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Your voice quality-- do you often get hoarse or are you unable to speak?

Sacajawea

slightly bedraggled
Messages
51
Hi All--

I'm asking this question on behalf of a friend who has suffered from Asthma starting at age 40, on to develop Fibromyalgia about ten years later with a possible CFS/ME diagnosis. She's not able to post on her own. I've told her about different ones here that have mentioned an inability to speak above a whisper, etc.

Sometimes her voice is fine, other times it's hard to understand her. We'd like some feedback if any here have this issue or something similar. She often feels so alone and isolated. The doctors always emphasize the asthma but from what I've read here and there, I wonder how much is the FM/CFS.

My hopes is that if you have this issue, please describe it, if you have done anything to get some improvement. In R's case, she is especially bad in winter, weather changes, extreme heat, public buildings. She's treated for asthma but I've suspected that it may also have alot to do with the other health concerns. Her doctor had stated her lungs were clear. We've wondered if it could be a problem in the voice box. She tightens up and then can end up with an asthma attack.

She does not smoke, at least not in the last thirty years. Her voice gets raspy and often it will lead to an asthma attack. Her doctor was puzzled that her lungs are clear. He had no answers for her. Emotions can sometimes cause it but mainly it's the weather.

She is a complete shut in during the winter here. Some have suggested she move but it's not possible. Her only time out is to doctor visits and it's been a cold winter.

I might add that perfumes and such don't seem to bother her. I have mild MCS but even so, it rarely affects my voice.

Thank you!

SJ
 

Andrew

Senior Member
Messages
2,513
Location
Los Angeles, USA
I don't remember when it started, but shortly after getting CFS my voice became very hoarse. It lasted that way for three years, and then I suddenly got about 90% better. I don't know how to explain any of this.
 

Tammie

Senior Member
Messages
793
Location
Woodridge, IL
My voice fluctuates a lot.....have not completely lost it, but have definitely been horse and have had it sound very different from one day to the next....and sometims I am too tired to talk much
 

camas

Senior Member
Messages
702
Location
Oregon
My voice is quite weak, and I am sometimes hoarse. I've read that hoarseness can also be a sign of hypothyroidism.
 

Min

Guest
Messages
1,387
Location
UK
Yes, I have the problems you describe.

During a scan of my parathyroids a few years ago the technician mentioned that my thyroid was very 'lumpy' - don't know if this is relevant.
 

IntuneJune

Senior Member
Messages
562
Location
NorthEastern USA
voice quality

The poor voice quality could be due to many reasons. Just to mention a few.

Allergies: Has R been tested for allergies? (I don't want to assume she been tested but asthmatics usually are.)

Dryness: "Worse in winter....extreme heat" If the heat is dry... could be affecting her throat, same with being in the house in winter, home air is very dry (I had this problem in my son's home and they have a humidifer on their furnace."

Autoimmune issues: I hesistate mentioning medical diagnoses, these really should be addessed by her physician, I am but a patient. .... Having said that, Sjogren's syndrome... dry mucous membranes, could alone cause the hoarseness and also leave R more susceptible to dry air (caused by numbers of factors, heat, artifiically heated air, dry buildings).

Primary immune deficiency: Again, since she has a diagnosis of asthma, her pulmonogist probably has already worked her up for immune deficiencies, but did not want to assume. Many immune deficiencies play havoc with the respiratory system. I had been diagnosed with asthma by one doctor only to have that diagnosis challeged by another and he tested further. Sure enough...he was correct.

This was my personal experience with voice quality issues. It might be worthwhile for R to see another physician for a second opinion.

June
 

liverock

Senior Member
Messages
748
Location
UK
The hourseness is probably due to an asthma inhaler which I presume she uses.

Hourseness can be a symptom of the use of asthma inhalers, particularly the dry powder disk type which gets worse the longer you use the inhaler.

http://www.webmd.com/asthma/guide/asthma_control_with_anti-inflammatory-drugs

Inhaled steroids have few side effects, especially at lower doses. If you are taking higher doses, thrush (a yeast infection in the mouth) and hoarseness may occur, although this is rare. Rinsing the mouth, gargling after using the asthma inhaler and using a spacer device with metered dose inhalers will help prevent these side effects. Thrush is easily treated with an antifungal mouthwash.
 

Sacajawea

slightly bedraggled
Messages
51
Voice

Hi June and all-- thanks for asking. She was deeply touched by all the replies. She sees her doctor on March 8th and will mention the thyroid and what you, june talked about...I can't remember the name but I fwd everything to her. I have some more comments but my computer/internet is having trouble. I'm going to shut down for a bit and try again.

She does take the steroid inhaler, advair but the voice issues started long before that. And it's random...okay, going to shut down and see if I can come back in a bit!

SJ
 

FernRhizome

Senior Member
Messages
412
When I've overdone it my voice always get weaker and higher.....friends and family notice, it's sort of a signal that I need to lie down....
 
Messages
60
Yes, this happens to me. I notice it more when I try to sing -- some days it's impossible, and my voice will just stop.
 

IntuneJune

Senior Member
Messages
562
Location
NorthEastern USA
SJ,

Here's hoping her doctor will be open to her inquiries. I had a great PCP and he never minded my bringing ideas up. Never. Always willing to discuss a topic, he would either run a few tests to rule something out or he would explain why I did not fit the picture. But it was the discussions I loved. Now on the other hand, I had a specialist who would "raise the eyebrow" on some of my questioning and reply negatively with no explanation. I wouldl have to pull the info out of him.

Oh, and this guy who did that......he was the one who missed the diagnosis of celiac disease, even after finding evidence on an EGD.

Because my lab tests were negative for celiac, he said I did not have celiac. I had to investigate further, I called the labs, discussed my case with the lab tech, returned on a follow-up visit with notes from my discussion with the lab tech and the results I had after I PUT MYSELF ON A GLUTEN-FREE DIET, and the GI doctor said, "Oh, well, since I found blunting on the EGD, we will upgrade your diagnosis."

Had he been listening all along, he, being in that field, should have picked up on the diagnosis sooner.

And he was the one who got paid for these visits. Who did most of the leg work.

Fortunately, I can go shop for another doctor.

Well, I got off on a rant now, didn't I. I hope your friend has a good response.

June
 

Countrygirl

Senior Member
Messages
5,427
Location
UK
Your voice quality - do you often get hoarse or become unable to speak.

Yes.


:mask::mask::mask::mask::mask::mask:
 
S

strawberry

Guest
My voice quality is poor. This is due to a croaky viral sore throat. It can vary widely from one minute or hour to the next. Very occasionally I will have an almost normal tone for a moment. Looking inside with a torch I see crimson crescents are always present and deep down the throat is generally crimson. It feels quite rough and raw especially around the adams apple area. This means it is very hard to understand me on the telephone, especially when saying numbers.
 

caledonia

Senior Member
My voice was getting somewhat hoarse. It would come and go. Then I discovered I had acid reflux but only at night when sleeping. I now sleep on a wedge pillow and wait an hour after eating before laying down, which reduces the acid reflux. My voice has come back to normal.
 

Otis

Señor Mumbler
Messages
1,117
Location
USA
I've been on a downward slide for 15+ years and within the last year I've been having problems with being hoarse. I rarely have "CFS" sore throats, although I am also having some trouble swallowing.

It's also most obvious when I try to sing.

Otis
 

helsbells

Senior Member
Messages
302
Location
UK
Me too and I also weirdly feel a little deaf/unable to hear myself and my partner says I also conversely get loader
 

faith.hope.love

Senior Member
Messages
118
How coincidental to find this, as I was just noticing that my voice has been hoarse (on & off) lately. I think mine is just due to the generalized "raw throat" that we get. It usually gets worse later in the day as the fatigue really sets in. I have environmental allergies and very mild asthma, as well. People often ask me if I'm losing my voice, but I should note that I have an extremely soft, high-pitched voice (read: annoying) to begin with. It probably doesn't take much to take out my voice.
 

girlinthesnow

Senior Member
Messages
273
Yes to this, partial deafness, a weak and breaking voice, coughing without any expectorant, no longer able to sing.
 

Forbin

Senior Member
Messages
966
Yes, this happened to me when I became ill. The effect was so subtle, however, that I was apparently the only one who could notice it. I asked several people, including immediate family, if they thought my voice sounded "hoarse." They all said no, but I knew that it was pitched up slightly as if my throat muscles were slightly tight or as if my throat was a bit dry all the time.