hearing loss and tinnitus

[floxie]

I had an adverse reaction to levaquin (floroquinolone)antibiotic. I have lost hearing in one ear and have tinnitus 24/7.  I mixed the levaquin with nsaids because I didn't know there was a drug interaction listed.  No one warned me.  My question is what exactly happens when you mix aspirin, advil with a quinolone?  I know that it states mixing the two can cause cns stimulation and excitation.  What does all that mean and can I get my hearing back and get rid of the horrible sound in my head?

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-PW]

As far as I know, there is no significant interaction between NSAIDS, aspirin and Levaquin

I'm not sure what context, CNS stimulation and excitation might be in, but on the surface it looks like it mean anxiety, insomnia or irritiblity of feelings?

You have to be careful before you attribute your hearing loss and tinnitus to a side effect - this should be a diagnosis of exclusion as other causes are probably more common and important to diagnose such as an acoustic neuroma (tumor compressing the nerve to the ear) or Meniere's disease (a problem with the fluid balance in the ear).

An audiogram and a consultation with an ENT doctor or neurologist would be the next thing to do

[floxie]

Why havent' I heard from anyone?  I need some help here.

[AK52]

After a couple months I got used to the ringing so that I hardly notice it anymore. I don't think I have any hearing loss though. Hope this helps.

[AK52]

Oh yeah, I forgot, I had some hearing loss way back when I started having problems, but it only lasted a couple days.

[SteveIT]

I was floxed five years ago. CNS excitation means you wake up standing next to your bed feeling like you had twenty Red Bulls and a five-pound bag of uppers. Yes, the label does say mixing NSADs and quinolones increases this effect.

But you should see an ENT specialist, who can help determine where your problem originates.

[johnflox]

And how are you now after those 5 years? Was your reaction strong? And did you have a lot of neuropathies?

I also had tinnitus as a side effect of cipro. It is extremely frequent. Now it comes and go. I know of people that after taking quinolone antibiotics have suffered pretty badly from tinnitus for some years  and then got healed.

[SteveIT]

I have neuropathy now, but have no idea if it's Levaquin-related--it started just two months ago. I recovered from tendon injuries and went from a wheelchair to working out at a gym 3x a week. Occasionally my tendons bother me, but no worse than the pains and aches of growing older.

A doctor I know suggested floxed people take acetyl-l-carnatine and CoQ10, as mitochondrial damage is one of the suspected mechanisms of quinolone injury. I did not understand a word she said, but I'm buying the supplements anyway.

[johnflox]

Your doctors points in the right direction. Many of the floxies' disorders seem to fit well with a damage to the mitochondria (the energy pump inside every cell), but a few of them have been tested deeply and the mitochondrial damage does not look so extensive, but mild or nor conclusive at all.
A good idea could be to get one's Q10 level tested. Surprisingly many floxed people have less than half the minimum level considered withing the normal range. Supplementation with Q10 seems to be a good option, with good long term results too. Such low levels of Q10 affect to the complete cycle of cholesterol metabolism, very much as the statins do, causing very long lasting muscular pains (myalgias) and arthralgias (joint pains), as well as other metabolic alterations. Supplementation with L-carnitine helps with the muscle function, and can be of some help but its effects are less pronounced in some cases.

[floxie]

kWhat if we never had lyme disease?  I had a true adverse reaction to levaquin.  I'm concerned about the interaction between nsaids and the levaquin (quinolones).  I have never felt like the person I was before this happened.  What I'm most angry about is not having been warned about this medicine and all it could do to you.

[johnflox]

Thank you for your information.
But I have no lyme disease, I am suffering a devastating reaction to cipro, that is a fluoroquinolone antibiotic.
Every people that is aware of their reaction to a quinolone know well that symptoms of Lyme, multiple sclerosis, quinolone intoxication and a few other disorders, mimick each other so much that they must have something in common, perhaps an inmune component.

[floxie]

Hi, I had a reaction to levaquin.  How are you coping?  This has been the worst thing that's ever happened to me.

[johnflox]

I have been suffering extremely for some years now. I had never had any previous health problem. I had always been very healthy, athletic and had good habits.
Cipro was the only medicine I took and my tendons were smashed, but nobody made the connection. Later they prescribed me cipro again, and it destroyed my whole nervous system, tendons, cartilages and vision.

[Virtual_Pawprint]

I just came across this thread today, and since the last post was made in March of last year, I have my doubts that anyone is still reading it.  With that in mind, I just thought that I'd make a quick post to ask how how floxie's situation has progressed.  Nothing is more important to me than my hearing, so I felt really bad when I read about your hearing loss.  Have you gotten any of your hearing back?  Has the tinnitus lessened any?  If you're still reading this thread, please do respond.  I'd like to hear how you're doing, and I hope that your condition has improved!