| | Joined: Mar 2003 Posts: 251 Gold Member (200+ posts) | OP  Gold Member (200+ posts)
Joined: Mar 2003 Posts: 251 | Hi all,
Haven't been on here for awhile.
But am wondering if anyone - especially those a few years out from radiation - suffers from frequent light-headedness. My husband has had these dizzy spells quite frequently ever since he completed radiation - almost 8 years ago to the day!
Thanks,
Anita
Husband Dx 12/02 Stage 4 Tonsil Cancer T1N2bM0; surgery, radiation, chemo 1/03 - 4/03.
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 | It happens to me occasionally. I am 3 1/2 years post radiation. I also have low blood pressure which can cause this and is probably the reason for my light headedness.
ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive  | | | | | Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 4,918 Likes: 67 OCF Founder Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | OCF Founder Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 4,918 Likes: 67 | carotid artery narrowing from scar tissue formed in it from radiation treatments is common. It is a huge problem, and in some will require stents somewhere down the road. Good news is that scar tissue is not like the fatty plaques that come from lifestyle issues, and is far less likely to cause a stroke.
Brian, stage 4 oral cancer survivor. OCF Founder and Director. The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.
| | | | | Joined: May 2002 Posts: 2,152 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: May 2002 Posts: 2,152 | Get his carotid arteries checked. They run an ultra sound to do this. Takes about 20 minutes. Can probably be done in cardiologists office and should be covered by insurance. I have had to have 3 stents put in my right carotid in the last two years thanks to radiation damage.
Take care,
Eileen
----------------------
Aug 1997 unknown primary, Stage III
mets to 1 lymph node in neck; rt ND, 36 XRT rad
Aug 2001 tiny tumor on larynx, Stage I total laryngectomy; left ND
June 5, 2010 dx early stage breast cancer
June 9, 2011 SCC 1.5 cm hypo pharynx, 70% P-16 positive, no mets, Stage I
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2003 Posts: 251 Gold Member (200+ posts) | | OP Gold Member (200+ posts)
Joined: Mar 2003 Posts: 251 | Thanks,
This information really helps. Does seem to be getting worse and worse.
Anita
Husband Dx 12/02 Stage 4 Tonsil Cancer T1N2bM0; surgery, radiation, chemo 1/03 - 4/03.
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2003 Posts: 251 Gold Member (200+ posts) | | OP Gold Member (200+ posts)
Joined: Mar 2003 Posts: 251 | Thought I'd get back with more info that could benefit somebody else.
Continuing episodes to the point that we were in the ER today. One interesting bit of info from ER Doc was that patients that have been through radiation and its associated nerve damage, etc may not exhibit typical symptoms. In other words, a patient with classic heart attack may not have classical symptoms such a chest pain.
Husband Dx 12/02 Stage 4 Tonsil Cancer T1N2bM0; surgery, radiation, chemo 1/03 - 4/03.
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2011 Posts: 3 Member | | Member
Joined: Mar 2011 Posts: 3 | I finished IMRT on February 4 and didn't have any feelings of lightheadedness till now. I've had a couple days straight now of feeling lightheaded. I don't think I have a cold or anything and reading about complications to one's carotid artery is a bit scary. Is this too early for it to be a carotid issue? Until reading some of the posts here I was thinking it was just some kind of side effect of a healing response in my head. A couple of the eight bursts of radiation I got each time were from nearly behind my head and I saw in my file that a certain thankfully lower amount of radiation exposure was to my "brain stem". That was lovely to see even if it was much less than what I got elsewhere.
At what point, should the feeling of lightheadedness continue, would it be reasonable to have this looked into? | | | | | Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 440 Platinum Member (300+ posts) | | Platinum Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 440 | I get lightheaded from time to time as well. First make sure you are hydrated well! Another issue is low blood pressure which is what I have too, again I try to just drink and drink to help with this. I did notice that over time the lightheadness has diminished the further I am away from treatment or maybe it's that I'm use to it now!LOL
Dx 3/27/09 @ 28 years old with High Grade MEC T4N2M0
Elizabeth, 33, mother of 3 girls (4,7, &8yrs old)
3 rds of chemo(Carbo/Taxol)
Rt Mandibulectomy, rt fibular flap,& rt ND with trach, picc,& g-tube.
30 rds of rads with weekly cisplatin
SCANS ALL CLEAR!
OCF Regional Coordinator of San Antonio Walk
| | | | | Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 291 Gold Member (200+ posts) | | Gold Member (200+ posts)
Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 291 | Hi,
I finished end of Feb. I have had a couple of experiences with light-headedness. Both times I realized I had not been drinking water the way I had been earlier. So that is what I would try first--may sure you are hydrated.
Anne
SCC tongue 9/2010, excised w/clear margins:8 X 4 mm, 1 mm deep
Neck Met, 10/2010, 1 cm lymph node; 12/21/'10: Neck Diss 30 nodes, 29 clear, micro ECE node, part tongue gloss, no residual scc
IMRT & 6 cisplatin 1/20/11-2/28/11 at MDA
GIST tumor sarcoma, removed 9/2011, no chemo needed
Clear on both counts as of Fall, 2021
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