Hearing problem

[Someonesmother]

Just wondering if anyone has had trouble with hearing when they started methotrexate? I have had the weirdest thing since last week, apart from the headache that will not go away. I keep losing the hearing in my right ear intermittently, it is a bit disconcerting when I am in a meeting or trying to hear what someone at work is saying to me.

[Angela123]

Hi there. I don't exactly have loss of hearing, but for a couple of days after I take MTX I get a stuffy sort of cotton wool feeling in my head which makes me feel a bit spaced out. I feel as if I don't hear things as sharply at this time. It's a bunged- up kind of sensation like you get with a cold. You might just have a bit of congestion - I would check it out with your GP if it carries on. Angela.

[Someonesmother in reply to Angela123]

Thanks Angela. No it's not liker that, I just suddenly lose the hearing in my right ear for a while and then it will come back after a while. No cold or stuffed up feeling just sudden hearing loss.

[Angela123]

Love the pic by the way. I'd like to get my husband one of those contraptions - he never seems to hear me when I want something doing round the house!

[Someonesmother in reply to Angela123]

Hahah my husband is deaf and it is soooooo frustrating.

[Hidden]

I've just been looking into vestibular problems that are part of automminuty and wonder if you might be getting these coincidentally with the MTX? I thought this link made interesting reading. The MTX did affect me adversely but for the first six months it was subtle stuff such as mood changes and fatigue - both of which could equally have been uncontrolled RD as my rheumy rather forcefully pointed out via my GP. Having been off RD drugs for 5 months now and finding I'm dizzy/ spacey and the neuropathy is getting worse I'm inclined to blame autoimmunity for the things I formerly blamed on drugs. Tx

vestibular.org/node/2

[Someonesmother in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Twitchytoes, it is possible but I don't have any dizziness or loss of balance I just lose my hearing for a but and then it comes back. If it continues I guess I will have to talk to someone about it as it adds to the difficulty of working, Just wondered if anyone else had had a similar experience.

[Hidden]

I see what you mean although, if you read the info on the link, it does mention that autoimmune hearing loss is quite a well recognised feature of Lupus, Sjogrens, Vasculitis and RD. I think it explains that the detritus caused by systemic inflammation can be carried by the circulation into the inner and outer ear and cause problems with hearing loss or dizziness or both? I don't recollect ever reading of anyone finding hearing loss to be a side effect of MTX though - although I know you and I are both prone to rare side effects so wouldn't rule it out either.

Not many people seem to have suffered from a foul taste of sour milk with rust as I did - listed as extremely rare in the MTX blurb but a consistent problem for me for the 24 months I took it for certain.

Definitely something that needs checking out by your doctor I would say. X

[Possitive_ attitude in reply to Hidden]

You are not on your own. I drink hoteel, so times it tastes great others it is awful.i can get through half a drink and what ever it is tea or coffee it suddenly tastes disgusting. The same with foid

[Someonesmother in reply to Possitive_ attitude]

That must be awful for you. Not sure I would be abel to take that. YUK.

[Hidden in reply to Possitive_ attitude]

Yiuck positive attitutude - but that's not quite what I meant - the bad taste occurred as soon as I started MTX and was constant 24/7 whatever I ate or drank. I no longer drink coffee or tea anyway as part of my personal health drive since RA began to try and get over insomnia and keep inflammation down. This foul taste took me off MTX three times in three years so I know it was the cause and it spoilt my relationship with taste and smell completely!

[Someonesmother in reply to Hidden]

Well I hope it doesn't happen to me, how awful for you both. I am about to take dose 2 so let's see what the weekend holds for me! hahahahah

[Hidden in reply to Someonesmother]

Good luck with next dose.

I did manage 24 months of MTX overall and, unlike Hydroxy and Sulfa it didn't affect my skin. Sulfa put me in hospital after 3 weeks so I found MTX relatively easy to tolerate but finally the taste issue got me down when combined with nausea and stomach cramps/ the trots. It did seem to flatten the RA too though and I'm definitely not doing so well in other ways now I'm off it.

[Someonesmother in reply to Hidden]

I have been on hydroxy for 12 months and only side effect with that was headaches and a bit of the runs at first until they reduced the dose. I can

]t take sulfa drugs so that was out for me. I hope you get something that works for you without all the horror side effects soon. I can already feel a massive headache coming on and pressure in my ears building so I am thinking it is the mtx.

[Hidden in reply to Someonesmother]

It will probably take a while for your body to adjust to any new drug as you are very sensitive to new elements being introduced and MTX is a biggie let's face it! If you can I would give it a proper chance as it is a drug you have to be monitored on and that's a good thing. If you get too stressed about each dose that might contribute to the migraine effect a lot as well. I know it's hard but it is probably worth persevering as it can be such an effective drug for RA and side effects can change and also settle down as your body adapts.

[Someonesmother in reply to Hidden]

I will give it a chance but I can't cope with the all week headache. So hard to work full time and I am popping panadol every 4-6 hours which cannot be doing my already shonky liver any good either on top of MTX. Oh well vicous circle, we will see what hapens

[Hidden in reply to Someonesmother]

Well I can see exactly why you are concerned. I stopped MTX finally because it was impacting too much on my working life - side effects were too unpredictable. Fingers crossed your headaches settle and impact on shonky liver isn't too great either

[Someonesmother in reply to Hidden]

Yes me too I am hoping this will be the only side effects I get but I am on a low dose to start only 10mgs go up to 15 in a couple of weeks. I have had to wait 2 1/2 years for my liver to get to a level where I am able to take mtx.

[Someonesmother in reply to Hidden]

well if it continues I will def go and see someone as it is slightly embarrassing. Yes we do seem to have those very special reactions to stuff so I would not be surprised if it is a reaction.

[Hidden]

Hi, I have had similar problems with my ears for the past few years, which culminated in a sudden and dramatic hearing loss in my right ear about two yrs ago, leaving me with profound hearing loss and horrendous tinnitus. I am also well into hearing loss in my left ear now and again, tinnitus which drives me up the wall. I was referred to fantastic ENT consultant, who arranged a brain scan. It turns out to be auto immune ear which he explained does happen quite often with RA sufferers. I was given high dose steroid injections into my ear drums which were not nice and did not make much difference. I was then given some very good digital hearing aids to obviously help with my hearing loss, but also to try and help with the tinnitus. I am still trying to come to terms with the aids because they have had to be adjusted several times because I am finding the background noises a nuisance which the aids of course amplify.

If I was you I think I would ask for referral to audio clinic to get your hearing checked out, rather than wait. I was on MTX for five years. Consultant did not think it had caused my hearing loss, but the RA has. Lynda. Xxx

[Someonesmother in reply to Hidden]

I am hoping it isn't and might be some passing thing that will go away. Must be awful for you. i had problems as a child and am a bit deaf in my left ear so this is a bit unusual. I will go see someone if it continues. I hope your hearing aids settle down for you

[Hidden]

Hi there

I really wouldn't wait because it may be something that needs treating now.

I have Otosclerosis which is genetic condition causing boney overgrowth and hearing loss. I was diagnosed in 1991 and diagnosed with RA in 1993. Luckily I only have it in one ear and it's not progressed since diagnosis. I wear a hearing aid in my right ear. I sympathise Jockety! But would say persevere with your aids as it took Audiology ages to sort mine out and finally it's working well. I also have tinnitus but this is recent. I've read myself about auto immune deafness but none of my ENT consultants ever mentioned it.

[Someonesmother in reply to Hidden]

I have been to so many Drs lately I am just having a break from them. Between this, heart condition, fracturing my heel and seeing my GP for scripts I am just a bit over the medical profession and sitting in waiting rooms for hours. I will certainly go if it continues.

[Hidden in reply to Someonesmother]

I hear you!

[Someonesmother in reply to Hidden]

Oh if I had $50 for every hour I have sat in waiting rooms. hahahahah

[Hidden in reply to Someonesmother]

Absolutely. My last rheumy appointment was at 3.35pm I was seen at 4.55 and left the clinic at 6pm got home at 8pm!

[Someonesmother in reply to Hidden]

Don't you love those ones. It is usually a 3 hour wait to see my GP, at least 2 hours for the rheumy and an hour and a half for the cardiologist. Sheesh I am so sick of wasting my life waiting. hahahahah

[Hidden in reply to Someonesmother]

Hospital appointments here in the uk are usually long but gps are pretty punctual. I've never waited more than 45 mins to see a gp. Why so long for you? Do you have an appointment time allocated?

[Someonesmother in reply to Hidden]

No and as it is a walk in place most of the Drs are awful so I will only see this one so hence the long wait I would rather do that than see one who is only there to see how many they can pump through in an hour for the $.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Sounds like a rubbish system. We don't know how lucky we are in the uk to have the NHS!

[Someonesmother in reply to Hidden]

We supposedly have universal healthcare but if you want to see a specialist it is between 3 to 12 months waiting list or more in some specialties, some will not see anyone through the health system, like orthopedic surgeons, so you have to have private health care and pay for it. waiting lists for elective surgery can be from 12 months to years. You can see GP privately but it can cost between $80 upwards per visit. The government here is trying to stop this system which at the moment while not wonderful is at least there for people who most need it. Some medications are subsidised so you pay about half but a lot I take aren't so I pay full price. This is why I need to work full time. I am not sure what will happen when I can't work any more it is a scary thought.

[Hidden in reply to Someonesmother]

That's very scarey. Let's hope you can continue to work. It's almost barbaric in this day and age to make people wait so long for healthcare and to deny treatment.

[Hidden in reply to Someonesmother]

Absolutely. My last rheumy appointment was at 3.35pm I was seen at 4.55 and left the clinic at 6pm got home at 8pm!

[Jora]

Yes, noticably in one ear, but the doctor said it looked fine. She was going to send me to an audiologist , but then it cleared up, though I still have tinnitus which I put down to pressure on the arteries in my neck. I have got used to it, this permanent white noise, except when it gets really bad.

[Someonesmother in reply to Jora]

Thanks for that. I did go profoundly deaf as a child and had some operation my mother cannot remember what it was, not grommets something else. So I live with tinnitus and white noise most of my life. This is weird, suddenly lose my hearing in right ear and then stops just like it started.

[oldtimer]

Sounds like a blocked up Eustachian tube. Probably nothing to do with the MTX.

[Someonesmother in reply to oldtimer]

Maybe, but weird it coincided with starting mx , had no trouble prior to starting it and it is happening again tonight after I have taken it. just weird. but I have the weirdest and rare side effects to drugs so nothing surprises me

[nomoreheels]

I'm sorry to hear this SOM. Is it possible that it's inflammation affecting your ear? I came across this ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/117... this morning. Sometimes we can be quick to blame meds, more so if we've been sensitive to others in the past. Reading the PubMed findings it's possible don't you think? I'd get it checked out if I was you, even if only by your GP to set your mind at rest. Even though RD isn't directly related to the ear it can cause hearing loss or cause harm by interrupting blood flow to the inner ear or the brain. I assume you're heart healthy & your BP is ok?

[Hobbits]

I cant say I have had hearing loss, but definitely my sense of smell is affected by Methotrexate. Ever since being on it, my nose runs a bit, its always clear fluid, so its not a sinus infection. I can barely smell anything except very strong odors, its like me nose is stuffed up 24/7. I have read the nose drip is pretty common with MTX, so Im not worried about it.

I hope you find out what is causing the hearing loss, its pretty frustrating Im sure. I think what the others above mentioned is a great idea, rule out other possible causes. Its so hard for all of us to determine what is and whats not caused by the MTX, as we are on so many different drugs too, hard to know whats causing what. I hope you find the answers soon.

[Someonesmother in reply to Hobbits]

Thanks Hobbits, that must be so annoying to feel like that all the time.

hahah yes I am on an interesting cocktail of drugs for all my little issues. I am sure I will have all sorts of interesting things along the way as my body gets used to it and I increase the dose. I am just so thankful I didn't get nausea and runs!!!!

[NeonkittyUK]

Hi your photo did make me smile ... where did you find them?? ... my Mum needs these! Seriously, I haven't had a problem like yours with MTX but I have had some muffled-ness and tinnitus when taking Ibuprofen (no longer taking them .. no need for some time) but it thankfully has fully subsided once I stopped taking them. I will add that I asked my GP for an alternative and did not just decide to change anti-inflams myself. Hope you can resolve the issue. Good luck.

[Someonesmother in reply to NeonkittyUK]

Thanks Neonkitty, yes my husband needs them too. I can't take NASAIDS or anything with ibuprofen so I know it isn't that. The only med I have added is methotrexate and then this started. I am hoping ti will go away on it's own as my body gets used to it.

[NeonkittyUK in reply to Someonesmother]

Yes, it would seem to point to that ... and I hope it settles as you get used to the med. Good luck