Rads side effect

Hi. This is my first time posting, but I have viewed several helpful comments and information and would like to say Thanks to all regarding willingness to share. I have completed 13 WBR treatments for a metastatic turmor that was surgically resected on July 19, 2005 and have 1 treatment to go. My question for anyone out there is did you experience fluid build-up and swelling in your ears(left side where tumor was removed worse than the right). My rads oncologist gave me hydrocortisone cream, which has helped some. This seemed strange to me so I just wanted to check with everyone.


In Him,
Rachel

It is a listed possible side effect of WBR.
My friend had it. Too long ago for me to remember details tho'. sorry.

Hope it clears up quickly for you.

I did not have rads, but since my mascetomy (2/16/05) I have had a full feeling in my ear on the side of the surgery. I had an expander and now implant. Both the breast surgeon and the ps have said they never heard of the problem before. One surgeon said maybe the anostezeologist (sorry about the spelling, hope you can read phonics) was at fault.
My primary care physicain referred me to an Ear Nose and Throat doctor who said I had great hearing and nothing that he could find wrong. He suggested I do neck exercises. Exercising makes it worse. It's bothersome, a back burner issue to the cancer, but your post caught my eye.
Don't know if it's related.
Where did you put the hydrocortisone cream?
Hope it resolves for you quickly.
Peggy

Months after my WBR, I started having earaches. It seems the WBR affects the ear canal, so I had lots of wax buildup deep inside. Yet closer to the outside (Q-tip territory) nothing.

I ended up going to a ear, nose & throat doc for removal. Ouch.
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Love and light,

Lisa

I to have been having ear problems on the radiation side. Ihave pain off and on that goes from my neck to my ear .I'm afraid to go to the Dr. because they never seem to be able to find anything . The ent said I had alot of wax and cleaned both ears that was very painful so I'm not in a hurry to see him again.It will be interesting to see how many have this problem. take care Les

Ditto for me after wbr

Thanks to all for your comments! The last couple of days my ears look like they have been crispy fried like chicken:) Very painful, but I have been trying to stay upbeat knowing they will get better. Hope no one else has burns this bad. This board is great for sharing info.


In Him,
Rachel

Dear Rachel,

Thank you so much for bringing this up...I am so sorry about your ear problems...I have had continuing ear troubles too, and don't usually even mention them here on this site as my doctors think I am crazy. I don't remember having ear trouble when I had radiation but for the last 2 years I have like fluid build up behind my right ear...same side as my mastectomy. Other weird earwax symptom I have is this: When my serum her-2 numbers are high, I get lots of itching in my ears, especially the right and LOTS of REALLY bright -colored yellow wax build -up and my sweat stinks...when I take treatment and get the numbers to regress, my ear wax returns to normal amounts and color and my sweat smells you know...just like "normal sweat." The only thing so far that reduces the swelling behind my right ear has been certain antibiotics. Sometimes folks get some sinus stuff with the her-2 or the herceptin, hard to differentiate at times...so perhaps this is just all that it is...sinus infection build up. Let's hope so, but my gut is telling me....these ear symptoms are somehow intracately related to the whole her-2 process. Good luck to you, Gina