HomeAnswersOtolaryngology (E.N.T)hearing lossCan I have permanent hearing loss due to intake of Cialis?

What should I do to overcome hearing loss caused by Cialis?

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The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

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Published At December 29, 2016
Reviewed AtJune 30, 2023

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

I am a 27 year old male. I have been taking 5 mg Cialis about once per week for the past three months to help with prostatitis. After every tablet, I would usually notice some mild symptoms such as hearing things differently and sometimes some pressure in the ears. I assumed those were temporary and they did usually subside over time. Two weeks ago I took a pill and had worse symptoms. I had pain and discomfort inside my ears. My hearing was a little affected until three days ago, where it started getting worse, and has gotten worse in the last three days. My hearing is about 80% of normal. I have some pain and feel fullness in my ears. It is very uncomfortable overall. I have started researching this two days ago and found out that Cialis can cause permanent hearing loss, which is very scary. I also read that two things could potentially prevent some of the permanent loss of hearing, Prednisone and hyperbaric oxygen. But, only if they are given within about a month of the problem occurring. Today I went to the hospital to get checked, the doctor checked my ears and said he could not see anything wrong. He gave me a referral to an ENT. I was however able to convince him to prescribe me Prednisone 60 mg a day due to the time-sensitivity of this issue. Other than that, what should I do now? I have seen places that do hyperbaric oxygen where you go in a room for 2 hours, but I am not sure if those are legitimate and would work in my case. Is this also something that can be done in a hospital and would then be given differently? Please let me know as I really want to avoid permanent hearing loss at my age.

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Cialis contains Tadalafil and hearing loss is a very less common side effect, but it can happen. I would advise you to get an audiometry done as that will tell us if hearing loss is there and its possible cause. Secondly, Tadalafil also causes some nasal congestion, which in turn can cause heaviness in ears. So, I suggest a nasal decongestant drop and tablet Coldaid (Chlorpheniramine) along with steam inhalation. For steroids, I would say better to get investigated first. Steroids have their own side effects, even on prostatitis.

Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

As I said, though I will not have time to see an ENT on time before the damage is non-reversible, getting the audiometry first is not an option. What are your thoughts on hyperbaric oxygen in this case?

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

It is already three months since you started taking the medicine. So, I will not recommend hyperbaric oxygen that too without testing. The loss is reversible if things are done within a week usually. You stop the medicine and take Vitamin B12 1500 mg once daily. Go for intratympanic steroid, but that is also not possible without an ENT consultation. So, you ask your doctor to taper the dose of steroid for a week. Keep mobile or earphone usage to a minimum and also use a decongestant.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Priyanka Aggarwal
Dr. Priyanka Aggarwal

Audiology

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