Ringing in my ear

Bulldogger1
Bulldogger1 Member Posts: 13
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

I wanted to first say thanks to everyone on this site.  It is very comforting knowing that I can ask questions and get support from such an encouraging group that has experienced much of what i am going through or about to go through.  I appreciate it very much!! 

I  started my treatment two weeks ago and half 4 and 1/2 weeks to go.  Glad to make it through the first two weeks.  I have been going to radiation everyday and Chemo with Cisplatnum once a week on Wednesdays.  Over the weekend, i noticed a little ringing in my ear and really did not think much about it.  Then after this 2nd round of chemo, ringing was a little louder and more constant.  I am getting anxious and wondering if any of you experienced the same ringing?  if you did, did it go away?   I did email the oncologist to let him know what was going on.  Not sure, if that is just part of it or would I need to swich to a different type of chemo.  Just a little concerned.  Thanks

Comments

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #2
    Just make sure you tell

    you Oncologist about it.  Cisplatin can damage hearing.....some of us get the ringing, and lose hearing at the same time.....some of us (like me) get the ringing, but hearing isn't affected.  I'm two years out and my ears are still ringing.   I'm used to it now.

    p

  • hwt
    hwt Member Posts: 2,328 Member
    #3
    phrannie51 said:

    Just make sure you tell

    you Oncologist about it.  Cisplatin can damage hearing.....some of us get the ringing, and lose hearing at the same time.....some of us (like me) get the ringing, but hearing isn't affected.  I'm two years out and my ears are still ringing.   I'm used to it now.

    p

    Cisplatin

    With Cisplatin I had ringing in the mornings. I have since had erbitux and taxol and ringing has gone but so has hearing in one ear. Just had hearing test at Mayo and was told other ear had phenomemal hearing so for now I am ok no ringing.

  • lornal
    lornal Member Posts: 428
    #4
    ringing & hearing

    I had cisplatin in 2007, and have lost much of my hearing, and I have ringing in my ears all the time.  I wear hearing aids, and when they are in, the ringing is not an issue.

    I was very upset about this, as no one told me about the possiblity it could happen.  Some people hae told me that they could have given me something to there is less effect on the hearing.  BUT....

    My ear doctor said that had I taken something to lessen the effect on the ears, the chemo would not have been as effective.  The chemo worked - My ENT told me that this cancer wouldn't kill me.  Of course, he never mentioned (ha ha) the cancer I got 6 years later (which I am surviving as well). 

    Lorna 2007 & 2014

  • corleone
    corleone Member Posts: 312 Member
    #5
    Cisplatin is known ototoxic

    ...and some people (me included) experience tinnitus and even hearing loss. I would suggest bring this up with the oncologist and ask for a hearing test. This test should have been done prior to starting the chemo (as a baseline), but it’s not too late to do it asap, to check if your hearing takes a hit. Remember that cisplatin, in spite of being toxic on many levels, is highly effective, so the oncologist might consider swapping with another platin based chemo only if side effects are really important. 

    The damage to the ear are not really reversible, especially those caused by the chemo (radiation also contributes to that, but that is somewhat reversible). I still experience tinnitus, 2 year after treatment, but I’ve got used to that. I am also using hearing aids, because my hearing above 2 KHz has been affected.

     

  • Bulldogger1
    Bulldogger1 Member Posts: 13
    #6
    corleone said:

    Cisplatin is known ototoxic

    ...and some people (me included) experience tinnitus and even hearing loss. I would suggest bring this up with the oncologist and ask for a hearing test. This test should have been done prior to starting the chemo (as a baseline), but it’s not too late to do it asap, to check if your hearing takes a hit. Remember that cisplatin, in spite of being toxic on many levels, is highly effective, so the oncologist might consider swapping with another platin based chemo only if side effects are really important. 

    The damage to the ear are not really reversible, especially those caused by the chemo (radiation also contributes to that, but that is somewhat reversible). I still experience tinnitus, 2 year after treatment, but I’ve got used to that. I am also using hearing aids, because my hearing above 2 KHz has been affected.

     

    Hearing aids

    The oncologist did have me do a hearing test before I started treatment so i do have a baseline.  He wants me to go back on Tuesday before I do my next round of Chemo which is scheduled for Wednesday.  So once we get that done, they will be able to see how much hearing is lost.  Feel like I can still hear pretty normal, just have the ringing in my ear. 

    Does the hearing aid block out the ringing or minimize the ringing?

     

     

  • corleone
    corleone Member Posts: 312 Member
    #7
    Bulldogger1 said:

    Hearing aids

    The oncologist did have me do a hearing test before I started treatment so i do have a baseline.  He wants me to go back on Tuesday before I do my next round of Chemo which is scheduled for Wednesday.  So once we get that done, they will be able to see how much hearing is lost.  Feel like I can still hear pretty normal, just have the ringing in my ear. 

    Does the hearing aid block out the ringing or minimize the ringing?

     

     

    not really, but...

    as per lornal (see above): “I wear hearing aids, and when they are in, the ringing is not an issue.” In my case I still have the ringing sound when I wear the hearing aids, but it doesn’t bother me at all. In fact I have to think about it, to realize that that ringing sound is still there. Initially it’s really troublesome, but as phrannie mentioned, you’ll get used to it. If the hearing loss is significant (more than 50% - just to give you an idea), the oncologist might switch to carboplatin which is less toxic. The downside is that carboplatin hasn’t been proved to be as effective (nor the opposite; I am not aware of any clinical trials that compared the 2 drugs in a randomized trial).

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