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LPR and singing. Am I damaging my voice further?

Posted , 11 users are following.

Cheetah
Cheetah

I have LPR and am, currently, trying to manage without any medication. Five months of Lansoprazole and Ranitidine didn't help much.   I've adjusted my diet and chew gum after meals, which helps somewhat and am now waiting for an appointment for a Barium Swallow.  I belong to a choir and, although I've noticed that my vocal range has altered - it's lower - and I get hoarse after singing, I am still trying to sing.  However, my throat was very sore after last week's rehearsal.  The hospital consultant I saw at the end of last week didn't seem very sure what to say about the choir.  I don't think he'd come across anybody with LPR who sang before.  I wondered if anybody else had experienced the same difficulty.  What did you do?  And by continuing to sing am I damaging my vocal chords even more?  I'm loathe to give up something I really enjoy, but am worried that I am making things even worse.

2 likes, 20 replies

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  • skinnygirl11
    skinnygirl11 Cheetah

    Posted

    Hi Rosiemags,

    I have a similar problem - I was in a choir, but had to give up due to LPR - my throat was always sore and hoarse after singing and the quality of my voice went downhill. I loved singing, but just can't do it anymore :-(

    The Doctors are hopeless!!

     

  • rose43979
    rose43979 Cheetah

    Posted

    The symptoms of LPR are very similar to hiatus hernia which I have. I don't know what to advise re your vocal cords, but I fully understand your frustration. My life has almost gone on hold since it developed. I don't want to take meds but have tried a couple over the past 2 weeks which I've had to stop due to side effects. The sllghtest mis-calculation on my part will send acid up my throat and it happens way too frequently no matter how hard I try. Like you I've started chewing gum. I also take blackstrap molasses, UMF manuka honey, and DGL licorice. Am not sure if any of these help but I've devloped an esophageal ulcer and am trying to heal it. I'm also starting L-Glutamine today and am thinking of trying apple pectin as I read somewhere online that it coats the intestines and may help in the healing of ulcers. I'll try anything!  Cripes!
    • gandacC
      gandacC rose43979

      Posted

      What gum are you using? The gum I use makes my mouth ulcers worse which I think are a side effect of the rabeprazole.
  • libralady13
    libralady13 Cheetah

    Posted

    Hi,  I believe I have LPR although my gp says it's just reflux.  I am due to have a barium swallow next month to confirm reflux and to see if I have a hiatus hernia.

    I also sing in a rock and pop choir.  I have not been this term because of the throat mucus clearing of the throat and some hoarseness.  I am hoping to go back after the half term voice permitting.  The mucus is much improved I think due to drinking

    high ph water.  I don't really get heartburn but do get some indigestion type pains.

    My gp said if the barium meal shows nothing then she will send me for a gallbladder scan.  I am taking omeprazole but they don't really do much except upset my IBS bloating and constipation.  I am in the process of weaning myself of them.  I am thinking about DGL licorice and my gp has also given me gaviscon advance tablets to try.  I have not seen a consultant so don't know if it would damage your vocal chords.  Like you I do not want to give up something I love.

    I suffer from anxiety and singing does wonder for this.  I have not noticed that my vocal range has altered it is more that I sometimes cut out on higher notes( I am a soprano).  Sorry I can't be more helpful but I do know how you feel.  I did say on the reflux forum that I would not be posting anymore as I was getting very anxious about all the differing advice and talk about cancer.  However I thought I would reply to you.

    • Cheetah
      Cheetah libralady13

      Posted

      Thank you all so much for your replies.  I believe the Barium Swallow is the only test I haven't had.  I've had an endoscopy and the nasal camera, which diagnosed the LPR, but failed to show any reason for it - no hiatus hernia.  I'll certainly look up, Jaimie Kaufman, Caltherine 20908, thank you.  Sorry to hear that you had to give up your choir, skinnygirl11.  I think this is what is going to happen with me, as my throat gets progressively worse during rehearsals, even though I'm now singing as a tenor - I was an alto.  We have a few female tenors in our choir and the lower range suits me better now - but doesn't stop the sore throat!  I really appreciate your reply, libralady13 and do hope you can get back to your choir.  I'm sure that anxiety exacerbates the condition and I can understand singing being a relaxant.  Interestingly, I also suffer from IBS, which is just something else to contend with, isn't it?  Like you, I also find that some notes, the higher ones, just disappear altogether.  I haven't tried DGL licorice, so this is something else to think about.

      Thank you again for your responses and I hope that things improve for you all.

    • libralady13
      libralady13 Cheetah

      Posted

      Hi Rosiemags

      I don't know how strict a diet you are following but the thing I found helped most with throat mucus and voice is alkaline water.  I bought 8.2. from Amazon am I am waiting for another order to arrive.

      It is supposed to kill the pepsin in the throat which is activated by acid coming up or acid foods going down.  This I learnt on this forum although my gp does not know about LPR and I think even consultants don't know about.  Maybe you were lucky with yours as they diagnosed you with LPR.  Today I am going to the the dentist and hope

      I can keep my mouth open withour coughing or throat clearing.  My back is aching as well.  I still don't know what to do about choir I could go back and see how it goes for one session but you have to pay by term and it is expensive if I only go the once. 

      Good luck and hope your voice improves.

  • abc1234
    abc1234 Cheetah

    Posted

    Sorry to hear about your issues, but I am glad you posted this question. I posted a question on this board asking what's your baromter when it comes to LPR, but received very few responses. I was an avid runner before LPR. For years I would ask my running friends if they felt running was hard on their throat. Some of them would cough for hours after a run. It would just make my throat feel tender or scratchy. I was diagnosed with LPR about a month ago and have not ran since. I feel until I get a handle on my acid reflux I will not do anything intentionally to harm it even though running is very important to me. I am glad we live in an era to have boards like this. I think this may be the greatest way to figure out how to solve this issue.
    • peter361
      peter361 abc1234

      Posted

      Do you run near traffic

      I used to run to work but always got a sore throzt from the fumes.

  • skinnygirl11
    skinnygirl11 Cheetah

    Posted

    Hi abc1234<

    have you considered waiting 2/3 hours after eating before running?

      have="" you="" considered="" waiting="" 2/3="" hours="" after="" eating="" before="" running?="">

    have you considered waiting 2/3 hours after eating before running?

     >

    • abc1234
      abc1234 skinnygirl11

      Posted

      Hi Skinnygirl, thanks for asking. Yup my norm is to wait 2 hours after eating before I would run. I used this for years to prevent tummy cramps. Do you have LPR? If so I am very curious what you use as your barometer of how your doing on a daily basis. If possible please answer the question in my post. It would help others who are new to LPR and have the same question.
  • skinnygirl11
    skinnygirl11 Cheetah

    Posted

    Hi abc1234,

    I have the symptoms of LPR - globus, very sore throat,  hoarse voice, tickly throat etc. I do not have a barometer of how I'm doing on a daily basis - I just follow a strict  low acid diet - Gaviscon advance after every meal and before bed, the bed is raised on 6 inch blocks at one end and I drink alkaline water. The Doctors have been no help and I cannot tolerate PPIs, Ranatidine didn't help so I just try to keep myself as healthy as possible.

  • libralady13
    libralady13 Cheetah

    Posted

    Hi Just wondered how you were and if you are still able to sing in your choir. What did your barium swallow show?  I have not been to choir since September and the new term starts tomorrow I had been hoping to go as I was getting a bit better.  Over Christmas I had a terrible cold urinary infection and antibiotics.  I also ate things I shouldn't although nowhere near as much as I would normally eat at Christmas only a little chocolate and 2 small glasses of wine plus some other goodies.  I feel ok but still coughing and more throat mucus.  I am now getting back to my normal diet so hope this will help.  Just don't know what to do about choir It costs £100 per term so don't want to pay then find I can't sing.  I was really looking forward to it and it helps so much with my anxiety.  I love singing and as a soprano I can't reach the high notes.  What do you think?

     

  • leanne66506
    leanne66506 Cheetah

    Posted

    Hi,

    as far as I know singing with lpr doesnt damage the vocal cords it just causes them to become hypersensitive and irritated and tired.

    Gaviscon advance liquid with 1000mg sodium alginate works brilliantly order from uk around 28 dollars a bottle plu p/h.This is the only non medical treatment intervention that I have foundworks and believe me I have tried everythinggone through the ringer with the doctors ridiculous it is easier to get your penis cut of and become a male than to get the linx surgery here in Australia.

    This lpr has just about ruined my singing career I ama soprano and my life it is exhausting embarrasing and annoying to those around you to constantly clear mucous get hoarse after singing a few scales etc.Doctors are non understanding YET they will take of nodules of these so called contempoiry singers such as Adele who really cant sing properly or sing in their wrong tessitura and end up with nodules that will and do come back if wrong singing is continued our case is different a lot of us lpr sufferers are getting training and have learnt to sing correctly only to be told by incompetent idiot ent specialists that we need voice therapy.I am still taking gaviscon advance when I can get it and waiting it has been one year now for a 24 hour impendance testing for this 21st century disease LPR that can be easily fixed by linx but not in this backward country

     

    • Afeb1996
      Afeb1996 leanne66506

      Posted

      I've gotten the same respose from most ENT''s here. What is this Surgery you are reffering to that treats LPR??

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