Mighty Favog Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 Some of you probably know that I've had Type I Diabetes for about 24-years. Over the last year or so I've been having neuropathic pain in my extremities. I went to my doctor for my 3-month check up and brought the pain up. She said they have medication for that. The next day I pick up a script for Gabapentin @ 100mg/per diem and began taking it at bed time. The pharmacist only warned me about taking antacids near the time I take this drug. Six days later, about an hour after the dose, my right ear began to feel stuffy and ringing loudly. I thought nothing of it till I was listening to a song on my cell phone. The music sounded loud enough to play for the whole room. Not only loud, it was also distorted. I about jumped out of my skin! The next morning the noise/condition was still there with no sign of a decrease. I immediately stopped taking the drug and called my doctor's office to tell them what's going on. After looking around on the net, I can't find anything about hearing returning to normal. I found the other thread about this but I couldn't see sifting through 500 posts. So, am I going deaf permanently? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigStewMan Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 I sure hope it is not permanent and would hope that if a side effect was that extreme and came on that quickly, then that would be something the your doctor and/or pharmacist would have warned about. something that quick and strong would probably be a known. My doc prescribed me gabypentin once for my shoulder pain; but I never took any. the pharmacist told me that it slows down the nervous system and I said, "I have asthma and sleep apnea, will I wake up dead?" and she said, "That's possible." I was less than a week out from shoulder surgery when, by the grace of God, I had an asthma attack and was given some prednisone. that wiped out a year old bout of inflammation and my shoulder pain went away. I canceled the surgery. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bosco-d-gama Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 I could not find where this sort of side effect is routine for gabapentin. Do you have any citations? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mighty Favog Posted August 14, 2020 Author Share Posted August 14, 2020 2 minutes ago, Bosco-d-gama said: I could not find where this sort of side effect is routine for gabapentin. Do you have any citations? Here's one of the articles I found. Paragraph 3. https://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/gabapentin-does-not-work-for-tinnitus/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OO1 Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 1 hour ago, Mighty Favog said: So, am I going deaf permanently? You are not going deaf if you can hear in your ears , but since this drug was the starter in the ear problem -----lower the dosage by half or stop taking it and ask for a different medication Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OO1 Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 45 minutes ago, BigStewMan said: was given some prednisone. that wiped out a year old bout of inflammation and my shoulder pain went away. I canceled the surgery. it's a very light steroid , it helped you to recuperate and it healed the inflamation - that Doctor seems to really know how to take care of you --- 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bosco-d-gama Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 Looked at the referenced paper and it does seem to indicate that hyperacusis can be caused by gabapentin. But I cannot find corroborated material. Attached is the info sheet from the feds on the drug. It is very thorough but does not show ototoxic problems with this drug. I also took this drug for nerve damage and did not have problems. Your dose was the lowest recommended BTW. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2017/020235s064_020882s047_021129s046lbl.pdf Hyperacusis is what you’re describing. The conflicting info on gabapentin is curious. Unsure if they are related but it needs medical evaluation. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islander Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 I have severe leg pain every day, caused by the spinal cord injury. I’ve been prescribed Gabapentin three times over the years (new doc thinks it will really help, etc.), but it has literally zero effect on the pain. It did not cause any harm, and I took it for a couple of weeks at least once. Other times, I took it for a week or less. A couple of years ago, Pregabalin was recommended to me by my doc, and it seems to be fairly effective, with no side effects other than some possible daytime drowsiness. No hearing issues of any kind. Everyone’s body chemistry is different. What does a great job for one patient may be ineffective, annoying, or even harmful for another patient. Sometimes you have to be the guinea pig, until your doc finds out what works effectively for you, without crazy side effects, like hyperacusis. That’s a new word for me, too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mighty Favog Posted August 14, 2020 Author Share Posted August 14, 2020 O.K., thanks guys. I'm calling a well known ENT tomorrow (my ex-wife's surgeon). I'll also ask him for a referral of an audiologist. If someone talks to me too loudly, it sounds like a kazoo in that ear. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bosco-d-gama Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 8 minutes ago, Mighty Favog said: O.K., thanks guys. I'm calling a well known ENT tomorrow (my ex-wife's surgeon). I'll also ask him for a referral of an audiologist. If someone talks to me too loudly, it sounds like a kazoo in that ear. Good to have a personal contact. Sounds like it might be fluid?? If you have some real pseudoephedrine around you might try a dose to try and open up the ear drainage. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigStewMan Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 12 minutes ago, Mighty Favog said: If someone talks to me too loudly, it sounds like a kazoo in that ear. I have experienced that before and it is frustrating. sometimes it makes me wonder if I've blown a speaker in my hearing aid. But, it has always gone away. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted August 14, 2020 Moderators Share Posted August 14, 2020 Good luck and hope it's only temporary and goes away since you quit the medicine. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codewritinfool Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 Good luck, that is scary. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceptorman Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 I also hope this clears up for you. That sounds like it could be dangerous. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybob Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 Would cease the treatment as it could well be related, given the timing. All the best. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 I don't know much on the subject but hope all goes well and you return to normal soon. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mighty Favog Posted August 15, 2020 Author Share Posted August 15, 2020 O.K., I have an appointment with an ENT on Tuesday. Hearing test before, then seeing the doc. No kazoo sounds today but when I whistled for the cat it was a whole new level of pain.... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigStewMan Posted August 15, 2020 Share Posted August 15, 2020 51 minutes ago, Mighty Favog said: O.K., I have an appointment with an ENT on Tuesday. Hearing test before, then seeing the doc. No kazoo sounds today but when I whistled for the cat it was a whole new level of pain.... hope you'll let us know how it turns out ... do your best to stay positive. easily 85% of my hearing is gone and I used to worry about going totally deaf. Not something that I can control, so I don't even think about it. Docs say that there is no way to say for sure; but right now they do know that with enough power assistance, I can hear. take care my friend ... and think the best. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mighty Favog Posted August 18, 2020 Author Share Posted August 18, 2020 Update: Saw the ENT this morning. He thinks the Gabapentin and the hearing problem is mutually exclusive and coincidental. Diagnosis: Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss The hearing test: Perfect in my left ear and even better than normal in a couple places. It got all 100 tests tones and words correct. The right ear stinks (his words). It only scored a 34. There is a slight negative pressure in the bad ear. The treatment he's doing is injecting low amounts of steroids into the eardrum. One injection a week for three weeks. Also I'll be getting an MRI to check the communication and brain function between the brain and the ear. Then another hearing test after the injections to see if there's a change. So on Sept. 1st, I have two doctor's appts in different offices and the MRI in a third office. AND, it's my Dad's 86th birthday and I'd really like to go see him. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted August 18, 2020 Moderators Share Posted August 18, 2020 Good luck, hope they work it out, without bad side affects. Go see your dad 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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