I've been really struggling for a few months with my T (17 years with it). So it was an unwelcome shock to find out that I now need to go on statins due to calcified blood vessels (long story). The first thing I thought was oh no what if they affect my T! I did a bit of googling which suggested that Rosuvastatin may actually help with T, so I requested that from my GP. I've been taking it for three days and was relieved there haven't been any physical side effects yet (I've ridden my bike every day). However, since starting it has made my already horrendous T a bit worse, yet another new noise in my head. Maybe an adjustment period is required? But if still the same after a week I will stop them.
Are any of you taking statins, who can maybe advise if they have been through similar? Have you found a statin that doesn't affect T?
Thanks in advance.
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Karlos
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I started taking atorvastatin about 5-6 months ago. They had no affect at all on my T. They did cause other side-effects, chest pains and needing to pee too frequently. Best wishes
Hi, I also started on crestor and also picked it because of what I read about it and tinnitus. In 3 months cholesterol went from 245 to 180. I took 5 mg. I now lowered it to 2.5mg alternate days. I don't think it affected tinnitus at all. Mine is more affected by anxiety.
Thanks for the reply Rosie. I did wonder if it's because I'm so stressed. But it seems too much of a coincidence as it started the morning after the first one.
This might be because you were anticipating a spike. This is what happened to me. The spike took a while, but lowered eventually and I remained on the statin
I can’t remember what my first was, but I’m now on Atorvastatin. I only changed because my previous one had to be taken at night.
One of the problems with tinnitus is that you are monitoring it all the time, so if there is a change in your life of whatever sort you blame that change for any increase in tinnitus. The trick - and it’s not easy - is to ignore it. There are many changes in life as you live it, and if you spend valuable brain time wondering whether this happened because of that, you’ve got less brain space available to enjoy the good things around you.
I’ve had a hugely stressful day today, and Mr T has taken the chance to talk to me, but I know how to ignore him and do something more useful. Like read a book!
Well you know things don't change immediately so nobody should be planning that a change in medication should show progress or worsening immediately, unless they actually do.
The only thing that has ever helped me with my tinnitus is when I forget it. It seems there are no end to substances that can cause our exacerbated, I've been on rosuvastatin 10 years and aspirin for as long, both cardiovascular related, and cannot do without them. I've also been on blood pressure medication that long. Antihistamines nearly all of my lifetime and antidepressants for nearly all of my adult life. Long since quit trying to figure out if any of these are or how they might create or affect my tinnitus because I have never had really much choice about them and still really don't.
I guess I had heard something about Claritin (loratadine) and maybe somebody knows more about that, in that it may help T... My own antihistamine regimen has been part Benadryl part zyrtec because only they really control the chronic body wide itching I suffer and I really can't be messing with it at all.
if you look on some previous posts a few people have said statins have upset it or caused it
I have had
Tinnitus and PT it’s been in and off startles me in the night the PT varies from seagull sounds to screeching whooshing screaming or birds tweeting
I read the post about statins and have stopped taking mine and I have to say the PT has gone !
I still have the usual tinnitus I’ve had for years … but
It could be coincidence
It could be my mind playing tricks
It could be anything
But I won’t be taking statins atm
So I’m not a doctor or have any medical knowledge just saying
I've been on Atorvastatin for 6 months, I'm not sure it's made my T worse.
It is a little worse this year, but so is my general health. Last year I was lighter, my diabetes was well under control, my asthma wasn't too bad. For various reasons I'm not so on top of things now - my cholesterol is obviously up and hence the medication. So I think this has affected my T, not the Atovastatin.
But now you've got me worried... 🤔
I think it can be stress too
By my experience
I don’t wish to make u worry and like I said it could just be coincidence
I was told to go on statins by my doctor because my cholesterol was high, I decided to find out more about statins before i considered that, people i spoke to had mixed results which can be expected and tinnitus did get worse in some people, when i first got T from a cancer drug nothing in the next 22 years effected my T but since i got head injury T every thing has changed, i went from just having the normal noises in my ears which every T sufferer gets to having all sorts of extra sounds and things going off in my head and every day things started to effect my T, thankfully some things have calmed down and i am in a good place even with all that going off in my head BUT i am very careful and wary now off taking drugs, i have a lot off headaches and thankfully paracetamols work wonders and have no effect on my T, i am scared of taking statins and they will be for life in case it does make my T worse and statins don't stop you from having a stroke or heart attack or any thing else they just limit that and not by much so from my point of view I'm willing to take the risk and instead have decided to change my diet off cause we are all different, we all react different to all drugs. i hope things work out for you.
A couple of years ago, I started on statins. My doctor wanted to prescribe Atorvastin but I refused, as I saw it included in an article as one of the drugs that most commonly causes tinnitus. I asked for Rosvastatin, as I didn't see any negative reports about it re tinnitus and one scientific paper actually suggested that it improves tinnitus - when I mentioned this to my GP, he dismissed the idea because the paper was from Romania! I did take Rosvastatin for two or three weeks but came off it - not because I thought it made my tinnitus worse, but it was going through a worsening phase at the time and I didn't want to potentially add fuel to the fire. If I need to go back on statins, I was going to choose Rosuvastatin again.
I can no longer find an online link to the article that mentioned Atorvastatin in the Top 20 ototoxic drugs but I have a PDF and it was by Dr Neil Bauman in the Summer 2018 edition of the magazine Tinnitus Today. The paper that mentions the possible benefits to the ears of Rosuvastatin is this one: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/304...
Hi, I also take crestor. My cholesterol was 245 and in 3 months went to 180. Like you. I am concerned about meds, almost everyone causes a spike and I need to take pain meds and an antidepressant. Right now I'm not taking them and am really depressed, anxious and in some pain. Anyway, back to the crestor. I started with 5 mg. I now cut it in half and take it every other day. Another thing for me, aerobic exercise or exertion causes a spike, so it may be your bike riding?
I was given Atorvastatin 40 mg at the beginning of this year . After 5 days my almost silent unnoticible T ( after20 years ) woke up !! It was back to were it started .I refused to take any more . I went in a vegan diet. Got my cholesterol down from 7 to 3 . I was persuaded to go back on statins Rouvastatin 5 mg . It hasn’t made the T any worse or better . I am convinced it depends on the strength of the tablet . Atorvastatin is the statin of nhs choice cos it’s the cheapest. So I know several friends on it . Those with 5 or 10 mg don’t have T. Those on 40 mg , 3 have T and one doesn’t . If you report your reaction to “Yellow Card “ they will send a list of statin reactions including Tinnitus . Atorvastatin is way up in front .
I have to say Karlos that my tinnitus worsened as soon as I started taking Atorvastatin back in May this year. My GP stopped them and am now being monitored on my cholesterol levels. My tinnitus remains at the higher level now. If I need to restart statins I will research the options; however, I will refuse to take Atorvastatin. This is just my experience and do hope you find some kind of help for your health issues. All the best
Most drugs do not cause tinnitus. There are a handful of prescribed and over-the-counter medicines which may have links to tinnitus when taken in large doses.
Kind of vague, referring to link, but have reviewed research articles stating that statins like Atorvastatin can help tinnitus, but then there are articles stating that Atorvastatin can be ototoxic.
Similar situation, started on Atorvastatin earlier this month.
I think if we're going to cite posts which query the patient advisory warnings on medications, we should also be quoting my former colleague Nic Wray's context for these warnings too -
"Tinnitus is listed as a side effect for many, many drugs.
However, when looked at closely the actual number of drugs which CAUSE tinnitus is tiny, and these are mainly the cis-platin drugs (for cancer treatment) and some of the powerful intravenous antibiotics given in hospital (so not the type you get on prescription from your GP)
So - what is going on? Why are so many drugs reported to cause tinnitus?
Well, some people may have an adverse reaction to a drug. This gets reported to their GP, and then onwards to the drug companies, who HAVE to record this and put it in their patient information sheet.
For most commonly prescribed drugs, and this includes the ones for high blood pressure and for stations, the number of people who report tinnitus while taking their medication is usually less than 1 in 1000 people. Tinnitus as a side effect is relatively rarely reported.
Now the good news is that tinnitus caused by drug treatment is usually temporary - it either goes as your body adjusts to the medication and the condition you have, or it goes if you stop taking the drug. However, don't stop taking your medication without consulting your doctor! It's also likely that there will be an alternative, and that this may not trigger tinnitus at all. It's far more dangerous to live with untreated high blood pressure, for example, than with tinnitus - although I appreciate that tinnitus may be more unpleasant in sensation.
Good Post. Anytime I point out a thread or some reference it is just to let the know that I found some other discussion or some reference somewhere else. I should add the moto of the Royal Society as a disclaimer "Nullius in Verba" (Take nobody's word for it")
I’ve been taking Simvastatin for 20 years with no side effects. My tinnitus only started recently when I was prescribed Amlodipine for raised blood pressure.
my husband takes Amlodipine with no side effects. It seems that some people get a side effect and others don't. That happens with all drugs. Guess its a lottery and a chance we all take when given a drug. One doctor told me , if we all read the side effects , none of us would ever take anything.
I’m sorry to hear that you’re struggling with your tinnitus after so many years. It can be really tough, especially when new challenges arise.
I specialize in tinnitus music therapy, which many people find helpful for managing their symptoms. I recently created a video that showcases some of the music therapy I use, and it might offer you some relief. If you’re interested.
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