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Trimethoprim Medication. Can It Cause Tinnitus If Taken For A Prolonged Period ?
Question: Can trimethoprim cause tinnitus if taken for a prolonged period , ie in excess of 12 months. If so is it reversible on stopping the drug
Have recently noticed this.
Have recently noticed this.
Hello,
Thanks for posting your query.
It is true that Trimethoprim is somewhat Ototoxic. It is not known to cause hearing loss, but it can cause tinnitus (ringing in the ears), ataxia (staggering gait), dizziness and vertigo (sensation of spinning).
But ototoxicity caused by antibiotics may be reversible or may be permanent, depending on the type of medication used, dosage and duration of treatment. Trimethoprim does not cause as much ototoxic effects as other antibiotics like Aminoglycosides or Erythromycin.
Moreover the effect of ototoxicity is more profound when used in intravenous form. So the side effect of tinnitus is reversible and should go away gradually once you stop the medication under your doctor’s guidance.
If the symptoms persist then other causes of tinnitus should be ruled out by an ENT specialist.
Hope this answers your query. If you have additional questions or follow up queries then please do not hesitate in writing to us. I will be happy to answer your queries.
Regards.
Thanks for posting your query.
It is true that Trimethoprim is somewhat Ototoxic. It is not known to cause hearing loss, but it can cause tinnitus (ringing in the ears), ataxia (staggering gait), dizziness and vertigo (sensation of spinning).
But ototoxicity caused by antibiotics may be reversible or may be permanent, depending on the type of medication used, dosage and duration of treatment. Trimethoprim does not cause as much ototoxic effects as other antibiotics like Aminoglycosides or Erythromycin.
Moreover the effect of ototoxicity is more profound when used in intravenous form. So the side effect of tinnitus is reversible and should go away gradually once you stop the medication under your doctor’s guidance.
If the symptoms persist then other causes of tinnitus should be ruled out by an ENT specialist.
Hope this answers your query. If you have additional questions or follow up queries then please do not hesitate in writing to us. I will be happy to answer your queries.
Regards.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Jyoti Patil
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