Since completing my radiation and chemo for SQC cancer at the base of my tongue 3 weeks ago, I have recently noticed that I have a continuous humming sound in my ears. The Doctor called it Tinnitus and said it is a possible side effect of the chemo. I had a hearing test done and seem to have also lost my high pitch hearing as well. Unfortunately he said there is nothing that can be done for the humming sound, but they say the high pitch hearing problem may be corrected by a hearing aid. Have any of you experienced this problem and if so did it go away or what did you do about it? Thanks for your comments.

Hi Terry,

I also have constant humming in my ears and my ENT said the same thing, that it is a possible side effect of the chemo (cisplatin) that I had. He, too, said that there is nothing that can be done. I just hit my 1 year mark since completing treatments and the humming is still there. I've sort of gotten use to it except those times when it's really loud. I just wish it would start playing a different tune!

Take care,

Nancy

I had my last radation April 28, 2003 and no chemo but I have very hard wax in my ears. They said it is from the radation and I have to go every two to three months to get it cleaned out.
Mary Lee

Hello everyone, this to is happening to me. I have to go about every 4 months to have my ears FLUSHED. It doesn't really hurt hurt. The side I hade the surgery on hurts the worst. The stuff he gets out is hard dried up blood. It feels good for about 4 days, then it is slowly closing back up. Doc says it may always be this way. Mine is due to the radiation and the fact that my mouth was held open for so long during surgery. Who would have ever thought. It is all these things that no one tells us about. Live and live with it.....you thought I was going to say LEARN. LOL......There is only living with all this.........Always Miss Vicki

I STILL have the hard wax problem to some extent -- from time to time I can feel the pressure building up and over-the-counter ear drops can't entirely solve the problem. The people at my eye/ear clinic have said I'll just have to keep having it flushed out when it reaches that stage.

Cathy

I still have tinnitus to some degree but it's probably from years of being a musician. It was worse after the chemo - especially if you had Cisplatin. It should get better over time. In subsequent hearing tests, my high freqency response actually improved. Ear wax will cut down the HF response.

I saw a cartoon one time that said if you have a constant humming then they will put you in touch with a compulsive toe tapper.

I notice the ringing in my ears mostly when I can not get to sleep and when I want it really quiet...it just gets louder and louder. It reminds me of locusts when I was growing up in Kansas.

I read once that a standard question asked of people in psychiatric therapy is if they hear a ringing in their ears. Now, I don't know if it is from the Cisplatin or before treatment. What a dilemma. It's one of those things I just keep quiet about when the doctor is asking questions

Ed

Hi Terry, The tinnitus I have had was for the year prior to my glossectomy and for about 3-4 months afterward, not having had Chemo or Rad I was told that it was from referred pain from tongue base and YES it does get better! I have noticed recurrences but then that may be because there is more cancer in my thyroid?
LOL Ed I dont mention the little people making noises anymore either

Terry, I have the buzzing also. Had cisplatin and the oncologist said it was due to that. Went to a hearing specialist and was tested and the high end is gone for me as well. The doctor said it was permanent as the ciplatin destoys the functionality of the hair-like things in the ear that enable us to hear. Oh well, part of the "new normal".

Terry and Kirk,

My doctor is involved in a study regenerating cochlear hair. Here's hoping all goes well and it can make a difference for those needing it in their new normal. I don't have specifics about the study, but it is listed in his vitae.

Sincerely,
Lisa

Hi All, I had Cisplatin in 1989, and this is 2004 and I still have the ringing in my ears. I also
have hearing loss as well. Thank you It's nice
to know what caused it.
Cathy

Hi, everyone.
Tom has had tinnitis for a long time now, and he says it is more pronounced since the chemo. He, too, has lost the high-end pitch recognition...it was kind of funny when he was having his hearing test and I sat with him. I could hear all those high notes, and had to keep myself from signaling for him! I've noticed that I have to repeat EVERYTHING now unless I am looking directly at him. I suppose a hearing aid will be in his near future.

Hi everyone, Has anyone ever noticed that people that have cancer live in the eastern, southern,CA and some in ths middle part of the country. I wonder why that is? I've been noticeing it more lately. Thanks, Cathy

Hey Cathy,

I am from the Pacific Northwest, moved to Arizona and was Dx'd 8 months later. I knew I shouldn't have moved south.

I also have tinnitus both ears (radiated both sides) and high pitch loss in right ear (surgery side). Most of the time the tinnitus doesn't really bother me, although it is there all the time. But there are times when I think it is going to drive me crazier than I already am.

I thought it was just me because the professionals that I asked about it told me that surgery and radiation should have nothing to do with it. Why am I not surprised to find out that they were wrong.

Jack
..........
Dx 1/15/97 SCC rt. tonsil met to rt lymph node Stg IV, Srgry 1/23/97 tonsillectomy & mod radical neck dissection, Radiation 35 trtmnts both sides

I have had tinnitus for years before my cancer and the usual answer is there is no cure. I read an article about it and it said some people go to clinics to learn how to live with it. It gave the example of William Shatner as having been too close to an explosion during Star Trek and getting tinnitus and going to a clinic to learn to live with it. I hope the doctor involved in a study regenerating cochlear hair has some luck. There does not appear to be much work being done on tinnitus.

One of the more common side effects wih cisplatin is tinnitus and loss of high-end hearing. This is one reason that my husband's MO did not want to give him cisplatin as he already has some high-end hearing loss (the other was risk of exacerbating his benign hand tremor, as cis also can cause peripheral neuropathy). Instead Barry was given carboplatin with as good clinical results as with the older drug (and no hearing loss per post-treatment audiology exam). We knew the risks of cisplatin when we met with the MO and this was discussed prior to his treatment plan being developed.

Some prople have reported cisplatin-induced tinnitus resolving or getting less serious over time, but the high-end hearing loss is supposedly permanent. Have heard two contrasting opinions as to whether it can be corrected with a hearing aid; it would certainly be worth consulting an audiologist. I personally have some tinnitus from unknown causes and also have been unable to find a solution that works for me, but our ENT did say that some people get relief from certain supplements or medications. (Check with Tinnitus foundation on web). Mine is not bad and I just live with it.

Gail

Just to add my two cents worth,
I had three doses of cisplatin 1 every three weeks during my radiation. I have just had a follow up and because I complained of hearing problems I had a test. I have a slight loss at high end but nothing too serious. I also have developed peripheral neuropathy in my fingers and feet, I am waiting to see Oncology about this but it is thought to be a side effect of the cisplatin. It is a minor annoyance.

Here is another two cents' worth. I had two treatments with cisplatin, complained of weird hearing problems that had resolved by time of next treatment, but was switched post haste to carboplatin for the remainder. As far as the peripheral neuropathy, my toes were badly affected, but that all resolved after several months, perhaps as long as a year. Do not give up hope.

one dose of cisplatin was enough to turn my everyday tinnitus into something really unpleasant (A flat 2 octaves above middle C). I have been using ginko biloba for a year or so.
No cure but it does seem to mitigate the noise somewhat. I googled tinnitus one day and it was the only thing available.

kem

I just have to get the last word in...

I only notice the ringing in my ears when someone asks me. As I read the posts, I could hear the locusts around me. My feet get cold often, too. And the L'Hermittes (aka the Sabrina butt dance) never went away.

I too have terrible, disabling tinnitus, likely from the Cisplatinum.

Am feeling desparate and afraid. The annoyance is unbearable and I don't know how long I can tolerate it!

It seems to be just getting worse and my hearing is getting terrible.

Don't know what to do, but looks fairly hopeless from the information out there on the internet.

Any other information or hope?

PS: Have had millions of other "side effects" and things pop up but they are seem to eventually disappear Guess i was hoping this would have too...

I have neglected to be active on this board for a number of reasons, so my appologies to anyone I haven't kept in touch with. I'll update on the correct forum.

I too will chime in with the rest of you.

Lost high side of hearing, have the ringing. There are times it is not so noticeable.

Have trouble hearing in large room with others. Talked to Dr. about hearing aid. It would only magnify back ground noise. Which that is what makes it hard to hear.

Never new about the ear wax problem. Thanks for that informtion.

Take care
Diane

Hi, we know that certain chemo therapies such as Cisplatin can cause nerve damage, including peripheral neuropathy and tinnitus (ringing in the ears).

My father developed tinnitus for unrelated reasons several years ago and achieved relief with the loan of very expensive European "noise generators". However, I suspect that a simple white noise generator might achieve similar benefits, and it turns out that there are all kinds of free or inexpensive "white noise generators" available for iPhone/iPad/iPod etc., such as this one:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/white-noise-box/id406810651?mt=8

I find the app to be well made. I can't say for certain it would help, but anyone suffering from tinnitus would be foolish to not give it a try?

I'm just shy of one year out from my treatment and initially was given a clear bill of health when it came to Cisplatin side-effects, but later developed some neuropathy in my feet, and now I'm starting to wonder if I'm hearing high-pitched ringing in my ears. Who knows, I may need this myself in time. Beware possible late-onset side-effects of chemo.

-Seth

Well look at this, here's a web based white noise generator:

http://www.simplynoise.com/

Anybody suffering from tinnitus might benefit from white noise therapy, or at least it might provide temporary "masking" relief. Please let us know!

-Seth