Risk to hearing from pain meds small

Dear Dr. Roach: Iam an 81-year-old male with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. During the night I have pain in my thighs and feet. I’ve been taking two extra-strength acetaminophen (Tylenol) nightly for the past year, as my doctors and nurses who give me flu and COVID shots say it is safe to take for pain. One of the side effects of CMT is hearing loss. I wear two hearing aids, and without them am deaf. This week I read an article saying several studies show that people who use acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) twice a week are up to 24% more likely to develop hearing loss than people who use them less frequently. Their expert says continued use of these meds at a high dose can result in permanent hearing loss or tinnitus. Am I risking permanent hearing loss by using acetaminophen nightly? I stopped taking it, but have trouble sleeping when I have pain. Is there a safe alternative for pain?

T.L.

Answer: Charcot-MarieTooth disease is a group of inherited nerve diseases causing abnormal nerve function, which often leads to skeletal abnormalities. Muscle weakness and atrophy are common, and pain can be a real problem in many forms of CMT. As you say, hearing loss is common with several forms of CMT.

Because of your hearing loss, which it sounds like is attributed to your CMT, I can understand why you would want to take every precaution to prevent any additional damage to your hearing.

However, the risk to your hearing from these over-the-counter pain medications is small. Only about 2% of people taking these drugs at high levels for a prolonged period will develop hearing loss due to the medication.

For most people, this risk is small, and effective relief from pain may justify the small risk. For those who, like you, are at higher risk, you might consider topical treatments. Diclofenac (Voltaren gel) is very effective for many areas on the body, especially those that are most superficial, like hands, elbows and knees. Since it is absorbed very poorly into the body, it is much safer for people at risk of side effects from these common medications. That includes not just hearing loss, but stomach upset as well.