ever lost your voice?

[catnapper]

I usually lose my voice at least once a winter but have never lost it as badly as I have done now! I can't go above a whisper no matter how hard I try. I was able to have class last night by making everyone move close to me so I figured I'd also be ok for today's classes because nobody has barkers. I woke up and immediately realized that even non-barkers wouldn't hear me!

I wouldn't be surprised to wake up tomorrow and have absolutely no voice!

What can I do for this? I've tried the hot tea thing. I've tried ginger ale. I've tried a fruit smoothie (though very yummy, it didn't help) I've tried ice pops (again, very yummy, but not helpful ) I'm gonna turn into a Halls cough drop if I have another one. My throat isn't sore - just itchy (if that makes sense)

Everyone here is laughing their butts off because I can't talk. They love the "peace and quiet"

Help! I asked the pharmacist last night what might help and he said "time" -- there has to be some home rememdy to help! So what have you done when you lost your voice?

[Dorothy39]

Catnapper, You just keep typing on Pet Talk ,

The Pharmacist was right, it will take time, I lost my voice for 2 weeks once.

[Karen]

Suffered miserably - the one time I completely lost it was at a choral music gathering. Thankfully I got it back before th performance at the end of the week.

Just time, steam (from tea or eucalyptus leaves sprinkled over hot water), and not using it at all. Can one of your kids come with you to class tonight to holler out what you write on a pad of paper?

[catnapper]

Dorothy - lost your voice for two weeks? I'd be doomed! I can't lose more than todays' work (I actually can't afford to lose today, but I was told by my manager that she didn't want me in the store to infect everyone else)

Karen, trust me, I had already imagined having someone else yell out what I want to tell my class There's someone in the store who wants to be the next dog trainer -- it would be one good way for her to get practical experience

[sandragonfly]

..how can you lose voice?? is there sometimes a cause? or you just lost it for a while?

I guess that's good thing for me, I would never have to worry about my voice.

[Anita Cholaine]

I only lost my voice really badly once. It was weird, because I did not even have a cold or a sore throat. I remember I was speaking perfectly, and from one second to another, my voice was gone!
There's not much you can do, I think. Tea with a a bit of honey usually works well for me.

Hope you get your voice back ASAP!

[Laura's Babies]

I have lost mine and with the worst sore throat in the world! My throat actually felt like someone had scrubbed it until it was bloody with a brillo pad.. Went to the doctor and my regular doc wasn't there and I had to see someone else.. He looked down my throat and said "Yep! It is a sore throat if I ever saw one, keep doing whatever you been doing!", and he walked out... I had driven 30 minutes, paid money, waited a hour to have a DOCTOR confirm I had a sore throat!!!!"

But I had a friend that made me those hot toddys with tea, honey and whiskey and threatened my life if I didn't drink it...Oooo It felt so GOOD going down even thought it burned my throat, and in a few days my throat was fine!

I have another friend that swears by raw onions when her throat gets sore if you want to try that....

[catnapper]

Raw onions?!?! I picked the onions off my chicken sandwich tonight (going back to the thread about ordering food & complaining: hubby ordered my favorite chicken sandwich tonight just to try to make me feel better..... and of course they made it wrong and he neglected to check it before he left the restaurant )

I get this from a post nasal drip every year. I typically lose it so that I sound squeaky, but I can still talk. I've never had it where I can only whisper. I am trying not to talk at all, which is VERY weird for me. My throat doesn't really hurt - just itchy. I can't describe it. You'd think I'd be in serious pain but I'm not. I'm not even going to the doctor because like Laura's doctor, I've learned they will just say "yup, you have a sore throat". Hubby had this last week and he got antibiotics... well he had something similar, he never lost his voice. I went to the pharmacy last night and they actually refilled the antibiotics for him.... only thing is that they are Amoxicillan(sp?), and I'm allergic to pennicllin so I'm not able to take it. Oh well, now we have it on hand for when one of the kids gets this same thing.

I'm starting to think this voice is going ot be gone or a while. Its gotten worse since I first posted about it. I'm at almost no whisper now, especially if I try to scream. The more I try to speak softly the louder my voice is -- weird, huh? Nothing at all comes out if I try to scream. LOL

[caseysmom]

Just don't whisper that will make it worse. Gina this is called Laryngitits and often accompanies a cold.

[sandragonfly]

ooh, laryngitits. it has its own name? I see, thanks. I'm curious about this!

[elizabethann]

You're talking to the Queen of Laryngitis here. I haven't been able to talk in 2 weeks. I'm JUST getting my voice back...but very slowly. It started as a really bad cold, then a sinus infection and then laryngitis....I even got conjunctivitis too. Today marks the end of week 4, that I've been sick.

I've been to the doctor 3 times. Did you go to your doctor? I'm on antibiotics. But she said there is really nothing you can do for laryngitis except rest. She said that mine is caused by a bacterial infection that I must have picked up when I had my cold. She suggested tea with lemon, honey and gargling with warm water & salt. She also said not to talk at all (even whisper).

So I would suggest you just rest your voice and drink lots of liquids.

Take care of yourself and be well.

[cali]

I have honestly never lost my voice for longer then an hour or 2. but when I do, a nice hot cup of NeoCitron does the trick every time.

[buttercup132]

Cepacol sore throat spray works well I find. I always get stupid Strep throat and loose my voice. I think drinking hot lemon tea help too.

[borzoimom]

Just don't whisper that will make it worse. Gina this is called Laryngitits and often accompanies a cold.

Caseysmom is right. Whispering will actually make it worse. When you whisper, you are not using your diaphragm as much which will stress the vocal cords more.
I use to sing in college with Westminster and the NY Philharmonic. They taught us all this voice care.
As far as losing my own voice, I lost mine soooooo bad a few years ago, that nooooooooooooo sound came out when I opened my mouth. It took probably about a week to get to a whisper than the restraint to say nothing but another week.. I wrote notes..
Try using zinc logenges. It also comes in a product called cold eeze. This helps to reverse the bacteria in the soft pallet and throat. It works.
Avoid really hot or really cold drinks. Luke warm is best. Overly hot or cold will further blister the vocal cords.

[catnapper]

Zinc losenges make me sooooooo sick. I actually knew the inventor of Cold Eeze (REALLY nice guy~!) and he said some people just can't handle the extra zinc.

Thanks for why whispering is worse. I will be taking a note pad with me everywhere now. My voice is no better this morning - drat.

Funny thing is letting Nicki out to potty. I never realized how much I talk to her while she's out there. I let her offleash in the yard and tell her when she's going too far away, etc. I couldn't do that this morning and Miss Nicki kept happily rambling along (probably waiting for me to tell her she's too far away ) Then she wouldn't come in because I couldn't tell her I had a cookie