Short-Term Effect of Gabapentin on Subjective Tinnitus in Acoustic Trauma Patients

Although several treatment approaches have been proposed for tinnitus, there are currently no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved agents available to treat this condition. In this study, we evaluated the effect of gabapentin on the sensation of subjective tinnitus in patients with acoustic trauma referring to the ear, nose and throat (ENT) clinic of Taleghani Hospital during 2014.
In this double-blind, randomized clinical trial, 103 patients with tinnitus due to acoustic trauma who were referred to the ENT clinic of Taleghani Hospital during 2014 were randomized to the gabapentin (300 mg bid, n=55) or control (n=48) groups. The two groups were then compared before and after 6 weeks of treatment using a visual analog scale (VAS). At least a 30% reduction in VAS was considered a response to treatment.
Differences between the two groups regarding sex, age, duration of disease, and audiometry results was not significant (P>0.05). After 6 weeks’ treatment, the VAS significantly decreased in both groups (PWe conclude that gabapentin 300 mg bid for 6 weeks is an effective treatment for acoustic tinnitus.
In addition, the placebo effect in relieving tinnitus is remarkable.