Ok, so I've totally lost my voice. What can I do? (1 Viewer)

[Moe Maishlish]

It started last week Tuesday with a raspy throat. I knew that I was catching something in the evening at dinner, when my appetite just didn't feel normal. By the time I got home, I was dizzy and I could feel my throat getting sore.
Wednesday morning was typical of the "I'm getting sick" mornings - tired, didn't want to move, dizzy, troat aching, head aching, etc. But I went to work anyway, only to go home at noon to catch some rest.
Thursday I felt fine! No more sore throat, no dizzyness, no nothing. Hell, I even went to the gym in the evening and had a pretty good workout.
Friday was "return of the ass-kicking cold". Now not only was I feeling sick, I had zero energy and had trouble keeping my throughts together. In bed by 9p.m., slept until 2p.m. Saturday.
Saturday I had enough energy to move around the house and do some chores, clean, etc. I stayed in all day and evening, drinking tea, chicken soup, etc. in an attempt to get better.
Sunday was more of the same, although in the evening I felt good enough to go out and meet some friends. Big Mistake! By the end of the evening, I was coughing up a storm, and I could feel my voice cracking!
Surprise surprise, I wake up this morning and my voice is but a raspy whisper of what it used to be. I've received more than a few phone calls today, all of which have been difficult to even get through. I'm feeling ok, it's just really my voice that's gone now. A residual effect of the cold? I dunno.
Is the cold gone? Can't say for sure... but I at least want to get my voice back! I'm leaving on vacation next week for two-three weeks, and I'd like to be in good health when I get on that plane. What's more, I've got a boatload of things to go before I go, many of which require me going out and COMMUNICATING with people. How do I do that with no voice!!!???
So, the long and short of it is - what can I do to get my voice back?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Happy holidays all.
Moe.

 

[Shayne Lebrun]

Have you seen a medical professional? Not trying to be a bitch or anything, but I'll never understand why people ask questions like this on boards like this. Even those of us who ARE medical doctors aren't going to be able to say very much without physically examining you, and would probably have to legally load it up with disclaimers and what not.

Ok, so I've totally lost my voice. What can I do?

Carry a pad of paper and a pen everywhere you go.

 

[Bill Buklis]

Note I'm not a doctor, so this isn't a perfect analysis. You'll need to see a doctor for your own specifics.

I believe loss of voice is due to swelling of the larynx. It's fairly common with extreme sore throats from colds, etc. Usually it'll resolve itself within a couple of days as you recover from the cold and sore throat. The effects of the sore throat are likely to last longer than the cold itself. As you're experiencing. Certainly if you don't see even minor improvement after a day or two, you should consult a doctor.

If you're cold keeps coming back, definitely see a doctor. You may need some antibiotics or something.

 

[Richard Travale]

Hot Water with Lemon and Honey. Works charms for me.

 

[Mike Voigt]

I second Shayne's recommendation. Go see a doctor.

Do some steam breathing, it helps clear the air passages for a while, if that is the problem.

Rest, your body will thank you for it - and so will those who you were supposed to meet, shoudl they find out you had a killer cold! After all, you didn't infect them!

Drink lots of fluids. Take some multi-vitamins (not excessive), they will help the body reestablish levels of needed micronutrients.

Rest some more. Your body might be trying to tell you you've been treating it like a candle burning at both ends...

And, my personal favorite if I MUST interact - drink some Throat-Coat tea. Slippery elm bark, if I remember correctly. Works well for me; clears it right up, for a few hours anyway.

Mike

 

[Moe Maishlish]

Thanks all!
Well, I did a bit of research online and found that Honey is supposed to work wonders - so I bought some, and mixed it into some tea.
I dropped by my local drug store for some last second pre-Chirstmas cold supplies, and the pharmacist pointed out a couple of losenges and a cough-syrup that should help speed things up.
I'm well aware that I should probably go see a doctor, but being christmas eve and all, I seriously doubt that I'll find one open/available. Tomorrow being christmas would probably be even worse. If things do get really bad (or don't change for that matter), I'll drop by my local hospital and see what they have to say (although the waits in Ontario in emergency rooms are a good 4-6 hours sometimes, easily!).
I'll let you all know how the "treatment" goes. I've had this kind of thing before (usually during exams while I was in school), and the only thing that I really did was rest and stop talking for a while. Then again, I lived with my parents back then, so my mommy could take care of me. Now I'm all alone.
Happy holidays everyone. Be safe.
Moe.

 

[Shayne Lebrun]

Oh, and don't try to talk. I'm given to understand that this tends to re-damage whatever's managed to heal.