Brad
10-05-2003, 07:38 PM
Painkiller abuse linked to hearing loss
Cox News Service
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- One of the prescription drugs national radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh is alleged to have abused has been linked to sudden hearing loss, an affliction that struck Limbaugh two years ago.
At the time, doctors said they were unsure of the exact cause of Limbaugh's hearing loss, but said that overuse of medication was not a factor.
Limbaugh would not reveal the cause of his deafness.
Coincidentally, the House Ear Institute in Los Angeles, where Limbaugh sought treatment, discovered in 1999 that some of its patients with sudden hearing loss had overused a common painkiller that combines hydrocodone and acetaminophen.
The combination is sold under several brand names: Vicodin, Hydrocet, Norco and Lorcet. Lorcet is one of the prescriptions Limbaugh's former housekeeper said she procured for him.
Doctors at the clinic said prolonged use of the painkiller was a common factor among 29 patients with sudden hearing loss.
Limbaugh announced in October 2001 that he was deaf in his left ear and was losing hearing in his right ear. After undergoing drug therapy for several months, he decided to have an electronic device installed in his ear in January 2002. The cochlear implant has partially restored his hearing.
Cox News Service
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- One of the prescription drugs national radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh is alleged to have abused has been linked to sudden hearing loss, an affliction that struck Limbaugh two years ago.
At the time, doctors said they were unsure of the exact cause of Limbaugh's hearing loss, but said that overuse of medication was not a factor.
Limbaugh would not reveal the cause of his deafness.
Coincidentally, the House Ear Institute in Los Angeles, where Limbaugh sought treatment, discovered in 1999 that some of its patients with sudden hearing loss had overused a common painkiller that combines hydrocodone and acetaminophen.
The combination is sold under several brand names: Vicodin, Hydrocet, Norco and Lorcet. Lorcet is one of the prescriptions Limbaugh's former housekeeper said she procured for him.
Doctors at the clinic said prolonged use of the painkiller was a common factor among 29 patients with sudden hearing loss.
Limbaugh announced in October 2001 that he was deaf in his left ear and was losing hearing in his right ear. After undergoing drug therapy for several months, he decided to have an electronic device installed in his ear in January 2002. The cochlear implant has partially restored his hearing.