Hearing loss/ringing in ears from chemo/radiation experiences

Hi, welcome to the forum, you don’t say what part you have cancer so it’s hard to judge, but  with my Oesophagus Cancer treatment the Chemo did effect my hearing in a small way but I was hard of hearing before it. I found that after 12 months I am only just able to use my hearing aids again and they are not uncomfortable to wear. I am having an hearing test next month so that they can be adjusted, high pitch does make me cringe sometimes and the tetanus did become more profound but has now subsided.

Unfortunately there are side effects to all the Cancer treatments and some are more profound to some than others but I have not heard of having to wear earplugs-I’d avoid Nightclubs and raves then

Hope all goes well and take care

Tony

Thanks Kasvin

I have cancer of my tonsil, soft palate, and lymph nodes on both sides of my neck. I know the directed radiation will not be beamed directly at my ears, however even before this diagnosis, I have always been a bit sensitive to (loud) sound. I will take your kind advice and avoid nightclubs and raves ! And will notice if I get tinnitus, as my care team suggests is possible. I find this forum so supportive and love bits of humour if people can find any- mostly hard for me right now..

Very best

Hi There T2N3 We are all different and  react to things differently.  I developed tinnitus along with a few other things. You might find your hearing is less sensitive which might be a bonus , Good Luck 

Hi

Did the tinnitus go?

I developed it mid way through chemo it went and then came back when I started radiotherapy. I'm about 80% deaf from the side effects of radiotherapy 3 weeks post treatment but apparently this is due to fluid etc and should get better but it's feeling like forever. The ringing goes on and on..

Hi. I avoided chemo so haven’t got tinnitus caused by that. Hearing loss with Cisplatin  can be permanent so if it starts you should alert your team. They might offer you carboplatin which is less Ototoxic or even stop the chemo. 
I have cochlear damage due to the radiation so I have severe hearing loss at high frequency and cannot hear birdsong in that ear. Another downside is that without binaural hearing I can’t localise sounds very well. 
I also have tinnitus but can ignore it mostly. 
Hearing aids help enormously and  reduce the tinnitus too. Not got round to stumping up the 4K they cost though. 

Hi Beesuit This is very helpful information. I will indeed alert my team immediately if I notice hearing changes. I am open to stopping the cisplatin if needed. I hope I can continue the radiation treatments as ordered, but am willing to stop those as well depending on serious side effects. I am sad to hear of your permanent hearing loss at high frequency  due to the radiation. I wonder if you can hear conversations? Or if the tinnitus also interferes with that? Anyway, it hurts to speak now so I'm not having many conversations anyway!

Kind regards

Thanks for your reply Ozzy. I have been told I might get tinnitus or not, and that it might come and go even after treatment. I surely hope yours resolves. It sounds very uncomfortable!

Kind regards

T2N3CHPV16 said:

I am open to stopping the cisplatin if needed. I hope I can continue the radiation treatments as ordered, but am willing to stop those as well depending on serious side effects.

Cisplatin just tops up the RT. According to my oncologist a full course adds just over 6% to your chance if cure. So not finishing it isn’t any real loss. Don’t stop the RT or you won’t get rid of the cancer. The treatment sucks  but it doesn’t last forever. The side effects are manageable. 
The rest of my hearing is ok. Husband has to turn up the radio in the morning as it’s on his side if the bed. That’s all! 
I didn’t spot my hearing loss for four years. I had a cold and my tinnitus ramped up a bit so stupidly I tried to see if it was worse in one ear than the other by blocking off one ear at a time. ( Hopeless! Tinnitus is in your head!) I realised the sound was quite muffled in the treatment side ear. 
It really doesn’t impact my life much at all. 

Just to reinforce the above I opted out of the last session of Cisplatin after conversation with my consultant and the tinnitus issues. I could of had another drug but it was also mentioned that the last session was not strictly required. I did of course complete the radiotherapy. I did feel very guilty about not having the last session but I physically and mentally couldn't do it. Alas I think the hearing issues are now a mix of  Cisplatin and radiotherapy combined. Audiology appointment next week to confirm if its permanent. 

Hi. I was rue to have 3 sessions of chemo once every 3 weeks same dose as weekly but spread out over 3 sessions. I successful had 2 and in conjunction with oncologist didn’t have the 3 rd. I had no issues but a tiny noise on the 2 nd one  like a washing machine in my ear . Because I had responded   so well snd my lump had disappeared we stoped chemo . Please don’t stop the radiotherapy has that’s the main part of treatment. It’s not easy but worthwhile I’m almist 5 years my hearing is as good as it was and I can certainly hear the birds they wake me every dawn

Many people don’t have the full chemo as Dani says it adds about 6% to completion.
hazel x.