CHEMO RELATED TINNITUS

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luv4lacrosse
luv4lacrosse Member Posts: 1,410 Member
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

I am back on Cisplatin, has anyone yet heard of any relief being developed for Chemo Related Tinnitus? My first time around in 2010, I was told there is not a cure. I am curious, as I see my Doc and or APN Tuesday regarding my current status of treatment.

Update to last post regarding CT news. My scans were very good, and last Tuesday's appt. also revealed I had a Staph. and Cellulitus in my Right Foot from a previous cut, so last week, my Cisplatin was stopped, and I stayed for an IV of Vancomyacin, and am taking Doxycyclene pills for ten days. He was going to give me a previously discussed 4 week break from the Cistplatin to allow me to heal up a little, and maybe decide to keep me off longer if continued CT's show my current Cancer "as being very stable."

Best

Mike

Comments

  • NoDuck
    NoDuck Member Posts: 134
    #2
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    Hubby Has It

    caused by the cisplatin. Started after the first tx.  He only had two rounds. They gave him a base hearing test before starting tx.  Had no tinnitus, minimal hearing loss. Last hearing test showed three categories of significant hearing loss-- age related hearing loss, chemo related hearing loss, and ignoring Deb hearing loss.

    good news is the ringing/buzzing is not constant, is sporadic and he thinks it is getting more sporadic -- or he's getting used to it.

    hang in there.

     

    deb and dale

  • KTeacher
    KTeacher Member Posts: 1,103
    #3
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    Sorry

    I bring it up at just about all of my appointments.  I even asked if we could change the channel, I was getting tired of the same sound!  Nothing to help so far.  I now have a perforated eardrum, and still the noise.

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #4
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    Tinnitus....mine forever, I think....

    I've had it since a month or so before I was diagnosed....and it's never gone away.  So far, nobody has mentioned a cure....and when I'm busy doing things, I don't even notice it.....most the time it's when I first wake up, that it seems so loud. 

    p

  • Joanielo
    Joanielo Member Posts: 55
    #5
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    Me Too

    I have it too but no hearing loss as of last hearing test a couple of months ago.  Doctors unsure if chemo related or age.  I am almost 2 years out of treatment and 53 yrs old.  Ringing started a couple of months ago.  I try to ignore the ringing.  They told me not to allow my brain think about it and try not to focus on it. 

  • wmc
    wmc Member Posts: 1,804
    #6
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    Tinnitus

    Mike I don't know if this will help or not.

    I have Tinnitus from hearing loss, I never had Chemo or Rads. I went to my ENT before I camedown with cancer so mine is not related to the beast. I was told there is no cure or anything I can do to have it go away. I have tried white noise and all others. At times I will be watching a movie with headphones on and still hear it in both ears. The noise is not real, or a real sound. It is my mind creating it to counter the sound I don't hear anymore. The brain says I should hear that frequency, and I don't, so it creates it. Mine is from noise-induced hearing loss, and age. There is nothing can do for it.  

    It can be also caused by earwax and thyroid problems, and that can be cured. My father-inlaw takes Iron and says it helps him some. Did nothing for me. 

    Best of luck with this, and I do hope yours can go away.

    Bill

  • corleone
    corleone Member Posts: 312 Member
    #7
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    In my case hearing loss was

    In my case hearing loss was an issue. I missed the third cisplatin session (3 weeks apart) because of the ototoxicity. I have to wear hearing aids, in order to hear something above 2KHz. Tinnitus was troublesome at the beginning, not sure why it doesn’t bother me anymore, although it’s still there. Haven’t heard of any treatment to alleviate this.

    But, on a positive side, with my crappy hearing I no longer need to buy expensive audio equipment, any stereo would do. Also, I can no longer hear the pesky cicadas!

     

  • lornal
    lornal Member Posts: 428
    #8
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    Hearing loss and ringing in the ears

    I got both from the Cisplatin in 2007.  Hearing aids actually help with the ringing during the day.  The ringing gets louder when I take them out.

    EVERY NIGHT - I take a sleep aids.  Mostly it is just antihistimines - occasionally it is ambien. It doesn't stop the noise, but it helps me fall asleep despite the noise.

    Lorna

  • jcortney
    jcortney Member Posts: 503
    #9
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    There is no cure or therapy

    All the remedies you see on TV are frauds.  Don't waste your money.

    Once the tiny hairs in your inner ear start to die (viruses, chemo, fever) they set up almost a feedback loop that will never go away.  The more that die over time, the worse the condition gets.  In some people it comes and goes, mine is continuous and sounds like crickets.  I'm lucky because most of the time my brain just filters out the sound and I can live with it; but it will NEVER go away.

    Sorry for the bad news.

    Joe

  • tommyodavey
    tommyodavey Member Posts: 727 Member
    #10
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    jcortney said:

    There is no cure or therapy

    All the remedies you see on TV are frauds.  Don't waste your money.

    Once the tiny hairs in your inner ear start to die (viruses, chemo, fever) they set up almost a feedback loop that will never go away.  The more that die over time, the worse the condition gets.  In some people it comes and goes, mine is continuous and sounds like crickets.  I'm lucky because most of the time my brain just filters out the sound and I can live with it; but it will NEVER go away.

    Sorry for the bad news.

    Joe

    Tinnitus

    No, there isn't any cure just yet.  Some use white noise to mask it but bottom line we have to deal with it in our own way.  Some hearing aids add some noise so you don't think about it as much.  That one I skipped.  I've had it for as long as I can remember and it really doesn't bother me.  Some times it sounds like a 747 is right above my head.

     

    What really gets me is that back when we were young, no one gave us any information or warning about hearing loss.  Nowadays, they tell the young generation and then they promptly do nothing to protect their hearing.  Mine was caused by making the mistake of target shooting w/o any hearing protection.  I always thought it was the loud music we blasted back then.

     

    That's my take on it,

     

    Tom

  • Duggie88
    Duggie88 Member Posts: 760 Member
    #11
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    Mike

    I have had ringing in my left ear since radiation. I've tried to twitch my ear and move my jaw to try and get differtent pitches thinking maybe I could play some tunes, didn't work. I was married before so ignoring obnoxious sounds became easy.

    Keep battling............T's & P's

          Jeff

  • katenorwood
    katenorwood Member Posts: 1,912
    #12
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    can't help with chemo issues

    but Mike.....Love the STABLE part of your current CT's !  I understand this part very well as my onc's keep telling me mine is for today stable.  You are amazing in spirit.  Thoughts and prayers your direction as always my friend !  Katie

  • Guzzle
    Guzzle Member Posts: 710
    #13
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    katenorwood said:

    can't help with chemo issues

    but Mike.....Love the STABLE part of your current CT's !  I understand this part very well as my onc's keep telling me mine is for today stable.  You are amazing in spirit.  Thoughts and prayers your direction as always my friend !  Katie

    Stable!

    Mike delighted you are stable. Buzzing in my ears went with time. Hope same for you mate, Gary

  • hwt
    hwt Member Posts: 2,328 Member
    #14
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    Guzzle said:

    Stable!

    Mike delighted you are stable. Buzzing in my ears went with time. Hope same for you mate, Gary

    Mike

    Following Cisplatin in 2012 I had ringing in the morning for half hour or so. About 4 months ago, I had cellulitus and the hearing in my left ear gave out. If I am up, I relly don't notice but if I lay on the right ear, I notice I can't hear with the left or it is very faint.  I have more pressing issues right now but ENT did take a look and said ear drum had receeded. Said he could put tubes in like they do with children. I need to get back up to speed with eating,speaking and exposed titanium before I address hearing. I go to Mayo this Tuesday & Wednesday for PET and consults.

    Continued good wishes for you!

  • Hard12Find
    Hard12Find Member Posts: 218 Member
    #15
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    tinnitus

    Mike,

    I ended up with pretty severe tinnitus from the cisplaitan..lost about 60% hearing in my left ear and 40 % in my right. 2 years out and no change. I saw an article during my treatment about a cure for tinnitus, if I remember right, it was a blood pressure medicine, I kept the article for a long time, but don't have it now. I asked my Doc, and she didn't know anything about it.

    Best wishes mate....

    Jim

     

  • corleone
    corleone Member Posts: 312 Member
    #16
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    Hard12Find said:

    tinnitus

    Mike,

    I ended up with pretty severe tinnitus from the cisplaitan..lost about 60% hearing in my left ear and 40 % in my right. 2 years out and no change. I saw an article during my treatment about a cure for tinnitus, if I remember right, it was a blood pressure medicine, I kept the article for a long time, but don't have it now. I asked my Doc, and she didn't know anything about it.

    Best wishes mate....

    Jim

     

    Hi Jim

    Are you referring to pentoxifylline (a vasodilator, marketed as “Trental”)? There are some studies showing that this, in combination with Vitamin E (an anti-oxidant, or free radical scavenger) seemingly could target part of the mechanism (oxidative damage) and part of the complication (reduced blood flow) caused by radiation fibrosis. But I doubt would have any effect (even in theory) on hearing loss caused by cisplatin. But if a different medication, I would be interested to hear about it.

  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #17
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    Hi Mike

    Glad to hear the CT was good and for the tinnitus for me it is something I learned to live with. Sometimes it is louder than normal and is very disturbing to where I pull my hearing aids out and stick my fingers in my ears until it goes away, that is all I know to do.

    Tim Hondo  

  • michdjp
    michdjp Member Posts: 220
    #18
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    Yes

    Mike, glad to hear you are coding better. My dad also had cisplatin and did experience ringing in the Ears.  It would come and go, more so at night when it was quiet.  He also experienced hearing loss.  I hope you continue to feel better.

    all my best michelle 

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