Chronic Laryngitis?

BarbaraHelen2013

I think this originated from when I had Covid in June 2022. I lost my voice entirely for a couple of days, since that point my voice has deteriorated to the point that I’m barely able to speak.

Immediately after Covid I had a slight vocal ‘fry’ intermittently, but as time has gone on, and particularly in the last 2-3 months this has escalated to almost permanent voice loss. I can speak a sentence or two before my voice deteriorates to a mere whisper.

Trying to get medical advice but it’s tough in post pandemic U.K. to get meaningful interaction with medical professionals.

I’ve so far given up or drastically reduced caffeine, alcohol and spicy food (by far the hardest for me!) in an attempt to reduce irritations to the larynx but with no success. I’ve added lots of water to my day too, which has had other benefits I think (lower RHR) but no effect on my voice.

Wondering if anyone else has ideas or experience with the same issue? I’m at the point where anything is worth a try! So tired of being tired by trying to talk!

Athijade

I have not had the issue described, though I do find I lose my voice with illness a LOT easier after I have had Covid. Never used to lose it with a simple cold or upper respiratory infection, but now a days I get a sniffle and my voice is just gone.

We are still finding out how much damage Covid can do to our bodies long term so I find it possible.

MaggieGirl135

Please continue working to get in to see a doctor, preferably an ear, nose, and throat specialist (ENT). Hugs

BarbaraHelen2013

Thank you for your comments. @Athijade particularly, really interested in your experience. That definitely jibes with how I feel. I have never been someone who is susceptible to the common cold or similar upper respiratory tract issues but it is somewhat reassuring to hear that it may not be all in my head!

I did just find, this evening, an article in the BMJ (British Medical Journal) published by two doctors and a professional voice artiste that describes how they all suffered the same problems some 10+ months after contracting Covid. This article I will take to my GP (if I ever get to see one…) to strengthen my case and hopefully facilitate the early referral to an ENT consultant. I do have access to private health cover, but I need to actually manage to get face to face with a GP who will actually start the process with a referral! 🙄

If only it was possible to get to see a GP!

sarabushby

It won’t be cheap, maybe £150-300, BUT, it might be worth booking yourself a private ENT consultant appointment. Oftentimes the same consultants do NHS work too so if they feel it right might be able to switch to treating you on the NHS after you’ve had that initial referral.

If you’re struggling to see your GP I highly recommend using an ‘econsult’ if they have that facility, state your symptoms and how long it’s been and all the things you’ve tried and that you’d now like a referral pls. Hopefully you’ll get some action that way.

BarbaraHelen2013

An update:

After trying (and failing) again to get a GP appointment yesterday my husband got hold of his employer’s health insurance provider who eventually put us in touch with a related scheme/company called ‘Doctor Care Anywhere’.

After jumping through some very frustrating hoops in order to validate my identity and register, I had a telephone appointment last evening…end result an actual referral to an ENT consultant!

So that’s a start…

Also, we reached out to one of the authors of the BMJ article who got back to us this morning. She reports that 3 years on she is 90% recovered. She relates her journey through research projects, treatment etc and concludes that time is all that really helped. She acknowledges that, in reality, the medical community recognise it as a ‘thing’ but really don’t have a clue what causes it or how to deal with it…

Not so encouraging, but good to know I’m neither alone nor imagining it!

kshama2001

My mom has silent reflux and does a number of things to keep it under control. If the below resonates with you, please send me a DM and I'll give you more details. (I'm moving and not checking the forums every day.)

https://utswmed.org/conditions-treatments/silent-reflux/

sarabushby

Yay. I’m glad you got the ENT referral and hopefully you’re a step closer to getting it sorted out. Thanks for updating us.

AnnPT77

I'm glad to hear there's progress . . . sorry it's frustrating/slow, but better than zero, anyway. Thanks for the update! Hope you get some answers/solutions as you continue on.

BarbaraHelen2013

kshama2001 wrote: »

My mom has silent reflux and does a number of things to keep it under control. If the below resonates with you, please send me a DM and I'll give you more details. (I'm moving and not checking the forums every day.)

https://utswmed.org/conditions-treatments/silent-reflux/

Thanks for this, I’ve come across this as a cause for chronic laryngitis during my research and all but ruled it out because I have literally no symptom other than the voice loss, nor any of the lifestyle risk factors. Never say never, but I’d be truly surprised if I turn out to be wrong!

In some ways that’s part of the frustration as I otherwise feel really well and energetic and I often catch myself skipping down the stairs and thinking ‘if I open my mouth now I’m sure my voice will be normal, because I feel so good!’

But it never is!

ythannah

Sorry, no answers but I do know of someone else who had the same issue post-Covid. Since one of her jobs involved delivering three-day training modules it had a huge impact on her professionally. The only medical advice she got was to "rest her voice".

BarbaraHelen2013

An update -

I’ve seen an ENT consultant today, who put a camera up my nose and into my throat. 😱 Least said about that procedure the better!

Outcome is, there is a growth in my Larynx that needs to be excised and sent to Histology. Benign polyp or cancer?

Biopsy probably scheduled for this Friday.

I apologise for sharing here but for now I’m not saying anything to my four kids and I kind of need to lay it out to get it straight in my head.

One daughter is currently pregnant and a worrier anyway…

Youngest daughter (24) has just in the last few weeks, supported her best friend through the death of her mother who succumbed to pneumonia after chemo had destroyed her immune system following breast cancer treatment. Doesn’t feel right to worry either of them until I know more.

COGypsy

BarbaraHelen2013 wrote: »

An update -

I’ve seen an ENT consultant today, who put a camera up my nose and into my throat. 😱 Least said about that procedure the better!

Outcome is, there is a growth in my Larynx that needs to be excised and sent to Histology. Benign polyp or cancer?

Biopsy probably scheduled for this Friday.

I apologise for sharing here but for now I’m not saying anything to my four kids and I kind of need to lay it out to get it straight in my head.

One daughter is currently pregnant and a worrier anyway…

Youngest daughter (24) has just in the last few weeks, supported her best friend through the death of her mother who succumbed to pneumonia after chemo had destroyed her immune system following breast cancer treatment. Doesn’t feel right to worry either of them until I know more.

If it's any comfort, you're probably right not to involve your kids yet. A growth on the larynx could just be some form of vocal nodules and I know probably 100 people that have had them over the years, all benign. They are incredibly common in the vocal music community. Most people can treat them with a combination of vocal rest and voice/speech therapy with a look to mitigating any health or lifestyle factors that could be contributing. I clearly don't know enough about anything to know if that's in fact what it is and I know the phrase "growth on my larynx" is not comforting in the least. My doctor always tells me "we look for horses, not zebras" when ruling out things. A growth that turns out to be cancerous would definitely be the zebra in this scenario.

BarbaraHelen2013

Thank you so much for this! This is exactly what I’m trying to tell myself. It’s immensely comforting to know your experience that most/many of such ‘growths’ are benign.

That may well get me through mentally the next few weeks until the biopsy yields a result. 😊

AnnPT77

I'm so sorry you're having to go through this, @BarbaraHelen2013. As a cancer survivor and cancer widow (among other connections), I understand how anxiety-provoking something like this can be. But for most finds of suspicious scans or exams, the underlying issue turns out to be benign rather than malignant. I hope that turns out to be the case for you.

Meanwhile, if it helps you to share or vent or whatever about it here, please do that. I can understand your desire not to worry those close to you, at this point.

Sending wishes for good outcomes!

kshama2001

I'm happy to have you share here.

BarbaraHelen2013

Excision Biopsy tomorrow.

Unfortunately, whilst it’s still being done by the same Private Health Consultant in the private sector, it’s being done at the local huge NHS hospital, rather than the small, calm, luxurious Private hospital. I know it’s being done this way for expediency but it makes me more anxious!

I don’t think I’m alone in finding that since Covid lockdowns etc I don’t do so well with bustling, busy situations.

I’ve spent the last couple of days pretty much on a knife edge between tears and a state of panic.

COGypsy

BarbaraHelen2013 wrote: »

Excision Biopsy tomorrow.

Unfortunately, whilst it’s still being done by the same Private Health Consultant in the private sector, it’s being done at the local huge NHS hospital, rather than the small, calm, luxurious Private hospital. I know it’s being done this way for expediency but it makes me more anxious!

I don’t think I’m alone in finding that since Covid lockdowns etc I don’t do so well with bustling, busy situations.

I’ve spent the last couple of days pretty much on a knife edge between tears and a state of panic.

I know these things are so stressful! My suggestion is just to think things through a step at a time, research what you can ahead of time, and go in on time and ready to go. Get totally granular with it. What time do you need to get up? What time do you need to leave? What comfortable clothes are you going to wear? Do you have directions to the hospital? Where should you park/be dropped off? Where is the lab once you're inside?

To me, that kind of almost overplanning is strangely calming. I just logic my way through the whole process so that I have as few surprises to deal with as possible. Are you going to be sedated? I had an endoscopy once and let me tell you....after the mild sedation I had the best nap ever on the planet of Earth! From what I was told, it all took just a few minutes and then I was off to recovery where I apparently entertained the whole staff and doctor too. From my point of view, once I made it to the office, the hard part was done.

Just remember, the odds of this being anything awful are slim. Really slim. Like I mentioned, I've been a singer since I was about 6 and have known a TON of people with vocal nodes/polyps/cysts from high school up until today and no one has had anything beyond the physical ailment. Apparently it's not uncommon for teachers either. I was talking about this with my voice teacher the other day and he works with a couple of teachers that have been treated for nodes. Let the findings be the lowest worry, the odds are strongly tipped in your favor.

I'll be thinking good thoughts for you!

AnnPT77

BarbaraHelen2013 wrote: »

Excision Biopsy tomorrow.

Unfortunately, whilst it’s still being done by the same Private Health Consultant in the private sector, it’s being done at the local huge NHS hospital, rather than the small, calm, luxurious Private hospital. I know it’s being done this way for expediency but it makes me more anxious!

I don’t think I’m alone in finding that since Covid lockdowns etc I don’t do so well with bustling, busy situations.

I’ve spent the last couple of days pretty much on a knife edge between tears and a state of panic.

I'm glad the process is proceeding apace, but sorry that the details are adding to your stress/distress level. Sending strength and well-wishes!

elisa123gal

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kshama2001

BarbaraHelen2013 wrote: »

Excision Biopsy tomorrow.

Unfortunately, whilst it’s still being done by the same Private Health Consultant in the private sector, it’s being done at the local huge NHS hospital, rather than the small, calm, luxurious Private hospital. I know it’s being done this way for expediency but it makes me more anxious!

I don’t think I’m alone in finding that since Covid lockdowns etc I don’t do so well with bustling, busy situations.

I’ve spent the last couple of days pretty much on a knife edge between tears and a state of panic.

Before my major open abdominal surgery last fall, I was too busy fighting with family members to be nervous about the procedure. I don't recommend that exact strategy, but can you find something to do to exhaust/distract yourself?

I also found these MP3s very useful: https://healfaster.com/product/mp3-relaxationhealing-quick-start-instructional/

I got the book from my library, but here it is on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Prepare-Surgery-Heal-Faster-Techniques-ebook/dp/B00DRE51UU/

Since your procedure is tomorrow, I'd focus on relieving anxiety, and recommend the mp3s.

BarbaraHelen2013

An update -

Excision Biopsy done, and whilst I wasn’t enjoying the day it’s over and the experience was as good as it could be in the circumstances. All the staff I came into contact with (and there were a lot) were kind and professional.

A mildly amusing take-away from the day; the only difference I could discern between how private and NHS patients were treated was that when you’re being moved from one bit to another of the hospital, someone carried my bag and bits and bobs. NHS patients carried their own. 😂 Comforting from a clinical standpoint I think.

I have a sore throat from hell, as you might imagine and I’m a little shaky (system shock or still lingering effect from the General Anaesthetic, not sure).

Neck and jaw are stiff and uncomfortable from the position and pressure during the procedure, I have the weirdest bruise on the side of my tongue…didn’t even know that was possible! 🤷‍♀️
Those will all pass given a few days.

What won’t pass is that after the surgery the surgeon advised me that he wasn’t optimistic about what the biopsy would reveal. He’s saying it’s only grade l, or I think that’s what he said…

I’ll need a CAT scan of my chest and an MRI of my neck and further surgery using a laser - again not sure what that’s for (this was all just after I’d woken up in recovery so details are a little fuzzy)
Oh and Radiotherapy (but probably not Chemo - which is the bit I was most dreading if that’s how things turned out).

I will see him a week on Tuesday (darned Coronation bank holidays!) for the official results
and the ongoing plan with the ‘Multifunctional Team’ who take over from here.

So that’s where it is. I am, by turns, terrified, philosophical and trying to be optimistic (the surgeon did say he was confident of a ‘cure’ in the end, so I’m hanging onto that) but can’t help worrying about what the scans may reveal.

middlehaitch

Just want to wish you all the best going forward. Try to stay positive and vent here if you need.

The ‘Multifunctional Teams’ my sister (lives in Kent) had for her breast cancer (2021) and colon cancer (2022) were excellent.

Cheers, h.

snowflake954

Wishing you the best. Hang tough.

AnnPT77

I'm glad the procedure went fairly smoothly, but of course concerned for you that the news may not be as good as you'd first hoped.

I know that different cancer types require different treatments, and have different side effects . . . but would observe that my experience with breast cancer treatment was that scary popular-press reports I'd read about treatment beforehand were more doom-y and awful than my actual experience. That was true even though I was sicker than average during chemo (based on comparison with others' stories I heard during long participation in a cancer support group). It wasn't fun, to say the least - surgery, chemo, radiation, 7.5 year drug regimen thereafter. But it was manageable.

One thing is that oncologists these days are quite good at managing side effects of both chemo and radiation. If you do require treatment, I'd encourage you to be very open with your treatment team about anything unpleasant that may occur, rather than trying to tough it out on your own. They may be able to help mitigate some of that.

I'm hoping you'll get as good news as is possible, as the situation proceeds, and that outcomes will be excellent. It sounds like there are reasons to be hopeful.

((hugs!))

kshama2001

AnnPT77 wrote: »

I'm glad the procedure went fairly smoothly, but of course concerned for you that the news may not be as good as you'd first hoped.

I know that different cancer types require different treatments, and have different side effects . . . but would observe that my experience with breast cancer treatment was that scary popular-press reports I'd read about treatment beforehand were more doom-y and awful than my actual experience. That was true even though I was sicker than average during chemo (based on comparison with others' stories I heard during long participation in a cancer support group). It wasn't fun, to say the least - surgery, chemo, radiation, 7.5 year drug regimen thereafter. But it was manageable.

One thing is that oncologists these days are quite good at managing side effects of both chemo and radiation. If you do require treatment, I'd encourage you to be very open with your treatment team about anything unpleasant that may occur, rather than trying to tough it out on your own. They may be able to help mitigate some of that.

I'm hoping you'll get as good news as is possible, as the situation proceeds, and that outcomes will be excellent. It sounds like there are reasons to be hopeful.

((hugs!))

Speaking of less awful and breasts, I finally had my first mammogram last week and it wasn't nearly as painful as I'd been led to expect. Wasn't actually painful at all.

Why I was so overdue was not at all related to anticipatory pain, but location. I'm a veteran and the only location available was deep inside Boston at a facility where I've had many unpleasant experiences. There was supposed to be a new radiology location much closer to me. It was finally built, and the space for the machine is there, but the machine still hasn't been purchased. I eventually gave up on that location and asked for a community care referral. My doctor was able to persuade CC that if I didn't get a referral, I wasn't going to get the procedure, and it was finally approved.

This is the second community care referral that was denied a few times before approval. I'm writing this to encourage other veterans who want care in the community rather than at a VA location to not give up and keep persisting until you get what you need.

BarbaraHelen2013

Latest update, with some unexpectedly good news.

I went to see the surgeon yesterday evening to get the official histology results of the excision biopsy I had 10 days ago.

Much to his surprise the results were better than expected. The tissue he removed showed ‘moderate dysplasia’ which had not invaded any of the surrounding tissue.

In simple terms, it means I don’t have cancer *yet* as no cancer cells were detected. It does leave me with a significantly elevated risk of a cancer developing in the future. I will be closely monitored from here on out, so if anything does develop it’ll be caught very early.

Not a clean bill of health, but a far better starting point than it might have been. 😊

Thank you all for your kind words and thoughts.

I’m much relieved and determined to do whatever is needed to reduce the risks going forward.

MaggieGirl135

What a great outcome! I'm so glad for you. I am sure that I am not the only one following your thread, who did not previously reply and has been rooting for you!

kshama2001

middlehaitch

So happy for you and thank you so much for updating us. Did you get any advice, apart from monitoring, for self care moving forward?
(No need to give details)

Oddly enough I came on the boards today to see if you had an update yet.

Good health to you going forward.
Cheers, h.

COGypsy

I'm just catching up to this post and I'm so sorry it wasn't as innocuous as I'd imagined! I'm so glad to hear that the final outcome was so positive, though! Did the surgeon say you'd be able to get your voice back?