Dizziness

3 months after what appears to be the standard treatment for a right tonsilar SCC, 35 radiation and 3 lots of cisplatin, I'm feeling pretty good and cautiously optimistic.

Eating can still be less than pleasurable at times with mouth and tongue soreness but that seems par for the course. What I'd really like to know is whether or not anyone else has experienced dizziness... I am and cannot seem to find any reference to it. 

Yes, I am having some dizziness. I am eight months out.  My red blood count is not back where it should be, so I attribute it to that. Also I am having ear pain and fullness on the side where I got  more radiation. Ear problems can cause dizziness. Also be sure you taking in adequate fluids, dehydration can make you feel dizzy. You ned to shoot for at least 64 oz of fluid a day. Don't guesstimate---actually keep track of it. Hope you feel great soon! It can be a rough road.   Teresa

 

On 3/1/2008 dunidid wrote:

3 months after what appears to be the standard treatment for a right tonsilar SCC, 35 radiation and 3 lots of cisplatin, I'm feeling pretty good and cautiously optimistic.

Eating can still be less than pleasurable at times with mouth and tongue soreness but that seems par for the course. What I'd really like to know is whether or not anyone else has experienced dizziness... I am and cannot seem to find any reference to it. 

I am one year out from chemo/radiation for SCC right tonsil w/1 involved lymph node.  I've also has sel. neck dissection (June 2007).  I have had vertigo(dizziness) since early Feb 2007.  Also had hearing loss and eustacean tube swelling.  I went to an audioligist for testing in Sept.  The diagnosis was Benign Paroximal Positional Vertigo (not something more serious).  If the dizziness persists, press your doctor for testing.

There are exercises to do (search internet for these) and my doc did one in his office that did help some.  In Nov 2007,at the doc's recommendatioon,  I finally decided to have a tube put in my right ear.  This has made a HUGE difference. We believe (my ENT and I) the reduced size of my right eustacean tube from radiation scarring was not allowing my ear to drain properly. Once the tube was inserted, hearing improved and vertigo is now very infrequent.

 I still have tongue and mouth sores and taste buds are minimal.  I don't think there is enough data/research on tonsilar cancer treatment for the docs. to say exactly how/why these continue and for how long they will last. Eating non-acidic foods helps me.

LLR

Finally,  I am 100% back to normal activities.  I go to the gym 4 times a week, working full days and am moving forward with life, as you are, cautiously optimisitc.

HOLY SMOKES!!

Somebody should write a book and what the doctors don't tell you! Ear pain, Dizziness, still can't eat after 3 mos. because of mouth pain, etc.

Is this what I have to look forward too? I just finished radiation last Monday.

Rick

I had ear problems, too, but it mostly seemed like I had water in my ear. I also had some hearing loss and ringing, but that seems to have improved somewhat. I did have a lot of trouble with dehydration and I would get dizzy when I stood up because of that. I am a little over 4 months out of treatment (same as yours) for SCC, left tonsil, stage 4a.

Settle down, Rick... you sound like you are doing better than most. When I was at your stage I was curled up on the couch with a barf bucket wanting to die.

Best wishes, everyone.

Mike

Yea, I think I am doing better then a lot from what I'm reading. I don't know why, but sure am grateful. Just seems to be alot more side effects to this than anyone ever told us, even months down the road. The body just wans't designed to have all that radiation shot through it I guess. But the main thing is, if we beat cancer than all the side effects in the world are worth it if I can live long enough to see my little girl walk down the aisle.

Settle down? Me? Settle down?? Never. I live to be fired up.

Rick

Yo Rick,

I don't think you'll have to worry about the ear/hearing/dizziness problems since you've only had radiation. Most of this stuff is a side effect of chemo, specifically Cisplatin. However, these problems can happen with radiation depending upon the location of your field(s) of treatment. If they're shooting radiation right in the area of your ear I'm sure it's going to do some kind of  damage in there.

BTW, I'm 2+ years out and still get some pretty serious ringing in my ears. Couple that with standing in front of guitar amplifiers all my life and....say what?1?

Joe 

Thanks Joe.

That Tinnutis is bad stuff. Somebody very close to me (also standing near amplifiers all of his lufe) had a cheap tire blow up in his face causing severe ear damage to both ears. Constant ringing 24/7. He tried everything and it got so bad he actually attempted suicide. Thank God he was unsuccesful. But I hear (no pun intended) that there aren't many things worse then a sever case of tinnutis and I'd really rather not have it. Then again, if it'll drown out wife and kids at times.........

Rick

To all:

A relative said to us early on in the treatment (2 IMRT to go) that my husband's experiences will be his.  While all the side effects are possible, nothing makes them probable accept the individuals' experiences.  I've found that reading all of these postings armed us for the possibilities before they occured.  We are lucky my husband had very few of them.  This may have been the field of radiation, it may have been attitude, it may have been the glutamine but all of the suggestions for dealing with it came from all of you!

So, thank you and let your outcomes be less and be yours.

Kara 

 

 

 

Good words Kara. as common as the treatment may seem, individual responses vary greatly as I'm learning. I think I'll choose not to have any of them!

Thanks,

Rick