Tinnitus Caused by Flu Vaccination

[Olly220]

Hi All
I had a flu vaccination aprox 2 months ago. About 2 hours later i had very bad tinnitus in both ears after about 4 hours it subsided in one ear but i still have it one. The ear that i have the tinnitus in is the ear that i have partial hearing loss in, if that makes sense. Fortunately my good ear is unaffected but the tinnitus in my bad ear makes a big difference to my general hearing.

I am 54 years old and i find the idea that i am going to be stuck with this the rest of my life quite distressing, especially as my hearing will deteriorate with age as well.

Has any one experienced the same relation between flu jab and tinnitus ? My wife talked to a friend who also experienced tinnitus after a jab but did not put the two together untill my wife talked about my problem, fortunately for her the tinnitus stopped later.

My doctor prescribed Serc tablets which are designed for tinnitus, vertigo and loss of clear hearing but after taking it for a week i became very very depressed and had to stop taking them.

I am not sure if it is getting better or i'm getting used to it but i still have it.

Does anyone have any advice ?
Thank Oliver

 

[Kolisar]

Welcome @Olly220 . The hypothesis that the flu vaccine caused your tinnitus is interesting. I did a little research and it is not conclusive, which I found surprising. I believe that vaccines are very safe, and have little to no side-effects, yet there does seem to be some antidotal evidence that, in some cases, there may be a link.

I would recommend searching out articles written by @Michael Leigh . He is extremely knowledgable and his articles are very informative and helpful. Here are a few listed below to make them a little easier to locate.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/inspiration.22894/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/can-tinnitus-counselling-help.22366/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-and-mental-health.21978/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/

I am not sure if it is getting better or i'm getting used to it but i still have it.

Hopefully, it is getting better, but you may be getting used to it, or "Habituating" as it is referred to. Either way, I am glad to hear that it is becoming less noticeable.

I would suggest speaking with not only your current doctor, but getting a second opinion. While I would hope that a doctor would always be honest, but asking the person who gave you the flu vaccine if they think it may have caused your tinnitus may not always elicit the most objective response.

 

[TT2019]

Hello
New to the forum. I developed tinnitus right after my flu shot in October 2019.. some days are good some days are really bad. Developed in my right ear but some days it feels like it's in the middle. I stopped taking all vitamins and supplements to see if those were the cause. No change. Had hearing test, hearing in the right ear is slightly less but I think that ear has always been that way. Had an mri no issues. Now just deal, cope and manage.