What diuretics may cause hearing damage?
Nov 28, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Lu Cheng
Introduction
Diuretics that may cause hearing damage generally include furosemide injection, bumetanide injection, torasemide tablets, ethacrynic acid injection, and spironolactone tablets. Furosemide injection: a potent loop diuretic commonly used to treat severe edema. When administered in excessive doses or injected intravenously too rapidly, it may affect the balance of inner ear lymphatic fluid.
Diuretics that may cause hearing damage generally include Furosemide Injection, Bumetanide Injection, Torasemide Tablets, Ethacrynic Acid Injection, and Spironolactone Tablets. The details are as follows:
1. Furosemide Injection: This is a potent loop diuretic commonly used to treat severe edema. When administered in excessive doses or injected intravenously too rapidly, it may disrupt the balance of inner ear lymph fluid, leading to hearing loss or tinnitus. In most cases, hearing gradually recovers after discontinuation of the drug.
2. Bumetanide Injection: Also a loop diuretic, its diuretic effect is stronger than that of furosemide. Long-term or high-dose use may damage cochlear hair cells, resulting in hearing impairment. This typically presents as temporary hearing loss, although in rare cases it may progress to permanent damage.
3. Torasemide Tablets: Possesses both loop diuretic effects and some vasodilatory properties. Some patients may experience hearing abnormalities after taking this medication, which are usually related to dosage. Symptoms often improve with dose reduction or discontinuation. Concomitant use with other ototoxic drugs should be avoided.
4. Ethacrynic Acid Injection: Among loop diuretics, this drug has relatively prominent ototoxicity. Even at normal therapeutic doses, it may cause hearing damage, and some of the damage may be irreversible. Strict dose control and close monitoring of hearing changes are required during clinical use.
5. Spironolactone Tablets: A potassium-sparing diuretic with milder ototoxicity compared to loop diuretics. Mild hearing loss may occur in a small number of patients after long-term, high-dose use, but hearing usually gradually returns after stopping the drug. It is generally not considered a primary diuretic responsible for causing severe hearing damage.
During treatment with the above-mentioned diuretics, hearing should be monitored regularly. If symptoms such as tinnitus or hearing loss occur, they should be promptly reported to a physician.
