Wellness

[wonderfulworld]

Unfortunately, stopping the Lasix and waiting may not be enough to restore your hearing if you suffer from Sudden Hearing Loss.

Regardless of the cause, the best treatment is to see an ENT who specializes in hearing, specifically an Otology/Neurotology specialist as you might find at an Ear Institute if you can find one. Ask your Audiologist.

The reason is that those of us who already have hearing loss are at risk for Sudden Hearing Loss and there is a narrow window of opportunity for treatment to work before it becomes permanent. People with out pre exisiting hearing loss can have it too but we are more susceptible.

Sudden Hearing Loss is a true audiological emergency and is treated with oral steroids and if you can find a specialist who does them...steroid infusions into the ear.

The window is 4 weeks...then the loss tends to be permanent.

This happened to me. I have had hearing loss since birth and wear hearing aids. Mine occurred as a side effect of medication too I think, but it can also be Autoimmune Disease or a virus. I will never know for sure the cause. It is just one ear. That is the usual case.

Sometimes hearing loss is due to a temporary cause such as an ear infection. Since you saw an audiologist you have probably had that ruled out. I am surprised you were not sent directly to an ENT.

The problem I had was inner ear. I was put on oral steroids and had 2 steroid infusions (they will do up to 4 infusions) and then my hearing improved with just a little loss remaining. Stopping the Lasix may not be enough, you may need treatment to calm the inflammation in your inner ear and restore your hearing. I surely did.

Please look up Sudden Hearing Loss and seek treatment if it seems to apply to you.

Let me know how you fare and I would be interested in the comments of anyone else who has had this problem.

Thank you for starting a thread on this important topic.

[JeanLouiseFinch]

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@wonderfulworld wrote:

Unfortunately, stopping the Lasix and waiting may not be enough to restore your hearing if you suffer from Sudden Hearing Loss.

Regardless of the cause, the best treatment is to see an ENT who specializes in hearing, specifically an Otology/Neurotology specialist as you might find at an Ear Institute if you can find one. Ask your Audiologist.

The reason is that those of us who already have hearing loss are at risk for Sudden Hearing Loss and there is a narrow window of opportunity for treatment to work before it becomes permanent. People with out pre exisiting hearing loss can have it too but we are more susceptible.

Sudden Hearing Loss is a true audiological emergency and is treated with oral steroids and if you can find a specialist who does them...steroid infusions into the ear.

The window is 4 weeks...then the loss tends to be permanent.

This happened to me. I have had hearing loss since birth and wear hearing aids. Mine occurred as a side effect of medication too I think, but it can also be Autoimmune Disease or a virus. I will never know for sure the cause. It is just one ear. That is the usual case.

Sometimes hearing loss is due to a temporary cause such as an ear infection. Since you saw an audiologist you have probably had that ruled out. I am surprised you were not sent directly to an ENT.

The problem I had was inner ear. I was put on oral steroids and had 2 steroid infusions (they will do up to 4 infusions) and then my hearing improved with just a little loss remaining. Stopping the Lasix may not be enough, you may need treatment to calm the inflammation in your inner ear and restore your hearing. I surely did.

Please look up Sudden Hearing Loss and seek treatment if it seems to apply to you.

Let me know how you fare and I would be interested in the comments of anyone else who has had this problem.

Thank you for starting a thread on this important topic.

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Thank you, @wonderfulworld  What I read said hearing would likely return after stopping the medication, but it's a big concern right now.  If your information is correct, then I'm out of luck because this began in July.

ETA - I did get an appointment with my primary for Monday morning to obtain a referral to a specialist.  I'm willing to try, hoping there's still a chance to regain some of what I lost.  Thank you again for bringing this to my attention.

[wonderfulworld]

JeanLouise, you have my sympathy and support.

I am almost 2 years since this happened to me and I was just tested and still making progress. Since it is an inflamatory thing healing takes a long time. I have learned the hard way that some medications are ototoxic...maybe not for others but I certainly have to be careful.

You are now off the lasix and I hope that helps. Some people do recover spontaneously I am sure. 

Please let me know how you do.

[charlestownliz]

In late spring and early summer of 2015, I was hospitalized with severe Congestive Heart

Failure.  I recieved many large doses of IV Lasix and was prescribed Lasix by mouth upon discharge.

In mid-July, 2015 I suddenly experienced terrible vertigo accompanied by vomiting.  At the same time I lost some hearing. 

From ER was referred to an ENT doc and an audiologist.  Discovered that I have permantently lost all hearing in my right ear and 60% of hearing in my left.  Been told that this loss is permanent and was caused by high doses of Lasix.  No longer take Lasix.  Perscribed Bumex now.

Have been an RN for 40 years and never encountered  this reaction before.  Obviously this has had a negative impact on several areas of my life.  Can no longer take

blood pressures, listen to lung and bowel sounds and many other clinical tasks.

[wonderfulworld]

It is amazing that since this happened to me  I have met and or heard of so many others who suffered sudden hearing loss. It is not as uncommon as I would have thought.

At the Ear Institute I went to they said they get about one case a day.

Charlestownliz, I am so sorry to hear your story. I 'think' mine was caused by topical chemotherapy I was using for skin cancer on my face.Just seems too big of a coincidence to me that I would lose my hearing while using the cream. I know it got into my blood stream because I could taste it. 

My specialist said it was one of three things. A virus, the topical chemo or Menierres Disease. I know I misspelled it but you know what I mean. I have not had vertigo.

I wonder why Lasix is still on the market?

[Big Sister]

Thanks for this thread.  I have been on generic Lasix for many  years and have not noticed any hearing loss.  However, I have been experiencing balance problems when I walk.  Sometimes I walk like I am drunk.

I will mention it to my dr. when I see her.  I actually hope the poor balance is caused by the Lasix and I can go back to having good balance once I was off the Lasix.  We'll wait and see.

The other topic I wanted to touch on is LISINIPRIL (sp?).   I developed a chronic cough and just happened to mention it to my dr.  She said it is caused by Lisinipril and she took me off of it immediately.  No more coughing.

[Q4u]

The side effects to some of these drugs is mind-boggling....

I am on Hydro .12 and a low dose of Atenolol and will remember your post regarding Lasix!

9 years ago I was diagnosed with Diabetes.  Prior to that I was on Statin Drugs (Simvastatin) for nearly two years and had a very bad reaction to it.  

Now they are saying there is a direct correlation between statin drugs and developing Diabetes....  a 50% chance.

http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/news/20150304/statins-linked-to-raised-risk-of-type-2-diabetes

And "they" wonder why there is an "epidemic" of Diabetes after prescribing statins to nearly everyone in the last 20 years!!

[Q4u]

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@Big Sister wrote:

Thanks for this thread.  I have been on generic Lasix for many  years and have not noticed any hearing loss.  However, I have been experiencing balance problems when I walk.  Sometimes I walk like I am drunk.

I will mention it to my dr. when I see her.  I actually hope the poor balance is caused by the Lasix and I can go back to having good balance once I was off the Lasix.  We'll wait and see.

The other topic I wanted to touch on is LISINIPRIL (sp?).   I developed a chronic cough and just happened to mention it to my dr.  She said it is caused by Lisinipril and she took me off of it immediately.  No more coughing.

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That's another one I was on.....  developed a cough so bad my best friend thought I had something horrific going on.....  it was so horrible I would often gag and throw up. I didn't even make the connection immediately....  but I finally did and was taken off the stuff.  

[Golden_Oldie]

I consider myself very lucky. I take many medications.

I was put on hydrochlorothiazide at first, it did nothing. The Dr. changed to furosemide (40mg) and my BP med, 200mgs. of metoprolol tartrate

There have been no side effects I can attribute to these meds. My BP and leg edema are in complete control.

[NAES1]

@JeanLouiseFinch,

    I had made some notes in reference to your sudden after effects from the medication you referred to. Was I surprised that ' yours may have caused hearing loss to some degree? NO. I have many reports from our patients who notice or complaints FROM different medications.

Unfortunately many health providers pass over the real problem or send

_ patient _ to either a specialist, or you are left to figure out on your own.

The most recent post medication complaint was a diuretic. This was given after an outpatient procedure\ laser eye\. As I understood, the technician called the specialist( another hospital) had left w\o checking patient. 

Patient's eye level was seriously very high. The instructions were to take 1 very powerful diuretic, wait one hour, then released to go home. 

 Word was received from patient within "3" hours to staff members of severe cramping throughout the pelvic area, along with severe pain and complications ref: urinary tract.

 Patient ended up being seen by PCP, then referred to an urologist. No indication of any bacterial infection but all the earmarks of damage spasms of bladder and nausea.

Patient had to undergo a cystoscopy and was put on at least six different medications. The symptoms lasted over 1.5 years. 

 From last follow up - after ( almost ) 3 years, the symptoms returned. 

 Patient from last recorded information is now under an urologist's care. 

  Absolutely, I believe your keen observation.