Tinnitus After Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine — My ENT Has Seen Many Patients with the Same Issue

#31
I finally put two and two together. My tinnitus - now almost 30 years- has spiked recently.

I received my 2nd dose of the Pfizer shot 4/9. It knocked me down with a fever for a day, then fatigue for a few weeks. It didn't even occur to me that my spike was from the vaccine. But reading this forum has helped me understand.

Can't wait for this to end.
 
#32
I can't say much at the moment as I'm unsure what's going on. Most days now my tinnitus is off the charts and I hear it above conversations and that was not the issue before.

I do agree, it's an immune response. Like others, I find ways to get to sleep. If ANYTHING wakes me, I'm done. I get up. Silence is not my friend. My wife has been wonderful beyond what I would have expected. I'm in software and as a developer, I don't listen to any music with spoken words. Now, I crank up what ever gets me by.

As a note, I quit coffee for a while, but that did not help.

Drank a lot less alcohol. No help!

I love the ideas from all in this. My GP knows jack. Still doesn't believe it's from the vaccine.

I try some of what I've read here and if nothing else, we are a community of people helping others.
 
#33
I'm due to get my first shot next week it's probably going to be the Pfizer one. I am really anxious and stressed about getting it.

My tinnitus started during pregnancy totally out of the blue too and was full roar like yours @JCA. I could hear it over conversations.

4 months after my child was born it went all quiet for a few seconds and returned at 95% lower volume. It has been that way ever since (19-20 months), I only notice it now if it's very quiet and thankfully I am able to live my life again!

I am terrified of something causing it to spike again and it going back to the way it was!
 
#34
Thank you Neil_S for sharing your research and charts. It gives me hope that the ringing will subside. I've also had ringing in my ears since receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on April 6 and will be going to an ENT this week.

Wishing everyone the best!
 
#35
#36
summitplum said:
Weird how tinnitus isn't listed in the article at all...
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Because we're all sheep and anything that doesn't make a % cut based on whatever parameters they want to input as a statistical model can adjust tinnitus to become non-significant or by subsetting it enough to fall off as an outlier.

Because god forbid it could cause tinnitus, people would read up on it, freak the hell out and not get vaccinated.

When I get the Moderna shot, the plan is to load up on anything to dampen the immune response, have Prednisone ready and be loading up on Ginkgo biloba + Bromelain + Cocoa (for the Theobromine) for at least a few days beforehand and 2 weeks after. Also hoping they can inject it into the thickest place in my arm so it doesn't go far.

If the worsenings are due to thrombosis or a delayed immune reaction, I figure that's my only shot.
 
#37
Neil_S said:
So what part of immune response has the capability to cause a problem with a normal functioning auditory system? Maybe Mast Cells. I haven't found a paper linking mast cells and tinnitus yet, but mast cells sure look like they can cause a lot of problems if they are over-stimulated. In short mast cells release lots of chemicals.

View attachment 44909

One of which is histamine, and in the upper left you can see Vertigo/CNS. I think you can add tinnitus to the list.

View attachment 44908
Click to expand...
I'm sorry but it's dubious at best to assume histamine release via degranulation is causing COVID-19 related tinnitus. The pathology makes zero sense, if it were that, people would have a fast reaction from COVID-19 or the vaccine and probably coughing and itching too.

The 10 day mark seems to be common when tinnitus occurs; that isn't degranulation, that's antibody formation (or another down stream delayed response, but not a fast one such as histamine release). Mast Cell Syndrome is a thing yes, but that's typically systemic. Only read of a single person on here that had tinnitus from it and where antihistamines helped.

But go ahead and try a non CNS antihistamine (to not depress your CNS and accurately test histamine release in small capillaries) and see if it helps.
 
#38
Just wanted to update.

It's been 2 days since I had the vaccine. No changes to my tinnitus.

Side effects were:
  • Obviously a ridiculously sore arm
  • Headache
  • Slight fever last night (24 hours later)
  • Sore / stiff neck, which I still have
I only got the vaccine as I have very vulnerable parents and want to protect them as much as possible. I will be posting back in a few days. Am obviously interested to see the 10 day mark ! Xx
 
#40
Wrfortiscue said:
I thought the vaccine just helps with preventing COVID-19 symptoms and not with spreading the infection? I could be wrong.
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Your body would react much, much faster and keep an infection in check. It's doubtful you'd have enough "virus" to pass it on.

Of course, the vaccine does jack crap if it's on your hands/mouth. It doesn't negate the need for masks and hand washing for spread.
 
#43
@Matchbox, based on your hypothesis, do you have any guess as to whether the second dose would have any or greater effect on tinnitus if the 1st injection did or did not increase one's tinnitus?

Does that make sense?
 
#45
kingsfan said:
@Matchbox, based on your hypothesis, do you have any guess as to whether the second dose would have any or greater effect on tinnitus if the 1st injection did or did not increase one's tinnitus?

Does that make sense?
Click to expand...
There's too many variables to answer that one. I couldn't even fathom a good guess, and I doubt there'd be any significant differences found on shot #1 vs #2.

Best bet? Too much vaccine got in the bloodstream versus lymph and you got lucky about what endothelial cells got the mRNA (inner ear). Since the walls slowly close as things get narrower, the velocity gradient would increase more drastically for those arterioles, and so the chance of something getting "stuck" there on the wall where velocity is zero / turbulent flow as a molecule would probably go up. That spike protein itself also acts like the cytokine perforin (can rip apart cell membranes but only in high concentrations), but I doubt there'd be enough produced by a host cell to cause any secondary damage once the host cell was destroyed on the endothelium.

Best advice?

If you didn't have any adverse reaction, get the next shot in the same spot or as close as you can (hopefully the same brand too).

I'd take some very low dose Aspirin or Bromelain for a while. Be sure you aren't Vitamin D3 deficient (don't overload on it) and have some Prednisone ready.

That's the best anyone can do imo.
 
#47
So it's been 4 days since I got the vaccine and my tinnitus has been noticeably louder last night and tonight. Thankfully I don't notice it that much during the day.

I don't know if it's anything to do with the vaccine, maybe I'm just concentrating on it more looking out for any signs in change or that my toddler keeps screaming loudly!

I finally got to a place where I could manage my tinnitus and was able to sleep a night without masking it and now... I just pray it doesn't get worse with each day.
 
#48
Well, my tinnitus is still off the charts. Trying different things to mask or to find a solution that offers some relief.

There are days now that I have to just blast the music to drown out the ringing. I've tried everything. I will be seeing a chiro and a neurologist here soon. I do have something that has come out of being fully vaxx'd.

Wife and I went to Cleveland for the NFL Draft and they had a section right down in front for vaxx'd only people. And when you go to Vegas you are not required to wear a mask if you are fully vaccinated. We still kept our distance but it's nice that something good has come from this.

I am working out more to help distract me from the ringing so maybe this goes away and I end up healthier from it. :)
 
#49
JCA said:
Well, my tinnitus is still off the charts. Trying different things to mask or to find a solution that offers some relief.

There are days now that I have to just blast the music to drown out the ringing. I've tried everything. I will be seeing a chiro and a neurologist here soon. I do have something that has come out of being fully vaxx'd.

Wife and I went to Cleveland for the NFL Draft and they had a section right down in front for vaxx'd only people. And when you go to Vegas you are not required to wear a mask if you are fully vaccinated. We still kept our distance but it's nice that something good has come from this.

I am working out more to help distract me from the ringing so maybe this goes away and I end up healthier from it. :)
Click to expand...
JCA - Sorry you are still suffering. I do hope things get easier for you soon!

I'm glad you've had a good trip with your wife and seen a silver line in getting the vaccine. It must have been so strange not having to wear a mask?!

I'm sure the working out will help you mentally. I do love walking and find that really helpful to my mental well-being!
 
#50
Update on me.

It's been 14 days since I got the first shot and 11 days since the "spike" started. I've heard so many different tones over the last few days I've felt like my head was vibrating!

This morning was the first morning since getting the shot that my attention wasn't drawn to my tinnitus as soon as I woke up! Maybe it's settling back down or I'm just not in high alert anymore looking for changes.

I've got some real thinking to do about getting the second shot. Many people I know suffered worse after having the second shot!
 
#51
Just for the record I'm on week 9 of tinnitus. I still have been trying to learn all I can to find myself a cure, or figure out what happened. I am less hopeful that some vitamin from a health food store is the solutio. I am over the histamine "guess". I took a antihistamine but it did nothing for the tinnitus The inner ear endothelial cell idea lead me down an interesting path. I can't post links, but I will cut and paste paper titles. You can Google them for the links.

List of titles etc.:

ACE2 is expressed on endothelial cells which form the inner lining of blood vessels.

Video:
"Covid-19 primarily a vascular disease."

Researchers have discovered the mechanism of the endothelial cell damage caused by the spike protein (alone) of the SARS-COV-2. ROS.

Research paper the video is based on:
"SARS-Cov-2 Spike Protein Impairs Endothelial Function via Down-requlation of ACE 2"

Things get a little out of control for me here, but a link to vascular degeneration (inflammation?) and hearing:
"Acoustic Trauma Causes Cochlear Pericyte-to-Myofibroblast-Like Cell Transformation and Vascular Degeneration, and Transplantation of New Pericytes Prevents Vascular Atrophy"

So questions I have are:

Why is tinnitus omni-directional? It's in my head, not sensed from left or right ear. If the spike protein caused hair cell (or nerve cell) damage from inflammation response, why not only in one ear? Seems a stretch to think same thing happened to both ears from a small amount of vaccine that may have gotten into blood stream. But this is an interesting hypothesis. Point of interest, my first shot "felt" like it went into blood stream a little. I sensed smell and taste of vaccine. Maybe my imagination. My second shot "felt" like it stayed in my arm.

Good luck to all. Thanks for letting me ramble.
 
#53
2020 Survivor said:
For those who have tinnitus only in one ear - is this the same side you were vaccinated on? And if so, what the h- is the link?
Click to expand...
That's the million dollar question. Matchbox above has a good hypothesis. Maybe some of the vaccine got taken up by cells in hearing (organ of corti) somewhere. The spike protein parts were presented to the immune cells and the presenting cells were destroyed. I imagine even adjacent cells can be impaired by inflammation of this immune response. Whatever broke or died left the lights on, and ringing is constant though that nerve fiber. That's one line of thought. This would lean more towards the top of the hair cell being bent in the on position, opening the hair cell to an influx of potassium (ka+) triggering a constant signal to the nerve fiber. I'm going on 10 weeks, and I seem to have a reduction of amplitude and duration. I think my mind just getting used to tuning it out? When I focus on it or in quiet, it returns.

Search "Ear Organ of Corti (Full Version)" on YouTube for a great animation of the above ear function.
 
#54
An update: After my last post, my tinnitus has settled back down to baseline. It took 14 days for mine to settle again.

I am due my second vaccine on Friday so I will again come back and update.

@2020 Survivor, I got my injection in my left arm and I have tinnitus in my right ear!

I do wonder if mine is due to low B12 / Iron as it all started when I was pregnant and had low B12 and Iron. I was put on Iron tablets and had 6 shots of B12. I was then on Iron tablets again after birth. Numerous blood tests have showed "normal" levels for both B12 and Iron since (my child is now 2 years old) .
 
#55
Momma28 said:
I do wonder if mine is due to low B12 / Iron as it all started when I was pregnant and had low B12 and Iron. I was put on Iron tablets and had 6 shots of B12. I was then on Iron tablets again after birth. Numerous blood tests have showed "normal" levels for both B12 and Iron since (my child is now 2 years old) .
Click to expand...
B12 depletion can cause excitotoxic damage to hearing; if you had low B12 for a while this could have been damaging even if levels have since recovered.

I got a spike after the #2 shot, it followed more or less the same timeline you describe.
 
#56
linearb said:
B12 depletion can cause excitotoxic damage to hearing; if you had low B12 for a while this could have been damaging even if levels have since recovered.

I got a spike after the #2 shot, it followed more or less the same timeline you describe.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the information! I do still get random periods where everything goes quiet for a few seconds. It's quite a surreal feeling! It actually happened today.

Glad your tinnitus settled back down after your vaccine! Bet you are glad they are both done now xx
 
#57
Momma28 said:
Glad your tinnitus settled back down after your vaccine0! Bet you are glad they are both done now xx
Click to expand...
Yeah, for sure. I also get random periods of quiet as well as random moments of piercingly loud noise; it's so random and variable, all I've figured out is the less I think about it the better off I am :-/

Glad we both made it back to baseline sooner than later -- though, prior to this, my record for a spike from a drug reaction was about 7 days, so this doubled that.
 
#58
linearb said:
Yeah, for sure. I also get random periods of quiet as well as random moments of piercingly loud noise; it's so random and variable, all I've figured out is the less I think about it the better off I am :-/

Glad we both made it back to baseline sooner than later -- though, prior to this, my record for a spike from a drug reaction was about 7 days, so this doubled that.
Click to expand...
Me too ! I've never had a spike while taking any kind of medication.
 
#59
So today I had my second shot at 10 AM this morning.

So far:
  • Tinnitus unaffected (took 3 days last time for it to spike)
  • Bruised arm; it bled when she did the injection
  • Light headed
  • Headache
  • Feel hot
  • Palpitations
  • Sore arm

I will update daily.
 

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