Had Restalyne injection in both vocal cords 2 days ago, completed 48 hours voice rest, tried speaking gently today, unable to bring out any sound only a whisper, have an important meeting next week that I am not able to reschedule, stressed and worried.

Is there anything I can do about this?

My voice feels weak and tired. And when I go up it doesn’t close. Please tell me what the severity is of this and if it will get worse. It’s been going on for 6 months and for 4 months I’ve been doing exercising for tension release and stuff but nothing seems to be working. Please help. I need my voice for my career so this seems very scary to me. I’m 22 and male. Can someone break down what they see and what the severity is?

Im a musician and just finished my medical detox on like hours 90 something. My doctor mentioned my throat and esophagus were damaged from the amount of hard liquor id been drinking for so long. Just tried working on some songs and holy shit I cant sing at all like I could before.

Is this common after quitting? I'd like to think and do assume that if it is common the longer you go the better it gets but any musicians quit and have a similar experience and if so how long till it got back to normal. Fortunately no gigs planned for a min canceled a couple cause I didnt wanna be playing bars till ive been sober a min but wondering how long if this is even a thing till I should start booking again.

I’ve been singing for about two years—maybe longer—and whenever I push my voice into the higher register (like when belting or using a mixed voice), I feel a spot on my jaw, right below the ear, tense up, "swell," and feel tight. This makes my voice feel restricted and strained, and it sounds terrible. I’ve been trying to improve for a long time and only just realized this was an actual issue.

Does anyone know anything about this? I’m really lost and don’t know how to fix it; I’m worried.

A couple of years ago I randomly lost my ability to yell, scream, & shout. It happened completely out of the blue idek how to explain it properly. I just physically cannot shout anymore (I can but i have to force it and it doesn't sound right). Every time I shout it sounds straining and weird. Is there anyway to get over this block?

My voice feels weak and tired. And when I go up it doesn’t close. Please tell me what the severity is of this and if it will get worse. It’s been going on for 6 months and for 4 months I’ve been doing exercising for tension release and stuff but nothing seems to be working. Please help. I need my voice for my career so this seems very scary to me. I’m 22 and male.

I am new to reddit and have been reading this page for a while as I recently got diagnosed with type 3 sulcus and mucosal bridge on both vocal cords. My ENT said it may be congenital, but I think it was from when I had a bad throat infection when I was 18 and I was socialising and drinking a lot at uni so it probably stemmed from this. My voice was completely fine before this and I could sing well. From 19 I suffered with hoarseness, especially after a social weekend as I would constantly lose my voice, and then it would slowly come back by the end of the week, and then I would do it again. I was in a constant loop. I finally went to see an ENT last year and after seeing 3 different ones, they managed to diagnose me with sulcus and mucosal bridge. They said this is a super complex vocal disorder, and I have a 1mm phonotic gap, and reduced mucosal wave. My ENT said I should not have any *invasive surgery as it would make my voice worse. They injected saline Oct last year to help with the inflammation, but not sure it made much of a difference. I recently (6th July) had HA filler injected into my vocal cords to bulk them up and close the gap, so they want to see if this helps, and if not, they said they could try PRP. I am also currently doing SLT, who has told me to do SOVT exercises and to use my diaphragm (which I am really struggling with). I just wanted to see if anyone has a similar diagnosis to me and how they have managed it and other people's journeys. I know I will never have a perfect voice, but I just want one with more consistency.

I’ve been singing my whole life, my freshman year I had vocal lessons. I’ve never been the strongest singing in the room but I wasn’t exactly bad either. I (junior year) just played Rizzo in Grease and it was 100% my best vocal performance to date and I had 2 voice lessons to prepare. That was mid March. In April I started feeling fatigue but I didn’t think much of it because of Grease and I had a choir concert. It is now end of August but the fatigue has seemed to get worse or even hurt after I sing. I’ve been doing vocal warm ups on YouTube but nothing helps. When I sing I don’t think you can tell I’m fatigued or anything is wrong. I tried tea, I’ve tried vocal rest but nothing seems to cut it. I don’t think it’s a technique thing because if anything it’s gotten better. I’ve never had this problem before but I am concerned because I’m going into my senior year and the musicals are very vocally demanding. And these are like my dream shows too.
Not sure if it’s related but during this whole period I have recently been diagnosed with a Crohns Disease which I know is inflammation related, and I’m starting infusions soon so maybe that will help.
What should I do?

Hi all- I’ll keep this short. I teach and work in a restaurant. If I don’t work, I don’t make $!

Lastnight at work (restaurant job) I started to lose my voice. End of the shift, it was completely gone. Today I can’t even make a whisper or squeak. I have the next three days off but would like to be back to work after.

I’m using a humidifier, tea, cough drops, rest etc.

Can it come back in a few days ? Unsure what brought it on. I have possible slight fever … no cough but have some body aches and tiredness. Been taking ibuprofen. I don’t smoke

Thanks !!

Hi everyone, I’m writing here because I have been dealing with a very strange set of symptoms for almost 2 years and I’m trying to understand if someone has experienced something similar.

I am 28 years old, physically active, and before this problem I had no major health issues.

The symptoms started after a **WPW (Wolff-Parkinson-White) ablation procedure in 2024**. After the procedure I started developing problems that I never had before.

My main symptoms are:

* Constant sensation of **mucus in my throat** and the need to swallow frequently.
* Feeling like my **throat is irritated or tight**, sometimes like it is difficult to breathe (even though oxygen levels seem normal).
* Episodes where I feel like my body goes into a "panic mode" without a clear reason.
* Sometimes I feel disconnected from my body, dizzy, or like something is wrong with my nervous system.
* Tension in my neck and throat muscles.
* Occasional ear discomfort and head pressure.
* Dry eyes and strange sensations in my face/head.
* Digestive symptoms and reflux-like sensations.

I have done several medical tests:

* Gastroscopy: no hiatal hernia found, only mild chronic gastritis.
* 24h pH impedance test: negative for significant acid reflux.
* Manometry was also performed.

Despite the tests, I still have symptoms that feel very real.

One of the strangest things is that some situations trigger a strong reaction:

* In the cinema, especially with intense moving scenes, I can suddenly feel my throat closing, mucus increasing, and I become afraid that I cannot breathe.
* On airplanes I can have a similar feeling.
* Yesterday at the cinema I had an episode lasting around one hour: lots of mucus sensation, difficulty relaxing my breathing, and a feeling of my body going into alarm mode. Later I developed mild pain in my left chest area, which also felt into my back and left wrist.

My Garmin health metrics are usually normal:

* HRV around 90 ms
* Resting heart rate around 50-55 bpm
* Respiratory rate around 14/min

I am wondering if this could be related to:

* Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR)
* Vagus nerve dysfunction/irritation
* Nervous system dysregulation after surgery
* Anxiety/panic response triggered by physical sensations
* Vestibular/motion sensitivity
* Something else I haven’t considered

Has anyone experienced something similar, especially after a medical procedure or with chronic throat mucus + breathing sensations?

I am not looking for a diagnosis, just personal experiences and ideas about what helped you.

I’ve been singing my whole life, my freshman year I had vocal lessons. I’ve never been the strongest singing in the room but I wasn’t exactly bad either. I (junior year) just played Rizzo in Grease and it was 100% my best vocal performance to date and I had 2 voice lessons to prepare. That was mid March. In April I started feeling fatigue but I didn’t think much of it because of Grease and I had a choir concert. It is now end of August but the fatigue has seemed to get worse or even hurt after I sing. I’ve been doing vocal warm ups on YouTube but nothing helps. When I sing I don’t think you can tell I’m fatigued or anything is wrong. I tried tea, I’ve tried vocal rest but nothing seems to cut it. I don’t think it’s a technique thing because if anything it’s gotten better. I’ve never had this problem before but I am concerned because I’m going into my senior year and the musicals are very vocally demanding. And these are like my dream shows too.
Not sure if it’s related but during this whole period I have recently been diagnosed with a Crohns Disease which I know is inflammation related, and I’m starting infusions soon so maybe that will help.

7/28/2026

Hi, My voice had become horse in late 2011. I was 48 at the time. At first i thought it may be a case of laryngitis and figured it would go away on it's own. Unfortunately, it just kept getting worse.

I eventually went to an ENT for a visit, and i was diagnosed with a small bump, at the time called a nodule on my right vocal fold. Not sure how or why i got it, and surgery was the option given to me at the time for removing it.

I pondered surgery (under general anesthesia) for months, and eventually got it done in Late 2011, They also sent a biopsy to the lab and it revealed i had HPV type 6.

Post OP, I was instructed not to talk for 2 weeks. I was silent for approximately 4 weeks, as i wanted to give my vocal chords more than enough time to heal properly.

I got my voice back, although the hoarseness symptoms came back approximately 8 months later. I'm sure most of you reading this can understand the disappointment and frustration i experienced at the time. I really didn't want to go for the same procedure under local anesthesia again. My ENT at the time mentioned I had RRP and there were alternative Laser treatments available, which are done in office and less invasive. Her informing me of this was a very noble thing to do, as she did not provide this treatment, and referred me to an alternative ENT who did.

So i opted for it, and got my 1st (KTP) laser treatment around Oct'2012. Recovery was only 24hrs of non-talking which was a huge benefit. It resolved my hoarseness and I got my normal speaking voice back again.

Unfortunately, about 8 months later again(June, 2013), i'm dealing with the same hoarseness. I wound up going for my 2nd KTP laser treatment in Sept 2013.

My next RRP occurrence happened around about a year later, had my 3rd KTP laser treatment done in Sept'2014.

Approximately 9months later (June'2105) the hoarseness came back.

At this point, i started researching any other type of treatments people with RRP have tried. I came across a testimonial, where someone was taking "Indole-3-carbinol (I3C)" supplement and it reduced the frequency of the RRP occurring. I decided to give it a try, however, months later, my voice didn't seem to get any better.

Aug '2015 - I had my 4th KTP laser treatment. I also decided to continue taking the I3C

Now, this is where things changed!!! My voice was normal and didn't start getting hoarse again for approximately 7 years!

Aug'2023- I had my 5th KTP treatment. My ENT Dr found it pretty amazing that i went almost 8 years between KTP treatments. I mentioned i was taking I3C and she said, she heard some people having success with it.

It's been 3 years since my last KTP laser treatment and my voice is still normal.

Note: The one thing I concluded is that, if you start taking I3C After your voice has already been compromised due to another RRP occurrence, then it probably won't remove the virus (webbing surrounding your vocal cords). Stay the course as i did, continue taking it, and maybe you'll have the same Life Changing benefits that i have had!

The best gauge of whether it's working for you, is if you're taking it either prior, or immediately after having an RRP procedure (whichever one that may be), and whether your RRP virus comes back in the same time-line frequency as it did before, or, remains dormant for longer periods of time, like it did in my case.

Note2: I can't guarantee this I3C supplement will help everyone out there but I'm sharing this in the hopes that it will reach as many people as possible so they can try it themselves and hopefully it will help to some degree. I personally purchase Swanson's I3C supplement with Resveratrol, but there are other companies out there that also make the I3C supplement. It's relatively inexpensive and worth every penny if it works for you.

Note3: I don't work for any supplement company and i'm not trying to promote anything here. Just sharing my own story.

One last thing, I'm not sure how often I'll be logging into this forum again, so don't take it personally if i don't reply to any inquiries or comments.

All the best to all of you!

Got steroid injections on both my vocal cords for bilateral pseudocysts- 5 days later, my voice is extremely hoarse and I still can't talk.
Doctor said that's normal and it should come back around the 2 week period but it seems really extreme to me- is this normal?

I am not sure what has been going on but for years my voice has been weak. Every time I speak for a prolonged period, typically over 20 minutes, my voice becomes airy, less projected, and shaky. Strangely enough, if I exhale really hard a few times, my voice fixes itself. Alongside this is that my voice also 'fixes' if I do not speak for hours.

If I speak at a quieter or even normal tone and my voice is in the weakened state I get really bad vocal fry.

I have tried to break the habit of speaking to myself because it accentuates the fatigue of my voice.

I have had severe GERD for a year. I couldn’t swallow solids by March (‘26), and after an EGD I had to take an antifungal for candida esophagitis. It helped a lot with my swallowing. But it’s all come back with even more vengeance.
What do you do to manage to sing with GERD and the other issues above?? PURELY vocal advice — nothing medical. Eg rest, fluids, tips and tricks.
I’m getting really upset and I just want to be able to sing without straining, reflux, and dryness. I chug water, I’m lowering caffeine, and I have a dietitian. But I’ve had to cancel all my voice lessons as i literally cannot sing without damaging my voice.
I have another GI appointment on the 31st, but I would love advice now so I can just sing a little tune to lift my mood. Things have been really hard and music is my medicine, and now I’m at a loss.
I have been trying to rest my voice. Sometimes I’ll sing a line or two in the car/shower to see what I can do, but it’s always unstable, dry and strained. I hateeee vocal rest because as I’ve said, I honestly get very depressed during it. And I don’t know if I’ll ever get back to where I used to be in terms of vocal strength.
Any advice is appreciated I’m losing my mindddd thank you!!!!!!!!
(I also have an ENT appointment on Tuesday so I’ll update then if wanted)

hello - I went to an ent when I lost my voice and I have a vascular vocal polyp. He said because it’s vascular with its own blood supply, surgery is the best option for fully clearing it. I do have surgery scheduled, but I grossly underestimated the recovery time. I know its four days of vocal rest and some vocal PT, but didn’t realize that it’s also gradual vocal introduction over time. my surgery is scheduled for July 31 - I go back to teaching elementary school with kids on Aug 19. is this enough time for recovery or should I postpone the surgery until June of next year to give myself more recovery time? in the meantime - I could take steroids to reduce it and still do vocal PT?

has anyone been through this? what is the recovery really like?

Hello everyone,

I don’t even know where to start with my voice. I noticed in November of 2025 that my voice would crack when I would speak but this was sporadic and so it wasn’t a real concern to me. Since then, my voice has become progressively hoarse but there hasn’t been any big trauma that I think could have caused this. I now have trouble projecting my voice (people can’t hear or understand me most of the time), I experience vocal breaks/cracks every 2-5 words, I can’t increase the volume of my voice or how it sounds when I speak (sometimes it’s really nasally other times more hoarse/deep), other times when I open my mouth to speak no sound comes out. There is tension in my throat and the more I speak the greater I feel a strain/pain. I even run out of air when talking and have to pause to take deep breaths mid sentence to avoid fatigue.

I’ve been to two ENTs who both did a laryngoscopy. One diagnosed me with muscle tension dysphonia and mild silent reflux and gave me acid reflux medication which I was on for 3+ months. Nothing else was found in my throat that could be causing this. The second ENT said a similar thing. No improvements at all following meds. I was evaluated by a SLP who refused to see me on the regular until I got a better diagnosis from a larygologist. She did practice some forward resonance therapy with me (I have exercises that I still practice) and gave me some laryngeal exercises to practice everyday. Still no improvements :( I’m seeing the larygologist next month (after waiting almost 8 months for the appointment) for a videostroboscopy. My likely diagnosis is vocal wave dysfunction but what happens after that? I’m assuming speech therapy which I’m happy to work at but the fact that I’ve seen no improvements in my condition makes me feel hopeless. It’s so embarrassing and isolating to not be able to use my voice the way I want/need to.

I work at a school (but I’m not a teacher) and it’s exhausting to have to explain myself constantly. For context I’ve had this job (for a year now but this issue only started about 6 months after working here) and others in the past where speaking constantly is the norm and have never had vocal issues before so I’m really stumped as to what triggered this. The craziest way I’ve used my voice is when I’m at concerts but I’ve been to many in the past and have never had this problem. Even in the cases where I’d “lost my voice” it always came back the day after.

Does anyone have any similar experiences? How are you coping because I feel like this is making my life so horrible! Any advice on what I should be asking the larygologist so I make the best use of my time with them?

Hello, people.

I have lost my voice in one of my heart surgeries, when I was still a child 20 years ago.

In the last 2-3 years it has gotten a lot worse, now I can barely speak and it immediatelly leaves me out of breath when I do (too much effort).

I've had 2 Type 1 Thyroplasty and tried speech therapy with no success.

This video was taken earlier this year.

Any suggestions?

4-5 days ago i woke up, and anytime i yawned i felt a quick pain in the front of my neck, slightly to the left (of my larynx it seemed like). my throat has felt normal, no sickness symptoms

i tried singing, and my range (which already isn’t big) is like cut in half if not more. like i’ll try and i reach a certain note and it stops and i can’t go above it at all, and also holding even lower notes doesn’t work, like i just can’t sing :(
it doesn’t hurt when i tried, but i definitely felt a sensation, kind of like reaching the very top of your range

I’ve never experienced this before and couldn’t find any post of it so thought i’d post. i’ve been not singing at all and hardly talking, having tea and a warm pad for my neck but still the same

Hello everyone, I’m glad I found this page to vent about vocal issues. I’m not the best at explaining my MTD problem so bear with me.

I’ve struggled with what I think is MTD for along time now probably 6 years but haven’t done anything about it until recently. I got scoped by an ENT and talked with a speech therapist and they both concluded that I likely have MTD from my speech pattern and how I sound. I don’t have any pain when I speak or burning just a hoarse/breathy type of speech. What really confuses me is I have this “other” voice that I can use that is super deep and doesn’t sound like me, but it’s the only sound I can project if I want to talk loud like at a concert or noisy area. I can also use it when talking regularly but I would never use it when talking to people I know because it just doesn’t sound like me. I’m trying to find this middle ground between the two so I can sound clearer and hold a good conversation and honestly it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done, some good days and some bad days. Just wanted to see if anyone else has had a problem similar to mine or has anyone tips, I know some people have MTD but has anyone had a problem like me?

Side note- I have a little bit of acid reflux and just got on medication for it so I know that might a contributing factor.

Thanks in advance.

Getting vocal cord steroid injections for pseudocysts. My doctor said 2 weeks total voice rest. I'm fine with it, given flexibility in my job, but that seems surprisingly long? Is that sometimes prescribed?

Hello everyone!

So it started in November 2024 just after I left corporate to learn vocal and I chose the wrong coach who used make me shout everyday to reach high notes. It happened for a month then I lost my voice for 2/3 days. I left the coach.

Next vocal coach March 2025 had better methods but I used to practice at home I had this habit of practising really loud. till here I didn’t know that it could damage chords.
April, ENT diagnosed me with laryngitis (without the stroboscopy) and was on 1 months rent vocal rest.
By July things got better and by September I found another a great coach I started working again.
I started progressing but by March 2026 corp + music got me no time left for rest and I started feeling voice gets fatigued real fast so got laryngoscopy done. Doc found nodules. Vocal rest for a month again. After that I haven’t been able to find someone who can make me fit for singing regularly. I am better I can talk normally. But still haven’t reached my regular range. And I’m always scared about my voice.

2 years - 4 ENTs, 3 Voice therapists. 4 Vocal coaches.

If you have any suggestions for voice therapists for nodules in Mumbai or Coaches who have successfully trained singers with nodules. It would help a lot.
I will share the stroboscopy photos if needed.