Clinical Studies

• In clinical studies with azithromycin, as detailed by eMedTV, side effects experienced between 1 and 7 percent of participants included abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache and rash. Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, was not reported.
  
  

Anecdotal Reports

• Since the drug has been approved and used by the general public, some patients have reported developing tinnitus or hearing loss that persists after they stop using the medication.
  
  

Rare Reports

• According to physician Timothy C. Hain at the Dizziness and Balance website, certain antibiotics are commonly associated with tinnitus, but azithromycin is not one of them.
  
  

Other Possibilities

• Hain lists other drugs that are more likely to be responsible for the development of tinnitus, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, certain diuretics, quinine and some chemotherapy medications.
  
  

No Definitive Link

• Because the tinnitus and hearing effects occur so rarely with people taking Z-Pak antibiotics, researchers have been unable to determine a definitive link.