With the hearing loss that is associated with PsA, has anyone ever noticed their hearing improved when on the different meds for PsA? Since having a major flare 9 months ago, I have been diagnosed in both ears as having lost the upper half of the frequencies that people hear. In my line of work, this is not going in the right direction. Today, I had noticed how bad things have gotten. Having been involved with music since the age of 5 (I’m now 62), this is not a good thing. At the moment, it’s down right depressing. I’m hoping someone has had a positive result with going on meds in regards to improving their hearing loss and tinnitus. Everything I’ve read seems to point in the opposite direction regarding hearing loss and tinnitus, and some meds can even make it worse. Sorry, if this doesn’t seem to make sense. I’m not really thinking too clearly at the moment.
I wish I could pinpoint a med that’s causing my ears ringing! I don’t think I have hearing loss, but constant ringing is so annoying!
I’ve had the tinnitus most of my life. It’s just now it has gotten a lot worse to where everything else is in the background with the ringing in the fore front. The upper frequencies being lost is also new.
Can an admin correct my first post. Not sure what I did to involve a scroll bar but it is annoying to read. TY
I know my tinnitus has decreased since Humira started working well. Not sure about my hearing loss - I didn’t get it tested at the start of PsA, only many years earlier, with intervening industrial noise, till my last test about two years ago, which showed mild loss. Though my perception is that I hear better now than 6 years ago when the PsA started.
Thanks for the replies Jen75 and Grandma_J. I’m glad to hear that even one person has improvement to some degree. The audiologist has recommended full frequency hearing aids in my case. They work unbelievably well when I tried on a pair in her office. They even cancelled out the tinnitus. The problem is the price ($6,000.00 /pair). Being self-employed doesn’t make that a possibility right now.
Hi there Luthier… I’ll be interested to see how you get on with the hearing loss and if any PsA meds make a difference… I too have lost some of the upper range of my hearing and was told that this is from noise damage, would be awesome to think a PsA med might resolve even some of that 
Hearing aids are well out of my reach too.
I just had the first talk with my GP last week about hearing loss. I’m only 46. No tinnitus, but I’m definitely missing out on conversations. My kids are constantly shocked at how loud the radio is when I’m in the car by myself, and how quiet everything needs to be in order to hear them speak. My husband tends to speak more directly to me, so less noticeable. The doctor just said that if I notice progression I should reach out.
I’m on a biologic and have been for some time. But I’ve also been on NSAIDs for years. I’m not currently on them, but I was on them for the first 7 years probably. That’s a long time, and there ARE studies showing hearing loss with long term NSAID use.
It’s sad hearing aids are so expensive! I wonder if just having one hearing aid would work for you? My mom only has one and I think it’s a little more than half the cost…I’m giving some serious consideration to seeing the ear doctor. I have a referral that’s good until Dec. 31, but I’m having so many other dr appointments lately and I don’t want to waste my time if the ear Dr can’t do anything for me anyway.
It was interesting to me that you also had tinnitus for a long time and suddenly now it’s in the forefront and severely affects your hearing! My tinnitus is always there and sometimes really loud, but it doesn’t affect my hearing too bad…
I think I’ll try to make that appointment and hopefully they’ll do a hearing test right away–my insurance will pay for it if I do it in 2017.
That’s really interesting @Stoney. I believe I’m suffering hearing loss too but think it started before PsA was diagnosed and indeed NSAIDS were taken.
Grandma_J …I knew I had some hearing loss from playing in bands and working in a large print shop with the press noise. That was 45 years ago. Wasn’t bad at the time. Kept it quiet for the past 35 years while working on instruments in my shop. I didn’t think things were bad until I went through a big flare a year and a half ago. I was pretty shocked when she told me, this time, that the upper range was gone for me. Listening to songs I’ve heard for decades and was wondering why different parts of it were missing. This made me realize how bad it had gotten. It’s also effecting work because of not hearing that range of frequencies. At the very least, now I know what is going on and know I’m not going crazy.
I’ll be starting meds next week when I see the rheumatologist on Wednesday. She was saying MTX is the first thing she would try. I’m hoping it works for a while and the ears come back to some degree. Otherwise , it’s foot the bill for the hearing aids. I did find them online for almost half of what they wanted at the Doc’s office.
Stoney…I have been on NSAIDS (Advils) for decades (on and off) for pain. Kept the company in business for a few of those years all by myself. Stopped taking them in a while back because of stomach problems and I’m not a big fan of taking pills anyway. Just when necessary. Didn’t notice anything going on with the hearing until going through that big flare I mentioned above. Then it turned into something quite noticeable. Unfortunately, after that flare, it has been getting worse at a faster pace to the point of what it is now. My kids think I’m listening to a small transistor radio from way back with the way I have things adjusted. And yes, the volume has gotten louder 
janson…will keep you posted as it’ll be awhile before I can afford the hearing aids. My insurance will kick back up to $2,500.00 for hearing aids and they’re still out of reach for me at the moment.
Hi there. I had no idea hearing loss could be part of the PSA. I got hearing aids a year ago and wear them when I am going somewhere that I know hearing is a problem… restaurants, groups of people. I see you can get 2500 from your insurance provider. In Canada, Costco has hearing aides for 3000.00 for the pair so I am thinking if you are in the US you should be able to find them there for less than in Canada and your insurance will cover? The ones from Costco are pretty good but are last years model kind of thing but still… you would do well with them I think. I had to return mine cause they wouldn’t stay in and I went to a proper Audiologist clinic and they matched Costco’s price and now I have a better fit. I feel very fortunate that I had coverage of 3000.00 and that’s exactly what my hearing aids cost. Don’t give up!!!