Hearing Loss and Naproxen
See Chronic Pain Syndrome - Tired of Pain - Jean asks an additional question:
I do have one further question if you’re able. I’ve always had a mild hearing loss due to massive infections as a child. Though recently my last hearing test showed an increase to a moderate loss, i’m wondering if that has to do with how much “drugs” I’m taking? I’ve asked my GP, audiologist and pain doctor and they’ve all shrugged and said, “maybe”.?

Dr. Joshua’s answer:

I agree with your own doctors: maybe. There have been some reports of anti-inflammatory analgesics causing hearing loss, even at therapeutic doses. Naproxen is one of them, and you are taking a toxic dose every day. I can’t guarantee you’ll get your hearing back, but since I am of the opinion you should not be taking naproxen anyway (see above), I again recommend that you discontinue the naproxen, I hope this will motivate you. Here’s a couple of case reports I found:

Mil Med. 1998 Nov;163(11):792-3.

Naproxen-associated sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

McKinnon BJ, Lassen LF.

Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, VA 23708-2197, USA.

Naproxen is a commonly used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) whose side effects include tinnitus and transient hearing loss. Sudden sensorineural hearing loss has rarely been reported as a result of NSAID use. This usually occurs in patients taking other ototoxic medications, with poor renal function, or with autoimmune disease. This article reports the case of an otherwise healthy patient who experienced permanent sensorineural hearing loss after a brief course of naproxen and reviews the literature on NSAID-related permanent sensorineural hearing loss.

J Laryngol Otol. 1982 Feb;96(2):163-6.

Naproxen and sudden hearing loss.

Chapman P.

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