HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Tinnitus and Lialda

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 3/15/2011 2:43 PM (GMT -5)
I started taking 3.6g of Lialda in early December 2010, shortly after that I started having tinnitus.

Today I saw my GI for a follow-up visit and he was "very disturbed" to hear about my tinnitus. He has taken me off Lialda and wants me to start taking 3200mg of Asacol (1600mg twice a day). He's not sure it will help since to quote him "5ASA's can cause tinnitus". I go back in 7 weeks for another follow-up.

Post Edited (tlhall) : 3/16/2011 2:14:51 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 3/18/2011 1:55 PM (GMT -5)
Bummer...This is odd in that just a couple of nights ago I distinctly heard a high-pitched whine while in bed. My wife did not. I worry about tinnitus (and about everything else, like a giant asteroid taking out life on Earth...but I digress) due to spending many years in front of guitar amps while playing in bands. There's been a few other odd auditory issues since I strated the Lialda...hopefully it's nothing serious. Dang...if it's not one thing it's another...
Posted 3/23/2011 10:26 PM (GMT -5)
I was on Lialda 2X's a day...didn't happen right away, but a few months later tinnitis was there constantly. I mentioned it to my GI, he said no, it would have happened right away if it was from that. He said it was ok for me to drop to 1 a day..so I did that also added zinc to my diet & the ringing is pretty rare now.
Posted 3/24/2011 5:39 AM (GMT -5)
From what I understand, tinnitus may be due to the salicylic acid in 5-ASAs.  It might not go away with Asacol, since it's the same stuff.  I've  also been told it's a cumulative side effect rather than an immediate one.

The same thing can happen when someone takes too much aspirin.

Posted 3/24/2011 2:05 PM (GMT -5)
Meemers
I was on Lialda for about 3 weeks before the tinnitus started. I told that to my GI and he didn't disagree.

In a couple of months, if my UC is OK and I'm still having tinnitus, I'll ask my GI about cutting back my dosage.

seconder
My GI did tell me that he wasn't sure if switching to the Asacol would make any difference.

The one thing I didn't ask him was why he was switching my meds:
- Because I was having lifestyle changes due to the tinnitus (going to bed early just to turn off the noise)
- Because the tinnitus was a symptom of a more serious side-effect (toxic levels of salicylic acid)?
Posted 3/24/2011 10:18 PM (GMT -5)
My ears ring a lot of the time and I hardly notice it. But I also live in Allergy USA so it could be my sinuses. Besides being annoying, what's the ultimate issue with tinnitus?
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply