No voice/ squeaky voice for 3 months

[Ineedaholidayagain]

I've had either no voice or a squeaky voice for 3 months, the GP had tried to rule out the obvious but I've now got to see a specialist.
Google is scaring me, GP said it could be be a nodule or something on the vocal chords.
What could it be? What's the investigation and treatment?

I've had vocal chord issues for a few years now - I permanently sound as if I've got laryngitis. You will be seen by an ENT doctor and they will usually look at your vocal chords. I don't have any experience of nodules but think they are probably removed by surgery. However, it may not be a nodule at all. Muscle tension dysphonia is usually treated by speech therapy. This didn't work for me which was when they took another look and decided I have Spasmodic Dysphonia which is classed as neurological. Some people have botox injections for this but I haven't gone down that route as yet. Until you have a diagnosis, you don't know what you are dealing with. Try not to google until you know. I know it's hard! Do you know how long you're going to have to wait to see ENT?

Thank you for the reply.
I've got my open referral letter and through my work private health care I can see some one maybe in the next couple of weeks. I'm so pleased to be lucky enough to have this work benefit as the NHS queue is long.

Stupid suggestion but just in case it's something as simple - I had issues with my voice for years and years. Gargling after taking my inhalers fixed it. Anything simple like that you could try? (I'm guessing not, but just in case.)

Sympathies, it's an awful thing and made me feel very self conscious at times.

I'm gargling after my inhalers, been asthmatic since I was 7 so 35 ish years of inhalers! I've had antibiotics and anti fungels which haven't done anything.

Oh you are asthmatic? I wonder if it is your inhalers even if you are gargling. The Asthma UK helpline is really helpful, give them a call. They might be able to recommend a type of inhaler (not the drug but the delivery) that you could try. I changed mine briefly on their recommendation but then it turned out gargling was all I needed. 🤦

I had something similar, ENT looked down my throat with a camera through my nose, it wasn’t painful as they numbed it but it was pretty unpleasant! They found a lesion, I did eventually have surgery to remove it and lots of speech therapy too.

Thanks for the update, I'm worried about having something down my throat, how long did it last?

Probably less than a minute. Nose was better than throat so maybe ask for down your nose if you’re worried about having it down your throat?

Do you have acid reflux? This can cause permanent sore throat and hoarseness.

No acid reflux and no real pain, just scratchiness and a hoarse voice.

I’m awaiting an appointment to have my left vocal cord injected, mine was damaged by thyroid surgery removing a very large left thyroid nodule. So have a very weak voice that runs out with too much talking. They are going to inject mine to try to stimulate it and plump it up. Try not to worry, sometimes vocal cords just get strained or just have issues, like vocal cord paralysis. Also if you have to have the camera down your nose/throat to look at them it’s very quick and painless. They spray you with the numbing spray and the camera is so fine, you don’t really feel it. My ENT chap took a video with my phone of the footage which I guess is to show the next consultant, it’s a weird thing to have on my phone!!

My experience is they use the nose and it's not that bad. Also very quick.

I had nodules removed from my vocal cord after my voice really changing. I couldn’t finish a full sentence without struggling for breath. I was referred fro my GP to ENt who popped the camera up my nose. It was uncomfortable but doable. I had been teaching for over 20 yrs and so guess it took its toll.

I was then referred for day surgery where they removed the nodules under GA. A few days if no talking ,then gentle talking. Then all fine😊

happy to answer any questions.

Thank you all, I've my appointment in a couple of weeks but you've reassured me the camera isn't too bad

Hope it goes well.

I have silent reflux - absolutely no reflux pain nor symptoms but if I don't take my PPIs then I lose my voice within a couple of days. Had a nasogastroscopy to confirm: bloody uncomfortable but I couldn't live with no voice.

Thank you all, camera down the nose wasn't too bad and I've been diagnosed with muscle tension dysphoria so thanks to the person who mentioned that.
I've now got to see if my private health care will cover speech therapy, and somehow cut out all the stress and anxiety in my life

Glad your appointment went well. Hopefully, you'll get private speech therapy but, if not, push for it on the NHS. I have to say my NHS speech therapy team were better than the private one by far.