What medications are bad for hearing (Ototoxic)?
Ototoxic medications are drugs that can cause damage to the ears, leading to conditions such as tinnitus, hearing loss, and balance problems. There are more than 600 prescription and over-the-counter drugs that can trigger tinnitus, make existing tinnitus worse, or cause a new tinnitus sound to appear. These include antibiotics, painkillers, anti-anxiety and anti-depression drugs, antimalarial medications, anti-cancer drugs, and blood pressure-controlling medications. Some of the most commonly reported ototoxic drugs in clinical use are aminoglycoside antibiotics, macrolide antibiotics, loop diuretics, antimalarials, chemotherapeutic agents such as cisplatin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), quinine, and acetaminophen. Ototoxicity can be temporary or permanent, depending on the medication and dosage. Some of the drugs that may cause more permanent tinnitus symptoms and other hearing health-related issues include Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), certain antibiotics including aminoglycosides, certain cancer medications, water pills and loop diuretics, long-term hormone therapy, and quinine-based medications. Other common medications that can cause ototoxicity include certain anticonvulsants, tricyclic antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, antimalarial medications, blood pressure controlling medications, allergy medications, chemotherapy drugs, including cisplatin, and drugs that can cause tinnitus. It's important to note that not everyone who takes these drugs will experience ototoxic symptoms, and the severity of symptoms can vary greatly between individuals.