Lost voice for 8 weeks!
Hi
So i lost my voice 8 weeks ago now, ear pain, headaches, referred to ENT and they put a camera up my nose and down the throat. He looked at my vocal chords and said it was RA. He then basically booted me out the door and I contacted my rheumatology doctor. They said I was on all the meds I can for my RA and nothing else could be done.
I feel totally left, I feel like it's not improving and I m worried what if it's not that or how long it will last? Anyone else experienced this?
It's beginning to take its toll on my mental health
Hi
. The anxiety you are experiencing over these issues and the lack of medical interest is certainly understandable. There are actually multiple potential RA issues here. Concerning the voice, their is a joint in the throat called the cricoarytenoid joint which, like any joint, can be impacted by RA and cause hoarseness. Our contributor Wren wrote about this here: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/a-hoarse-of-a-different-color. Also, there are tiny joints in the ears which, when impacted by RA, can cause hearing loss and discomfort (see: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/hearing-loss). Headaches are not uncommon with RA and can be caused by multiple things, probably including the items already mentioned here. The question, which as a non-medical professional, I can't answer, is whether you are experiencing these RA issues together or if something else is causing these issues. I know some people have had success dealing with the throat issues with steroid bursts and it may worth asking your doctor about that. I hope having this information helps inform further conversations. If your doctors don't seem interested in pursuing answers don't hesitate to get another opinion. Hope you get some answers and relief soon. Best, Richard (Team Member) Thank you so much for your reply, I am definitely going to keep on at my GP for it to be looked into further. Now going into week 9 and still no voice plus now got a bad cold due to low immune system I believe. 🙃
Losing your voice for so long, on top of the pain and lack of clear answers, would take a toll on anyone. So your feelings are understood here. Not to mention feeling like you’re being passed around without much help. It's draining to say the least. It's not uncommon for RA to affect the vocal cords, though it doesn’t make it any easier to deal with. I would definitely continue to reach out to your doctor or even consider a second option from the ENT. I truly hope you get some resolve soon! Hang in there! -Latoya (Team Member)
Thank you for your reply, I m not going to give up 😊
