Lost my voice, can you help me find it?

Subject: Lost my voice, can you help me find it?
From: reggie miles
Date: 05 Apr 08 - 03:30 AM

I've recently contracted a very minor congestion in the back of sinus passages that has been ever so slightly draining down my throat. I think this has caused me to lose my singing voice. Most of the upper register that I used to be able to belt out without a problem is now unattainable. It's as if I was never able to reach the notes in the keys that I used to sing. I've tried lowering the keys of the songs that I sing but still find it difficult to reach the higher notes. Is this affliction a common bug going around? Or have I simply lost my voice forever? Can you lose your singing voice permanently? I feel powerless.

I'll admit that the keys that I've been singing in were higher than I've ever reached before and at first it was a real challenge to get used to singing in these higher keys. It was pushing my voice to it's limits. When I would hit certain notes it even caused my ears to vibrate in an odd way that I've never experienced before and it made me wonder if I would inadvertently damage my ears by pushing my voice so hard.

Though I've tried several different remedies, I've not been able to cure the congestion yet. Perhaps it's just a matter of curing what may be the cause but I've never suffered this kind of singing difficulty for such an extended period of time. So, I'm growing concerned as to whether I may have caused some damaged to my vocal cords. Is there a doctor in the house? Has anyone else experienced this?

Subject: RE: Lost my voice, can you help me find it?
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 05 Apr 08 - 04:57 AM

Reggie, there are a lot of good threads on this issue, and if you look at the top of the page in any of them you'll see links to more - the elves will probably do that with this one too when they get time. Below are a only a few of them, though unfortunately I'm in a tearing rush right now and don't have time to make blue clickies, but you can just copy-&-paste.

I'm not a doctor but I have experienced this, and from what I read I don't think it's permanent though it does take some months (not days) to heal. There's no real medicine for it except time - my doctor verified these same points when I spoke to him about my own condition, and experience bore it out.

Whatever you do DON'T STRAIN it, and don't try to sing at all if your throat is clogged up with guck. It will just put extra wear on your vocal cords, like forcing a car to drive with its hand-brake on. Take a look at my answer in the first thread below* which explains what I mean a bit more fully. Your situation really does sound similar. And she has how just put a CD out (there's a thread about that too, if you word-search her user name) which speaks (!) for itself. Lots of other excellent advice on offer too, so keep your spirits up. And let us know how you get on. Wishing the best of luck to you -

http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=87401 *

http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=88583

http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=4563

http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=13976

http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=59681

Subject: RE: Lost my voice, can you help me find it?
From: Cats
Date: 05 Apr 08 - 04:57 AM

Hi Reggie, There have been a number of threads about losing your voice so for all the suggestions that have been made previously, check them out. I had to be off work for a whole term last year and had Speech and Language therapy twice a week at hospital and every day at home with exercises or I would have had to give up teaching and never sing again. It was the singing that did it, no joke. I could have found another job but the thought of never singng again filled me with horror. If you have anything wrong with your throat / voice that doesn't go away within a week you should see your GP and if that doesn't work ask to be sent to a consultant. As a singer you are classed as a 'professional voice user' and so will be seen quickly. I was a professional voice user on 5 counts and saw a consultant inside a week and had therapy in 2 days after that. Don't play around with your voice. Get professional help.

Subject: RE: Lost my voice, can you help me find it?
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 05 Apr 08 - 05:00 AM

Wait an hour for the bus and two come along at the same time !! ;-)

Subject: RE: Lost my voice, can you help me find it?
From: GUEST,lurgan
Date: 05 Apr 08 - 06:07 AM

try a mixtur of honey and vinegar in hot water. this is avery old remedy

Subject: RE: Lost my voice, can you help me find it?
From: jacqui.c
Date: 05 Apr 08 - 08:22 AM

reggie - there has been a really nasty bug going the rounds that leads to a lot of congestion and, ultimately, a temporary loss of voice. I got this first over Christmas, with a repeat dose in January, which left me unable to sing at all and then unable to reach the high register through February. Part of the problem was caused by coughing fits when the congestion got very bad. I used Mucinex to try and clear the congestion and just had to wait the thing out.

If you have the same bug it is just a matter of patience and not trying to use your voice, if you can avoid it. Mine's now almost back to normal although I am still aware of minor congestion and a little loss of range.

Subject: RE: Lost my voice, can you help me find it?
From: kendall
Date: 05 Apr 08 - 08:41 AM

Jacqui is right. It was real quiet around here with neither of us being able to talk.She didn't appreciate it when I referred to her voice loss as a "power failure".

Subject: RE: Lost my voice, can you help me find it?
From: reggie miles
Date: 05 Apr 08 - 01:08 PM

Many thanks to all of you for your kind words of wisdom. I thought at first to look in the power search for this subject but could not find anything. I see now that there was indeed much about this same issue. I'll continue to nurse this along and hope that all of the gigs can do with less than my best if I don't heal properly before they arrive.

Subject: RE: Lost my voice, can you help me find it?
From: stallion
Date: 05 Apr 08 - 02:26 PM

So that's where I picked it up Jacqui! A couple of weeks after we returned home I got a horrid bug that had me coughing blood and my voice is still not right!

Subject: RE: Lost my voice, can you help me find it?
From: jacqui.c
Date: 05 Apr 08 - 03:54 PM

No dear - I got this one in the UK over Christmas - it had obviously been making the rounds from when you had it and hit me then!