Is it just me, or does hearing loss happen often as a side effect from multiple myeloma treatment? I've been on maintenance Velcade, thalidomide, and dexamethasone for about two years now, and my hearing has steadily declined over that time. A lot of ringing and very muffled hearing. Actually, my left ear is way worse than the right. I can barely hear anything out of the left.
I've investigated and all I find seems to indicate that platinum-based drugs cause hearing loss. I did have some of those before a transplant back in 2009, but my hearing loss has really only started in the last couple of years.
Can the platinum-based drugs be affecting me now, or is it the Velcade, thalidomide, and dexamethasone? And can anyone tell me if it may improve if I stop taking the drugs?
Thanks for any insight you can share.
Forums
Re: Hearing loss from Velcade, thalidomide & dexamethasone?
I lost some, actually a fair amount, of my hearing in my right ear last summer while I was undergoing induction therapy using Velcade and dexamethasone. I also developed grade 3 peripheral neuropathy and thought the nerve damage may have affected my hearing, as it was affecting my blood pressure and other autonomous nerve system functions. It did not happen suddenly but came on gradually.
I have seen an ENT doctor and he ordered a MRI of my head to look for a potential nerve tumor and hearing test. The MRI came back normal, and the hearing test showed I lost hearing in the middle range in my right ear. The ENT could not identify any definitive cause for the hearing loss. They said chemotherapy and other drugs can cause hearing loss, but in their experience it usually occurs in both ears. Also, losing hearing in the middle range was not what they normally would see for a drug-induced hearing loss. Maybe it is just old age.
I have seen an ENT doctor and he ordered a MRI of my head to look for a potential nerve tumor and hearing test. The MRI came back normal, and the hearing test showed I lost hearing in the middle range in my right ear. The ENT could not identify any definitive cause for the hearing loss. They said chemotherapy and other drugs can cause hearing loss, but in their experience it usually occurs in both ears. Also, losing hearing in the middle range was not what they normally would see for a drug-induced hearing loss. Maybe it is just old age.
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Eric Hofacket - Name: Eric H
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 01 April 2011
- Age at diagnosis: 44
Re: Hearing loss from Velcade, thalidomide & dexamethasone?
I have some hearing loss, but in my case I had frequent infections (sinus and ear) before I was diagnosed, and have had several popped ear drums in the one ear with the hearing loss. So I believe they call it conductive hearing loss, and they say it's not "that bad," but when I plug my good ear, or lay on that side on the couch, I notice the reduced hearing (i.e., I turn the TV up louder).
Now that I'm in remission, I am not having the frequent ear infections, and my ear drum has healed, but is now "scarred" according to my ENT doctor. So any sign of an infection I'm supposed to go to ER or the doctor right away and get on the second-tier drugs (amoxicillin is what they normally give, but my last infection was resistant and it was quite bad and took multiple rounds of antibiotics to clear).
Your best bet is to see an ENT and have full hearing tests.
Even when your myeloma is behaving there are all this other things to worry about!
Now that I'm in remission, I am not having the frequent ear infections, and my ear drum has healed, but is now "scarred" according to my ENT doctor. So any sign of an infection I'm supposed to go to ER or the doctor right away and get on the second-tier drugs (amoxicillin is what they normally give, but my last infection was resistant and it was quite bad and took multiple rounds of antibiotics to clear).
Your best bet is to see an ENT and have full hearing tests.
Even when your myeloma is behaving there are all this other things to worry about!
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lys2012 - Name: Alyssa
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 2010, Toronto, Canada
- Age at diagnosis: 32
Re: Hearing loss from Velcade, thalidomide & dexamethasone?
I too have experienced hearing loss in my right ear. (Would someone answer that phone!) My oncologist is sending me to an ENT to "rule out" a number of things before we look deeper into the realms of possible causes due to multiple myeloma.
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mjanssen27
Re: Hearing loss from Velcade, thalidomide & dexamethasone?
I was just diagnosed in July and I will start treatment on August 28. I am 67 years old. I have taken no myeloma drugs up until now and am on no other medication of any kind. Yet I have experienced a hearing loss in my right ear that came on about two years ago. I know I have been having symptoms of myeloma for at least three years and was misdiagnosed many times. The ENT doctor that examined me for hearing loss stated "The type of hearing loss you have is not common, it is more severe in your right ear. Age related hearing loss is usually even in both ears. This type is often caused by a tumor."
At that time, I had no MRI. But since I have been diagnosed with myeloma, I have had CT scans of my head and no tumor was found. But I have believed that my hearing loss has something to do with the myeloma.
I now wear hearing aids in my ears and that normalizes my hearing. But I am interested to know how common my experience is.
At that time, I had no MRI. But since I have been diagnosed with myeloma, I have had CT scans of my head and no tumor was found. But I have believed that my hearing loss has something to do with the myeloma.
I now wear hearing aids in my ears and that normalizes my hearing. But I am interested to know how common my experience is.
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hfilipiak - Name: Heather-Dawn Filipiak
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: July 2012
- Age at diagnosis: 67
Re: Hearing loss from Velcade, thalidomide & dexamethasone?
I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma two months ago. I have not begun treatment yet. They just found 2 (possibly 3) tumors on my spine. Today, I started having problems in my left ear. Muffled hearing and a ringing. Just in the left ear though. As I said, I have not started treatment yet.
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Obayan
Re: Hearing loss from Velcade, thalidomide & dexamethasone?
Pain medication is known to cause hearing loss. With all of the expensive medication we take its easy to forget about the effects of the cheaper meds!
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Stann - Name: Stann
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 9/11/09
- Age at diagnosis: 46
Re: Hearing loss from Velcade, thalidomide & dexamethasone?
I would suggest that deafness or impaired hearing would be a relatively rare event in the context of bortezomib [Velcade]. However, there have been at least 2 case reports of impaired hearing in the context of bortezomib therapy (Chim et al Acta Onc 2008 and Englehard et al Leukemia 2005). So, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that your therapy may be contributing to the loss.
The exact mechanism by which bortezomib may affect hearing is not known. Extrapolation from the sensory nerve targeting of bortezomib would suggest neural toxicity. Thalidomide to my knowledge is not directly associated with hearing loss, although it too causes neural toxicity. Children born from pregnant mothers who took thalidomide did have developmental / embryonic auditory manifestations. Dexamethasone (or other steroids) are used to treat hearing loss in the appropriate setting, but I am unaware of direct links to hearing loss.
I would recommend that you make you primary oncologist aware, consider auditory testing, consider imaging, and from there make a determination if the losses are treatment related or from something else.
Best of luck and keep us informed.
The exact mechanism by which bortezomib may affect hearing is not known. Extrapolation from the sensory nerve targeting of bortezomib would suggest neural toxicity. Thalidomide to my knowledge is not directly associated with hearing loss, although it too causes neural toxicity. Children born from pregnant mothers who took thalidomide did have developmental / embryonic auditory manifestations. Dexamethasone (or other steroids) are used to treat hearing loss in the appropriate setting, but I am unaware of direct links to hearing loss.
I would recommend that you make you primary oncologist aware, consider auditory testing, consider imaging, and from there make a determination if the losses are treatment related or from something else.
Best of luck and keep us informed.
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Dr. Ken Shain - Name: Ken Shain, M.D., Ph.D.
Beacon Medical Advisor
Re: Hearing loss from Velcade, thalidomide & dexamethasone?
I was diagnosed with myeloma in July 2015. Three days after I started treatment with dexamethasone, Velcade, and cyclophosphamide, I started experiencing hearing loss, much the same as the other contributors here have described; a feeling of very blocked ears and tinnitus in both ears. This makes almost any social situation extremely difficult to engage in. I think my only option at this stage is to get hearing aids.
For a side effect which medical professionals seem to claim is quite rare, it's surprising how many people here have posted similar symptoms.
For a side effect which medical professionals seem to claim is quite rare, it's surprising how many people here have posted similar symptoms.
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Austin
Re: Hearing loss from Velcade, thalidomide & dexamethasone?
Hi,
After the second round of my mother's treatment with low-dose Velcade (bortezomib), she started to get hearing problems at the right ear (ringing or buzzing in the ear). Female voices sound too crisp and create a kind of echo; male voices feel better.
We do hope that it will become normal again soon.
After the second round of my mother's treatment with low-dose Velcade (bortezomib), she started to get hearing problems at the right ear (ringing or buzzing in the ear). Female voices sound too crisp and create a kind of echo; male voices feel better.
We do hope that it will become normal again soon.
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Lacerta - Who do you know with myeloma?: Mother
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Autumn 2015
- Age at diagnosis: 59
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