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From:  "Laura Sharp" <lasharp@n...>
"Laura Sharp" <lasharp@n...>
Date:  Thu Oct 26, 2000  2:43 pm
Subject:  MED: Sorry - reflux (long)


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






  Replies Name/Email Yahoo! ID Date Size
6029 Re: MED: Sorry - reflux (long) John Messmer, M.D.   Thu  10/26/2000   4 KB

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