Unilateral Tinnitus After taking Clarithromycin, Amoxicillin and Omeprazole

Hello,

This is the first time I have written to Tinnitus Tak, and this is my story:

After a routine endoscopy, a gastrointestinal doctor prescribed me Clarithromycin 500 mg (one tablet twice daily), Amoxicillin 500 mg (two capsules twice daily), and Omeprazole 40 mg (one capsule twice daily) for two weeks. This 14-day treatment was to eradicate Helicobacter pylori.

On day 10 of the treatment, I heard a very low buzz in my right ear. It lasted for a couple of hours and then stopped.

About one week after I completed the treatment, I started experiencing some side effects from the medications, such as headache, stomachache, nausea, and nightmares. The following week, I noticed that it took me about three seconds to adjust to the darkness when I turned off the lights. Additionally, I started hearing a very loud noise in my right ear, which varied from a buzz to a cicada sound. If I was close to an electronic device (television, computer, mobile phone, lamp), the sound changed to something reminiscent of the noise emitted by old tube televisions.

I took a 15-day vacation as I was devastated and confused about why this was happening to me. I was not taking any other medications, and I do not suffer from any conditions like kidney disease or diabetes.

I went to an ear, nose, and throat specialist, and she ordered two audiology tests one month apart. The results were as follows:

March 2024:

• Right Ear: Normal auditory sensitivity through 4000 Hz, sloping to mild hearing loss from 6000-8000 Hz.
• Left Ear: Normal auditory sensitivity from 250-8000 Hz. Tympanograms were Type A, bilaterally, showing normal peak compliance and normal middle ear pressure.
• Speech Reception Thresholds were consistent with pure tone averages. Word Recognition Scores were excellent bilaterally. Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions were assessed and found to be present bilaterally. See the electronic health record report for interpretation.
• Asymmetries were noted with poorer hearing in the right ear.

April 2024:

• Right Ear: Normal auditory sensitivity through 4000 Hz, sloping to mild hearing loss from 6000-8000 Hz.
• Left Ear: Normal auditory sensitivity from 250-8000 Hz. Tympanograms were Type A, bilaterally, showing normal peak compliance and normal middle ear pressure.
• Speech Reception Thresholds were consistent with pure tone averages. Word Recognition Scores were excellent bilaterally. Compared to the previous evaluation in March 2024, a stable hearing pattern was noted.
• Asymmetries were still present with poorer hearing in the right ear.

After the tests, she ordered an MRI, which showed normal results. The ear, nose, and throat specialist told me to return to monitor my hearing in one year. She did not address the tinnitus specifically, only recommending that I avoid noisy places. I was very sad.

I called the Food and Drug Administration and reported the situation, hoping to receive support or help. They informed me that sensorineural hearing loss is a known side effect of Clarithromycin and macrolides in general, occurring in approximately 1 in 1000 people. They said tinnitus is usually the first symptom before hearing loss, and with macrolides, it could be temporary or permanent. They advised me to report the situation on a Food and Drug Administration website, which I did.

I researched Clarithromycin and found some alarming documentation:

• Macrolide-associated ototoxicity: a cross-sectional and longitudinal study to assess the association of macrolide use with tinnitus and hearing loss
• Increased risk of hearing loss associated with macrolide use: a systematic review and meta-analysis

It has now been three and a half months since my tinnitus started. I still experience the issue when I turn off the lights and hear the same three types of noises in my right ear. The volume of the noise is decreasing, but the old television noise becomes louder when I am near electronic devices (such as laptops, televisions, or mobile phones), which is impacting my work as I use computers for my job.

I avoid noisy places, do not watch television, and use my computer only for work. When I go out for walks, I use musicians’ earplugs. I am so frustrated and depressed.

I have some questions for the forum. Perhaps someone has gone through similar experiences and can offer advice during this difficult time in my life:

1. The fact that the tinnitus volume has been gradually decreasing—could this indicate that it will eventually go away?
2. What might these medications have done to my inner ear? Could it be inflammation, actual damage to the nerve or hair cells, or something involving my central nervous system?
3. I have read in some stories on the forum that there is a six-month timeframe to determine if the tinnitus is chronic. What does this timeframe mean? What is it based on?

Thank you for reading my story and providing any advice to help me.

 

I take Omeprazole every day for GERD. I have chronic tinnitus. I notice that Omeprazole helps my tinnitus by reducing inflammation in my gut, which affects the central nervous system and can cause tinnitus to spike. It sucks dealing with both chronic conditions.

 

My tinnitus started after taking Clarithromycin, and I still have it 15 months later. It’s changed tones and volumes 20 times. It’s surreal. One tone is very annoying, and I can hear it over everything.

 

Thank you for your reply. I have a few questions:

1. Are you sensitive to electronic devices like computers, TVs, or mobile phones?
2. Is the volume of your tinnitus getting lower?
3. How long did you take Clarithromycin for? It seems the dose and time plays a role in the tinnitus state (temporary or permanent).

 

I took it for three days. Tinnitus started on the second two-pill dose, but stupidly, I didn’t know it was ototoxic and kept going for another two days until I googled it.

My tinnitus fluctuates a lot. It’s not as bad as when it started, but it’s still about 65 dB.