Posted by: Debbie L ®
06/03/2005, 08:49:27
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Hi Tracey,I've never heard of food affecting the voice except I know that dairy products tend to produce more phlegm than other foods and singers sometimes avoid dairy before singing. Also as the doctors were examining my throat while diagnosing me with sd I remember them mentioning that they could see some reflux in my throat. I would be just as curious as you to find out more about this. Good luck, hope you get lots a replies. Debbie
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Posted by: Nikki ®
06/03/2005, 09:34:04
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I think a lot of people with SD may have been diagnosed with acid reflux (GERD) before getting the diagnosis of SD. Me being one of them. I will give you my theory about the relation of the two conditions affecting the voice. When you have acid reflux or symptoms of acid reflux, the sphincter muscle, which keeps the acid in your stomach from backing up into the esophagus isn't properly working, allowing the acid to move back up the esophagus and in my case up to my vocal cords. The acid is strong enough to cause a sore throat and if it reaches the mouth, it can dissolve the enamel of the teeth . Now if it is that strong, you can only imagine what it does to your vocal cord area. So if you have spasmodic dysphonia, you are already having spasms, the acid only aggravates it more. In conclusion, acid reflux is made worse by certain foods.
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Posted by: Tommyinme ®
06/03/2005, 11:20:56
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Hi Tracey. I don't recall any problems with food and my voice quality. However, even as a child, I used to get heartburn. And now, following a Botox injection, I keep a bottle of maximum strength Maalox beside my bed. I'll wake from a dead sleep gasping for breath, and I don't mind telling you, it scares me. I think the Botox spreads out a bit, and affects the area of the throat that is supposed to hold back the stomach acid. I've had about 50 injections, and this doesn't always happen to me. I've mentioned this problem to doctors, and they say the injections couldn't cause this, but experience tells me that they are wrong. The National Institutes of Health are currently conducting research on SD. If they ask me to return there, I'll ask them about this possible connection. They have said they'll contact me as early as today. I'm sure they won't provide any quick answers, but I'll try to get them thinking about it. I sure hope doctors read this BB. I wouldn't expect them to get into discussions with all of us, but I'm sure they could learn from us. Tommy
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Posted by: mossy ®
06/06/2005, 16:25:15
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Tracy, Tommy, all, I've been speculating along these same lines but in my case - after a gallbladder removal - I was diagnose with acid reflux - long before the AS SD diagnosis and even longer before I received my first botox injection almost a year ago. From time to time I read that the very strong acid of acid redux, if untreated, can do damage. Late year before last, I tied possible feeling of resentment to my acid reflux reactions and was able to stop taking the expensive prescriptions without symptoms. Now again this year I sometimes wake with that 'heartburn' feeling. Peptobismol tablets seem to help (as they did before) but I've wonder if there might be some ongoing damage. Do I 'resent' having this voice problem? To be honest, very probably I do. For what it's worth. . . . Blessings, Nancy (aka Mossy)
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