Lost voice...

[LadyWard]

Does anyone have problems with their voice if they eat wheat?

I have had a very very hoarse almost nonexistent voice now for months. I was diagnosed with underactive thyroid/Hashimotos. Camera up my nose and down my throat showed damage to my vocal cords, consultant said most likely due to my thyroid. I have been in medication now for 4 months it has made no difference to my voice.

Then three weeks ago I decided to go completely GF. Within 2 days my voice came back. Last Thursday I accidentally ate something with wheat in and once again my voice completely went with in about 10 minutes of eating the wheat!

I have not been diagnosed with Coeliac or gluten intolerance.

Anyone else had this?!

[Clarrisa]

Good observation. I have had voice issues too. A ENT (ears, nose, throat) doctor told me to warm my fluids, not to drink anything cold. That helps a bit too.

[Kitty013 in reply to Clarrisa]

Wheat products go after my vocal cords & throat big time. Had to remove from diet, if go back to it have flare ups.

[Clarrisa in reply to Kitty013]

I have been trying to maintain gluten free meals, is that sufficient for a wheat free diet?

[Kitty013 in reply to Clarrisa]

I can't eat products that are labeled as actual gluten free as those bother me too, but omitting both does stop symptoms.

[Clarrisa in reply to Kitty013]

Thank you for your input. I am still trying to figure out what is the source(s) of my problem. I will focus more on foods now. I have to blow my nose and have increased post nasal drip immediately following eating (I do have a history of GERD as well). Does this sound familiar?

[Kitty013 in reply to Clarrisa]

Yup me 100%, if I eat wheat I have nose running and a lot of sneezing like someone would have if they were allergic to spring blossoms so I took non drowsy antihistamine. Even not that long ago had a bit of bread and had spring allergies quite quickly.. the day of consuming it. I also had acid reflux. So the specialist mis diagnosed...as he didnt know about the allergy at the time nor did I. Yes I had reflux but wasn't from acid imbalances, the real cause was the wheat diet. I did go on reflux meds just to get my vocal cords better cos even a little acid is not good for sensitive & delicate cords but root cause was food allergy. I've done elimination lots of times and gone back to wheat, it's very obvious it's not for me. My mother is also allergic and has the nasal symptoms only. If you still have Gerd after a few months of no wheat maybe take digestive enzymes as it's not that we have too much acid it's that we don't have the proper enzymes to digest food better. Eating a more alkaline vs acid diet also helps acid issues.... Seek health store advice or naturopath advice on enzymes, it really helps...but wheat was absolutely the main cause not some mystery acid reflux illness.

[Clarrisa in reply to Kitty013]

THANK YOU, you’re given me hope!

[Kitty013 in reply to Clarrisa]

UPDATE JUNE 21 CELIAC BLOOD TEST RESULTS: I went back on wheat products because it needs to be present in the body to show up on a test. One piece of bread/day. My Dr just called with my celiac test results & they were extremely high. So yes, wheat, barley, rye, and oats can 100% affect voice and acid reflux health.. my throat and tongue were also affected. I cannot eat gluten free products if labeled that way either.. gluten free bread etc.. hope this helps some people.

[Clarrisa in reply to Kitty013]

Thank you for the update. My ancestors are from the U.K. so perhaps that is why we are in a similar boat. I don’t want to give up gluten free bread, but I think I too will have to. Thank you, as I would not have thought to do so.

[Lora7again]

Hi

I am not gluten free but I have Graves' and sometimes my voice goes gruff and it is because I have an enlarged thyroid or a multi nodular goitre. Have you had your thyroid scanned?

[LadyWard in reply to Lora7again]

no they said my thyroid wasn't swollen so wouldn't do a scan

[Lora7again in reply to LadyWard]

You can still have nodules ... I would pay for a scan if you can afford it.

[Lora7again]

My neck does not look that fat but if you look closely you can see the outline of my thyroid

[Kitty013]

Yes absolutely, I have this. I lost a call center job due to it. Started getting symptoms early 40's, I was fine eating wheat stuff before but developed the allergy which attacks my vocal cords, throat. If go back on wheat for a few days I get weird red blotches on throat, sour taste in mouth, swollen vocal cords, raspy voice. I either use lozenges or at night sucking on ice cubes gets the swelling down if I ate something shouldn't have. Of course I'm off wheat stuff now but have the occasional thing now and then & sometimes get a flare up. Specialist was clueless & so was nutritionist.. but they aren't holistic...who may have picked up on what was going on. I'm getting a blood test soon just to see but it's super obvious with an elimination diet. If I talk a lot need lozenges, voice was permanently changed in that it became more sensitive.