Tinnitus After Using Minoxidil?
Hi there
I am curious to know if yo have heard from others complaining of tinnitus after using minoxidil. I had used finasteride for some 10 years, it seems without any side effects. I stopped the finasteride and had a break for about 18 months from any treatments and then started using minoxidil 5%.Within 3 months i began to be woken with tinnitus. It is now constant in both ears.
Any help or suggestions greatly appreciated.
Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) can be a warning sign for many serious medical conditions not related to medications, but it is also a known rare side effect of minoxidil. You need to see your doctor if you have such a problem. While it may be a potential side effect of the medication, you cannot afford to attribute the symptom to a side effect without a medical examination.
I have been having the tinnitus ringing after hair restoration surgery around 4/2008. I also am concerned about the post-surgery medications: Finasteride and Minoxidil. I have continuous ringing in both ears and feel a sense of fullness or pressure in the ears. I have stopped taking the Finasteride and only use the Minoxidil once in the morning. Should I stop the Minoxidil until I see the ENT Dr.? Is there anything to take to stop the ringing? thanks, GREG
Wow. This is very interesting. I began using Rogain foam in mid August of this year. A month later, I begain hearing ringing in my ears. Now, two months later, the ringing has gotten worse and I feel dizzy. I went to a specialist yesterday and he attributed the tinnitus to a possible hearing problem. However, I hear just fine. After reading these comments, I am going to stop the Rogain usage immediately. I have a feeling tht the use of Rogain is causing the tinnitus and dizziness.
Interesting! I too have constant ringing in my ears and it started about three weeks after using Rogaine foam. I’m going to stop using it and see if it goes away.
I also started having tinnitus suddenly about 18 months ago. I had no idea what caused it and consulted my personal physician and an ENT specialist, but could find no cause. It suddenly occurred to me that the ringing started about 2 months after I started using minoxidil once a day. I googled the two words and here we are: evidently the cause. This should be better-known by doctors and users, as these products are widely used. So now I don’t know which is worse–the ringing or a bald spot. The stuff definitely works! I hope Stephen and Joe provide feedback as to whether stopping the minoxidil stops the ringing.
@ Carl, I quit using it on the 12 and now 4 days later the ringing is going away. It’s still there, but much quieter. I’ll keep you posted.
The ringing is finally gone….
Thanks, Joe. It’s good to know it’s reversible.
But is your bald spot coming back?
It sounds to me like this is much more common than the “extremely rare” side-effect of minoxidil that the manufacturer admits to.
I’ll try to find a widely read medical clog or two to post this information on.
hi Everyone it’s incredible to read your comments here…i use “rogaine” in Germany called “regaine” since 4 months and i’ve got tinnitus too.i tought my tinnitus depends just because i’m drummer but i’m drummer since 20 years and i’d never some kind of problems before, (just only in the last 4 months)…why right now?i’m gonna stop the cure and i’ll see wot is gonna happend.Take care ,please stay in touch
Hello, I used REGAINE (thats the German name) for about 2 weeks. Now I have tinnitus on both ears. I was at my doctor but she didnt know anything.
I went to special doctor for Ears and she said it is possible that REGAINE caused my Problem. I never had problems like this before.
Sonetimes I had weak pain in my ears too since I used REGAINE.
Now I take Cortison which the Ear-Doctor gave me and hope the tinnitus will go away.
i have been using rogaine for six months and have noticed the tinnitus. i have hearing issues but not ringing before rogaine. i stopped using it 3 days ago. Ringing not quite as bad but i think too early to know for sure. glad i found this site. will try to remember to repost in a couple weeks if ringing goes away.
I too used Hairagain (minoxidil) and got a constant hissing sound in my ears. I’ll probability stop using it now and hope there’s no permanent affects/damage. I think a lot of people wouldn’t notice this kind of side effect because so many people don’t take care of their hearing in the first place.
Propecia and topical rogaine X 3 years. Tinnitis and hearing loss for about 3 years. Complete Ent work up negative. Will stop and see if it helps. Ear ringing is bilateral and NOT subtle
Oh and yes, my hair grow back a lot and looked way better after about 6-9 months. No other side effects for me
I noticed tinnitus from the first time i started using monoxidil. Only problem was that i was also really desperate for a solution to my hair loss. But now it’s slowly getting worse and worse (and I still haven’t found a woman!) so it seems I might have to choose to lose my hair and save my hearing. Guess the plug shop’s an option too.
Well I am glad I found this site. I started using minoxidil back in October of 2014. the ringing sound started about a month later. It is funny how I didn’t even think of minoxidil as the cause. I just stopped using it and will keep you posted. I hope it is not permanent because I rather have no hair but get to experience silence again.
I too used Minioxidil for about 8
Months and then have had tapping in my ear and feeling awful. Stopped Minioxidil.
I started using rogaine last year and found I had tinnitus 3 months later. It was really bad and I had brain scans to see if it was any other problem. I stopped using rogaine and after about 5 weeks the tinnitus stopped. I’ll never use that stuff again, I figured its better to go bald than have that happen again..
I think some of the side effects listed by regaine include high blood pressure as being one of the more common symptoms.
In regards to tinnitus, it can sometimes be caused by a constriction of the blood vessels, a symptom of high blood pressure. If you stop using regaine, and tinnitus persists, maybe go to get a blood pressure reading from your doctor who can maybe prescribe some tablets to reduce it…or give muscle relaxants to ease blood flow.
One minor point is that sometimes cutting salt from your diet can reduce blood pressure (and if this is the related caused – the tinnitus) without the need for often expensive medication.
Definitely the minoxidil! Had a bald patch my dermatologist prescribed 5% minoxidil. Ringing started very subtle but became excruciating. Went to an ear specialist who recommended I just get used to it because it we would but permanent. But after hair grew back stopped using minoxidil and ringing stopped. Didn’t put 2 and 2 together ’til I went to a new beautician the ringing started. I noticed it was worse the day after my appts. I asked what she was using and of course minoxidil.
Pls help me. I have taken 12.5% Minoxidil for two months. Then I started hearing noises in both ears. I found this website and stopped using Minoxidil immediately. It has been 10 days after stopping Minoxidil, but I am still suffering from tinnitus. Mark (No.1) said it took 5 weeks to be resolved. I should keep hoping this noise would eventually go away? If so, how long would it take? I went to ENT specialist and he said all is fine including MRI scan. Thank you for your help.
Try taking an allergy pill. It has helped my ears. Definitely the Rogaine.
Hi,
I was using Kirkland’s Minoxidil from past 2.5 months and today I got the buzzing sound in my ear for the whole day. So I took the appointment for ENT specialist but after researching on google I got to know that my Minoxidil might be causing this. Thanks to you guys so I am leaving using minoxidil. Will update the comments from my doctor & I hope my tinnitus would go in 14 days.
Thanks to u all!
Hi,
Just an update:
Finally, my tinnitus goes away in 4 weeks whereas ringing sound keep going high & low during that 4 weeks but now it is all good and I am not using minoxidil anymore. Hope it helps to other people!
I am blaming myself for not doing enough research before starting to use 5% minoxidil for by pattern baldness.
My both ears started ringing just 8-10 days after I started using 5% minoxidil twice daily.
I will stop using it from tomorrow and report my findings as soon as can.
I started constant and super annoying ringing in my both ears a week or so after I start d using minoxidil 5% twice daily.
I’m very thankful to you and this website.
I am stopping using minoxidil from today.
I hope the ringing goes away as many have experienced here.
I will keep everyone posted.
Hi Everyone,
Kala here. I started using Regaine’s Minoxidil in October 2015.
Sometime in April 2016 I got a ear infection on one ear which resulted in Tinnitus.
1 week later, I had the ringing in the other ear as well.
Im quite sure my Tinnitus has something to do with the Minoxidil.
I still have it , and have to sleep with white noise playing in the background.
Sad, but I’m learning to cope
Hey apal, does it goes away.? Thanks for posting your experience…
Guys
I stopped for little longer than a month and half and the ringing in ears did reduce significantly but did not completely go away.
I started minoxidil 5% again but only mostly once a day this time
AND THE RINGING BECAME SIGNIFICANT JUST AFTER ABOUT 10DAYS.
THIS IS MY EXPERIENCE SO I WILL STOP THIS DRUG ONCE AND FOREVER
FDA or someone should do something about this side effect.
I don’t know how long will I have to deal with this annoying noise.
I started Minoxidil 2.5 months ago and I felt the ringing sound today morning. Its too depressing and I have decided to stop minoxidil with immediate effect after reading all these posts. Thanks everyone for writing. Any remedies? Please suggest.
Shud I visit ENT? Or shud I wait to see if the ringing sound disappears of its own. Please reply. Too depressed.
Regards
Ranjita
see an ENT doctor
Hi everyone,
I have been using minoxidil for many years and never had a problem, but I was using a milder minoxidil, since a couple of years I have been using a stronger minoxidil and I have had ringing in my ears. its been about 4 years. I can’t tell since when I have been using the new stronger one but it might be around the same time. I will gibe it a break and report back.
Thank to all who took the time to post.
Best,
I started having tinnitus a month after using Minoxodil, never thought it could be related to this medication. Recently I went to see an audiologyst and forgot to mention the Minoxidil. He did a hearing exam and said that my hearing is dropping at the higher frequency range starting 9000 Hz. I told him that I was a musician and he told me to blame the drummer for that. Gave me some ear vitamin supplements. Have to contact him back and mention the Minoxidil. I will stop using the damn thing and be bald instead. Honestly not worth it at all. Let’S see what happens.
Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) can be a warning sign for many serious medical conditions not related to medications, but it is also a known rare side effect of minoxidil
William Rassman, M.D.