Share Your Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccine Experience: Any Impact on Your Tinnitus or Hyperacusis?

[Whynot123]

I had the Moderna shot 5 weeks ago with no change to my tinnitus. I'm now afraid to get the second one after reading here... I know that if I'm expecting it to potentially get louder my brain will for sure trick me into thinking it's louder. Ugh.

But I wanted to report no change after the first shot.

 

[martha patoka]

I have not had problems with tinnitus since first diagnosed in 2013.

However, after receiving one dose of Moderna, my tinnitus returned and is intolerable. It has been almost 6 weeks since first jab.

Because of immediate allergic reactions I was advised to NOT get dose 2.

 

[Greg Sacramento]

I received my second Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. No increase in severe tinnitus yet. My wife is a PD for a school district and so far no reports of hearing problems, tinnitus or tinnitus spikes with their Pfizer vaccine program. 45,000 employees and 90,000 family members have received vaccinations so far.

 

[moxie]

I had my first Pfizer shot one week ago and my tinnitus is up. I'm not sure if it's from the shot or not but I think so. I now wish I had not get it.

 

[Matchbox]

At least one person had tinnitus go down with Moderna vaccination on Facebook.

 

[teacher34]

I had the Moderna shot 5 weeks ago with no change to my tinnitus. I'm now afraid to get the second one after reading here... I know that if I'm expecting it to potentially get louder my brain will for sure trick me into thinking it's louder. Ugh.

But I wanted to report no change after the first shot.

If you had no negative reaction after your first shot, it seems unlikely the second shot would cause you a problem.

I'm 3 days past my second Moderna shot and haven't had any issues thus far. I got chills and a headache for a day after getting the 2nd shot, but no tinnitus spike.

And that's even though I did have a mild spike for a few weeks after getting the first shot (the spike started within a day of getting the first shot). That spike did completely return to baseline by the time I was scheduled for my second shot.

I'm glad I'm vaccinated as COVID-19 can cause/increase tinnitus.

 

[Kriszti]

3 anecdotes from people about AstraZeneca vaccine, first dose.

One had absolutely no negative change to tinnitus, it even was quieter than normally; one had an elevation to their otherwise fading tinnitus; and one with no previous tinnitus had an onset combined with heavy dizziness. This last person said that 8 hours after getting the shot their temperature reached 39 C, and high volume ringing and dizziness started. Fever went away by next day, dizziness lasted 2 days, ringing in the ears went away after 4 days.

 

[alexberger]

I just wanted to report no increase in tinnitus from first or second dose of Pfizer vaccine.

My second Pfizer dose was almost 3 weeks ago.

I also want to add that I know 4 people with tinnitus in real life and none of them experienced increased tinnitus after the vaccine (3 Pfizer and 1 Moderna).

 

[simb999]

I had the Pfizer vaccine on Sunday 28 February.

No effect on tinnitus or hyperacusis. Phew!

 

[Meagan G.]

Hi, I started having tinnitus in 2005 during a period in my life where I suffered from an anxiety disorder. I learned to overcome the anxiety and have been living with mild tinnitus in my right ear and mild buzzing overhead since then.

I received the 1st dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on February 17, 2021. I have two tinnitus responses to mention: one week after the shot my normally mild ringing tinnitus in the right ear seemed louder and harder to ignore. I began to fixate on it (anxiety response began to mount) and 3-4 days later the mild buzz I always have "over my head" became louder and more intense/higher pitch than before.

Neither have resolved but I do find that keeping busy or distracted is a good antidote to the fixating which can bring on an anxiety response that threatens well-being.

I currently am not sure if I will do the second vaccine shot. I will probably at least delay it to see how the ringing and buzzing are doing. Pfizer has okayed the second shot being up to 42 days from the first and still be as effective. I am nervous about not completing the two shots since there seems to be more evidence of coronavirus worsening tinnitus than there is of a vaccine worsening it.

At my current levels I believe I can habituate to the sounds (already have an appointment with a local tinnitus management/CBT program) but if it becomes louder still I worry about the effect on my quality of life.

Grateful to have stumbled upon this forum!

 

[Michael Leigh]

I had the AstraZeneca vaccine 5 hours ago. I felt a little dizzy for around 45 minutes but was able to walk home, from the medical centre.

I feel perfectly fine, no change in my tinnitus which is very quiet today, unlike yesterday when it was very intrusive. I experienced no arm soreness that some people have reported from other vaccines.

 

[WGZ]

I've had tinnitus for more than 25 years and know it well.

I had COVID-19 vaccine on 2/10/21 and had significant increase in tinnitus starting 8 days later that continues.

I'm very concerned and trying to decide if the second vaccination is worth the risk. If it gets worse, it would be a huge challenge.

CDC in US seems to be oblivious to the feedback submitted.

 

[Kriszti]

I've had tinnitus for more than 25 years and know it well.

I had COVID-19 vaccine on 2/10/21 and had significant increase in tinnitus starting 8 days later that continues.

I'm very concerned and trying to decide if the second vaccination is worth the risk. If it gets worse, it would be a huge challenge.

CDC in US seems to be oblivious to the feedback submitted.

Which vaccine did you get?

 

[Pia]

I received my first Moderna injection on Monday, March 1st. I have had significant tinnitus since 2015, when a wisdom tooth extraction caused also the extraction of some jawbone with along with the roots of the tooth (I was almost 60, so the roots had fused with the bone).

After last Monday's injection I developed sensitivity in the injection site for 48 hours, and increased joint pain. But by day 3 I felt as if the volume of my tinnitus had been turned up significantly, so my brain can no longer tune it out as it had learned to about 9 months after the first time I developed tinnitus. I am aware of it all the time now and it makes me feel very concerned about the second vaccine and about the future.

No one told me before the vaccination that tinnitus is by now an accepted symptom of COVID-19, nor that there is a chance the vaccine could cause it, or aggravate it as in my case.

 

[Steph1710]

I have a friend who developed tinnitus and lost 50% of her hearing in one ear after getting a regular flu shot last year. The audiologist she saw told her that she has had many patients come to her with hearing issues resulting from flu vaccines.

This was really helpful information. I've never had the flu vaccine, but it is offered to me every year. I have always been cautious of it, and now I know that's for a good reason.

Thank you for sharing.

 

[WGZ]

Which vaccine did you get?

Moderna.

 

[AfroSnowman]

I got my vaccine, a J&J. I guess while I was getting that achy sick side effect the next day my tinnitus was raised, but nothing significant or out of the norm.

 

[Bluemoon]

I have had the AstraZeneca vaccine, no effects in regard to tinnitus.

 

[Balmy]

I got the Moderna vaccine.

My first shot was February 5th and my second shot was March 4th. Both times I had side effects of flu-like symptoms but they were far worse from the second shot. Both times my tinnitus also spiked along with the symptoms but also went back to baseline as the other symptoms diminished. This was expected for me personally as every time I am sick with a cold or flu type of illness my tinnitus spikes temporarily.

I know everyone is different but go out and get vaccinated! Do not worry about your tinnitus. I really think a lot of people who are saying their tinnitus got worse from the vaccine are just so anxious and paranoid about it that they basically stress themselves into thinking it's louder. I used to do that all the time.

 

[teacher34]

I will add that it is now over two weeks since my second Moderna shot. My tinnitus is at the same baseline that it was before I got any shots, despite it moderately rising for a couple of weeks after my first shot. The second shot had no effect on my tinnitus, although I did get mild, flu-like symptoms for a few days. I regularly get Glutathione IV's with B12 & ALA infusions, and I got one the day before the second shot. I'm not saying there is a connection there, but thought I should mention it in the interest of full disclosure.

My son got his first Pfizer shot about 2 weeks ago (no IVs or infusions involved), and said there was no change to his tinnitus.

As I've said before, I'm very glad to be vaccinated as tinnitus (new or increased) can also be a side effect of COVID-19, and I work in a high-risk setting.

 

[jjflyman]

I got my first Pfizer shot about a week ago. Absolutely no side effects or tinnitus spike. Only a slightly sore arm for a day. I can't wait until I get my second shot.

My wife got her first shot (Moderna) the same day with no side effects either.

 

[aura]

Pfizer, first shot on January 4th, second shot 21 days later. Nothing but a sore arm.

 

[Wende]

I had the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine a week ago. My tinnitus started getting worse a little while later and has not yet gone back to its pre-vaccine levels. I was always able to ignore it before, but since getting the shot, I'm noticing it all the time.

I often have a spike in volume when I get the normal flu, but it only lasts a day or two at the most, so the length of this spike is pretty concerning. I've read new reports that one dose of the Pfizer vaccine is almost as effective as both, so I am not planning to get the second one and chance that it will get even worse.

I have a friend who developed tinnitus and lost 50% of her hearing in one ear after getting a regular flu shot last year. The audiologist she saw told her that she has had many patients come to her with hearing issues resulting from flu vaccines.

It was only after hearing that that I started to wonder whether the onset of my tinnitus happened when I first started getting yearly flu vaccines. It wouldn't have occurred to me to make that connection, but the year of onset does coincide with when I started getting them. I wish I'd known about the risk prior to getting any type of flu vaccine.

It has been a month since getting my first vaccine dose (Pfizer), and the initial, prolonged spike I experienced has diminished, but it is still elevated to a much more bothersome level than pre-vaccine. Since the single dose is said to provide 80% protection, I have decided to forgo the second shot.

I have learned that side effects from the second dose are likely to be more severe than those following the first dose and that women are experiencing worse side effects. With all of that in mind, I've weighed the risks and decided that my risk of getting COVID-19 at this point is far lower than the risk of the second dose making my tinnitus worse.

 

[morgothaod]

I received my first Moderna shot in the beginning of March. So far, no change in my tinnitus nor any side effects.

 

[Brooklyn NY]

Hi, I had the J & J vaccine 42 hours ago. The effects of the shot on my tinnitus have been on and off, fairly mild, somewhat noticeable. I'm assuming that this is due to the effect on my immune system from the shot. At least that's what a friend who is a doctor thought it could be.

I will update everyone later on. Thanks.

 

[just1morething]

I received my first Pfizer shot yesterday. No side effects to report. Possible fatigue, but hard to tell with other medications I take.

 

[Brooklyn NY]

Hi, I am now 56 hours since my J & J shot. The regular side effects (tiredness in my case) passed about 8 hours ago. The effect on my tinnitus was more noticeable yesterday, although relatively mild. Tonight I would say that the ringing is closer to baseline than it was yesterday. Hopefully this trend keeps up. Thanks.

 

[Stu1983]

My wife who has mild tinnitus received her first shot of the Pfizer vaccine on March 13. She experienced a sore arm, fatigue and chills for a few days but no impact on her tinnitus.

 

[david c]

I had the AstraZeneca vaccine yesterday. No impact on my tinnitus at all. No noticeable side effects apart from slight headache that evening which had gone by today.

 

[shelbynn]

I had J&J vaccine about 44 hours ago and no effect on my tinnitus. I had body aches, fatigue, chills, and soreness at injection site. I feel much better this morning.