Looking for some good thoughts today...

[michelleric]

Well, I have had a "new" issue come up, again. For the last 3 months or so, I have been hoarse intermittently. At times, I "lost" my voice for a short time, but always came back, just hoarse.

Well, fast forward until now.  I have had NO, ZERO, NONE voice for 5 days.  I am no longer hoarse, just nothing there. I carry a pad/pencil around all day. Went to PCP last week, who was a bit alarmed.  I am not "sick" by the way.

I had an appt scheduled with ENT last Thursday, but the office canceled it and rescheduled to this Thursday.

I can not wait. My sister is calling for me when they open, and I will be seen today.  I feel this is an emergency at this point.  I don't care what doc, or what facility, I just need to be seen by someone today.

My PCP says it could be a number of things, from minor to major.  I am praying for a "virus" or polyps. I am hoping it is nothing more serious.  My PCP also said this can happen with MS.  I am also praying hard that it isn't that as well.  

Just an update here...please send good thoughts and maybe a prayer my way?

Michelle

[michelleric]

Thank you all!   Mary, thank you for all the good explaning you did.  I understand it better, and yes, I will call 911 if need be!  Actually since all this started, I have kept my sons epi-pen with me at all times.  I went to ER almost 2 weeks ago, and doc said, throat "perfect" and " no such thing as your throat closing up!"  

This is EXACTLY why I dont go to ER unless absolutely necessary.  Wrong info...Guess my throat/vocal box isn't "perfect" anymore?!

I will call Pulmonologist and neuro once I can talk and use the phone again.  I am worried I my voice might not come back.  I am a pessimist :(

Ren, thanks for the website. Appreciate it my friend,

"talk soon"!  XO  Michelle

[rendean]

Michelle,
I found a table showing the drug reactions/interactions with P450 and the liver The link follows. I'm glad you had nothing "serious" although with stubborn Michelle this could easily turn into an emergency situation. Mary gave you EXCELLENT advice!

http://medicine.iupui.edu/clinpharm/ddis/table.aspx

Big healing hugs!
Ren

[cheesymum]

I am very familiar with the GSE and its uses but I don't know about the GSE and liver enzymes and how the GSE would affect those.  However, if I'm thinking correctly (and that's a big "if"!  LOL), it's the acidity in the pulp and the juice of grapefruit which causes the problems.  Since this is a seed extract and you don't get any of the pulp or juice, it may not be a problem.  Better to check and be safe than sorry, tho!

Best of luck!!!

[summerluvr]

Advair made me chronicly hoarse (even with rinsing).  I use a seperate long lasting ventolin and a milder steroid (two inhalers versus the combined meds in advair) and I have not had any issues.  The steroid is called Avesco, normally prescribe for kids because it is more gentle.  

[HVAC]

I think I just had it in the mouth. I was on antibiotics for a bad respiratory infection.. I take symbicort now and have not had a problem.

I am with Mary about going to a hospital. Of course I am a fine one to talk. lol.

I feel for you. I am super sorry this is happening to you.

Alex

[twopack]

I'm glad I didn't have to call you Michelle.  How would we have communicated anything?  You couldn't talk and I couldn't write/type.  (Thanks for your generous ride offer though!)  You certainly have all my best thoughts coming your way!!!

So sorry to hear you have once again succumbed to the side effect tortures of treatment :(

As I started to read through this I wondered if it was your asthma preventative in concert with the Tysabri.  I remember you mentioning being hoarse in the past but didn’t realize it was an ongoing problem.  Not sure I would have pieced it together without some concentrated thought anyway.  These things only make easy sense AFTER they finally play out.

It seems your water rinse after Advair is working well on the tissues it can reach.  It also seems your inhaler technique is good and the Advair is making it at least as far as your larynx (‘cause that’s where the vocal cords are).  Did the doc tell you if your voice disappeared because the cords couldn’t move with the thrush on them or if they caused the tissues to swell?  Either way - if you have ANY trouble breathing go to the ER at once - Wait, change that to- CALL 9-1-1 immediately!!  **NO EXCUSES**

So, you are right that a swish-n-swallow medicine or rinse isn’t going to make direct contact with thrush on your vocal cords.  Swallowing should divert anything to the esophagus.  Air is the only thing designed to pass through the larynx, cords, trachea and lungs.  Anything else that tries will usually leave huge clues behind (choking, coughing, inability to speak!!)

In the meantime, let your asthma-ologist know about this latest development.  He may want to reduce dose, change you to an inhaled bronchodilator without steroid, use something else entirely or discontinue stuff.  Hint:  He may need you to supply him with info about Tysabri.

It wouldn’t hurt to inform your neuro and the Tysabri team (I don’t know if the Touch people are different) about all this too.  This is one of those times I hate for all of us.  Health care is so fractured into specialties that there is no one person (other than ourselves) who seems capable of following the interrelated whole our body is.

It's so hard to think ahead about how one treatment will change the way another is working.  It's the good and bad of the complexity of human structure and function rolled into one.

To try and prevent more trouble.......
Since you have a recommendation for GRAPEFRUIT seed extract, I'm wondering if it has the potential to change how other drugs work.  You know how many drugs come with a warning not to eat or drink grapefruit while taking the drug?  Grapefruit (and other things) can make changes in liver enzymes that in turn can change the speed some drugs will be absorbed and/or excreted.  It can make a HUGE difference -- causing a drug you have been stable on to become nearly ineffective or accumulate to toxic levels.

Anyone know about this extract and it's relation to P450 in the liver?  I'm not familiar with it and can't research it at the moment.  I'm not discounting "natural" remedies.  OTC and self-treatment through research and shared experiences have kept me going for many years.  I've just seen too much evidence that we live a delicate balance every day.  What seems a small tweak can have huge consequences - some good and some not so much.

I bet Raisin Rack has this stuff.  I don't know if there is anything like that close to you.  They are pricey but convenient to my locale.  They do have a site online.  You might find more info about the product there.  Amazon is often good for price but light on info IMO.

Hope this turns ALL good for you gf.
Mary

A PS reminder:  I am SO VERY glad you lost (only) your voice and not your ability to move air through your cords.  Ever take a CPR course?  Learn the Heimlich?  Number one way to know a person isn’t moving air is that they can’t talk!

                                            ***SO JUST A REMINDER***

IF YOU HAVE ANY TROUBLE BREATHING CALL 9-1-1 IMMEDIATELY.  

(Instruct all your boys to do the same and assure them they will not be in trouble if they decide you need this!)  

                                 **NO EXCUSES ON THIS ONE MISS MICHELLE**

[michelleric]

Yep, advair Alex! Was the thrush in your vocal cords?? It is not in my mouth, probably cause I always rinse and spit after.

[HVAC]

Are you on advair by chance? I got a super nasty case of thrush when my immune system was kicking in.

[cheesymum]

Absolutely check with him first.  It's very safe and should not interfere with anything but there's no harm in checking first.

Just be aware that it's considered a homeopathic and most docs will poo-poo those and tell you they don't work.  I'm here to tell you that it does.  I wouldn't want you to not be sure it's okay, tho.  :)

Good luck and I hope you feel better SOON!

Be well!  :)

[michelleric]

I just re read your post. I am going to get it and swallow.  I was going to PM you today and ask u just that. Gonna go order on Amazon now.  I should"probably" adk my doc about it, I am on lots of meds and dont want this to interfere with it.

I will probably call doc before I take it, just to be on the safe side.  It sounds like it will help me so much though.

Thanks again,
Michelle

[cheesymum]

That's why I said to swallow it.  Once it gets in the digestive system, it will hunt out those little candida germs and knock 'em out even if it doesn't get them on the way down.  I'm telling ya this is powerful stuff!  I've used it for years on all sorts of yeast infections (yes, even those!) as well as many other things.  It will knock out a kid's ear infection better than anything you can get from a doc!  Sinus infection, tummy flu, boo-boos on skinned knees, etc., etc., etc.

DISCLAIMER:  I am not a paid spokesperson nor do I play one on TV.

Best of luck and, please don't get a side effect from the GSE.  I would feel just terrible!  :)

[michelleric]

Thanks for the Tip regarding Grapefruit seed extract. There is a store near me that just might have it.

Not sure if it will work, as the thrush in not in my mouth, but way down in the vocal cords. When I had thrush before in the hospital, it was a "swish and spit" type of med that took care of it.  The doc told me that wont help, cause the thrush is too far down.

never hurts to try...although with my luck, I would get a side effect from the grapefruit seed and so on and so on.... ;)

Thanks again!  

[cheesymum]

Michelle, so very glad to hear that your appointment went well.  I have a suggestion if you are interested.

Go to a natural store or a herbalist and get some Grapefruit Seed Extract.  GNC won't have it.  They likely won't even have heard of it.  Make sure it is Grapefruit Seed Extract.  (GNC will have a grape seed extract but, obviously, that's not the same)  If you can't find it locally, they sell it here

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/tags-on-product/B0009VDKF2

You will need to put about 5 - 10 drops in a cup of warm water, gargle and swallow.  Normally, I would tell folks to sweeten it a little with sugar or honey to make it more palatable but, since the thrush is right on your vocal cords and thrush LOVES sugar, it's not a good idea.  Gargle with it for as long as you can and then swallow.  Try to do the whole cup.

You only need 5 - 10 drops.  Do NOT make the mistake of "Well, if 5 is good and 10 is better, 15 or 20 would be the best."  This is strong stuff.  It doesn't take much.  And, it WORKS!

It won't taste good but it's very safe and very potent.  It will absolutely kick thrush's booty!  :)

Hope you feel better soonest!  

Be well!

[michelleric]

JJ,

After seeing you never heard of thrush in the vocal cords, I thought either have I!

Funny, I was just so thrilled it was anything life threatening, that I didnt pay to much attention what was being told to me.

I looked it up on line,  Not too much info, apparently very rare to just have thrush in the larynx/vocal cords. The studies are small, as there are not as many "special" people as myself.;)

In my case, It came from having a lowered immune system and my steroid inhaler for asthma. Those were the 2 big ones listed, and 2 I have.

Anyway, thanks for helping me to think about this and learn.  Once I get a voice back, I need to call pulmonolgist and tell him I do not want the inhaler. Always one thing after another.

Thanks again, Michelle

[Lulu54]

My goodness, Michelle.  Do you really have to continue to come up with all these unusual side effects?  Can't you just be normal?  LOL

lots of hugs, L

[supermum_ms]

Well thats a relief, still i've never heard of thrush in your vocal cords, glad its that than the alternatives though :-)

HUGS.............JJ

[michelleric]

Thanks all for your support! This place is indeed still the best!

Well, great news...I am not dying from any awful cancer, MS related voice problem...etc. (Thank G-d).

I have VERY BAD Thrush in my vocal cords!  In fact, it was so bad, I need to go back in 3 weeks to have them take another look.  If still not fully resolved, the doc will take a biopsy to make sure what is going on. So, who knows...I am hugely relieved, although in pain, but so happy it is nothing that hopefully cant correct itself.  I am on meds for 2 weeks in the hopes this clears up.

Funny, I was had thrush when I was really sick a few years back in hospital.  My immune system is down, Tysabri helps me out with that one :(, so now I guess thrush can visit.

It is not in my mouth tho, only in my vocal cords.

So thats it, and thanks again.  Means so much to have all you wonderful folks on my side :)

Michelle

[momma2494]

Sending you good thoughts and big hugs~!

[Lulu54]

Michelle- check in, ok?  We're all wanting to know tht the medical people you saw today were able to help.  I hate to hear you are going through this..... L

[kel1lost]

HI, I'm Kelli!  I'm with te rest of these amazing ladies with the prayers!

Ren- Right on with the rain dance!  I second that!

Huggs to all!
Kelli

[rendean]

((Michelle,))

Ditto what Shell said, she just beat me to it! I'll add a "rain dance" to it as well!

(((Hugs)))
Ren

[sllowe]

Good thoughts coming your way, Michelle. Specifically, that this is temporary, unrelated to MS, or anything unfixable.

Looking forward to seeing how you are doing after your appt.
(((Hugs))
shell

[jujuminx]

Oh my!  Good timing for me to get back on the board. Yes, of course, prayers will be coming your way. Not only for good news on the physical front but also having a peaceful heart and head about it.

We got your back girl.

Julie

[kerrtelli]

I amending you my prayers.

Kerri