Possible hearing loss or sinus infection?

[jj816]

I'm a healthy 24-year-old white male, 150 pounds, 5 feet 11 inches tall.  

For the past 2 months I've had pain in my ears, very minor tinnitus (ringing), sensitivity to noise, and a burning sensation in the very back of my throat near the sinus opening into the throat.  

I've had an MRI that showed a cyst in the right maxillary sinus, and the doctor said there was nothing to worry about.

For a period of about 3 months, I took 40mg hydrocodone/acetaminophen per day, but I am no longer taking any hydrocodone at all.  I am now taking 2mg buprenorphine per day to detox from the hydrocodone.

I've noticed the pain and sensitivity in my ears seems to worsen when I take the buprenorphine, however, I've been reassured by several doctors that buprenorphine cannot damage your ears or even cause any of the symptoms I'm having.

I'm concerned because I've read about connections between hydrocodone and progressive profound hearing loss.   I'm not really having many symptoms of hearing loss per say, except that I've been noticing that I have trouble hearing people in noisy crowds.

I'm afraid that perhaps hydrocodone began the damaging process and that buprenorphine is contributing to it somehow, but I can't find any medical journal articles or reports of buprenorphine damaging the ears.  All the research focuses on hydrocodone and hearing loss.

I'm scared, is all I can say.  And I have no money to visit an ENT or audiologist, and no insurance.

Please provide any insight or experiences you may have on any of the above mentioned issues.

[BrandonShayC]

I've been on suboxone for about 2 years now.  At 12mg/day now.  It's been a blessing and my career is just starting to take off.  However, on Nov 1st, 6 days ago, I got home from work.. had some ringing.. it got worse...  3 hours later I am in the ER with 100% hearing loss in my right ear.  I've been on prednisone and had a steroid shot in my ear yesterday, but still 100% loss.  I'm looking for answers, not finding them at the doc... have an MRI in 9 days... which I have a feeling it might be too late by then... I hope it's not the suboxone.

[linds955]

I have been on 6mg on Suboxone for 6 years.  I cant figure out my ear problems.  Ringing, buzzing, flushing sounds in one ear!  I was addicted to pills prior to that! It's driving me crazy!!!!  The doctors dont know.... Tinnitus, Menniers Disease, who knows.  I have been to the House Ear Clinic trting to get to the bottom of it!!!  Any ideas......

[loker]

Well well, what a surprise.  Once again I find after the fact that I got screwed by dug makers who put out drugs that can completely turn people's lives upside down.  I've been taking Suboxone for about 10 months, and the tinnitus started a couple months ago.  As soon as I realized that it was the culprit, which is basically in the last couple days, I freaked out, and I can only hope it might get better.  So bottom line is, I take suboxone and it's causing me ear problems as well.  My life was so good before this.  A good life will be not so good if this effect is permanent.  

PS I urge everyone with this problem to tell the FDA about it, as they have a website for reporting adverse effects from drugs.  Please do this.  

[bittybumble]

i have no prior hearing problems whatsoever and, since being on subutex and suboxone a few months, i have constant fluid pooling in my ears and a sensation of pressure in my left ear especially and a drum beat sensation.  it's not in your mind.  i know all opiates can cause hearing loss, and subutex is a partial opiate, but i was on all kinds of opiates, obviously, before subutex, or i wouldn't be on subutex now, would i?  and i never felt anything like this before.  i think subutex/suboxone cause MORE hearing problems than any other opiate.  that's my personal experience.  i don't know if what i'm experiencing is hearing LOSS, and i certainly hope that it's not, but it IS a SEVERE ear problem.  

[ENTMD]

Wow, I actually agree with "friggy" on this one.  This drug is not known to be ototoxic.  An important distinction will need to be made about your "motion sickness/nausea".  You seem to be assuming that this is being caused by your ears.  It may be, but it is more likely from a central, brain source.  There are tests -- that you should consider (VNG, rotary chair, posturography) -- that can tell the difference.  Furthermore, you are describing other symptoms that are certainly not ear-related.  Otherwise, follow "friggy"'s advice.

[friggy]

Just google: suboxone side effects and you'll find plenty.  There's hardly a drug in the world that doesn't have very unusual side effects for a few people. For instance, Benadryl makes me pass out immediately.  I'd recommend a doctor with a better attitude towards your problem, which would be just about any other doctor.

[annod1]

I've had an inner ear disorder for 15 years. I've gradually gotten used to the ups and downs, bad days good days, what to expect etc. Learned to live with it as they say.

But I just started taking Suboxone and it MARKEDLY made my inner ear disorder worse. I could barely walk, and a lot of motian sickness/nausea. Very very dizzy. I've adapted to the change to a certain extent but it's still far from acceptable. I still can't drive and still am taking Zofran for nausea. The pattern is very different from usual and happened as soon as the pill kicked in on the first day.

My prescribing doctor does not believe me....Neither does he believe the pill caused me to see double, slurr my speech, and barely be able to walk or eat. No one else has had that reaction so therefore it doesn't exist is his attitude. I'm still trying to slowly adapt.

Does ANYONE know more about ototoxicity and this drug? Or sensitivities?  Other extreme reactions? I need to find out whats going on and also find proof to back myself up. In case I can't continue on this drug I need the support  and guidance of a doctor to find a different treatment.

Thanks, from,

WHAT!?

[Wear/a/Jimmy]

Normal is normal. You hear better than I did when I was 23. It is rare to find someone hearing in the 0-10 dB range. It is mostly adoloscent girls that do.

[jj816]

Thanks, Jimmy, for all the information.  I didn't realize audiologists had such low fees....

As far as my hydrocodone usage.... it was illicit, but I never took more than 4 ten-milligram pills (40mg hydrocodone) in a 24-hour period.  According to the information you posted, this is a pretty low dose.   I never skipped a day of taking 4 pills for a full 90 days, give or take a few days.  Perhaps this duration was enough to cause some minor damage?  I certainly suspect there is some minor damage.

I finally found a free audio test on the web, and I calibrated my computer's sound system to take it, and the result consistently showed across all frequencies tested on both ears.... that my "hearing threshold" is 22 to 25 dB.   Barely in the normal range; just a few more dB drops, and I'd be considered having "minor hearing loss," according to research I've read.  In fact, I overlayed my digital audiogram with that of an normal-hearing 40 year old male, and the two match almost perfectly.  So great, I've got the hearing of a 40 year old man and I'm 24.......

Anyway, thanks again.

[Wear/a/Jimmy]

According to the book:

"Ototoxic Drugs Exposed"  author Neil. G. Bauman

Buprenorphine is a regarded as a Class 2 ototoxic drug. Class 5 being the worst. The book lists Tinitus and vertigo as a side effect, but does not mention hearing loss.  

Hydrocodone is regared as a Class 1 or class 5 depending on the dose and duration. It can cause hearing loss, vertigo & tinnitus.  The book essentially says that if you take a low dose (the perscribed dose) for a short duration, one should not expect negative ramifications.

It goes on to describe HIGH doses as 20 pills a day for 2+ months.

Rush Limbaugh (sp) had a sudden bilateral profound hearing loss. The Mayo Clinic claimed it was due to an autimune attack on the ears. (it does happen, but seldomly)   Latter it was discovered that Rush was a pill popper, and his favorite drug of choice.... Vicodin (Hydrocodone)

I do not know if the Mayo Clinic ever retracted their diagnosis...  but I doubt Rush gave them a honest case history to begin with, so one can not fault them for that.

My advice, call araound, I do not doubt for a moment that you could find an audiologist that would test you for less than 40$.  All he/she could do is test you &  supply you with answers to your questions. If there was any damage done by the Hydrocodone, that is ireverasable now, there is nothing that can be done about that. So seing an MD/ENT for this is useless. The Audiologist will analyze you results and advise you to see an ENT from that point if warranted.