Quicker than reading the BNF
Reviewed by Jennifer K Stott

It has long struck me that it might be helpful to search medication-induced side effects by symptom, rather than having to look up each individual drug. For many years, there have also been regularly cited categories of medications to be aware of when it comes to hearing loss. Luckily, these authors have done the work for hyperacusis. Now, I am not suggesting my social life is particularly low-key, but I have read the British National Formulary (BNF) cover to cover at least once in my life. It was an interesting, albeit slightly time-consuming, exercise, so an up-to-date reference point is something I feel should be acknowledged – even if it is based on the United States Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) rather than the BNF. Drawing on 3833 case reports, the authors were able to analyse a range of factors, including co-morbid symptoms. For ease of reference, they also produced a top 10 list. Ranked by the highest number of reports by medication category, serotonin reuptake inhibitors took the top spot, followed by fluoroquinolone antibiotics, serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, benzodiazepines, anticonvulsant mood stabilisers, central nervous system stimulants, atypical antipsychotics, corticosteroids/glucocorticoids, anticonvulsant GABA analogues, and anticonvulsants. Overall, I would say that both this list and the associated co-morbid symptoms are largely unsurprising. I will leave the reader to consider the paradoxical relationship between some of these medications and their associated symptoms, while also encouraging further consideration of the article itself.

Hyperacusis-inducing drug candidates.
Salvi R, Wang TC, Eddins A.
HEAR RES 
2026;477:109673.