Ear Pain with Throat Cancer

Hello @saift. It started with one-sided throat pain. It felt like a regular sore throat which I had suffered many of in my lifetime. Yet, this time was different, as antibiotics did not take it away. After about 6 months, the pain in my ear began on the same side as my throat pain. This pain was getting bad, and fast. I tried all the usual things...heating pads, numbing ear pain drops, cortisone ear drops, etc., but the pain kept increasing. Having been misdiagnosed several times (even a CT scan was wrong) I was crying in pain when my GP told me to go to an Indiana University ENT. This wonderful doctor did the same scope as all the others yet spotted the throat tumor right off the bat. The usual radiation with head mask was initiated, and so far, so good. This was back in 2020 and has been quite a journey in many aspects. One main thing is taught me was not to believe what a doctor says if my spirit is telling me something else. Praise God through prayer. If you are suffering with this progressive pain, get as many opinions as you possibly can. Best wishes to you.

I had surgery 11 months ago and have a faint ear ache a times. Is that a sign that the cancer is still present? The ct scan results for head are negative. Doc said tongue looks good and if I have pain to let him know for an mri. But my tongue health feels strange-sore at the tip, ridges on the side of tongue removal was made, whiteness on the top of tongue and like tongue line wrinkles. Doesn’t feel healthy. Dentist and primary doc before I was diagnosed wanted me to go to find out if I had acid reflux so they are clueless regarding the tongue. Anyone have any insight on post op tongue health or/and have similar symptoms and what they do with tongue health you can hone in on? TIA!

Hi @yodo and welcome. Did you just have surgery or did you also have radiation?
Radiation can lead to all sorts of nerve issues, often the ears will give you grief. If it's just surgery, well, I'm not a doctor but any healing around the Eustachian tube(s) can and often does play havoc on the ears. The air pressure on both sides of your eardrum can become out of sync, which presses on the ear drum causing pain. Easy to test for, just take a ride in an elevator up at least fifty feet and see if there is pressure pain.
The tongue issues, again, radiation? Healing from radiation is about as slow as healing from a bad burn, and likely as messy and scar ridden as well.

@yodo, Hello. I still get an earache too. The ENT said it's the nerves in that area, and I have accepted it. This has gone on since 2018! Also, just a thought that came to mind when reading your post, what kind of toothpaste/mouthwash do you use? Can you try changing the brand, and/or eliminating certain ingredients? Whitening ingredients especially can cause the wrinkling effect you describe.
As for myself, many OTC products have terrible side effects as I have gotten older. Even prescription drugs as you know cause side effects. If you take any products, can you eliminate them one by one at a time to see if your symptoms subside? The most important thing is to trust that inaudible voice or feeling you may have when praying about it. You will be in my thoughts and prayers too. Remember, we are all in this together!

My first symptom of cancer was chronic ear pain and it was misdiagnosed twice by a former primary physician and an ENT!
My dentist diagnosed me with cancer and made a phone call to the ENT that said I had TMJ….found to be stage IV cancer of the base of tongue, throat and lymph nodes….anyway, my oncologist told me that my ear pain would never go away due to the nerve damage caused by a tumor.
He was correct, 8 1/2 years later and the ear pain is much less but still there.

MOJO