Hearing Loss

stevenpepe

Hello everyone,

I am back from completing my second round of rads with chemo. Held up well, eating still and back to work the next day. Much better than the first time around. However, I had 6 weekly, low dose infusions of Cisplatin, and as you know, it can cause hearing loss. My right ear was in the field of radiation and is swelled inside, according to my doctor. I can't really tell if the swelling is causing it, or the Cisplatin. Has anyone had this experience? I am cleaning out my ear with OTC products and there is a significant buildup that may be the issue. Nothing has improved yet. I lost about 50% of my hearing only in my right ear.

CivilMatt

done again

Steven,

I am glad you are finished with the second round, you are one tough cookie and back to work on top of that, let alone driving and doing this all by yourself.  Do you secretly have a lot of shirts with a big “S” on them?

It is a bummer about what Cisplatin can do to your hearing.  Even if we hear more than we need to it is always nice to understand.  As off base as this sounds, my Dad got really good at reading lips, but his hearing was even further reduced than 50%.

I wish you the best, you deserve it!

Matt

caregiver wife

Hearing and buildup

Husband has had ENT clear ear canal a couple of times on cancer side.  It was easily done in the office.  It's one more office visit, but it has worked for him.

Good luck.  Thinking of you often.

lornal

Cisplatin

Cisplatin will cause hearing loss is both ears.  If the doctor sees something - like swelling - then that is (relatively) good.  It is when they don't see anything and all looks normal it is likely hearing loss.

However, you ENT for you cancer is not necessarily the right ENT for your ears.  After my last surgery for cancer - I couldn't hear out of one ear -the surgeon didn't see anything.  I went to my ear doctor (I got him after my first cancer because of hearing loss- with chemo and rads), and he looked right away - and said I had fluid in the ear.  I had to have a tube put in.

Lorna 2007 & 2014

 

donfoo

onward

Glad to hear you completed treatment for the recurrence. Generally, loss of hearing is accompanied by some ringing in the ear. Physical ear swelling is less reported here. Hopefully, the loss results from blocked ear and will resolve once the swelling disappears.

mrspaul

My husband has hearing loss

My husband has hearing loss in both ears - and terrible ringing in his ears.  Oncologist said it is from the chemo.  They are not sure if the hearing loss is going to be permanent.  My husband is in his fifth week of eight week of radiation so he is not up to getting the hearing aid - which was recommended.  the hearing loss began when he had three agreesive rounds of chemo spaced three weeks apart in sept, oct, nov.  so for now - we live with loud tv and his loud voice!  but that is okay!!!  I do home daycare and my daycare children asked - in the beginning - "why is grampy yelling" !! LOL -- but my husband is actually mostly deaf at this point.  fortunately, I teach my daycare "early signs" so we both know quite a few of American Sign Language and I can get him what he needs - since the throat pain is also now very bad. 

stevenpepe

Curious to know if both ears

Curious to know if both ears are typically affected. It's only my right ear. There is hope, I believe because a couple of nights while lying in bed, my ear popped and suddenly I had about 90% hearing back. Then it was gone by the morning.

mrspaul

With my husband it is both

With my husband it is both ears.  

lornal

mrspaul said:

My husband has hearing loss

My husband has hearing loss in both ears - and terrible ringing in his ears.  Oncologist said it is from the chemo.  They are not sure if the hearing loss is going to be permanent.  My husband is in his fifth week of eight week of radiation so he is not up to getting the hearing aid - which was recommended.  the hearing loss began when he had three agreesive rounds of chemo spaced three weeks apart in sept, oct, nov.  so for now - we live with loud tv and his loud voice!  but that is okay!!!  I do home daycare and my daycare children asked - in the beginning - "why is grampy yelling" !! LOL -- but my husband is actually mostly deaf at this point.  fortunately, I teach my daycare "early signs" so we both know quite a few of American Sign Language and I can get him what he needs - since the throat pain is also now very bad. 

Permanent or not

First, I apologize - I think I hit the Report button instead of reply.  Oops.  It's early.

As far as permanent hearing loss, with the cisplatin it is (that is what I was told).

When I had the hearing test, in addition to listening to sounds through your ear - they hook something up to some bones near the ear (it was a while ago, so I don't recall exactly where), and that test told the audiologist - it was permanent.

I got hearing aids about 3 months after treatment was over.  I wasn't told hearing loss was a possiblity.  Every time I went to a doctor, I asked the doc to look at my ears - they feel clogged.  Finally, one said, see the audiologist.  I was crushed - I was only 45 at the time.  BUT, I did get the hearing aids, and they help so much.

Lorna 2007 & 2014

lornal

mrspaul said:

My husband has hearing loss

My husband has hearing loss in both ears - and terrible ringing in his ears.  Oncologist said it is from the chemo.  They are not sure if the hearing loss is going to be permanent.  My husband is in his fifth week of eight week of radiation so he is not up to getting the hearing aid - which was recommended.  the hearing loss began when he had three agreesive rounds of chemo spaced three weeks apart in sept, oct, nov.  so for now - we live with loud tv and his loud voice!  but that is okay!!!  I do home daycare and my daycare children asked - in the beginning - "why is grampy yelling" !! LOL -- but my husband is actually mostly deaf at this point.  fortunately, I teach my daycare "early signs" so we both know quite a few of American Sign Language and I can get him what he needs - since the throat pain is also now very bad. 

Loud TV

HEre is a link to a headset that helps with the loud TV.

We have several pair at home.  It is just my husband and I at home now, so loud isn't too much of a problem.

But, when someone is trying to sleep - we use these.   They are RF instead of IR - so you can move about the house and still hear the TV.

https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-RS120-Wireless-Headphones-Charging/dp/B0001FTVEK/ref=sr_1_5/168-9323057-1628739?ie=UTF8&qid=1485176149&sr=8-5&keywords=Sennheiser

 

 

Kenny-

same as you, one ear

hi stevenpepe, 

thanks for sharing, good to compare notes. Similar to you, I had tube installed on both ears during the treatment. Eventually, my left ear (where the tumor was) recovered and now is no longer on tube.

But my right ear is still stuck. almost completely. No matter how hard I try, I cannot even pop it, and I dare not try any harder as I'm worried about injuring something internally. I just take it as my eutachian tube is gone, maybe completely sealed. Sounds like you're having the same issue? I'm having my 1-year MRI though, will see what it says and keep you posted.

similarly, i also lost high frequency hearing. I was suprised one day when i was testing this, my wife could hear up to about 15k, while mine just stops at about 12k. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-iCZElJ8m0

stevenpepe

Well, I feel silly. Saw my

Well, I feel silly. Saw my oncologist for follow up and mentioned my hearing loss. He looked in my ear amd said, "You're congested. Take some Mucinex." Problem solved.

AnotherSurvivor

Nooo, not silly (at least in

Nooo, not silly (at least in my experience).  Keep track of wax build up as well, especially if you have fluid buildup.

swopoe

stevenpepe said:

Well, I feel silly. Saw my

Well, I feel silly. Saw my oncologist for follow up and mentioned my hearing loss. He looked in my ear amd said, "You're congested. Take some Mucinex." Problem solved.

Great news! Thank goodness

Great news! Thank goodness for mucinex.