Spasmodic Dysphonia Bulletin Board

can dysphonia be intermittent following a whiplash accident
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Posted by: linsky ®
11/01/2007, 14:59:51


Hi, this is my first post here as I have been trying for months to find out what is wrong with me after I was rear ended in a motor accident.
I have had negative MRI and MRA scans, but I have a few debilitating symptoms that my Neurologist has been changing his mind on the diagnosis.
The latest diagnosis is that my symptoms are "Psychological"
I totally disagree with him as do my wife and friends. Could anyone be kind enough to look at the link of my speech deficit link (these attacks are intermittent and obviously cannot record every one that I have) and let me know whether this looks like dysphonia.

If the link doesn't work by clicking it, it will if you copy and paste it into your browser

Many thanks

Linsky


http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2221799214645597805




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Re: can dysphonia be intermittent following a whiplash accident
Re: can dysphonia be intermittent following a whiplash accident -- linsky Top of thread Archive
Posted by: Laurie ®
11/01/2007, 16:20:29


Hi, there,

Sorry to hear of your symptoms. Have your doctors considered some type of aphasia?

This is not the standard presentation for spasmodic dysphonia, unless it is so severe that you can't utter a syllable. But that would be constant, not intermittent as you seem to be experiencing.

Can you whisper w/o a problem? As even if you had SD, you should be able to whisper. But if you still run into the same problems initiating speech while trying to whisper, I'd consider other diagnoses such as aphasia (& many others which could cause similar symptoms).

I can see why you are awfully frustrated. Good luck,

Laurie




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Re: can dysphonia be intermittent following a whiplash accident
Re: Re: can dysphonia be intermittent following a whiplash accident -- Laurie Top of thread Archive
Posted by: linsky ®
11/01/2007, 16:42:16


Thanks for your reply Laurie.
I think you may have a valid point on aphasia. One of the other symptoms is, is that my head locks in a backwards position. Do you think there could be a link?
Below is the link to my head being locked in a backwards position.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7564616310609186913

Best Regards

Linsky




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Re: can dysphonia be intermittent following a whiplash accident
Re: can dysphonia be intermittent following a whiplash accident -- linsky Top of thread Archive
Posted by: chaanz ®
11/02/2007, 09:03:13


no expert here... from what I do know however, your difficulty doesn't present as SD. I agree with Laurie. Have you tried medications such as alprazolam or any of the run of the mill anti-anxiety meds? It appears that your breathing totally "locks up" when you try to speak and then you release it in one huge exhalation when you stop trying to speak. I realize that is stating the obvious..but anyway, maybe a muscle relaxer might help?



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Re: can dysphonia be intermittent following a whiplash accident
Re: can dysphonia be intermittent following a whiplash accident -- linsky Top of thread Archive
Posted by: Hoarse Whisperer ®
11/04/2007, 14:11:19


Hello Linsky,

Spasmodic Dysphonia (SD) is a neurological disorder that involves involuntary "spasms" of the vocal cords, causing interruptions of speech and affecting voice quality. SD can cause the voice to break up or to have a tight, strained, or strangled quality. In this video, it doesn't appear that any "voice" ever reaches your vocal chords.

I also watched all the other videos on your website. It certainly does appear that you have some very unusual symptoms. While you were unable to speak in this video, your voice sounds completely normal in the other videos, which is not typical of SD.

The videos of your "neck lock" and "whiplash bent back" could indicate some sort of dystonia, but also appear random and intermittent -- as an example, the video of your "speech deficit" doesn't show any neck or back symptoms, while the video of your "neck lock" doesn't show any speech or back symptoms, etc.

Your neurologist's diagnosis of "psychological" must be very frustrating. Unfortunately, many doctors resort to this diagnosis when they are unable to figure out what is wrong with someone. Spasmodic dysphonia was once thought to be psychogenic. Fortunately, there is now a lot more awareness about SD among the medical community.

Regardless of the exact cause of your symptoms, the support and guidance of a mental health professional can still help you deal with these challenges. Many people find that it is very beneficial to seek psychological counseling when they have illness or injury, especially one that is difficult to diagnosis and/or treat.

Best of luck to you.

Lori
AB/SD and VCD since 2003
Dallas, Texas




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Re: can dysphonia be intermittent following a whiplash accident
Re: Re: can dysphonia be intermittent following a whiplash accident -- Hoarse Whisperer Top of thread Archive
Posted by: saradshort ®
11/05/2007, 09:38:53


Mike,
Wow, watching your video was difficult and reminded me of my pre-botox days. Although I never had the complete inability to speak I remember the extreme frustration when I was unable to make my words flow.
You seem to be having a complete shut down of the flow of air when you attempt to speak. This certainly does not seem to me to be a psychological problem. The implulses are getting confused, locking up instead of flowing when you ask them to. I agree that your case doesn't seem typical of AD/SD but it does seem kind of similar in an extreme sense. I remember feeling that I could not get my air to flow when my cords were really spasming. I ended up using compensatory muscles in my efforts to get my air to flow. Maybe this is part of the val salva maneuver (bearing down against a closed glottis) that you exhibit.
Maybe it's time to try getting another doctor's opinion. Don't accept the "psychological" verdict! No one in their right mind would choose to experience this!
Best of Luck
Sara
AD/SD



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