Hi there,

I have had three cycles of chemotherapy (5 days, every 3 weeks) and had cisplatin, taxotere and 5FU. I know that cisplatin can cause problems with hearing.

Anyway, for a while now (probably weeks) I get ringing in my ears, but it only last for a few seconds and then goes away. It feels as though I'm going through a tunnel on a train and your ears pop. It only happens once, maybe twice a day.

Has anyone else had any problems with their hearing because of cisplatin?

I have more chemo starting on the 25th Feb but this time I am having just carboplatin along with the radiotherapy.

Hayley

Hayley

I too had problems with cisplatin (ringing) starting 2 days after the first infusion. Subsequently it went away. ... and came back after the infusion the following week. Then we switched to carboplatin. It took about a month for the ringing to abate (since I had weekly cisplatin I only had small dosage (30mg/m2))

Carboplating is not ototoxic. In my weekly treatments I had no problem with nausea from it. It does however a number on your white cell count.

M

Hi Hayley,
Make certain your doctor knows about the ringing in the ears. This can be a side effect of cisplatin and damage can be permanent. Most have been switched to carboplatin if they get any ringing so be certain to tell doctor NOW even though you will be getting carbo. He needs to know.

Take care,
Eileen

Hayley,

I to had Cis and I didn't tell my docs about the ringing (because I didn't consider it "ringing") until damage had been done so I have been tested and have been told I have permanent high frequency hearing loss. My hearing was not tested before my chemo so there is no comparison but, believe me, I can tell a difference in my hearing ability. I don't need hearing aids but I do ask people, especially women, to repeat themselves often when I can't read their lips. In the scheme of things it's not a big deal but I wish I would have recognized that "ringing" earlier and told my MO.

David get closer to the ladies and read those lips,, LOL I'm reading between the lines there fella.

My Dr did a pre-hearing test and a follow up test after each cisplatin treatment. When the test indicated a small decrease in my ability to hear high Freq they spread my next cisplatin over 2 days. Next one they did at 85%. Subsequent tests indicated no further loss of hearing. I have not noticed any degradation in hearing but I am sure the test are accurate. Still have occasional "ringing"

I have ringing in my ears, and some hearing loss on the side that received more radiation. No one mentioned a hearing test before treatment started, but I definately have less hearing on the left side. My ears also feel blocked and crackle when I swallow.

No one here has attributed hearing loss to the radiation but a lot have due to Cis. I was told pre Tx to watch out for the "ringing" and to let my MO know if I heard it, but no one told me what thier definition of "ringing" was so I didn't recognize it until it was perhaps to late.

Bill, not only did they not do a pre Tx hearing test on me or even mention one but you got one before Tx and after each chemo. Boy that's aggressively nice but I didn't notice my hearing loss until a few months post all Tx.

I know that there is apparantly no link to radiation and hearing loss, so I have no idea why I have less hearing in that ear. I did ask my MO, and he said rads shouldn't affect my hearing, and if the chemo did it would be in both ears. A mystery.

I noticed in the MRI today that I didn't hear much of the sound in my right ear, but the cancer is on that side and it always hurts. I really never paid any attention to it until today. I take Erbitux for chemo so I wonder about this too.