Cisplatin is well known for causing varying degrees of peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage in the distant parts of extremities). It usually takes the form of anything from numbness to tingling to pins and needles to (sometimes) pain. Some liken it to the sensation you get when a limb that has been nearly frostbitten begins to warm up, or to the unpleasant sensations associated with a limb "falling asleep". As a group these altered sensations are called paresthesias.
Usually, peripheral neuropathy does not "go away". It may "lighten up", or gradually fade, or we may simply become more accustomed to it and notice it less. It can cause foot drop (tip of foot hangs lower to ground), it can make standing up more difficult (harder to stand when you can't feel the floor well!), and it can cause stumbling and even contribute to falls. I had peripheral neuropathy before treatment, and although I only had 1 and a half doses of cisplatin, it has worsened. Oddly, it did not worsen until about eight weeks after my last chemo. In my case it is one more annoyance, and distressing to a degree, but it is tolerable and manageable,
Another form of nerve damage that Cisplatin can cause is loss of high frequency hearing--that "sisssss..." of cymbals, the sound of leaves moving, the way water sounds in the shower are all affected. It can heighten sensitivity to some sounds while diminishing sensitivity to others. It is like the peripheral neuropathy, something that affects some more than others, some not at all. I developed high frequency hearing loss as well. It can also cause or worsen tinnitis, a ringing or whooshing sound caused by auditory nerve damage, which I also had (mild form) before treatment, and which the cisplatin worsened to a degree.
Unfortunately there is no know treatment for these neuro side effects, though there are some experimental approaches being study to help minimize their development in the future. There are support groups in many communities for people with peripheral neuropathy (there are many forms and many causes), and I recommend these; just as with this forum, they are a great way to learn about the problem, and to learn what others have found helpful for adjusting and living with these changes.
My hearing changes have stabilized and seem to actually be improving somewhat; that isn't usually what happens, but I am hopeful that I may gain a degree of improvement. I hope that your paresthesias also gradually lighten and/or become less noticeable. I developed mine in my early 30's and although I am aware of them, they no longer enter my consciousness very often, and likely that is what will happen over time for the worsening that has occurred. Best wishes, and here's to hope that one day we will no longer have to be poisoned and/or burned just to survive cancer! In the meantime, I will pay that price to (hopefully) live to see my children finish school, get out on their own, marry, to meet my grandchildren, and to see many more sunsets.
