Low voice

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osmotar
osmotar Member Posts: 1,006
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
It seems now that I am almost at the end of my rad treatments...my voice has gotten lower, sometimes to the point of not being understood. It seems to come and go fade in and out, my throat doesn't hurt. I'm drinking loads of water to keep everthing lubricated...is this something that is common with the rad treatments?


Linda

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  • RogerRN43
    RogerRN43 Member Posts: 185
    #2
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    Voice
    My voice got softer and I found if I talked more, my throat hurt more in the evening, so there was a time in the last 2 weeks of rads, I barely talked.
    I am 1 week post rads and I still conserve what I want to say so as not to aggravate the area. I am not on any pain meds.

    I don't think what you're experiencing is uncommon. There is a lot of changes going on in the throat area from rads to affect the way your voice is being projected like the way a bad cold can affect your voice. It's temporary and my rational take on it, although others may chime in and say that it actually happened to them or not.

    Best wishes as you finish treatment.
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #3
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    Voice and speaking issues.
    Yes, I lost my voice for a month or two at the end. To this day, I speak lower in volume than I used to. If I try and yell or raise my voice, it hurts, and it cracks. My speech was also not well understood because my tongue and mouth were in so much pain, it really hurt to talk. My tongue still doesn't move the way I want to, and while my speech is miles better than it was, it still have trouble with the letter 'S', and saying "Th" words. I used to be such a chatterbox, I never shut up, now with all that and the dry mouth, I hate to talk. I text a lot.
  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member
    #4
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    Depends
    in addition to what's already been said, some of this depends on how your treatment was designed. I had a block built into my radiation field. 2x2 cm, centered on my larynx. If directly radiated, clearly the vocal mechanism is directly affected by the radiation. Otherwise, I had only the tongue discomfort to deal with. I quit talking a quickly as I could, and spoke softly on purpose, as it hurt a lot to move my tongue against my teeth.

    Shoot, I still limit vocalization, when I think of it. My wife, who is an absolute chatterbox when she gets going, is prone when I don't immediately answer her, to begin pelting me with "what's wrong, what's wrong, what's wrong..." LOL, we finally settled on a hand signal from me to interrupt the cycle.

    Pat
  • MarineE5
    MarineE5 Member Posts: 1,030 Member
    #5
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    longtermsurvivor said:

    Depends
    in addition to what's already been said, some of this depends on how your treatment was designed. I had a block built into my radiation field. 2x2 cm, centered on my larynx. If directly radiated, clearly the vocal mechanism is directly affected by the radiation. Otherwise, I had only the tongue discomfort to deal with. I quit talking a quickly as I could, and spoke softly on purpose, as it hurt a lot to move my tongue against my teeth.

    Shoot, I still limit vocalization, when I think of it. My wife, who is an absolute chatterbox when she gets going, is prone when I don't immediately answer her, to begin pelting me with "what's wrong, what's wrong, what's wrong..." LOL, we finally settled on a hand signal from me to interrupt the cycle.

    Pat

    Chuckle....
    longtermsurvivor ( LTS )

    I'm sorry, but I got the biggest chuckle on your last sentence..( we finally settled on a hand signal from me to interrupt the cycle.) Being a Marine, the first thing that popped into my head was one middle finger going up to indicate that person was #1 in your book : )

    I got a good chuckle out of it and to be honest with you, today I needed it...

    My Best to You and Everyone Here
  • MarineE5
    MarineE5 Member Posts: 1,030 Member
    #6
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    Low Voice
    Linda,

    Yes, most of us do end up talking just above a whisper at the end of treatments, and it lasts for several weeks. Luckily, my wife would answer the phone and take all the calls so I didn't have to strain my voice each day.

    My Best to You and Everyone Here
  • Pam M
    Pam M Member Posts: 2,196
    #7
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    BIg Club
    I still have the occasional "puberty boy voice". The more softly I speak, the greater the odds that my voice will not come out a croak. I don't have to whisper, I just don't want to have to project my voice. I was very pleasantly surprised this summer, a little over a year after treatment, to discover that I can yell again. Dunno when I regained the ability - luckily, I'm not the kind of person who would feel the need to try to yell on a regular basis.
  • osmotar
    osmotar Member Posts: 1,006
    #8
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    Thanks All
    What surprises me the most with this voice is I'll go to talk and nothing but a wee whisper, andd then other times I'm talking and the longer I talk ..away it goes. Oh well if this is the least of my worries I won't complain.
  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member
    #9
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    MarineE5 said:

    Chuckle....
    longtermsurvivor ( LTS )

    I'm sorry, but I got the biggest chuckle on your last sentence..( we finally settled on a hand signal from me to interrupt the cycle.) Being a Marine, the first thing that popped into my head was one middle finger going up to indicate that person was #1 in your book : )

    I got a good chuckle out of it and to be honest with you, today I needed it...

    My Best to You and Everyone Here

    that is closer to the truth than you might think:)
    Since my surgery last year, and especially when my cancer returned, vocal fatigue has been a huge problem. Interestingly, it has gotten much better because of my recent success with chemotherapy.

    We had to work quite awhile on this, as communiation styles are pretty deeply ingrained, and therefore hard to change. Most of my vocal fatigue, of course, occured at the end of the day. And by that time, I just didn't want to talk any more. Try convincing someone to ask simple "yes" or "no" questions, when asking open-ended questions is their style. It does lead to the form of communication you suggested. Fortunately, she got better, and I've gotten better....

    Best

    Pat
  • josh r.
    josh r. Member Posts: 264 Member
    #10
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    Lack of voice
    Hi Osmotar,
    I am 20 years, thank God, removed from my last treatment but I remember, and still occasionally have, voice problems. It was suggested I use artificial saliva spray which I purchased at the local drug store. Then, as now, speaking was a big part of my profession and it was of great help to me. I do not see this recommended on this site very often, if at all, so perhaps it is not recommended any longer for whatever reason. I can only say that it helped me and it might be worth a try. Best wishes in the New Year, Josh r.
  • KTeacher
    KTeacher Member Posts: 1,103
    #11
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    Voice
    I was worried about going back to school, I am a Kindergarten teacher. I was pleasantly surprised to make it through the first week after Thanksgiving. By Friday it was going. I am having a hard time blowing my whistle at recess, maybe I will have to revert to the old fashioned bell! Definitely cannot raise my voice very loud, but it is working.
  • osmotar
    osmotar Member Posts: 1,006
    #12
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    josh r. said:

    Lack of voice
    Hi Osmotar,
    I am 20 years, thank God, removed from my last treatment but I remember, and still occasionally have, voice problems. It was suggested I use artificial saliva spray which I purchased at the local drug store. Then, as now, speaking was a big part of my profession and it was of great help to me. I do not see this recommended on this site very often, if at all, so perhaps it is not recommended any longer for whatever reason. I can only say that it helped me and it might be worth a try. Best wishes in the New Year, Josh r.

    Thanks
    Thanks Josh...I use stoppers4 for the dry mouth and stay hydrated thru the day, it seemd if I haven't said anything for a long time, long is a relative term for a lady :) that when I do go to speak the voice is low or really horse. Wow 20 years congrats!!!

    Linda
  • osmotar
    osmotar Member Posts: 1,006
    #13
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    KTeacher said:

    Voice
    I was worried about going back to school, I am a Kindergarten teacher. I was pleasantly surprised to make it through the first week after Thanksgiving. By Friday it was going. I am having a hard time blowing my whistle at recess, maybe I will have to revert to the old fashioned bell! Definitely cannot raise my voice very loud, but it is working.

    Ring
    I'd use the bell. There are times since I am working from home that I am on the phone all day, no sore throat or anything, the voice just fades, so sipping water thru all conversations.
  • josh r.
    josh r. Member Posts: 264 Member
    #14
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    osmotar said:

    Thanks
    Thanks Josh...I use stoppers4 for the dry mouth and stay hydrated thru the day, it seemd if I haven't said anything for a long time, long is a relative term for a lady :) that when I do go to speak the voice is low or really horse. Wow 20 years congrats!!!

    Linda

    voice
    Hi Linda,
    Thanks, yes I am really blessed. These suggestions may be too obvious but I used gum and throat drops, i.e. Halls etc., for a good period of time before I was confident and able to due without. Again, all the best to you and all our brothers and sisters in the New Year. Josh r.
  • staceya
    staceya Member Posts: 720
    #15
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    osmotar said:

    Ring
    I'd use the bell. There are times since I am working from home that I am on the phone all day, no sore throat or anything, the voice just fades, so sipping water thru all conversations.

    Voice Lessons?
    I have these issues too, and like most of you need to talk a lot for work.
    It has been almost 2 years but I feel I sound hoarse and mumbling, fading etc.
    I feel like I am harder to understand, also raising my voice is hardly possible. I have a good amount of saliva (Amen to that) but wonder if taking voice lessons (did they use to call it elocution?)would help?
    What do you think?
    Stacey

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