Posted by: nhendricks ®
06/25/2006, 00:56:58
|
I keep hearing of AB patients being given botox and that just seems wrong. With what I know, the cords are already weak and that is why you can't raise the volumn. Botox is for Adductor SD. There is a surgery for AB that boosts the cords to a level that regains your voice unless there are other complications. I would go see another dr. Someone that has a lot of experience with AB SD. I would like to hear other's views.
Good Luck,
NH
|
Posted by: Laurie ®
06/25/2006, 08:44:05
|
Actually, botox for AB/SD is completely appropriate. In AB/SD, the muscles that open the vocal folds are spasming open pulling the cords apart. In a sense, while oversimplified, these muscles are too strong, not weak. It makes your voice *sound* weak because that's what happens when vocal folds are (strongly) forced open. The muscles are not at all weak! An SD patient could only wish for such a reality as it would likely improve the voice dramatically were any of these muscles (opening or closing) to weaken. Thus, the purpose of botox in achieving same.I've met several patients over the years with AB/SD who receive botox and sound nearly normal. It's not quite as easy for an AB/SD patient to achieve as successful results with botox as an AD/SD patient, but it can be done in a good number of patients. -Laurie
|
Posted by: kim ®
07/01/2006, 22:08:57
|
Hi Laurie,I don't get it. I have AB/SD. I don't understand how botox can work for me, and I have tried it, but only once. Ok, botox makes the muscle weak, lax, so to speak. If my vocal cords are staying open and that's why I whisper and have breaks in my speach, then how is botox going to make my vocal cords stay shut when they are supposed to and open when they are supposed to? And the side effects? I had a voice tremor from the botox, and I never had one before. It went away after 2 months, but I really didn't notice any improvement in my voice at all. I did notice that I couldn't sing anymore. After the shot wore off I could sing again. I was so happy about that, and happy that I didn't have a tremor.
|
Posted by: Bill Vanderlinde ®
07/03/2006, 08:50:27
|
Kim,
Most of the joints in our bodies are moved in opposite directions by two sets of "antagonistic" muscles, for example the biceps and triceps move your elbow joint in opposite directions. In the case of our vocal cords, the adductor muscles close the cords and the abductor muscles open the cords. People with "AD" SD have a chronic spasm in the AD muscles that tends to keep the cords closed, choking off the voice. People with "AB" SD have a chronic spasm in the AB muscles that tends to open the cords too much, resulting in extreme breathyness. In both cases, BOTOX injections into the correct musles can weaken the spasm and reduce the symptoms. For reasons that are not well understood, AB injections tend to be less succesful and many AB patients do not benefit at all from BOTOX.Bill Vanderlinde
AB/SD
|
Posted by: Emily Lim ®
07/06/2006, 08:27:29
|
HiI'm an AB-SDer and I have been using botox for the past 6-7 years. I started out with a low dosage and unilateral jabs but over time I have gone for bilateral jabs and use 5 units on each side as the lower dosages didn't seem to have that much effect for me. I go for top ups every 3-4 months. My first jabs was to the PC muscle which I had in the States, which I believe to be the muscle that works for AD-SDers but that didn't work for me at all. I was disappointed and came close to giving up but on my local doctor's recommendation, tried again about 9 months later with another US doctor who injected my CT muscles (frontal muscles)and have continued with it since. If you search the bulletin board, you will see the frontal jabs seem to work better for us AB types. Some injections work well and some aren't so great but overall, it has definitely given me much more voice than without the jabs. Hope that helps. Emily Lim
ABSD, 8 years
Singapore
|
Posted by: Maria ®
06/25/2006, 11:56:00
|
Hi!
I used to have problems with phlegm. As soon as I begun to use my voice in the morning, the phlegm started building up. A month ago I got on medication for GERD (gastroesophageal reflux) and that took care of the problem immediately. It was such a relief. I didn't know I had GERD, but if you search the archives here on the bb you'll find thoughts and theories about GERD and sd. One theory (which I think is very probable) says that sd:ers are pushing so hard to get the words out that they could get reflux even from that.
I can't offer any advice when it comes to Botox, since I've haven't tried it (so far). Maria, ab/sd for 20 years, Scandinavia
|
Posted by: Barbara S. White ®
07/13/2006, 00:33:12
|
Please don't give up. Sometimes it takes several tries to get just the right dose that will work for you, especially with AB/SD. Be aware of other treatments also. ZHT Therapy is done by only a few chiorpractors and several have mentioned that it gave them a better voice. Personally I had the SLAD-R surgery which can only be done with AD/SD but due to breathing problems which I think were probably due to botox I have been having ZHT Therapy and it seems to be working slowly. It's very intense therapy but well worth it. Botox always gave me a good voice but after a year I started having breathing problems. I have read a few other posts that say the same thing so its questionable if botox is the cause. No one treatment works for everyone but there are new treatment on the threshole. Whatever you do, don't give up though because something is going to work for you. I would continue to try botox if this is what you doctor is recommending and give him / her time to get the right dose and the right method. Unfortunately AB/SD is a little harder to treat but still many are finding satisfaction. If after a reasonable time you don't find good results try something else. Actually, different docotrs do botox differently so don't be afraid to change doctors. Ask questions and expect answers. Doctors should be willing to answer you questions. You might consider ordering the new DVD offered on the NSDA home page. "Understanding Spasmodic Dysphonia" Read all the posts, even some of the older ones and see what is working for different ones. I had AD/SD for 30 years before I even knew what it was. So few doctors have ever heard of it. That's part of the problem I did not find good results with speech therapy but many do. Check the NSDA home page and see if there is a support group in your area. What you need more than anything are supporting friends. Check the internet. There is a lot of information there. If I can be of farther help you are welcome to email me. I will be praying for you.
Blessings, Barbara / god4me@comcast.net
|
|
|
