I Now Have Tinnitus After Receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine

[Mamabear]

The evening of the day I received the 1st Pfizer vaccine, January 4th, I had a sudden onset of intense itching deep into my right ear, which was the side I received my injection on. This itching went down deep into my Eustachian tube and lasted about an hour before it finally stopped. I then had itching in that ear on and off but more mild and would feel occasional warmth come and go in and around that ear over the next couple of weeks.

I then developed tinnitus 17 days after receiving the vaccine. The ringing began the day before I was to get my second shot, and no, I did not get the second shot. The ringing has been constant and has not stopped since.

It has now been 8 weeks. I have had two rounds of steroids, one round of antibiotics that unfortunately did not help. My doctor did see some fluid behind my ears and so I tried Allegra D and then Mucinex D initially, to no avail. She feels this is related to the COVID-19 vaccine. I have seen an ENT and they say nothing can be done about tinnitus other than coping strategies. I reported this to VAERS. This needs to be brought out in the open and not dismissed! I was perfectly fine prior to this vaccine. Now, I don't know if I'll ever be able to enjoy silence again.

I want to say that Tinnitus Talk has been a blessing over these past two months. I feel for everyone here that is suffering with this. I sympathize with you and pray this resolves for each and every one here. I have tried a few things that seem to be helping me get by. I am currently trying the Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar regimen recommended by Bill on this site. I already took calcium and magnesium to sleep prior to this and I added 5 mg of sublingual Melatonin and 1/2 of a Benadryl tablet. I already slept with a white noise machine that I love and I do believe its helped me in this instance. It is a Marpac Dohm Yogasleep Original white noise machine I bought at Bed, Bath & Beyond. I am so very grateful to be able to even sleep with this ringing. The first few days I cried a lot. I was very distressed and didn't know what to do. I feel being able to sleep has been imperative to me being able to cope with this, work and care for my family.

 

[Tvan]

Thank you for posting Mamabear. I've had occasional mild ringing in my ears in the past.

My Wife and I received the first dose of the Pfizer shot, waited the 15 minutes, all was well so we were on our way. 20 minutes into heading back home I told her the ringing in my ears was crazy loud. No itching, just loud.

Your post is the only thing on the entire internet I have found regarding tinnitus as being a side effect of the Pfizer vaccine. I've asked around and nobody's heard of it being a side effect. I was beginning to think I was the only one.

 

[Ken219]

I was beginning to think I was the only one

No you are not alone.

University of Manchester found that tinnitus could be a COVID-19 symptom – some patients of the virus are reporting a loss in hearing and ringing of the ears.

Recently, individuals have been raising concerns about hearing loss as a side effect of the COVID-19 vaccine.

They don't always tell you the facts. As for showing celebrities and high ranking politicians getting the vaccine, we have no idea if the shot is just water? Celebrity sells.

 

[MaryA]

Hello all,
I, too, have been afflicted with loud tinnitus after the Moderna vaccine. Back on Feb 6th it started a few days after my 2nd dose. Life has not been the same. Have been to ENT, family MD. On antihistamines, but had allergy symptoms due to living in Florida. In the beginning, felt despair. Hold on, pray, and it does get slightly better. But I'm still haunted by it. Can't sleep. Going to another ENT this week. May start prednisone. MRI head and neck normal, so praying that helps. Someone on this forum suggested hot shower. That helped me to relax and mask the noise temporarily. Praying for you and everyone here .

 

[CanadianMaple]

I can't believe how many people are reporting this. Vaccines contain small amounts of the virus, right? So in theory you are getting a very minor "infection"?

It's pretty clear to me though either way, COVID-19 can also cause hearing loss and SEVERE tinnitus. I read a report saying near 15% report tinnitus after infection. This is crazy guys!

 

[ajc]

Vaccines contain small amounts of the virus, right? So in theory you are getting a very minor "infection"?

No.

 

[CanadianMaple]

Ah okay. Shows how much I researched the vaccine lol

Weird it is causing auditory symptoms similar.

 

[Leila]

University of Manchester found that tinnitus could be a COVID-19 symptom – some patients of the virus are reporting a loss in hearing and ringing of the ears.

Hearing loss is something I observed (well, that as well as a facial tic) in my dad after he got his shots. He was already quite incapacitated when it comes to hearing so he blamed the additional hearing loss on people intentionally mumbling and his hearing aids being crap, but as far as I can tell we were able to have normal conversations before his first shot and now I'm back to shouting at him even though his hearing aids have been checked and adjusted.

 

[Leila]

Vaccines contain small amounts of the virus, right? So in theory you are getting a very minor "infection"?

That's the way egg- / cell-based vaccines work, a weakened form of the virus gets injected into your body so your T-lymphocytes can learn about it and, hopefully, be prepared to counter it when confronted with the wild version of said virus.

It is different with mRNA-based vaccines, though. With these vaccines part of the virus, in COVID-19 the spike protein, is manufactured to trigger the immune response in your cells and not your bloodstream.

This has been a problem in animal testings so far because when challenged with the wild version of the virus it often didn't read as a potential danger to the host's body.

 

[Ken219]

@Leila, you appear to have knowledge of COVID-19 and the vaccines. Do you think as more people are vaccinated, more will also have hearing problems?

 

[Leila]

Do you think as more people are vaccinated, more will also have hearing problems?

That's a prediction I wouldn't dare to make

Having said this: your sense of hearing (among others) is in a part of your body where the necessary blood supply is delivered via very VERY fine blood vessels which often are one way streets - and if these vessels or the access to them for whatever reason becomes clogged random deficit manifestations are likely to occur.

The cancer activist Myriam von M asked her followers on Facebook to write about their vaccine experiences and more than 1300 people replied to her request. From their answers I can tell you that quite a number of people suffered from a sore arm, headaches, shakes, tiredness, severe pain, fever, diarrhea, vomiting, visual snow, facioplegia... while others didn't experience any symptoms at all.

You can check out her Facbook page for yourself, it is, however, in German.

 

[MaryA]

I had a twitch in my upper lip for a few weeks after the vaccine, too, in addition to this tinnitus. It was awful but the twitch went away after about 3 to 4 weeks. Just thought I'd share that with you and see if anyone else had that.

 

[PortugalTheMan]

It may be that with this COVID-19 giving rise to tinnitus, the search for treatments and cures can be expanded so that we can hear the silence sooner. Until then we will put up with this suffering. That is, the more people suffers from tinnitus, the more interest there will be in treatments.

 

[CathyJ]

I am so thankful I found this site. I have had tinnitus off and on most of my life. I first noticed it as a kid when I took aspirin. Aspirin also made things smell odd or at least a weird nasal sensation. Tequila does the same thing. I haven't used either for decades. As an adult I got it off and on now and then, weeks or months apart. After reading here I found out that I have both the high pitched "ring" in both ears and the pulse matching type in my left ear. The bouts never last more than a few hours. On Sunday (March 28) I got my first Pfizer vaccine. I was ok except for a sore arm--and that wasn't even bad. I woke at 2 a.m. on March 29 to tinnitus in both ears. It has not stopped. I am very thankful it is not overly loud, but it is annoying. I am wondering if it will wear off or not. Has anyone "recovered" from vaccine caused?

 

[K.A.]

Just a couple of questions to those of you that gotten tinnitus after vaccination:

Have you taken many vaccines before, not experiencing anything like this (even temporary)?

Did you notice if the shot(s) were injected correctly as "intramuscular injections", so that it did not hit the bloodstream? (I have read that some vaccinated people complained that the ones injecting the vaccines did not use the proper method, which supposedly is to try to draw some blood into the syringe before injecting to verify that a blood vessel is not hit.)

Hope you will improve!

 

[Jay G]

it may be that with this COVID-19 giving rise to tinnitus, the search for treatments and cures can be expanded so that we can hear the silence sooner. Until then we will put up with this suffering. That is, the more people suffers from tinnitus, the more interest there will be in treatments.

I agree. Judging from the trend in Google searches, I suspect we will be "hearing" more about this. The math I have seen is that the vaccine causes between 1 in 10,000 and 1 in 30,000 people report tinnitus as a side effect.

https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?q=tinnitus

 

[Laura_mc_girl]

Tvan, I posted previously on this forum about the Pfizer vaccine and tinnitus. I am also on a few tinnitus groups on Facebook and there has been extensive discussion on this topic on all the forums. I had a bad case of tinnitus in July last year and my tinnitus started a couple of months later. I got my first Pfizer dose on March 13th and my tinnitus got a lot worse a few hours after I got the vaccine. It's much louder and 24/7. I've had some relief a couple of days this week so I'm hopeful it will eventually subside to at least the tolerable level I had prior to the vaccine.

 

[Tvan]

Laura_mc_girl, thank you for asking.

Before I begin I don't want to discourage anyone from getting vaccinated. If I were to go back in time knowing what I know now I would still get vaccinated.

The ringing was loud for the first couple days. At the time I told myself it was a good sign my body was fighting the vaccine.

Ringing never completely went away but subsided to manageable for a few days. Then again Friday after work through Sunday morning was raging. Subsided again until this morning and now it's raging again.

I racked my brain wondering what could be setting it off. Stress from work would explain Friday through Sunday morning. BP? I've been making sure I don't forget to take my medication. Also, getting up this morning with it raging again shouldn't be attributed to stress.

Also, it does help knowing there are others here on this forum understanding what I'm saying. At times it seems as if people don't believe it's related to the vaccine.

 

[MaryA]

@K.A., I have never experienced anything like this with any other vaccine, but this vaccine is different from others as it's mRNA. Also, it's possible the injection could have been performed incorrectly. I'm a nurse and still have trouble wrapping my head around all this. The ENT told me it shouldn't cause tinnitus, but it's so new, how do they know? This forum is a great support and I personally don't mind speaking to anyone directly for support. Praying for you. Stay strong.

 

[BuzzyBee]

Please keep posting updates on whether or not the vaccine tinnitus is going back to baseline. I was planning on getting the vaccine, but after reading these threads I'm terrified of it.

 

[daniel l]

I had a twitch in my upper lip for a few weeks after the vaccine, too, in addition to this tinnitus. It was awful but the twitch went away after about 3 to 4 weeks. Just thought I'd share that with you and see if anyone else had that.

Thanks for this info. Did you go back and take the second dose?

 

[TRunk7]

I have a history of tinnitus (4 years). Likely linked to hypothyroidism (autoimmune). It has been manageable and I have mostly been able to ignore it.

I took the first Pfizer dose last Thursday March 25th. I was fine until Sunday March 28th. Mid afternoon it was as if a switch was flipped and suddenly the tinnitus was cranked up. I am no longer able to ignore it.

It's been almost a week post vaccine and no change.

I'm hesitant about taking a second dose. I follow Dr. Monica Gandhi at UCSF, an infectious disease expert, on Twitter. I told her my situation. She responded by saying the mRNA vaccines are proving to be 80 to 92% effective after the first dose and recommends I don't take the second dose.

I'm not sure. I want maximum protection as I'm high risk. I could also postpone the second vaccine up to 42 days to see if it resolves.

I am wondering if anyone's vaccine-related tinnitus has resolved after a while? Or if anyone has gotten the second dose and found that their tinnitus has gotten even worse?

I'm also wondering if the worsening of tinnitus is happening to those with inflammatory (Autoimmune) disease as a source of their tinnitus? Advice? Thoughts?

 

[Matchbox]

Some serious statistics need to be ran, because to be blunt, it's hard to say a vaccine caused tinnitus, when there's so many people who develop tinnitus on a regular basis and also now a large portion of the population being vaccinated.

Correlation may not be causation, but like I said real numbers need to be ran to see if it's a more "significant" amount than those who normally develop tinnitus anyways after any other vaccine or immune reaction or idiopathically.

Of course... I wouldn't trust Moderna to be running those statistics and tweaking the parameters jussssst enough so it falls off significance.

 

[MaryA]

@daniel l, thank you for the question. Yes I had the second dose. After that I got the tinnitus. I can tell you at this posting I have had seen improvement. Most of it came 1 month after vaccine. Today thank GOD has been my best day yet. I went to ENT and they removed a dog hair from my eardrum. I believe that was definitely contributing to the discomfort I was having. The ringing isn't gone but seems less invasive. Praying it stays quieter than before and keeps on until silent. Today I experienced 5 full minutes of silence. No ringing. Broke down and cried. It's been weeks since I felt normal.

I only got the Moderna vaccine because my husband got a cancer diagnosis over Christmas. I'm telling him not to get it. This ringing along with fighting cancer would be ridiculous. My Dad suffers from tinnitus and got 1 dose of Moderna. I told him to skip the 2nd. He is 86.

Good luck with your decision if you are contemplating the vaccine. Take care.

 

[jjflyman]

Yes I had the second dose. After that I got the tinnitus. I can tell you at this posting I have had seen improvement. Most of it came 1 month after vaccine. Today thank GOD has been my best day yet. I went to ENT and they removed a dog hair from my eardrum. I believe that was definitely contributing to the discomfort I was having. The ringing isn't gone but seems less invasive. Praying it stays quieter than before and keeps on until silent. Today I experienced 5 full minutes of silence. No ringing. Broke down and cried. It's been weeks since I felt normal.

Thanks for the update. I have been nearly tinnitus free for a year now after an acoustic trauma 4 years ago. It took over 3 years to fade 95%. I developed a bad spike about 10 days after my first Pfizer shot. It has been about a week now and the spike is still there, but is showing slight improvement. I am very distressed from it and don't know if I should get my second shot next week. I can't find much information about the vaccine causing tinnitus, but the actual COVID-19 infection can definitely cause tinnitus (maybe permanent?)

If I knew the tinnitus from the vaccine was only temporary (even if it lasted a few months) I would get the second shot and just put up with a temporary spike. You are the first poster I see who gave an update that the tinnitus is fading.

Please keep us updated in the next few days.

 

[Sinewave]

I'm very sorry that other too are suffering from this terrible condition.

I had the AstraZeneca vaccine and now have tinnitus.

It occurred within hours of the injection. I really wish I hadn't got it now. I'm not even in a high risk group.

I felt socially compelled to have it done. I won't be getting the 2nd or any other vaccine.

I have made an appointment with the Dr but to be honest I'm not expecting much to come of it. I was hoping it was just temporary but it has been over a week now.

 

[Sinewave]

Thanks for the update. I have been nearly tinnitus free for a year now after an acoustic trauma 4 years ago. It took over 3 years to fade 95%. I developed a bad spike about 10 days after my first Pfizer shot. It has been about a week now and the spike is still there, but is showing slight improvement. I am very distressed from it and don't know if I should get my second shot next week. I can't find much information about the vaccine causing tinnitus, but the actual COVID-19 infection can definitely cause tinnitus (maybe permanent?)

If I knew the tinnitus from the vaccine was only temporary (even if it lasted a few months) I would get the second shot and just put up with a temporary spike. You are the first poster I see who gave an update that the tinnitus is fading.

Please keep us updated in the next few days.

I was fine and within hours it started. It's very common and never talked about.

 

[jjflyman]

I was fine and within hours it started. It's very common and never talked about.

View attachment 44390

Thank you for that chart... I never saw it before.

So it looks like ear pain and tinnitus are a common side effect. I'm sure that chart will bring a lot of comfort to those of us here suffering from that side effect. I don't see in the chart any information about how long it can last? Days, weeks, months? Is it permanent?

Also, did I understand you correctly that you got a tinnitus spike after your vaccination and it went away?

Thank you for responding!

 

[Sinewave]

Thank you for that chart... I never saw it before.

So it looks like ear pain and tinnitus are a common side effect. I'm sure that chart will bring a lot of comfort to those of us here suffering from that side effect. I don't see in the chart any information about how long it can last? Days, weeks, months? Is it permanent?

Also, did I understand you correctly that you got a tinnitus spike after your vaccination and it went away?

Thank you for responding!

Here is the latest chart - I'm not sure how much I believe the numbers as I have friends also suffering side effects. One of them had anaphylactic shock and could have died.

https://assets.publishing.service.g...VID-19_AstraZeneca_Vaccine_Analysis_Print.pdf

What is unclear is where the info is coming from. It says All UK spontaneous reports received.

But it's not like they have done a follow up on post vaccination and maybe a lot of the side effects are not getting reported.

By most accounts the likelihood of side effects increase in the younger age groups.

I still have tinnitus and it's no better.

 

[CathyJ]

Just a couple of questions to those of you that gotten tinnitus after vaccination:

Have you taken many vaccines before, not experiencing anything like this (even temporary)?

Did you notice if the shot(s) were injected correctly as "intramuscular injections", so that it did not hit the bloodstream? (I have read that some vaccinated people complained that the ones injecting the vaccines did not use the proper method, which supposedly is to try to draw some blood into the syringe before injecting to verify that a blood vessel is not hit.)

Hope you will improve!

I have never had tinnitus after a vaccine and the injection was given correctly. I'm not scared of needles so I always watch and the needle went in and the plunger followed. My tinnitus is no worse or better since. I always sleep with white noise and it is louder than the fan I use, but doesn't stop me from sleeping thank goodness. I did contact my doctor and he said give this another week to resolve before pursuing treatment. Note: I had the Pfizer vaccine (dose 1).