Please help - I keep loosing my voice.

[VorpalSword]

I could really do with some advice / wise words about this.

Every time I get a cold then I lose my voice completely. I don’t get a sore throat, my vocal cords just stop working. If I touch my throat there is no vibration there.

I had covid just before Christmas and it was 10 days before my voice came back. This time I have a cold, this is now day 3 of no voice.

I’m a teacher so need my voice. So far my voice loss is during the holidays but at some point it will happen when I am supposed to be working.

Is there anything I can do to stop this happening, do I need to see my gp?

I have seen my gp more in the last year than any other time, apart from pregnancy, as some blood tests for perimenopause showed up some funny results that are still being investigated so I’m reluctant to add more.

I am really getting fed up with this, and I am catastrophising in my head -what if one time my voice just doesn’t come back? Especially given my throat is not sore.

I saw a different gp today who was much better. Something phone is fine but other face2face is needed! He was very reassuring that as it keeps coming back it is unlikely to be damaged and just my body’s reaction to viruses. He has given me an ENT referral just to check there is nothing else going on. And a full sick note for a week.

Now I just need to work on my teacher guilt!

Ah good news that someone has actually helped. Just keep busy at home distraction is key!

I still have no voice! Got an ENT appointment on Wednesday (thank you Bupa) I just want to be able to speak again.

My DH is away with work and I can’t talk to him. I haven’t spoken to my adult DD for over 2 weeks. It is starting to be really isolating and I’m struggling to not be miserable.

Sounds very miserable op. In times like this you just have to be grateful for WhatsApp etc. I know it isn't the same but 20 years ago without social media and texts it would be so much more isolating. Do lots of brisk walks with your favourite playlist blasting, it will give you a burst of mood lifting endorphins!

Good that you are seeing ENT Wed. Best of luck keep us posted (drop of wine won't hurt lol)

I’ve got my ENT appointment today. Which I am very nervous about - I am dreading them saying there is nothing wrong and to just rest and hope it comes back.

Just try to be assertive, difficult if your voice hasn't returned so take someone with you or type out questions.

State it is a recurrent problem having a massive negative impact on your life. Rest does not work.

Say you want someone to do a nasal scope (done in clinic whilst there) to look at vocal cords.

If cords are fine say you want a CT scan or a scope booked to look further than the cords at larynx (needs to be done in day unit under GA)

Do not leave without a plan and say resting your voice has not worked.

Good luck 🤞

I hope your ENT appointment is supportive Vorpal. It could well be linked to COVID, it is a known side effect and Long Covid symptom. I also have Long Covid and know a few people through the patient group run by the Long Covid clinic who have suffered with vocal cord issues.

Thank you both.

Thinking of you today OP. Hope your appointment goes well and you get some answers.

They did the nasal scan and vocal chords all good, moving properly, no sign of inflammation, injuries or lumps and bumps.

Which is good news of a sort!

Bad new is the plan is basic voice care (which I am already doing) and then if I still can’t speak after another 4 weeks then they will do a speech and language referral for voice physio. Advise to try and talk normally.

I’ve got a sick note for another 2 weeks.

Feel really shitty now.

Oh well good that the nasal scope was clear, reassuring that your cords look ok.

4 weeks until salt referral is obviously not ok, as you say it's a persistent problem. As it is BUPA I'd really push for a referral now. Get someone to ring the secretary of whoever you saw and say you've had a think, this has been going on too long already and you want to see speech therapy sooner not later. When you go for a review if it doesn't improve say you want further tests either a CT or a tracheoscope. Nasal scopes go as far as the cords they've no idea what is going on lower down.

He said that he needed to wait and try voice care first. I did tell him I had done all that but no shift.

I know it sounds incredibly melodramatic but I feel very down this evening. My DH is away overseas with work so I don’t even have him to ‘talk’ to. We WhatsApp but it is not the same. It is just one thing after the other at the moment and I don’t have the resilience to cope anymore.

You don't sound melodramatic at all. It sounds awful. I think it'd be easier with a broken arm or leg tbh, easier to trouble shoot but communication issues so, so isolating .

But if it's via Bupa and therefore private I think you could push for an earlier salt appointment. Just be pushy, or get someone else too if your voice isn't strong enough for phone calls.

Did you try humidification and going overboard with fluids?

Best wishes op, hang on in there.

keep trying these, I honestly can’t drink anymore and regularly breathing over steam.

That does seem a long time to wait when it's affecting you so much. You could see if any voice specialists working privately could give you a one-off appointment through Find a speech therapist - ASLTIP (disclaimer that I am an SLT, but this is not my area so I'm not touting for business!). Although of course it may well be that they will say to keep doing what you're doing until it comes back. Have you thought about any environmental things that might be exacerbating it - a wood-burning stove or fireplace, or if you teach technology?

There is a great podcast called how do you cope, one episode is about a news reader that lost her voice, I shall try to link

Life changing not how do you cope sorry

Thank you, no stove or anything else that might affect my voice. My insurance needs a referral so I’m going to be patient. Then after 2weeks push for a referral even if my voice is coming back so I can learn techniques, better speaking so it doesn’t happen again (or less likely to).

No need to reply I’m just having a moan. Husband was away last week came back for the weekend then away again for 10 days, both for work, both planned a long time ago and travel is part of his job. But I am feeling so lonely now.

i can now make some croaking noises so my voice is improving but it is barely more than a whisper and I can only do a couple of sentences before it goes again.

I know 4.5 weeks in not long for and ENT doctor but it feels like such a long time to me. I miss chatting to people, I miss going to work - sounds totally dramatic but I don’t feel like me at the moment.

I'm still following your thread. Just wanted you to know your moan was sympathetically read! It does sound really hard and lonely, especially with your husband away so much at the moment. Doesn't sound at all dramatic that not being able to talk would have quite an impact on you. I hope it keeps getting better for you, and that the time till the appointment goes quickly :(

Doesn't sound dramatic op, communication is such a fundamental part of most aspects of daily life that to have a problem will have a massive negative effect.

All I can suggest is again distraction, now the weather is improving get out walking briskly or get your headphones on and get to the gym.

Consider a course of antidepressants if it is really overwhelming, totally understandable if so.

Get someone to ring up and chase the salt referral. If that doesn't help request a CT scan.

I think it's absolutely ridiculous that they made you wait 4 weeks. Frankly that's shite and I have no idea why they did that (I'm a speech and language therapist, used to do voice therapy). You are a professional voice user who has been off work with total voice loss and with a history of recurrent voice loss. You need voice therapy now in my view.

It us quite possible that a voice therapist might want you to be a little better before actually starting therapy, but the process of referral, finding the right person etc etc plus if they're busy you might have to wait a few days or even a week or two anyway, that all takes time which could be happening now!

Why not contact a few private voice therapists and line someone up that you get on with? Or have they even told you which therapists they will refer to?

PM me if you want a bit of help navigating the ASLTIP website and finding possible therapists.

To give you an update - this is still going on, I now have some voice and am able to make some noise, it comes and goes which is increasingly frustrating. The ENT has said functional dysphonia and has given be a referral to a speech and language therapist. I just have to wait until they get in touch to arrange an appointment.

Mood wise I am having good days and bad days, I am missing a school trip next week that I was really looking forward to. I am still setting cover work and trying to keep my classes on track - not easy! I just want to be back at work and be able to teach and speak properly!

Gosh OP. So sorry to hear it's still going on but sounds like minor improvement at least and at least you have that referral to try and get some treatment.

As I said up thread I do have nodules on my vocal chords and was recommended for surgery but I had great success with voice therapy so never pursued the surgery (and that was 25 years ago).

I can imagine this is so hard to go through for so long though especially with your DH travelling. Being off work is just hard too.

Keep updating us and keep coming back to offload. I can't offer help but we are listening.