Posted by: acewood ®
01/18/2005, 18:22:05
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I've noticed the same thing. My voice isn't great the next morning but like you said, it's deeper and easier to talk.I have another "treatment session" scheduled for tomorrow night. I'll keep you posted on my progress :)
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Posted by: Renee ®
01/18/2005, 23:55:15
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As has been stated many times on this board in the past, alcohol DEFINATELY has a calming effect on SD.(Especially from what I understand ADSD.) The spasms will go away after drinking alcohol. I'm not sure for the reason for this, although I'm sure that someone will give a guess. One girl in our speech support group has said that she almost became a drunk. She would start drinking wine while talking on the phone and noticed how much better her voice was. But she decided not to compound one problem with another, and eventually got a diagnosis of ADSD and started to get botox shots, instead. I WOULDN'T recommend drinking as an alternative to dealing with SD. You are just trading one problem for another...Renee ADSD/ Austin, TEXAS
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Posted by: angele ®
01/19/2005, 07:07:30
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Hi Warren,Do you think it may have something to do with the alcohol making you more relaxed? I've noticed my voice return to normal for a few minutes when I'm relaxed & my mind isn't on my voice or trying to talk e.g. when I recently went ice skating, at the end of a night out or at the gym. Has anyone else experienced this? Angele from UK
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Posted by: Statick ®
01/19/2005, 09:38:20
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No i don't think its making me more relaxed - i suspect the alcohol is actually doing something to my glands, like clearing some inflamation or something, and usually i have to talk on the phone while drinking for it to work.. and the following day my voice is clear and deep.
I'm not drinking much but just noticed it when i do drink... especially the following day. Perhaps there is some medication out there besides botox which would have the same effect on the voice?? I'm sure the doctors will relate this to stress or something, but this has been going on for years now. When my voice is clear, i think and communicate better and generally have a much better attitude. I hate having to strain my voice and repeat myself because no one can hear me... when my voice is clear it takes so much less effort to talk and be heard... is this what happens with botox too?
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Posted by: Angie B ®
01/19/2005, 14:18:10
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Hi there,
My name is Angie and I am new to this board. I have been diagnosed recently with SD.. I have been this way now for almost 2 years..its AWFUL..I do agree with the drinking of Alcohol.. I drink a few beers in the evenings..I noticed my voice is alot clearer and not as raspy. I have been goig to speech therapy..which I was told wont help me..I dont have medical insurance..and I was told the ONLY thing that will help is BO~TOX injections.. I live in PA.. around the Pittsburgh area.. the initial exam itself is ..ready for this?? 1500.00 and the botox shots are 1000.00 and only last for approx 3 months.. I am a homemaker.. I am 39 years old.. my husband works..but we cannot afford these shots!If it were a permanent cure I could see getting a few.. but I was told it isnt.. and that also you cant speak for 2 weeks after getting one..and that you can very easily choke?? I also was told that the hospital has a charity program.. but I would have to go to appointments first to accrue a bill.. THEN apply for help..Grrrr.. I dont know what to do.. I have felt like I was the ONLY person with this problem.. and I did alot of searching and I am glad I found this board..I recently quit my job in Dec. because the people I worked with are rude.. they made FUN of my voice..said to me.. Cant you talk normal.. I cant hear you..and the more upset I got.. the more my voice got worse..Someone I worked with actually went to the extreme as to getting a shoe box.. brought it to work..held it up to their throat..and said.. This is your new voice box.. I laughed.. BUT deep down inside.. ALL I wanted to do was CRY! SO.. I basically told then ALL where to go.. and quit.. which is sad because I loved my job itself!! Anyhow.. getting back to alcohol.. Im not that much of a drinker.. but I DO notice a big difference after I have had a few .. Guess its cheaper then Bo~tox..lol I also have read that anti~anxiety pills MAY help some patients..I am about ready to try that next!! Thank you.. and good luck to you..
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Posted by: Statick ®
01/25/2005, 07:42:00
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Here's an email I received from a voice specialist MD that gives a pretty good description of the symptoms of SD, which I think i do not have but rather some other voice disorder....
I'm Dr. Koufman's laryngology fellow. She's currently very busy and asked me to help return some of her email inquiries. Regarding spasmodic dysphonia, it tends not to be a problem with hoarseness, but with breaks that interupt speech so that words can't be pronounced fluently without freuquent uncontrollable breaks interupting your speech. It responds well to botox which weakens the overactive muscles producing those breaks. If your problem is more one of hoarseness- for example a rough or breathy voice, one that fatigues after prolonged use, etc- you could have several problems that produce these complaints, and you would require an examination by an otolaryngologist or laryngologist to determine the cause. It's hard to say why your voice is stronger the day after drinking, but some of our patients with vocal fold weakness have similar scenarios because patients often reflux more after drinking and that leaves their vocal folds more swollen, actually helping to close the gap caused by their underlying weakness. That's just a shot in the dark, because clearly you need to be examined to find out what's really going on. I don't know of any laryngologists in Toronto, but two excellent laryngologists who aren't too far from you are Clark Rosen in Pittsburgh, or Jonathan Aviv in New York. Hope this helps!!
Sincerely, Center for Voice and Swallowing Disorders
Wake Forest University-Baptist Medical Center
Medical Center Boulevard
Winston-Salem, NC 27157
(336)716-7157
Modified by Moderator-WB at Thu, Jan 27, 2005, 05:50:32
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Posted by: Carol near Toronto, Canada ®
01/26/2005, 18:56:15
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Hi Statik,I assume from this last post from Dr. Koufman's colleague that you are looking for a good laryngologist in Toronto. I would recommend Dr. Jonathan Irish, who works out of the University Health Network. His clinics are at the Toronto General site. He was the third ENT I saw with my breathing and voice problems, and was finally able to give me a diagnosis and Botox, which has helped me enormously. Carol
Modified by Carol near Toronto, Canada at Wed, Jan 26, 2005, 19:04:04
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Posted by: Jacqui2 ®
01/26/2005, 21:31:57
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I DEFINITELY get a benefit from alcohol and SD. It totally disappears after a drink or two. I haven't noticed a benefit the next day.
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Posted by: mdubovick ®
01/27/2005, 12:04:14
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Alcohol temporarily helps improve the voice. Even some types of cough syrup temporarily work; I don't know why. But I DO know that the US National Institute of Health under Dr. Christy Ludlow has a study underway to test to effects of dextromathoraphan on SD. Dextromathoraphan is a major ingredient in some forms of cough syrup. So there may be some hope on the horizon.
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Posted by: Gary Lea ®
02/05/2005, 20:03:55
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I looked into DXM and found out that it has anti-seizure properties, as do Clonazepam and Neurontin which is why they seem to help some of us.Gary Lea
SD/AD
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