Vocal Cord dysfunction?

They have not we've had to fight to even get him to a specialist this is a very unrealistic situation but I'm trying everything I can to get him answers or help. As of today he can't eat or drink fluids and I'm not sure what's going to happen next. I do know he has an endoscopy soon but I'm not even sure how he will feel after that being that he can't even swallow without his whole thought hurting. He is also having NASAL REGURGITATION and esapheougus spasms that are painful,honestly I don't understand what's happening, I don't know if something went wrong during surgery when he was rushed to operating room and they intubated him and nobody is saying anything but my boy is suffering. Thank you for responding.

I am so sorry your son is going through this. I know it is heartbreaking for you and so painful and scary for him. I am on my knees right now praying for your son & you to get some answers soon. God Bless.

Sounds like u may have what they call “laryngospasms” and may be caused by anxiety, GERD, or something unknown. In my case it was over-taxing my vocal cords and has happened about 3 times in my life. Thankfully not in the last 10 years.
Finding your “trigger” is key to finding what helps. I don’t know if there’s a cure or not, but finding ways to stay calm during the episode is extremely important.
Here’s what I’ve found on the web;
If you or someone you’re with is having a laryngospasm, you should:
• Try not to panic or gasp for air. Remaining calm can help you relax more through the laryngospasm.
• Take small sips of water. This will help wash away any irritants that may have come in contact with your vocal cords.
• Apply pressure behind your earlobes. The soft spot behind your earlobes and just above your jaw is known as the laryngospasm notch. When you apply forceful pressure down and inward on this pressure point, it can help your vocal cords relax. (Sounds strange, but effective!)
How do you breathe during laryngospasm?
In addition to the techniques outlined above, there are breathing exercises that can help you through a laryngospasm. Here are a couple of techniques to try during an attack:
• Place a straw in your mouth and seal your lips around it. Breathe in and out through the straw without pausing between the inhale and the exhale. Avoid breathing in through your nose. The goal is to slow your breathing and allow your vocal cords to relax.
• Breathe in slowly through your nose. Exhale through pursed lips. Hold your breath for five seconds, then repeat until the laryngospasm stops.

Calming down at the first hint(!) is what helped the most, so pay attention closely to your body in high anxiety situations.
The Lord is my calm & I really hope this helps you!

In 2018 I had robotic surgery, a lobectomy of the left upper lobe. The access incisions being in my left chest wall, during the process they severed the nerve to the left vocal fold, paralyzing it. It took several years for swallowing problems to developed, it distorted the fold, and I started aspirating. I found instructions on the internet to deal with it until I got a referral to a head and neck surgeon who knew immediately the problem, verified by endoscope. As a temporary measure inflated it with a filler with a needle thru my neck to close the gap, that was last Dec. next month they will make an incision to insert a chip behind the fold to align it with the right side. Has anyone had a similar issue?

Hello,
I had my left vocal cord (fold) damaged during a complex heart surgery I had. It was paralyzed so I had what is called a thyroplasty and now have an artificial cord in there. It has been extremely successful. I am very athletic and compete in races and just had to learn new breath control techniques to be able to do this.
I wish you the best of luck!
Jackie

I am having surgery on Monday to inject filler in both cords. I thought when voice problems started it was due to sinus issues but the voice kept getting worse and completely cutting out at times. No known cause has been found for my problem. The reason they are doing general anesthesia is because of my numerous allergic reactions and afib. I do have sjrogens and other autoimmune/neurological issues. But still no official connection to the vocal cords. I am nervous about the surgery because of unusual reactions that happen with me. It was good to see that the injection helped you.

I want to know how you did and share with you my implant surgery, later.

I had the procedure Oct 8th. There was a vast improvement within a couple of weeks. After month one I returned to voice therapy. So far so good. See the dr in January at the 3 month date. I knew from the start that this is only a temporary fix so we will see how long it lasts. I will updste in January.

I went a year after the temporary injection before it became intolerable. I couldn't talk at all during meals, I would cough, sneeze and my nose would run, really serious. Both of my procedures I had to be awake to follow commands. They would ask me to make different vowel sounds to align the left paralyzed fold with the right fold. The sounds make the RVF open and close. The temporary procedure was done in the Dr's office, my wife sat close by watching the Dr's monitor. They just numbed the injection area like a dentist does. I watched a replay after with sound.
The implant was a big deal, done in a hospital. I added 2 attachments. one of each, they look a little pornographic. hope they are readable. Any I have other serious problem to deal with.
Happy Holidays, Don

Yes, I have experienced the spasms you describe about 5 times. The first time was the scariest because it was while I was sleeping. Didn't know what was happening; could not breathe in or out or speak. Jumped out of bed, ran into the bathroom and tried splashing water in my face. Husband came in and tried to perform the Heimlich maneuver because he thought I was choking on something. A few minutes later, I was able to wheeze and breathe slightly. Within 15 minutes was breathing normally.

Didn't talk to a doctor till the next episode about a month later. After the first episode, all episodes happened while eating or drinking. Then I also started having intermittent right ear sensations. I was having vague breathing problems that I managed to compensate for by using techniques found in this book: Breath by James Nestor.

A few months later saw a pulmonologist to be cleared for a colonoscopy. She diagnosed me with dysfunctional vocal cords and recommended avoiding acidic foods, mint, coffee, etc, and sleeping with head elevated. Also prescribed an inhaler which I eventually realized wasn't doing anything. Also that summer, "valley fever" was ruled out for my breathing problems. Lung scan showed lots of old nodules. Pulmonologist wondered if I had been sick a lot as a kid producing these nodules.

About 3 months later became so sick that I could not swallow anything liquid or solid for 3 days and was out for a week from work. The Primary Care doctor thought that I had a combination of flu and something else (don't remember). Medication seemed to clear it up and went back to work.

Physician recommended seeing an ENT. 3 months later, an ENT scoped my throat and said that my right vocal cord was frozen. This was what was causing the laryngospasms. He ordered a neck scan to see what was causing the frozen vocal cord. The scan showed that there was a mass in my throat, partially blocking my breathing airway and touching my right vocal cord and approaching my carotid artery. The biopsy showed that the mass was thyroid cancer. At this point, he referred me to 2 ENT surgeons. FYI its not clear why I got thyroid cancer, so perhaps genetic.

I ended up going to Mayo Clinic because they were my best chance to take care of the cancer without losing my voice box. Further scans showed that the thyroid cancer had also spread to my lungs. Met with the Mayo Clinic cancer doctors about any options to try and save my ability to speak. They determined that the cancer was too far along and aggressive. Early September, my larynx was removed and spent one week in the hospital. Had NG tube for awhile at home and only eating soft food. Went back to work for one week but was then told by HR that I was not ready to go back to work since I could not speak.

Next month, found out from cancer team that I would need 30, currently at 24, radiation treatments to hopefully get rid of any remaining cancer cells. The radiation treatment has been difficult for 3 reasons. 1) Lying flat without coughing is hard for me, 2) have no desire to eat ( due to some pain when swallowing and food tasting weird) yet I need to eat to keep my weight up so the mask fits properly and neck heals and 3) uncomfortable neck edema and skin redness and blistering. In January, will start chemo. Hoping to return to work at the end of January.

The moral of this story, is if you have any problems with your neck or throat, see an ENT earlier rather than later. Your neck is involved in eating, drinking, speaking, and breathing!