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Viewing 7 posts - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)
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  • #8526
    Staff
    Participant

    I suffered from Tinnitus before my Chemo. (Ringing in the ears) I was told that one of the chemicals I was prescribed for my chemo (CISPLATIN) could cause tinnitus or make existing tinnitus worse.

    When I told the nurse about my Tinnitus I was switched to CARBOPLATIN which, while can still cause some tinnitus, was less likely to do so. My other Chemo drug is GEMCITABINE.

    I have noticed my tinnitus worsening during chemo and was wondering two things. I know that there is no cure for my tinnitus, but is the worsening of my tinnitus temporary, improving some when I go off of my Chermo. Secondly, how bad can tinnitus get? It has been manageable in my life so far. In fact I usually don’t even notice it unless I stop and listen for it. But the quiet of nighttime in concert with the increased volume of my tinnitus is beginning to worry me. I am about 1/2 way through my Chemo and wonder if anyone else on this board has experienced this Tinnitus dilemma. Going off a chemo drug doesn’t seem like an option.

    Thanks for listening.

    #21815
    Saldcorn
    Participant

    I don’t have an answer, but I’m sending hope that it abates after chemo. I had RC surgery without first having chemo . But, I’ve had tinnitus for about 9 years now (thanks to my previous GP), so I know how frustrating it can be during the times you crave silence. Anyway, just wanted you to know that I sympathise with your situation. I wish I could offer you something more concrete.

    #21816
    Staff
    Participant

    Thanks Saldcorn:

    My tinnitus, I suspect, is self induced from my younger years of ear abuse both with music and machinery.

    #21817
    SJay
    Participant

    That is unfortunate. I also have tinnitus and had chemo with Gemcitibine and Cisplatin, but didn’t notice it getting worse. Wish I could be of more help.

    Stephen

    #21823
    marysue
    Participant

    I have suffered from tinnitus for many years. Mine first started possibly as a result of a concussion I got after a fall in 2001. I also wear hearing aids because of hearing loss. My hearing started to decline pre-bladder cancer days and both worsened when I was doing BCG. It did seem to go down a bit in volume after my BCG treatments were finished. I just toughed out the BCG figuring that I could deal with the tinnitus. I wanted to keep my bladder. I also was dealing with extreme menopause symptoms in conjunction with BCG and at the time it made my tinnitus seem like a non-issue.

    I did ask the clinic nurse if BCG could worsen tinnitus or cause hearing loss but she didn’t have an answer. My uro said that it isn’t on the list of side effects for BCG so he is of the opinion that my hearing issues are related to my head injury and family hereditary.

    When I asked my hearing specialist, she said that in my case it is probably a combination of things – the concussion, the fact that deafness and hearing issues run in my family on my mother’s side and the cancer treatment. I was told that tinnitus is a result of your brain not hearing certain sounds because of nerve damage in the inner ear.

    My tinnitus varies on any given day. I usually have it in both ears and it sounds like a friggin’ dentist’s drill. Some days and nights it can be loud, other times it is so quiet that I barely hear it. Sometimes it is louder in one ear than the other. Today it is fairly loud in both ears because I didn’t wear my hearing aides yesterday. I sometimes leave them out when I doing things like heavy cleaning and running the vacuum but I pay for it the next day. It is often loud when I’m tired as I am today after being so busy with cleaning yesterday.

    I find that if I turn my hearing aids up full volume for a while or listen to music with headphones on, it seems to help lessen the noise. Hearing aides don’t always help but they do seem help me a bit. I do have a setting on my current hearing aides that sounds like waves on a beach. It is supposed to be a help for tinnitus in reducing the volume of the noise. It doesn’t work that well for me but it helps distract me from listening to it when it gets really loud.

    My mother had tinnitus as a result of perforated ear drums due to serious ear infections she had as a child. This was during the Great Depression and her parents were too poor to afford the antibiotic that she needed so her ear drums just ruptured when the pressure got too much. She told me in her case the noise sounded like a “whooshing” like wind always blowing in her ear. That must have been “fun”.

    I think all in all finding ways to distract yourself from listening to it is the best way to go. As mentioned, I listen to music or the waves in my hearing aides. I also find it is less outside for some reason so going outside when possible helps too. There are some herbal products around that are supposed to help but I haven’t tried any of them and can’t recommend any. As with many natural remedies they take a few months to work so one would have to be patient. I would consult a natural health practitioner before using any of these anyhow go make sure that they wouldn’t conflict with anything else I was taking or doing.

    Hope these suggestions may be of some minimal use. (((HUGS)))

    #21827
    Staff
    Participant

    Thanks Marysue:

    I will just put up with it. It’s not so bad during the day when I am busy doing things. I usually don’t even notice it and like you have alluded to, it seems even less when outside.

    It is just one more thing for me to be anxious about. I have a diversion decision coming up at the end of the month between a neo-bladder or the outside bag with a stoma. Even though I am trying to read as much about these as possible, it is not making my decision any easier and that anxiety is just compounded by my perceived louder tinnitus.

    Quite a journey.

    #21832
    marysue
    Participant

    I think stress does make it worse. As mentioned, mine seems worse when I’m really tired. I am tired today, despite a good night’s sleep because of the extensive house cleaning I did yesterday. I can’t push it like I used to. 🙁

    The diversion decision is a big one to have to make. Sometimes at times like this we wish we could go to sleep and wake up when it is all over. As mentioned before, what I’ve heard is that it seems to boil down to a lifestyle choice. I wish I could offer more than that but not having faced what you are, I’m only speculating. ((((HUGS))))

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