Metronidazole Has Spiked Tinnitus Like Crazy — Will It Go Away?

[Rust]

Hi all,

I have just completed day 2 of a 5 day metronidazole antibiotic dose (400mg x3 per day) for a stomach bug, and it has progressively made my tinnitus much much worse in both ears.

I cannot handle it like this, and I am stopping the antibiotics now.

Does anyone have any knowledge/experience if it can subside on its own? Or is it more likely permanent? I certainly hope not as this is scary.

Thank you in advance.

 

[Rust]

Anyone have any experience with metronidazole?

 

[gotyoubynuts]

Anyone have any experience with metronidazole?

I took it for 10 days, no problems.

I think it's safe!

 

[Rust]

I took it for 10 days, no problems.

I think it's safe!

Really? 2 days and my ears have gone through the roof!

 

[RayX]

Hi

Early April I took 3x500mg of metronidazol for 10 days. This caused a huuuuuge spike of tinnitus. Its driving me completely nuts. True torture. Hope you can give me some hope. Do you still have the tinnitus?

Thanks

Ray

 

[Rust]

Hi

Early April I took 3x500mg of metronidazol for 10 days. This caused a huuuuuge spike of tinnitus. Its driving me completely nuts. True torture. Hope you can give me some hope. Do you still have the tinnitus?

Thanks

Ray

Hi there RayX,

The spike definitely subsided after a few weeks. I did however stop the dose early. I'm sure that given time yours will improve too.

Sometimes there seem to be some many things modern life that can spike our tinnitus.

Take care man

 

[RayX]

Hi there RayX,

The spike definitely subsided after a few weeks. I did however stop the dose early. I'm sure that given time yours will improve too.

Sometimes there seem to be some many things modern life that can spike our tinnitus.

Take care man

Hi Rust,

Thanks for the encouragement. It now been more than 10 weeks since it started. I've had a few reasonably good days but for the most it has been, and is, very tough. Even today I feel it's even louder than day one. Is there anything you did that you feel helped you in the process or was it just 'time'?

I'm keeping faith it will eventually decrease but what a ride it is... Its true psychological warfare. But if I can keep myself from going crazy (and sometimes I really doubt this), I can handle anything life is planning on throwing at me

Ray

 

[Rust]

Hi Rust,

Thanks for the encouragement. It now been more than 10 weeks since it started. I've had a few reasonably good days but for the most it has been, and is, very tough. Even today I feel it's even louder than day one. Is there anything you did that you feel helped you in the process or was it just 'time'?

I'm keeping faith it will eventually decrease but what a ride it is... Its true psychological warfare. But if I can keep myself from going crazy (and sometimes I really doubt this), I can handle anything life is planning on throwing at me

Ray

Hi there Ray,

No problem. That sounds encouraging that you have had some good days. To me, that demonstrates that your ears are potentially on the mend. It's very difficult to say, because tinnitus seems to be such a different beast for everyone, with each of our bodies reacting differently to things/sounds/substances.

Like you say, I think time is the best healer – that in itself can help you to get used to the tinnitus whilst healing too. For me, I find that my spikes seem to merge into one. For instance, I hear a loud sound that causes a spike before the first spike has healed. Sometimes this can go on for a few months of subsequent new spikes, and I simply to not know what spike is what anymore! I believe that was the case with the Metronidazole. Either way, after a few months I felt fine.

Stay strong man!

On another note, I'm currently going though the worst spike since I got tinnitus properly 3.5 years ago. Last week I was unfortunate enough to be 11–12m away from a person who shot a handgun. My ears were not protected and I was taken completely by surprise. It was so loud that I do not even know if this will heal. I am just praying and trusting that it will. Time will also be what I need in this case too, I believe.

 

[RayX]

Thanks Rust, hope your spike doesn’t last long.

As you say, its different for everyone. I have a coworker who has suffered from T for several years. Yet the way he deals with it is totally different from how I do.

But what sometimes scares me most is the the thought that my brain itself produces these noises . I can often kinda feel my brain being Active. Like a there is a probe inside my head zapping me with electricity. And I wonder how it is impacting my body/brain. Its so very very strange...

Oh and I had an appointment with an ENT specialist. Very disappointing. He started with telling me that I should realise that I was going to get the most benefit from being able to ask him questions as he was not going to be able to answer any of them. Needless to say I left within minutes.

For now, I’m holding on to the sporadic ‘ good’ days. It’s probably my brain/ears healing. I’m sure of it

 

[Ryan Edwards]

Hey all. I recently took Metronidazole for a water infection, 5 days, 400mg twice a day. At the time my tinnitus didn't seem too affected but progressively it has spiked my tinnitus to the point now it's the worst it's ever been. It's been two weeks since finishing the course now.

 

[TinaRuns]

Hey all. I recently took Metronidazole for a water infection, 5 days, 400mg twice a day. At the time my tinnitus didn't seem too affected but progressively it has spiked my tinnitus to the point now it's the worst it's ever been. It's been two weeks since finishing the course now.

Hello. I know this is an old thread but I'm desperate. I've been prescribed Metronidazole and I'm terrified. I can't handle worsening tinnitus that becomes permanent. But I'm taking the medicine for c diff, which must be treated and can be fatal. The other drug choices look equally risky. I'm just wondering for you or Ray -- did your spike eventually calm down? I've had other medications cause temporary spikes (including the Moderna vaccine) but they usually get better. The vaccine was the worst -- spike lasted 3-4 weeks and truly terrified me. I have had severe tinnitus starting about 1.5 years ago due to ear infection. I had surgery 3.5 months ago -- tymoanoplasty. Tinnitus much worse after surgery but then improved to a *tolerable but still very depressing* level. Now I've had the unbelievably bad luck of getting bitten by a wild kitten I was trying to rescue, then heavy antibiotics, which led to a c diff infection, caused by the antibiotics. Jesus. I really have no choice but just wondering whether spikes from Metronidazole improved over time.

Thanks very much for any feedback from anyone with experience with this drug!

 

[Ryan Edwards]

My spike did eventually calm down after months, but that may have just been my brain adapting to the higher tone and screening it out.

 

[Deskas]

Hi Ryan,

I was prescribed a 10-day course 3 times day X 500mg for stomach issue. I stopped on day 7 because it raised the level of my tinnitus.

How are you doing now since it has been 8 months? Is your tinnitus level down or still high? Do you think it got better or your brain adjusted to it?

Please let me know. Thanks.

 

[IanT]

11 years later and it's still there, so I'd say that for some people the answer to "will it go away?" is a definite No.