Croaky voice with bronchiectasis?

[Blackcat99]

Have mild-to-middling Bronchiectasis, shows as recurrent chest infections, some reduction in breathing capacity, tiredness, etc., but only rarely producing any sputum. (Similar to when I had TB, almost 60 years ago).

Living in rural area, nearest consultants are not Bronchiectasis specialists. GP prescribed Symbicort 100, plus Ventolin for ‘emergency’ use - but I’m not sure that either has much effect, so have stopped using. Also because I had read that Symbicort might be the cause of croaky voice which was being a problem. Months later, I still struggle to talk normally, which is both embarrassing and really uncomfortable. Phone calls are a nightmare! Is this a normal side affect of bronchiectasis? And is there anything I can do to alleviate it, please?

[Liberty43]

Yes, think so as happens to me. I was on symbicort for many years but when l got to see a bronchiectasis specialist he put me on a new inhaler Trelegy Ellipta . If you get recurrent infections a prophylactic antibiotic azithromycin 3 times a week may help. It is possible to find bronchiectasis specialists near you if you check on a few hospitals websites. Both of these meds have helped a lot. Hope you can find a respiratory specialist with an interest in bronchiectasis even if you need to travel as l only see mine once a year now. Clearance is important and the inhaler helps with this too. There are gadgets to help with this. Good Luck.

[Blackcat99 in reply to Liberty43]

Thanks for your reply, Liberty 43 and apologies for belated response, as I’ve been trying to get home from Asia - currently at Amsterdam airport, so nearly there!🤞

I think you’re quite right about finding a bronchiectasis specialist, and had in fact just found someone in Edinburgh whom I’d been planning to contact once home ( which should have been several weeks ago) and ask how to go about getting a referral. Problem now, of course, is that with the current situation, he’ll be otherwise involved, and all normal Clinic work will probably be on hold.

I’ll definitely try this route once things have settled down a bit (we hope and pray) I do feel that the more general Chest Clinic is probably swamped with these in a more constantly poor state of health, whereas I can be reasonably well between bouts of severe infection. Think we maybe need a different system of management?

Best wishes!

[Hidden]

I get this a lot too, I'm on Fostair 100/6, Salbutamol, Braltas, Mucodyne and Azithromycin. Mine is worse in the morning and it makes my voice very weak.

[Blackcat99 in reply to Hidden]

Hi, poemsgalore1, thanks for your reply. My voice issue doesn’t seem to have any real pattern to it, but is really embarrassing and can be a problem on the phone or in social situations ( not many of those right now! 🙄)

Best wishes!

[wiserlady]

hope you feel better now. when you say you had tiredness do you mean feeling sleepy and wanting to turn off and sleep or do you mean your body was lacking energy and you couldnt do much physically, worn out quickly?

[Blackcat99 in reply to wiserlady]

Thank you, wiserlady - I am currently feeling quite good. I found that the combination of heat and humidity in Asia actually seemed to help my breathing. Although the heat itself was a bit too much, and I'd to stay out of the sun because of antibiotic reaction, there were fewer incidents of suddenly struggling to get air, and I seemed able to take proper deep breaths. An unexpected benefit!

I've also got more energy which is lovely, so I'm trying hard to keep up the exercise and increase capabilities. When I spoke of tiredness before - it can be a total draining of energy, almost as if someone had pulled out the plug, and putting one foot in front of the other is almost too much to cope with. This suggests that a lack of oxygen to the muscles might be the problem?

These issues come and go, of course, and - thankfully - at the moment, they seem to have gone. The next infection might well knock me off again, but I'm enjoying the improvement while it lasts 😉 My voice, unfortunately, still sounds like a bullfrog with laryngitis.

By the way, Liberty43 - I made contact with the bronchiectasis specialist down in Edinburgh and, as expected, research there is currently on hold, but he will let me know once they re-start.

Hope you are all keeping well, and coping with the constraints of life at present?

[Liberty43 in reply to Blackcat99]

Hi. Blackcat99. Glad you found a bronch specialist. Problem now is shielding which seems to be for the foreseeable. My consultant phoned today and was adamant that l stay shielded, which is my intention anyway. I am also immunocompromised due to RA Biologic medication, which makes shielding all the more necessary for me. Hope you get sorted soon and stay safe.x

[Blackcat99]

You’re very sensible to stay shielding until the medical scientists can tell us that things are under some sort of control. To be honest, I think that many of us are going to find it even more of a struggle to take the step of going back out into the world again, when the time comes. I feel positively unclean, can hear alarm bells ringing, if I don’t wash or sanitise my hands every few minutes, and every time I touch anything, even although I’m only in my own house! It’s going to take some courage to trust the outside world again, isn’t it?

Take care, and stay safe xx