Total hearing loss

[photog1]

I am new to the discussion forum.  I am not an AN patient but I do have a close friend who does have an AN (1.7 cm in size at diagnosis in February this year).  He lives in the U.K.  I am learning as much as I can about acoustic neuromas.  I never heard of one before I met my friend.  I am in the process of introducing him to the Acoustic Neuroma Association.  He underwent radiotherapy with cyberknife (1 rather large dose) later in February this year.  Had many of the classic side effects following that treatment and his spirits went downhill.  He just had a 2nd, smaller dose of the CK therapy about 3 weeks ago and is laid up again with the same, many  side effects as before.  The most difficult has been the swelling of the tumor following the radiation and he has needed to be on the steroids.  He told me a couple of days ago that his doctor said his hearing in the affected ear is gone.  Has anyone been told, after treatment, that their hearing is gone?  How can the hearing go after only radiation treatment.  I thought this happens only in the case of surgery.  Has anyone's hearing returned by itself after a while?  I'm hoping this will be the case with my UK friend.  He is currently having some vision problems making it uncomfortable for him to be on a computer, so I am sending this post for him.
Thank you so much for any help and advice you could give me. 

[ampeep]

I had GK treatment 3 months ago & 3 weeks ago, got bad headaches, dizziness, increased tinnitus, ear fullness, and lost all hearing on my AN side.  The headaches have subsided, and my dizziness is not as bad.  This week, my hearing has very slowly improved to about 5% now.

Hope that your friend's hearing loss is only temporary.

Keith

[TJ]

Loss of hearing is one of the side effects from radiation.  The doctor will usually say that there is serviceable hearing after CK.  What that indicates is that with the help of hearing aids you will still hear.  The other factor in how much hearing you may lose is where the tumor is located.  If it is near the cochlea which is the hearing organ, that is not very good as the cochleas does not handle radiation very well.

Your friend is still just getting past the radiation treatment and there is still a chance that the tumor is swelling and his hearing may improve in time.

TJ

[photog1]

Thanks for your replies, TJ and Keith.  My friend's doctor told him his hearing won't come back.  Your responses gives him some hope that at least some of his hearing will come back.  He needs as much to hope for as possible.  He has been resigned to his side effects and symptoms, believing they won't go away and will  plague him for the rest of his life.   

Has anyone else out there been told their doctor that their hearing in the AN ear is gone forever, and yet your hearing has come back, at least to some degree? 

Just to add something, I have had tinnitus for  many years, probably 20 years.  Was told that it's due to my having TMJ.  But, then I saw on the forum here that some people have pulsatile tinnitus.  I about jumped out of my skin when I saw that!  I began having that 5 years ago.  It lasted about 4 years.  Could come back.  I also have slight hearing loss in my left ear.

Thanks so much to anyone for your response!