When you hear about cisplatin, a platinum-based chemotherapy drug used to treat cancers like testicular, ovarian, and lung cancer. Also known as cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II), it works by damaging cancer cell DNA—but it doesn’t distinguish between cancer cells and healthy ones in your inner ear. That’s why cisplatin hearing damage is one of the most serious and lasting side effects of this treatment. Unlike nausea or fatigue, which fade after chemo ends, hearing loss from cisplatin often sticks around forever.
This isn’t rare. Up to half of adults and most children treated with cisplatin develop some level of hearing loss, usually starting with high-pitched sounds you might not notice at first—like birds chirping or a child’s voice. It’s called ototoxicity, toxic damage to the inner ear caused by certain drugs. Cisplatin kills the tiny hair cells in your cochlea that turn sound waves into electrical signals your brain understands. Once those cells are gone, they don’t grow back. The damage is cumulative, too—the more cisplatin you get, the worse it gets. And it’s not just your ears: nephrotoxicity, kidney damage from cisplatin. often happens at the same time, making it harder for your body to clear the drug, which makes the hearing damage even worse.
Some people are more at risk than others. Kids are especially vulnerable because their ears are still developing. Older adults, people with pre-existing hearing loss, or those on other ototoxic drugs like vancomycin or furosemide are also more likely to be affected. Even your genes play a role—some people have a natural variation that makes them more sensitive to cisplatin’s ear damage.
There’s no magic fix, but there are ways to fight back. Doctors can monitor your hearing with regular tests before, during, and after treatment. If they catch early changes, they might adjust your dose or pause treatment temporarily. Some hospitals now use sodium thiosulfate during cisplatin infusions to help protect hearing in kids with certain cancers. Staying well-hydrated helps your kidneys flush out the drug faster, which can reduce exposure to your ears. And while you can’t reverse the damage, hearing aids and cochlear implants can help you stay connected to the world around you.
What you’ll find below are real, practical guides from people who’ve been through this—whether it’s managing hearing loss after chemo, understanding how other drugs add to the risk, or learning how to talk to your care team about protecting your hearing. These aren’t theory pieces. They’re stories and tools from real patients and doctors who’ve seen this happen—and figured out how to respond.
Many common medications can cause permanent hearing loss. Learn which drugs pose the greatest risk, how to spot early signs of damage, and what monitoring can do to protect your hearing before it's too late.