feel like there is something wrong with my ears, especially since fluid is in them. They pop a lot. I just wish they would look more into it.

What is a valsalva maneuver?

 

[annV]

What is a valsalva maneuver?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valsalva_maneuver

 

[nicole m]

I feel like we have similarities in our situation.
I've been using flonase too, for about a week. I had the same concern of flonase making my tinnitus worse, so every night before bed I just use it then right before I'm ready to sleep. It hasn't affected my tinnitus.

I had very good advice from someone on here.. I truly believe T is just a signal from your mind. If you try to believe you can ignore it - you train your mind to reassure its not a threat. Try not stress about it all costs.

This technique I just found on YouTube helped me out at times it seems hard:

 

[Pleasure_Paulie]

Flonase has not made my tinnitus worse. But there is a lot of other steroid sprays like nassonex you could try. They will give you a similar effect of opening up your sinuses.

 

[Rafaa]

I should be responsible and update my initial comment. Make sure you do not have patulous eustachian tube, which I just found out is my problem. I could feel my ear drums moving and my ET because it was making it worse. i thought the effect meant it was healing but its not. nasal steroids are a no go for Patulous eustachian tube. If you have ETD that is, when its stuck closed, then it could work for you. Many ENT's struggle to distinguish the two.

 

[CrystalB]

I have a update I went to the ENT about 3 weeks ago, he said that with my hearing test back in December I have Eustachian tube dysfunction that it showed pressure in my right ear, I have tinnitus in both but my right is by far the worse. He told me to keep using nose spray, I have started a new nose spray but so far it's helped with my ears not feeling as full but my tinnitus is still there in full swing.

He said he didn't know though for sure if that is what's causing my tinnitus it not.
He mentioned surgery in 3 months for my Eustachian tube but he said it was up to me if I wanted it done or not. He said he didn't know if it would help my tinnitus.
I can hear my tinnitus over everything thing.

I have noticed when I move my lower jaw forward it makes my tinnitus louder until I move my jaw back.

My left ear pops and cracks and my right seems like it doesn't want to pop at all until I push kinda hard to make it pop.

The ENT didn't tell me I had Eustachian tube dysfunction until now and I saw him way back in December of last year! I know he had prescribed prednisone I took for about a week but it didn't help with the ringing.

 

[CrystalB]

And also, I was wondering if anyone knew what the cause of this is, I will try to pop my right ear and it won't pop but sound gets louder in it and I hear like wind in it, does that mean my Eustachian tube is already open?

 

[Rafaa]

And also, I was wondering if anyone knew what the cause of this is, I will try to pop my right ear and it won't pop but sound gets louder in it and I hear like wind in it, does that mean my Eustachian tube is already open?

after you try popping and hear the wind, dont swallow, then breath in from the nostril. If you feel wind hitting your ear drum you have patulous ET.

if thats the case stop the nasal spray before you ruin your other ET like I did mine.

I confirmed my PET myself, by doing heavy cardio and noticed my ETs were open and all crackling was gone, then did this and found clicking and crackling in ETs were gone too as the solution would fill my ET. Try it if you suspect it after the first thing.

 

[Lilah]

Questions for everyone who took the full course of Flonase/fluticasone nasal spray, did you initially get a spike in your T which then subsided the longer you used Flonase? How long did you take Flonase and did it help? I used it for one day and there is a spike. I have negative ear pressure in both ears and hope this will help in the long run.

Did you take your Flonase at night or morning? Does it make a difference?

 

[Lane]

I used it for one day and there is a spike.

Hi @Lilah -- If it was me, I wouldn't pursue this Flonase experiment any farther, and instead try something that was less likely to cause a spike. You may want to consider the following testimonial from THIS SITE

"I folded a handkerchief into a 1 and a half inches width and poured a few drops of Citronella Essential Oil on it. I laid down on my bed and placed the handkerchief over my nose in contact with the oil. I breathed in and out through the handkerchief for half an hour. I felt the sting of the Citronella fumes in my sinuses, so I controlled my inhaling to prevent too much pain. But other than that there was no harm experienced by me by inhaling this oil.

Anyway, after half hour of such inhalation, I experienced a discharge of watery mucus from my nostrils like having a cold. I sensed something good about it. I cleared my nose. After that my tinnitus of 2 years was gone for good! Imagine after despairing for so long and searching here and there on the Internet for a cure, I bumped into one myself. And this happened like 10 months ago and the tinnitus has never returned. I am completely cured.

 

[PortalNaut]

Not sure why there are two threads on page 1 one of this forum on Flonase, but as I have some experience with it, I will respond. I think it was beneficial for me. The beginning: Once I ended my Prednisone treatment, I was looking for some other steroid to somehow take. I randomly found an old thread on TT where someone asked referring to their experience that when taking Flonase for an allergy that their T got better, and one person responded with a "yeah, weird huh."

That was enough for me to check out Flonase and seeing it being a steroid in the same family as Prednisone....and after other research, I began taking it. So I took it from week 4 of my onset to the end of month 4, so for 3 months (months 2,3,4,). There is a max limitation of taking Flonase of 6-9 months so I knew I couldn't take it forever. Plus with T, at that point, I was trying to help my hair cells and at some point (by my thinking) I can only do so much for them.

So, I as I said I think for me it was definitely beneficial. Several times I noted (in my notes) that the T volume would get reduced by half. I took it generally several times a day, and I noted I sometimes took it "extra" when I heard the T rise up in volume.

 

[Arjay]

Be careful with long term use of Flonase or any steroid based nasal spray, it can raise intraocular pressure and lead to steroid induced glaucoma if it's overdone. Also, many people do not realize the proper way to use nasal sprays. You do not want the spray going straight up your nose. You want the nasal spray pointing towards the back of your head, almost perpendicular to your nose when you inhale it. Try a steam inhaler several times a day instead. It works wonders clearing eustachian tubes.

 

[Arjay]

You do not want the spray going straight up your nose..

Pointing the nozzle straight up towards the top of your head will help your sinuses....but not your ears

 

[PortalNaut]

Thanks @Arjay for the input. I had read of angling the dispenser as you suggested and did it somewhat, for those reasons - get it to ET not sinuses. Wasn't aware of the glaucoma risk which has a fair amount of mention, although there are mixed views as to cause of glaucoma.

Did find this study which suggest it may not be a risk for healthy patients. Still, caution all, particularly if you are prone or have glaucoma.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4910615/

 

[Brooklyn NY]

Hi, I have been using Flonase maybe once or twice a month for last several months with no problems. After using it last night,I have had a spike all day today. Could it be something else besides the Flonase? Thanks...

 

[AmericanJosh]

I have had tinnitus for 6 months!
Don't know what caused it, it just happened one morning.
It's a very loud high pitch squeal, ring.
Static and a hum sometimes a clicking.

I have had a CAT scan and an MRI with contrast all comes back normal.
Also have had a hearing test which was perfect.

I recently went back to my doctor for a regular check up and she says I have fluid in both ears she thinks due to my bad allergies, she says she doesn't want to give up on me yet trying to get rid of the ringing, and every time I go she sees fluid.

She prescribed Flonase, I'm so desperate to get rid of this ringing!

I have taken Flonase for 4 days, and yesterday the ringing was the worst I believe it has ever been! It was so loud I couldn't even go into a restaurant to eat, I cried all the way back home because I wanted the Flonase to work. Why on earth would my tinnitus get worse due to Flonase?

I went to sleep last night feeling hopeless, and this morning I woke up it seems like it's back to its normal high pitch state.

My ears pop and crack all the time, started when my tinnitus started, they fill full.

The Flonase helped with opening me up with my Sinus and I fill more open and better, but why my tinnitus getting more louder with it? I just don't understand!

Could it be just a bad bad spike or the Flonase?

According to the prescribing info, tinnitus is a side effect of otc cortisone nasal sprays for about 1% of users.

 

[Lilah]

How long do you have to use Flonase before seeing improvement in your T?

 

[PortalNaut]

For me...basically very quickly, I suppose within 5 minutes.

 

[Lilah]

A question for those who went through the full course of Flonase - did you see a reduction but initially experienced spikes? When do you start seeing improvement? I looked through the threads but did not find an answer.

I am now on Day 2 and my T is so loud. I tried Flonase in early January for about 10 days, now I remember why I stopped. My ENT wants me to give it another chance. She wants me to use this along with Azelastine for 2 months.

 

[CrystalB]

A question for those who went through the full course of Flonase - did you see a reduction but initially experienced spikes? When do you start seeing improvement? I looked through the threads but did not find an answer.

I am now on Day 2 and my T is so loud. I tried Flonase in early January for about 10 days, now I remember why I stopped. My ENT wants me to give it another chance. She wants me to use this along with Azelastine for 2 months.

I used Flonase for maybe a week and it gave me spikes, I don't know why it did. I stopped it and was put on another nose spray that seemed to work a lot better with not making my tinnitus as loud. Has your ENT thought about prescribing maybe something else?

 

[Lane]

My ENT wants me to give it another chance.

Your ENT doesn't have to live with the consequences if flonase makes matters worse. I'd say trust your gut as to whether it's a good idea to give it another chance. Your intuition would likely be better than your ENT's.

 

[Lilah]

I used Flonase for maybe a week and it gave me spikes, I don't know why it did. I stopped it and was put on another nose spray that seemed to work a lot better with not making my tinnitus as loud. Has your ENT thought about prescribing maybe something else?

What was the other spray. The ent also prescribed Azelastine.

 

[Lilah]

I'm planning to take Flonase for a month at least, so I can definitely rule it out if it doesn't work instead of wondering about it in the future. I do think it has increased my T. The increase fades away after stopping Flonase (and Azelastine), correct?

 

[CrystalB]

What was the other spray. The ent also prescribed Azelastine.

The other spray is called mometasone furoate, my ENT said he actually liked that one better than Flonase.

 

[Lilah]

I have taken Flonase and Azelastine for a full week (morning and night) and have not noticed improvement. I did have a milder morning and afternoon yesterday, but since yesterday late afternoon and until this evening the sound has been loud and intense. Should I have noticed at least some improvement by now? Planning to stop.