I started on letrozole last May and developed tinnitus about six weeks later. I reported it to my oncologist who said it wasn’t a recognised side-effect of letrozole. I’ve been all round the houses since then with the conclusion it most likely is a side-effect but now that it’s established there’s nothing they can do. It’s thought stopping or changing the drug won’t help. A deeper search shows that while this isn’t a recorded side-effect it is a reported side-effect.
Who knows if my onc had recognised it and I’d made a change then maybe I’d be okay?
If anyone else is suffering would you please report to MHRA through the yellow card scheme? My understanding is that if enough people report it, it will be recorded as a side-effect.
The website is
yellowcard dot mhra dot gov dot uk
Thanks x
Hi @notmyfirstrodeo
Personally I would ask for medication to be changed nobody should suffer like that , have you asked for a referral to ENT to find out what is causing it , if it isn’t the meds
Good luck x
I have had some buzzing noises while on Letrozole, swapped to Exemestane and still there but I also had chemo and not sure if it’s related to that. I walked around the house turning off all electrics that I could and still couldn’t work out where the noise was coming from so can only assume it’s some sort of tinnitus. My ears are very sensitive now, itch from dryness and I use olive oil to moisture. Reported.
It might be worth trying a new drug - if you are finding your tinnitus really debilitating that is - and I assume from the fact that you have posted that it is affecting your life. I have tinnitus all the time and have done for many years but it’s mostly at a level that doesn’t bother me - but it can be rather worse if I’m very tired or have a migraine or a cold and I tend to suffer from dizziness if I’m unwell .
One of my colleagues who started suffering with tinnitus in relation to labyrinthitis ( which was also what caused mine ) and she was given a tinnitus matcher on the NHS which she said helped her a lot and also got rid of her residual dizziness . This was quite some time ago I’m not sure if you can still get them on the NHS - they’re expensive . I also would ask to be referred to an ENT specialist or look into Audiology services and see if there’s anything out there which might help you - I think you are right in that you are probably stuck with it now but there may be something available that might improve your symptoms .
Thank you, I’ve been through ENT and they’re happy that it’s “Just” tinnitus. I had a medication break of 2 weeks and there was no difference so not considered worth changing the drugs. I’m on them for the rest of my life. Reciprocal sympathy x the only thing that seems to distract from it is housework and that’s a real Hobson’s choice
Thanks for reporting. I think once it’s there it’s there (is how it was explained to me). There are techniques that can distract you & make it less bothersome but I’ve not found anything that works yet. Hope you find something x
Thanks @charlottebee I’ve been to ENT and they say everything is fine so they assume it is the medication and from them and other professionals they don’t think changing it would help. I tried a short break and that didn’t make any difference.
Hello @notmyfirstrodeo
Did you by any chance have carboplatin as part of your chemo regime? I reported tinnitus to my oncologist and she told me it’s a side effect of carboplatin. I googled causes of tinnitus and certain chemo drugs were listed as a possible cause. I was only on letrazole for 6 weeks and my oncologist didn’t suggest it could be that.
I have an appointment with audiology next month.
My tinnitus comes and goes but it can seem very loud sometimes.
Xx
Thanks for your reply @jayesse. No I haven’t had chemo this time. I don’t think letrozole would be suggested as it’s not recognised as a side effect. So anyone looking at the recognised side effects wouldn’t see it. But if you look for people saying they’ve experienced tinnitus on letrozole you do get what looks like a connection.
The yellow card does ask for any other medications so if there is another common link, they’ll pick it up. I hope your tinnitus resolves xx
im not good at the ins and outs of adding things to a post but there is a long running thread on here entitled ; Are You On Letrozole if So Please Take Part In This . You may have taken part in it already but if not it might be worth a look and recording your symptoms etc. on there xx
I started with mild tinnitus when peri menopausal, it did improve post menopause but came back when I started letrozole. I did read that tinnitus can be linked to hormonal changes & low oestrogen in particular so it’s highly likely that the letrozole is to blame! Take a look at Tinnitus UK Tinnitus and menopause - Tinnitus UK
Hopefully you find something to relieve the symptoms if you need to take it long term x
I have had tinnitus for many years due to fibromyalgia but the episodes have become more frequent now that I am taking Letrozole. This drug is also causing pain in my fingers and toes and the usual mild neuropathy in hands and feet has definitely worsened.
My breast cancer nurse thinks the pain is related to oestrogen suppression but I am not sure that Letrozole alone is the culprit.
I had 20 sessions of radiotherapy (completed in August 2024) and radiation can cause nerve disturbance according to articles published on the internet. Perhaps the tinnitus could be the combination of the two??
It is a recognised effect of menopause and was the reason I went on to HRT on the first place. Then cancer and anastrozole and the tinnitus now comes occasionally. The drugs aren’t causing it directly but the lack of oestrogen they create is. Hx
Hi - I’m at end of all my treatments & in remission. Had large invasive lobular grade2 cancer HER2+ & ER+. Had docetaxel & carboplatin neo-adjuvant chemo with phesgo jabs - had intermittent tinnitus. Oddly learnt “mindful” distraction techniques . Post mastectomy, tinnitus cleared. Then had adjuvant chemo Kadcyla & (+radiotherapy) plus am on daily Letrozole. Tinnitus recurred about 1/3 way into treatment, but milder & again erratic. Back to my distraction method. Now 9 months post all chemo, body has fully recovered. I continue on daily letrozole, no tinnitus except for exceptionally rare occasions (like now while I’m posting!?). I haven’t reported & didn’t mention to oncology as in my case it was one of my less problematic side effects. I’m also 71 - very post menopause. Can’t add to causes, sorry but my mindful distraction works like housework. Hope you all find workable solutions as if it rages it’s awful. Xx
PLEASE READ…I did not read the fine print on my first few bottles of cancer medication, until I took one pill from a new bottle and got a horrible headache that left me with TINNITUS. I also got and still get flashing lights in my eyes at night. A big concern is that most locations of CVS and Walgreens sourced my cancer pills (TAMOXIFEN), I dont know about yours) from China and/or India!
There are internet warnings not to use pills from those 2 sources. I stopped the pills and searched and found that a “Sun Pharmacy” used U.S. manufacturing sources. Since I’ve used the US sources…no more headaches or noticeable tinnitus.
For anyone in the U.K. this is the list of NHS manufacturers of a letrozole from a quick scan they are mainly Ltd companies which is used for U.K. businesses and Sigma is based in Watford. Novartis is a worldwide company but listed as a U.K. company.
If anyone has any concerns about where their medication is produced in the U.K. I would suggest speaking to you pharmacy. Or call the BCN nurses on 0808 800 6000.
. Post mastectomy, tinnitus cleared. Then had adjuvant chemo Kadcyla & (+radiotherapy) plus am on daily Letrozole. Tinnitus recurred about 1/3 way into treatment, but milder & again erratic. Back to my distraction method. Now 9 months post all chemo, body has fully recovered. I continue on daily letrozole, no tinnitus except for exceptionally rare occasions (like now while I’m posting!?). I haven’t reported & didn’t mention to oncology as in my case it was one of my less problematic side effects. I’m also 71 - very post menopause. Can’t add to causes, sorry but my mindful distraction works like housework. Hope you all find workable solutions as if it rages it’s awful. Xx