Tinnitus from Doxycyline: What Are My Chances of Recovery?

[rv123]

Hi everyone,

I recently developed tinnitus after taking just three 200-mg doses of Doxycycline, and it's been a little over a month now. I also had a single shot of Ceftriaxone, but I'm guessing that's unrelated. What are my chances of recovery? My tinnitus is pretty mild, but due to existing mental health struggles, it's really affected me. I mostly notice it when I'm in bed or in my room. I've already bought a white noise machine.

I have the same tone in both ears, which sounds like static. It's not too bad, and I can mostly ignore it.

However, in addition to that, I have a high-pitched whistle in my right ear that's really annoying. It gets much louder when I yawn or when I lie on that side of the pillow (and stays that way for several minutes after). If this sound went away, I'd be happy! I can live with the other sound. The whistle is tricky because it comes and goes.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I'm currently taking Magnesium, vitamin D, B12, and NAC.

 

[delta784]

Hi everyone,

I recently developed tinnitus after taking just three 200-mg doses of Doxycycline, and it's been a little over a month now. I also had a single shot of Ceftriaxone, but I'm guessing that's unrelated. What are my chances of recovery? My tinnitus is pretty mild, but due to existing mental health struggles, it's really affected me. I mostly notice it when I'm in bed or in my room. I've already bought a white noise machine.

I have the same tone in both ears, which sounds like static. It's not too bad, and I can mostly ignore it.

However, in addition to that, I have a high-pitched whistle in my right ear that's really annoying. It gets much louder when I yawn or when I lie on that side of the pillow (and stays that way for several minutes after). If this sound went away, I'd be happy! I can live with the other sound. The whistle is tricky because it comes and goes.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I'm currently taking Magnesium, vitamin D, B12, and NAC.

I have drug-induced tinnitus in my left ear as well, but it's not somatic; yawning doesn't change it. I'll start taking those supplements too, and hopefully, the tinnitus goes away for both of us. Mine started 15 days ago after I received Prednisolone steroid injections in my arm.

 

[Varda]

I've had tinnitus for nine months now after taking a single dose of Azithromycin, with no sign of it ever going away. I've also tried Magnesium, vitamin D, B12, and NAC, but none of them helped reduce the tinnitus.

If your employment contract or insurance entitles you to paid health-related leave, I'd recommend taking it to help manage any depression or mental health issues caused by tinnitus.

 

[delta784]

I've had tinnitus for nine months now after taking a single dose of Azithromycin, with no sign of it ever going away. I've also tried Magnesium, vitamin D, B12, and NAC, but none of them helped reduce the tinnitus.

If your employment contract or insurance entitles you to paid health-related leave, I'd recommend taking it to help manage any depression or mental health issues caused by tinnitus.

How loud is your tinnitus?

 

[Varda]

How loud is your tinnitus?

I have multiple tones, and their volume changes. On loud days, I can even hear them while walking next to a busy street.

 

[rv123]

I've had tinnitus for nine months now after taking a single dose of Azithromycin, with no sign of it ever going away. I've also tried Magnesium, vitamin D, B12, and NAC, but none of them helped reduce the tinnitus.

If your employment contract or insurance entitles you to paid health-related leave, I'd recommend taking it to help manage any depression or mental health issues caused by tinnitus.

That's wild! From the research I've done, hearing damage from macrolides is typically reversible, so this is really unusual. Have you had a hearing test to rule that out? Any hearing loss? I hope you have a chance to recover, especially given how short-term and low-dose your exposure was. Was it IV or oral?

 

[Varda]

That's wild! From the research I've done, hearing damage from macrolides is typically reversible, so this is really unusual. Have you had a hearing test to rule that out? Any hearing loss? I hope you have a chance to recover, especially given how short-term and low-dose your exposure was. Was it IV or oral?

It's not really that wild or unusual. The information you found in your research is related to hearing loss due to macrolides, not tinnitus. You won't find many scientific studies focused solely on tinnitus as a side effect because scientists generally don't prioritize tinnitus and don't consider it a disability.

I've found plenty of reports of people developing permanent tinnitus from Azithromycin, including posts from Dr. Nagler on Tinnitus Talk.

I've had a hearing test, and everything's fine. Unfortunately, my hopes for recovery are slim, as I'm already past the six-month mark. I was given an oral, one-time "Z-pack" dosage of 1000 mg. This infuriates me because I've learned that the only reason it's prescribed this way is for "compliance"—to ensure patients don't stop treatment halfway through. I'm convinced that the large concentration of the drug hitting my cochlea all at once is what caused my tinnitus.

Let me know if this works for you!

 

[rv123]

It's not really that wild or unusual. The information you found in your research is related to hearing loss due to macrolides, not tinnitus. You won't find many scientific studies focused solely on tinnitus as a side effect because scientists generally don't prioritize tinnitus and don't consider it a disability.

I've found plenty of reports of people developing permanent tinnitus from Azithromycin, including posts from Dr. Nagler on Tinnitus Talk.

I've had a hearing test, and everything's fine. Unfortunately, my hopes for recovery are slim, as I'm already past the six-month mark. I was given an oral, one-time "Z-pack" dosage of 1000 mg. This infuriates me because I've learned that the only reason it's prescribed this way is for "compliance"—to ensure patients don't stop treatment halfway through. I'm convinced that the large concentration of the drug hitting my cochlea all at once is what caused my tinnitus.

Let me know if this works for you!

That makes sense. Thank you for educating me. It's so upsetting that we're given these drugs without being informed of the risk of tinnitus, especially considering how high that risk is. I really hope Susan Shore's device becomes available in the next few years, so at least this won't be a permanent issue.

I'll post any progress I make here, but like you, I'm not too hopeful, especially since I'm already six weeks in.

 

[Varda]

From reading this forum, I've found some information suggesting that Doxycycline-induced tinnitus might be related to mitochondrial disruption and that it can potentially heal over time.

However, it seems that @Steph1710 developed tinnitus from Doxycycline, and it never completely went away. Even if yours doesn't fully disappear, you might still see some reduction in the tinnitus as the months go by.

I'm currently concerned that I might have a Mycoplasma lung infection, and the only effective treatments are Macrolides, Tetracyclines, and Fluoroquinolones. Among these, Tetracyclines seem like the safest option.

The best advice I've come across on this forum is to give your ears time and quiet to rest. Get some earplugs and earmuffs for situations like vacuuming or visiting noisy restaurants. Also, try to avoid relying on psychiatric medications regularly, as they can easily exacerbate the problem. I occasionally use benzodiazepines with a long half-life on days when I feel like I'm nearing a neurotic meltdown, but I'm careful to avoid regular use.

 

[rv123]

From reading this forum, I've found some information suggesting that Doxycycline-induced tinnitus might be related to mitochondrial disruption and that it can potentially heal over time.

However, it seems that @Steph1710 developed tinnitus from Doxycycline, and it never completely went away. Even if yours doesn't fully disappear, you might still see some reduction in the tinnitus as the months go by.

I'm currently concerned that I might have a Mycoplasma lung infection, and the only effective treatments are Macrolides, Tetracyclines, and Fluoroquinolones. Among these, Tetracyclines seem like the safest option.

The best advice I've come across on this forum is to give your ears time and quiet to rest. Get some earplugs and earmuffs for situations like vacuuming or visiting noisy restaurants. Also, try to avoid relying on psychiatric medications regularly, as they can easily exacerbate the problem. I occasionally use benzodiazepines with a long half-life on days when I feel like I'm nearing a neurotic meltdown, but I'm careful to avoid regular use.

It's kind of funny that we've seen ALL the same posts about Doxycycline-induced tinnitus. Honestly, this condition has completely devastated me, and I'm relying on medication just to get through it without dropping out of college. I'm currently taking 5 mg of Buspirone twice a day, which, from what I've read, isn't the worst offender.

One of the hardest things about tinnitus is that it affects everyone differently. Some people recover, while others don't. Unfortunately, the general trend seems to be that the longer you have it, the lower your chances of recovery.

 

[delta784]

It's kind of funny that we've seen ALL the same posts about Doxycycline-induced tinnitus. Honestly, this condition has completely devastated me, and I'm relying on medication just to get through it without dropping out of college. I'm currently taking 5 mg of Buspirone twice a day, which, from what I've read, isn't the worst offender.

One of the hardest things about tinnitus is that it affects everyone differently. Some people recover, while others don't. Unfortunately, the general trend seems to be that the longer you have it, the lower your chances of recovery.

I also developed bilateral tinnitus after using IV steroids for my acoustic trauma, which is wild. It was Methylprednisolone, 60 milligrams. I only took two shots before stopping. I asked a few professors, and they said it's not ototoxic, but some websites claim it is.

I assume the intravenous version altered my brain or auditory system. I'm so sad—only 29 years old and one month in. I just need some reduction, for the love of God.