Prednisone reduction and voice problems?

[Mishycake]

Has anyone had any issues with their voice when reducing prednisone. Every time I go down my voice is like a mouse. Can’t get it out at times and when I do it’s squeaky.

[Berylholley]

Yes I have had voice changes on higher doses, now down to 3mg voice back to normal.

[SheffieldJane]

Yes me too. See posts about singing.

[SnazzyD]

Yes, though I didn’t squeak but certainly wouldn’t have been able to go into public speaking! Got better as dose lowered.

[Constance13]

My voice disappears when I’m in stress. It never entered my mind that it may be due to PMR!!

It returns when I have rested for about 15 minutes. Odd, very odd!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

My voice problems were in the 5 years of PMR/no pred - I don't have a pred link, it was the vasculitis.

Is it just for a few days after reducing the dose?

[Mishycake in reply to PMRpro]

I had interstitial lung disease initially when all my issues first started but throughout my journey my voice has had its ups and downs- mostly when my prednisone doses are moving up and down. Usually voice will be super weird and squeaky for a couple weeks and then maybe I learn how to talk around it so it feels like it normalizes after that? Will update how this current voice situation goes.

[alvertta]

I loved singing. On 25mg now. Cannot sing. Squeak. Squeak.

[Mishycake in reply to alvertta]

Squeak squeak. You will sing again one day!

[Kaaswinkel72]

Yes, absolutely, and we discussed that a while ago on this forum...I am lucky enough to be on one mg pred now after two years, ut if I try 0.5 my voice is hoarse and horrible....so I don t think I am ready for that. Alida

[Pym1 in reply to Kaaswinkel72]

Continuing on from earlier discussion, I think perhaps the vocal chords, just like other muscles, tire much more quickly with PMR. I’m fine for a verse or two of a hymn, then it’s basso profundo again and not even very profund. Keep meaning to do proper voice exercises again.

Fa la la.

Pym

[Suffererc]

My voice seems to be much deeper. Hopefully it will return to normal, whatever that is, eventually

[Mishycake]

Having had pneumonia, interstitial lung disease, MTCD, polymyo, and all the other issues, I have officially coughed my vocal cords goodbye because they have scarring on them. So my original voice is gone (RIP) but even the hoarse voice of mine that I was left with is now squeaky and unreliable.

Let’s see! This has happened before so I think it’ll stabilize. Ent can’t do anything for me.

[Singr]

Now this one is right up my street. I am a Professionally qualified singing teacher. Now I was forced to take a break while they were diagnosing PMR, GCA and Fybromyalgia. I am now returning. I am a member of the musicians union who offer me a free specialist service through BAPAM. My hearing has been affected and my voice itself was unpredictable in that the big belty bits were a gamble. Now here's the thing. These conditions affect us in so many ways and crucially in an emotional way. The voice is intrinsically linked to emotions and how we are feeling on a daily basis. So I have managed to continue singing but I wonder how much of the difficulties are due to energy levels. Breath energy is a really important aspect of the voice. At the moment I'm undertaking research and have been referred to hearing and voice clinic. I'll be very interested to see if they find any pathology or just behavioural/compensatory issues. Don't stop singing. Hum up and down a scale every day. It's a bit like going to the gym. Gotta keep the voice moving. I'll let you know how I get on.

[Jackoh in reply to Singr]

Very interesting- let us know your progress.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Singr]

For me it was both - the breath control went first I think, about the same time as my range dropping probably half an octave. I did sing for quite a while until it all get worse and finally suddenly there was no guarantee what note would emerge...

[Singr in reply to PMRpro]

And then the confidence is affected which makes people more prone to avoiding, which has the effect of compounding the issue. Just think about it this way. Teenage boys have exactly the same experience going though voice change. I always advise them to keep singing or seek help as this is the very time support is needed. Like I have said before. When I am singing I am completely symptom free and wish I could sing all day. Keep at it. Or ask for referral. Why shouldn't you?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Singr]

Not worth it 14 years on! And I have no access to the sort of singing I want to do anyway - the Vatican isn't as good as Anglicanism for church music

[Singr in reply to PMRpro]

Do you need them? If you can access YouTube you can click into a huge variety of backing tracks songs including beautiful classical arrangements too. Just put in the name of the song and type karaoke ot instrumental after it and watch what comes up. Drive your family and neighbours nuts. Sing in the shower or bath. The moist atmosphere is beneficial for the voice. I’m classically trained originally but love musical theatre and pop. I put on Pharrell Williams “Happy” the other day. I felt lighter and much happier after.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Singr]

Medieval polyphonics don't lend themselves to the shower ...

[Singr in reply to PMRpro]

😂😂

[Mishycake in reply to Singr]

I never did sing but I talk a lot less now :/

[Singr in reply to Mishycake]

Find your voice again. Hum up and down every day for a week when getting ready in the morning. Sounds like a siren sound.

[Mishycake in reply to Singr]

That definitely helps. I used to do it in the car a lot and try to hummm with the songs pitch. Have a pesky dry cough going on right now too so it doesn’t allow me again I guess it’s the pred drop.

[Sofarbrnun]

I have been having a lot of trouble with my voice. Sometimes it takes several seconds to form words and my utterances come out high pitched and 'squeaky' as you say. One of my docs just recommended I see an ENT, although she did say it was probably due to the prednisone. I never attributed the fluctuations in my voice to reducing the pred.

But it's hard to say. I've gotten down to two mg, but also had the occasional jab. It seems this problem came up at or near the onset, almost 2 years ago.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Sofarbrnun]

But didn't think it was due to the illness - whereas I know mine like that was definitely NOT pred...

[Sofarbrnun in reply to PMRpro]

So it's the PMR then, not the Pred? Has to be. I'm so tired of people saying, "What?"

Tired of my tense sounding voice. It comes and goes and I can't quite figure out just what precipitates it. I can actually be in a fairly good mood when I begin to speak, but at times, my voice makes me sound like a cranky old lady.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Sofarbrnun]

It was for me - but who knows?

[Mishycake]

Mine is definitely the pred reduction as it was in the past. Ent a while back told me voice rest might help, which in theory may have worked a little because it was for two weeks but I think by the end of that two weeks my body was used to that specific dose of pred too so..