Deafness - side effect from Hydroxychloroquine Sulphate?

LizR
LizR Member Posts: 2
edited 23. Dec 2011, 04:43 in Living with Arthritis archive
Hi all - I'm new to this forum and have had RA for 15 years (I'm 74).

I've been taking the above tablets (Plaquenil) since April 2010, and have been suffering with deafness and tinnitus in one ear for about 6 weeks now.

I also take Methotrexate and Sulphasalazine tablets. I have been taking these for many years.

I was wondering if anyone has had similar side-effects - I have been told by my GP that it could be the after-effects of a head-cold, but it seems to have been going for a long time !

Thanks in advance for any comments/advice you might have.

Comments

  • valval
    valval Member Posts: 14,911
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    hi been taking it for couple of years and not had this problem but before going on it did get lot of trouble with ears and nurse told me it could take 5 weeks to get back to normal when had ear problems val
    val
  • dibdab
    dibdab Member Posts: 1,498
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi,
    I've been taking Hydroxy.... for 4 years and not had any problems with it. Blocked ears after a cold can take ages to clear, maybe the doc can give you some ear drops or something to help clear them? Hope you get some relief soon.

    D x
  • Starburst
    Starburst Member Posts: 2,546
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Could it be an ear infection or a wax problem? You should probably visit your GP again to rule it out. All the best of luck!
  • mouseymousey
    mouseymousey Member Posts: 283
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello. I'm sorry to hear about the Tinnitus, its a horrible thing.
    I lost approx 40% of my hearing and also have Tinnitus due to taking Diclofenac for about 10yrs. (I also had a non milignant tumour which I had an MRI to confirm).
    I'm still taking the diclofencac, and a host of other pain killers. So many things no one tells you about.
    I've found the best thing for tinnitus is wearing my hearing aids for a spell. (I tend not to wear them at home for some strange reason).
    You could always ask your GP for a hearing check when you next go? It only takes about 15mins, totally painless but hopefully you just have a cold.

    Best wishes
  • salamander
    salamander Member Posts: 1,906
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    hi, I got tinnitus from Hydroxy and I was only on it for a few weeks.I think it is a common side effect but it goes when you stop taking it. Very disconcerting though.

    It sometimes helps to have a radio or something thing quitely on in the background, especially at night. My mum had it after a fall and she used to sleep with the radio on at night.

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