Hi,
Seems a silly question but I have been getting a ringing in my ear (same side as my cancer) for about the last 4 weeks. It only lasts 15 - 30 seconds and disappears. I have no headaches and haven’t noticed anything else in my head (still a bit chemo brain stupid at times but not worse). I am on tamoxifen and have been since 10th March so I am thinking it could be connected to that but wondered if anyone else had any experience?
Hi Ostrich
Funny you should start a thread on this because I have exactly the same problem and in fact I know that my hearing is not good in one of my ears anymore and went to my GP during the week as it’s been going on for a while now and I’m being sent for a full ENT assessment at the hospital. I believe that the drugs can effect the hearing and can cause hearing loss - I really hope mine is temporary as it’s quite annoying. In the beginning I thought I had ear wax but the GP said no so now i’m worrying a bit - keeping my hospital going that’s for sure!
Hope yours settles down though. let me know how it goes and whether you do anything about it.
Best wishes
Ruby
Thanks Ruby,
I so enjoy not thinking about BC everyday but also spend every day worrying about everything! I think every symptom I ever feel from now on will be BC in my mind! Brain mets are my obvious worry with ear ringing! Don’t have any faith in my GP (or GPs in general) so will probably mention it at my check up in May (along with my other issues - breast pain, lumps etc).
When will I ever stop being paranoid? (probably when I can afford my own MRI and degree with which to read it!!!)
Is your ENT appt a normal referral or are you getting in any faster due to the BC? Has your GP done any checks prior to sending you? Has he/she given you any ideas as to what they think it is?
Hi again Ostrich
Yes I too enjoy not thinking about BC everyday but it’s still hard when you get any little niggles. I seem to suffer terrible indigestion which I never suffered from before and it’s really painful.
I’m not too worried about the ear ringing in terms of BC. I really don’t think it’s related or anything to do with my brain. I think if it was, then there would be other symptoms such as sickness, dizziness etc.
MY ENT appointment is a normal referral and not faster due to BC as I don’t think my GP thinks it’s anything to do with BC just the side effects of it. All my GP did was look into my ears to see if there was some kind of blockage and there wasn’t.
I do get that ringing in my ear on and off - it’s weird but it’s also in both ears and not just the one I don’t hear so well from now.
Hope this helps
Rx
Dont know if it helps Ruby but it helps to know someone else is worrying too (if you get what I mean).
Blimey,sometimes I feel like I’m gonna worry if I break wind too often or a finger nail looks funny for the rest of my life!
Its such an irony to be back to “enjoying life and not thinking about BC” (ie I am loving spring, not having treatment other than a tablet every day, looking forward to life etc) and at the same time finding that everything from a pain in my leg, to a ring in my ear, a pain in my boob etc I think is BC.
I think its worse when its something that starts after BC and is regular because then you worry more (ie I probably wouldn’t have thought twice about the ringing before BC)
Who knows re brain mets symptoms? There’s not a lot of info on the web.
My “ringing” is more like a buzz/temporary deafness.
Funnily enough by best friend had BC 2 years ago and is a “deaf old bird”. Must ask her if its worse since BC (as she is on tamoxifen also).
Hope it goes okay for you, let me know?
xx
Hi Ostrich
yes it certainly does help to know that somebody else can understood and sympathise too as they are going through the same. Like I said earlier though I don’t think it’s bc related just a side effect of the drugs - I read this somewhere so hope that makes you feel a little better. At the moment I also have a very sore throat but again, not worrying about this as just got back from holiday and think I picked something up on the plane. I also now suffer occasionally from really bad indigestion which is something I never had before the treatment and it’s horrible and really painful. Guess these are just things we have to put up with now. I have a sort of high pitched ringing in my right ear every now and again but it’s my left ear which is suffering hearing loss - really hope it’s nor permanent but guess it’s just something I will deal with.
Of course I’ll let you know how I get on and please let me know too if you decide to have things investigated.
Rx
Yep, have also suffered tinnitus in left ear, a high-pitched screech which is more or less a constant visitor.
Spoke to onc while on Tax and she was baffled. GP said, why would it NOT be a side effect of chemo? Which I kind of agree with.
Either way, it’s bloody annoying, but I’ve had my fill of trips to and from hospital for the moment, so will live with it for a while and see if it resolves.
L x
Hi, I am now suffering with a dull buzzing in my ears, not noticeable during the day but starts as soon as my head hits the pillow… I finished my treatment in Dec 2011… do any of you out there have this problem? it keeps me awake and I’m getting really tired! xxx
Hi girls
I have also developed ringing in my ears which I assume is some sort of side effect. My main problem was at night and getting off to sleep. I’ve got more used to it now but when I have a bad night I listen to one of free sleep apps such as sleep pillow. I find it helps a lot - though not the babbling brook as that results in whole new set of disturbances! It’s better than listening to the o/h snoring anyway.
Here’s to peaceful snooze
S x
Hi girls, I too suffer from ringing in my ears. I just tend to ‘put up’ with all my aches & pains, ad too scared to mention anything to Gp! I just wonder if its a reaction to tax chemo? Xxxx
Hi,
Just spotted this thread. I had similar symptoms after my mx and recon when I had to have big doses of antibiotics. It met the description of tinnitus. It just lasted a few seconds but threw me off balance each time…seemed like a bee in my ear when it hit!
I haven’t had to put up with chemo etc but I read that tinnitus can also be a side effect of treatment as well as large antibiotic hits.
I mentioned it to my GP at the time, he said to make sure I didn’t have wax as that exacerbates the problem. I used sodium bicarbonate drops to get rid of a bit of wax, and after finishing the antibiotics, it gradually cleared up.
Like you nonsuch I have just spotted this thread too. Back in late 90s (camt remember now exactly which year) I was on ECF (NOT the same as FEC) - it is Epirubicin, Cisplatin & Fluorouracil. I was issued with a paper that warned the Cisplatin can cause irreversible hearing loss and we should notify immediately if we had any hearing problems such as tinitus etc. I did just that - had ringing in my ears and was sent to the audiologist(?) for a hearing and found to have slight loss in my left ear so the drug was switched straight away to Carboplatin. I still get tinitus quite a bit - it’s annoying but along with all the other treats we get with bc, you just learn to live with it!
I think there are some other drugs that do have this side effect.
Dawn
Just to throw in something else. Earlier in the year I had labrynthitis which is a virus. I had it quite badly and did have terrible dizziness to start with but then I had ringing in my ears for about 8 - 10 weeks afterwards. Not all the time but it came and went.
I’m wondering if a mild infection could be a possibility?
Elinda x
Unsure about exactly what you are seeking, before using any medicine or herbs you should consult a doctor. To find out more or to become knowledgeable you can go through some great sites like PositiveMed etc … also you will get a free e-book on ear ringing here tinnitustreatmentsuccess.com