Omeprazole and Tinnitus

Kaelon

Kaelon

Member
Author
Benefactor
Nov 6, 2014
290
Boston, Mass.
www.kaelon.com
Tinnitus Since
11/2014
Cause of Tinnitus
Muscle Spasms
#1
I've spoken with @Karen separately about the role of ototoxic drugs on the onset and severity of Tinnitus, and for some time I thought that my Tinnitus was either being caused, or aggravated, by an ototoxic drug. Recently, I've been responding very well to a course of amoxicillin and prednisone for a suspected inner ear infection. However, a few days ago, I also re-started on 40 mg of Omeprazole that my GI doctor has insisted I should really be taking to treat my GERD. While I was generally feeling better with my Tinnitus during the first few days of the antibiotic and steroid treatment, today I've found that (on my 3rd day of taking Omeprazole) my Tinnitus is back up to a 3/10 or 4/10. Not as severe as before, but definitely thoroughly distracting and loud enough to hear over conversations. I'm starting to think this isn't coincidence.

Does anyone have any experience with or knowledge about Omeprazole's potential role in Tinnitus? The information online is pretty spotty -- it's a known side effect in uncommon and rare cases.
 
#2
Kaelon said:
I've spoken with @Karen separately about the role of ototoxic drugs on the onset and severity of Tinnitus, and for some time I thought that my Tinnitus was either being caused, or aggravated, by an ototoxic drug. Recently, I've been responding very well to a course of amoxicillin and prednisone for a suspected inner ear infection. However, a few days ago, I also re-started on 40 mg of Omeprazole that my GI doctor has insisted I should really be taking to treat my GERD. While I was generally feeling better with my Tinnitus during the first few days of the antibiotic and steroid treatment, today I've found that (on my 3rd day of taking Omeprazole) my Tinnitus is back up to a 3/10 or 4/10. Not as severe as before, but definitely thoroughly distracting and loud enough to hear over conversations. I'm starting to think this isn't coincidence.

Does anyone have any experience with or knowledge about Omeprazole's potential role in Tinnitus? The information online is pretty spotty -- it's a known side effect in uncommon and rare cases.
Click to expand...
Wow Kaelon not sure its a coincidence but I too am on omeprarzole and have been for 7 years if you look at the side effects although very low one of them is T.
 
#3
In my experience, when i take omeprazole (or pantoprazole) + antibiotics, the tinnitus tends to lower... It could be a subjective experience as many many other drugs ... the package leaflet of many of them reports tha T could be a side effect.
Best wishes
 
#4
Yeah, @Carlos1, it's disconcerting to say the least - and Omeprazole takes ~2-3 days to reach critical mass to start working on the lower esophageal system and inhibit proton production in the stomach. So, it stands to reason that 2-3 days after re-starting Omeprazole, if my T has become louder, perhaps I have a sensitivity to Omeprazole and possibly other drugs with Tinnitus as a side effect. I've been reading that inflammation is again an aggravating factor here, and it's been clear to me that I am already dealing with some sort of inflammatory condition.

I have a question: does your T "pulse" in some way? That's not to say that it's "pulsatile" (which is classically defined as being a neurovascular conflict of some sort, like a compressed vein or a blockage in an artery), but that the T grows louder or softer with each heartbeat. In my case, my T's volume is in sync with my heartbeats, which I have learned is a common circumstance associated with inflammation. It's similar to the "pounding" sensation people get when they get severe headaches - it's tissues that have swollen and are basically throbbing.
 
#5
Viking said:
In my experience, when i take omeprazole (or pantoprazole) + antibiotics, the tinnitus tends to lower... It could be a subjective experience as many many other drugs ... the package leaflet of many of them reports tha T could be a side effect.
Best wishes
Click to expand...

Interesting; thanks, @Viking. Because Omeprazole is so widely prescribed and generally considered safe, I was alarmed by the anecdotal reports that people have had that they are sensitive to Omeprazole. But because I had been recovering and feeling so much better the past couple of days, but then started to get this strange spike this morning after taking my third dose of Omeprazole, I thought it might be more than just a coincidence.

I'll discontinue the Omeprazole and report back in a few days to see if the T goes down. I've read that short-term Omeprazole, even at high doses like 40 mg, generally is flushed out of the system in 2-3 days and does not have any lasting ototoxic effects.
 
#6
Kaelon said:
I'll discontinue the Omeprazole and report back in a few days to see if the T goes down. I've read that short-term Omeprazole, even at high doses like 40 mg, generally is flushed out of the system in 2-3 days and does not have any lasting ototoxic effects.
Click to expand...
Yes. I think it's the best thing. If it is the fault of omeprazole you'll see in a short time.
do not worry
Best regards
 
#7
Kaelon said:
Yeah, @Carlos1, it's disconcerting to say the least - and Omeprazole takes ~2-3 days to reach critical mass to start working on the lower esophageal system and inhibit proton production in the stomach. So, it stands to reason that 2-3 days after re-starting Omeprazole, if my T has become louder, perhaps I have a sensitivity to Omeprazole and possibly other drugs with Tinnitus as a side effect. I've been reading that inflammation is again an aggravating factor here, and it's been clear to me that I am already dealing with some sort of inflammatory condition.

I have a question: does your T "pulse" in some way? That's not to say that it's "pulsatile" (which is classically defined as being a neurovascular conflict of some sort, like a compressed vein or a blockage in an artery), but that the T grows louder or softer with each heartbeat. In my case, my T's volume is in sync with my heartbeats, which I have learned is a common circumstance associated with inflammation. It's similar to the "pounding" sensation people get when they get severe headaches - it's tissues that have swollen and are basically throbbing.
Click to expand...
My T is high pitch eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee with a oscillating eeeeeee over that......very weird ...My GP told me to try cutting back on the Omep but it really didn't change my T
 
#8
Carlos1 said:
My T is high pitch eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee with a oscillating eeeeeee over that......very weird ...My GP told me to try cutting back on the Omep but it really didn't change my T
Click to expand...

That's exactly like my Tinnitus. A very high pitched sound with an oscillating fluctuation to it. If I listen particularly closely, and check my heartbeat, the oscillation is exactly in sync with my heartbeat. This is ordinarily a sign of inflammation, I am told.

I took Omeprazole this morning before the T really surged later in the morning, but I will be discontinuing tomorrow and reporting back later in the week to see if there's any improvement.
 
#9
Just updating everyone here that I didn't take Omeprazole today, and haven't had the same level of intensity of Tinnitus as I had yesterday. This seems too soon to be causal -- Omeprazole remains in the bloodstream for 2-3 days after taking, and I took it yesterday -- but it's enough that, given how well I am doing recovering in the interim, I'm going to try and hold off on Omeprazole for now until the Tinnitus gets resolved or managed.
 
#10
Kaelon said:
Just updating everyone here that I didn't take Omeprazole today, and haven't had the same level of intensity of Tinnitus as I had yesterday. This seems too soon to be causal -- Omeprazole remains in the bloodstream for 2-3 days after taking, and I took it yesterday -- but it's enough that, given how well I am doing recovering in the interim, I'm going to try and hold off on Omeprazole for now until the Tinnitus gets resolved or managed.
Click to expand...
Agree. Wait others 2 or 3 days to hear if there is an effective correlation. Alternatively, if you need a gastroprotective drug, pantoprazole is very effective and I have never had problems about tinnitus. I hope you can solve your problems as soon as possible.
Best wishes
 
#11
There is really no way of knowing for sure if it caused, contributed or even aggravates your tinnitus. There are so many other factors.

Personally, I think these type drugs are over-prescribed (Nexium is #3 in 2014 in prescriptions and sales) and unless you have a serious medical condition/disease that requires a proton pump inhibitor, then I would look into other ways of reducing acid reflux such as adjusting diet/foods and/or losing weight. How did GERD become an epidemic in the last 10 years? There is even recent evidence that these types of drugs can cause other health issues. Of course, you need to consult your doctor first on any of this before changing, adjusting dosage or stopping any current med.
 
#14
I searched for a thread referring to this topic, couldn't find it, but guessed there may be one in ototoxic drugs. Anyway, I wonder if anybody is on Omeprozole here, the PPi drug for reflux etc? I'm trying very hard to get off it because I think it's responsible for aggravating my already off the scale T, it's hard getting off these drugs, but the side effect states at the bottom, tinnitus as a side effect... Am I the only one thinking on these lines? Don't get me wrong, it hasn't caused my T, but it sure seems to be making it worse.

Interested to hear from anyone wondering about this drug.

Ps, I'm on warfarin and beta blocker too.
 
#15
I don't know if its relevant to you, but there is some apparent evidence of PPI's like omeprazole blocking magnesium absorption. A lot of people do try to treat their T with magnesium supplements so whether low Mag. levels are what is worsening your T? The report I saw also said that taking Mag supplements while on a PPI was pointless because it didn't absorb. I didn't keep track of the paper because at the time I didn't appreciate what it was saying and I've seen nothing since.
 
#16
I'm on ommeprazole as I have something called Barrets disease. I assure you the internet is great place to go for worrying information that isn't accurate. I've done a lot of research on PPI'S. They aren't perfect but they are not ototoxic. If you are elderly they may slightly interfere with calcium and magnesium. This is very unlikely if you are otherwise young, fit and healthy. That said if you are worried get checked. If you don't need to be on PPI'S then don't be. If you have to be and you are low on magnesium or calcium, you can take a citrate supplement. These don't rely on stomach acid to absorb!
 
#21
xXHotelCrazyXx said:
@BobDigi
So are you saying that the prilosec won't damage the ears but can make T temporarily worse?
Click to expand...
It won't do either mate. It isn't a drug that works in that way. It shuts down some of the proton pumps in your stomach responsible for producing stomach acid. It isn't going to do anything to your ears.
There's a theoretical chance it could lower iron and magnesium in your body which could aggravate/cause t (because of low magnesium) but it's very unlikely unless you are elderly or have other relevant health conditions.
You can be checked for low magnesium levels if you are really worried. Or take a good quality magnesium citrate supplement.
Citrate basically means it doesn't require stomach acid to absorb. Hope this helps. Feel free to ask anymore questions.
 
#22
@BobDigi thank you for the really thought out response. I appreciate it. I've been taking omeprazole for about a month and my T just started getting worse out of no where. I've stopped taking it as of this morning hoping it goes back to baseline
 
#24
xXHotelCrazyXx said:
@BobDigi thank you for the really thought out response. I appreciate it. I've been taking omeprazole for about a month and my T just started getting worse out of no where. I've stopped taking it as of this morning hoping it goes back to baseline
Click to expand...
No problem. If you don't need them then don't take them. If you do then carry on. Remember that everyone who is currently having a spike has probably eaten bread or drunk water. But it wasn't the bread or water that caused a spike. Tinnitus is such an unpredictable thing there's always something we can blame for it. So if you need it, don't worry it won't effect your t. If you don't, don't take it.
 
#25
Hmm.. this is interesting; I've taken this for years. When T started I stopped for a week and it reduced, i started again and T isn't as it was during that week. Might be on to something here!
 
#26
Apparently all meds' used for reducing stomach acidity are quite highly ototoxic. (see list below.)
Known as proton pump drugs.
Musicians - brass and reed blowers also vocalists - are at risk of developing hiatus hernia, as a result of diaphragmatic breathing, (pulling the stomach in, to control high note production) which in turn leads to hiatus hernia, and acid reflux.
AR is very common in the general population however, my doc tells me that over 40% of his patients are on it. He says "I wish I'd invented it!"
These meds are highly effective in preventing stomach acid damage to the oesophogus, and oesophageal cancer, so if you need that protection you are in a double bind.
I believe my T was caused by a combination of noise damage, and ototoxicity.
Whatever the cause, acceptance and effective management is the way forward.

Age of people who have Tinnitus when taking Omeprazole *:
  • 0-1: 0.37 %
  • 2-9: 0.37 %
  • 10-19: 2.97 %
  • 20-29: 3.72 %
  • 30-39: 10.41 %
  • 40-49: 9.85 %
  • 50-59: 23.98 %
  • 60+: 48.33 %
  • It doesn't quote for the over 70s.
  • Jazzer x
 
#27
I have just been reprimanded, probably rightly, for not researching threads on omeprazole.
Perhaps my knowledge of diaphragmatic breathing, subsequent hiatus hernia, and the consequent need to protect the oesophagus, may be of interest to blowers and musos.
I have seen no reference to that particular aspect so far.
 
#28
The trouble is that acid reflux is not only uncomfortable, but dangerous....can lead to Barratt's Oesophagus, a precursor to cancer.
But can Gavisgon, as an alternative, give enough protection?
 
#29
I'm on Omeprozole, at only 10mg daily, it's needed as the heartburn is seriously bad without because I take warfarin which is making my stomach sore. I had never linked it to T, and I'm not sure that I want to, I'll worry about the acid in the oesophagus. This is all a tangled web.
 
#30
I found this study from the Netherlands - specific to Omeprazole. I think my ears are very sensitive to ototoxic drugs. I started this med for acid-reflux and ringing came back. I stopped two days ago and the ringing was gone yesterday and I have a very faint high pitch infrequently throughout today. Here's to hope... https://databankws.lareb.nl/Downloads/KWB_2013_3_(Es)omeprazole_and_tinnitus.pdf
 

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