Chemo induced Laryngitis

menright
menright Member Posts: 256 Member
edited March 2023 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I have a doctor appointment with a Throat doctor to evaluate my condition. I have have chronic hoarseness or possibly laryngitis which I attribute to the Chemo drugs. My onocologist and the various nurses I have spoken with have claimed no knowledge of such a side-effect.

How about all my fellow cancer fighters? Any information will be helpful. Any medical solutions would be even better. I will let you know what the ENT Doctor has to say.

Thanks,

Mike

Comments

  • ittapp
    ittapp Member Posts: 383 Member
    #2
    I also get hoarse right
    I also get hoarse right after chemo and it will last about a week! my brother will call me and say whats wrong with your voice? I posted something about this about a month ago and got several people saying the same thing. God Bless, Patti
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    #3
    definitely get it too
    Hi Mike,

    That amazes me that the oncologist and nurses claim to never have heard of larygitis as a side effect. I've never read of it being an official side effect either, but it happens to me and I know several other people on this board have mentioned it happening too. I get it now just a little bit on Folfiri. I really got hit with it a lot while on Folfox. In the Folfiri I'm on, I think it's because the irinotecan dries my throat out so much. I always feel dehydrated from it for a few days. No matter how much water I drink, I'll still feel thirsty. My skin feels dry and my mouth, nose, and skin all are drier too from the irinotecan. For the first few days after an infusion of it, I have a hard time talking in a loud voice (like when I want to order from a fast food window, for example- my throat is so dry it cracks and I can hardly talk). It also just feels like laryngitis- a hoarse voice some of the time.
    That's my input- hope you can get some help

    Lisa
  • lesvanb
    lesvanb Member Posts: 905
    #4
    It happened to me
    though in my case it wasn't laryngitis as much as just hoarse and a deeper voice.

    Leslie
  • dixchi
    dixchi Member Posts: 431
    #5
    Familiar
    yep, I totally lost my voice several times when I was getting
    the 8 Folfox treatments and the medical folks said that is
    a side effect of the chemo; other than a nuisance not being
    able to talk much or with a hoarse sound, it was no serious
    thing.

    Barbara
  • PGLGreg
    PGLGreg Member Posts: 731
    #6
    hoarseness
    I lost the low register of my voice after chemo. Was it a result of chemo? I don't know. My oncologist professed ignorance of any such side effect and referred me to a ear-nose-throat guy, who couldn't help at all. I'm still hoarse 3 years after the end of any chemo treatments.

    --Greg
  • menright
    menright Member Posts: 256 Member
    #7
    Hoarseness
    Thanks for all the replies. I saw the ENT yesterday and he attributed the hoarseness to Heartburn. He has put me on a strong antiacid drug and said within 6-weeks I should be back to new.

    I have noticed that the current chemo has caused intense heartburn at times. I am willing to believe that because of the intensity, perhaps my voice has been impacted. I will try the drug and will report back in several weeks.

    Wish me luck.

    Mike
  • SSmith25
    SSmith25 Member Posts: 11
    #8
    Steroids
    Me, too, but I think it is the steroids. I have to be premedicated for my CT scans, and I find that it happens then as well. Good news is that it goes away when the steroids stop.
  • marilyng6789314
    marilyng6789314 Member Posts: 27 Member
    #9

    I just changed regimens and with that came hoarseness. However, I am attributing that to the combination of benadryl and the other medications that they add to chemo that basically dry you out. Like everyone else, my oncologist's nurse claims that it cannot be attributed to the chemo - but, if you remove moisture from your system and vocal chords, then you get a hoarse throat.

  • ssnyder54
    ssnyder54 Member Posts: 2 *
    #10
    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/174800/chemo-induced-laryngitis

    I went through 6 months of Chemo and was like that the whole time. My doctor didn't seem to concern and as soon as I was done with Chemo it improved and I have not had any issues since then. It was very frustrating, to say the least during the time. The only thing that helped me was lots and lots of water and it still didn't talk it away.

  • JudithPoodith
    JudithPoodith Member Posts: 1 *
    #11

    I finished the 6 rounds of taxol and carbo, one month ago, and I have had a hoarse voice for a few weeks or so. I have trouble talking loud, or with a deeper voice. Mike's ENT might have something, connecting it to heartburn, because my digestion was affected by the chemo. I suppose the reflux acid could get up into the larynx.

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