Being new to information on SD and not having heard anyone struggle with it besides myself, I have some questions about what exactly a "spasm" might be. I know my voice sounds strangled at times and my throat feels like its clutching, but are we talking about a "spasm" like a muscle spasm which pulsates or palpitates or twitches? To me, it feels like it has seized up, frozen or is refusing to work, but never with a pulse or twitch. Just curious as to what other people feel? I would appreciate your comments. BarbP.S. The drug I'm taking seems to be helping so far. My throat feels more relaxed. We shall see how it behaves under stress at "String Camp" next week.
Re: Defining "Spasm"
I have both, actually. usually though when I use the word spasm specifically, I mean the kind where it's just there one second and gone the next. I don't know about 'pulsate or palpitate or twitch', but in terms of time, twitch sounds about right. usually it's just once and then gone for a while, though it does make me choke, and the uncoordination from it lasts a while. Generally though, when the SD is acting up my throat feels really tight and 'seized up' sounds about right. It's usually pretty sore too. I generally say it feels like my throat's been put in a vice.
Re: Defining "Spasm"
I would liken the spasms for SD similar to a car engine mis-firing in it's cylinders. A car's engine is a very delicate synchronization action involving correct fuel/air mixture and a co-ordination with the pistons to push the transmission in a fixed ratio to the gears.
In SD,the neurological signals from the brain are out of synchronization with what the muscles controlling the vocal cords want to do. In "normal" speech there is fluid co-ordination all around. The inappropriate mis-firing signal from the brain causes the vocal cords to push together too tightly in the case of ADductor SD and to pull apart too much in the case of ABductor SD. In most cases there is not usually any pain in these spasms, but a conscious knowledge that there is an un-controllable moment usually on the vowels, resulting in broken speech patterns, and a tight strangled sensation for ADSD compared to a breathy, choppy speech pattern for ABSD.
Re: Defining "Spasm"
While this is true, it doesn't actually help in defining the word "spasm." That is, what it actually feels like.
Re: Defining "Spasm"
Hi Barbara,To me spasms feel like I am being strangled or choked. My vowels in my words are always breaking or Skippy. All the words you used are good, however it is very difficult to put it into one simple word. For myself when I did have the spasms, I called the Constant breaks and Skippy words a spasms. It is funny Lloyd explained this technic as an automobile. Cause it does make a lot of sense. Our voice are fine running machines and the theory does make sense. To me the spasms where painful and bothersome to say the least. The more spasms I'd have the more my throat ached. Regards, Jan
Re: Defining "Spasm"
Barb,Your description, especially your use of the word "clutching", is very accurate of my symptoms. The "spasm" is an instantaneous closure (in my case) of the vocal cords when speech is attempted. The closure is not total, so I can get sound out most of the time. It just sounds like I'm being strangled. What drug are you taking that is giving you relief? I've been trying the B6 thing for over a month now and my voice keeps getting worse. Mike
Re: Defining "Spasm"
Barbara, it took a year and a half for me to find a doctor who diagnosed my SD. During that time I went from doctor to doctor. My throat felt as if it had a rope around it and it would get tight and release without me having any control. I think the feel of the rope was probably the muscles in my neck trying to help me talk. Of course, my voice was very bad and hard for anyone to understand. I could not feel a spasm just the tightness from the muscles which I assume was the spasms. Once I had BoTox, I was never as bad as prior BoTox. Even when it began to break after the BoTox injection, it never got as bad as before any BoTox. That is probably because I went every three or four months for BoTox and it never had a chance. To me, BoTox was truly a miracle. I had the first injection at 4:00 PM and the next morning I woke up and said something and it came out clear - low but clear.
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