Treatment of tinnitus with intravenous lidocaine: a double-blind randomized trial

Several recent reports have suggested that intravenous (IV) lidocaine is an effective form of therapy to relieve tinnitus; however, many of these studies were not well controlled. A double-blind randomized trial to assess the effectiveness of IV lidocaine on tinnitus was conducted at the University of Washington-affiliated hospitals on a total of 50 patients. Tinnitus was evaluated before and after injection by subjective assessment and audiometric matching. Although 40% of the lidocaine group reported a decrease in tinnitus, over 30% of the lidocaine group reported increased tinnitus after administration of the drug. There was also a high incidence of side effects, including disequilibrium, slurred speech, numbness, and tingling of the extremities in the drug group. The results of the study suggest that the clinical usefulness of IV lidocaine in relieving tinnitus may be less than was previously reported.