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Posted by: iloveme ® 10/11/2008, 01:40:05 |
Hey everyone!
I started having speech problems when I was 8 years old. Doctors thought I was a stutterer and put me in speech therapy. My high school counselor wanted to put me in the looney bin when I kept telling him that I had a "problem". I was diagnosed this year by a neurologist and Dystonia specialist. I am ADSD. I have an appointment with them later this month and will further discuss botox treatments. I've tried acupuncture and singing lessons, but nothing has really helped. Is there anything out there that helps to make your voice sound normal? I've read that cough syrup and red wine helps. For me, it's... honey, anything warm (temporarily), lots of water, screaming helps to "open" up my voice. Oh, and being sick helps. I guess it's the flem? Things that make it worse:
Share your ideas!
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Posted by: Vash ® 10/11/2008, 08:21:55 |
Hi! I was also misdiagnosed by many doctors until I discovered for myself about SD. I believe only Botox can fix this. For me things that make it mildly better are, sleep, exercise - which helped a lot (without protein shakes), lots of water, steam, being happy/positive attitude, voice exercises. Things that worsen voice: alcohol, sodas, lack of sleep, some vitamins.
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Posted by: Sumaya ® 10/11/2008, 12:50:45 |
I've read about humming and it's true for me. I couldn't even sing (wich is supposed to be easier then talking with SD) a while ago but now many times I CAN and I'm so amazed. Instead of trying to give it my best shot, I do a soft and low voice. I would hum on sounds like double nn and double mm and just take it easy and after a while I would be signing without getting much cuts at all. I can't exactly scream unless it's a reflex, like when I see a big cockroach (excuse me:)) But I can manage quite well now just talking to somebody who's close enough and of course things shouldn't be noisy otherwise. When I try to overcompensate, my voice usually lets me down. Also talking slowly helps. I've noticed the drinking water thing too but that just works very temporarily. What's with the red wine? Why not white wine? Is it the red grapes or the alcohol that gives this effect? I understand the wine can work for a few hours right? What about the honey? Does that work for a while after you had it or does the voice improve on a daily basis if you eat a lot of honey. For me, i also noticed that emphasising the speech with a question sound or surprised sound gets me to sound much better. You know, like "oh, really?!" I think this is because it's closer to signing. Some people would talk in a "signing" way like ppl from Holland. I think just putting more "emotion" in our speech could give significant results. But then, it's something that may differ from one peson to another and we should try to find out wich works best for us personally. Well since you stated "something warm" it seems a good idea to just sit down and have a cup of coffe with the person you want to talk to:) Thanks for the tips! Any experience with ice cream? |
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Posted by: NYer AdSD ® 10/11/2008, 15:31:10 |
I'm on the phone literally, ALL DAY. What helps me:
What makes it worst? Question mark because I'm not sure:
I don't know if there's a correlation or not; or just coincidence, I find when I consume on the weekend, lots of pasta, with those delicious sauce, and alchohol (wine, red) that these irritate my throat more, and I come back worst from the weekend, though I've rested my voice the entire weekend. When I previously thought I had Acid Reflux and stayed away from acidic food, it worked for a while; voice improved. Then it didn't matter what I ate, acid reflux diet, nothing worked or made voice better. But, did find, when I wanted to go see my ENT so he'd get a good idea of the depth of the problem, I ate everything I wasn't suppose to, to make it worst; it got worst alright. But, was that mere coincidence, my voice just got bad, coinciding with the food I ate at the time? After that deliberate attempt to make my voice worst, which it got worst, from that point, nothing I did, ate, helped. My voice never recovered, until Botox. I know it's neurogogical, but can some food aggravate the condition, the way stress and anxiety does? I had a "bout" of this back in late 2000 to early '01. From about Oct. '00 till about May '01. It began with effort in the chest; hard to explain even to fellow SDers. But, I just felt in my chest where it felt more difficult to speak normal words; even though voice sounded good. then, it got gradually worst. Was treated, six weeks, for Acid Reflux and Post Nasal Drip. Nothing worst; eventually said, to hell with my general physician, saw an ENT. Diagnosed in about Jan / Feb. 01 with "inflammation" in the vocal cords. Was given steroids for six days. Immediately, voice came back. Stayed on Acid Reflux diet for three months, with one follow up to doc. Voice remained good for seven years, with minor episoides of effortful speech, with no voice loss, or choppy voice. This changed in March '08. I began to feel in Feb. the gradual effort to speak; then gradually, became more laborious. Saw two ENT; diagnosed with Severe Laryngitis. The Laryngologist, third ENT in three month period, diagnosed me with SD. So, how could I have this in '01, it goes away with steroids, but not this time. Was treated with steroids in '08, back in May, nothing. hmmm. |
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Posted by: Gary Lea ® 11/28/2008, 01:09:19 |
I wonder if some of your problem might be related to the acid reflux? Gary |
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Posted by: hopefull ® 10/13/2008, 05:19:05 |
Things that makes it worse:-
- Being tired - Eating too much sugar (I have a big sweet tooth) When my ADSD was at it's worst I was eating chocolate everyday. Couldn't get enough! - Stress - Talking to someone who has commented on my voice in the past. Always puts me on edge- I try so hard to sound normal! - Antidepressants/Anti-anxiety tablets. I took these before my ADSD diagnoses hoping it would help my voice but it made it worse. - Hot weather sometimes? Things that make it better:-
So you would think that I would eat well & excercise daily! Funny thing is I hate seafood & excercise, & just love sugar! I wish I had more self control to do what I know is right. At the moment Botox is working wonderfully for me! I just wish I could prolong the good voice as I can't afford all the time off from work during the botox side effects. |
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Posted by: mdubovick ® 10/13/2008, 21:27:00 |
Just one comment for "Hopeful". Talk with your ENT about getting a small dose of Botox to minimize the botox side effects. I asked my ENT to lower my dose to 0.5 units and it took the breathiness away completely. It did shorter the time between shots but it was worth it while I was working. |
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Posted by: hopefull ® 10/14/2008, 03:43:25 |
Thanks for the advice. I'm still fairly new to Botox (have had 2 treatments) so am going through the trial & error stage. First shot was 2.5 units bilaterally, the second was 1.25 units. I will keep going lower each time :) |
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Posted by: Nancy Fallon ® 10/15/2008, 13:00:08 |
If you click on archives at the top of the page and then type in cough medicine you will find a thread that i began almost 2 years ago. I had great success with taking cough medicine. After taking it for about a year and a half I was able to quit taking it (will be a year at Thanksgiving) and my voice is still doing great. I can still hear/feel the tightness at times, especially when I'm tired or stressed, but no one else seems to notice. I don't know how unusual my results are, but I was glad I tried the cough medicine rather than going down the Botox path. I hope this helps someone else. At least it's a hopeful note. |
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Posted by: MzNikki ® 10/15/2008, 13:53:26 |
Things that help me: -Talking "off of a laugh"
Oh, and standing on one foot, hopping, while patting my stomach and the top of my head all at the same time...NO I'M JUST KIDDING!!! But didn't it seem like that should be next? LOL Take care!
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Posted by: NYer AdSD ® 10/15/2008, 18:39:04 |
"I love me"; so worth the laugh; you're correct; I'm like a fool at work, making stuff up; my job is pretty much on th ephone all day; when I"m not, I'm typing in debtor record info from phone convo; and I'm just trying stuff, just to see; pinching my nose; covering my eyes; poking at my larynx; head between legs; I'll try anything to give me a clear voice when I need it; nothing; I feel sillly, but if it worked, I'd stand on my head all day. :) |
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Posted by: The Godfather ® 10/15/2008, 18:39:22 |
I first started noticing my voice getting strained and hoarse sounding about 8 years ago now. I've dealt with not knowing what my problem was for years. I learned many "tricks" to hide it, and then did a lot of hiding from people. I've since done voice therapy, that didn't help me. Then did my own research and discovered a great ENT, and Botox injections. Botox works very well for me, and I look forward to other injections each time my voice starts to fade back too it's strangled state. Last year I found an old VHS tape that I copied and recorded dating back to a few years before I developed SD. I recorded about 30 min. of tape where I spoke to the camera, and filmed various things to show a distant relative. As I played it back for the first time since that time, my jaw dropped as I listened to my voice and how good it sounded! It was such a bitter sweet moment that I didn't know if I was going to laugh or cry. After watching the almost the entire tape, the phone rang, I put it on pause, answered the phone, and to my amazement my voice came out perfectly smooth and clear just like on the tape! This lasted for quite a while but soon faded. I watched more of the tape, and tried to capture that feeling again, which I could do, but it would only last for about an hour or so after listening to my good old voice. Maybe this could be of some future therapy for me?
Good luck everyone,
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Posted by: Phoenix ® 10/16/2008, 11:40:48 |
This has been a fun and helpful thread! I have done all most everything that each of you have tried so often that the work around are second nature. My husband has hearing problems so I at times resort to my "cattle calling" voice to get his attention- thanks be to God- that we find it funny and now I try to get his attention before I have something important I want to say or he gets a confused look on his face and tells me latter that he can't recall that I ever told him...whatever. Our lists of what helps us are so much alike, I remember when I discovered each one and how much that encouraged me to keep on with a smile. When this first started for me I'd go out with a client to lunch take a nice swallow of cold water with a twist of lemon and my throat would close off. Wish I'd known to take little sips of room temp water and to do it often- to use all of the little hints and stay in the game instead of withdrawing. latter, Janet |
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Posted by: mt.harrington ® 10/16/2008, 17:03:57 |
What makes my voice worse is: post nasal drip, any sort of stimulant (caffeine, too much sugar, etc.), nervousness, stress, reading anything aloud, trying to sound "normal", the phone (!), PMS is a killer! odd and even days of the week...ok, trying to be funny there, but sometimes it's just a bad voice day no matter what I do.... What improves my vocal quality on a temporary basis, is: crying or getting all choked up, upper respitory infections, any depressant like alcohol, tranquilizers, narcotic pain relievers(but I'm not willing to become an addict to alleviate the SD), strenuous exercise, talking to my dog.... |
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Posted by: Phoenix ® 10/20/2008, 17:29:27 |
You are right about "pet" talk. When I talk to my animal or with my children/ husband my voice works better. My throat seems to relax without effort during that time. |
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