Need your coments mates!

Sundanceh said:

Hey Man...
I've suffered hearing loss back about 8-years ago after I had done some 5fu chemo, radiation, and my original resect surgery. For a long time I was almost completely deaf in one ear - over time, I recovered though there is noticable tone difference.

As for tired and shortness of breath...I want you to think Avastin.

People tout it here as a wonder drug - and it does outline some benefits from its approach with regards to cutting off blood flow to viable, physical tumors.

However, Avastin comes with a very dark side...what they don't tell you - and what you don't think to ask them is this...

Avastin can cause congestive heart failure over prolonged period of use. The makers of Avastin do not give a timetable for when that might occur.

I was on that drug for about 8-9 months...I had no breathing or heart issues prior to this. After discontinuing that drug with my onc's approval and supposed supervision, I began to develop issues with catching my breath in between heartbeats.

It was pretty scary...like all the wind had been knocked out of you and you could not breathe back in rhythm to get a fresh draw....it happened 100's of times a day.

I don't notice it as frequently now, but I still catch myself sometimes...the damage has already been done - the issue for any of us, is are we affected by it or not.

From what you are describing, I would say you are beginning to fit the profile for someone who may be suffering heart issues from that drug - thus, the shortness of breath and heavy, painful legs.

If your legs and ankles were to get swollen, this would be a further indication, but would probably mean it would be at a later stage...perhaps, these are just the initial, early warning signs.

I'd check with a cardio as a precaution...one of these days, I'm going to follow suit.

Back pain? Yeah...hip pain too....too much radiation to my hips and up my tailpipe, including going up the small of the back. Most days it is hard to bend over to tie your shoes. Picking something up off the floor can be agonizing. Just can't bend without pain.

Lose balance? Sure. Last year with Folfiri, I fell several times with no warning. I could turn around and just fall into the wall and couln't stop it.

Balance was horrendous and I felt like my wheels were just shot. Balance is better now since chemo ended, but if I turn the wrong way, I can still find myself 'leaning' to one side trying to catch myself.

So, chemo and Avastin - you've answered your own question:)

Good luck, mate!

-Craig

pete43lost_at_sea said:

smile mate
you will find away.

you are as tough as nails.

hugs,
pete

k44454445 said:

hearing loss & balance
hi pepe,
is your hearing better? how about the balance? if not better please get it checked out with an ent doc. i had been having very slight hearing loss in my right ear before i was dx with cancer in dec 2010. i thought it was age related (i am now 64) but when it got worse when i did chemo i blamed chemo. i finally went to an ent for a hearing aid in dec 2011. (i completed folfox6 july 2011) he sent me for a brain mri which i thought was crazy but it turned out he was a very smart doc. i had a 3cm acoustic neuroma. this is on the 8th cranial nerve. it was compressing the brain stem & other parts of the brain & the docs said it would kill me in 3 years. when in surg they found a 2 1/2 cm tumor on my 7th crainal nerve which is the facial nerve. my docs, an ent & neuro surg, did a fantastic 11 1/2 hrs surg & today i have NO visable effects. my balance is now normal & to look at me you would never know. i am totally deaf in the rt ear because of surg but i do not need a cochlear implant as left side hearing is normal & i do real good. they are rare benign brain tumors so i doubt that is what is causing the balance & hearing problems for you. (chemo did not make the hearing worse it was the tumor) 1 in 300,000 people get it but hey that means someone has it. i had surg feb 8th 2012. so i thought i was medically clean but nooooo. got the news in june about the metastatic colon cancer. my onc wants at some time to have genetic tests to see if my dna/genes cause me to develop tumors. best of luck to & please let us know what happens. sorry this is so long. i do know we all are at risk of perm hearing loss due to chemo so i hope my good ear will not have any loss!
hugs
judy