Medications that can cause tinnitus

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Medications that can cause tinnitus

Many prescription and nonprescription medications can cause ringing in the ears (tinnitus). Recently starting or increasing the dosage of some medications increases the chance that tinnitus will occur. The side effects caused by medications vary from person to person.

Medications that commonly cause tinnitus or make tinnitus worse include:

• ACE inhibitors, such as captopril (Capoten) and ramipril (Altace).
• Antibiotics, such as gentamicin, neomycin, and streptomycin.
• Anti-inflammatory medications, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen.
• Local anesthetic agents, such as bupivacaine, lidocaine, and procaine.
• Cardiac medications, such as nifedipine, quinidine (for example, Quinaglute), propranolol (for example, Inderal), and verapamil.
• Birth control pills (oral contraceptives).
• Water pills (diuretics), such as bumetanide (Bumex) and furosemide (Lasix).
• Antidepressant medications, such as amitriptyline (Elavil) and nortriptyline (for example, Pamelor).
• Vitamins or mineral supplements, such as niacin or vitamin A.
• Medications used to treat cancer, such as cisplatin or taxol.
• Medications used to treat Parkinson's disease, such as levodopa.

Credits

Last updated:	February 23, 2006
Author:	Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC
Reviewed By:	William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine, Donald R. Mintz, MD - Otolaryngology
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer