Posted by: sbayle ®
11/12/2003, 22:23:40
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I guess it is difficult to define "mild" but I did at one time have mild AB and tried Botox shots which caused me a great deal of breathiness and did not improve my voice. I had unilateral PCA shot of about 2.25 units of Botox and completely lost my voice for two weeks- Don't buy into the suggestion that you won't have any breathiness and that it will be positively effective immediately. I know it is frustrating to have such variable reports but that is really the nature of SD. Your doctor doesn't seem to be providing you with the real picture and it is great you solicit input from us out here on the BB. sbayle
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Posted by: Madtaz ®
11/13/2003, 00:24:58
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Injections for AB are hit and miss....50-50. Most of the Docs agree with that. If you get results, you are one of the chosen.
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Posted by: fancynancy ®
11/13/2003, 01:40:52
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Hi Keith,Most ABers have learned that Botox isn't very effective for them. I have AB and have tried about 5 times with Botox. The first 3 seemed to work for a couple of days with no breathiness. I think it was because my muscles were a bit swollen from the injection and made speech easier. Another shot was 1 unit bilateral AD style, as I have overcompensating characteristics of Adductor. It did no good and I had breathiness. The most recent injection was AB style, 7.5 units on the right side. I was breathy and laryingitis-like for about 1 month. It didn't help my AB voice except it kinda retrained my overcompensating muscles. The bottom line is that we're all different, and an AB shot is worth looking into. If you get an injection, let us all know how it goes! --fancynancy--
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Posted by: Keith ®
11/13/2003, 08:00:11
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Thanks for all the replies. My voice and speech therapists feel that if I can manage without botox, then that is the way to go. However, my ENT who is supposed to be one of the best in the country, especially when it comes to administering botox, feels that I would greatly benefit. I guess I'll hang in there with the therapy, which has worked very well, and see what happens. Once again, thanks for all the advice. The more the better! Good luck to all.
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Posted by: Linda Spain ®
11/13/2003, 09:22:49
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It is unfortunate, but true, that many health care service providers pay more attention to their revenue model than their patients. Keith, I recommend that you do your research and trust your instincts.I've written to you here before, Keith; I'm an ABer who does not use botox and who benefited significantly from speech therapy. My voice never is perfect, but I don't have to endure the rollercoaster and side-effects that many botox users describe. Different treatments work best for different people, and personal preferences play a role in what you should do, too. Best wishes for your continued improvement,
Linda
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Posted by: Keith ®
11/13/2003, 10:44:22
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Thanks Linda;
I feel as though I am seeing an ENT whom I can trust when it comes to recommendations, although if I can avoid having needles stuck into my throat I certainly will. I don't doubt that all doctors feel that SD is essentially a medical problem and thus feel that the best treatment is through medical intervention as opposed to a somewhat more 'holistic' approach which is what I'm getting with the therapy. I do recall having a post from you before regarding AB. Thanks again and good luck to you as well.
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Posted by: Bill Vanderlinde ®
11/13/2003, 15:48:46
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I get consistently good results from BOTOX, but if my case was "mild" I would probably just stick with speech therapy.Bill Vanderlinde
AB/SD
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Posted by: Katrina Lantz ®
11/16/2003, 21:18:47
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I'm an ABer and get very good results with Botox although I haven't had one since March 2003 becuase my voice has been doing well without the Botox.
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Posted by: Linda S. Adamson ®
11/13/2003, 08:07:45
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Hi, Keith,
My results from Botox for my AB have been mixed. After having two unilateral shots (different sides) a month apart, I got a practially normal voice that felt like an internal switch had been thrown, it was that dramatic -- at about 24 - 30 hours after the 2nd shot. The great voice lasted 3-4 weeks, then pretty good for a couple more months. Then bye-bye. Attempts to recapture that result haven't been so productive, though I have definitely gotten some improvement, but NO immediate results again. The out-of-breath period (which is how it feels to me; "breathiness" describes me all the time if the Botox doesn't "take") has lasted a couple of weeks; it felt to me like an imposed, temporary case of emphysema, which I'm thankful didn't last.
I confirm what others have posted: results apparently vary a lot by AB individual and within an individual's experience. Each shot is another "see if this works", at least for me at this point. Some folks have a set routine that seems to be very reliable, and others never do get any good outcomes.
We throw the dice and see what comes up.
Personally, I still think it's worth trying. And, as the years pass, the research will bring us closer to a more reliable fix, I'm confident.
all my best,
Linda Adamson
AB, Annapolis MD
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