Voice issues | Arthritis Information
All along I was told my voice issues (hoarseness and loss of singing voice) were caused my acid reflux. I had been trying to take meds for this, and they have been making me sick. Yesterday I saw a voice specialist who looked at my vocal cords and I have nodules caused by RA on them. There is no cure, no getting rid of them except for surgery which is very risky. I am a music teacher. My livelyhood is my voice. It's scary that my RA symptoms have been manageable but my voice now has this problem. I am reading that methotrextae makes this worse. Great.
Has anyone else ever had this diagnosis?
< id="gwProxy" ="">< ="jsCall;" id="jsProxy" ="">I've had no experience except for occasional hoarseness. I'm so sorry this is happening to you.
I used to sing in select groups in middle and high school. As school went on, I experienced hoarseness more and more often. I assumed it was due to allergies and overuse. When I was diagnosed with JRA, the dr. said that the voice issues were RA related.
I haven't learned of anything that can really be done that isn't risky. I teach, so I do need my voice. Luckily, as my ra get reasonably under control, the voice issues have been ok.
I know it must be scary being a music teacher and having this happen. I immeadiately thought of Julie Andrews when she had the surgery for the nodules. It does seem risky...
I hope someone else can give you advice!
Dude, im 20, got diagnosed june last year, ive been singing for as long as i can remember, since february my voice has started to get worse and worse. I havnt seen my rheumatologist since january.
I strain to talk, my voice is constantly breaking, hoarsness, the lot. its not painful, just getting harder to talk, and its super embarassing being a girl with a breaking voice.
is this similar to what you are going through? my mum and dad are docs and mum said that i could have nodules but i just shook my head.
Ive been on salazapyrine, fenac and Enbrel. i havnt had any harder treatments or meds,just the softer ones and Enbrel.
k now im worried.
Research cricoarytenoid arthritis.
Hi, I can't address the voice issues, (I can't carry a tune in a bucket!) but I had nodules horribly on my elbows, fingers and in my lungs. In my case, my RD said they were caused by the MTX. I went off the MTX and the nodules went away. If your voice is your living, it might be worth a discussion with your RD.
Let me also add, going off MTX left a BIG hole in my treatment! RD tried many other drugs to work in conjunction with the biologic I was on at the time, and nothing gave me the relief that the biologic combined with the MTX did! I felt so much better on the MTX, but the nodules were causing problems... Catch 22.
Discuss this with your RD and see if he can come up with a different combo for you to try. A trial period should tell you if its the MTX. DON'T go off your MTX on your own! Please! Good luck and let us know how you are doing.
When I am reeally tired or getting a flare or in a flare, my voice becomes what my DH calls "whispy." I can't sing any more and I used to love to sing. I can't read aloud as much either, and forget lecturing.
I was a teacher, so all these things were important to me. I HATE HATE HATE what this disease does to us.
I feel better knowing this is not just me, and thinking that if I perhaps go off Methotrexate (under care of my doc) things may get better. I have tried all the softer RA meds, all with horrible side effects..like nausea and digestive issues. Last time I saw my Rheumatologist she said I do not qualify for Enbrel etc because my RA is not bad enough. Hopefully with the ENT report, I will be able to try something...although even that scares me!
Yes my voice breaks, I have difficulty with projection and no strength at all in my upper register. I cannot sing in a key that is good for little ones anymore. When I read aloud, my voice cuts in and out. I NEVER dreamed this would be the way RA would get me! I was sure my hands would swell and be useless for playing piano. What a roller coaster! My mom had severe lung issues from methotrexate (or maybe just RA itself) so she now take enbrel.
Thanks for the replies everyone; it's nice to know I am not alone!
< id="gwProxy" ="">< ="jsCall;" id="jsProxy" ="">I've never heard of MTX having an effect on the voice and I"ve been taking it nearly 20 years.
I just did a little research and it does happen rarely......but, based on what I read, with people who have extremely high doses of MTX [cancer fighting agent]. The doses for arthritis are small by comparison and therefore unlikely to cause voice problems.
That's not to say it doesn't happen.
Again, consider cricoarytenoid arthritis as the cause of voice problems. I suspect that if your problem in cricoarytenoid arthritis, taking MTX away from the drug treatment schedule might worsen the problem.
For what it's worth, I've found that a small dose of Prednisone helps reduce voice inflammation.
I understand what you are saying about the MTX possibly making things worse; I hate how not having it made me feel. But, the nodules went away pretty quickly for me... and that was sooooo much better than having them biopseyed!
Might be worth a discussion with the RD, maybe a trial to see if it helped. By the by, the pred did nothing for making the MTX associated nodules go away.
the thing is, i've never had MTX. my rheumy didnt want me on that course, probably im too young, i dunno. after i went through the three lines of treatments which all didnt work, i qualified for enbrel, my miracle in a stick. i've recently not been taking my salazayprine and anti infam, (new found hate for my meds) but dad caught on and is making sure i take them. ive had them for two days.
so i've never touched MTX, how is this still happening to me? could the voice problems (nodules) be because of RA? and not MTX? my rheumy isn't very interested in all of this stuff (problems associated with RA) he is literally just joints. he doesnt have answers for me to all these questions. i only live in a small town 3hrs out of sydney australia. he is the only RD in my area. id have to go into sydney. and then may not even get the answers im looking for.
Stephanie,
Research cricoarytenoid arthritis which has nothing to do with MTX.
My ENT said my voice issues have nothing to do with cricoarytenoid arthritis ; he said I have 'bamboo nodes' which I understand can be made worse by Methotrexate. I know I shouldn't believe everything I read on the internet, but here is the article I read which seems pretty detailed:
http://staff.aub.edu.lb/~webmeja/downloads/19_2/335.pdf
But who knows what my rheumy will say?
< id="gwProxy" ="">< ="jsCall;" id="jsProxy" ="">Excellent article in an area new to me.
Though not as detailed, here's another article:
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/441926_1
Here's another reference though no mention of methotrexate:
And a list of references that might be of use:
Sam12342010-04-16 09:08:40Sorry about this... it's your life and livelihood... so unfair.. I hope you find a solution!
WAddie.. I can't carry a tune in a bucket either!! LOL!!
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