Dear List:
I know we all get tired of hearing the reflux saga, but I need to share the stunning pronouncements of the doctors I've seen.
After seeing an ENT for hoarseness and odd vocal changes, I was told I had reflux and put on Prilosec. The hoarseness disappeared and all was well for 2 months, until she took me off Prilosec and the problems recurred with a vengeance.
Back to the ENT, scoped again: "Reflux damage" Put back on Prilosec to no avail.
Sent to GI doc for endoscopy, biopsies of lesions (negative), motility study and charming 24 hour Ph probe: "No Reflux - but a hiatus hernia and non-specific esophageal dysmotility. Let me know if you want me to fix the hernia. Could be related to allergies. Switch to Protonix, go back to ENT in 2 weeks"
To doctor covering for my primary care doc: "Allergies! Chronic Sinusitis! Take Flonase 2x a day and irrigate your sinuses" and most helpfully, "If you want to continue singing professionally, move to another city where your allergies won't bother you so much"
Throughout all of this, the freaky occasional dysphonia and unpredictable flipping into octave above HIGH C (and I do mean I now have four octaves, THREE of which are above middle C) and feeling of a downward esophageal pulling, continue, precluding any solo work when I'd been singing the best I'd sung in my life.
Back to original primary care doctor: "Reflux - we'll test for thyroid problems, but if that's negative and the Protonix and lifestyle changes are not helpful, you'll just have to deal with the changes and accept that you will be unable to sing at the level you were singing." He actually said to me, "Sing to your children instead".
At this point, I'm doing everything anyone anywhere has ever suggested as good for the voice and the most helpful have been my good ol' favorites, Alexander Technique and Feldenkreis. At least I seem better able to deal with the stress of not knowing what voice I'll wake up with from one day to the next.
So, my questions after all of this are: Is there any sort of standard of care for diagnosing the cause of sudden onset of chronic hoarseness, fatigue and vocal changes for a professional singer/teacher where there have been no significant changes in stress/schedule/activity, etc.? Have I had all the appropriate testing/therapies/diagnoses? When these doctors (3 now) say "it will most likely not get better, consider a different vocation/location", are they full of...beans?
Thanks,
Laura (cough-cough, swallow) Sharp
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